DeKalb County Fair Gate Admission Passes Now On Sale

April 20, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Step right up and get your season gate admission passes to the fair!

The DeKalb County Fair Board of Directors has announced that a limited number of $30 season passes are now on sale for gate admission to the 2024 Grandpa Fair of the South to be held Monday-Saturday, June 24-29 . Each season pass includes six admission tickets that fairgoers can use any day during the week whether it be (for example) one admission ticket per night, two tickets for three nights, or all six tickets in one night. With general admission to the fair this year at $7.00 per ticket (except for children ages four and younger who will be admitted free) the purchase of a $30 pass is a savings of $12 for the week if you plan to attend each night of the fair.

Season passes to the 2024 DeKalb County Fair can be purchased at the offices of the Smithville Review, UT/TSU Extension at the county complex or from the following members of the DeKalb County Fair Board of Directors

Matt Boss – President
Judy Sandlin – Vice President
Jada Moss – Secretary
Pat Parkerson – Treasurer
Jeff McMillen – Fair Manager
Angie Meadows
Ron Paschal
JoDee Prichard
Johnny Barnes
Bobby Lee Hale
Caleb Taylor

The DeKalb County Fair, a non-profit organization, normally held in July, has been scheduled earlier this year featuring a new carnival James Gang Amusements based in Andalusia, Alabama.

Ride Arm Band Prices for the week of June 24-29 will be Monday-$20, Tuesday- $18, Wednesday -$20, Thursday-$18, Friday- $20, and Saturday- $20.

Although the fair won’t officially begin with all the shows and events until Monday, June 24, fairgoers can get a jump start on the fun in a pre-fair warm-up on Friday through Sunday, June 21-23 as the fairgrounds will be open (Friday & Saturday from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.) with free gate admission to anyone who wants to purchase a ticket or armband for rides and games on the midway by James Gang Amusements. Armband prices for those three days only, June 21-23 will be $20 each day. Food vendors will be on site.

Since 1856, the DeKalb County Fair has been offering entertainment, Midway rides, food, exhibits, pageants, livestock shows and other action-packed events. Now in its 168th year, the Grandpa Fair of the South continues to live up to its 2024 theme of “Celebrating What Makes a Community Great.”

The schedule of Fair events each night is as follows:

Monday, June 24:
Cattle Show-Ag Center- 6:00 p.m.
Junk Car/Bump N Run- TC McMillen Arena – 7:00 p.m.
Jr. Fair Princess (13-16)- Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Fairest of the Fair (17-20)- Lions Pavilion – following
Miss Fair Queen (21-54)- Lions Pavilion – following
Lip Sync Battle (Round 1)- Lions Pavilion – following
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Cash Drawing-Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 25:
Little Mister & Miss (4-6)-Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Mrs. Fair Queen (up to 54)- Lions Pavilion – following
Miss Senior Fair Queen (55 & up)- Lions Pavilion – following
Corn Hole Tournament- Ag Center – 7:00 p.m.
ATV/Motorcycle Racing- TC McMillen Arena 7:00 p.m.
Relentless Youth-Lions Pavilion– 8:00 pm.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Cash Drawing- Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m

Wednesday, June 26:
Lamb Grilling– 6:00 p.m.- Ag Center
Little Miss Princess (7-9)- Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Miss Sweetheart (10-12)- Lions Pavilion – following
Kiddie Tractor Pull- Ag Center – 7:00 p.m.
ATV/Motorcycle Racing-TC McMillen Arena– 7:00 pm
David Turner and Friends-Lions Pavilion – 8:00 pm
Cash Drawing-Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn

Thursday, June 27:
Senior Day & Century Farms- Ag Center – 9:00 a.m.
Junior Goat Show-Ag Center – 6:00 p.m.
Baby Show (up to 12 months)- Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Zone Status Band- Lions Pavilion – 7:00 p.m.
Monster Truck Rides followed by Monster Truck Exhibition Show- TC McMillen Arena – 6:00 pm
Cash Drawing- Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn

Friday, June 28:
Toddler Show (13-48 months) -Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Farmer for a Day-Ag Center – 6:00 p.m.
Lip Sync Battle (Finale)-Lions Pavilion – following Toddler Show
Rodeo-TC McMillen Arena – 7:00 p.m.
Center Hill Ramblers- Lions Club Pavilion- 7:45 p.m.
DTC Games (Ages 3-12)-Ag Center –7:00 p.m.
Cash Drawing-Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn

Saturday, June 29:
Square Dancing (Smithville Select, Caney Fork Circle Eight, DeKalb Dancing Delights, and Center Hill Hoedown Square Dancers – Lions Club Pavilion-6:00 p.m.
Harvest Moon –Lions Club Pavilion- 7:00 pm
Pet Show- Ag Center – 6:00 p.m.
Demolition Derby- TC McMillen Arena – 7:00 p.m.
Cash Drawing- Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Homemade Ice Cream Contest -Ag Center-6:00 p.m.

