Less than a week left to pay 2021 county property taxes without penalty

February 22, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

It’s time to pay your 2021 county property taxes!

The deadline for payment is February 28, 2022 before any interest becomes due on March 1, 2022. If you choose to mail in your tax payment, it must be postmarked on or prior to February 28, 2022 to avoid any accrued interest.

The DeKalb County Trustee’s office offers up to 6 different options to pay your property taxes:

*Come in person to the office to pay

*Mail in your payment

*Pay online @ www.tennesseetrustee.org, then select DeKalb and follow the instructions to the next screens. The Vendor BIS (Business Information Systems) accepts Visa, Discover, MasterCard, or American Express-The Vendor convenience fee of 2.75% on the total tax bill will apply and fees are subject to change for using credit/debit cards. Also, a $2.75 fee will be assessed on an e-check payment of any amount.

* A QR (Quick Response Code) is also on your notice to access the website with your I-phone, smartphone, etc @ www.tennesseetrustee.org.

* Dropbox located on the outside of the building at the County Complex (County Offices Section) for your convenience after hours or on weekends.

*Partial Payments are accepted and you the taxpayer sets the amount to pay until full payment is made.

The Trustee’s office is also accepting applications for the Property Tax Relief Program through April 5, 2022. If you would like to inquire more about a possible tax relief for property taxes, come by the Trustee’s office in the County Complex at 732 S Congress Boulevard-Room 103, Smithville or call 615-597-5176.

Eligibility for Property Tax Relief:

*The State of Tennessee offers qualified property owners tax relief on property taxes. This program was implemented in 1973 and has a few changes every year. At this time, DeKalb County has 412 applicants on the program for 2021. As a property owner for 2021, you can qualify for Tax Relief if:

( A.) Your DeKalb County home is your primary residence, ( B.) You are 65 years old (or older) on or before December 31, 2020, (C.) Under 65 years of age with a total and permanent disability per the SSA or another qualifying agency, and (D.) The 2020 Annual Income of all living owners on the deed and their spouses DID NOT exceed $31,190. If the State of Tennessee qualifies you for Tax Relief, then you can receive a rebate up to $126 for 2021. You must pay your 2021 tax bill IN FULL to start the application process.

* Also, the State of Tennessee offers TAX RELIEF to Disabled Veterans and the surviving spouses of a disabled veteran. You must provide proof from the Veteran’s Administration that you have a total and permanent disability rating that was service connected. You and your spouse will NOT have to report any income to apply as a disabled veteran or the widow or widower of a disabled veteran. If the State of Tennessee qualifies you as a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, then you can receive a rebate up to $757 for 2021.

February 20, 2022
By:

Tennessee Tech University’s Appalachian Center for Craft is currently hosting an exhibition of portrait drawings, “There Will Come a Time,” by artist Michelle O’Patick-Ollis, which will run until February 23.

O’Patick-Ollis’ collection depicts the changes and challenges that occur during the aging process. The artist creates psychological portrait drawings that capture both the outward appearance as well as the inner state of mind of her parents. The drawings tell stories of a mother with Parkinson’s disease and a quadriplegic father, enduring the winter of their lives.

Although the stories are personal in nature, they speak to a wide audience. Anyone who has watched a family member grow old, and become imprisoned within their withering bodies, can have an understanding of and emotional connection to the work.

“As I watched my parents decline, I desperately wanted to help them. I wanted to make them happy again. Although I couldn’t do that in reality, I can do that in my artwork,” O’Patick-Ollis said.

“Mom Has Parkinson’s” is a drawing where the artist depicted her mother smiling and dancing. Six arms wave back and forth and the body appears to be swaying from side to side.

“In truth, it is a depiction of how my mother’s body would move as she spoke,” O’Patick-Ollis said. “The more she concentrated on what she was trying to say, the more her body jerked back and forth.”

The artist is able to depict her parents in a way where they seem to be at peace or joyful, yet upon closer inspection, the viewer is able to see a visual hint to the truth of the situation.

O’Patick-Ollis is an art teacher at Indian Trail Intermediate School in Johnson City, Tennessee. She received a master of fine arts from Arizona State University and a master of arts in teaching from East Tennessee State University.

Her body of work consists of mixed media pieces. Painting with different strengths of coffee, she blocks in large areas of her images first and then draws on top of the paintings with sepia toned pencils and graphite.

The Appalachian Center for Craft is located at 1560 Craft Center Dr., Smithville, TN.

February 20, 2022
By:

Smithville’s Evins Mill, a former estate of US Congressman Joe Evins, is a historic woodland resort situated on a 40-acre property that boasts one of the few Eastern Hemlock forests in the Upper Cumberland.

When it came time to upgrade Evins Mill’s main entrance and complete various other improvements, the property’s owner had no question who to turn to for the design and construction efforts of the highly cherished, charismatic resort. In 2019, Cookeville-based J&S Construction successfully partnered with the resort to transform a small, simple kitchen area into a five-star, commercial galley perfect for serving world-class alfresco dining.

Fast forward to 2022, Manning Overlook, the resort’s bustling event space was in need of some upgrades to allow the space’s marquis deck to be transformed into year-round functionality for its growing number of special events. Superior attention was given to design an enclosure that maintained the building’s versatility to the weather of each season of the year. Custom windows were selected by the owner that will fold up and position out of sight during the warmer months, providing an unobstructed view of the surrounding natural landscape of the resort property. Likewise, in the colder months, the windows will create a barrier between the warm, cozy indoor experience and the beautiful winter landscape.

The main entrance will also be upgraded to include wheelchair accessibility features, including elimination of the entry step and installation of a wider entry door. Additionally, a permanent service counter will be fitted to the left of the main entrance which will be multi-functional for the many events hosted by Evins Mill each year.

J&S Construction is thrilled to be a part of the conversion of Manning Overlook’s existing deck space to allow Evins Mill’s premier hospitality team to continue providing its five-star service during all the beautiful seasons Tennessee has to offer.

Minutes from Center Hill Lake, Evins Mill provides all the amenities of a luxury destination in the intimate setting of a woodland resort. The site includes a 90-foot waterfall, swimming hole, hiking trails and a fishing pond.

For more information, visit Evins Mill’s website at www.evinsmill.com.