(UPDATED) Partnership Awards DCHS & Smithville Elementary STEM Grants (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

April 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated (a TVA retiree organization), has awarded Smithville Elementary  and DeKalb County High School each $5,000 for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education project. Locally, the grant program is also supported by the Smithville Electric System. The Smithville Elementary School grant application was written by  Computer Lab instructor Beth Cantrell and Kindergarten teacher Tanya Howard. Supervisor of Instruction Dr. Kathy Bryant and DCHS math teachers Amy Fricks and Cody Burton wrote the grant application for DCHS.

(The Smithville Elementary School Makerspace will include Dash & Dot robots similar to those shown here at the DCHS makerspace. These small and mobile robots drive around making noises and shining lights. The robots help kids learn the basics of robotics and coding at home or in classroom settings).

IMG_1290 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

The Board of Education will be asked to accept the grants during this week’s regular monthly meeting.

The grant awards are a part of $580,000 in competitive STEM grants awarded to 161 schools across TVA’s seven-state service territory.

“We are so excited that these materials are coming to Smithville Elementary,” said, Anita Puckett, Interim Principal at Smithville Elementary. “This grant will benefit every student in our school, and we are so thankful to the TVA and BVI for offering these grants..”

Across the valley, educators submitted projects large and small, to further their STEM education initiatives in the classroom.

The project Smithville Elementary submitted will create a makerspace and STEM Lab for their students to use which will expose them to multiple STEM experiences and careers while also strengthening their core academic skills.

“The $5,000 TVA mini-grant awarded to DCHS will be used to incorporate a designated area to our makerspace called Exploring Our Environment. This area will be devoted to Physical, Environmental and Biological Sciences,” said Dr. Bryant.

“In a district where agriculture is one of the economic means, the proposed learning area will service all science classes at the high school and will also be utilized for the district after-school program,” she said.

The primary goals of this project are to increase and enhance hands-on lab opportunities for biology and physical science, to directly teach environmental responsibility and sustainability concepts, and to perform student-led school energy audits.

The makerspace is available for district field trips for all five district schools,

“Students of all grade levels, as well as their families, will have access to the equipment during our outreach STEM programs and during the school day,” said Fricks.

“We expect students to gain a better fundamental understanding of our environment and the important role that each one of us play in our ecosystem,” added Burton.

“Exploring Our Environment will allow students to engage in career exploration where they can identify challenges in their environment and create innovative solutions to improve quality of life for a sustainable future,” he said.

“Again, we appreciate TVA and BVI for their continued support in the endeavor to make these opportunities possible for our students of DeKalb County,” concluded Dr. Bryant.

The competitive grant program provided teachers an opportunity to apply for funding up to $5,000 and preference was given to grant applications that explored TVA’s primary areas of focus: environment, energy, economic and career development and community problem solving. Schools who receive grant funding must receive their power from a TVA distributor.

“The goal of the program was to help further STEM education across the valley,” said Rachel Crickmar, TVA Community Relations Program Manager. “We knew this program would be popular and competitive and now we’re are looking forward to seeing the impact these projects have.”

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.

April 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A man who allegedly shot his wife during an argument almost two years ago appeared for sentencing in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday.

53 year old Ronald Jeffrey Patterson entered a plea to aggravated assault and received a five year sentenced suspended to TDOC supervised probation except for one year to serve in the county jail. He was given jail credit of 15 days from July 5, 2017 to July 20, 2017. All other charges against him were dismissed. He must report to jail May 6 at 6 p.m.

The shooting occurred on July 5, 2017.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said at the time that the incident began when Patterson and his wife got into an argument while traveling in a white Isuzu Rodeo. The Patterson’s children, ages 6 and 4, were in the vehicle with them. After stopping near their home, Patterson fired shots from a .22 caliber handgun, one of which struck his wife. He then drove away with the 6 year old child. The 4 year old child was left at the home of a family member.

Patterson’s wife was taken to a Murfreesboro Hospital for treatment. The shooting was reported to Murfreesboro Police, who in turn notified DeKalb County authorities.

Sheriff Ray explained how his department learned of the shooting. “At approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 Central Dispatch in DeKalb County was notified by the Murfreesboro Police Department that a woman was in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the hand and hip. The victim told the Murfreesboro Police Department that a verbal argument ensued between her husband and her. They argued while driving down the road in DeKalb County and then pulled into a driveway on Patterson Road. Their two children, ages 6 and 4 were with them. Patterson pulled out a .22 caliber pistol and fired once into a field and then fired once toward the victim hitting her. Patterson then left with the 6 year old child. The 4 year old stayed at a family member’s house,” said Sheriff Ray.

“I sent a detective from here to the Murfreesboro hospital to gather evidence from the victim and to take a statement from her,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Ray along with deputies and detectives from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department went to Patterson’s home on Patterson Road but discovered he was not there. While conducting interviews with other family members, they saw him drive by and then got in pursuit.

“We saw a vehicle drive by that matched the description of Patterson’s vehicle. The vehicle drove past Patterson’s driveway and pulled into another driveway that leads back to his residence. Detectives tried to initiate a traffic stop by turning on their blue lights but the vehicle did not stop. He (Patterson) drove behind his residence to a wooded area and into three bean fields. Although Patterson tried to get us stuck in the fields to keep us from catching him, we were able to stay with him in pursuit for about eight minutes until he drove back out through a bean field near Patterson Road, where he stopped. Patterson got out of his vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident. The 6 year old child, who was with Patterson during the pursuit, was not hurt,” said Sheriff Ray.

April 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Spring and summer mean having fun in the sun and enjoying many outdoor activities. Keeping your family safe is also important. The Tennessee Department of Health reminds Tennesseans that preventing exposure of people and their pets to the rabies virus is a priority, especially during this time of year.

Keep vaccinations up-to-date for all dogs and cats, as required by Tennessee law and local ordinances. Owners are urged to have their dogs (3 months of age or older) and cats (6 months of age or older) vaccinated. Store purchased vaccines are not legally acceptable.

Vaccination clinics will be held on the following dates and locations:

Animal Clinic of Smithville, 440 East Broad Street (Dr. Mark Burke) In the office:

April 17, 18, & 19: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

April 20: 8:00 a.m. to Noon

DeKalb County Animal Clinic, 1020 West Broad Street (Dr. Scott Little) In the office:

April 17: 8:00 a.m. to Noon

April 18 & 19: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

April 20: 8:00 a.m. to Noon.

A fee of $10.00 will be charged for each inoculation.

For more information contact an Environmental Health Specialist at the DeKalb County Health Department at 615-597-7590.

Humans can be exposed to rabies when attempting to assist, feed or handle wild animals. If a wild or domestic animal is seen as ill or acting strangely, it should be reported to your local animal control agency. Bats in particular should not be handled. If a bat is found inside, in a swimming pool, or brought home by your pets, use precautions and consult your local health department.

Rabies is a deadly virus transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies infection occurs primarily in wildlife in Tennessee, but it can be transmitted to any mammal, including humans and family pets. Bites are the most common means of transmission; contact with saliva from an infected animal can also be a concern.

Citizens can take the following actions to help prevent the spread of rabies:

Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come into contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.

Keep children away from any wild or dead animals. Educate them not to touch or attempt to pick up, feed or handle any wild or unfamiliar domestic animals, especially those that are or appear to be sick or injured.

Do not disturb bats. Instead, consult your local health department or animal control agency for assistance in dealing with potential exposure to bats.

For more information or assistance with a potential rabies exposure, call your local health department or the Tennessee Department of Health emergency line at 615-741-7247.