LOCAL FOCUS

The Tennessee county-by-county report brings you news from each of the Volunteer State's 95 counties every Sunday. Items are compiled by reporters and editors from across the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee.

ANDERSON COUNTY: Six of the seven schools in Oak Ridge received an A under the Tennessee Department of Education's first-ever letter grades release. Three schools earned a perfect scores in every graded component. Woodland Elementary School, the only to receive a C grade, did so due to its student growth score.

BEDFORD COUNTY: American Constructors of Brentwood won a $45.4 million contract to build two buildings for the new Tennessee College of Applied Science center that is expected to be completed by late 2025 at 2905 U.S. Highway 231 N. in Shelbyville, the Shelbyville Times-gazette reports.

BENTON COUNTY: Students at Benton County Schools will receive free meals for the rest of the school year starting in January. The county said the program will not relieve existing lunch debt.

BLEDSOE COUNTY: A new road is being constructed for SIA serving Project Protein in the county. A single lane closure has been set up to remove existing curb and gutter, which will be replaced with new ones.

BLOUNT COUNTY: The Blount County Soil and Water Conservation District is recognizing landowners who are taking initiatives to protect soil and water, The Daily Times reports.

BRADLEY COUNTY: Bradley County Schools announced that all elementary, middle, and high schools located in their district will be offering free breakfast and lunch to all students. The initiative aims to ensure that every student has access to nutritious meals, promoting a healthy and thriving learning environment.

CAMPBELL COUNTY: United Rare Earths hosts groundbreaking event for its new facility in Caryville, the Lafollette Press reports. United Rare Earths plans to construct a 50,000square-feet recycling and separation facility, oxides refinery, and a research and technology center. The facility expects to start its work with around 80 employees.

CANNON COUNTY: Cannon County Schools congratulated Leighann Parker, the attendance secretary at Cannon County High School, as the December Employee of the Month, the district reports.

CARROLL COUNTY: Plans for the Dollar General in Cedar Grove that was heavily damaged by a fire will be announced following an investigation. The building caught fire Christmas morning and is likely a total loss, Carroll County Fire Department Chief Amanda Sneed told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News. No injuries were reported.

CARTER COUNTY: State Rep. John Holsclaw announced $630,000 in community development grants for Carter County, the Elizabethton Star reports. The Community Development Block Grant will go towards a comprehensive renovation for Franklin Pool at the Joe Laporte Recreation Area.

CHEATHAM COUNTY: The Cheatham County School District received accreditation by the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission, providing a nationally recognized mark of quality the district has been working to attain for more than a year, the Cheatham County School District reports.

CHESTER COUNTY: Citing concerns about school safety, the Chester County Election Commission announced schools will no longer be used as polling locations. Instead, the Chester County Independent reports, voters will report to several different churches.

CLAIBORNE COUNTY: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will give a $3,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the poaching of a young calf elk in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area. A hunter discovered the elk on Dec. 22. It appeared to have been shot with a small caliber rifle, TWRA said.

CLAY COUNTY: Clay County Schools was one of five districts in the state with 99 percent graduation rate or better for the 2022-23 school year, according to the Tennessee Department of Education. The state's overall graduation rate was 90.6 percent. Clay County High is the only high school in the district.

COCKE COUNTY: Mountain Mama's will host a paint party and charcuterie night at the Smoky Mountain Golf Course in Newport on Jan. 27 from 3 to 4:45 p.m. For $45, attendees will get painting supplies, a beginner friendly art lesson and charcuterie. Spots are limited and the deadline to register is Jan. 23 at noon.

COFFEE COUNTY: The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development awarded Coffee County $500,000 from the Community Development Block Grant CARES Act to increase food distribution capacity to low-income communities, the Tullahoma News reports.

CROCKETT COUNTY: The Crockett Mills Community Center is having a BBQ fundraiser Jan. 20. There will a gun raffle, cornhole and rook tournaments and a drawing for two cotton quilts.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY: A 193-acre tract of commercial land in Crossville just 2 miles from I-40 and Buc-ee's is listed for sale at $6.75 million. Though the area is mostly farmland, agent Stephanie Cross said the land is primed for commercial use, especially because the golf capital of Tennessee has no zoning restrictions.

DAVIDSON COUNTY: The Interstate 24 corridor from downtown Nashville to Murfreesboro is one of several areas along Tennessee's roadways being considered for toll lanes in the Department of Transportation's 10year plan.

