Clark Boyd Picked to Succeed Pody in State House

January 11, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Clark Boyd, a Lebanon insurance agent who unsuccessfully challenged State Senator Mae Beavers in the 2014 Republican primary, has won the vacant District House 46 seat to finish out the unexpired term of Mark Pody.

The Wilson County Commission Wednesday night chose Boyd over two others to fill the vacancy. Boyd received 16 votes of the 22 county commissioners present for the meeting in Lebanon. The other candidates, Bob Haley got five votes and Kevin Mack received one vote.

Each candidate had a chance to speak briefly about himself before the paper ballots were collected, counted, and announced.

Boyd will serve until the November General Election but he plans to seek a full two year term, though he will have opposition in the GOP Primary in August.

Pody resigned his position in the State House after being elected State Senator last month to fill the remainder of Mae Beavers’ term. She is now running full time for Governor.

District 46 includes Cannon and portions of Wilson and DeKalb Counties.
Boyd, a conservative army veteran and small business owner, announced in September his plans to enter the race for the District House 46 seat.

“I have had a heart for service since I joined the military when I was 18 years old. That same desire to serve and make a difference is why I am stepping up to this opportunity,” said Boyd. “I intend to fight for the conservative values and ideals that our country was founded upon and work to make Tennessee the freest state in the nation.”

Boyd said he is an NRA member, pro life and an advocate for the Second Amendment. As a small business owner, Boyd said he is also aware of the challenges that big government can create for business. He said he will work to reduce red tape and keep taxes low for Tennesseans. Boyd said he will work with other legislators to curtail illegal immigration, and he opposes the establishment of any sanctuary cities within Tennessee.

Boyd is the owner of an insurance agency in Lebanon. He and his wife, Jada, have two children, Wilson, 9, and Blair Ellen, 6. They are members of Immanuel Baptist Church, where they teach Sunday school together and he serves as a deacon.

Boyd is involved in the community in Wilson County, where he has previously served as president of the Rotary Club of Lebanon, men’s ministry chairman at Immanuel Baptist Church, Habitat for Humanity president and chairman of the Wilson County Republican Party.

January 11, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School has set the dates for honoring two former local basketball legends.

During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education, DCHS Principal Randy Jennings said that the jersey number of the late Rosa Stokes will be retired between the boys and girls games on Friday, January 19 when DCHS hosts Watertown and that Jerry Foster’s number will be retired between the boys and girls games on Friday, January 26 when DeKalb County hosts Cannon County.

“We have reached out to family and teammates of theirs and we anticipate a big crowd on those nights,” said Principal Jennings.

Last month the Board of Education granted a request from the DCHS basketball program to retire the jersey of Foster. Board member Jerry Wayne Johnson asked that the jersey of Stokes also be retired. The board requested that the ceremonies be held on different nights of basketball at DCHS.

Foster was a basketball star for DeKalb County during the 1970’s and went on to shine as a college and professional athlete. He graduated from DCHS in 1976. After his playing days, Foster became a teacher and high school coach. Foster was head coach of the DCHS Lady Tiger basketball program from the 1993-94 season to 1999-2000. He is now a teacher at Northside Elementary School.

Coach Foster was recently diagnosed with cancer and is being treated.

Stokes was a star athlete for the DCHS Lady Tigers (Tigerettes as they were known then) during early 1980’s. She graduated from DCHS in 1983 and then played collegiate basketball at Cumberland University in Lebanon (1984-89) scoring more than 1,000 points. Stokes was a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville during the 1989-90 season and Murray State University in 1988-89. From 1990-92, she was the assistant coach at Tennessee Tech University. Stokes came to Georgia Southwestern State University as coach after a five-year run with Long Beach State University in which the last two were as the associate head coach. Previously, she served two years with the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga as assistant coach.

Meanwhile, DeKalb Middle School Principal Amanda Dakas reported to the Board that last Saturday’s “Battle on the Hill” benefit basketball games between DeKalb Middle School and DeKalb West School raised $5,000 for Coach Foster.

Dakas said she had spoken to Coach Foster prior to the Board meeting. “He said that he was so very humbled and appreciative for the way our community came together (for him) and that the $5,000 raised will cover a large portion of his treatment expenses. He is humbled by the love and support and he wants to thank everyone. He is home and although he can’t have any visitors at the moment, he wanted me to say that things are looking up for him and to ask everyone to please continue to pray for him,” said Principal Dakas.

In other business, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps gave a brief report on personnel moves since last month. Two employees have been granted a leave of absence, Robbie Frazier and Melinda Lattimore at Northside Elementary School.

Principal Jennings mentioned that two more students, Holly Evans and Hannah McBride, both sophomores, have been added to the 29 + club at DCHS after taking the ACT exam in December and earning a 29 or above.

Director Cripps also announced that Tennessee School Board Appreciation Week is coming up January 21-27.

“I would like to thank you (school board members) for your support of me and for our students, our faculty, staff, school bus transportation and drivers, and our aides. Thank you for the time you give outside of our meetings in which you have to answer calls and things of that nature. I appreciate the work that you do,” said Director Cripps.

January 10, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Due to the threat of winter weather, the DCHS basketball games against Smith County scheduled for Friday night, January 12 in Smithville have been rescheduled to Thursday, January 11 in Smithville starting at 6 p.m.