Airport Manager’s Career Taking Off

April 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Katelyn Sanders’ career is soaring!

One year after being named manager of the Smithville Municipal Airport, Sanders has settled into the job she has grown to love, and her work there has not gone unnoticed.

In fact, city leaders have been so impressed with her that they are considering making her part-time position full time. That’s good news for Sanders who is about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management with a minor in Business Administration from MTSU.

Sanders could also be considered a trailblazer. At age 23, Sanders is not only the first female and youngest airport manager in Smithville, but she is believed to be currently the youngest airport operator in the nation as well.

Although Sanders has always loved travel and flying, aviation was not her planned career path. She began her college years practicing medicine as a Pre-Med major at Chattanooga State Community College where she earned an associate degree in Nutrition. It was only after she enrolled at MTSU, one of the top aviation schools in the country, that her passion for flying was renewed. It was also at MTSU that she learned of the job opening in Smithville.

“My whole life and in my first years of college I wanted to be in the medical field. I thought that is what I wanted to do and when I started working in the medical field, I became a pharmacy technician and was a Pre-Med major and I hated it. I love medicine and the science behind medicine but insurance issues and the blame that’s put on a lot of healthcare workers for things we can’t control were concerns for me so after I got my associate degree in Chattanooga I came back home and started at MTSU but at that time I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I discovered that MTSU is actually one of the top five colleges in the country for aviation. I think its number three for pilots, management, air traffic controllers, and drones, etc. When I started there, I saw planes everywhere. People were going flying, going to airports, and I found that really fascinating so I started out in their piloting program but then COVID hit, and everything was put on pause. Because of the long wait due to the pandemic, I decided to take another direction and went into aviation management and found that really interesting as well,” Sanders continued.

“One day we got an email letting us know that Smithville was looking for an airport manager, so I decided to respond even though I thought to myself I am not going to get this job because of my age and my lack of qualifications because I was still in school and had no experience, but I got the chance. I was fortunate to meet with the previous airport manager Mike Carpenter and members of the city’s airport advisory board, Roth Terrell, Shawn Jacobs, and John Daniel. They were all so kind and took a chance on me and I am glad they did. I really appreciate them and the mayor and aldermen for giving me this opportunity,” said Sanders.

While she currently commutes between her home in Mount Juliet to work in Smithville, Sanders said she doesn’t mind it because she loves her job, this town, and the people here. Sanders said although it is small, the Smithville Airport has much to offer.

“One thing that Smithville prides itself in as that we try to have the cheapest fuel in the area. That has worked really well in our favor. We also have 18 residential hangars right now as well as our big Landergood Aviation maintenance hangar where Lee Bridges and his crew do plane maintenance. I am super thankful for them and their help to me. They do amazing work on aircraft there,” said Sanders.

As for future airport plans, Sanders said the city has a few projects on the table. “We have had a few city meetings about it. We are working on buying property around the airport. We’re doing this big land acquisition and obstruction project. We want to extend our minimums where pilots can land at night time on our runway and for the safety of the residents at the end of our runway we need to make sure we have enough space above their houses for planes to land as well so right now we are working on basically buying the airspace around the airport and property close to the airport and then after that one big project we really want to do is build some more hangars. We would love to bring in more people to the airport. It’s a big commodity right now to have a hangar and we have a waiting list for them with 20-25 people on it. Our biggest revenue sources are from fuel sales and hangar rent and our hangars can be rented monthly, yearly, or every five years,” said Sanders.

Aside from her studies and job, Sanders keeps busy even in her spare time. “On the side, I go to Class Bravo at the Lebanon Airport and fly planes a few mornings a week. I have met many amazing people in this industry and have begun flight training, gaining hours towards my Private Pilot’s License. I have spent multiple years in the Women in Aviation Air Raiders Chapter as a member and Secretary and I am also the marketing coordinator for the MTSU Tennessee Aviation Professionals Society. Anything involving planes and aviation I am all about it,” added Sanders.

April 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A local observance for the National Day of Prayer will be Thursday, May 5 at 6 p.m. at the County Complex.

Isaac Gray, minister at the Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church, said everyone is invited to attend the event which is non-denominational.

“I want to invite you to come and join us on Thursday, May 5 for the observance of the National Day of Prayer. On that day, our community will gather and pray for our nation, our state, our city, our communities, and our churches. It is a great privilege for God’s people to come together with the purpose of seeking His will and His ways. This event is not sponsored by any church or organization. It is simply a gathering of God’s people with the purpose of seeking His face and His glory. We will have local pastors from Smithville and surrounding areas lead us in this time of prayer,” said Gray.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo-Christian expression of the national observance, based on the understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.

April 29, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 5th
A local observance for the National Day of Prayer will be Thursday, May 5 at noon on the east side of the DeKalb County Courthouse. Isaac Gray, minister at the Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church, said everyone is invited to attend the event which is non-denominational.

Smithville Head Start Registration
Smithville Head Start Registration for the 2022-23 school year will be Monday, May 9 from 9:00 a.m. until ? at the County Complex. Please bring COPIES of the following documents to Registration: child’s birth certificate or mothers copy; Income documents such as W2, 1040 tax return, snap benefits, foster care placement agreement or zero income. Current immunization record (These must be on a Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization, which can be obtained from your doctor’s office or our local Health Department) Children who register to attend Head Start must turn three years old on or before August 15, 2022. If you are unable to bring copies a picture can be taken and scan. If you are unable to attend this day please call 615-597-5168 to schedule an appointment.

Smithville Mayor and Aldermen to Meet
The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen will meet in regular monthly session Monday night, May 2 at 6 p.m. at city hall. The only item on the agenda is discussion of the TDOT recommendation of changing the speed limit from 30 to 45 MPH on North Congress Boulevard from Church Street to Smith Road by Northside Elementary School. The meeting will be followed by a budget workshop.

County Budget Committee Meeting
The Budget Committee of the DeKalb County Commission will meet on Thursday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower courtroom of the DeKalb County courthouse for the Fiscal Year 22-23 budget.

DeKalb Neighbors Helping Neighbors Blood Drive

A DeKalb County Neighbors Helping Neighbors Blood Assurance Drive will be Monday, May 23 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the parking lot of the County Complex next to South Congress Boulevard on the mobile Bloodmobile. All donors will receive a choice of a “Be Brave” t-shirt. Donors will also be entered into a drawing to win a “Walt Disney Trip”. To schedule an appointment, go to bloodassurance.org/dekalbneighbors or contact Jimmy Poss at 615-464-7426 or jimposs72@yahoo.com. Please remember to eat a good meal, drink additional water, avoid energy drinks, and bring a photo ID. Save time on your donation by answering your health questions prior to arriving. Download “bloodassurance.org/quickscreen” onto your phone. This will save you 10 minutes on the mobile. Blood Assurance is the SOLE blood provider for local hospitals.

DPC to host In-Person Overdose Reversal Training
The DeKalb Prevention Coalition will be offering an in-person FREE Overdose Reversal Training on May 16 from 5:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the DeKalb County Complex, 712 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville. Dinner will be provided Free. The event will provide an educational opportunity for community members to learn about overdose prevention, lessen the stigma surrounding the use of substances, specifically with opioid use disorder (OUD), and how to use Naloxone/Narcan, the lifesaving opioid overdose reversal drug. Enter the building through the UT Extension entrance and the training room is the first room on the right. Everyone is asked to register at

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/overdose-reversal-training-tickets-319786388697

or contact the office at dekalbtnprevention@gmail to reserve a spot so they can make sure to have the right amount of food.

