A third NHC facility in the Upper Cumberland is battling multiple COVID cases as the Smithville facility reports 13 cases. Five patients are currently battling COVID inside the long-term care facility. Seven employees are also positive. One additional employee has already recovered. The Tennessee Department of Health reports 100 residents call the facility on Fisher Avenue home. The NHC Cookeville ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland Peace Activist Hector Black has died at the age of 95. “We know what a reach and influence Hector had and how many lives he touched,” Black’s Facebook page said Saturday. “Please hold his family in the light through this difficult time.” Black’s daughter announced via his Facebook page this week that he had entered Hospice care. Black ... Read More »

The Algood City Council will consider the project to expand water lines to the Green Mountain area Tuesday night. The project received approval from the Putnam County Commissioners last week. The two will share costs on the project which will assist residents who do not have safe drinking water. Algood will operate the system as part of its water system. ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland small businesses can take advantage of relief money being offered by Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Some $100 million has already been distributed to 13,000 businesses across the state. But Department of Revenue Communications Director Kelly Cortesi said more than 8,200 middle Tennessee small businesses have yet to respond. “There actually isn’t an application ... Read More »

The Putnam County Schools will introduce new protocols to better inform parents of COVID-19 cases. In an email to parents Friday afternoon, Director Of Schools Corby King said one student at Cookeville High School has tested positive this week. Contract tracing put several students in quarantine for 14 days. Some 80 additional students across the school system are in quarantine. ... Read More »

Governor Bill Lee’s new grant program to fund school connectivity could be a help in the Putnam County Schools. Lee announced a $15 million program Thursday to help districts purchase wi-fi or mi-fi devices for students. Putnam County Director of Schools Corby King said those expenses can add up quickly. “We provided about five hundred and fifty hot spots to ... Read More »

Paul Sherrell will return to Nashville to represent House District 43 after winning Thursday’s Republican Primary. The incumbent received 47.7 percent of the vote. Sherrell defeated challengers Jerry Lowery, with 26.9 percent of the tally, and Bobby Robinson, with 25.3 percent of the vote. No Democrat ran in the 43rd district primary. The district includes White, Grundy and part of ... Read More »

The Cookeville City Council approved a 15-year lease with Cookeville’s First Baptist Church to improve access to Walnut Park. The city will lease the back corner of the parking lot at the corner of Walnut Avenue and Spring Street. The city create a hard-surfaced path in that area to connect the parking lot to the existing park entrance. The city ... Read More »

Putnam County School Board voted to increase substitute pay Thursday night to try to increase those interested in serving. Putnam County Director of Schools Corby King said the system has often had difficulty recruiting substitutes. But COVID-19 will likely exacerbate the issue. “We have teachers that we know we’re going to miss, whether they have COVID themselves or a close ... Read More »

COVID rates have increased over the last two days in Overton, White and Warren Counties. Overton County reported double digit positive cases Thursday for the first time since the pandemic began. That brings the active case total to 56 in Overton County. The positivity rate, considered the most accurate data point according to experts, stands at 4.5 percent. White County ... Read More »