Latest News

Baxter’s Deer Creek Subdivision will not be getting speed bumps after all. Baxter Alderman Willie Allison rescinded a motion Thursday night to install the speed control devices after hearing from several concerned citizens at a November meeting complaining of excessive speeding. Allison was absent from the December meeting where other Deer Crest residents attended and opposed the use of speed ... Read More »

Gainesboro aldermen discussed Thursday night how they want to work with Jackson County to repair damage to Valhalla Lane, though the responsibility for the repairs remains a question mark. Alderman Ricky Head there is a broken drainage tile on the street. Alderman Travis Agee said the county should fix the road regardless of who owns it because their 70,000 lb. ... Read More »

Baxter Alderman Willie Allison questioned the Board of Aldermen Thursday night who was second in command at the Police Department if Chief Danny Holmes was unavailable. Allison said the issue was brought up to him by department members during Holmes’ recent sickness. He also brought up an MTAS audit of the department that made the recommendation to create an assistant ... Read More »

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 »

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 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »