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Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter will meet with Director of Schools Corby King Thursday to look at the one bid received for Park View School and discuss options. The bid came in some $20 million above expectations. Porter said they will discuss alternatives to fit the project within the $45 million bond. “They put a lot of alternates into the ... Read More »

One of Putnam County’s longtime elected officials passed away Wednesday morning. Register of Deeds Harold Burris was 60-years-old. Burris has served in the position since 2006 and worked in the office since 1999. “Harold was a great guy, and our hearts are deeply saddened,” County Mayor Randy Porter said in a statement. “Please keep his family and employees in your ... Read More »

Power of Putnam is about halfway through its annual compliance checks for licensed alcohol retailers in the county. Director Bill Gibson said that the organization partners with local law enforcement to perform checks that ensure retailers are not selling alcohol to minors. He said that they go everywhere from liquor stores to restaurants. “We’re not really trying to get anybody ... Read More »

Overton County has approved its library to apply for three grants, totaling almost $30,000. County Librarian Judith Cutwright said that the grants will help upgrade the library both by updating its technology and helping the library expand its offerings. She said one particular project she’s hoping to use grant money for is to create a storybook trail. “I’m working with ... Read More »

The Highlands Business Park will expand by an additional 16 acres. That after Putnam County Commissioners approved a joint deal with Cookeville to purchase the land. County Mayor Randy Porter said the plan is to combine the property with another to make some 30 acres of buildable land. “That was developed as a technology development in the beginning,” Porter said. ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech wants to replace its real grass at the baseball and softball fields with artificial turf. Capital Projects and Maintenance Director Jim Cobb said the university will request project approval from the state building commission next month. “Obviously, we are trying to have little to no impact on their seasons,” Cobb said. “Mark Wilson has told us that he’s ... Read More »

Jackson County looking to bid for a new trash truck. Mayor Randy Heady said that the truck would replace the county’s current 2004 model. “It does a good job it’s still on the road today but it does have some breakdown issues,” Heady said. “So we’re wanting to replace that one and maybe in a couple of years we’ve got ... Read More »

The bid for Putnam County Schools’ new Park View School project came in almost $20 million over projections. Director of Schools Corby King said that the bond capacity for the new school was set at some $44 million. He said that the lone bid came in at $60,450,000, and did not include furnishings. “It was much, much higher than what ... Read More »

Design phase still underway for Cookeville’s South Jefferson waterline replacement project. Water Quality Department Director Barry Turner said that at the same time as the design phase, the city is working to get acquire easements. “They are still the plans they’re not to the finished parts yet but just to try and speed up the project we’ve already started on ... Read More »

A former Putnam County Schools teacher was indicted on charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. 61-year-old Michael Joe Phillips is being held in the Cumberland County Jail after a search warrant authorized the search and seizure of all computers and electronic devices in his Cumberland County home. A TBI lab analyzed the ... Read More »