DMS and Farm Bureau Cultivating a Love for Gardening!

August 20, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Cultivating a love for gardening!

Thanks to the Farm Bureau Federation and other partners, a group of DeKalb Middle School students are learning first-hand where their food comes from and how important farming and agriculture are to their daily lives.

Through the Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom Foundation, DMS has been awarded a $500 Outdoor Classroom Garden grant and a check in that amount was presented to the school on Thursday by Mack Harney, President of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and Bradley Locke, Agency Manager of the local Farm Bureau Office. Board member Mike Conley joined them for the presentation. Receiving the $500 check were Suzette Barnes, DMS Teacher, along with Principal Caleb Shehane and Assistant Principal Teresa Jones.

Barnes said funds from the grant will be used to expand the current garden program as well as other agriculture projects at DeKalb Middle School.

“We started an outdoor garden and kids in summer school became involved in it but then other students here at the school have gotten interested since and are now helping take care of the plants. We go out and hoe and till the garden and then when the produce is ready to be picked, the students get to take it home. A community member, Myron Rhody came out to plow and till the garden for us in the beginning and he donated our seeds and plants so the kids were able to plant and harvest produce like zucchini squash, yellow squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes and we have planted cabbage, sweet potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, carrots and a variety of other fruits and vegetables,” said Barnes.

Over the summer, Barnes and three other teachers from DeKalb Middle School, Courtney O’Conner, Carson Speck, and Melba Farmer attended a Professional Development Day for “Ag in the Classroom” and participated in the training that highlighted agriculture while covering a variety of state academic standards. The training was held at Jere Whitson School in Cookeville. The teachers were provided with materials and resources for immediate use in their classes at DeKalb Middle.

The grant application encouraged partnerships with local businesses and agencies. For its application, DeKalb Middle School was able to partner with DeKalb Farmers Co-op, DeKalb Soil Conservation District, DeKalb County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, DeKalb County/UT Extension, Community Volunteers and Advisors, Myron Rhody and Mary Sanders.

DMS Principal Caleb Shehane expressed his thanks for the grant award and for Ms. Barnes’ involvement in this project. “She is a great growth mindset here in helping us push a variety of activities for kids who might not otherwise have those opportunities. We are excited about this garden and the donation and where this will go. The kids are already reaping the benefits by getting to take the vegetables home and that’s really cool for us to see,” said Shehane.

“Even though the focus is on the garden, the grant is also for anything agriculture related,” Barnes continued. “We have hatched baby chickens from eggs in the classroom and the students watched that process in the incubator. We keep the chicks for about a week and then send them to local farms. This grant allows us to do things like this and anything that is agriculture and nursery related and not just the garden,” said Barnes.

“We are very pleased that DeKalb Middle School has a program like this that we can help them with,” said Harney.” So many children now are not exposed to farm life. Most of them are four or five generations off the farm and they don’t know where their food comes from or the work that is involved in it, so we want to help students and the school anyway we can promote that in DeKalb County”.

“Anytime we can get behind the school system to promote things such as agriculture, we are all about it and to see these kids grow and learn things they would not have before is a blessing to us,” added Locke.

The program is having the desired effect. 12-year-old Logan Gentry, a 7th grader at DMS and son of Emily Knowles, told WJLE this is his first ever experience with a garden and he loves it.

“I like going to the garden. It provides food that we can take home. The other day I took home some zucchini squash, yellow squash, okra, and Tommy Toe tomatoes and they (family) immediately wanted to eat fried squash,” said Gentry.

August 19, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The Warren County Pioneers can claim bragging rights after defeating the DeKalb County Tigers 34 to 27 in their season opening border battle Friday night at McMinnville.

https://www.wjle.com/tiger-talk/

It was the 19th straight meeting between the two programs since 2005 and Warren County now leads the series in wins during that stretch 10-9. The Tigers had won the previous two clashes in 2022 and 2021.

The Tigers will meet the Smith County Owls in the home opener on Friday, August 25 starting at 7 p.m. WJLE will have LIVE coverage. The Owls defeated their in-county rival at Gordonsville 25-19 Thursday night.

It looked as if it would be a Tiger night early on but Warren County would rally to keep it close, even in the Pioneer’s eventual victory.

