Area News

Erlanger Bledsoe Hospital (EBH) will have a new medical office building to treat patients in next summer. To celebrate the beginning of the project, a groundbreaking was held at the site adjacent to the current mobile units on the EBH campus on Friday, May 28. Erlanger Hospital System CEO Dr. Will Jackson said the new…

The Chairman of the Bledsoe County Commission and District 2 representative Craig Mercer has passed away, County Mayor Gregg Ridley announced on Tuesday, June 1.  Ridley said Mercer was first elected to the Commission in 2002 and subsequently elected Vice Chairman of the Commission in 2002 and Chairman in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.  “Craig…

A Crossville man died in a crash in southern Bledsoe County on Wednesday afternoon, May 26, according to preliminary crash information from Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. Alan Bailey.  Martin Gibson, 67, died when his car veered off the roadway and hit a tree on U.S. 127 South near Brea Road. Preliminary information indicated he was…

A 24-year-old Evensville man was killed and four teenagers injured in a crash on Groves Road just across the Bledsoe County line in Van Buren County on Tuesday afternoon, May 25, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. Kent Norris.  Front passenger Jessee Evitt was ejected and killed, stated the report, and he was the only…

The Pikeville Fall Festival is coming back in 2021 after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chamber of Commerce Secretary Roberta Smith. The Festival will be October 2, with a golf tournament held the day before. For more see the May 27 issue of The Bledsonian Banner.

A dream project proposed by Pikeville Mayor Philip Cagle and approved by the Pikeville Board of Mayor and Aldermen last July became a reality last week as a burnout pad was poured on Main Street directly in front of the Bledsoe County Courthouse. The burnout pad for cars is essentially a concrete area with anchors…

Paving of U.S. Highway 127 from north of Harvey Lewis Drive to the Cumberland County line will begin on Monday, May 24, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.  The roadway will be reduced to one lane controlled by a flagging operation when workers are present, TDOT advises. Remember to use caution when traveling through…

The Bledsoe County High School Class of 2021 participated in a parade of their own on Saturday, May 15, with members of the class decorating cars and being escorted through Main Street. People lined up along Main Street to mark the occasion for the senior class and to cheer them on as they drove by.…

Bledsoe County Schools are hosting a meeting Tuesday, May 25, to discuss how $5 million in federal stimulus funds could be spent. The funding is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act passed this spring. The stakeholder meeting will be centered around the public sharing ideas with the school system. All Bledsoe County residents are…

The Old Sampson Schoolhouse on the Cumberland Plateau is in the process of being demolished, property owner Arlin Hale reported. Hale said the historic structure has been in place for years but is falling into disrepair. He noted he will be salvaging what lumber he can out of the old schoolhouse. The structure is located…