News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Van Buren County has completed construction on a new digital sign, designed to promote events and news to local residents.
The sign is located in front of the Van Buren County Agriculture Learning Center located in Spencer. The sign was funded by a grant worth some $25,000 from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Van Buren County UT Extension Director Chris Binkley said the sign was built to help residents stay in touch.
“We are an at-risk county and one of the biggest hurdles that we have is getting communication,” Binkley said. ” We have no newspaper, we do use social media but some people don’t have social media.”
The sign also provides dates for UT extension programs and county commission meetings. Binkley said the sign’s location was a perfect fit due to the amount of daily traffic that goes through the area.
“A sign just made perfect sense on that road that is probably the most traveled road in our county probably other than Highway 111, you know to put it there when people drive down the road there the dates are,” Binkley said.
Binkley said they advertised a recent horse show on the sign and received some positive comments from the community.
“We put that on the sign and I mean people really enjoyed it and called and thanked us,” Binkley said. “And at the horse show they thanked us because they knew the date for it, and I see that going forward, I see us getting more positive reviews from people knowing what’s going on in the county.”
Binkley said they have some landscaping to finish around the sign but the sign is up and running smoothly.
