Latest News

The Putnam County Words On Wheels or WOW Bus has its next stop scheduled for Prescott Elementary and Middle School on Thursday. Academic Social Interventionist Cindy Putman said anyone in the area can stop by and pickup free books for kids, even if they have not started school yet. Putman said many kids cannot believe they are getting to pick ... Read More »

Cookeville’s Highlands Business Park needs more land in order to bring in more tenants. That is according to Cookeville Economic Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer. Keifer said the vision of the area was small lots for technology firms, but companies keep asking for more land. “In that particular mindset, 10 acre lots, seven acre lots are absolutely perfect,” Keifer said. “But, ... Read More »

The new lodge at Fall Creek Falls State Park will open January 1st. That is according to TDEC Regional Affairs Director Tara Wohlgemuth. The some $40 million structure includes 85 rooms and amenities such as a restaurant and water front view. The project first broke ground in 2019 and has faced some delays since then. Read More »

Cumberland County E-911 is undertaking major changes to improve emergency services across the county. Director Eric Ritzman said that among those changes, is a new website. Ritzman said the site has launched and gives residents a survey to provide needed information before an emergency happens. “If they have someone living there that has dementia or they have oxygen canisters stored ... Read More »

Fourteen county mayors and six city mayors will make up the UCHRA governing board. The change enacted at a Wednesday meeting following new state legislation this session based on participation issues. Jackson County Mayor and Executive Committee Chair Randy Heady said the change was needed. “This was not taken lightly,” Heady said. “There was a lot of discussion that went ... Read More »

A local pastor returned from this week’s Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville. Stevens Street Baptist Church Senior Pastor Scott Parkinson said his biggest takeaway–Baptists are passionate about spreading the word of God. “There were issues related to critical race theory that a lot of messengers had questions about,” Parkinson said. “There were some issues about how Southern Baptists should address ... Read More »

Cookeville Police continue the investigation into a shooting Wednesday morning along North Franklin Avenue. Officers responded to a 911-call just after 7:00am. 22-year-old Jacob Govea told officers he had been approached by a man outside his home in the 700 block of North Franklin Avenue. Govea said the man fired six rounds at him from a handgun, striking him twice ... Read More »

Putnam County anticipates the population to have increased by 7,000 once final census numbers are released. Mayor Randy Porter said the total tally should come sometime September. “The census numbers are actually going to be outdated by the time we get them, because we have so many people moving here,” Porter said. “Our estimates that I am getting are that ... Read More »

Algood gave residents the chance to comment on the systemwide parks master plan during a Tuesday night town hall. Putnam County Commissioner Cathy Reel was in attendance and said she likes what she heard when it comes to affordable recreation opportunities in her district. “Not everybody gets to go to the Titans games in Nashville, or go to the Predators ... Read More »

Editors Note: This is Men’s Health Week. We explore ways men can live longer and take care of themselves through tests, screenings and prevention. Doctors recommend diligent observation when it comes to prostate cancer. While it is the third deadliest cancer for men, Cookeville Regional Urologist Dr. Rick Smith said he wants to emphasize that it’s also one of the ... Read More »