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Moore Gets Eight Years and Six Months for Aggravated Sexual Battery of Child

DeKalb Voters Must Put Away Their Cell Phones While in the Polling Place

Rawlin Vanatta, owner/operator of the White Possom Grille in Smithville, talked about jobs in the culinary arts during Career Day at DeKalb West School

DCHS Class of 2013 Scholarship Recipients at Awards Day

Singer/Songwriter Sam Mullins talked to 6th-8th grade students at DeKalb West School about careers in music at the annual Career Day, coordinated by School Counselor Bill Conger.

Junior DCHS Golfer Mallory Sullivan signs with Cumberland University to play golf after she graduates. Members of her family joined Mallory at the signing Thursday along with DCHS Coach Joe Pat Cope

School Board Votes 4-1 to make cuts in Tentative Budget for 2013-14. (OLDER PHOTO) (READ STORY UNDER LOCAL NEWS)

State Lawmakers Honor DCHS Valedictorian and Salutatorian

DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps, Valedictorian Taylor Leach, Salutatorian P.J. Carroll, State Rep Mark Pody, State Sen. Mae Beavers, State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, and Director of Schools Mark Willoughby

Smithville Crime Stoppers Board meets with D.A. Randy York: Officer Matt Farmer, Shawn Jacobs, Randy York, Gayla Hendrix, John Daniels, Karen Caplinger, Mayor Jimmy Poss, and Phillip (Fluty) Cantrell

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Key Women Educators welcome new members Mandy Dakas and Kathy Bryant into the Beta Theta Chapter. Pictured with long-time members, Louise Frazier and Jenelle Pugh.

Sheriff Patrick Ray, detectives, deputies, and TBI agent Billy Miller examine Chevy Blazer pulled from the lake where Putnam County woman died after the vehicle ran into the water. (See Videos)

Chevy Blazer Pulled from Center Hill Lake at Johnson Chapel Boat Ramp. Putnam County woman died after the vehicle submerged in the water. Two others escaped unharmed (See videos)

Woman Dies After Chevy Blazer Runs off Boat Ramp and Submerges in Lake (SEE VIDEOS UNDER LOCAL NEWS)

Retiring teachers from Smithville Elementary left to right and their years of service. Ms. Jan Thomas- 35 years, Mrs. Sue Driver- 39 years, Mrs. Mary Pugh- 30 years

Cancer Survivors at Relay for Life

Presentation of the Colors by Boy Scout Troop #347 at Relay for Life

Crowd enjoys David Turner and Friends at Relay for Life

David Turner and Friends entertain at Relay for Life

Cookeville Children's Theater performs "Seussical" at both DMS and SES

On Friday, May 10, the Cookeville Children's Theater performed "Seussical" at both DMS and Smithville Elementary School. Picture by Lisa Craig

Chamber presents Community Improvement Award to New Life Connection Center for their complete interior and exterior remodel to the former Roses retail store

A Degree Above

New State Veterans Cemetery Proposed in the Upper Cumberland Region

May 9, 2013

Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder announced the initiative to establish a new State Veterans Cemetery in the Upper Cumberland region. TDVA has submitted a pre-application grant to the National Cemetery Administration for federal funding of the architectural design, engineer support and construction costs. However, funding for land acquisition must be raised through donations as well as city, county and state funding.

The cemetery would be located in the Upper Cumberland Region to serve Veterans and their eligible dependents in Clay, Cumberland, Dekalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren and White counties

TDVA Assistant Commissioner Don Smith hosted a community meeting on Thursday, April 25 to form a steering committee to proceed with the land acquisition process. Volunteers for the community member committee were finalized on Wednesday, May 1. Two community members from 12 counties have volunteered to participate in the Upper Cumberland State Veterans Cemetery Steering Committee. Clay and Dekalb Counties will not participate in the committee efforts. The Upper Cumberland State Veterans Cemetery Steering Committee will review available properties in the region and narrow the list to three recommendations which will be submitted to the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs for consideration.

Chairman Jim Amerson of White County will be a non-voting member. Remaining committee members include Co-Chairman Daven Oppenheim of Fentress County, Secretary Ron Goode of Overton County as well as committee members Mark Pfaffenroth and Bill Ward of Cumberland County, E.J. Hancock and Keith Kennedy of Fentress County, Everette Vanhooser and Dale Smith of Jackson County, Mike Scott and Pat McJury of Macon County, John Alcorn of Overton County, Glenn Williams and Brian Raef of Pickett County, Frank Favia and Jim Loftis of Putnam County, Bob Baker and Scott Penfield of Smith County, Dan Belcher and William “Buddy” Hughes of Trousdale County, Vern Curry and Les Conway of Van Buren County, Angie Higgins of Warren County as well as George Schneider and Ralph Griffith of White County.

“Veterans and family members in the Upper Cumberland region currently have to drive to State Veterans Cemeteries in Nashville or Knoxville for services,” Grinder said. “It is our goal to establish a new State Veterans Cemetery within 75 miles from the Veterans and dependents we serve in the Upper Cumberland region.”

The next full steering committee meeting will be held on Friday, May 17 at the White County Courthouse, Second Floor, 1 East Brockman Way in Sparta at 10 a.m. (CDT).

For more information about the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs and existing State Veterans Cemeteries, visit the department’s website at www.tn.gov/veteran, facebook.com/myTDVA or stay up to date by following the department on twitter @TNDVA.

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National Association of Letter Carriers To Conduct Annual Food Drive Saturday

May 8, 2013

by:

Dwayne Page

The National Association of Letter Carriers will hold its 21st annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 11
Non-perishable food donations will be collected by U.S. Postal Service mail carriers on their routes that day.

Shopping bags will be in the mail this week along with information about the drive. Contributors are asked to fill the shopping bags with non-perishable items and place them near their mailboxes for collection on Saturday.

You may also drop off your food donation directly at the former location of MeMa's Restaurant at 430 East Broad Street Smithville which serves as the collection center for the Second Harvest Food Pantry, sponsored by the First United Methodist Church. All goods collected in DeKalb County will be distributed locally.

The association's food drive is held annually on the second Saturday in May and contributions are made from all across the U.S.

Since its inception in 1992, letter carriers have collected 1.2 billion pounds of food, according to the organization's website.

The issue of hunger is a growing concern. Fifty million people nationwide are directly affected, including 17 million children and 9 million senior citizens. The drive's timing coincides with the summer months, when many children do not have alternatives to their school's meal program.

More information about the food drive can be found at www.nalc.org.

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