DECATUR COUNTY: Riverside High School teacher Jay Cox was honored as the Decatur County Teacher of the Month for November. He told The News Leader it's important his students know there is an adult who wants them to succeed.

DEKALB COUNTY: The Dekalb County Sheriff's Office Drug Abuse Resistance Education services accepted a $500 donation from Bruce Schaffer and Brian Clark with the Mountain Harbour Property Owners Association, the Smithville Review reports.

DICKSON COUNTY: Dickson County estimates more than $403 million in total agricultural outpoint, the Dickson Post reports. For every dollar of direct output from agriculture, the economic impact to the county's economy is $1.25.

DYER COUNTY: Dyersburg State Community College honored its 86th and 87th nursing classes with a ceremony for 19 graduates in the traditional nursing program and 12 graduates in the paramedic to RN program on Dec. 7, the State Gazette reports.

FAYETTE COUNTY: The town of Oakland is seeking qualified applicants for the position of building and codes director. The town says it is looking for a "proven and dynamic individual who will provide professional leadership that will positively affect both the department and the community."

FENTRESS COUNTY: David Steffey is the new president of the Fentress County Historical Society effective in 2024. The historical society at 103A S. Smith Street, Jamestown, has a museum, county archives and library.

FRANKLIN COUNTY: The Franklin County School Board recently approved a resolution to oppose Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to expand taxpayer funded vouchers to pay for private school tuition regardless of need, the Herald Chronicle reports.

GIBSON COUNTY: Ahead of the Trenton Teapot Festival in spring 2024, you can visit the Trenton Teapot Museum, the world's largest collection, which almost ended up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Valued at over $3 million, the 526 teapots at 309 S. College St. are available for a free 24/7 self-guided tour.

GILES COUNTY: The Pulaski Electric System Power Board recently approved 5% raises for employees starting January, the Pulaski Citizen reports.

GRAINGER COUNTY: Blaine is set to welcome a new police chief at the start of the year. Mayor Marvin Braden's selection, Richard Collins, received unanimous endorsement from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen during the meeting on Dec. 18.

GREENE COUNTY: Greene County has recently acquired 335 acres of the formerly closed Greene Valley, a center for individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities. In collaboration with the state, plans are underway to revitalize the site, including reconstruction and the incorporation of new facilities.

GRUNDY COUNTY: Fifth graders at North Elementary School topped the competition at Guild Elementary in Gallatin in an online contest aimed at motivating students to improve their math skills, the Grundy County Herald reports. The two-week competition ended with students answering over 3,400 questions correctly.

HAMBLEN COUNTY: A blaze in a Hamblen County barn results in the destruction of the 'Everywhere You

Look, UT' mural, with no reported injuries among firefighters. The barn was located near West Andrew Johnson Highway and Talbott-kansas Road.

HAMILTON COUNTY: Hope Included, a nonprofit, will create an inclusive playground at Riverview Park in North Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. Hope Included expects to break ground in March and complete work by the end of June.

HANCOCK COUNTY: Farm Bureau Insurance's Hancock chapter is preparing for the annual Hope for Hancock basketball game, which honors community members battling cancer. They are asking loved ones of those fighting their battle to contact their office at 423-773-2276.

HARDEMAN COUNTY: Hardeman County's 32nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade begins 2 p.m. Jan. 13 at Bolivar Elementary School. It will travel along Market Street, ending at the Luez Theater.

HARDIN COUNTY: Voices of Savannah provided clothes, food and a place to stay for those in need during the organization's third annual warming station event. The event began on Christmas but was extended several days to accommodate the need. The organization also gives away food to low-income families every Friday.

HAWKINS COUNTY: Hawkins County received a $630,000 grant to make drainage upgrades to its county highway department facilities, the Rogersville Review reports.

HAYWOOD COUNTY: Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls expects economic and population boosts in the rural city because of Ford Motor Co.'s $5.6 billion Blueoval City project in West Tennessee, he tells the Commercial Appeal. The city is focused on new business opportunities, quality housing and hotel spaces to accommodate the potential growth.

HENDERSON COUNTY: The Henderson County Sheriff's Office made department history Dec. 10 with its first all-female shift. Captain Victor Stanford wanted some time off, according to the Lexington Progress, so Amber Wood put on her uniform and joined the shift as a supervisor with deputies Bethany Parker and Abby Lanford.

