Putnam County DART - Disaster Animal Response Team

05/31/2026

05/22/2026

355 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
..A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN OVERTON...
SOUTHEASTERN DE KALB...SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON...WESTERN WHITE AND
CENTRAL PUTNAM COUNTIES THROUGH 430 PM CDT...

At 354 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles west of Sparta, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Cookeville, Sparta, Algood, Baxter, Doyle, Hamptons Crossroads,
Bakers Crossroads, Burgess Falls State Park, Rickman, and Cummins
Falls State Park.

This includes Interstate 40 between mile markers 279 and 297.

05/22/2026

⚠️ Bear Sighting Reported in the Area of 10th Street & Washington Avenue ⚠️

The Cookeville Police Department would like to make the public aware that a bear was spotted this morning in the area of 10th Street and Washington Avenue.

Please use caution if you are in the area and keep the following safety tips in mind:

• Do not approach or attempt to feed the bear
• Keep pets on a leash and supervise them outdoors
• Secure trash, pet food, and other outdoor food sources
• If you see the bear, give it plenty of space and move indoors if possible
• Report any aggressive behavior or emergency situations to 911

Wildlife sightings can occur as bears travel through the area, and in many cases they move on without incident if left alone.

05/21/2026

Daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms will continue into early next week with rain amounts generally ranging from 2 to 4 inches. While ponding in low-lying areas is possible, widespread flooding is not expected.

05/19/2026

There is a level 1 out of 5 risk for severe storms in northwest Middle Tennessee late this afternoon and evening. This means isolated wind gusts and large hail are possible with some weakening storms that will be moving in from the northwest. The tornado threat is extremely low.

05/10/2026

04/27/2026

⚠️ Important Notice from the City of Cookeville ⚠️

The City of Cookeville has a citywide phone system upgrade scheduled for the overnight hours tonight. Due to the additional possibility of thunderstorms overnight, there may be signal disruptions to our dispatch center.

If you are unable to reach the Police Department during an emergency, please call (931) 646-4357.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete these important upgrades.

04/27/2026

04/27/2026

🦅⚠️ Update: Search Continues for Missing Eagles ⚠️🦅

News Source: WVLT

An update from American Eagle Foundation regarding the three bald eagles that escaped following storm damage at Dollywood’s Eagle Mountain Sanctuary.

After the storm on April 19 damaged the aviary, 26 eagles were safely relocated to the foundation’s headquarters in Kodak—but three eagles are still missing:
👉 Wesley
👉 Caesar
👉 Rockland

Search teams are actively working to locate them, and officials say your help is still very important.

⸻

👀 If You Spot an Eagle:

• Look for a leg band (orange or black)
• Keep your distance — do NOT approach or feed the bird
• If possible, note the location or take a photo safely

⸻

📞 How To Report:

• Call: 865-429-0157
• Or report through the American Eagle Foundation website

⚠️ Please do NOT call 911 for sightings

⸻

Foundation CEO Lori Moore shared appreciation for the community’s help so far and emphasized that these are still flighted birds, so sightings can happen across the region.

Let’s continue to help bring these eagles home safely 🦅

👇 Keep your eyes on the skies and share this so others know what to look for!

02/10/2026

Assistant Chief Jason Bohannon
Start Date 2006
Certs. Extrication instructor, EVOC instructor, Structural Collapse, Farm Rescue, Adv. extrication ,EMR