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DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce has announced Leigh Fuson as the new director for Leadership DeKalb. The program works to help citizens gain more knowledge and experience about the county itself by getting involved in government, business, and community events. Fuson said she wanted to take on the role to help facilitate the program and help it improve. “I went ... Read More »

Hermitage Springs School journalism students are gearing up to publish the fifth issue of its student-run newspaper. 6th through 8th Grade ELA Teacher Hayley Goad said the club came about when new principal Christina McGee wanted to place an emphasis on students having extracurricular outside of school or sports. Goad said her 12 student journalists come up with story ideas, ... Read More »

After delaying the purchase for several months, Cookeville Regional Medical Center set to take the next steps to replace GI equipment at the Surgery Center on Whitney Avenue. CFO Tommye Rena Wells said the hospital had originally gotten this request in July with a bid of $1.2 million. She said they have now pushed out the purchase as far as ... Read More »

White County Sheriff’s Office working to launch its first-ever Sheriff’s Academy. Lieutenant James Blankenship said the process has been in the works for some time. He said the purpose was for the citizens of White County to become familiar with the operations of the Sheriff’s Department as well as to increase the line of communication between the two. “We want ... Read More »

Leaders of the four-county Highlands Economic Partnership celebrated the opening of the Highlands Training Center Tuesday. The 5,500-square-foot building on Spring Street will be used for the Empower Upper Cumberland initiative. Director Megan Spurgeon said the center will train referrals to give them the core skills to transition into the workforce. “It is phenomenal,” Spurgeon said. “It’s been a long ... Read More »

A flood of television advertisements to do your taxes may have you stressed, but one local tax expert recommends waiting a little bit longer. Cookeville CPA Jennifer Phipps said the end of February or early March serves as the best time to file since most companies send out paperwork this month. “I don’t necessarily think it is super critical unless ... Read More »

Mayor Alisa Farmer said the city has reached the point where low water rates can no longer be ignored. If approved Thursday, a water rate increase of $3.75 would go into effect in February. Both city and county customers would be impacted by the increase. Farmer said after that, the city would increase water rates three more times in six-month ... Read More »

One person has been injured as a result of a single-vehicle accident in White County Tuesday morning. 59-year-old Peggy Gerlach of Kentucky was traveling on Memorial Hwy west of Levon Sparkman Road when her vehicle ran off the left side of the roadway into the median and struck a culvert. Gerlach’s vehicle continued across the eastbound lanes, striking several small ... Read More »

Two drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles Monday following a two-vehicle collision near 5351 Smithville Highway in White County. 46-year-old Martha R. Kirby Norris of Tennessee was traveling westbound when her vehicle crossed the double yellow lines and crashed into the vehicle of 39-year-old Genevieve C. Hirzel. Norris was transported by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center and ... Read More »

Cookeville Regional Medical Center set to apply for some $10.6 million for work on the 4 and 5 West capital project. CFO Tommye Rena Wells said the opportunity for the grant funding came from the Tennessee Healthcare Resiliency Program at the Tennessee Department of Health. She said the goal of the funding program is to help underserved communities make necessary ... Read More »