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: Lunch For Literacy held its 32nd fundraising event featuring speaker, author, and musician Brendan Slocumb at Oak Ridge High School, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Since 2012, the annual event has raised over $250,000 for literacy grants.
BEDFORD COUNTY: Friends of the Historic Bell Buckle School seek to restore the remaining structure to turn into a community/recreation center. The building, which was devastated by fire in 1972, is located on Peacock Street near the town park, the Shelbyville Times-gazette reports.
BENTON COUNTY: Benton County Schools announced Mark Florence, director of schools, was selected as the Coordinated School Health Institute's Director of Schools of the Year for the second time. The CSH Institute planning committee chose Florence for his outstanding leadership and advocacy for CSH.
BLEDSOE COUNTY: The Erlanger Volunteens program is accepting applications for this summer, the Chattanoogan reports. The program is open to high school students interested in clinical and nonclinical roles in health care, including administrative and support services. Interviews will be held in Pikeville through April. Visit erlanger.org/ volunteering for details.
BLOUNT COUNTY: A fire ignited in the Amazon fulfillment warehouse in Alcoa, temporarily shutting down operations at the 6-month-old facility, the Daily Times reports. Alcoa Fire Department Deputy Chief Colin Hurst reported packages and bins were on fire and that no one was injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
BRADLEY COUNTY: The new Cleveland/bradley County Greenway arch marks the Rotary Club of Cleveland's 100 years of service, reports the Cleveland Daily Banner. The 15-foot arch will connect to a future extension of the greenway at the southeast corner of Inman and Keith Streets.
CAMPBELL COUNTY: Jellico Regional Hospital ceased services on March 9, and it is uncertain when it will be open again, reports the Lafollette Press. Progressive Health CEO Quentin Whitwell informed Jellico Mayor Sandy Terry that Progressive Health would be pulling out of their previous plans to operate Jellico Regional Hospital.
CANNON COUNTY: A JESUS JAM concert hosted by Bryan Smotherman and Beyond the Gates Windows Ministry is planned from noon to 3 p.m. April 27 behind Hillside Fellowship, 2999 John Bragg Highway in Woodbury. Doors for the event will open at 11 a.m., the Cannon Courier reports. For more information, call 931-7031153.
CARROLL COUNTY: Huntingdon native Matthew Weathers recently was promoted to the position of pilot at Marquette Transportation, a company he started at as a deckhand, performing various labor-intensive operations involved with barge transport, such as building tows, maintenance, and vessel upkeep.
CARTER COUNTY: A group of 11 Milligan University students and recent alumni were awarded by the American Advertising Federation Northeast Tennessee at the American Advertising Awards, the Elizabethton Star reports. Collectively, the group earned four awards. The American Advertising Awards honor creative advertising work from students and professionals.
CHEATHAM COUNTY: The Tennessee Valley Authority and hundreds of Cheatham County residents met on March 6-7 to discuss the transmission of the proposed Cheatham Generation Site, seek public input on minimizing disruption to the area and address residents' concerns, the Cheatham County Exchange reports.
CHESTER COUNTY: Deaton's Carpet One, started in 1974 by Gary Deaton, is celebrating 50 years in business this year.
CLAIBORNE COUNTY: Claiborne
County Schools and 33 other Tennessee school systems have filed lawsuits against social media companies, the Claiborne Progress reports. The lawsuits seek actionable accountability, tools, and resources to address the lack of protections, monitors, controls and cooperation to protect children.
CLAY COUNTY: A new playground will be built at Hermitage Springs Park through Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee's Tennessee Serves initiative. Lee and the nonprofit KABOOM! recently held a playground design session in Clay County with students and other community members.
COCKE COUNTY: The Cocke County Sheriff's Office arrested a man on charges of aggravated animal cruelty, the Newport Plain Talk reports. The sheriff's office reported several dogs were found neglected and abused at the man's residence. The dogs were removed from the property, with three of the dogs taken in by Smoky Mountain Humane Society.
COFFEE COUNTY: The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously voted to extend a contract to Anthony Burrows to fill the position of finance director, the Manchester Times reports. The change comes after Finance Director Lisa Myers submitted her resignation amid concerns about an overworked department.
CROCKETT COUNTY: The Crockett County Times has an opening for a part-time reporter. Please send resume to: scott@magicvalleypublishing.com.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY: Cumberland Mountain State Park received the Iris Fund grant to create a native plant garden, the Crosville Chronicle reports. The state collects the money from purchases of the specialty license plate that features a blue iris. The garden will sustain a living landscape that will attract pollinators, birds and other native wildlife.
DAVIDSON COUNTY: Nashville's Metro Council voted to mark the anniversary of the March 27, 2023, Covenant School shooting with a resolution honoring the six victims — Evelyn Dieckhaus, Mike Hill, William Kinney, Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak and Hallie Scruggs.
DECATUR COUNTY: The Rivertime Players once again raised the bar for local theater with five performances in March of Smoke on the Mountain, the first-ever musical by the Rivertime Players. It's a story set in a small Baptist church in the rural mountains of North Carolina.
DEKALB COUNTY: The Dekalb County School District announced Kathy Ramsey is the 2024 District Teacher of the Year winner. Ramsey teaches fourth grade English language arts and social studies at Northside Elementary School, WJLE reports.
DICKSON COUNTY: The Dickson County-based Tennessee National Guard returned after nearly a yearlong deployment in the Middle East, primarily Kuwait, the Dickson Post reports. The 267th Military Police Company flew to Smyrna's Volunteer Training Site where soldiers were greeted by friends and family.
