Before the fireworks light up the sky Tuesday, the sounds of great music will fill the air throughout Cookeville’s Red White And Boom Celebration. Enjoy a free performance as part of the Lite Rock 95.9 concert series.

Saturday at 5:00pm

Peraphin In Concert

Kickoff your Saturday afternoon of great music with

Saturday at 6:30pm

Smoky Mountain Bandits In Concert

It’s some home-fried southern rock. It’s the Smoky Mountain Bandits from Murfreesboro performing live. Slideman Ross calls the Marshall Tucker Band a big influence on his music and you will hear that on stage.

Saturday at 8:00pm

Familiar Faces In Concert

If you love the music of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, you will love Familiar Faces. With twirling horns, tight lead and background vocals and a driving rhythm section, Familiar Faces Band has become one of the busiest live bands in the Southeast.

Sunday at 7:30pm

Ballinger Family Band In Concert

Old time fiddle tunes to gypsy swing to contemporary ballads…the Upper Cumberland’s own Ballinger Family Band performs it all. Kris, Dale and their son Ethan will help you enjoy the Fourth Of July weekend with great homegrown music.

Monday at 7:30pm

Cookeville Community Band

Get in the patriotic spirit with the Cookeville Community Band. “The Sound of the Cumberland,” was formed in 2002 by the late Wayne Pegram. It consists of public school band directors, college professors, college and high school students and local musicians, both active and retired, who love to play the great wind band music.

Start the July 4^th Celebration with the best dressed, most creative kids in the Upper Cumberland. It’s the annual Kids Bicycle and Wagon Parade July 4^th morning at the Putnam County Courthouse downtown Cookeville.

Your kids can win prizes for their creativity and American spirit. Kids will compete in three age groups, 4 and younger, 5 to 8, and 9 to 13. Dress up yourself, your bike and/or your wagon to win prizes in five categories:

• Best Use Of The Flag – Incorporate old glory in your decorating theme.
• Best Tennessee Or Putnam County Inspiration – Think about our local history and how you can share that message with your art.
• Most Presidential – Whether it’s Lincoln’s hat or Mr. Trump’s hair, showcase your presidential look.
• Best Historical Character – Who in our history inspires you? Showcase that man or woman.
• Most Creative – Most importantly, showcase your creativity and flair and celebrate America.

The parade begins at 10am and will make its way around the courthouse square. Arrive by 9:30am.

Then at 10:30am, Putnam County officially celebrates the 4^th of July with a special ceremony featuring music and local heroes. After the ceremony, take some time to tour the Putnam County Courthouse as the county celebrates its 175^th birthday. See amazing artifacts and displays and all the history of the courthouse itself.

It’s July 4^th morning in downtown Cookeville.

Nothing says 4th of July like watermelon! Get ready to get your fill in this year’s Watermelon Eating Contest at the fairgrounds.  Each contestant will be given a half a watermelon and the first one to get down to the rind will be declared the champion!  The winner will be awarded a $40 gift card, and 2nd place will receive a $20 gift card. Do you think you have what it takes to beat out the competition? Signups begin at 4pm July 4th, and the contest will begin at 4:45. There will be three divisions 6-10, 11-16, and 17 and older. This is a free event, but it is limited to the first 25 entries per category.

The best place to view the state’s second biggest fireworks show? The Putnam County Fairgrounds. So get to the Fairgrounds Tuesday afternoon, reserve your spot, and enjoy some Fourth of July fun during Pre Boom 2017..

It all begins on the 4th at 5:30pm as the local legends…Legacy and special guests take to the stage! Enjoy inflatables, games, snow cones, cotton candy, burgers, fried oreos and more.

Bring a picnic, your lawn chairs, and sit in the parking lot with your neighbors and friends as 8:45pm approaches – and a huge fireworks show lights up the sky. Be sure to tune to 95.9, 100.9, 106.9 or 93.7 for the fireworks music to enjoy the show.

Parking is free. Avoid the crowds!

Putnam County Government welcomes you to Pre Boom 2017 at the Putnam County Fairgrounds, July 4th beginning at 5:30pm. It’s all a part of Cookeville’s Red White and Boom.

In your school career…you likely learned the multiplication tables. You learned how to multiply fractions. You were taught how to create a percentage. Likely, you did not understand what it really meant, but you had a formula or steps or just memorized the way.

STEM Education focuses on the WHY more than the how. We go inside STEM education with Holly Anthony, a professor in the Math Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Tennessee Tech.

Today In The Upper Cumberland airs each weekend as a way to introduce you to interesting people and subjects of interest to our community. Catch the show each Saturday morning at 6 on Lite Rock 95.9, Rock 93-7, and 106-9 Kicks Country.

