Latest News

The City of Cookeville has received bids from four pre-qualified contractors to construct a new police headquarters. City Manager James Mills said the city should have a contractor selected within the next two weeks. “We’re in the process of evaluating those,” Mills said. “If all the bids are accurate, then we will recommend at our next council meeting the acceptance ... Read More »

The Putnam County Board of Education has approved a design contract for a new school. Attorney Dan Rader said the contract with Upland Design Group will favor the school system as the project moves forward. “This is in piecemeal and we do have this delay period built in to get funding,” Rader said. “If you’ve ever looked at one of ... Read More »

A lawsuit filed by Tennessee Tech’s former director of financial aid will head to trial next year. Leslie McKenzie filed the lawsuit in May after reporting nearly $1.7 million in Title IV funds were distributed to unqualified students between 2017-2018. According to the initial complaint, McKenzie stated he was terminated after reporting the misuse of funding and that a one-month ... Read More »

The Putnam County Board of Education voted Thursday to cut $6.1 million from its 2019-2020 budget. Superintendent Jerry Boyd said the amount would have funded new positions, capital projects, and a 4-percent raise for teachers. “It could have been a lot worse. We are thankful for the support we have gotten and we will make it work,” Boyd said. “It’s ... Read More »

Baxter City Council voted Thursday to rezone two pieces of property purchased by Portobello for light industrial use. Mayor John Martin said the rezoning means Portobello now needs the proper permitting in order to construct its facilities. “We did that for the old Martin property and where the race track was at, so all that was finalized today,” Martin said. ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council has approved the sale of Cumberland River Hospital (CRH) in Celina. In a press release, Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC) states the unanimous vote allows CEO Paul Korth and Cookeville City Manager James Mills to complete the sale. “We are glad to have a buyer for Cumberland River Hospital,” Korth said. “It’s been our hope all along ... Read More »

The Sparta Board of Aldermen and Mayor passed an amendment to liquor store distance requirements Thursday. Mayor Jeff Young said the amendment will take the 500-foot distance from places of worship, schools, and parks to 300-feet. “We sort of rushed once the referendum passed to have liquor stores in Sparta, we were forced at that time to as quickly as ... Read More »

A soft opening took place for the Garrison Park splash pad in Crossville Thursday. City Manager Greg Wood said the new play area is part of a $1 million renovation project at the park. “The water feature itself is about a $345,000 endeavor,” Wood said. “It doesn’t look that when you look at it from the outside, but if you ... Read More »

Forbes has named Averitt Express as one of the nation’s best large employers for 2019. According to a press release from Averitt, the list of 500 companies nationwide is based on survey results asking employees how likely they were to recommend their company to others. Averitt ranks 311th nationwide among companies with more than 5,000 employees and among the top ... Read More »