Latest News

The Putnam County School Board approved draft two of its new fiscal year budget Monday night. Director Of Schools Corby King said there has been no changes to the budget. The increase in the county penny rate has decreased the budget deficit to $2.193 million. King said he expects commissioners to approve all budgets July 26. “We may need to ... Read More »

A Jackson County resident asked County Commissioners Monday to erect speed limit signs on Indian Creek Road. Linda Lewis also proposed lowering the speed limit to 40mph. Lewis said there is an issue with large trucks carrying dirt, rock and gravel speeding up their road. “We’ve had several incidents of people going off the road into the creek which is ... Read More »

The Overton County Commission passed its $50 million budget at Monday night’s meeting. County Executive Ben Danner said the property tax rate will remain the same at $1.9706 per thousand. Danner said increased county sales tax revenue allowed the property tax rate to stay the same for the sixth straight year. “2014 to now we’re almost triple what the sales ... Read More »

Putnam County Commissioners agreed to an option with a Nashville-based firm to purchase the 41.41 acres of the Putnam County Fairgrounds. The purchase price: $12.42 million. Commissioners voted 24-0 Monday night to move forward with Baker Storey McDonald of Nashville to recruit major retailers to the site off South Jefferson Avenue. The developer would have until February 23, 2022 to ... Read More »

Cumberland County is searching for a new Assessor of Property after their previous property assessor passed away last month. County Mayor Allen Foster said they are looking for a good citizen who will stand up and work with the community. “The qualifications are basically the same for other county officers,” Foster said. “You have to be eighteen years old, and ... Read More »

Travel on this Fourth of July weekend is expected to see its second-highest travel day on record, according to AAA Travel, and the UC is already seeing the impact. After a year with no traveling or events, Upper Cumberland Tourism Association Executive Director Ruth Dyal said that our tourism industry is in good shape. “I’m very happy to report I think ... Read More »

The Dekalb County School System is partnering with Tennessee Tech to train teachers for the classroom. Director of Schools Patrick Cripps said Tech reached out and the system was more than interested in participating in the Grow Your Own program. Cripps said this program is a huge benefit being in a rural area. “There’s a, I would hate to say ... Read More »

Cumberland Mountain State Park unveiled its new cabin renovations on Monday. The cabins were fully restored to their original rustic look while adding the amenities of modern convenience. There were even original furnishings returned to the cabins, while the rest were handmade to replicate the cane and hickory style from when the cabins were first opened. The cabins were built ... Read More »

Governor Bill Lee will be in attendance for White County’s Freedom Celebration on Friday. Lee will be making two other Upper Cumberland stops on Friday, including Rock Island and Smithville. White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said it was perfect timing for a stop from the Governor on 4th of July weekend. “It’s a great honor, we’re glad, ” Robinson ... Read More »

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn spent Monday touring Upper Cumberland school systems to get feedback on summer learning. Schwinn made a stop in Overton County Monday and fielded questions from school system leadership. Schwinn said that based on feedback, summer learning went well. “I think that a lot of it is the STEM work and really focusing on science, hands-on ... Read More »