DeKalb County pitched a shutout in the 1st period on a 45-yard touchdown run by Malachi Trapp with 7:40 left followed by a 4-yard Briz Trapp quarterback run with 1:35 to go capping a 55-yard drive. Kicker Adrian Prater booted the extra point after both scores and DeKalb County took a 14-0 lead into the 2nd period.

Although the Pioneers outscored the Tigers 20-7 in the 2nd period DeKalb County clung to a 21-20 halftime advantage.

Isaiah Robledo was responsible for the first two Warren County scores in the game on runs of 9 yards, capping a 39-yard drive with 7:40 left, and later for 64 yards with 6:20 to go before the half. Keiondie Jackson converted the extra point after the first Pioneer touchdown, but the second PAT attempt was blocked. By then Warren County had cut the Tiger lead to 14-13.

DC extended its advantage to 21-13 with 1:44 left in the 2nd period on a 21-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Briz Trapp to Trace Hamilton completing a 60-yard drive. Prater’s PAT was good.

Warren County answered with 9 seconds left in the half on a 4-yard touchdown toss from Alex Van Vurren to Kalen Latina. Jackson converted the PAT but the Tigers were still on top 21-20 by intermission.

The Pioneers took the lead in the 3rd period on a 3-yard quarterback keeper by Alex Van Vurren with 2:07 left capping an 84-yard drive. A 2-point conversion attempt failed but Warren County had pulled ahead 26-21.

DeKalb County regained the lead with 8:49 left in the 4th period on a 3-yard keeper by quarterback Briz Trapp, completing a 75-yard drive. A 2-point conversion try failed but the Tigers were back on top 27-26.

Warren County later mounted what proved to be the winning scoring drive which started from their own 26-yard line after the Tigers turned it over on downs. The Pioneers drove 74 yards and scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by Alex Van Vurren with 2:56 left in the game followed by a successful 2-point conversion play and Warren County went on to claim a 34-27 victory.

The DCHS 2023 Football Schedule is as follows:

REGION OPPONENTS (*)
August 18: Warren County- McMinnville (TIGERS LOST 34-27)
August 25: Smith County-Smithville 7 p.m.
September 1: Livingston Academy*-Smithville 7 p.m.
September 8: Watertown-Watertown 7 p.m.
September 15: Gordonsville (Homecoming)- Smithville 7 p.m.
September 22: Stone Memorial*-Away 7 p.m.
September 29: Macon County*-Smithville 7 p.m.
October 6: Cumberland County*-Smithville 7 p.m.
October 13: BYE WEEK
October 20: White County*-Sparta 7 p.m.
October 27: Upperman* Baxter 7 p.m.

August 18, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Tigers plan to hit the ground running, throwing, or whatever it takes to get a victory as they launch the 2023 football campaign at Warren County in the season opener tonight (Friday) in McMinnville. Kick-off is at 7 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage.

(Visit WJLE facebook page to view all photos of DCHS Tiger football players, cheerleaders, coaches, and managers)

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With 11 seniors on the team, Tiger Coach Steve Trapp, who is starting his 19th year, isn’t necessarily concerned about experience but there are key positions that will have to be filled.

“We lose players every year and I hate that. Last year we had Colby Barnes and pretty much put it on his back a lot of times running the ball with the injuries we had on the team. Colby is gone now but we have an opportunity to spread the ball around more this year to a lot of different people. I feel confident with this group. I feel like we have the potential to compete each and every Friday night, but it comes down to how they want to buy in and believe that within the team and within themselves. I think we have a lot of potential to be an athletic team to do a lot of things offensively, defensively, and special teams wise. They have worked extremely hard, and they have done everything we have asked them to do if they can just solidify and come together, I think we can be a team that makes a lot of noise,” said Coach Trapp.

WJLE’s Pre-Game shows begin with “Coach to Coach” at 5:00 p.m. featuring former UT assistant coach Doug Matthews with Tennessee Titans Radio Broadcaster Dave McGinnis and broadcaster Larry Stone talking Tennessee and SEC football.

“Coach to Coach” is followed by “Murphy’s Matchups at 6:00 p.m., a look at Tennessee High School Football from Murphy Fair with commentary on games and coaches’ interviews.

“Tiger Talk” airs at 6:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor interviewing Coach Steve Trapp and Tiger football Captains Briz Trapp, Ty Webb, Ari White, Trace Hamilton, and Wil Farris.

Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. with play-by-play coverage on WJLE from the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor and Luke Willoughby. Listen LIVE on WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com.