Another Light Turnout for Early Voting

More people voted early for the August 5th elections than for the May 4th DeKalb County Democratic Primary, but not by much.

The election commission reports that a total of 1,389 persons took advantage of early voting from July 16th through July 31st in DeKalb County. That compares to 1,149 who cast ballots during the two week period of early voting leading up to the May 4th DeKalb County Democratic Primary.

According to Dennis Stanley, administrator of elections, 528 people voted in the Tennessee Republican Primary and 733 in the Tennessee Democratic Primary. A vast majority of those people also voted in the DeKalb County General Election, but 85 voted only in the general election, opting not to cast ballots in either state primary. Twelve people voted early in the uncontested Dowelltown Municipal Election.

Here's how the vote breaks down by districts in the county:
First district: 138
Second district: 162
Third district: 280
Fourth district: 253
Fifth district: 203

First Day of School Education Celebration Set for Monday Evening

The Fifth Annual First Day of School Education Celebration for DeKalb County will be held on Monday, August 2nd from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. downtown around the courthouse square.

Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction for Pre-Kindergarten to 6th Grade, says the event is free and all parents and students are urged to attend to help kick off the new school year. "Our goal is to provide an evening of activities, education, and enjoyment for the residents of DeKalb County. We will be having information booths, passing out school supplies, refreshments, and various activities for the students to participate in while promoting education."

"This will also provide a time for our teachers and parents to come together to build a foundation for new and positive relationships, right from day one."