HENRY COUNTY: Itty Bitty Trees, a purveyor of bonsai trees and exotic houseplants in Paris, will host a class on how to create a living rustic wall display with a staghorn fern. The $40 class will run from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the shop at 203 N. Brewer St.

HICKMAN COUNTY: Hickman County Middle School's Lonnie Mayberry has been in the district 48 years, making him the longest-serving teacher at the school, the Hickman County

Times reports. Mayberry said he loves being at the school but said his knees are hurting and may not teach much longer.

HOUSTON COUNTY: The need for handicapped-accessible parking, an expanded jury room, mayor's office and other needed improvements to the Houston County Courthouse have led county officials to apply for a $2.295 million grant from the state, the Houston County Herald reports.

HUMPHREYS COUNTY: The unsubstantiated sword of Union officer Lt. James Nicholas Nolan, who was stationed in Waverly during the Civil War, was donated to the Humphreys County Museum by his descendants, the News Democrat reports.

JACKSON COUNTY: The Cummins Falls Marathon Half Marathon, 10K and 5K will be held Feb. 24. Friends of Cummins Falls State Park is holding the runs as a fundraiser to purchase land and protect the state park. Visit cumminsfallsmarathon.com for information and to register.

JEFFERSON COUNTY: Lu Hinchey made a recent discovery at the Jefferson County Archives, the Standard Banner reports. In a box dated “1890s” she found numerous Civil War-era documents filed by attorney A.H. Webster. She has since categorized the documents, dated 18611867, so volunteers can start to catalog them.

JOHNSON COUNTY: The county school board voted 4-1 to buy property for additional parking near Mountain City Elementary School at a cost of $140,000, The Tomahawk reports. Because of continued growth in the community, “a year from now, we will regret it” if the land isn't acquired, board member Russell Robinson said.

KNOX COUNTY: County Commissioner Larsen Jay deferred until February his proposed ordinance to make local utility and telecom providers begin cleaning up and repairing broken and abandoned utility poles. Companies would have two years to clean up double and broken poles and would have to repair damaged poles within a week or face fines.

LAKE COUNTY: A December report from the state comptroller raised alarms about a drastic shortage of correctional officers at Northwest Correctional Complex, which had a job vacancy of 61%, higher than any other prison in Tennessee.

LAUDERDALE COUNTY: Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office has arrested and charged an officer accused of providing guns to teenagers. Investigators with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office arrested Chrisshawn Gordon for providing a handgun to a juvenile, theft of property, and unlawful carry or possession of a weapon, Action News 5 reports.

LAWRENCE COUNTY: Lawrence County Fire and Rescue responded to nine emergency calls on Christmas Eve and remained busy on Christmas Day, including for a vehicle crash in a creek in the Crossroads Fire District, WLX reported.

LEWIS COUNTY: The Bank of Lewis County gave bicycles to nine children selected through a drawing, the Lewis County Herald reports.

LINCOLN COUNTY: The Lincoln County Election Commission recently met to appoint poll officials, schedule early voting and Election Day poll times and verify provisional and absentee boxes for the March 5 presidential and county primary elections, the Elk Valley Times reports.

LOUDON COUNTY: Jeanne Barker, Lenoir City’s director of schools, said at a school board meeting Dec. 14 month-to-month changes associated with Gov. Bill Lee’s voucher plan are disrupting public education, the News Herald reports. Barker called it an effort to gain political attention.

MACON COUNTY: Red Boiling Springs School for grades 6-12 has started a school band with 32 students. The intent is to be a football and basketball pep band in 2024-25 and eventually march. Other school band programs have donated instruments and the Macon County School Board has appropriated $25,000, Director Jennifer Peterson said.

MADISON COUNTY: The Jacksonmadison County School System has improved its graduation rate over the past two school years, reaching 90.5% in 2022-23, according to state data. The statewide graduation rate is 90.6%, a record high according to the Tennessee Department of Education.

MARION COUNTY: The Marion County Sheriff’s Department reported an uptick in vehicle burglaries in the Whiteside and Guild area. In a Facebook post, the department asked residents not to leave purses, wallets, guns or anything of value in vehicles and to always make sure doors are locked.

