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Hey Cookeville, hope your week’s off to a good start!

In today’s wallet-friendly edition: Crisis response pilot, a solar panel reuse expansion, and a medieval crafts night + lots of fun things to do for free.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around Cookeville protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

Van-led outreach shows results: Cookeville leaders are weighing whether to keep the crisis response pilot after 400-plus calls, backed by a NAMI grant, with about $14,000 projected for the EMT role — get all the details.

Scaling sustainable solar reuse: TERREPOWER announced an expansion of its Sparta solar module facility, set to handle about 95,000 panels totaling 50 MW and divert over 16 million pounds of material from landfills annually — see how the process works.

Milestone gathering draws hundreds: Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 20th annual meeting, honoring 2025 award winners and their community impact. Alfredo Alexander, chairman of Tennessee Tech’s Foundation Board, delivered the keynote — get the awards and report details.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Highlights this week:

• Homeschoolers stage Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr
• Learn landscape oil painting with Abby Ramaker
• Meet reenactors and try medieval crafts

🫶 We got your back

Sandwich fix, upgraded: Old-school deli icons (pastrami, Reuben, muffaletta) mingle with Mediterranean cravings at World Foods, so your lunch rotation finally rotates. Tired of bland bites? Expect big, tasty stacks, and if someone in the crew defects, the pizza keeps the peace.

Downtown pause button: Need 30 guilt-free minutes outside? Dogwood Park delivers with a splashy fountain, shady rose garden, and the all-abilities Heart of the City Playground. Coffee in hand, a quick lap, and the chance of a pavilion performance add up to an instant mood lift in Cookeville.

Your playful pit stop: Whether you’ve got Pokémon-obsessed kids, a comic pull list, or a soft spot for action figures, Brickhouse Toys and Comics keeps shelves packed and the game scene lively. Fans browse, trade, and nerd out with neighbors, and hidden gems often pop up.

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

📆 Free events worth checking out

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🏠 Cookeville Home Meet #1 @ Cookeville High School | Thursday (3/12) at 4:00 PM – Cookeville High hosts the first home track meet of the season, so expect sprints, relays, and a whole lot of kids chasing personal bests. Cheer on the Cavs, catch up with half the town, and test your bleacher stamina, knees permitting.

👕 Clothing Giveaway | Friday (3/13) at 9:00 AM – Skip the mall and swing by this community clothing giveaway, all free, no strings, no side-eye. Take what you need, as much as you need, and keep your dignity intact. Practical, kind, and refreshingly simple, like our town on a good day.

🌳 March Playdate @ Dogwood Park | Wednesday (3/18) at 10:00 AM – Dogwood Park is the spot for a low-key playdate, where the kids burn energy, the grown-ups finish a conversation, and someone always brings the good snacks. Expect fresh air, friendly neighbors, and grass stains. Bring a blanket, and your best small talk.

🏥 RAM Free Clinic @ Cookeville High School | Saturday (3/21) at 6:00 AM – Cookeville High hosts a RAM free clinic with dental, vision, and medical care, first come, first served. No ID, no insurance, just show up early, bring snacks, water, and patience, with overnight parking open, and call it Southern hospitality in scrubs.

🧹 Spring Equinox: Clean Up @ Wonderfill Refillery | Saturday (3/21) at 9:00 AM – Cookeville is shaking off winter with an Equinox spruce-up on Spring Street, meeting at Wonderfill Refillery, Nick from Picasso’s leading the charge. They supply gloves, bags, and a moral victory over litter, plus a native Tennessee tree for early birds, and a thank-you for everyone.

🥎 Single Game- Softball @ Tech Softball Field | Sunday (3/22) at 1:00 PM – Need a low-stress outing that still lets you yell at something besides your lawn? Our crew hosts a single softball game against Lindenwood, and admission is gloriously free. Grab a seat, sip something cold, enjoy solid swings, neighborly chirps, and zero buyer’s remorse.

🦇 Bat Day @ Cookeville History Museum | Saturday (3/28) at 2:00 PM – Round up the kids and swoop into the Cookeville History Museum for Bat Day, a send-off for the caving exhibit with a scavenger hunt, hands-on bat fun, and a cave talk on helping our cave-dwelling neighbors. It’s free, with snacks, and blessedly indoors.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 Cookeville report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 74°F – Low: 65°F – Precip: 79%

Showers and thunderstorms before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Later: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 11pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11pm and 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

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Tomorrow – High: 77°F – Low: 39°F – Precip: 48%

A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Later: Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 39. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance? 🚗

Premiums have been climbing across Tennessee but most folks won’t notice until they’re hit with a higher bill when it’s time to renew.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, it was out of sight and out of mind. Turns out I was blindly paying way more than everyone else I knew.

If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too – here’s the comparison tool I used.

This house is wild

This 4-bed, 3-bath custom home sits on a large lot along Historic North Dixie Avenue in the heart of Cookeville. A rare in-town find, it boasts a paved circle driveway and a 3-car attached garage. Tennessee Tech University and downtown are a 1-minute walk away, a location that puts convenience on center stage.

Take a peek inside →