500 free trees will be available Saturday for Putnam County residents to replant what was lost in the March Tornado. These trees are coming to the city of Cookeville through the Arbor Day Foundation and a sponsorship with Verizon. Cookeville Urban Forester Jaime Nunan said replanting in the community is important for the environment and for mindset. “Spirits were broken ... Read More »

Putnam County Areas impacted by the March Tornado will see volunteers trying to connect survivors to resources Saturday morning. Restore and Repair Committee Member John Bell said this ground effort will be passing out postcards with resource information so survivors can get registered for the remaining tornado relief funding. Bell said survivors should know that it does not matter how ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech Nursing professor Melissa Geist has received the Alumni Award for Innovation in Health Care by Vanderbilt. Geist said she’s proud of creating a course that brings the medical and engineering worlds together. She said this course has taken students to Cuba where they’ve come back with real ideas to improve the lives of patients and medical professionals. “They ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech is preparing to open the largest building on campus for the start of the Spring semester. Associate Vice President for Facilities Chuck Roberts said the $93 million and 165,000 square foot Lab Science Building will be the new home for the chemistry department and parts of biology, physics and earth science departments. Roberts said the transition will begin ... Read More »

The Overton County Sheriff’s Department is partnering up with The Steel Coop to try and make the biggest toy drive possible. Sheriff John Garrett said the department decided to join in the Santa’s Secret Workshop so that all the toy drive efforts could be merged into one big event. Garrett said he sees first hand the challenges facing children who ... Read More »

School systems around the Upper Cumberland are experiencing substitute teacher shortages because of the pandemic. Tennessee Tech University Associate Dean for the College of Education Julie Baker said education majors are good candidates to fill these roles, and they encourage students to do so. Baker said the goal is for students to get experience on the job and know they ... Read More »

The fourth annual Cookeville Merry and Bright Holiday Home Challenge is taking applications for homes looking to light up the holiday season. The homes will all be within a 10-mile radius of the courthouse square and once the homes are set a map to tour the lights will be available on the Cookeville Leisure Services website. Leisure Services Recreation Programmer ... Read More »

Remote Area Medical will be in Jamestown this weekend and there are still free medical appointments available. Remote Area Medical CEO Jeff Eastman said residents do not need an ID or insurance to get service at the clinic. Eastman said No matter where these clinics go, they are trying to address the same health care problems. “It’s not an Appalachian ... Read More »

All Van Buren County schools will go to virtual learning starting on Monday and lasting until December 4. School Director Cheryl Cole said this decision was made based on the number of teachers who were quarantined and a lack of substitutes to fill the positions. Cole said there is not a set number for staff she needs available, but will ... Read More »

The Van Buren County Santa Shop is in need of toys and monetary donations to help kids this holiday. Santa Shop Coordinator Sarah Hillis said the Santa Shop has never served less than 200 kids for Christmas and based on sign-ups there could be more demand than ever. Hillis said usually these kids are from single families that come from ... Read More »