DeKalb Middle School to Host Career Day

May 5, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb Middle School will be hosting Career Day on Tuesday, May 6. This special event is designed for students in grades 6 through 8 and aims to inspire them as they explore a variety of potential career paths.

The event will be held both inside and outside of the gymnasium to accommodate a variety of displays and activities. Participants may begin setting up their displays at 7:30 a.m. and students will start visiting booths at 9 a.m. The event is scheduled to conclude around 11:00 a.m. Please note they have a limited number of tables available for use. If possible, they ask participants to bring their own table for their booth to ensure everyone has the space they need.

At the conclusion of the event, they would like to schedule guest speakers to visit 8th grade classroom. They are seeking six participants to share more in-depth information about their careers and personal journeys with the 8th grade students. If you are interested in being a guest speaker, please contact Mrs. Suzette Barnes at suzettebarnes@dekalbschools.net

Career Day will provide an invaluable opportunity for students to interact with professionals from a wide range of industries. Your involvement would make a significant impact on the students’ understanding of real-world opportunities and the journey toward achieving their goals.

May 5, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

For years the county maintained an unmanned garbage collection convenience center in the Wolf Creek community at the intersection of Medley Amonette Road (Highway 96) and Old Buffalo Valley Road, but its now been removed by the county because it was located on the Tennessee Department of Transportation right of way and TDOT didn’t want it there.

In March at a public works committee meeting, County Public Works Director Brian Reed raised the issue about whether the Wolf Creek site could eventually become a manned site. According to County Mayor Matt Adcock, Reed later checked with TDOT and the answer was not only no, but even the unmanned site there would have to go. It has since been removed from the site but the county has not yet come up with an alternate convenience site location for Wolf Creek.

During Monday night’s regular monthly county commission meeting, first district resident Brandon Foster raised concerns about the convenience site having been removed and later in the meeting, first district commissioner Tom Chandler asked that the county find another location for it.

“As a commissioner from district 1 as well as being an avid user of what has been referred to as the Buffalo Valley convenience waste site I am at a loss with this waste site disappearing. I was surprised that it was gone. It needs to be replaced, and I would say desperately. I would urge our waste management manager and this commission to find some replacement for this convenience site in that general area fairly quickly. If you look at a map there is a very sizeable hole now in our convenience site servicing in district 1 and DeKalb County that is the gateway to a large portion of the tourist traffic that comes into DeKalb County,” said Commissioner Chandler.

The county’s public works committee will discuss the issue at a meeting Thursday, May 8 at 6 p.m. in the lower courtroom of the courthouse.

The county has 11 manned convenience sites and Wolf Creek was one of three unmanned sites. The other two are at Temperance Hall and in the Austin Bottoms community. Of the fourteen sites, the county owns all but three, Snow Hill, Silver Point, and at Alexandria.

According to Reed, the state is making a push for counties to go to all manned sites and is funding grants for that purpose.

“The state has put a priority on grants for those sites and is funding up to $125,000 with a 10% local match per site and I would like to apply for some grants in next year’s budget to eventually get rid of our unmanned sites,” said Reed.

May 3, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

Two public hearings!

The Smithville Mayor and Board of Aldermen, during its regular monthly meeting Monday night, May 5, is expected to adopt a budget amendment on second and final reading to purchase a new rear load sanitation truck to replace an out of service 1997 Freightliner model. Action will follow a public hearing. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at city hall.

According to city officials, the reason for making the purchase now rather than including it in the new 2025-26 budget is because the city anticipates getting the new garbage truck quicker and cheaper at $215,894.

Meanwhile, the Smithville Mayor and Board of Aldermen will also have a public hearing prior to action on an annexation request of property located at 746 East Broad Street by owner consent.

The owners of Hollingshead Materials, LLC (Smyrna Ready Mix) concrete batching company bordering the city limits of Smithville are seeking annexation of two parcels including one where the SRM company now operates (Map 065, Parcel 073.04) and the adjoining vacant property (Parcel 073.05). The land (9 total acres) is situated between East Broad Street, Midway Road, and Terrell Road.

In March, the Smithville Planning Commission recommended approval of a plan of services for the proposed annexation.

According to City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson the city already has most services accessible to the proposed site.

“Basically, what we have to do is show that city police and fire fighting services are available. He already has (city) water. The sewer is on septic already. He doesn’t need city sewer. He already has electric. He can have sanitation. It (plan of services) just shows that everything with street lighting and everything is fully covered,” said Hendrixson.

“Let me add to that the concrete plant may be on septic but the property next to it could be developed by the owner. I’m assuming they would probably need a pump station,” said Mayor Josh Miller.

The agenda also includes the following:

*Awarding bid for airline replacement project at the wastewater treatment plant (sewer plant)

*1st reading of Ordinance No. 533 amending the 2024-25 budget and adopting the 2025-26 City fiscal budget

Any other business properly brought before the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

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