State officials trying to figure out how a reporting error could have left Cookeville’s revenues short during the summer sales tax holiday. The law eliminating the sales tax on groceries required that cities and counties not lose any revenue from the legislature’s decision. Representative Ryan Williams said Cookeville showed a shortage of some $620,000. “The finance team at City of ... Read More »

Putnam County’s infrastructure needs through 2027 total some $899 million, according to a new state report. Tennessee Tech needs led the way among county needs, with some $635 million in infrastructure improvements. Putnam transportation needs totaled more than $188 million. The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations ranks infrastructure needs for all 95 counties. The report covers the period through ... Read More »

The White County School Board will stay with its current evaluation instrument this year to evaluate the Director of Schools. Multiple White County School Board members want to look at a new evaluation instrument for Director Kurt Dronebarger. However, the consensus during school board discussion Thursday night, it would be unfair the change the goals more than halfway into the ... Read More »

Crossville City Council may have found its next city manager. “And that’s Ms. Valerie Hale,” Crossville Mayor RJ Crawford during a Tuesday night work session. “So next steps is we got to figure out how we want to do this. My thought process is we’ve got pretty evident case here to support that. We know who council wants. My thoughts ... Read More »

White County wants to try again in evening the sales tax rate inside the county, proposing an August vote on the topic. Steering Committee A commissioners decided the issue had a better chance to bring out voters during a regularly-scheduled election, rather than a special election. Non-Sparta residents only would vote on whether to increase the county-portion of the sales ... Read More »

Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter celebrated a Gainesboro drug store Tuesday for its 100-plus years of service. The origins of Anderson and Haile Drug Company date back to 1883, with the two principals taking over in 1919. McWhorter said in visiting with the leaders of these centennial businesses, the people are the commonality. “I mean, there’s a ... Read More »

The rebirth of Gainesboro’s downtown a result, in part, in the change of mindset that followed the COVID shutdown. That according to Jackson County Chamber Of Commerce Director Hope Vargas. The news of a possible boutique hotel last month follows the opening of new restaurants and shops on the once vacant square. “I think people really started thinking a little ... Read More »

Multiples eyes on transactions, new protocols in place. Those among the changes from the White County Firefighters Association designed to reassure the community in the wake of a financial theft indictment. Brittney Hope Webb, the former treasurer of White County’s Mt. Gilead Volunteer Fire Department, stole more than $73,000 from that department as well as the White County Firefighters Association. ... Read More »

Despite concerns at the state level over tax collections so far this fiscal year, Cookeville’s revenues at the halfway point appear to be on target. Through December, Finance Director Brenda Imel said the city’s general fund revenues currently stand at 48 percent of budget. Sales tax revenues are on target for the first half of the fiscal year. “Other revenue ... Read More »

City Of Sparta amended its city ordinance to clarify sprinkler requirements for residential dwellings. Codes Officer Mike O’Neal said the actual rules required sprinklers in all residential dwellings, but city officials had waived that for single family dwellings. The revision codifies that clarification. “But anything above that, from a duplex to townhomes and apartments, would be sprinkled,” O’Neal said. “This ... Read More »