Local News Articles

An independent team of engineers has reviewed planned repairs to Center Hill Dam and made key recommendations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to U.S. Representative Bart Gordon.

The recommendations made by the peer review panel include an immediate reduction in the water level at Center Hill Lake to reduce pressure on the dam.

"The Corps should take every reasonable precaution to protect the lives and property of those who live downstream of Center Hill Dam," said Gordon. "While the Corps tells me a dam break is unlikely, the results would be devastating."

Last month, Gordon went to the dam and met with Corps officials regarding the planned repairs. The $240 million, six-year rehabilitation will involve the addition of grouting to voids where seepage is occurring in the earthen dam. Installation of a concrete cut-off wall into the rock foundation of the dam will provide another level of defense against future seepage.

Problems with seepage have been a problem at Center Hill Dam since its completion in 1951. The most recent rehabilitation to the dam occurred in 1992, when grouting was added to combact seepage.

"Addressing the seepage problems will greatly enhance safety for the Middle Tennesseans who live downstream, as well as for the many people who visit the lake each year," said Gordon. "While the rehabilitation will cause temporary headaches, the end result will be a safer place for recreation and residence."

While Corps officials say there is no immediate danger of the dam failing, they are monitoring the seepage so that emergency actions could be taken to lessen the possibility of a catastrophic breach occurring.

A catastrophic dam failure could result in significant damage and loss of life if water from Center Hill Lake were to flood downstream communities.

The Corps is planning to hold public meetings later this year in downstream communities and is working with the Department of Homeland Security to provide residents with maps depicting potential flooding in the event of a failure at the dam.

A copy of the full peer review report is available at the Corps' web site at www.Irn.usace.army.mil/CenterHill.

The DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded a $241,410 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Operations and Safety Grant, U.S. Representative Bart Gordon announced.

"Many communities struggle to maintain EMS and firefighting services," said Gordon, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. "Even though demands of EMS providers and firefighters have increased tremendously over the years, the resources they depend on to provide their life-saving services have not.

That's why Congress initiated the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which is similar to the highly successful COPS program that put more than 100,000 new police officers on the nation's streets."

Chief Donny Green said the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department will use this federal funding award to purchase 44 new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA's), or commonly referred to as "air packs", which will allow for four SCBA?s at each of the 11 stations across the county. These SCBA's cost a little more than $5,000 each.

Green added "Our county budget simply could not afford us to buy this essential safety equipment. The SCBA's currently used by the department's 77 volunteer firefighters are not NFPA compliant and do not offer the most up-to-date safety features that our volunteers deserve. The delivery of these SCBA's will allow our department to be in compliance and provide a higher degree of safety for our 77 volunteer firefighters."

Three applicants to fill vacancies in the Smithville Police Department were interviewed Tuesday afternoon at city hall by Mayor Taft Hendrixson, Vice Mayor/Alderman Steve White, and Smithville Police Department Officer in Charge, Steven Leffew.

Randy King, Joey Jones, and Steve Cowan have expressed an interest in being hired by the city as a police officer.

King, originally from Grundy County, now lives in Warren County and is currently out of law enforcement, working for a company in Jasper. He began his law enforcement career in Tracy City, where he became certified. For financial reasons, King left law enforcement and went into business for himself, before taking a job in Jasper. King was among the top ten in his class when he completed the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy.

Jones, a resident of White County, is also a certified officer and has worked for thirteen years for the White County Sheriff's Department.

Cowan, who lives at Brush Creek, is a certified officer and is currently employed as a security officer for UMC Medical Center in Lebanon. He formerly worked for over 18 years in security at Tennessee State University, and spent a year and a half working for the Smith County Sheriff's Department, before becoming employed at UMC.

Mayor Hendrixson says a decision on hiring some new officers could come soon and would have to be approved by the aldermen at the next regular meeting.

Meanwhile, Mayor Hendrixson says the police department is planning to change the working schedule of it's officers to twelve hour shifts.

Student Enrollment in the DeKalb County School System, after the first month of school, is down by 21 students compared to this same time last year.

Clay Farler, Attendance Supervisor, told WJLE Tuesday that system-wide, DeKalb County has an enrollment to date of 2,945, compared to 2,966 after the first month of school last year.

Enrollment is down by 13 students at Smithville Elementary School, down by one student at DeKalb Middle School, down by 16 students at Northside Elementary School, and down by 6 students at DeKalb County High School. Enrollment at DeKalb West School is up by 15 students.

Farler says one reason the enrollment number may be down at DCHS is because of the addition of the adult high school. Those attending the adult high school are not counted in the enrollment at DCHS.

The enrollment numbers include students in the four Pre-K classes at Smithville Elementary and one Pre-K class at DeKalb West School, all of which are not yet filled.

The enrollment numbers after the first month of school for 2007 and 2006 at each school are as follows:

DeKalb County High School-
Year 2007- 819
Year 2006- 825

DeKalb Middle School-
Year 2007- 527
Year 2006-528

Northside Elementary-
Year 2007-527
Year 2006-543

Smithville Elementary School-
Year 2007-645
Year 2006-658

DeKalb West School-
Year 2007-427
Year 2006-412