Local Matters

Ben Rodgers sits down with White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson, Smith County Mayor Jeff Mason, Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster, and Jackson County Mayor Randy Heady. They discuss redistricting efforts in their respective counties, how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and delayed those efforts, what a census block is and he role that they play in redistricting, as well as their respective timelines for their redistricting plans.

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Sam Brooks meets with former football coach, teacher, and Putnam County Commissioner, Steve Medlin. They discuss his time growing up in Cookeville and how the town has changed over the years, his time as a student teacher, how his time at Oak Ridge shaped his style of coaching early on, as well as how the size of schools across the state impact its students and faculty both academically and athletically.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Bob Bell sits down with Dr. Sharon Anderson, 9-12 Curriculum Supervisor for Putnam County Schools, and Keely Potter, Regional Director for the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). They discuss what the NIET is and what their partnership with Putnam County Schools entails, what learning loss is and how it has impacted  Putnam County Schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as what a learning coach is, and how they help train and support teachers in the classroom.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Ben Rodgers meets with Molly Brown, Executive Director of the Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors’ Bureau. They discuss her decision to leave the Bureau for a new opportunity, a recap of her time at the Bureau, the importance of forming and maintaining strong relationships with the community and the Bureau's stakeholders, as well as the events that she helped make happen that stood out the most to her, and that she's most proud of.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Sam Brooks talks with Todd Hess, Head Coach of Smith County High School Girls Basketball. They discuss his family and his time growing up in Cookeville, how he came to coach basketball, as well as an overview of his coaching career and its highlights.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Bob Bell meets with Mark Wilson, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Tennessee Tech University. They discuss what his role as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics entails, the importance that TTU places on academic accountability and success on their student athletes, as well as recent changes to college athletics at the NCAA level, and what they mean for schools like TTU.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Ben Rodgers sits down with Hannah Davis, the Communications Supervisor for the Putnam County Board Of Education. They discuss her background and career and what brought her to the Putnam County School System, the School Board's stance on the recent student prayer issue, as well as what an average day looks like for her role, and the responsibilities that it entails.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Sam Brooks sits down with Steve Jones, former Putnam County teacher and coach. They discuss his early life growing up in Silver Point and playing sports across Putnam County, the mentality that he had when leading student athletes both athletically and academically, as well as an overall recap of his teaching and coaching career.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Tiffany Anton talks with Zach Buckner, Owner and Creative Director of The District Creative in Cookeville. They discuss what The District Creative is and the marketing and branding services that they provide for small to medium sized businesses, the importance of developing marketing plans and styling guides for a business to adhere to, as well as just how crucial it is for a business to know who their customer is and how to market toward them.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.

Bob Bell sits down with Alexis MacAllister, Program Manager for Tennessee Together, as well as a member of iCUBE at Tennessee Tech University. They discuss what iCUBE is at TTU and how she became involved with the iCUBE office, what they have planned for the fall 2021 semester at TTU, how they are working with Tennessee Together to promote opioid abuse awareness and intervention, as well as how Tennessee Together works at the community level to further educate and help save lives.

Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart.