More than 40 Pounds of Unwanted RX drugs Collected during Saturday’s Take Back Day

April 26, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Many people cleaned out their medicine cabinets of unwanted, out of date, or no longer needed prescriptions and brought them to the Smithville and Alexandria city halls for disposal Saturday during the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Lisa Cripps, local Coordinator of the DeKalb Prevention Coalition, said more than 40 pounds of prescription drugs and controlled substances were collected for disposal Saturday at Smithville and Alexandria.

The event was sponsored by the DeKalb Prevention Coalition and supported by the DeKalb County Health Department, and local law enforcement officers and constables.

“Take-Back Days in April and October each year are a safe and easy way to protect your loved ones and to get these drugs out of your home,” added Cripps.

April 25, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Following a slight rise in the statewide unemployment rate in March, jobless statistics experienced minor increases in most of Tennessee’s 95 counties, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

DeKalb County’s jobless rate for March was 6%, up from 5.4% in February which was also the March, 2020 unemployment rate (5.4%)

The local labor force for March was 7,635. A total of 7,175 were employed and 460 were unemployed.

Five counties across the state did experience lower unemployment for the month, while rates went up in 86 counties, and remained the same in four counties.

Thirty-two of Tennessee’s counties had a jobless rate of less than 5%. The remaining 63 counties recorded a rate of 5% or higher.

Williamson County’s jobless statistic of 3.3% was the lowest in the state. Its March rate was 0.3 of a percentage point higher than it was in February.

At 3.6%, Moore County posted the second-lowest rate in the state but that is a 0.1 of a percentage point increase from the previous month. Wilson County’s rate of 4% was the third lowest in March, which is an increase of 0.3 of a percentage point.

Unemployment in Lake County decreased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 8.9%, which is the state’s highest rate for the month.

Perry County’s rate of 7.5% was 0.2 of a percentage point higher than the previous month’s rate. Unemployment in Bledsoe county went up 0.5 of a percentage point to 7.4%.

Statewide, seasonally adjusted unemployment inched up 0.1 of a percentage point to 5% in March.

Nationally, unemployment dropped 0.2 of a percentage point to 6%.

The state offers online options for Tennesseans searching for employment. Currently, on Jobs4TN.gov, job seekers can find more than 240,000 open positions in a wide range of occupations and skill levels. The Tennessee Virtual American Job Center www.TNVirtualAJC.com allows Tennesseans to research different programs, from different state agencies that can help them remove barriers to employment so they can more easily reenter the workforce.

April 25, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A DeKalb County Neighbors Helping Neighbors Blood Assurance Drive will be Monday, April 26 from 12 noon until 5 p.m. at the County Complex in front of the Senior Citizens Center inside the Bloodmobile.

All donors will be given a FREE “Loyal Lifesaver” t-shirt and entered into a drawing for a chance to win a “2021 Side-by-Side”. All donors will also receive a $10 Starbucks Gift Card.

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 and drink additional water and bring a photo ID. Blood Assurance is the SOLE blood provider for our local hospitals