JENNIE IVEY MOVESES to Opinion.Opinion. A4A Herald-CitizenSUNDAY,Herald-Citizen FEBRUARY 3, 2019 | COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE 117TH YEAR | NO. 24 $1.50 Flood control Search for CHS principal begins BY JIM HERRIN HERALD-CITIZEN The search for the new principal at Cookeville High School will begin in earnest this week. “(I’ll) make a public announcement at our next board meeting (Thursday),” said Director of Schools Jerry Boyd. “Then, we’ll go live with the posting (of the job) on Friday, Feb. 8.” Linda Nash has been serving as interim CHS principal since Jan. 8 when Boyd made the deci- sion to replace Clif Matlock in that position. “I could have posted it as soon as I made the change, but I felt like I wanted to gather our thoughts on the description of the position and where we want to do our search,” Boyd said. “I’ve already got feelers out and have told key people that I know across the state that we’re JULIE BOHANNON going to be looking for a principal at a large Monterey Mayor Bill Wiggins looks on while representatives of the engineering firm Jerry Warren high school.” and Associates examine culverts under the bike/walk trail. Phase 1 of a plan adopted by the Boyd said he has an idea of the kind of person board is intended to improve the management of stormwater resources throughout the town needed for the job. of Monterey. Off icials say identifying water system improvements may help to reduce flooding “We need a strong leader,” he said. “We want issues and improve the overall drainage of the area. to have a good pool of applicants, both locally, if there’s any local interest, and (non-local.) We want the best of the best, whether that’s local or beyond.” He wants to have the new principal in place as Nine found in Cookeville homeless count soon as possible. “The goal is to make a fi nal decision by mid- BY PAIGE STANAGE ty. We do a sheltered count and found living outside during the April,” Boyd said. “Even if they’re in another HERALD-CITIZEN an unsheltered count,” said CRM count in Cookeville. role that they have to phase out, we want them executive director, Bruce Bailey. Bailey said for the last three to be prepared to start coming and engaging Nine people were found staying This year, Tennessee Tech stu- years, there have been approx- in our community as soon as May and June so outside during a homeless count dents participated in the count. imately 369 people homeless they can be engaged in the process of getting the in Cookeville last week. “Some students who are in a people statewide on the day of the school ready for the next year.” The homeless count is an hunger and homeless class at count. Boyd said he would be consulting with par- annual event required by the Tennessee Tech wanted to do “You would fi nd 17 percent of ents, teachers, students and “all the stakehold- U.S. Department of Housing and this,” Bailey said. “So we choose that 369 here (in Putnam County) ers” along the way. Urban Development . It occurs on not to visit homeless camps, for on that night of the count,” said “It does need to be collaborative, but at the one single night each January. safety’s sake.” Bailey. end of all the conversations, of course, I have to This year, it was conducted During the count, volunteers The CRM averages 55 to 60 make the fi nal decision,” he said. Jan. 27 by those with the Cookev- ask the homeless people to fi ll people on any given night, and He said school board members should also ille Rescue Mission, Cookeville out forms regarding where they recently opened a temporary think about increasing the salary for the posi- Police Department, Tennessee sleep and how long they’ve been shelter to keep people out of the tion. Tech, Mission Accomplished: homeless. cold. “On the next board agenda, as an item, I Stable Housing, and Veterans “It helps us understand how For those interested in help- would like to have you all consider and act on Aff airs Supportive Housing. we need to create services in the ing, please go to their website the salary,” he said. “It needs to be diff erent “The Rescue Mission volun- future to help,” said Bailey. at http://cookevillerescuemis- teered to count for Putnam Coun- Last year, seven people were sion.org/ and click “donate now.” SEE CHS, PAGE A2 New device could help heart failure patients BY KATE COOK ‘THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE CAN He found that in Keith HERALD-CITIZEN McWhorter, a resident of Albany, ANTICIPATE HEART FAILURE.’ Kentucky. Patients with certain types of Lenhart placed a cardiac heart failure may be a step ahead Dr. Michael Lenhart MEMS device in McWhorter’s with a new diagnostic tool now in Tennessee Heart pulmonary artery on Dec. 27. use at Cookeville Regional Medi- “There wasn’t much recovery, cal Center. just a tiny drop of blood on a Dr. Michael Lenhart has begun Lenhart can intervene by chang- band-aid,” McWhorter said. “It using a cardiac MEMS device. ing medication or encouraging a was a painless procedure, I’d It’s part of a study at Vanderbilt change in diet or activity. highly recommend it.” University. The MEMS device is a “If we see a change in their McWhorter said when he pressure transducer. It’s inserted pressure, it will oftentimes indi- developed heart problems, his through the leg, up into the right cate they’re going into congestive primary care doctor in Kentucky side of the heart and into the heart failure before they begin recommended Lenhart at Ten- pulmonary artery. showing symptoms,” Lenhart nessee Heart. Now his wife sees Lenhart said the device sits in said. “This is the fi rst time we Lenhart too. the artery and tracks the pres- can anticipate heart failure. If “When he said this is the fi rst sure in the artery. you wait for the patient to gain one he’s ever done, I didn’t hesi- The patient lies with his or weight or exhibit symptoms, tate,” McWhorter said. “I want to her head on a special pillow for you’re already behind the 8 ball.” do all I can to live a high-quality a few minutes each night. That The procedure takes about life in spite of the heart condition pillow downloads the informa- an hour, and the patient can go because we’ve got a lot of travel- tion, converts it to a wave form home that day if there are no ing to do. I lead mission projects and transmits the information to complications. around the world. I’ve got a lot to Vanderbilt University. Since it’s a new procedure and live for. I want to do everything I KATE COOK | HERALD-CITIZEN Doctors there track the data, a new approval process, Lenhart can to put myself in a position to Dr. Michael Lenhart speaks about the cardiac and if the pressure in the pa- said he looked for the “perfect MEMS device (lying on the notepad) in his tient’s pulmonary artery goes up, candidate.” SEE MEMS, PAGE A2 off ice at Tennessee Heart. herald-citizen.com INDEX 5 sections | 34 pages OBITUARIES Page A6 DEAR ABBY B2 COMICS E1 OPINION A4 David Webb, Algood Tom Calloway, Baxter Billy Heatherly, Granville CALENDAR A6 CROSSWORD B6 SPORTS D1 Kathleen Ritchie, Jamestown Bobby E. Staggs, Allons Mark Hogue, Livingston CLASSIFIED C1 MORE! B1 SUDOKU B6 Betty Jones, Algood Michael Moody, Overton County Betty Hensley, Livingston A2 HERALD-CITIZEN FROM PAGE 1 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2019 herald-citizen.com 0LOTTERY0 Friday Corps project Cash 3 Evening 1-3-5, LS: 9 Midday 2-4-7, LS: 13 Morning 1-4-2, LS: 7 lowers Center Cash 4 Evening 1-3-5-8, LS: 17 Midday 3-2-5-6, LS: 16 Morning 8-5-0-4, LS: 17 Hill Lake level Mega Millions The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville 02-37-48-66-68, Mega District is actively lowering the level of Center Ball: 11, Megaplier: 5 Est. jackpot: $125 million Hill Lake to construct the lower portion of a two-lane boat ramp at Eisenhower “Ike” Park in Tennessee Cash Lancaster, Tennessee. The Corps is restoring the 13-17-18-28-33, Bonus: 4 recreation area located upstream from Center Est. jackpot: $1.3 million Hill Dam that it closed in 2008 because of the dam LINDSAY MCREYNOLDS | HERALD-CITIZEN safety rehabilitation project. The Corps is lowering the lake to approximate- ly 625-feet mean sea level. Recent rain events Happy retirement have kept the lake higher than normal and de- 0READER SERVICES0 layed the boat ramp construction. Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton, left, and Cookeville City Manager Address: Once Center Hill Lake reaches the target ele- Mike Davidson, right, honored retiring city electric department 1300 Neal St. vation, the Corps plans to maintain this level for director Tony Peek, center, for 44 years of service to the city at Cookeville, TN 38501 approximately three weeks for the actual boat a reception on Friday at city hall. Longtime electric department ramp construction. If high amounts of precipita- employee Carl Haney is now the new director of the department. Mailing Address: tion occur, the lower lake elevation may occur in Peek’s last day was Friday. increments. P.O. Box 2729 While the lake is maintained at lower levels, Cookeville TN 38502 several launching ramps may become unusable.