Cookeville Square Live Cam

Putnam County is just 90 miles from Nashville, 110 miles from Chattanooga, and 100 miles from Knoxville. The population of Putnam County is about 70,000. Putnam County is located in a very scenic area, one the most beautiful in the country. With low crime, low property taxes, and a county full of friendly caring people; it is what makes Putnam County one of the best places in the country to live and raise a family.

Education and its improvement will be the driving force in Putnam County in the 1990's. All in the Class will graduate from high school and will find the career path of their choice if they choose not to continue their formal education. They will have the opportunity to pursue their own personal vision of excellence. Continual education and lifelong learning will be the norm for those who have finished training in the continuous improvement process.

Putnam County will be a community that values people of all ages as assets, each of whom will be encouraged to participate as individuals and as team members. Children will be viewed as current assets and will be included in the excellence process. Everyone in the community assumes ownership for the success of the community. Anyone wanting to participate and add value will be welcome.

Putnam County will be a community where the individual excellence is a result of the cooperative efforts. Arbitrary boundaries will not impede organizations in serving their customers/clients. All enterprises in Putnam County will be actively pursuing excellence within their organizations.

The community will realize that leadership can be found in any endeavor. The community leader will be open minded and learn from others in the community, knowing there is more than one path to excellence. The leadership will be working to identify and eliminate barriers to excellence. The Putnam Excellence Process is a region wide vision and role model. The Chamber and associated leaders continue to be prime facilitators of the process.

Putnam County will be a community that is proud of its past, but focused creating its future. It will be a community proactive with continuous improvement efforts in all sectors. Through improvement in education and lifelong learning, Putnam County will be characterized by a healthy economic atmosphere, a productivity-focused work force, and an outstanding quality of life. Pockets of economic despair will not be acceptable in our community.

Our community will encourage positive lifestyles and will see that the quality of health care meets our citizens' needs at an affordable cost. Environment concerns will be pursued in a rational manner. Town meetings, and other like processes, will ensure that communication throughout our community is a constant source of information. Putnam County will be a visible expression of self-fulfillment and a community that turns dreams into reality and reality into dreams.

The other municipalities are Algood(population 2,911), Baxter(population 1,434), and Monterey(population 2,872). Putnam County government is administered by an elected county executive. A 24-member commission makes up the legislative body. The City of Cookeville and the City of Algood operate under the council-manager form of municipal government. The City of Baxter and the City of Monterey operate under the mayor-council form of government.

Cookeville, incorporated in 1854, is the county seat of Putnam County and located 79 miles east of Nashville and 101 miles west of Knoxville at the intersection of Interstate 40. Putnam County encompasses some 408 square miles while Cookeville's land area is 20.4 square miles.

Average annual temperature, 57 degrees F. Monthly average high, January 52.9 degrees F. and July 88 degrees F. Monthly average low, January 67.2 degrees F. Prevailing wind, SE. Mean length of freeze free period, 211 days, Average relative humidity: 12:00 Midnight - 79%; 6 am - 85%; 12 Noon - 48%; 6 PM - 62%. Altitude 1,140 feet above sea level.

A wide variety of recreation and cultural opportunities are provided for residents of Putnam County and the Upper Cumberland Region by local governments, the state park system, civic clubs and community organizations. The City of Cookeville's Leisure Services Department, Putnam Parks and Recreation Department, and the YMCA work together to provide a comprehensive recreational program.

Bryan Symphony Orchestra, in operation since 1963, present six concerts each year in the Wattenbarger Auditorium of the Bryan Fine Arts Center at Tennessee Tech. Burgess Falls State Natural Area offers a scenic riverside trial that leads to a thundering 130 food waterfall. Picnicking and hiking. Cane Creek Lake and Park, a 260 acre park with a 56 acre lake, owned by the City of Cookeville. City Lake Natural Area, a 40 acre natural park bordering Old City Cave.

Hidden Hollow, a manmade wonderland, highlighted by natural waterfalls, lake, canal and covered bridges. Picnicking, fishing, swimming and hiking. Upper Cumberland Sporting Clays, Tennessee's first National Sporting Clays Association range. Wilson's Wildlife North American Wildlife Museum, take a walk in the wild and see wildlife as still life in its natural habitat.

