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Roof Project At Existing Park View Project Ahead Of Schedule

Contractors have avoided major weather delays, putting the roof-replacement project at the existing Park View Elementary School ahead of schedule. Facilities Supervisor John Magura told the Putnam County School Board Thursday night that the work has slowed down a tad recently due to rain and low temperatures. He said he believes that they are still ahead of the original schedule. ... Read More »

Sparta Officials Interested In Modular Nuclear Reactor To Create Energy

The idea of a modular nuclear reactor to provide electricity to the City of Sparta captured the imagination of Aldermen Thursday night. Alderman Brian Jones said there are not any reactors of this kind being used in the country yet. “It’s amazing,” Jones said. “They’re saying when they’re in production it’ll take about twelve months to eighteen months to actually ... Read More »

Empower UC Expanding To Four New Counties, Surpass 700 Families

Empower Upper Cumberland will double the reach of its Circles program in the coming weeks, expanding to four more counties. Empower UC Director Megan Spurgeon said the program will branch out to Overton, Cannon, Warren, and Smith counties. She said the program focuses on helping low-income families create plans for long-term success. “Once we have them up and running and ... Read More »

Cookeville Sets Record Highs In Residential Development In 2023

The City of Cookeville issued 309 permits for single-family developments in 2023, the most since the city started tracking this data. Community Development Director Jon Ward said those 309 units tallied some $69 million in development. The city also issued 20 commercial and remodeling permits, totaling some $132 million. “It shows a lot of confidence in the city of Cookeville,” ... Read More »

Sparta Housing Authority Says Treatment Of White, Van Buren Residents Equal

The Sparta Housing Authority released a statement declaring that the organization strictly obeys federal regulations and has additional policies to establish equality for all. The statement comes after some Spencer officials expressed concern last month about how Van Buren County residents are being handled by the authority. Those officials said they saw White County residents getting preferential treatment for openings ... Read More »

CRMC Sets Visitation Restrictions Amid COVID-19, Flu Spike

CRMC, Cookeville Regional Medical Center

Cookeville Regional Medical Center has implemented visitation restrictions due to surging flu and COVID-19 numbers. Infection Prevention Manager Stephanie Etter said COVID-19 hospitalizations have spiked some 60 percent in the last two weeks. Etter said starting Thursday, people under 16-years-old, and anyone showing signs of illness will not be permitted to visit the hospital. “If they do visit and they’re ... Read More »

UT Extension Agent: Manage Your Gift Cards Like You Manage Your Cash

If you walked away from the holidays with a fistful of gift cards, you should keep track of them just like you would your regular cash. That according to White County UT Extension Agent Mallory Paige Christian. She said it is important to educate yourself on how your gift cards work. Some of them can come with extra fees. Some ... Read More »

Bilbrey Hoping To Attract New Doctor’s Facility After Byrdstown Office Closes

Pickett County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said he will put attracting additional medical facilities to the community at the top of his list. That after Byrdstown Medical Center closed its doors last week with roughly 24-hour notice. Owner Andrew Todd announced on his Facebook page a lack of Medicaid expansion as the reason for the closure. Bilbrey said the medical office ... Read More »

Senior Center Prioritizing Integrity, Community As New Board Takes Control

The new Sparta-White County Senior Center Board began its plans to rebuild and revitalize the center during its first meeting Wednesday. Interim Director Jim Floyd said the center will likely remain closed until some point in February. Floyd said his number one priority is providing key services to the public such as food assistance before offering any extra programs like ... Read More »

Warren FAFSA Frenzy Event Postponed Due To Issues With New Form

The Ayers Foundation has postponed Warren County High School’s FAFSA Frenzy event Saturday because of ongoing issues with the new student aid form. Ayers College Access Counselor Vanessa Farris said the new FAFSA website intermittently crashes. She said the state is giving advice to educators not to hold large FAFSA events until the issues are worked out. “It launched on ... Read More »