MARSHALL COUNTY: Oak Grove Elementary School and art teacher Denise Warf won second place in the national Inter-state Studio’s Yearbook Legacy Contest for 2022-23, the Marshall County School System reports.

MAURY COUNTY: Bad Idea Brewing and Ollie and Finns Counter recently formed a restaurant partnership that includes brewed beer and creative sandwiches at the New South Business Park, 510 N. Garden St., in downtown Columbia, The Daily Herald reports.

MCMINN COUNTY: Fire officials responded to a fire at the H.P. Pelzer plant Dec. 22, the Daily Post Athenian reports. H.P. Pelzer manufactures automotive parts.

MCNAIRY COUNTY: Mcnairy County News published what it called a “jumbo-sized Christmas edition” of its newspaper. Why was it so big? It included over 1,400 letters to Santa from pre-k through 4th graders who let St. Nick know what they wanted and that they’d been good this year.

MEIGS COUNTY: The exterior of the Meigs County Courthouse will be renovated in 2024 with new bricks and fresh paint. The renovations are necessary to maintain structural integrity, Meigs County Mayor Eddie Jewell told The Daily Post Athenian. Renovations will start in January and continue until fall.

MONROE COUNTY: Sweetwater High School is undergoing renovations that include new landscaping and replacing the sinking floors of two classrooms near the old entrance, reports The Advocate & Democrat. The baseball teams also is getting a turf infield courtesy of fundraisers and private donations.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: A fourth Clarksville tornado victim, 78-yearold Penny Scroggins, will be remembered by family for her love of the Tennessee Titans, following the deadly EF3 tornado that tore through the city killing three others on Dec. 9, the Leaf Chronicle reported in late December.

MORGAN COUNTY: A missing book about Santa Claus was returned to the Thomas Hughes Public Library in Rugby more than a century after it disappeared, according to The Mountain Press.

MOORE COUNTY: Metro Moore County voters will vote whether to approve a proposed sales tax increase of 0.25% in the March 5 presidential primary election, the Moore County News reports.

OBION COUNTY: The Discovery Park of America in Union City will host King Day on Jan. 15 to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. alongside the Lane College Choir and Logan Hampton, president of Lane College, a historically Black college. Kids under 17 and college students with a student ID are free.

OVERTON COUNTY: The Overton County Heritage Museum will complete several building improvements through a $10,000 state grant that includes needed gutter replacement, wall repairs and installation of a lighted sign already purchased.

PERRY COUNTY: The public sale of the Perry Community Hospital has been postponed. The court-ordered sale had been set for Jan. 4, but a bankruptcy filing by Expertus Health LLC owner Jason Weil delayed it, the Buffalo River Review reported. The sale previously was set to happen in November but was delayed a bankruptcy filing then as well.

PICKETT COUNTY: The Pickett County Public Library in Byrdstown has four new board members. They are Stephanie Coutta, Tyler Garrett, Eric Pierce and Emily Gibson. Coutta is the new chair of the seven-member board.

POLK COUNTY: “The Singing Barber,” Noah Peters of Benton, is set to make his “American Idol” debut. Peters earned Tiktok fame by singing country tunes to his clients while cutting their hair. Some of his videos have over 10 million views. He recently auditioned for the 22nd season of “American Idol.”

PUTNAM COUNTY: Monterey has been awarded nearly $1.18 million in American Rescue Plan funding to address drainage problems by cleaning up creek banks. The town also seeks to identify areas to be used for bioretention, detention and other means of stormwater management.

RHEA COUNTY: Popular Jacob Myers Restaurant on the River abruptly closed after 25 years in Dayton due to rising food, labor, utility and rent costs, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “We have continued until we could find no way forward," owner Stacey Sholl told employees in a text message.

ROANE COUNTY: All enrolled Roane County Schools students can receive free breakfast and lunch daily beginning Jan. 3, the school district announced. The free meal program is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision, which supports economically challenged schools and school systems throughout the country.

ROBERTSON COUNTY: An agreement pending final approval may allow students a new pathway towards earning a bachelor’s degree in the agriculture, health care and technology sectors at the Vol State-springfield campus beginning with the 2024 Spring Semester, the Robertson County Connection reports.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY: The Murfreesboro City Council recently voted unanimously to repeal a community decency standards that sparked a First Amendment lawsuit, The Daily News Journal reports.

