A former Cumberland County Veterans Service Officer has repaid money that went missing from the office more than four years ago. Mark Daniels entered a best interest and no contest plea in 2013 to a charge of theft over $60,000. Daniels immediately paid $50,000 to the state and began making payments for another $50,000 owed to the county. Monday night, ... Read More »

The UCHRA Executive Board voted Tuesday to create a severance package with former executive director Luke Collins. UCHRA Interim Director Mark Farley said the board is looking to settle with Collins for no more than $27,500. “The board approved Danny Rader, our attorney, working with Mr. Collins’ attorney to see if they can come up with some settlement,” Farley said. ... Read More »

The Parkview skate park project has suffered a slight delay. Cookeville Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said estimates for the pool house renovations came in too high for the city’s budget, forcing them to reconfigure their TDEC grant. “We’re waiting for that before we can move forward with the bidding of the project,” Woods said. “But we’re well on track ... Read More »

Time will soon run out for a planned solar project to get underway in Monterey. Mayor Bill Wiggins said the contract with Atlanta-based Hannah Solar states that work must begin by July 1st. “I am not optimistic at all. I think what’s happened is that the solar power industry is not as profitable as it once was,” Wiggins said. “I ... Read More »

The Cookeville Rescue Mission has begun the process of finding a new location. The Jefferson Avenue road project will soon swallow up about half of the current property. Rescue Mission Executive Director Bruce Bailey said the board of directors will begin looking for property. “It will have to be according to city zoning and codes and we will need to ... Read More »

The Overton County grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Lewisburg Kentucky man in a fatal 2017 crash. The indictment charges Abner Eicher with criminally negligent homicide in death of 62-year-old Patricia Burchfield of Livingston. The Tennessee Highway Patrol said the crash happened on State Route 85 when Eicher’s pickup truck crossed the center line and struck Burchfield’s Ford ... Read More »

A Supreme Court ruling regarding voter dress code will not have a major impact on Tennessee, according to local election officials. The court ruled Thursday overly broad state laws banning political attire are unconstitutional. Craig Story is the Administrator of Elections in Overton County. He said whether something is political depends on who you ask. “Political can have a lot ... Read More »

An increase in tax revenue has helped the Putnam County School System reduce its budget gap. The gap between projected revenue and expenditures now stands at $3.5 million. Director of Schools Jerry Boyd said the school system will ask the county commission to allocate funding to help fill the gap. “Since freezing our sales tax revenue, we have no room ... Read More »

The Putnam County Fiscal Review Committee helped Cookeville’s proposed hotel and conference center project move forward Monday night. The committee voted to let County Executive Randy Porter sign documents allowing tax increment financing for the project. “They are proposing to build a new five story parking garage, 317 spaces, that’s going to cost a little over $7 million,” Porter said. ... Read More »

Work on Clay County’s new jail proposal continues as inspection of the property is set to begin within the next week. Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan said it could take some time before the project is completed. “This is a long, drawn-out process,” Reagan said. “It’s going to be several months yet, but you’ve got to start and that’s what ... Read More »