Cumberland County Schools will move forward with two construction projects, including major renovations at South Cumberland Elementary. School board approved a $546,000 bid to begin upgrades to restrooms, the kitchen, the lobby, interior stairways and ramps as well as the locker rooms. A new ADA-compliant restroom will also be built near the gymnasium. Director of Schools Billy Stepp said the ... Read More »

Three Dekalb County residents spoke Thursday night about interest in representing the sixth district on the Dekalb County Commission. Danny McGinnis, Andy Pack, and Bruce Parsley each spoke during a public meeting about their interest in the position and their qualifications. County Commissioners expected to make a decision on the open seat during the board’s Monday night meeting. Dekalb County ... Read More »

Pickett County Schools designated by the State Department Of Education as a Needs Improvement School System. The designation means Pickett County’s system scores ranked in the bottom five percent of all districts in the state. Indicators include student achievement, growth as well as areas such as absenteeism. A total of six districts received the Needs Improvement designation based on school ... Read More »

Rolling roadblocks set for early Sunday morning on I-40 through Putnam County. The utility work will impact traffic from 6am-8am, according to T-DOT. The work will be done in both the east and westbound lanes of I-40 between mile markers 290 and 304. T-DOT said delays are expected. “Drivers are encouraged to use caution as they travel through this area,” ... Read More »

The Cumberland County School Board will consider the Director of Schools request to renegotiate his contract, following a Thursday night discussion. Billy Stepp asked the board to consider his agreement after receiving a positive evaluation. Stepp said many school systems consider raises and extensions annually based on such an evaluation. Board Member Nicholas Davis said having the discussions make sense. ... Read More »

A former Fentress County Corrections Officer turned himself in Wednesday after allegations of misconduct. 24-year old Coltan Daniel Jones faces four counts of Official Misconduct and four counts of Unlawful Photography. The charges the result of allegations that Jones photographed female inmates during his service at the Fentress County Jail. The TBI began the investigation in July, 2023. Jones booked ... Read More »

Putnam County will begin its budget work with a first budget committee meeting April 15. Commissioners ratified County Mayor Randy Porter’s nine-person committee selection. The committee includes David Andrews, Grover Bennett, Ron Chaffin, Kathy Dunn, David Gentry, Adam Johnson, Dale Moss, Ben Rodgers, and Jonathan Williams. The state mandates commissioners’ approval of a budget calendar. Porter’s calendar has commissioners considering ... Read More »

A move by Putnam County Clerk Wayne Nabors to use collected fees for employee bonuses drew the ire of several Putnam County Commissioners. Nabors received commission approval to use some $20,000 in restricted money to provide bonuses to employees inside the County Clerk’s Office. Restricted funds are generated by the department and can only be used for certain purposes, based ... Read More »

A Putnam County non-profit that provides beds to children in need receiving an employee community grant. Spectrum donated $2,500 to the Cookeville chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace Wednesday. The money goes to build beds for children in foster care. Chapter President Madie Larsen established the local chapter in July, 2022 with a mission “no kid sleeps on the floor ... Read More »

Developers moving forward in the process to build a Cookeville VA Clinic can request an option extension after a Tuesday night County Commission vote. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said the Veterans Administration has notified the parties that it plans to make an announcement on the clinic during first quarter 2025. It is unclear whether that means fiscal year or ... Read More »