Tag Archives: City Of Cookeville

Church attendance across the Upper Cumberland has either returned close to normal or declined since reopening in May. The Crossville First United Methodist Church returned to in-person worship in July. Pastor Steven Lee said attendance fell from over 400 before COVID-19 to nearly 100. The biggest challenge he says is encouraging members to not fear the church’s future. “Even though ... Read More »

A brief power outage affected over 1,200 Cookeville residents Friday morning. Electric Department Director Carl Haney said the possible cause was a tree limb. “Basically we lost power to one of our circuits at about 1:30 a.m., then we tested that circuit and then our crews went out and checked it to make sure there was any damage or anything ... Read More »

Saying state laws best protect local citizens, Cookeville City Council will not pass an ordinance concerning panhandling or other commerce on local right of ways. City Attorney Dan Rader said the ordinance appears to be too vague and not the best way to deal with the issue. “The ordinance, which was originally passed with very broad and did did raise ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech kicked off basketball practice Wednesday in preparation for starting the season November 25. Tennessee Tech Athletic Director Mark Wilson said the plan is to have fans in attendance at the Hooper Eblen Center. Wilson said the university is working with the Putnam County Health Department to get the seal of approval. “As long as we implement universal masking, ... Read More »

The first step toward improved Putnam County fire protection took place in the form of reviewing a potential grant application. The 2021 Community Development Block Grant was discussed Monday by UCDD members and Mayor Randy Porter. Community Development Planner Allison Fox said the Cookeville Boat Dock Utility District will benefit from better fire protection. “That fire project would basically add ... Read More »

The Better Business Bureau’s Upper Cumberland office has been consolidated into the Middle Tennessee Office in Nashville. Middle Tennessee BBB President Robyn Householder said all services are still available to residents of the Upper Cumberland. Householder said the BBB is still assessing whether opening another physical office makes sense for operations. “We’re just going to assess whether or not a ... Read More »

Resurfacing work along South Willow Avenue in Cookeville began Sunday evening. TDOT Public Information Officer Jennifer Flynn said the $2 million project is scheduled to finish by the end of October. “Nightly lane closures are possible on Sundays through Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.,” Flynn said. “Right now they have completed all concrete repairs and milled the portion ... Read More »

Cooking is one of the leading causes of home fires. This is National Fire Prevention Week. Cookeville Fire Chief Daryl Blair said 66 percent of home fires start when food or cooking items ignite. Blair said knowing how to react to a grease fire can keep a bad situation from getting worse. “A lot of people their first reaction is ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech’s graduate program applications increase by 61 percent since 2019. College of Graduate Studies Dean Mark Stephens said the biggest increase has been in the Colleges of Education and Business. Stephens said the increase in the last year has been fueled by pandemic and its economic effects. “When the economy turns down and unemployment starts to rise,” Stephens said. ... Read More »

Cookeville is hosting a community input meeting to hear local ideas for the future of West End Park on October 6. Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said the city has been accounting for costs, boundaries and playground updates in the park. However, Woods said the goal of the meeting is to step back and hear what the community and neighborhood ... Read More »