Smithville Elementary Names Students of the Month

January 14, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Elementary would like to recognize our Students of the Month for January. These students were selected for their outstanding character, academics, and other traits that make them an all-around excellent student. Selected as Students of the Month for January are:

PreK- Hadley Fulton

Kindergarten – Kirsten Orcutt

1st Grade – Dafne Delgado

2nd Grade – Hayden Quarles

January 14, 2019
By:

DeKalb County tourism may have gotten a shot in the arm this past fall thanks to Trail Runner magazine.

Edgar Evins State Park was listed as one of the top “Leaf-Peeping Runs in the Southeast” in an issue dated October 30 and published online.

“This hilly, 6,000-acre state park clutches 12 miles of moderate dirt trail weaving through mixed hardwood forests located near the idyllic shores of Center Hill Lake,” the magazine reported. “You’ll nab the most miles by starting at the Millennium and Merritt Ridge parking lot and linking the Millennium and Merritt Ridge loops via a 1.5-mile connector trail. The 6.2-mile route traverses sparsely trafficked rolling hills, and presents opportunities for birding, as owls, hawks and wintering bald eagles have been spotted among the park’s stunning leaves.”

Other area sites mentioned in the publication were Window Cliffs State Natural Area near Baxter, Virgin Falls State Natural Area near Sparta, Fall Creek Falls State Park near Spencer, Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Lebanon and the City of Cookeville.

January 14, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

If you receive a vehicle registration renewal notice from the state make sure you don’t make your payment to the wrong county.

According to County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss a few DeKalb County residents, especially those who live near adjoining county lines, are receiving notices from the state to renew their registrations including payment of a wheel tax with  adjoining counties . DeKalb County has no wheel tax. Poss said the errors are due to the state’s new automated mailing system.

“A few months ago our computer software provider added updates which included an automated population count in counties throughout the state according to an individual’s physical address. While the updates are working overall, we have encountered areas near or around adjoining counties where a county’s automated population count is incorrect and an individual who resides in DeKalb County for example receives a notice to renew in White county because of their Sparta address. Although these erroneous renewal notices are populated and sent out by the state and not the county clerk’s office, we are making corrections as we discover them and complete new transactions,” said County Clerk Poss.

Remember, if you reside in DeKalb County, your registration renewals must be made in DeKalb County.

“If you pay property taxes in DeKalb County for a home in which you reside and you receive a renewal notice indicating a wheel tax is due this is an error from the state’s automated mailing system. Simply bring that notice in to our office and we will renew your tags without the wheel tax as DeKalb County has no such tax. Also, in order to collect a wheel tax, our software would have to be updated for such a new fee,” Poss continued.

“Do not carry these renewal notices to a county where you do not reside. For example if you live in DeKalb County and took your renewal notice to White County it would erroneously be processed through the system there (the wrong county). Should their staff not recognize yours as a DeKalb County address then White County would collect the fees instead of DeKalb County,” said Poss.

If you have questions contact the county clerk’s office at 615-597-5177.

Renewal notices are mailed each month by the state approximately six weeks in advance of expiration date of the registration, which is last day of the registration month as indicated by the month decal on the license plate.  The Tennessee Department of Revenue sends out renewal notices as a courtesy and motor vehicle registrants are obligated to renew vehicle registrations by the expiration date regardless of receipt of the courtesy reminder.