Local Matters

Sam Brooks talks with former Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagle Football all-star Thomas Squires. They discuss his background and upbringing in eastern North Carolina, advice for young student athletes, especially those who might be getting key playing time early in high school, as well as the coaching staff at TTU while he was there, and what he remembers most about them.

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Bob Bell sits down with Putnam County Schools Director Corby King. They discuss kicking off the new school year in Putnam County, being fully on-boarded, Putnam County's experience not facing as tough of a teacher shortage as other counties, the importance of attendance for students, what a student faces when they are "chronically absent," as well as the new school on the horizon for Putnam County, and what will happen with Park View Elementary School.

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Caroline Moore talks with Master Gardener Brant Wheeler. They discuss his background growing up on a farm in Kentucky, his time attending Tennessee Tech University, the Master Gardeners Organization through the University of Tennessee, and what it takes to become a Master Gardener, as well as information surrounding the Master Gardeners exhibit taking place at the Putnam County Fair.

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Ben Rodgers talks with Baxter Primary School Principal Marsha Wyatt, and Assistant Principal Lacy Loggins. They discuss their respective backgrounds and careers in education, the common misconception that teachers and school administrators have the summer off, what goes into preparing for the next school year during the summer, as well as what kindergarten is like now compared to what it used to be in the 90s and 2000s.

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Sam Brooks sits down with Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagle Football Player Devin Squires. They discuss what goes on day-to-day with the TTU Golden Eagle Football team, what it was like to be a college athlete during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how he personal dealt with the changes that it brought on, as well as a discussion about the coaches on the defensive side of football.

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Bob Bell talks with Heather Tinch, Principal of Burks Elementary School in Monterey. They discuss the various duties of an elementary school teacher including overseeing the school's environment, and being an instructional leader, the faculty and staff at Burks Elementary School, as well as the phrase "it takes a village," and how the business community in Monterey has supported the school.

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Caroline Moore sits down with Miss Tennessee For America Maelybeth Young. They discuss how she got into attending and competing in pageants, her experience competing in national pageant competitions in Las Vegas, as well as what some of the biggest and most common misconceptions are when it comes to beauty pageants.

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Ben Rodgers continues to sit 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 the challenges of finding workers for the solid waste field in White County and Smith County, the recent addition of Buc-ee's to Cumberland County, and the business that it's bringing to Crossville, as well as issues with record storage, and trying to free up space in the courthouse along with parking issues on the square in Jackson County.

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Sam Brooks talks with Cookeville High School Head Football Coach Taylor Hennigan. They discuss how it feels to be back at Cookeville High School with a semester of teaching and coaching behind him, as well as a break down of who is on this year's coaching staff, and why he made those staffing decisions for the upcoming season.

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Bob Bell sits down with Dustin Rawls, Outreach Specialist for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. They discuss his background, his new role with the State of Tennessee, recent legislative changes to dual enrollment opportunities, and the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, as well as a break down of the FAFSA application, and how and where to fill out the application.

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