Jackson County officials met via Zoom recently in a “Town Hall” meeting hosted by the Highlands Economic Partnership and updated the community on the various projects taking place in the Jackson County area. The meeting was kicked off with an update from Gainesboro Mayor Lloyd Williams. The city is currently benefiting from a rehabilitation grant…

A local man was tried and found guilty on the charges of first-degree murder, aggravated arson, theft over $1,000 and two counts of tampering with evidence, ultimately receiving a lifetime sentence on Dec. 17. Kevin Meadows, 37, of Gainesboro was indicted on the charges of first-degree murder, aggravated arson, theft over $1,000 and two counts…

The Town of Gainesboro Board of Mayor and Alderman met in regular session last Thursday and disputed allegations made against a local business owner. As previously reported in the Sentinel, the board discussed putting into place a property ordinance that would enforce the de-cluttering of a local storefront—which was targeting a specific business, but would…

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said last Tuesday that he expects almost a quarter million Tennesseans to be partially vaccinated by the end of the year. “We’re fairly certain we’ll have 250,000 Tennesseans vaccinated by the first,” Lee said. Lee made his comments during a teleconference with community newspapers from across the state. Lee also addressed…

The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office released its audit of Jackson County government for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 last week, and the audit report included 10 findings, seven of which were also noted in last year’s report. As previously reported in the Jackson County Sentinel, the findings detailed deficiencies, weaknesses, or noncompliance within the…

Gainesboro officials announced last week that city offices would be closed due to the rise in COVID-19 case numbers; however, business will continue. City Hall employees informed the public last week that due to the continuous rise in COVID-19 cases, offices would be closed indefinitely, but their new drive-thru window will be open for business.…

Tennessee newspaper reporters congregated in a community call with Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday afternoon and heard updates surrounding COVID-19 as case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths continue to ravage many communities. The day of the teleconference, Tennessee had a total of 39,406 active cases, 2,183 hospitalizations and 4,466 deaths. The state remains a hotspot in…

It’s official. When the Hallmark Channel has begun to promote its annual holiday season movie marathon, Christmas can’t be too far off. Thirty-one days from today to be exact—but who’s counting? Local businesses are counting, and so are their employees. Also counting on the next few months are local merchants, boutiques, restaurants and retailers in…