Latest News

September was a big month for building construction in Putnam county with 49 permits for $8.2 million. According to County Mayor Randy Porter, it was the largest month since the record breaking March of 52 permits for $11.44 million. Twenty-four of the 49 permits were for new single family homes. In comparison, September of 2020 had 30 permits for $3.1 ... Read More »

Van Buren County did not get a response from Priority Solid Waste about closing on the sale of the BDS property. The county decided in August to give the company until Friday to respond about the property sale. County Mayor Greg Wilson said the county went ahead and prepared to not hear back. “Yes, as they voted back in August, ... Read More »

Celina is considering a loan to repave downtown streets in the most need. Mayor Luke Collins said USDA Rural Development has indicated Celina could get a 20 year loan with a 2-3 percent interest rate. “It becomes difficult when you have to choose a few roads and maybe doing part of it as opposed to all of it,” Collins said. ... Read More »

Cumberland River Hospital Owner Johnny Presley said he will not invest any more money into the hospital facility. Florida-based healthcare company Braden Health visited the facility last week. The company said some $5 million worth of improvements are needed to meet standards. “I’m looking potentially at a hospice house, and then I also have two other potential interests in doing ... Read More »

Jackson County EMS will soon get an upgrade in their ambulance loading systems. EMS Director Keith Bean said they were approved for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which he said EMS is eligible to receive. “We’ve applied for years in a row trying to get it for the loading systems,” Bean said. “Which will make it a lot easier on ... Read More »

McMinnville’s Tourism Development Board is on the hunt for a new administrator. Chairperson Sarah Cantrell said that with growth in tourism for the area, it’s become an increasing need to have someone as the contact point for the board. “You don’t really hear about tourism-related jobs a lot but it’s very specific in an economic development board where your sole ... Read More »

The Jackson County School System is focusing on capital projects and learning loss in its latest ESSER application. Director of Schools Kristy Brown said the district is applying to put awnings on school buildings and outdoor classrooms. However, Brown said the district decided to go above and beyond what is required for learning loss spending to make the biggest difference ... Read More »

House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he is willing to work with Governor Bill Lee to bring Ford to the Memphis Regional Megasite. Ford Motor Company selected the industrial park for a $5.6 billion manufacturing campus. Sexton said Lee’s called special session will address the incentives involved. “The governor is the one that worked out the deal, and if he says ... Read More »

Dollar Tree may no longer follow what the store’s name suggests. Locations in Tennessee will likely start selling some items for more than a dollar due to shipping costs increasing. Word is spreading to customers such as Cookeville’s Marivic Hawco. “I think it’s better Dollar Tree stays at the regular price,” Hawco said. “Most people are used to buying their ... Read More »

The city of Cookeville is set to open bids on salvageable materials from the former mini storage units on North Cedar Avenue. City Manager James Mills said that the sale of materials would be the first step in demolishing the storage units to allow for more parking in the downtown area. He said that the city council was surprised to ... Read More »