Gates and Midway open at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The exhibit building is open from 5:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Perishable exhibit items ONLY will be accepted Saturday, June 22 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. while non-perishables may be brought Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to the Kenneth Sandlin Center on the fairgrounds.

Parking at the fair is again free this year. Students in a DeKalb Middle School organization assist in directing the parking and that club is given a donation by the fair for their help.

Visit the DeKalb County Fair website at the link below for further information at www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/

Fair sponsors listed in link below:

https://www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/sponsors

April 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Watch your speed!

The Smithville Police Department is beginning to utilize a Tennessee Safety Office radar and message board to combat speeding on city streets.

“You will see this sign around the city periodically along with two of our own (signs) that are currently being assembled. Your police department is always looking for ways to make our city safer,” said Police Chief Mark Collins.

Pictured here is the Smithville Police Department’s THSO Officer Lane Ball with THSO’s message board.

April 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Four more full time EMS employees!

DeKalb EMS Director Hoyte Hale would like to expand the number of EMS staff from the current level of 20 to a total of 24 beginning with the 2024-25 budget year and he made that request during a county budget committee meeting Tuesday night.

By having four more full time employees (preferably paramedics), Hale said the ambulance service could fully staff three Advanced Life Support 24/7 crews (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) including two crews at the headquarters in Smithville and one at the new Liberty Fire Hall. ALS ambulance crews consist of EMTs and a paramedic.

If approved the EMS budget for medical personnel would increase from $775,028 this year to $911,787 next year (fiscal year 2024-25).

Currently, the county has three staffed ambulances but only two operate 24 hours per day every day (ALS) while the other (day truck) is staffed for 12 hours per day every day (Basic Life Support).

“The way we have it split up right now, we have a paramedic truck on top (Smithville) and a paramedic truck in Liberty. If that paramedic truck here in town goes outside the city limits the one in Liberty comes back to town (Smithville). We have the BLS crew, but their call volume has increased greatly because they have been catching 911 calls during that transition of us coming up the hill,” explained Assistant EMS Director Trent Phipps.

“Anything (ambulance) with a paramedic on it is an ALS truck. When we have two EMTS on it that’s considered a BLS truck. Their (EMTs) abilities are slightly limited to that of a paramedic. They can’t do as much stuff. If that BLS truck with two EMTS responds to a call, the Liberty truck almost always has to come to them wherever they are in the county and assist them with that depending upon the type of the call,” said Phipps.

“The state requires in my yearly audit that we have an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) with a paramedic on 95% of our calls,” added EMS Director Hale.

“There are no ambulances at the Liberty Station after 8 p.m.,” explained County Mayor Matt Adcock. “The BLS (Basic Life Support) day truck hours are 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. After the day truck shift has concluded the 12-hour shift, the ALS (Advanced Life Support) truck at the Liberty Station returns to the Smithville Station (station 1),” said Adcock.

“Director Hale will also be asking for a capital project allocation for sleeping quarters to be added to the Liberty Station to house the new requested third ALS unit. This would allow the third requested ALS unit to remain at the Liberty Station 24/7 providing uninterrupted coverage of the western and northern portions of the county. This will have a significant impact on the towns of Dowelltown, Liberty, and Alexandria,” added County Mayor Adcock

Meanwhile, EMS Director Hale and Assistant Director Phipps may soon be taking on more duties. They have been asked by the county mayor to share the responsibilities of Medical Examiner Investigator when there is an ambulance call involving a death. They would be working under the physician who serves as the actual medical examiner. Plans are to also train the EMTs and paramedics on staff to fill in for Hale and Phipps if they are unavailable. Another $5,000 would be added to Hale’s salary for these extra duties putting his yearly salary at just over $64,000 barring any other pay hike. Phipps would also be granted an increase in pay or stipend for his services in that role. Director Hale has further requested an additional $2,000 in pay as EMS director.

During his budget presentation Tuesday night, Director Hale further asked that the line item for part time pay be increased from $135,000 this year to $150,000 next year and that the allocation for overtime pay be adjusted to $250,000, up from $200,000. A part time secretary would get a three dollar per hour increase in pay going from $12 to $15 under Director Hale’s request.

With at least two EMS employees planning to attend paramedic school, Director Hale has asked that the budget for In-service training be upped from $18,000 to $40,000.

Meanwhile, Hale wants the allocation for vehicle maintenance and repair to be increased by $10,000 from $65,000 to $75,000 and that the budget for maintenance and repair to the EMS building be adjusted by $3,500 to $8,500. Plans are to replace garage door motors, add security cameras and keyed door pad locks, and to do some painting.

The budget committee has not yet acted on the proposed EMS budget.