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Breaking News: City of Baxter Special Called Meeting

Charlie Mullen displays illustrations from the Putnam County Library’s copy of It’s Perfectly Normal during public comment at the Aug. 11 Library Board meeting. Residents had raised concerns about the book at board meetings for more than a year before a patron filed the formal reconsideration request that resulted in its relocation from the downstairs children’s library to the upstairs young-adult section. Mullen argued that illustrations depicting nude figures engaged in sexual activity should not be available in sections intended for children or younger readers. Photo by Clarissa Williams | Highlands Insider

Seventeen speakers address Library Board

August 14, 2026

Residents offered sharply different views on sexual content, age restrictions, parental authority and continued access to library materialsEditor’s...

Standing room only: Well over 75 people attended the Aug. 11 Putnam County Library Board meeting. The meeting room, which has a posted capacity of 50, filled before the discussion began, while more than 20 to 25 additional attendees stood in the hallway and nearby spaces at different points during the lengthy meeting. No official attendance count was taken, and people came and went throughout the meeting.

MORE THAN 75 FILL LIBRARY MEETING AS QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER...

August 14, 2026

Also from this meeting: Meet all 17 public speakers | View the complete photo galleryWell over 75 people attended the Putnam County Library Board...

Printed Paper Online

August 14, 2026

The Story Behind the Picture

August 17, 2026

On a wintry Monday afternoon, Dr. James Cates was dressed and ready to spend the afternoon hunting.“It’s during duck season, and Bill, one of our...

Drucilla’s Little Helpers - Bursting with Berries Bundt Cake

August 16, 2026

I made a cake today, did you? I’ll share mine. It is bursting with flavor and is delicious.The occasion can be my brother Lester’s birthday and his...

The Case for a Completed Policy and Procedure Manual

August 15, 2026

There is something every organization should have, regardless of its size: a completed, approved, and accessible policy and procedure manual.I...

HI House Ad

Charlie Mullen displays illustrations from the Putnam County Library’s copy of It’s Perfectly Normal during public comment at the Aug. 11 Library Board meeting. Residents had raised concerns about the book at board meetings for more than a year before a patron filed the formal reconsideration request that resulted in its relocation from the downstairs children’s library to the upstairs young-adult section. Mullen argued that illustrations depicting nude figures engaged in sexual activity should not be available in sections intended for children or younger readers. Photo by Clarissa Williams | Highlands Insider

Seventeen speakers address Library Board

August 14, 2026

Residents offered sharply different views on sexual content, age restrictions, parental authority and continued access to library materialsEditor’s...

County News - Putnam

Putnam County Marriage Licenses Issued in July

August 19, 2026

Putnam County Clerk Wayne Nabors' office issued 52 marriage licenses during the month of July, according to the July marriage license record...

Weekly Warrants

August 19, 2026

These warrants are obtained through the Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk’s office and includes arrests from Algood, Cookeville, Baxter and...

Justice Snapshot: By The Numbers

August 19, 2026

The following information was gathered from the Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office and includes arrests from Algood, Cookeville, Baxter and...

Voters reshape Putnam County leadership

August 11, 2026

Gilbert, Anton and Landers set to lead Cookeville, Algood and Monterey as new mayors; new faces on the county commissioners Three current...

Higher Education

Sen. Bill Hagerty speaks with students in Tennessee Tech's Autonomous Robotics Club, including club president Ben Ellithorpe, center, and vice president Caden Reynolds, right.
Photo by Kate Barber

Senator Bill Hagerty visits Tennessee Tech as part of statewide...

August 13, 2026

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) visited Tennessee Tech University as part of his sixth annual Economic Development Tour.During...

Putnam County Marriage Licenses Issued in July

August 19, 2026

Putnam County Clerk Wayne Nabors' office issued 52 marriage licenses during the month of July, according to the July marriage license record...

Weekly Warrants

August 19, 2026

These warrants are obtained through the Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk’s office and includes arrests from Algood, Cookeville, Baxter and...

Justice Snapshot: By The Numbers

August 19, 2026

The following information was gathered from the Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office and includes arrests from Algood, Cookeville, Baxter and...

Senator Paul Bailey

Cameron Sexton

Putnam County Marriage Licenses Issued in July

August 19, 2026

Putnam County Clerk Wayne Nabors' office issued 52 marriage licenses during the month of July, according to the July marriage license record...

Weekly Warrants

August 19, 2026

These warrants are obtained through the Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk’s office and includes arrests from Algood, Cookeville, Baxter and...

Justice Snapshot: By The Numbers

August 19, 2026

The following information was gathered from the Putnam County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office and includes arrests from Algood, Cookeville, Baxter and...

Jerell Floyd Killian

August 19, 2026

COOKEVILLE CHAPEL - Jerell Floyd Killian, age 82, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday July 27, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Born...

The Case for a Completed Policy and Procedure Manual

August 15, 2026

There is something every organization should have, regardless of its size: a completed, approved, and accessible policy and procedure manual.I...

Can the Adults Please Come Back In

August 15, 2026

As I sit here working on this week’s paper, there are so many things on my mind.My dad and my mom. My sister, Angelina, whose birthday is Aug. 15....

Voters reshape Putnam County leadership

August 11, 2026

Gilbert, Anton and Landers set to lead Cookeville, Algood and Monterey as new mayors; new faces on the county commissioners Three current...

City of Baxter Special Called Meeting

August 19, 2026

The following meeting will be held on Monday, August 31st, 2026 at City Hall, 200 Main St.The City of Baxter Board of Mayor and Councilmen will...

Guide to the Polls 2026

Drucilla’s Little Helpers - Bursting with Berries Bundt Cake

August 16, 2026

I made a cake today, did you? I’ll share mine. It is bursting with flavor and is delicious.The occasion can be my brother Lester’s birthday and his...

The Story Behind the Recipe: Summer Gazpacho Brings the Temperature...

August 13, 2026

When my sons first read Charles Dickens, they said the words felt like Old English. I informed them that Old English would be truly unreadable...

Drucilla’s Little Helpers - Chicken Pot Pie Cobbler

August 13, 2026

Hello and welcome to my pity party that I was having, but no one came. It’s okay because the food was not good. Instead, I’ll have a joy party and...

WEEKLY SMILE - Heirloom Living with Three Petals Cove Farm

August 19, 2026

Sometimes the sweetest smiles grow from the simplest things: a handful of seeds, a family working side by side and a bouquet bright enough to...

Weekly Smile: Thank You, Poll Workers

August 11, 2026

This week’s Weekly Smile goes to the men and women who quietly make Election Day possible: our poll workers.Long before the first voter walks...

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