Area News

By Eddie West Staff Writer A fire which destroyed a Gordonsville restaurant two weeks ago started on a stove in the restarant’s kitchen. The blaze destroyed The Loft Texas Smokehouse Restaurant which had only been open for business for approximately two weeks. Gordonsville Fire Chief Daniel LaFever and an officer with the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s…

By Eddie West Staff Writer A devastating fire destroyed a popular Gordonsville restaurant. The fire occurred at The Loft Texas Smokehouse Restaurant in Gordonsville located on the north side of Interstate 40 across Gordonsville Highway/Highway 53 from Subway. Tuesday afternoon.  The building was formerly home to the highly popular Timberloft Restaurant until this month after…

By Eddie West Staff Writer The Pregnancy Resource Center of Smith County offers a wide range of free services for those expecting to become a mom or dad. The faith-based, non-profit center is open to all individuals, serving families from prenatal to age two. Located at 108 College Avenue in Carthage, the non-profit’s mission is…

By Eddie West Staff Writer Following an incident where a BB gun was located inside Gordonsville High School, school officials are expected to upgrade student safety policies and protocols. Included in the discussion is the need for added school resource officers (SROs) and counselors, having one entrance at each school as well as the possibility of…

By Eddie West Staff Writer One man faces charges in what the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) says is an “ongoing child sexual abuse material investigation”, by electronic means, according to the agency. Nathan Tyler Goolsby, 29, has been charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor by the TBI, according to the agency.…

By Eddie West Staff Writer More than a year after Nyrstar’s Middle Tennessee Mines were placed on “temporary pause” there’s no indication as to when the company might resume operations, according to company officials. “We have no updates on our Middle Tennessee Mines business. The temporary pause in operations is ongoing until further notice,” was the…

By Eddie West Staff Writer The school system is running low on what are referred to as “snow days”, due mainly to a cold and icy January. The 2024-2025 school year began in August of last year with 13 built-in “snow days”. One of those “snow days” was used as “Professional Development Day” in November…

By Eddie West Staff Writer A youth was detained following an incident in which a BB gun resembling a handgun was discovered inside Gordonsville High School, Thursday morning. Multiple law enforcement officers, including Gordonsville police and deputies with the sheriffs department, responded to an alarm sounding as an emergency situation was taking place at the school.…

By Eddie West Staff Writer Multiple agencies, including the sheriffs department and the county’s rescue squad, were involved in a search for a juvenile reported missing from her home located in the Kempville community. The sheriffs department was first alerted to the missing 14 year old girl who left her Kempville Highway/Highway 85 residence on…

The Smith County Courthouse is noted for its architectural beauty. From the outside, some would argue the stately structure is the most picturesque courthouse in the state of Tennessee, creating a natural attraction for tourists visiting the county. But some individuals are attracted to the inside of the facility for an out of the ordinary…