DeKalb County to Participate in the Great American Clean Up May 14
The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County Mayor’s office would like to invite residents across the county to participate in the DeKalb County Clean Up on Saturday, May 14th. You are encouraged to form teams at your work, neighborhood, or organization, then post pictures with the name of your team to the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber or DeKalb Clean Up Facebook Page. DeKalb Clean Up volunteers are asked to stop by the DeKalb County Complex on May 14th between 9 AM and 10 AM to sign-in and pick up the provided trash bags, rubber gloves, and bottles of water. A group picture will be taken at 9:30 AM for the media if you like to participate in that. If you can’t be there to sign-in, call the Chamber office at 615-597-4163 to be counted as a DeKalb Clean Up volunteer — just give your name and the general area where you will be working. To get a head start on clean up, dumpsters will be set up at highly visible and convenient locations a few days prior to the main event. Dumpster locations will be at the Dowelltown Community Center, Liberty Community Center, Alexandria City Parking Lot (behind square), and the DeKalb County Complex parking lot.

DeKalb Board of Education to Meet
The DeKalb County Board of Education will meet in regular monthly session on Monday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Ernest Ray Education Center. A work session will be held prior to the meeting at 6 p.m. The agenda is as follows: Consider and act on Director of Schools contract, a personnel report from the Director and to act on the consent agenda which includes action on a CSH budget amendment, action on summer learning camps budget amendments, approval of a Food Service Budget Amendment, consider and act on an agreement with Educational and Resource & Management Consortium, and action on a Carl Perkins 2021-22 Budget Amendment.

Cripps Cemetery Decoration
The Cripps Cemetery Decoration is set for the 1st Sunday, May 1 at 2 pm. Located on Jackson Hollow Road, Temperance Hall, TN and still maintained by the Cripps family. Come join them and bring a chair, bring a story. Donations are needed for upkeep! Jessica and Tyler Cripps have assumed the role of caretakers for the cemetery. If you are unable to attend, donations can be mailed to: Cripps Cemetery Fund, c/o Jessica Cripps, 3736 New Hope Rd, Alexandria, TN 37012

DeKalb County Schools Art Exhibit
The DeKalb County Schools Art Exhibit will be Saturday, May 28 featuring works of local art students. The annual event, sponsored by the Smithville Study Club, will be held from 1-3 p.m. at the DeKalb County Complex at 712 South Congress Boulevard. The public is invited to attend. For more information contact Art Chair Susan Hinton at 615-597-9300 or Smithville Study Club President Walteen Parker

The 17th annual Dot’s Storytelling Day
The 17th annual Dot’s Storytelling Day called “Wrinkles in Time” and sponsored by the Smithville Study Club and FCE DeKalb Family Consumer Education will be Saturday, May 7 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the DeKalb County Complex History Room 712 South Congress Boulevard. This is a benefit for the DeKalb Imagination Library. Contact Susan Hinton at 615-597-9300 or email hinton@dtccom.net

Malone’s Chapel Baptist Church Homecoming and Singing
Malone’s Chapel Baptist Church at 6634 Walker Creek Road, Alexandria will be holding their Homecoming on May 1st with Sunday school @ 10 am followed by the worship service @ 11 am. Seth Presley will be preaching. A fellowship dinner will follow the service. Singing will conclude the Homecoming featuring Midnight Cry of Sparta. Revival will start May 2nd-7th starting at 7pm with Brother Seth Presley preaching each night. Right on Time will be the featured singers Thursday night, May 5

Smithville Elementary Kindergarten Registration
Smithville Elementary’s Kindergarten Registration for the 2022-23 school year will be Monday, May 9 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the County Complex. Please bring COPIES of the following documents to Registration: child’s birth certificate; Current, up-to-date, physical examination and immunization record (These must be on a Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization, which can be obtained from your doctor’s office or the Health Department); Proof of residency for DeKalb County (i.e. gas/electric bill); Your child (they will be tested on registration day); Children who register to attend kindergarten must turn five years old on or before August 15, 2022.

DCHS honors vocal music and music theater classes to perform
The DCHS honors vocal music and music theater classes are going to perform Beauty and the Beast Jr. on May 5 at 7:00 PM and May 7 at 2:30 PM. Admission price is $5, children 5 and under get in free. The performances will take place at the DCHS auditorium.

DeKalb County School Calendar
The remainder of the 2021-22 DeKalb County School Calendar is as follows: The last day of school will be May 23 ( Administrative Day May 20)