The Current

Family photographs hang from every wall of Ann Darnall’s Hardin, Kentucky, home. Children’s toys are neatly tucked away in the corner, waiting for her two great-grandsons to visit and scatter them on the floor. “I have been called Boda since my grandson was born,” recalls Darnall. “When he was little, he’d call me Boda. We […]

It had all the makings of a school pep rally gearing up to cheer their team to victory. A DJ blasted music through speakers while taking to the mic to excite the crowd of teachers, students and city leaders in the school parking lot. The music occasionally faded to let the elementary and high school […]

Jessica Malone’s kitchen is one of a kind. Her off-white, hand-painted cabinets turned into a literal “hands-on” paint project. “I would let them [my sons] paint on the linoleum floor to use it as a canvas,” recalls Malone. “When they were done, I would mop it up. Then, Dalton, my youngest, wanted to make the […]

Sally Scales does not shy away from hard work. She maintains nearly straight A’s while juggling several after-school activities. Her drive is not surprising since her motto is, “Be all in or get out. There is no in-between.” As she starts her freshman year at Sheffield High School, she is starting to think about her […]

Jerry Perry lives in what appears to be an unassuming house across the street from a park in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, until he proudly shows off the addition he created when he moved in decades ago – a small hair salon, complete with a vintage hair dryer chair and salon bowl. “I lived and worked in […]

This blog was updated on August 9, 2023 to reflect the program’s new name: Small Business Uplift. In collaboration with local power companies and community partners, Small Business Uplift (formerly known as Community Centered Growth) from TVA EnergyRight® helps business owners with free energy-related upgrades and resources. The Industrial Age in America put downtowns on […]

This blog was updated on August 9, 2023 to reflect the program’s new name: Small Business Uplift. In collaboration with local power companies and community partners, Small Business Uplift (formerly known as Community Centered Growth) from TVA EnergyRight® helps business owners with free energy-related upgrades and resources. It’s hard to tell if the delicious smells […]

Just over 450 students and teachers pour into the Pickett County K-8 gym for an all-school assembly. Their voices echo off the concrete walls. Many don’t notice the large overhead gym lights, except for a few students – and principal Julia Barber has always been concerned for them. “The old lights in the gym, the […]

This blog was updated on August 9, 2023 to reflect the program’s new name: Small Business Uplift. In collaboration with local power companies and community partners, Small Business Uplift (formerly known as Community Centered Growth) from TVA EnergyRight® helps business owners with free energy-related upgrades and resources. Standing in a line 20 people long for […]

Brian Turner is up before the sun rises over the Sequatchie Valley in Middle Tennessee. His family is still sleeping as he drives through the thick morning fog to his father-in-law’s farm to help corral about 40 cattle for a morning weigh-in. He also sets out the feed and cuts some additional hay.  “Nothing you […]

James Pardue is a little frustrated with the black car parked in front of his Antioch home. He purchased the used vehicle weeks ago to fix and resell, but he can’t get the car engine to turn over. Resigned to worry about it another day, he heads inside his home. His steps are deliberate and […]