Local Matters

Ben Rodgers sits down with Van Buren County Mayor Greg Wilson. They discuss redistricting efforts in Van Buren County, the new inn getting ready to open at Fall Creek Falls, and the various new amenities that it will have, as well as his plans to retire and not run for reelection, and the impact that he hopes to leave on Van Buren County after his term as County Mayor ends.

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Sam Brooks meets with local business leader, and former Cookeville High School and Tennessee Tech University football player, Ottis Phillips. They discuss his time growing up in Cookeville, how the town has changed over the years, his time playing football at CHS, as well as what local athletics programs mean to him, and why he supports those programs to this day.

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Bob Bell sits down with Dr. Catherine Jones, Principal of Prescott South Elementary School in Cookeville. They discuss her recent appointment to the STEM and STE(A)M School ReDesignation Task Force, how they look to shape the framework for STEM and STE(A)M education over the next several years, what age appropriate STEM is, and what the various levels of education beginning at kindergarten look like, as well as how she mentors other schools to assist them in their STEM implementations.

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Bob Bell talks with Jeff Slagle, Vice President of Operations and Facilities at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Livingston. They discuss what his new roll as Vice President of Operations and Facilities entails at TCAT Livingston, the ins and outs of their Transportation, Distribution, Warehousing, and Logistics Program, and their new facilities to go along the the program, as well as the various types of certifications and diplomas that they offer in the field of Information Technology.

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Ben Rodgers talks with John Ross Albertson, Director of the Putnam County Parks and Recreation Department. They discuss recent growth in the Putnam County Parks and Recreation Department, an update on Hope Park and other projects being worked on in Baxter, as well as their progress on setting up Christmas decorations around the area, and what type of events are coming up for the holidays in Putnam County.

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Sam Brooks sits down with Cookeville native, and former Athletics Director at Columbia University in New York, Dianne Murphy. They discuss what life was like for her growing up in Cookeville and attending Tennessee Tech University, an overview of her coaching and administrative careers, and the various universities that she worked with, as well as what brought her back to Cookeville after retiring from Columbia University.

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Bob Bell meets with Upperman High School Principal Billy Stepp, and teacher, and Beta Club and Student Government sponsor, Amy Rouchon. They discuss Upperman's recently awarded status as a Tennessee Purple Star School, what the award is and how it recognizes schools that assist military families in transitioning to the area, where the significance of the name of the Purple Star comes from, as well as the importance of Upperman's ROTC program, and what students stand to learn by being involved.

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Ben Rodgers meets with Overton County Executive Ben Danner. They discuss redistricting efforts in Overton County, the recently filled vacancies on the Overton County Commission, what the process is like for bringing new county commissioners on, as well as how they're looking to address road conditions in the county with the recently passed infrastructure bill.

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Sam Brooks meets with Dr. Bubba Winningham, Principal of Algood Middle School. They discuss his early life growing up in Cookeville, the importance of middle school sports for young student athletes, and what they stand to learn at that age by being involved, as well as what the transition into an administrative role was like for him, and what the experience has taught him so far.

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Bob Bell talks with Dr. Mike Birdwell, Professor of History at Tennessee Tech University. They discuss the importance of the month of November, the history of Veterans Day and with it represents, what the Tennessee Great War Commission is, and their mission to document Tennessee's role in World War I, as well as a look into the the history of one of the most famous Tennesseans from WWI - Alvin York.

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