SCOTT COUNTY: Oneida Baby J’s Pizza’s owner Wayne King died, his wife announced Dec. 26, The Independent Herald reports. King, 64, was a veteran and served as the president of Scott County Chamber of Commerce and worked with at-risk youth.

SEQUATCHIE COUNTY: Sequatchie Valley Electric Cooperative was recently honored with a Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association Toptenn Communication Award for educating and informing electric co-op members.

SEVIER COUNTY: Sevier County High School’s Chef Sissy Ivy was recognized with the ‘Lifechanger of the Year’ award, The Mountain Press reports. Ivy leads the school’s culinary department.

SHELBY COUNTY: The Commercial Appeal has honored Fedex founder Fred Smith as the 2023 Sportsman of the Year after Smith and his family donated $50 million toward the renovation of the Simmons Bank Liberty Bowl.

SMITH COUNTY: Gordonsville High School has started construction on a new wellness center that will include classrooms for physical education classes and sports practices. Smith County High is also approved for a wellness center.

STEWART COUNTY: Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area’s Eagle Viewing Van Tours begin Jan. 13. Visitors may spot year-round resident eagles and visiting winter snowbirds looking for fish around the lakes for $15 per person, Land Between the Lakes reports.

SUMNER COUNTY: More than 400 families impacted by the deadly Dec. 9 tornadoes that killed seven people have received food, rent assistance and career opportunities from the Hendersonville Area Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Sumner County’s Disaster Relief Fund, the Tennessean reported.

SULLIVAN COUNTY: Johnson City Schools’ initiative to bring mental health services for students in-house is going smoothly, the Johnson City Press reports. The program created 16 counselor positions with one counselor at each elementary school, two at each middle school and three at the high school.

TIPTON COUNTY: The Atoka Police Department was recently gifted a Virtra V-100 public safety training simulator as part of the Taskforce Santa project, according to Police 1 staff.

TROUSDALE COUNTY: The Fred A. Vaught Memorial Library in Hartsville operates a nontraditional checkout department that includes shoes, jewelry, baking supplies and formal dresses. About 30 dresses were checked out last spring around prom, library Director Megan Lee said.

UNICOI COUNTY: The state has awarded $83,500 to refurbish the Unicoi County Heritage Museum. The Erwin Record reports the grant will help repair the roof, replace gutters, paint the exterior and reconstruct the front porch.

UNION COUNTY: The Union County School Board approved six early release days for the 2024-25 calendar to support teachers wanting more time to handle workloads. The early release time should be roughly between 12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m., and Union County Public Schools will be working with after-school programs to assist families.

VAN BUREN COUNTY: Van Buren High School’s cheerleading team was invited to perform at the 2024 Citrus Bowl Halftime show. The New Year’s Day game featured the Vols taking on Iowa in Orlando, Florida.

WASHINGTON COUNTY: East Tennessee State University has reported a record year for sponsored program and research funding. In the last fiscal year, the university received $70.4 million, which will be put toward “pushing major advancements in a range of diverse fields,” according to an ETSU news release.

WAYNE COUNTY: Wayne County Commissioners have allowed Maury Regional Health to enter contract renewal negotiations to operate Wayne Medical Center and transition the center to a Rural Emergency Hospital designation, the Wayne County News reports.

WARREN COUNTY: Warren County High School FFA spread holiday cheer to NHC Mcminnville with Christmas carols and Mille the goat for patients to pet, the Southern Standard reports. The group of students handed out homemade Christmas stockings.

WEAKLEY COUNTY: Weakley County Schools announced Dresden Elementary School is one of two schools in the state to receive the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Distinguished School distinction, WPSD reports. The school is one of only 100 across the nation that will be recognized for this exceptional achievement in 2023.

WHITE COUNTY: A Five Below store is planned for a Sparta shopping center along Highway 111, Mayor Jerry Lowery announced on his city Facebook page. The national discount store chain, which offers many products for $5 or less, has 10 locations around Tennessee, according to company’s website.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY: Construction is set to begin on the West Harpeth River in 2024 for Franklin’s newest development, Wyelea, a 600-acre, 68-lot community featuring conservation and preservation efforts of the area’s natural habitat and viewsheds, The Tennessean reports.

WILSON COUNTY: The nonprofit Sherry’s Hope has received a $7,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to continue offering financial assistance to families in Wilson County or surrounding communities, or in hospice care, with a financial need due to a cancer diagnosis.