Today in the Upper Cumberland

Take a look inside the issue of infrastructure with Upper Cumberland Electric. Much talk across our nation over the last several years about our aging infrastructure. Everything from roads to bridges, water and sewer pipes, and our electrical system. Today we go inside Upper Cumberland Electric – one of the biggest providers in our region. Today In The Upper Cumberland ... Read More »

This week, learn about Homeless Advocacy for Rural Tennessee with Vivian Walker. This week, volunteers canvas the Upper Cumberland trying to figure out just how many people are homeless in our region. Vivian Walker is one of those who led that work. She is a Homeless Programs Advocate for the Homeless Advocacy for Rural Tennessee Group, or HART. Today In ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland Regional Airport Director Dean Selby discusses infrastructure. Infrastructure – it’s something we deal with everyday. Whether it’s roads, whether it’s the power plant, whether it’s waterlines. And there’s growing concern across the United States about the shape of our infrastructure. Money being put in place to try to expand, and improve infrastructure, much of it aging. One part ... Read More »

Shane Farris and Anne Stamps discuss the new year and focusing on mental health. As we start a new year, we’re thinking about many types of resolutions. Yours may have something to do with your mental health – less stress, a clear mind, better decision making. We certainly have more open communication about mental health than ever before, and the ... Read More »

Shane Farris and Anne Stamps discuss the new year and focusing on mental health. As we start a new year, we’re thinking about many types of resolutions. Yours may have something to do with your mental health – less stress, a clear mind, better decision making. We certainly have more open communication about mental health than ever before, and the ... Read More »

Several local nonprofit leaders discuss COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on operations Beginning a new year, and COVID seems to be less and less part of our vocabulary. But COVID’s impacts continue, for example, on local charities. Today, that subject with Tammy Hogan, the Executive Director of Mustard Seed Ranch, Rob Wright, the Executive Director of Keep Putnam County Beautiful – Clean ... Read More »

Richard Kennedy and Kristi Paling discuss efforts to improve childhood wellbeing The Volunteer State has made big strides in making sure that children have a chance to succeed. Rankings that look at the wellbeing of children have increased significantly over the last several years, but there’s work left to be done. Richard Kennedy helps direct efforts at the state level, ... Read More »

This week, we focus on mental health with NAMI’s Shirley Jennings & Mark Allison As more and more attention is focused on mental health in our society, the work of organizations like NAMI come more into focus. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a Cookeville branch led by Shirley Jennings, its President, and Mark Allison, Vice President of NAMI ... Read More »

Sycamore Institute’s Sarah Henderson & Mandy Pellegrin discuss childhood poverty The Sycamore Institute has released its annual report on child well-being in the state of Tennessee. It paints a better picture, however, it’s important to note there’s still much work to be done. And second, the data is several years old, meaning the effect of COVID, and the effect of ... Read More »

Blood Assurance’s Max Wintiz discusses the challenges of donating post-COVID. In the season of giving, we examine how giving has changed in the wake of COVID. Just this week, Blood Assurance put out an urgent request for healthy donors with so many cases of flu in our midst. It represents the increasingly difficult job of getting people to give blood, ... Read More »