Friday, March 29, 2024
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Cumberland Co. Sales Tax Numbers Above Projections

Cumberland County’s sales tax revenues are still up over last year even with a slow month of collections in April. Director of Finance Nathan Brock said despite being down by almost $11,000 dollars last month, the county is still ahead of expectations. “Through April, we were at $58,000 dollars ahead of budget,” Brock said. “So, we hope that those numbers ... Read More »

Planning Commission Approves Emergency Plan

The Cookeville Planning Commission wants to be better prepare for emergencies that delay commission business. Planning Director Jon Ward said the commission did not have a way to extend development approvals that might be missed because of a cancelled meeting. “Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the planning department recognizes a need relative to development approvement deadlines,” Ward said. “The ... Read More »

Sparta Working To Improve Intersection

Sparta is working to improve the Walmart intersection on Highway 111. Mayor Jeff Young said as new development on Taft Church Road increased, the city began to notice traffic problems. “There’s a lot of area that can be developed adjacent to those properties there, the Walmart and Shell station,” Young said. “There’s already a little bit of a traffic problem ... Read More »

Telehealth Coverage: New Trend In Insurance

The insurance world could see a new trend in coverage with telehealth becoming the new norm. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee started the trend by becoming the first insurance company in the state to permanently cover telehealth services last week. Monica Goolsby of Cookeville’s Swallows Insurance said since other providers across the state will likely follow suit. “I think ... Read More »

UC COVID-19 Case Total At 571

The number of Upper Cumberland COVID-19 cases stands at 571 as of Monday’s reporting from the Tennessee Department of Health. That’s about 0.16 percent of the region’s population. Slight increases noted across the region including two additional cases in Van Buren County. Putnam County’s total increased by 26 over the last four days. Macon County’s number also rose by 16 ... Read More »

Tech Grad Takes Over TWRA

A Tennessee Tech graduate will lead the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency beginning June 1 as Bobby Wilson becomes Executive Director. “It’s a wonderful school, I miss my time there,” Wilson said “I had a great, enjoyable experience while I was there. And I learned so much from the wildlife degree, which is really all I ever wanted to get was ... Read More »

Drivers Services Resume Monday

Tennessee Driver Services Centers across the Upper Cumberland reopened Monday with online options to help consumers. The state website at TN.Gov now shows wait times at offices across the region. At mid-afternoon Monday, there was no wait at the McMinnville office, while the wait time at Cookeville stood at 75 minutes, and 15 minutes at Crossville. The state also launched ... Read More »

Bears On The Move In The UC

Spring is a time for wildlife to be on the move and that includes bears. Black bears move around this time of year to find and establish territory. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Communications Coordinator Mimi Barnes said the bears also looking for food. “Our bears don’t always go into that deep hibernation that we see on TV,” Barnes said. “It ... Read More »

School Board Needs To Explore Director Pay

The salary for Putnam County’s Director of Schools salary sits about $38,000 dollars below the state average for a similar-size school district. County School Board member Kim Cravens said she believes the disparity needs to be addressed. “The director’s salary is low and we want to remain competitive,” Cravens said. “Just like we want our starting teacher’s pay to be ... Read More »

Timber Up For Bid Tuesday

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is offering standing timber on Standing Stone State Forrest for sale on bid starting Tuesday. Standing Stone Forester Russel Fulcher said there is currently 46 acres of tulip popular trees ready to yield 498,114 board feet of saw timber. “We are now starting to reach a stage at Standing Stone where a ... Read More »