White County is keeping its budget inline with last year after getting final approval Monday night. County Commission Chair Stanley Neal said the board shied away from any major additions or cuts in the $55 million dollar budget. It will include some paving projects but no new buildings. Neal said the county worked to keep the property tax rate at ... Read More »

Local mental health experts said depression and anxiety have been more common among men since COVID began. Dale Hollow Mental Health Director Anne Stamps spoke at Livingston’s Monthly COVID update Monday. Stamps said six million men each year are affected by a mental illness. Stamps said depression and anxiety can manifest differently for men. “With anxiety, men may experience anger ... Read More »

The recycling market has fallen on hard times with the shrinking demand for plastics. White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said it reached a point to where the county was denying recycling company’s requests to dump their plastics. Robinson said without plastic buyers, the recyclables end up going to waste. However, Robinson said recently White County has found a solution. ... Read More »

Three finalists have been selected to be the next president at Volunteer State Community College. The Tennessee Board of Regents Search Advisory Committee has narrowed its candidate list to Dr. Jothany L. Blackwood, Dr. Orinthia T. Montague and Dr. Irene Rios. The candidates will participate in campus visits, including forums with the public and campus groups from June 22-24. All ... Read More »

Smoke testing in Cookeville’s sanitary sewer system will begin this week in various locations. Testing will be done by  the Department of Water Quality Control to search for sources of storm and ground water entering the sanitary sewer system. A special non-toxic smoke is being used and it leaves no stains. The smoke will have a distinctive odor, that only ... Read More »

A Fentress County man has been arrested for selling Oxycodone obtained through TennCare benefits and TennCare fraud. Kenny Evans of Pall Mall was arrested by the Office of Inspector General and the Fentress County Sheriff’s Department in a joint effort. Investigators say Evans used TennCare to get the pills and then sold them to an undercover informant. This case is ... Read More »

Clay County’s American Legion Post 18 is in need of an office space to grow their branch. Post Commander Bryan Brady said the group of roughly 30 vets operate out of the Celina Chamber of Commerce at this time. Brady said that in his mind, there is no reason an area like his cannot support a dedicated post for veterans ... Read More »

The Fentress County Highway Department wants to pave 15 miles of gravel road over the next year. Road Supervisor Joey Reagan said he will ask the county commission to allow the department to take out a $1.5 million capital improvement loan. Reagan said this will better serve the county’s most rural residents. “The majority is in the west Fentress area,” ... Read More »

The Cookeville Fire Department is halfway to reaching its staffing goal for a 5th fire station on Tennessee Avenue. Chief Daryl Blair said plan to bring on three fire fighters a year to staff the station came together to alleviate the financial burden of adding them all at once. Blair said a plan had to be in place once it ... Read More »

Putnam County High Schools are transitioning into a more traditional approach for mathematics. Lura Hawkins serves as the Putnam County School Systems Math Specialist for grades 9-12. Hawkins said the system had been teaching Algebra and Geometry together. Hawkins said the traditional model breaks math up into dedicated Algebra and Geometry courses. “We have very limited resources available to us, ... Read More »