Good morning, Cookeville.

The first Monday after July Fourth has arrived. The coolers can go back in the closet, the Community Band takes over Dogwood Park tonight, and ordinary errands around South Cookeville now need a little more route planning. This three-day Scoop has the two work zones worth knowing, Tuesday's voter-registration deadline, and a handful of inexpensive ways to get out of the house.

Tuesday, July 7, is the last day to register for the August 6 federal and state primary and Putnam County general election. The official election schedule says you can register in person, online, or by mail postmarked July 7. Early voting runs July 17 through August 1.

The Putnam County Election Commission meets Wednesday, July 8, at 8:30 AM at 705 County Services Drive. The published agenda includes approving election workers, appointing nursing-home deputies, setting November voting hours, and examining voting machines.

MakerFest returns to the old Putnam County Fairgrounds July 18-19. Organizers are taking vendor applications, motor-show registrations, repair-clinic submissions, and volunteer interest now. Kids' Hot Wheels racing is free, while adult races accept donations.

Gene's Place at 4 W Spring Street lists Tuesday hours of 11 AM-9 PM. Its first-party ordering page has a 14-inch Tuesday Special for $16. That is all the listing promises, so check the available build before placing the order.

Two separate projects begin changing traffic around Jefferson Avenue today, and their timelines are easy to mix up.

The longer project is on Interstate Drive. The city is adding a new eastbound right-turn lane at Jefferson Avenue, which means the existing eastbound turn lane will be closed for about four to five months. At the same time, crews are repairing the sinking stretch between Starbucks and SmartBank. That work is expected to take roughly four weeks, with the closure pattern shifting every four or five days.

For the first several weeks, the city expects Interstate Drive to carry one lane in each direction. Those restrictions stay in place day and night. In other words, the route that worked on Monday may look a little different by the weekend.

The shorter project is on Jefferson Avenue itself. Starting at 7 PM tonight, TDOT is scheduled to close the northbound right lane between E Stevens Street and Spring Street through Saturday, July 11. The work then moves to the southbound right lane between Spring and E Stevens from Sunday evening, July 12, through July 18.

The city says to expect delays and notes that the Jefferson schedule depends on weather. There is no official detour in either notice, so the useful move is simple: leave a few minutes early and pay attention as the Interstate Drive work zone shifts.

Read the city's Interstate Drive notice and Jefferson Avenue notice for the project details.

No experience is required for the $5 session at Cane Creek Recreation Center, 180 C C Camp Road. Class details

Bring a chair to Dogwood Performance Pavilion, 43 N Walnut Avenue, for a free summer concert. Concert schedule

Bowling World lists $1.25 games for seniors during its Tuesday morning and early-afternoon window. Ask the center about any shoe cost.

The workout meets at Cane Creek Recreation Center and costs $3. Event details

The four-week session at Cane Creek Recreation Center costs $32. Event details

July Fourth gets the attention, but the document kept moving. The National Park Service records July 6, 1776, as the Declaration of Independence's first newspaper appearance and July 8 as its first public reading in Philadelphia.

Exactly 250 years later, Cookeville has a local place to keep reading. The free Becoming America: Voices of 1776 exhibit is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 AM-4 PM at the Cookeville History Museum, 40 E Broad Street. Its artifacts, interactive displays, and six historical perspectives put more voices around a story often reduced to one date.

Know someone who drives Interstate Drive or Jefferson Avenue every day? Forward this issue before their next trip. And if you find a practical, official update as the work shifts, reply with the source so I can pass it along.

Thanks for starting the short week with the Scoop. Take the extra minute, choose the patient lane, and enjoy the music tonight.

-- Travis