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 »

A 21-year-old Fentress County man faces charges of statutory rape after a TBI investigation. Stewart Dwain Matthews turned himself in Wednesday evening to the Fentress County Sheriffs Department. He was booked into the jail on $1,000 bond. Matthews is accused of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. The inappropriate sexual contact found during the TBI’s investigation. The TBI began investigating ... Read More »

A Jamestown Couple arrested Wednesday night on allegations of child abuse involving an eight-month-old baby. 19-year-old Keshia Larae Jenkins charged with one count of aggravated child endangerment. The mother’s boyfriend, 26-year-old Jeremy Allen Stephens, charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse. Agents for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations were called in on the case after the infant girl was ... Read More »

A Putnam County resident died of COVID-19 at Cookeville Regional Wednesday morning. That brings the pandemic death toll to 16 at Cookeville Regional. Putnam County has 435 active cases currently according to the Tennessee Department Of Health. CRMC reports 24 inpatients positive with COVID-19. Just six are in ICU, according to Cookeville Regional Public Relations Director Melahn Finley. Read More »

A fourth resident of NHC Cookeville has died from COVID-19. The cluster outbreak at the Walnut Avenue facility has reached 33 cases with 17 patients and 16 employees testing positive. Currently, ten active cases are being treated with four of those patients. 187 long-term facilities across the state are dealing with multiple COVID cases currently. Four Cumberland County facilities have ... Read More »

Cookeville Regional will change its visitor policy effective Thursday. One designated visitor will be allowed per inpatient. CEO Paul Korth says the center continues to do all possible to stop the spread of COVID-19.   “We appreciate our community’s understanding and patience regarding the medical center’s visitor restrictions,” Korth said. “We know that the restricted visitation policy has been hard ... Read More »