Pickett County will have a new county executive in September Carey Garner defeated current County Executive Richard Daniel in the Republican Primary election Tuesday night. Garner tallied 693 votes, while Daniel had 531. Garner will be running unopposed in the August General Election. Read More »

The White County Recreational Complex has a new area for children to play at during ball games. County officials held a ribbon cutting for a brand new playground at the complex Tuesday evening. White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson. “We’ve got the ball fields out here, but there is nothing to do for the young kids to do while the ... Read More »

Cookeville officials need to approve a PILOT agreement in order for a major public housing project to move forward. The project involves refurbishing Walnut Village and using $3.8 million in equity to build Oak Tree Towers, a three story 50 unit mid rise off of Buffalo Valley Road. Highlands Residential Services Executive Director Dow Harris said a bond allocation for ... Read More »

The Overton/Pickett Emergency Communication District board chairman has scheduled a special called meeting for Monday. Chairman Stanley Carter Jr. said the meeting will be centered around an investigation report released last week by the state comptroller’s office. That report found nearly $85,000 in questionable expenses by the district. The 31st Judicial District and District Attorney General Lisa Zavigiannis have opened an ... Read More »

A locally owned auto parts store has opened in Celina. Chris Hix and his son Derek have opened H and H Auto Parts on East Brown Street and Highway 52. The elder Hix said the store will offer a fill line of automotive parts, agricultural lines, fleet semi parts, and custom hydraulic hoses. “I hope it generates a lot of ... Read More »

A Cookeville Police K9 has unexpectedly passed away. Police department officials said K9 Kaine died Monday due to an unforeseen medical condition. Kaine joined Cookeville’s K9 Team in January of 2015 and worked with Officer Ryder Cook. The police canine has multiple deployments during his service with the department. “Officer Cook and Kaine had been one of the strongest K9 ... Read More »

DeKalb County authorities have filed charges against an 18-year-old Smithville man for alleged sex crimes involving young girls. The sheriff’s office has charged Samuel Dewayne Wright of Midway Road with six counts of solicitation of a minor. Sheriff Patrick Ray said on six occasions Wright used electronic communications to intentionally persuade a minor female to engage in sexual activity with ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council members will meet Thursday to vote on an engineering contract for the design of the new police station. City officials and council members met Monday afternoon to discuss the new contract. City Manager Mike Davidson said the design contract will cost $880,000. A bond issuance in 2017 included funding for architect and design fees for the new ... Read More »

The Pickett County School system has secured funding to hire School Resource Officers. Director of Schools Diane Elder said the board of education has approved funding to hire a total of two SROs. “We wanted to step up to the plate and fund those, especially after all the issues that have taken place at other school systems,” Elder said. “We ... Read More »

Monterey High School has hired Mark Sims as the new girl’s head basketball coach. Sims replaces Todd Hess, who retired earlier this month after serving as head coach for 11 seasons. Sims served as an assistant coach under Hess. Monterey High School Athletic Director Chris Buckner said he’s looking forward to watching Sims coach. “It’s hard to replace 11 years ... Read More »