Crime in Cookeville decreased some 12.9 percent over the last year according to the TBI’s Crime In Tennessee report. The number of offenses reported dropped from 4,108 in 2018 to 3,574 last year. Cookeville arrests fell from 2,450 to 2,076. The biggest areas of decrease according to the TBI date came in credit card/ATM fraud arrests, down from 170 in ... Read More »

A three-car accident along US 127 in Fentress County Tuesday left two people injured. 38-year-old Ben Jenkins of Clarkrange was travelling northbound when he came upon two vehicles stopped to make a left turn. Jenkins could not slow down, hitting the vehicle driven by 44-year-old David Smith of Jamestown. Jenkins’ vehicle overturned as he hit the right shoulder. Smith’s vehicle ... Read More »

The Cookeville Regional Board of Trustees Finance Committee approved a plan to replace the Medical Center’s Cath Lab. The $3.63 million project includes a total renovation of the space and the purchase of new equipment. CEO Paul Korth said the budgeted upgrade will take about 18 months to complete. “We need to get started on this, we need to get ... Read More »

Cookeville Regional CEO Paul Korth said patients recently treated for COVID-19 seem sicker than previous cases. Seven people are currently being treated at CRMC. Putnam County reported a total of 676 COVID-19 cases Tuesday based on data from the Tennessee Department of Health. The county’s average number of new cases over the last 14 days stands at 7.5. “We kind ... Read More »

A Hendersonville man transported to Cookeville Regional after a one-car accident Tuesday morning along Interstate 40. 51-year-old Troy Stafford lost control of his car as he drove westbound near mile marker 296 in Putnam County. Stafford’s vehicle struck an embankment and began to roll. It came to rest in the median. The incident happened about 7:00am during a strong rain ... Read More »

The Putnam County Budget Committee voted last night to send the new fiscal year budget to the commissioners for approval. The school system budget will be sent separately after Thursday night’s school board meeting. Budget Committee Chair Ben Rogers said the committee felt comfortable with Randy Porter’s status quo budget and had no need to further breakdown the expenses. The ... Read More »

The Cookeville Planning Commission approved a plan to subdivide the Quality Inn site on Jefferson Avenue for the construction of two new hotels. The newest three-story section of Quality Inn will remain on a new plat of land carved out of 970 South Jefferson Avenue. The front section of the property will be demolished for a Hilton Home2 Suites. The ... Read More »

The State Legislature did not fund Tennessee Tech’s new College of Engineering in its new fiscal year budget. The 100,000 square foot project would be the first new building for the program in 50 years. State Senator Paul Bailey said the $55 million project among the cuts made to get a balanced budget. “That was one of the projects that ... Read More »

A motorcycle collision Saturday morning along Putnam County’s Highway 70 sent two California residents to the hospital. 73-year-old John Anderson of Lake Isabella, CA was life flighted to Erlanger Hospital Saturday morning. Anderson’s motorcycle was travelling eastbound on Highway 70 when he slowed for a turtle in the roadway. A motorcycle driven by the 57-year-old Daures Stephens Jr, also of ... Read More »

A printer caused a Friday night fire at a Cookeville home was contained to one room. The fire broke out just after 9pm Friday at 1177 Locust Grove Road. Eight units responded to the fire. The printer overheated causing significant damage to the room being used as an office. Cookeville Fire Chief Daryl Blair said the rest of the home ... Read More »