Smithville Christmas Parade Saturday, December 2

November 22, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville Christmas Parade is coming up Saturday December 2nd 2023 and will begin at 4:00 pm.
The parade lineup will be at the New Life Connection center on Congress Boulevard

The parade, sponsored by the Smithville Fire Department, will move down Congress Boulevard to Don Cantrell Street around the square then onto West Main Street and will end once it gets to the intersection at South college Street.

“You Do Not have to register to be in the parade, just show up the day of the parade between 2:00 and 3:45 pm and we will put you inline as you arrive,” said Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker

The band and any one unloading people or supplies should park in the Dekalb Community Complex parking lot next door. Only parade entries will be allowed in the New Life parking lot.

2023 Parade Guidelines
•Parade entries will enter through the Dekalb Community Complex parking lot behind On The Way Market.

•We recommend that Parade entries should have a clear sign as to who or what organization they are representing.

• Side-by-sides are allowed with licensed drivers, but no 4 wheelers.

• Candy is allowed to be passed out to the crowd. Please make every effort to get the candy out to the crowd and not in the roadway.

• Horses and wagons should unload at Bill page ballpark and make your way down Bryant Street to enter the parade at the redlight.

• Only one official Santa is permitted in the parade and he has already committed to ride on the Fire Truck.

The City of Smithville or The Smithville Fire Department is not responsible for any damages, injuries, or liabilities associated with the Smithville Christmas Parade. The City of Smithville or The Smithville Fire Department does not provide any liability insurance for protection for individuals, organizations, spectators, or any others who may participate in the 2023 Smithville Christmas Parade.

“I think this will be the biggest parade ever, and I hope everyone will come and enjoy the parade and all the Downtown Christmas on the Square Festivities that will follow,” said Chief Parker.

November 22, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Election Commission has released an updated list of persons who plan to be candidates in the March 5th DeKalb County Republican Primary.

Names of the candidates are as follows:

Property Assessor: Shannon Cantrell (Incumbent) and challenger Amy Clare Lockhart. Both Cantrell and Lockhart have returned their qualifying petitions and are qualified candidates.

Board of Education: Tom Walkup (5th District) and Jason Miller (Incumbent) (6th District)

Constable:

No candidate (1st District)

Danny Adamson (2nd District). He has returned his petition and is a qualified candidate.

Travis Bryant (3rd District) (Incumbent)

Lane Ball (4th District) (Incumbent). He has returned his petition and is a qualified candidate.

Mark Milam (5th District) (Incumbent). He has returned his petition and is a qualified candidate.

Jason Brown (6th District) (Incumbent)

Jeremy Neal (7th District)

Recently governor appointed judge Shawn Fry of Cookeville has also filed his petition in the six counties including DeKalb that make up the 13th Judicial District to seek a full eight-year term to the newly created criminal court judgeship.

Both the DeKalb County Republican and Democratic Parties will be holding primaries simultaneously on Tuesday, March 5th for the offices of Property Assessor, Constable (districts 1-7), and Board of Education (5th & 6th) districts along with the newly created position of criminal court judge-Part III in the 13th judicial district. The primaries will be held in conjunction with the Tennessee Presidential Preference Primary.

The qualifying deadline is Thursday, December 14 at 12 noon. The voter registration deadline for the March 5th primaries is February 5 and the early voting period will be Wednesday, February 14 through Tuesday, February 27. The Absentee ballot request deadline is Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

Independents wishing to run for Assessor of Property or Constable (districts 1-7), Board of Education (5th & 6th) districts, or for criminal court judge-Part III in the August 2024 County General Elections must also qualify by noon on Thursday, December 14.

Party nominees and independents for these offices will run in the DeKalb County General Election on Thursday, August 1, 2024 and those elected will take office September 1, 2024.

The incumbents in these offices are Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell and Constables- 1st District: Waylon Kyle, 2nd District: Darrell Johnson, 3rd District: Travis Bryant, 4th District: Lane Ball, 5th District: Mark Milam, 6th District: Jason Brown, and 7th District: Johnny King.

The school board seats up for election in 2024 are currently held by Jamie Cripps in the 5th district and Jason Miller in the 6th district.

November 22, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Grant James remains the leader among WJLE’s Fearless Forecasters picking college football winners after twelve weeks of the season.

Grant has a record of 125-55 followed by Ricky Atnip at 124-56, Jared Davis 123-57, Scott Goodwin 122-58, Chad Kirby, John Pryor and Dewain Hendrixson each at 120-60, and Darrell Gill and Scott Brown each at 115-65.

For the week, Grant James and Ricky Atnip tied for the best record at 12-3 each. Darrell Gill, Jared Davis, Chad Kirby, and Scott Goodwin were each at 11-4. John Pryor was 10-5, and Dewain Hendrixson and Scott Brown were each at 9-6.

Neither of the Fearless Forecasters hit their underdog picks last week.

Overall, Jared Davis still leads in underdog points with 47.5 followed by Dewain Hendrixson with 30, Ricky Atnip 26.5, Darrell Gill 18, Scott Goodwin and John Pryor each at 12.5, Chad Kirby 6.5, and Grant James with 3 points.

Today (Wednesday) the Forecasters will be picking winners in the following games:

Ohio State at Michigan, Florida State at Florida, Iowa at Nebraska, UTSA at Tulane, North Carolina at N.C. State, Air Force at Boise State, James Madison at Coastal Carolina, Oregon State at Oregon, Texas A&M at LSU, Kentucky at Louisville, Missouri at Arkansas, Ole Miss at Mississippi State, Clemson at South Carolina, Vanderbilt at Tennessee and in the NFL the Carolina Panthers at the Tennessee Titans.

Catch the Fearless Forecasters on WJLE today (Wednesday) at 4:30 p.m. on AM 1480/FM 101.7 and LIVE streaming at www.wjle.com.

The program is sponsored by the Charles D. Atnip Realty and Auction Company, DeKalb County Ace Hardware, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, FirstBank, DeKalb County Insurance, Gill Automotive, Love-Cantrell Funeral Home, Davis Auto Body, and Domino’s Pizza.