DCHS Graduation: Director of Schools Mark Willoughby; Guest Speaker Randall Hutto, Wilson County Mayor; and Principal Patrick Cripps
Hunter Collins Receives White Rose Award from DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps at Graduation
MyKaela Duke Receives White Rose Award from DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps
Matt Boss Receives Citizenship Award from DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps at Graduation
Andrea Coleman, Fifth Grade DARE Essay winner at DeKalb West School. Pictured with Sheriff Patrick Ray and Chief Deputy Don Adamson
Karley Knowles, Fifth Grade DARE Essay winner at Northside Elementary School. Pictured with Sheriff Patrick Ray and Chief Deputy Don Adamson
New Sign Erected Outside of County Complex
Erin Cantrell-Pryor received over $212,500 in scholarships at DCHS Thursday, the largest total award presented to any student, including a $186,000 scholarship from Cornell University
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)
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)
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is re-bidding the rehabilitation of the Hurricane Bridge after rejecting the one and only bid received last month.
Jennifer Flynn, Community Relations Officer in the Chattanooga TDOT Office told WJLE Monday that bids for the project were due September 17th, but only one bid was submitted. According to Flynn, Bell & Associates of Brentwood bid $39.5 million dollars and TDOT rejected it for being "over estimates" .TDOT officials have said that the estimate for the project is $12 to $15 million dollars.
TDOT is accepting bids again on the project through October 29th. According to the notice posted on TDOT's website, the contractor has until October 31st, 2013 to complete the project.
Flynn said the project will entail a rehabilitation of the existing bridge. " The rehabilitation project will replace the deck at the bridge. New guardrails will be installed and it will strengthen the steel structure underneath and make the bridge a lot safer and it won't have to be weight posted anymore upon completion of the project."
The rehabilitation of Hurricane Bridge is among the projects to be funded through TDOT's Better Bridge bonding program in the fiscal year 2010-11 state budget, which was approved by the legislature this year.
If you are interested in managing the Municipal Golf Course and Swimming Pool for the City of Smithville, the mayor and aldermen would like for you to submit a written proposal to the city before the next meeting on October 18th.
The aldermen Monday night voted to seek written proposals from interested parties and publish an advertisement in the local newspapers. The mayor and aldermen stress, however, that the city is not looking for bids to lease the golf course and pool at this time, only proposals to manage the operation for the city.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Alderman Aaron Meeks made the suggestion during Monday night's meeting, "I understand there's some folks interested in taking it over (golf course and pool). I don't know who they are or what they're proposing. I don't have any information other than there are people who have contacted who are interested. Would it be feasible, and we are not asking for bids, to ask whomever these folks may be, to give us a written proposal of what they think they would do if they were able to become the manager of the golf course."
Alderman Steve White said he thought Meeks had a good idea. "I think that would be definitely appropriate."
Farron Hendrix, doing business as Smithville Golf Management LLC has given notice to the mayor and aldermen of his intention to terminate the lease agreement with the city to operate the municipal golf course and swimming pool, effective October 23rd.
In the notice, Hendrix adds "Smithville Golf Management, LLC also agrees to assist the city in the management of the golf club until the new management can be secured."
Basically, the city has two options: To re-bid the lease of the golf course and swimming pool to someone else; or the city could assume control of the operation and hire someone to manage it.
Last month, Alderman Steve White suggested that the city contact the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Recreation Educational Services Division first to see what grant opportunities are available to improve the golf course and pool operation, as well as other city owned parks and recreation areas before taking action on the future of the golf course. White said Monday night that he has tried but has not yet been able to make contact with state officials to set up a meeting.
Mayor Hendrixson last month appointed a committee made up of Aldermen Steve White, W.J.(Dub) White, and Aaron Meeks to join him in setting up a meeting with whoever the state sends here to tour the city's parks and learn more about what funding sources are available to improve and possibly expand the city's existing recreational areas.
