Smithville man found with child porn

January 15, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville man found with images of child pornography on his mobile phone has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

50 year old David Royden Drennan of Sparta Highway, Smithville is under a $150,000 bond. The arrest warrant was taken by DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Detective Stephen Barrett.

According to District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway, “Investigators with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office began to investigate a tip that Drennan was in possession of photographic and video images of children which are sexual in nature. The ICAC unit with the Cookeville Police Department also assisted in the investigation”.

“As the investigation progressed, evidence was discovered showing that Drennan had in excess of 50 images of child pornography on his mobile telephone”.

January 15, 2021
By: Shan Stout

The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree Board voted Tuesday to erect the current festival stage on the courthouse square in the coming days for the purpose of an upcoming stage renovation and restoration project. The Tennessee Tourism Enhancement Grant provided the festival with necessary funds to build an improved stage, along with an ADA compliant handicap ramp, helping the festival to be more inclusive to all.

“We are grateful to the state for approving these funds to help make the Jamboree better than ever before,” said President & Coordinator Sam Stout, “The new stage plans include a deeper porch and a few esthetic improvements while maintaining the classic look and feel of the original stage style. With last year’s Virtual Jamboree, we had several contestants with disabilities that competed, and they are making plans to attend the festival in the future. With that said, we have made it a primary goal to help the Jamboree be more accessible to those with disabilities. The new ADA compliant ramp will be the first of many upcoming improvements, along with new Inclusive Competition Categories for music and dance.”

The Jamboree Board wants to thank the city and county government for allowing the erection of the stage during this unusual time of year, and looks forward to the upcoming 50th Annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree on July 2nd & 3rd, 2021.

January 14, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has announced the 2020-21 Teachers of the Year at the building level of the five schools in the county.

This year’s honorees chosen by their peers are pre-kindergarten teacher Janet Trapp at Smithville Elementary School; ELA and social studies teacher Allison Collier at Northside Elementary School; Martha Damron, a seventh grade math and social studies teacher at DeKalb West School; Galen Brown, an eighth grade ELA teacher at DeKalb Middle School; and Britney Gulley, a chemistry teacher at DeKalb County High School.

Trapp is in her 29th year as a teacher, Damron 19th year, Brown 12th year, and Collier and Gulley are in their 6th year as an educator .

“Our district’s Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in DeKalb County. We applaud teachers who care about our children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of DeKalb students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement. We are not just exceptionally proud of our Teachers of the Year, but we are also grateful for all of our educators in DeKalb County,” said Director Cripps.

According to Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction, “Competition for the district-wide John Isabell Teacher of the Year award continues through February, and will be announced this spring. Additionally, three DeKalb County teachers will be chosen by a committee to compete at the regional level in March, and if selected they will represent DeKalb County at the state level competition.”

Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: Building, System, Field Service Core Center Region, Grand Division and State; and from three categories (levels of teaching); Grades Pre K-4, 5-8, 9-12.

Teachers selected at each cycle receive local recognition and awards underwritten by local sources. State recognition/awards include a banquet honoring the nine State Teacher of the Year finalists and certificates of appreciation from the governor. In addition, the State Finalists and the State Teacher of the Year receive cash awards.

Dr. Kathy Bryant, Supervisor of Instruction, concludes, “The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote effective teaching practices by recognizing and rewarding outstanding teachers while encouraging others to join the teaching profession.”