Area News

The Tennessee National Guard will host a drive-through COVID-19 testing site in Bledsoe County on Saturday, April 25. The testing event will take place from 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. at Bledsoe County High School, 877 Main Street, Pikeville.  Mayor Ridley said he encourages everyone who would like to be tested to show up.  “It takes five…

Governor Bill Lee recommended on Wednesday all Tennessee schools close through the rest of the 2019-2020 school year to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Bledsoe County Director of Schools Jennifer Terry said the local school system will follow the recommendation and close throughout the remainder of the year.  Terry added while…

The Bledsoe County Board of Education is moving forward with the process of selecting a new Director of Schools after they failed to renew Director Jennifer Terry’s contract last month. For more see the April 16 issue of The Bledsonian Banner.

Bledsoe County’s Interim EMS Director Cory Prater will resign effective Monday, April 20 to take another position as a flight paramedic with Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s LifeFlight service. Kristin Billingsley has been appointed as the Interim EMS Director by Mayor Gregg Ridley. For more see the April 16 issue of The Bledsonian Banner.

Bledsoe County has 5 new confirmed coronavirus cases as of Monday, April 13, according to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). The total positive cases in the county now stands at 8, according to TDH.  The agency reports 3 of those have recovered, and another 737 have tested negative for the virus.  TDH also reported the…

UPDATE: Two inmates housed at Bledsoe County Correctional Complex have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Tennessee Department of Correction East Tennessee Spokesman Robert Reburn. He added the offenders will be held in isolation in a medical infirmary until they are determined to be non-infectious, per CDC guidelines. The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed on…

Bledsoe County Schools have begun their alternative instruction methods in light of the school closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Director of Schools Jennifer Terry. She said students have three ways to receive instructional materials, either through online platforms, in printed packets mailed to students, or by watching the state’s educational programming on…

Three people died in a house fire on Brockdell Mountain in Bledsoe County on Tuesday night, April 7, according to Bledsoe County Sheriff’s Department Detective Angelo Oreto. The fire occurred at 118 Cagle Road in an older brick home. Ova Lee Cagle, 91; Dennis “Denny” Roger Cagle, 63; and Anna “Suzie” Britt, 55, have been…

Bledsoe County’s Industrial Development Board moved forward with several actions to bring Project Protein to fruition in Pikeville at a meeting on Tuesday, April 7. Project Protein is the state’s project name for a chicken feed production company that has plans of building a facility in Pikeville. Some of what was approved by the Board…

Public notice from Bledsoe County Mayor Gregg Ridley: Today, Governor Bill Lee announced Executive Order 23, which reads; all Tennessee Citizens are to shelter at home, unless their activity away from home is of an essential nature. Therefore, as your Elected Officials of Bledsoe County, we believe we should do everything in our power to…