Area News

A dump truck filled with hot asphalt for paving a driveway, plummeted over 98-feet off a bluff, claiming the life of the driver, according to Pikeville Volunteer Fire Chief Paul Swafford. The heat from the asphalt, coupled with the extreme heat index on Tuesday, June 27 caused three rescue personnel to fall out while working…

School doesn’t end in May for the lunch ladies in Bledsoe County. “It hasn’t for many years now,” said Nutrition Director Dianne Campbell for Bledsoe County Schools. “Our Summer Feeding Supervisor Kristy Owens has worked hard to make sure this county has got to participate in Summer Feeding for as many years as its been…

The Tennessee Department of Transportation ordered the Bledsoe County Highway Department to close the Old State Highway 28 bridge over Swafford Branch, indefinitely, reports Road Superintendent Tobe Smith. For more see the July 6 issue of The Bledsonian Banner.

The Bledsoe County Rescue Squad is holding its annual Fireworks Sale, its major fund raiser for the year. They have the Squad building, on the U.S. Highway 127 Bypass, filled with a huge assortment of fireworks for you to browse, and purchase for your July 4th celebration. For times and dates the Squad is selling…

Bledsoe County Commissioners approved a property tax increase of 19¢ per $100 of assessed value during their special called session Tuesday, June 20. The increase is estimated to generate an additional $494,000 in revenue for the county’s $8.1 million budget. The county’s property tax rate is increasing from $1.873 per $100 of assessed value in…

When the Covid pandemic hit, Bledsoe County Schools was among the first school systems to implement on-site testing at its schools. From that need and once funding was obtained, Bledsoe developed a plan to establish a health services clinic on the back portion of property at Bledsoe County High School, according to School Health Coordinator…

Bledsoe County, in collaboration with Van Buren County, the City of Dayton, the Northwest Utility District, and the Fall Creek Falls Utility District, will use $2,119,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to reduce water loss in the county. This is part of the 131 ARP grants, totaling $299,228,167, being distributed by the Tennessee Department…

Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, presented in partnership with Fisk University’s John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library, opens at the Tennessee State Museum on Friday, June 16. The community-focused exhibition highlights the work of alumni, descendants, and organizations to preserve the legacies of Rosenwald Schools across the state,…

One of the oldest homes in the Lusk community of Bledsoe County was consumed by fire Friday, June 9. The owner, Rebecca Poteet, was not injured but two of her pets were not as fortunate. “When we arrived on the scene, the attic area was on fire,” said Phillip Smith with the Lusk Volunteer Fire…

Reaching Warrior Excellence became a goal of the Bledsoe County School System in early 2022. A 5-year strategic plan to meet four different goals was developed, and 16 months later…those goals have been achieved, according to Director of Schools Selina Sparkman. A group of educators, administrators and school board members determined the four goals with…