Local News Articles

The DeKalb County Fair in Alexandria will be held Monday through Saturday July 21st through July 26th.

The fair will feature at least two new events this year, the Tennessee Off-Road Challenge and Tennessee Top Model Audition for females ages 15 to 29.

Fair Manager Jeff McMillen says the Tennessee Off-Road Challenge will be Monday night during the fair at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilltop Arena. "It's these four wheel drive vehicles that climb rock and we'll have a 200 foot obstacle course for those type vehicles. We're expecting it to be a good event and a big event. Hopefully, it'll turn out to be a weekend event instead of a Monday night event eventually."

DeKalb Idol will be back this year. Audition nightly at the DeKalb Idol Tent from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. to compete in the final competition Saturday night for $300. A brand new "People's Choice" voted on by the audience compete's for a $100 cash prize.

Participants in fair pageants (Fairest of the Fair, Junior Fair Princess, Little Miss and Mister, Miss Sweetheart, and Little Miss Princess) may register on-line at www.studiosixlimited.com or www.dekalbcountyfair.us or you may register in person at the fairgrounds on Saturday, July 19th.

Parents wishing to register their children in the baby and toddler shows may obtain an application on-line at www.dekalbcountyfair.us. Just print off the form and send it in or stop by
the Smithville Review for a registration form.

The fair will feature lots of delicious foods and many commercial, agricultural, and women's exhibits.

The Kenneth Sandlin Center will be open Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Non-Perishable exhibits ONLY will be accepted Saturday, July 12th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and all Perishable exhibits ONLY will be accepted Saturday, July 19th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Exhibit rule books are available at your local Post Office, Library, Chamber of Commerce, Liberty State Bank, DeKalb Community Bank or at www.dekalbcountyfair.us or www.dekalbtn.com.

Enjoy nightly entertainment at the Memory Lane Stage in Memory Village featuring Blue Grass music, LIVE bands, Karree Phillips, a Bassoon Concert, Southern Dreams Band, Al Mahan, Karaoke, Clogging and Square Dancing, Terri Lynn Weaver, Meet Elvis, Bluegrass Express Cloggers, Tae Kwon Do Demonstrations, Martial Arts Demonstration, Krystal Marie, Jubal's Cry, Crossfire Band, the Country Giant Band, the DCHS Band, the Saturday Nite Two Step and more!

Every night is T-shirt night! Wear any DeKalb County Fair T-shirt from ANY YEAR and ask for your ticket to win great BONUS PRIZES during the $1,000 cash giveaway each night at 9:00 p.m. at the Lion's Club Pavilion. Request tickets at the gate.

The following events are scheduled:

Monday, July 21st: National Anthem at 5:45 p.m. at the Lion's Club Pavilion; T-Shirt Preview at 5:50 p.m. at the Lions Club Pavilion; Cattle Show at 6:00 p.m. at the grandstands ; Off-Road Challenge at the Hilltop Arena at 6:30 p.m.; Junior Fair Princess Pageant at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Fairest of the Fair Pageant at the Lions Club Pavilion. $1000 cash giveaway at 9:00 p.m. and announcement of DeKalb Idol winners at the Pavilion.

Tuesday, July 22nd: 4-H Lamb Cooking Demonstration; the Little Mr. and Miss Pageant at 6:00 p.m. followed by David Turner and Friends at the Lions Club Pavilion; Go-Cart Racing at 6:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Arena; and a Horse Show at 7:00 p.m. at the Grandstand; $1000 cash giveaway at 9:00 p.m. and announcement of DeKalb Idol winners at the Pavilion.

Wednesday, July 23rd: Little Miss Princess Pageant at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Miss Sweetheart Pageant at the Lions Club Pavilion; Four Wheeler and Motorcycle Racing at 6:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Arena; $1000 cash giveaway at 9:00 p.m. and announcement of DeKalb Idol winners at the Pavilion.

Thursday, July 24th: Senior Citizen Day activities at 9:00 a.m. at the Lions Club Pavilion; 4-H Chick Chain Show at 5:00 p.m. at the barn; Junior Goat Show at 6:00 p.m. at the barn; a Baby Show at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Vintage Fashion Show at the Lions Club Pavilion; and Lawn Mower Racing at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Arena; $1000 cash giveaway at 9:00 p.m. and announcement of DeKalb Idol winners at the Pavilion.

