Former Smithville Mayor Waniford Cantrell Passes Away

January 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Former Smithville Mayor Waniford Allen Cantrell, age 87 passed away Wednesday at NHC of Smithville. He served as Mayor of Smithville from 1982 to 1986 and was a former member and Chairman of the DeKalb County Board of Education.

Cantrell, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, was also a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Smithville First United Methodist Church.

The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Friday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service at 2 p.m.

Cantrell was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Pascal Cantrell; his wife, Mary Kathryn Colvert Cantrell; and son and daughter-in-law, Sean and Darice Cantrell and a brother, Bernard Cantrell.  Survivors include sons, Steven and Gloria Cantrell of Fairfax Station, Virginia; and Andrew Todd Cantrell of Franklin. Grandsons, John and Rae Cantrell of Springfield, Virginia; Steven Andrew and Allison Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina; and J.W. and Kasey Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina. Great granddaughters, Kathryn Cantrell of Springfield, Virginia and Baley Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina. Great grandsons, Sean and Peyton Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina and a brother, Jack Cantrell of Smithville.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

January 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

All DeKalb County School buses are undergoing an annual state inspection this week.

State Troopers Darryl Winningham and Craig Wilkerson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, inspectors for this district, are conducting the evaluation of the school systems 36 buses on route and the four substitute buses. No major deficiencies have been found that would cause a bus to be taken off the road.

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“We do a complete level one inspection on the buses. We go from the bottom to the top and inside, outside. We check every bolt. Every nut, tire tread, brake pads, seats. We make sure the dash works and all the lights inside. We want to make sure everything is safe. We check tie rod ends. Everything about the vehicle. We’re always going to find something. No matter how minor we still want to find everything we can find to get it all repaired,” said Trooper Winningham.

The inspectors conduct an annual inspection for three days in January but spot checks may be made during the year.” We’re here this week but we’ll be here more than this once a year. We also do 10% spot checks throughout the year. We just pull in and walk through the lot and say we want to check this bus or look at that bus. They pull them in and we’ll do a complete inspection on them again,” said Trooper Winningham

“DeKalb County is blessed with good drivers that take pride in their jobs and take care of the buses. They truly care about the children. My drivers provide transportation for the children in the morning and afternoon and our main objective is to get them safely to and from school each day,” said School Transportation Supervisor Jimmy Sprague.

January 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Center Hill Lake would like to remind everyone to have a safe and enjoyable upcoming recreation season, while on or off the water. Also, the staff at the Center Hill Lake Resource Manager’s office would like to inform everyone that off-roading on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public property is prohibited under Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations.

In an attempt to stop off-roading in several areas around Center Hill Lake, the Rangers on Center Hill Lake will be looking for off-road vehicle use with increased patrols in affected areas. Some of these areas where off-road vehicles have been used in the past are already seeing a decline in off-road vehicle use. In these areas the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over time plan on using these areas for other outdoor recreation, such as mountain bike trails, hiking trails, and outdoor interpretive trails.

Off-roading on public property is not only prohibited, but also harms the Natural Resources that Center Hill Lake provides. This year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Center Hill Lake will promote a new slogan, “Keep your wheels on the street or use your feet.” This slogan will be advertised through Public Safety Announcements (PSAs), school programs, at affected off-road areas, and through social media.