Regarding safety at the fair

Ava Bouton and Marsh Wilkerson, Staff Writers

The fair comes around to Cookeville every August, the perfect distraction for when school starts to catch up with friends or have fun with family. However, the people of Cookeville, Tennessee have been wondering if the fair is safe, considering a recent event.

On Aug. 7, 2023, the Putnam County Sheriff’s office received a report about a video of 31-year-old Levi Flatt discussing homemade bombs.

Flatt was captured on video stating, "Hey ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), let me know if this [is] legal. A pound of Tannerite, a pipe bomb, and a wine bottle full of diesel."

Putnam County’s Investigation Division was quick to react to this potential threat; tracking him down instantly. The threat was quickly stopped when Flatt was caught driving towards the Putnam County Fair with a propane tank previously bought at the local Walmart and other weapons in his vehicle. Deputies were able to arrest him on Jefferson Avenue as he was en route to the Fairgrounds.

In Flatt’s van, deputies found three pipe bombs, two Molotov cocktails, a handgun with 160 rounds of ammunition, a flak jacket, and a shield and knife located on his lower back.

The Putnam County Fair is relatively simple to get into without paying. Generally, fairs have a history of the wrong people slipping in and causing unforeseeable events. It would console the minds of the people of Cookeville if there were a stricter entry and increased law enforcement on the ground for all fairs to avoid the possibility of such things again.