In 1988, USA Today named Cookeville, Tennessee as "America's Most Affordable City". The recognition was based on a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association. Cookeville continues to remain the Most Affordable City in current surveys. In 1990, G. Scott Thomas listed Cookeville as one of the nation's top micropolitan communities in his book, The Rating Guide to live in America's Small Cities. Topics considered are climate/environment, diversion, economic, education, sophistication, health care, housing, public safety, transportation, urban proximity. In 1985 Cookeville was ranked 9th in the nation by Rand McNally's Places Rated Retirement Guide. The Rand McNally rankings were based on several factors including climate and terrain, housing, money matters, crime, health care and leisure living.

Cookeville Regional Medical Center, a 227-bed, city-owned regional health care facility, is staffed by over 90 doctors. In addition to obstetrics, pediatrics, surgery, diagnostic imaging, intensive and coronary care units, pathology, physical and respiratory therapy facilities, cardiology and neurosurgery clinics, a cardiac cath lab, an emergency room staffed with a physician around the clock, a helipad for the Vanderbilt University Hospital Lifeflight helicopter, state-of-the art equipment, and a policy of never turning anyone away for lack of money. Lifeline, a personal emergency response service, is available for the chronically ill and disabled as well as for those who live alone.

Fire protection within the City of Cookeville is provided by a full-time staff of 46 fire fighters and supervisory personnel. these employees are stationed at one of three stations and are professionally trained and state certified to operate the department's seven pumpers, ladder truck and auxiliary equipment. The department has a Class IV ISO insurance rating. A county-wide volunteer fire department serves the rural areas of the county which are outside the corporate boundaries.

The Cookeville Police Department has 77 employees including 57 state commissioned officers. Two canine units and a tactical squad are included in the force. County Wide emergency medical services are provided by Putnam County's professional staff of 27 paramedics, 21 EMTs., and 8 dispatchers who are licensed and certified by the state to operate the 7 ACLS. The county's emergency medical services unit is one of only 23 services in the state to hold an "A" rating by the State of Tennessee's Department of Public Health.

The formation of the Tennessee Highlands Resource Association, a public/private partnership, was created to market this region as an ideal location for business and industry. In the spirit of enthusiastic cooperation and with the Tennessee Highlands Resource Association acting as a catalyst, the region's Chamber of Commerce, government agencies - state, city, and county - industrial boards, travel councils, civic organizations, existing business and industry and other organization seek to depict to others what we already know and appreciate - the 4th State of Tennessee is a great region in which to live, work, and play.

The current labor force includes an immediate labor force of over 32,000 and over 130,000 in Putnam and the 14-county Upper Cumberland Region. Residents of the counties in the Upper Cumberland Region (population 260,000) routinely seek employment in Putnam County. Only 20% of the Upper Cumberland Region's population lives in Putnam Couinty, however, over 28% of the Region's work force is employed in Putnam County. Over 100 manufacturing facilities are located in Putnam County. Approximately 34% of the county's work force is employed in the manufacturing sector. Less than 10% of those employed are represented by unions.

A recent survey of local manufacturers in Putnam County revealed the positive labor/management relations in the community. The Putnam County Retention and Expansion Study showed that 72% of the CEOs and Plant Managers surveyed felt that labor-management relations were very good.

Cookeville/Putnam County is the regional retail center for a 10 county area. Gross retail sales for the 10 county area is 1996 totaled over $1 billion 797 million. Of this amount, Putnam County retail sales for 1996 were $736 million. This translates into over 208,000 consumers located in Cookeville's primary trade are with an effective buying power of over $2.5 billion.

Cookeville/ Putnam County is the logical location for your next meeting for a number of reasons, including our central location, low costs, climate, meeting sites, and our warm hospitality, our central location and easy access by ground and air offer a wide range of cost effective travcel options. One of the reasons we're the place to meet is that we have the places to meet. Area hotels and motels offer over 900 rooms. Meeting rooms, display areas, and show facilities and services are ample. More than 75 restaurants from fine dining to fast foods, international cuisine to country fare, there are dining options to suit every need, budget, and taste.