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)
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
October 4th is an important date for the upcoming November State General Election.
DeKalb County Administrator of Elections, Dennis Stanley said October 4th is the last day to register to vote in the November 2nd election. "October 4th is the last day to register in person at the local election commission office," Stanley said. "Voter Registration forms mailed in must also be postmarked no later than October 4. A by-mail voter registration form lacking a postmark, but signed and dated on or before October 4th will be considered as filed timely if it is received by October 6th
Voters who have moved are encouraged to come by the election commission office and inform them of their new address so they can obtain an accurate voter registration card. "By informing us of your move in advance, it will make the election-day voting process go much quicker and easier," Stanley said.
Meanwhile, voters who plan on requesting an absentee ballot are reminded of another important date. "October 26th is the last day the election commission office can receive a request for an absentee ballot," Stanley said.
Local voters will cast their ballots in November for Governor, the 6th Congressional District seat, the State Senate, the State Representative seat, and a Constitutional Amendment giving Tennesseans the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law."
Election-day voting will be held at the various precincts throughout the county from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Early voting begins October 13th and runs through October 28th. Early voting hours are 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
State inspectors took a close look at the Dismal bridge on the Alexandria to Dismal Road over Smith Fork Creek Monday and the findings were not good.
Road Supervisor Kenny Edge says damage to the bridge is "critical" but not serious enough to close it, although weight limits may have to be posted. "I met with the state bridge inspectors Monday and they took one of those huge trucks that sets on the bridge with a long arm and they went back under it and took pictures of it all the way across. They said it did have critical damage to it but they felt like it was safe for local traffic, small vehicles. But they said if it was a main road and a lot of trailer trucks were on it I might wind up having to close it."
"They're going to send all of the information to the engineers in Nashville and they'll get back with me and tell me what safe bridge limit sign to put on it and what I may have to do in the future to try to eliminate some of the problem as far as the danger part of it because a lot of the rebar, which is the steel inside of the beams, are exposed and concrete jumped off of those beams due to that heat all the way across under there for approximately thirty feet. It looks terrible but I feel like it's safe for small cars and local traffic and they (inspectors) felt like it would be alright for the school bus and our (county road department) trucks to travel but they said the engineers will get back with me and tell me exactly how many tons it's safe to carry and what to post it."
Last Wednesday, someone set fire to the driftwood and debris underneath the bridge, which had washed up and lodged there during the May floods. County Fire Chief Donny Green said members of the Liberty and Temperance Hall stations and a tanker truck from the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department rushed to the scene upon receiving the call and when they arrived, firefighters found a roaring blaze coming from under the bridge. Firefighters even had to use a floating pump to draw water from the creek to help put out the blaze. Green said the fire was so intense that it caused chunks of concrete to break apart from the bridge.
The $1.1 million bridge was completed two years ago. Edge says it was built with eighty percent federal funds, fourteen percent from the highway department budget, and six percent from the county general fund.
Last week, Edge estimated that the repair costs could run as much as half a million dollars and he won't know how to deal with it. Edge says he'll have to do what the state mandates. "There's probably two or three ways to do it (repair the bridge) but you've just got to do what you're told to do through the state on a bridge that's twenty feet or longer. There could be another pier put under it from where the good part is on out to support it and then work on the thirty or forty foot section that got damaged or you could take down one third of it and go back with it (replace) like the original. I don't have that choice. I've got to do what's passed down to me (by the state)."
