NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Perry County Continues Economic Turn Around

Perry County Continues Economic Turn Around

By Jeff Tang 

LINDEN, Tenn. - A few months ago, hundreds of factory jobs left Perry County, and the unemployment rate skyrocketed. Stimulus funding and the imagination of youth helped to reinvent the community. 

When Cheyenne Thornton and her colleagues started cleaning up downtown Linden this summer they started with the basics. They placed custom tile and glass waste receptacles on almost every block. 

Back in May, fixing up the town was the last thing on the minds of those in Perry County, which had one of highest unemployment rates in the country at 24.6 percent. Thornton watched her mother lose two jobs. 

This summer, the state gave Perry County stimulus money to revitalize the community. Some of the money helped create Vision Perry, a program that gave Thornton and 65 others summer youth jobs that reinvented their town. 

They put up murals, artwork and even a garden to beautify downtown Linden. While the look of this place is fast improving, county leaders are working to make sure the economy will do the same. 

"A lot of energy has been created, a lot more tourists are coming through here,” said Vision Perry director Michael Dumont, who also owns the Commodore Hotel in Linden. 

While the permanent jobs are not back yet, leaders said there are signs of growth. 

Dumont said sales tax revenue is up dramatically compared to where it was even two years ago before the recession. 

"We still have a long way to go, but it’s a start. It’s always good to feel like you have a pulse," said Dumont. 

Unemployment in Perry County has decreased nearly 8 percent over recent months to 17 percent.

Officials are preparing a holiday shopping kickoff event this Saturday, which will feature local businesses and artwork. 

email: jtang@newschannel5.com