DYER COUNTY: The University of Tennessee Turfgrass Science and Management program is offering a digital learning series from 12:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT on the first Tuesday of every month running April through October. The series will present the latest research on optimizing turfgrass aesthetics and function, and participants are eligible for continuing education and recertification credits. Register for the series at tnturfgrassweeds.org/turftuesday
FAYETTE COUNTY: The 32nd annual Fayette Cares charity plant sale is scheduled for April 13 at Oakland Elementary School. Event organizers are seeking volunteers: Sign up at fayettecares.org/plants. Gardeners across West Tennessee are encouraged to contribute their plants and show their support.
FENTRESS COUNTY: Jacob Rosenbaum was selected as Fentress County's adult recipient for the 2023 Governor's Volunteer Stars Award that recognizes outstanding volunteers. Rosenbaum is the county's chamber of commerce director and former local newspaper editor who has volunteered through the Rotary Club, senior citizens center and other projects.
FRANKLIN COUNTY: The Franklin County School Board was asked in March by South Middle School principal Tara Brewer to adopt a therapy dog program. Brewer explained the benefits such as emotional support and fostering a comforting, inclusive environment for the school with the comforting presence of a dog.
GIBSON COUNTY: Milan High School has named Mckenzie's Wade Comer as the Bulldogs' new football coach. See more about Milan athletics at milandawgs.com.
GILES COUNTY: Local officials have proclaimed the week of Aug. 5 as Giles County Agricultural Week, reports the Pulaski Citizen.
GRAINGER COUNTY: Two Rutledge men were arrested on allegations they assaulted the same man with their vehicles, the Grainger Today reports. Each used their vehicles to block him in, the newspaper reports, and almost hit the man when he got out of his vehicle.
GREENE COUNTY: Tusculum University honors Travis Parton as he celebrates 25 years of service to the university. Included in the event was a proclamation from Tusculum's president, Dr. Scott Hummel, declaring March 19 as Travis Parton Day at the university. Parton, who has Down syndrome, works at the Tusculum University's cafeteria.
GRUNDY COUNTY: The Tennessee Department of Health awarded the South Cumberland Community Fund a grant to encourage development along the Mountain Goat Trail Corridor, the Grundy County Herald reports. Parks, housing, access to the trail, transportation and business development are under consideration.
HAMBLEN COUNTY: Eight schools in the Lakeway Area are among 343 schools to be awarded a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers, a TVA retiree organization, to develop STEM programs for students. The schools received a total of $28,500 for various projects, the Citizen Tribune reports.
HAMILTON COUNTY: The United States Postal Service announced its plan to modernize mail operations at its Chattanooga Processing and Distribution Center, the Chattanoogan reports. The renovations are part of a $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve the postal processing, transportation, and delivery networks.
HANCOCK COUNTY: Hancock County Schools has received a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Bicentennial Volunteers. The grant will allow teachers to provide additional resources to help their students excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
HARDEMAN COUNTY: The Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association named Jerry Wilhite, who retired last year from Old Hatchie Veterinary Clinic, Outstanding Practitioner of the Year during the Music City Veterinary Conference in March.
HARDIN COUNTY: East Hardin Elementary School first grade teacher Tracey Forester has been named Educator of the Week. She has been teaching for 17 years and has been in the Hardin County school for nine years.
HAWKINS COUNTY: The Hawkins County Humane Society surpassed its $125,000 donation requirement to receive American Rescue Plan Act funding from the county, the Rogersville Review reports. The money will go towards expanding the animal shelter. The cost of the adjoining animal shelter with a dog kennel building is estimated at $400,000.
HAYWOOD COUNTY: Special agents of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force pulled over a a Mercedez-benz Sprinter van on Interstate 40 in March and discovered drugs and money in the vehicle.
HENDERSON COUNTY: Former teachers James and Ollie Lou Pearson came to Lexington High School in March to offer scholarships to minority students through the Ollie Pearson Scholarship, which they've granted since 2017.
HENRY COUNTY: Agents of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Medicaid Fraud Control Division arrested a Henry County woman last week on suspicion of fraud. The woman, who worked in a Paris clinic that offers counseling services, allegedly billed Tenncare between September 2017 and January 2020 for services that were not provided, reports WKRN-TV.
HICKMAN COUNTY: Six Centerville residents voiced concerns about disturbances along Columbia Avenue, the Hickman County Times reports. The residents reported rampant unaddressed inappropriate conduct in the area that includes vulgar comments, inappropriate sexual comments and loud music.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Erin and Tennessee Ridge were recently awarded $200,000 grants each from the $10.7 million in Rural Economic Opportunity Act funds to assist communities and utility districts statewide with longterm water and sewer systems planning, the Houston County Herald reports.
HUMPHREYS COUNTY: Two years after Waverly Elementary School students and faculty were displaced by the devastating effects of the
2021 flood, school officials celebrated “the best academic year” the school has ever seen along with its recent Reward School designation, the News Democrat reports.
JACKSON COUNTY: Artisans will demonstrate their crafts April 3-28 at Historic Granville's Pioneer Village. Visitors will be able to ask questions, watch processes and purchase crafted items. Admission to the Artisan Showcase will be part of the $7 Daily Town Tour Ticket.
JEFFERSON COUNTY: The annual Glenmore Park Day hands-on preservation event will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 6 at Glenmore Mansion in Jefferson City. People interested in helping preserve history are encouraged to gather at the mansion, 1280 North Chucky Pike, and help out with maintenance chores.
JOHNSON COUNTY: Mountain City officials approved $3,600 to repair