🌱 Want practical self-defense training at Cane Creek Rec Center next month?
Cookeville, Tennessee Patch AM: a 5 min readHello Cookeville! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☀️
Are you a business owner struggling to get seen by local customers in Cookeville? Patch’s new listings builder can help you target local audiences on Patch, with a listing that’s also optimized for Google and ChatGPT. It takes less than 2 minutes. Try it here.
In today's newsletter:
- Want practical self-defense training at Cane Creek Rec Center next month?
- Why a high-profile Putnam jail death lawsuit is being dismissed
- Cookeville researchers push AI to expose hidden flaws in smart devices
Today's riddle: What is the astronaut’s favorite meal? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Tuesday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 82 and low of 68 degrees.
- Wednesday: Cloudy, a thunderstorm; humid, temps: high: 87, low: 69. 🌶 Hot!
- Thursday: Humid with a thunderstorm, with a high of 88 and low of 69 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Self-Defense Workshop on Aug 8, 2026 (businessdailynetwork.com) — A $20 self-defense workshop is coming to Cane Creek Rec Center in Cookeville on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Residents can learn practical safety skills in a friendly, self-paced class taught by an experienced martial artist whose program is affiliated with Tennessee Tech. 
2. Jail death lawsuit to be dismissed (herald-citizen.com) — A federal lawsuit over a 2023 Putnam County Jail inmate death, involving care provided before she was taken to Cookeville Regional Medical Center, is on track to be dismissed by July 25. After nearly two years of litigation and mediation, claims against individual medical staff have already been dropped, with final dismissal filings now pending.
3. VEXAIoT AI Agents Achieve 95% Success in Autonomous IoT Exploitation (cyberpress.org) — Researchers at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville have built a new AI-driven framework, VEXAIoT, that can automatically find and exploit security flaws in IoT devices with about 95% success in lab tests. By pairing a planning agent with an execution agent, the system shows how large language models could streamline penetration testing, though the authors stress the need for strong safety checks before real-world use.
4. UT County Technical Assistance Service (tennessee.edu) — Tennessee’s 2026 New Sheriffs’ School will bring its second training week to the Putnam County Convention Center on Event Center Drive in Cookeville from Sept. 7–11. While aimed at newly elected sheriffs statewide, it will draw law enforcement leaders and activity into Cookeville, with local lodging details to come.
📸 Around Cookeville
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Cookeville
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
-
Coffee with the Candidates 2026: Algood
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Algood City Hall 215 W Main Street Algood, TN 38506
8:00 am -
Tennessee Basketry Association 2026 Convention
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Leslie Town Centre 1 W First Street, Cookeville, TN 38501
2:00 pm -
Groundbreaking: McDonald's on South Willow
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce 1124 S. Willow Avenue Cookeville, TN 38501
10:00 am -
Third Thursday in the Park Concerts
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Dogwood Performance Pavilion 43 N Walnut Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501
7:30 pm -
Third Thursdays Concert
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Dogwood Performance Pavilion 43 N Walnut Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501
7:30 pm -
Ribbon Cutting: Glammy's Cheesecakes
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce 565 S Jefferson Ave, Suite C Cookeville TN 38501
10:00 am -
Leisure Services Athletics Basketball Camp →
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Cane Creek Gymnasium 180 CC Camp Rd, Cookeville, TN 38501
8:00 am -
Big Band Sound Orchestra
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Dogwood Performance Pavilion 43 N Walnut Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501
7:30 pm
Wednesday July 15
Thursday July 16
Friday July 17
Monday July 20
📣 Cookeville Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
-
Canva Creative: Design, Video & AI Tools
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Leslie Town Centre 1 W 1st St, Cookeville, TN
10:00 am -
Coffee with the Candidates 2026: Algood
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Algood City Hall 215 W Main Street Algood, TN 38506
8:00 am -
Tennessee Basketry Association 2026 Convention
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Leslie Town Centre 1 W First Street, Cookeville, TN 38501
2:00 pm -
Groundbreaking: McDonald's on South Willow
Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce 1124 S. Willow Avenue Cookeville, TN 38501
10:00 am
Tuesday July 14
Wednesday July 15
Thursday July 16
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Cookeville PatchAM possible:
- Pilgrim Baptist Church — (931) 219-2224
Preaching verse by verse — join us this Sunday at 11 AM.
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Hi all, please be on the lookout for a black and white Silkie chicken who may have gotten lost in the woods by my house yesterday.
She may be in the area of Jeremiah Road and Old Highway 42. Thanks! (Nextdoor Old Highway 42) - Downsizing our 80+ chickens and we have two different free range flock going on.
We have our new 3 to 4 month old and we have our established layers. We have 10 roosters at this point and are looking to downsize. Message me for… (Nextdoor South Baxter Near I-40)
- Healthcare Services Group posted a job opening for Housekeeper in Cookeville. Apply here.
- Food Lion posted a job opening for FT Manager Customer Service (H) in Cookeville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cookeville here.
Ok Cookeville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Launch (Thank you Lee S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
👉 Help make Patch AM better
- Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
- Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
- List items for sale or services offered
We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.