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The Tennessee Tech College of Education scored in the “meets expectations” category on this year’s State Educator Preparation Report Card. 10 of the 42 Teacher Preparation Programs included in the state study received an “exceeds expectations” classification. Dean of the College of Education Lisa Zagumny said it is harder for a program as large as Tech’s to reach that distinction ... Read More »

A former Fentress County Corrections Officer turned himself in Wednesday after allegations of misconduct. 24-year old Coltan Daniel Jones faces four counts of Official Misconduct and four counts of Unlawful Photography. The charges the result of allegations that Jones photographed female inmates during his service at the Fentress County Jail. The TBI began the investigation in July, 2023. Jones booked ... Read More »

A Tennessee Tech class project detailing death penalty data across the state could turn into a much broader project. Associate History Professor Troy Smith said six students in his Digital Humanities class created a website compiling data on the state’s death penalty history. He said the site breaks down how many people are put to death per county, what crime ... Read More »

Putnam County will begin its budget work with a first budget committee meeting April 15. Commissioners ratified County Mayor Randy Porter’s nine-person committee selection. The committee includes David Andrews, Grover Bennett, Ron Chaffin, Kathy Dunn, David Gentry, Adam Johnson, Dale Moss, Ben Rodgers, and Jonathan Williams. The state mandates commissioners’ approval of a budget calendar. Porter’s calendar has commissioners considering ... Read More »

Pickett County Schools expect to have a new bus and a van for its CTE programs delivered any day now. Pickett CTE Director Kenny Tompkins said the van was scheduled to be delivered in mid-February, but it has not arrived yet. He said the van will be used to transport students to competitive career events across the state. The bus ... Read More »

A new capital campaign underway to raise money for a new Warren County Black History Museum and Cultural Center. Museum Director Mickey Gwyn said the city of McMinnville donated the property that once housed the city’s black high school, Bernard High School. He said the building will be a replica of a seven-room “Rosenwald School,” schools built in the South ... Read More »

A move by Putnam County Clerk Wayne Nabors to use collected fees for employee bonuses drew the ire of several Putnam County Commissioners. Nabors received commission approval to use some $20,000 in restricted money to provide bonuses to employees inside the County Clerk’s Office. Restricted funds are generated by the department and can only be used for certain purposes, based ... Read More »

The TSSAA would consider the possibility of bringing the high school football championships back to Cookeville upon the completion of Tucker Stadium renovations. TSSAA Assistant Executive Director Matthew Gillespie said a return has been discussed. Cookeville lost the State Championships in 2021. He said the TSSAA has maintained a strong relationship with Cookeville and Putnam County in the years since. ... Read More »

Crossville looking at the formation of a Sports Authority to serve as a financing mechanism for the Recreation Center project. Crossville Mayor RJ Crawford said a Sports Authority would allow the city to leverage water rates and sales tax revenue to lower bond obligations. He said the residents of Crossville have made it clear that if building a rec center ... Read More »

UCHRA considering agreements with local EMS departments to ensure that residents can receive transportation services during extreme weather. Executive Director Mark Farley said during the early January storm, UCHRA Public Transportation did not have vehicles equipped to travel safely on local roads. He said many residents missed medical appointments without the service. “It could be a number of different things ... Read More »