TECH WOMEN IMPROVE to 8 straight wins. B1 Herald-CitizenTHURSDAY,Herald-Citizen JANUARY 17, 2019 | COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE 117TH YEAR | NO. 12 50 CENTS Voting Gas fumes at precincts CHS cause under review concern BY JIM HERRIN BY JIM HERRIN HERALD-CITIZEN HERALD-CITIZEN The Putnam County Election Commis- Several Cookeville High School sion Wednesday talked about the possibil- students and parents were concerned ity of closing some voting precincts in an Wednesday morning when the odor of eff ort to be more effi cient. natural gas began seeping through the Administrator of Elections Debbie Steidl building, but the issue was resolved gave commissioners information on what later in the day. state law requires them to do if they decide In a message to parents late Wednes- to move forward with the idea. She also day morning, Director of Schools Jerry provided reports showing the number of Boyd explained the issue. people who voted at each of the 24 pre- “Cookeville Gas Department person- cincts. nel have identified the source of the “We want to make it convenient for the gas odor at Cookeville High School,” people to vote, but we just want to make he wrote. “The odor was a result of a sure we’re using the best of our resourc- malfunctioning regulator which caused es,” said commission chair Phil Adams as natural gas to be vented out of the roof the discussion began. “As it gets harder to at Cookeville High School. The odor was get volunteers, is there a way to make this picked up by an air-handling unit locat- more effi cient?” ed near the vent which caused the odor Steidl noted that some of the buildings to be circulated back into some class- being used for precincts are not ideal. room areas located on the first floor at “At Brotherton, we had a quite a few CHS. “ problems at the polling place itself,” she PAIGE STANAGE | H-C FILE Boyd said some students in the CTE said. “It’s not that the county is not willing (Career and Technical Education) wing to look at it, but some of it’s major. So are of the school were temporarily moved there few enough people in that precinct to another location “out of an abun- that we could perhaps move it to Algood Good fi shing dance of caution,” but said officials Outside (Algood Elementary School)?” determined that there was no need for a A total of 452 voters are registered in the school-wide evacuation. Brotherton precinct. Of those, 121 voted Steve Arms with the Dale Hollow Hatchery releases “Cookeville Gas Department officials early in the November election while 178 rainbow trout into Cane Creek Lake. The lake is now ... confirmed that CHS students and voted at the precinct on Election Day. stocked with an additional 2,500 rainbow trout, which staff members are not, and have not “From my experience, Algood Outside average 9.5 inches long. The daily creel limit is seven, but been, in danger from the odor,” he said. there is no size limit. Anglers need both a trout license “The ventilation system worked prop- SEE REVIEW, PAGE A2 and a fishing license. erly when the regulator began mal- functioning. Students were temporarily moved from the affected areas of the building this (Wednesday) morning, but they have now been returned, and CHS is operating per normal routines.” Algood planning for new budget Boyd also thanked members of the Cookeville Gas Department “for their BY BEN WHEELER hopes of addressing reno- quick response and assistance in identi- HERALD-CITIZEN vations in the community fying the source of the odor.” center. Boyd said the high school heating The City of Algood is “We’re working on get- and air conditioning system usually beginning to look at next ting the kitchen remod- operates off of two gas-fired boilers in year’s budget and address eled a little bit further,” order to provide some redundancy in important projects. Morrison said. “It still the system, but one of those boilers is City administrator has some things that not operational. Bids for a replacement Keith Morrison said at need to be done that we’re boiler were awarded earlier this year. last week’s work session chipping away at every “Those things are manufactured, that city offi cials should year.” basically, when they’re ordered,” Boyd begin to look at what In the coming months, said. “We anticipate the new boiler com- needs to be done and what Morrison hopes the city ing in early February. Normally, when they hope to address. council can begin to there are two boilers, it shares the load, Mayor Lisa Chap- bring more ideas to the but right now it’s all reliant upon one man-Fowler says she has table in order to appro- BEN WHEELER | HERALD-CITIZEN boiler.” heard from citizens that priately budget before the Improvements to the Algood Community Library there are requests for a next fi scal year begins, so and Senior Center may be included in the city’s form of shuttle service they can begin creating next budget. for seniors struggling to a plan looking at what make it to events. should be addressed in The water tank on top further going to reduce “I’ve been hearing from the coming years. of Buck Mountain will the capacity.” a lot of folks,” Fowler There are also hopes to also need to be addressed Buck Mountain’s water said. “The poor seniors include money for contin- soon, for increased stor- tank’s capacity is report- do not have a van to go ued sidewalk, water and age and pumps. edly 75,000 gallons, and in, and I don’t know why sewer improvements. “Within the next fi ve 130,000 to 160,000 gallons that we cannot buy a good “We pretty much bud- years (it needs to be ad- of water are pumped to used van for outings.” get for sidewalks and pav- dressed),” Morrison said. the tank every day. Morrison said that this ing every year,” Morrison “Because I don’t have The next Algood City is something the city said. “I’d like to continue enough water up there Council work session could look into, since it to do that in order to keep to last eight to 10 hours. will take place Feb. 11 at also plays a part in his knocking that down.” So any more growth is 5 p.m. FSA offi ces to open temporarily U.S. Secretary of Ag- employees to open offi ces be available to assist we are doing our best to riculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday, Jan. 17 and agricultural producers minimize the impact of today announced that Friday, Jan. 18, in addi- with existing farm loans the partial federal fund- BEN WHEELER | HERALD-CITIZEN many Farm Service tion to Tuesday, Jan. 22, and to ensure the agency ing lapse on America’s Agency (FSA) offi ces will during normal business provides 1099 tax docu- agricultural producers,” reopen temporarily in the hours. The offi ces will be ments to borrowers by Perdue said. “We are Remodeling coming days to perform closed for the federal Dr. the Internal Revenue bringing back part of our certain limited services Martin Luther King Jr. Service’s deadline. FSA team to help produc- The Cookeville Shoney’s restaurant for farmers and ranchers. holiday on Monday, Jan. “Until Congress sends ers with existing farm is closed for a remodeling, and has The U.S. Department of 21. President Trump an loans. Meanwhile, we reportedly laid off 24 of its employees. Agriculture (USDA) has In almost half of FSA appropriations bill in the Off icials with Shoney’s could not be recalled about 2,500 FSA locations, FSA staff will form that he will sign, SEE FSA, PAGE A2 reached for comment. herald-citizen.com INDEX 2 sections |14 pages OBITUARIES Page A5 HOW TO REACH US Herald-Citizen DEAR ABBY A6 COMICS A7 OPINION A4 Mary Sells, Monroe Donna Nyman, Cookeville Call us: 931-526-9715 CALENDAR A3 CROSSWORD A7 SPORTS B1 James Hammock, Indiana Come on in: 1300 Neal St, Cookeville TN 38501 CLASSIFIED B4 LIVING A6 SUDOKU A7 Dean Moore, Cookeville On the web: www.herald-citizen.com A2 HERALD-CITIZEN FROM PAGE 1 THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019 herald-citizen.com 0LOTTERY0 Rose appointed Wednesday Cash 3 to committee Evening 7-4-5, LS: 16 Midday 1-0-5, LS:6 OFFICE OF JOHN the Financial Services Morning 8-0-9, LS: 17 ROSE — John Rose, U.S. Committee will give him Cash 4 Representative for Ten- the chance to be actively Evening 8-4-0-7, LS: 19 nessee’s Sixth Congres- involved in some of the Midday 3-6-1-3, LS: 13 sional District, has been most meaningful debate Morning 1-8-9-3, LS: 21 appointed to the Finan- and work in Washington. 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