Sunday morning, the show airs at 7am on Rock 93-7. Catch the show Sunday night at 6pm on Lite Rock 95.9 and at 7pm on 106-9 Kicks Country. You can also catch Today in The Upper Cumberland Sunday mornings at 7am and Sundays at Noon on News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.

Recent Cookeville High School graduate Tess Simpson has been awarded the Bill Penn Broadcast Scholarship.

The award was presented Thursday, June 1st during a ceremony at Del Monaco Winery.

Simpson will receive $1,000 toward her secondary education from the team members at Stonecom Radio, Rock 93-7, Lite Rock 95.9, 106-9 Kicks Country, and News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.

The award honors the long broadcast career of Bill Penn, who served Cookeville and Putnam County through his radio work for more than 35 years. It is open to students interested in studying broadcasting, journalism, public relations, marketing, graphic design, or related fields. Penn most recently served as traffic director/business manager for the stations of Stonecom.

Simpson is interested journalism. She plans to enroll in Tennessee Tech in the fall with a major in English and a minor in education. Simpson said this scholarship will help her build a foundation.

“Expanding my education, I’ve always been very fond of learning and it’s quite amazing to be a first generation college student,” Simpson told Lite Rock’s Sheila Scruggs..

Simpson becomes the third winner of the scholarship, which will be presented each spring.

Penn began his broadcast career in 1974 in Vevay, Indiana. He worked in radio in east Tennessee including stops at Knoxville’s WNOX. Penn arrived in Cookeville in 1981 working for owners including Dwight Henry and Joe Wilmoth.

Rising seniors at any of the Upper Cumberland high schools interested in applying for the scholarship may apply at StonecomRadio.Com.

Stonecom owns and operates Lite Rock 95.9, 106-9 Kicks Country, Rock 93-7, and News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.

With state government approval in place, work will begin soon to expand the broadband blueprint across the Volunteer State. It’s an effort that has taken the hard work of numerous groups and state leaders to make happen.

One of those groups….the Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee. The network fights for access in all areas for all citizens of the region. Jacquelyn Bragg talks about the network’s work and how broadband can assist in the economic success of the region.

Today In The Upper Cumberland airs each weekend as a way to introduce you to interesting people and subjects of interest to our community. Catch the show each Saturday morning at 6 on Lite Rock 95.9, Rock 93-7, and 106-9 Kicks Country.

Sunday morning, the show airs at 7am on Rock 93-7. Catch the show Sunday night at 6pm on Lite Rock 95.9 and at 7pm on 106-9 Kicks Country. You can also catch Today in The Upper Cumberland Sunday mornings at 7am and Sundays at Noon on News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.

Jacob Summers, a recent graduate of Smith County High School, received the Tennessee Credit Union/ Lite Rock 95.9/ 106-9 Kicks Country Dream Big Scholarship Thursday Night.

This $1,500 scholarship awarded during the June 1st ceremony at Del Monaco Winery goes toward the recipients’ secondary education. Also recognized at the Thursday ceremony were the 11 other Dream Big Scholars for their academic success and work in the community.

The Dream Big award honors outstanding work in the classroom, leadership in school groups and organizations, achievement in extra curricular activities as well as work in the community. One student from an Upper Cumberland high school wins the award each month. The scholarship is chosen by a panel to decide which student best embodies these qualities.

Summers intends to enroll to the University of Tennessee in the fall with a major in Biology.

“My brother passed away of a heart defect and I hope to keep people like him alive,” Summers told Lite Rock’s Sheila Scruggs in an interview after the award.

Summer’s academic success in high school led him to intern for the Aspirnaut program at Vanderbilt in 2016, introducing him to research for his upcoming field of study.

“You have no idea how much this means to me.” Summers said.

In addition to Summers, Sarah Graham of Cookeville High School and Dylan Parrott of Pickett County High School each received a $500 scholarship to further their education.

This is the fourth year for the Dream Big Scholar Program.

The Tennessee Credit Union has offices in middle and east Tennessee, including 1281 South Walnut Avenue in Cookeville. For 65 years, The Tennessee Credit Union has been helping members achieve their financial goals with products and services designed to exceed their expectations.

Stonecom owns and operates Lite Rock 95.9, 106-9 Kicks Country, Rock 93-7, and Cookeville’s News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.

Listen to  Sheila Scruggs’ interview with the recipients:

We’re sitting here looking at the mugshot of a woman who people are calling the most attractive criminal in England. And . . . I don’t know, man. I mean, she’s good looking, but number one? Tony thinks he has seen better in Cuffed.

18-year-old Katie Curtis from Hertfordshire, England was supposed to be in court last month for a drug possession charge . . . but she skipped her court date.

So her mugshot was published . . . and people jumped on it.

One newspaper said the, quote, “tanned brunette [with] a pouty look” is getting a ton of attention. So good for her, I guess.

Jack Phillips won the Golden Frog Gig on Rate My Redneck with is Coke Butane Rockets for Mothers Day.