Amy Clare Lockhart and Jeanette Adcock Mabe Crowned Queens of Tuesday Fair Pageants

July 13, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The 2022 DeKalb County Fair’s Mrs. Fair Queen is 47-year-old Amy Clare Lockhart of Smithville. The pageant was held Tuesday night.

Lockhart, who was also named Miss Congeniality, succeeds the 2021 Mrs. Fair Queen, 24-year-old Briana Ellis of Smithville.

Amy Clare and her husband Keith reside on their farm overlooking the hills of Short Mountain where they raise spotted saddle horses, cattle, and sell quality hay. As a real estate broker at Town & Lake Realty, Lockhart has been passionate about her career of 23 years. Amy Clare has always taken pride in calling Smithville her home. She has enjoyed living and raising her family in a small town.

First runner-up was 36-year-old Jana Beth Tripp of Alexandria.

Tripp has been married 19 years and is a mom of two. She is currently an Alexandria Alderman and is running for Mayor. She does private in-home care for elderly and is a member of the Smithville Business and Professional Women Club and the Alexandria Fire Department Association. She attends First Baptist Church of Alexandria.

27-year-old MaKayla Shea Turner of Smithville was Second runner-up and Most Photogenic.

Turner works full time and is a student pursuing a biology and health science degree. She enjoys reading, crocheting, collecting antiques, and going on adventures with her husband.

Meanwhile 66-year-old Jeanette Adcock Mabe of Smithville was crowned Senior Fair Queen Tuesday night.

Mabe grew up and attended school in White County. When she married Carlon Mabe, they moved to DeKalb County where she worked for 22 years before going to Shiroki North America and she has been there for 26 ½ years. Mabe loves music and has been in the community chorus for many years. She is the pianist at the Bright Hill Methodist Church and attends Indian Creek Missionary Baptist Church where she is organist and backup pianist. Mabe loves the great outdoors, motorcycle riding, hunting, fishing, and boat riding.

She succeeds the 2021 queen 70-year-old Susan Frazier Hinton of Smithville.

July 13, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Keaton Sawyer Hale and Kendyl Reign Atnip were crowned Little Mister and Miss at the DeKalb County Fair Tuesday night.

Hale is the 5-year-old son of Bobby Lee and Ciara Hale of Alexandria and Atnip is the 6-year-old daughter of Brooke Hutchings and Cody and Kimberly Atnip of Liberty. Both Hale and Atnip were named Most Photogenic in their respective pageants.

They succeed the 2021 Little Mister and Miss Colton Graham Duke and Kallen Averie Curtis. Duke is the 6-year-old son of John and Whitney Duke of Smithville, and Curtis is the 6-year-old daughter of Heather Page and John Curtis of Smithville.

The pageants featured contestants ages 4-6.

First runner-up in the Little Mister Pageant was Robert Maddux Hale, 5-year-old son of Kimberly and Austin Hale of Smithville. He also earned the Mister Manners honor and Thomas Blaine Bragg, 4-year-old son of Morgan and Justin Bragg of Smithville was second runner-up.

First runner-up in the Little Miss contest was Haddeigh Grace Harvey, 5-year-old daughter of Chad and Kayla Harvey of Alexandria.

Dallas “Toby” Agee, 5-year-old daughter of Donny and Stephanie Agee of Smithville was second runner-up

Third runner-up was Neyland Hadlee Garrett, 5-year-old daughter of Ryan and Erica Garrett of Liberty

Ansley Grace Snow, 6-year-old daughter of Andy Snow and Ashleigh Snow of Smithville was fourth runner-up

Eloise Oxley was Miss Congeniality. She is the 5-year-old daughter of Matthew and Haleigh Oxley of Dowelltown

Others in the top eleven were Eloise Oxley, 5 year old daughter of Matthew and Haleigh Oxley of Dowelltown; Summer Elizabeth Longmire, 5 year old daughter of Drew and Kristy Longmire of Smithville; Oaklynn Fayth Hale, 6 year old daughter of Kimberly and Austin Hale of Smithville; Aleeya Weslyn Graham, 5 year old daughter of Derek and Andria Graham of Smithville; Braelyn Kayde George, 6 year old daughter of Misty Glover and Jay George of Smithville; and Lakelyn Jayde George, 6 year old daughter of Misty Glover and Jay George of Smithville

July 12, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Although it remains partially open to traffic, a small bridge over Dry Creek Road just off West Broad Street has a gaping hole through it and is in need of replacement.

During Monday night’s monthly meeting, the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen voted to have an engineer develop plans and specifications for eventual bid letting for a new bridge, but it could be months before the project is awarded to a contractor and started.

“A few weeks ago, we discovered that this bridge has some issues and we have shut a portion of it down. We have talked to Kyle Hazel, an engineer, and I asked him if this is approved tonight to let him begin the engineering phase and all the surveys when is the quickest we could get this out for bids. He said it would probably not be let out for bids until the first of next year,” said Mayor Josh Miller.

“At this time the bridge is still open but big trucks don’t need to drive across it because its in bad shape. I have ordered signs to put on each corner of the bridge and should have them put up this week,” said City Public Works Director Kevin Robinson.

“We will try to keep the bridge open as long as possible but there will be a time when bids are let out and the council accepts the bid and then it will have to be shut down,” added Mayor Miller.

Because it is apparently not eligible for state aid, the city may have to go it alone on funding the bridge replacement, a project which could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Five of our bridges are on state aid so they (state) come around and inspect them every two years but this bridge is two feet shy of being on state aid so it doesn’t get inspected (by the state),” said Robinson.

Janice Plemmons-Jackson, the city’s financial advisor, said the city has ample reserves to cover the bridge replacement cost.

We have been accumulating funds for years and years which is what you do (to prepare) when you have a major problem come up,” said Jackson. “There are different options for financing, and nobody likes to talk about spending money, but we do have cash on hand and if we chose to do that, we could pay the costs as we go from what we have accumulated. There is always a bond issue or debt which I would not recommend but that spreads the cost out and then we have grant funds we are receiving. I just think its going to be a matter of deciding how we pay for it, but I don’t think we have a choice. We have to do this. I am just glad we are in a position that we can meet the financial needs and do what we have to do. We have been conservative and fiscally responsible for years,” Jackson said.