Friday, July 25th: WSMV Channel 4 Snow Bird from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Toddler Show at 6:00 p.m. followed by Tennessee Top Model at the Lions Club Pavilion; an Antique Tractor Pull at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Arena; and a Demolition Derby at 7:00 p.m. at the Grandstand; $1000 cash giveaway at 9:00 p.m. and announcement of DeKalb Idol winners at the Pavilion.

Saturday, July 26th: A Horse Shoe Tournament at 3:00 p.m. at the barn; and a Super Tractor and Truck Pull at 6:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Arena: DeKalb Idol Final Competition at 6:00 p.m. at the Lions Club Pavilion followed by Gospel Singing; $1000 cash giveaway at 9:00 p.m.

One thousand dollars in cash will be given away each night, Monday through Saturday and you must be present to win. If no one presents the winning ticket within three minutes, the money will be saved and given away on Saturday night in increments of $1,000. Your fair admission ticket is your ticket for the cash drawing.

Rides on the Midway will be provided by the Family Attractions Amusement Company. Unlimited rides will be available each night for $16.00.

Admission to the fair is $3.00 per person. Children age four and younger will be admitted free! Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Parking is Free!

For more information, call 529-FAIR or visit on-line at www.dekalbcountyfair.us or www. dekalbtn.com.

If you have received a card in the mail within the last few days that resembles a property tax bill, look a littler closer. What you have is actually a notice of a Tennessee Assessment Change Notice regarding your property.

DeKalb County is among nine other counties in Tennessee undergoing a current value update (CVU) for the 2008 tax year.

When a county is on a six year reappraisal cycle, such as DeKalb County, a current value update is required in the third year of the cycle. This update is applied to those subgroups within the county that have fallen below current market value. Therefore, some properties appraised values may or may not increase in a CVU. Additions and or improvements to your property since the last reappraisal cycle can affect how much you pay in property taxes.

The notice you have received shows the appraised and assessed values for property tax purposes for your property. The assessed value is a percentage of appraised value determined by state law according to the classification of the property (residential, commercial/industrial, farm, or public utility). A local tax rate is then applied to the assessed value to determine the amount of taxes due.

Once reappraisal is completed in the cycle, the state reduces the property tax rate in the cities and county to a new certified rate to generate the same revenues as the previous tax rate. Local governments can set property tax rates higher than the certified rates following public hearings.

DeKalb County's property tax rate, currently at $1.70, will go to a new certified rate of $1.45. Smithville's rate will drop from 68 cents to 62 cents and the rate for Alexandria will go from 85 cents to 76 cents per $100 of assessed value.

For more information call 597-5110. You may also file an appeal with the DeKalb County Board of Equalization which will meet June 9th through June 20th from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the courthouse.

June third is Confederate Memorial Day in Tennessee, a "special day of observance" as declared in the Tennessee Code Annotated and as proclaimed by Gov. Bredesen. To honor the patriotic troops who served the Confederacy with honor and distinction, the Savage-Goodner Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans in DeKalb County has placed wreaths to mark the occasion at the Confederate monument on the south side of the DeKalb County Courthouse, the grave of the Unknown Confederate Soldier in the Smithville Town Cemetery, and at the John Hunt Morgan Confederate Monument on the public square in Alexandria.

The designation of June third as Confederate Memorial Day stems from that date being the birthday of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. This year holds special significance as it marks the 200th anniversary of the distinguished statesman's birth. Events are being held all over the South in recognition of one of the truly great political servants of his generation.

Most people do not know about the greatness of the man who would ascend to the Confederacy's highest office. For example, American history books do not tell of Jim Limber, a young mulatto slave boy whom Davis' wife, Varina, rescued from an abusive slave owner. The Davises informally adopted young Jim, who took the Davis family name. He resided with the family until the end of the War between the States when Union soldiers forcibly took Jim away. The Davises spent much of the rest of their lives trying to locate their adopted son, but what happened to him remains a mystery. Such is the "true" history of the South that is almost always left out of the history books.

Three people were sentenced by Judge Leon Burns, Jr. on drug charges in DeKalb County Criminal Court Friday.

33 year old James H. Patton IV pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a five year sentence, all suspended to department of corrections probation except for 30 days on weekends with one year of probation to be supervised by community corrections. Patton was fined $2,000 and must make restitution of $260 to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department. He must also perform 100 hours of community service work.

20 year old Frank Hart pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and received a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days to be served on supervised probation. He was fined $250 and must perform 25 hours of community service work.

47 year old Jerry Lee Price pleaded guilty to facilitation to deliver a schedule III and IV controlled substance and received a two year sentence on TDOC probation in each case to run concurrently. He was fined $2,000 and he must perform 100 hours of community service work.