News
February 19, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
After years of planning, construction of a new school to replace Smithville Elementary is on the verge of becoming a reality.
During Monday night’s monthly meeting, the county commission is expected to adopt a bond resolution to fund construction of a new 800 student Pre-K through 2nd grade school according to plans as presented by the Board of Education not to exceed $55 million over 30 years.
(Click link below to view plan)
If approved as expected, the new school will be funded only by revenues from local option sales tax money (local purpose/sinking fund) designated for school construction and operation. There will be no need for a property tax increase because the county will not be allocating any property tax money to fund it.
County Mayor Matt Adcock and the county commission discussed the bond resolution during Tuesday night’s monthly workshop meeting.
According to County Mayor Adcock, school bonds are not subject to protest and calls for a public referendum, as was the case last year with the proposed bond resolution for a jail/judicial center.
“School bonds are not subject to protest (calls for a public referendum),” said County Mayor Adcock. “There is only a detailed bond resolution. For a school the state has made it easier for a county to allocate money or issue bonds. This is a detailed bond resolution not to exceed $55 million and funds would go into a construction account and the schools would have it after that and its only supposed to be spent for construction of a school and that’s all,” said County Mayor Adcock.
If bids come in at below $55 million, Adcock said that’s all the county would borrow. If it runs over $55 million, the school board would have to cut the cost of the project.
“If you put this out for bids and it comes in at $48 million then that’s all you borrow. If it comes in at $56 million, they (school board) will have to look at ways to cut costs to get it down to $55 million,” said County Mayor Adcock.
All the cities have joined the county and board of education in extending their existing local option sales tax agreements by 18 years through 2055 to help fund the debt on new school construction. Smithville extended its agreement with a stipulation that the county issue bonds within a year.
The county commission will meet Monday night, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the county complex.
During a joint meeting with the Board of Education and Director of Schools on October 8, 2024 the County Commission and County Mayor heard from Brian Templeton of Upland Design Group, the school board’s architect on plans to build a new 800 student Pre-K to 2nd grade elementary school to replace the existing Smithville Elementary complex. The construction will be on property adjacent to Northside Elementary School.
Templeton conducted a power point presentation showing a rendering of the proposed new school as well as the schematic design and floor plans. The commission had first been shown the plans in a joint meeting with the school board in 2022.
According to Templeton, the plans are exactly the same except for the cost. In September 2022 the projected cost to build this proposed 124,207 square foot facility was $46,199,875. Today, the projected cost is $53,414,825.
In May, 2020 the school board voted to allocate funds from its own budget to purchase 24.5 acres of property on North Congress Boulevard adjacent to Northside Elementary School for construction of a new Pre-K to 2nd grade elementary school. The price paid was $18,000 per acre for a total of $441,000.
The purchase was made after a favorable core drill assessment of the property and TDOT approval of a traffic plan into the proposed new school off Highway 56 north.
According to Upland Design Group, the proposed new Pre-K to 2 Smithville Elementary School would be 124,207 square feet in size and would be designed to accommodate 800 students with room for future expansion to house up to 300 additional students (1,100) total. The school would be built with 11 classrooms for each grade level of kindergarten, first, and second grade (33 classrooms for 20 students each) along with seven Pre-K classrooms for 20 students each plus four CDC/SPED classrooms as needed. The future expansion would accommodate 15 new classrooms at 20 students each. There would be 189 parking spaces on the campus.
In September 2020 the School Board adopted a traffic plan as proposed by T-Square Engineering based in Franklin and approved by TDOT on how best to get traffic entering the schools off of Highway 56 to reduce congestion.
Under the plan each school (The proposed new Smithville Elementary School and Northside Elementary) would have its own entrance for car traffic off of Highway 56 (North Congress Boulevard) but there would also be a lane connecting the two schools should parents have to pick up and drop off children at both places.
Buses would enter the Northside campus from Smith Road for student pickup/drop off and then would follow a bus (only) lane to the new elementary school for pickup/drop off to be located at the rear of both schools. After making a turnaround at the new school, buses would then exit the same way they entered via the bus lane and then back onto Smith Road.
No construction or alterations would be needed on Highway 56 to accommodate the school traffic plan according to T-Square Engineering.
Seven DCHS basketball players have received All-District honors
February 17, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Seven DCHS basketball players have received All-District honors.
The selections were announced Monday.
Dallas Kirby of the Tiger basketball team was named to the 2nd Team All-District while Jordan Parker made the 3rd Team All-District. Elliot Barnes and Porter Hancock were named to the All District Freshman Team.
Chloe VanVranken and Avery Agee of the Lady Tigers received All-District Honorable Mention and Jordyn Agee made the All-District Freshman Team.
The DCHS Lady Tigers, seeded 6th, will make their debut in the District 7 AAA Tournament Wednesday night, February 19 at Cumberland County High School against the Cumberland County Lady Jets (3rd seed). The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage.
The Tigers, also seeded 6th, will face White County (3rd seed) on Thursday, February 20 at Cumberland County High School. The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage.
In other district tournament girls’ matchups at Cumberland County High School in Crossville:
#4 Livingston Academy vs #5 Stone Memorial: Wednesday, February 19 at 6 p.m.
#3 Cumberland County vs #6 DeKalb County: Wednesday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m.
#2 Upperman vs Cumberland County/DeKalb County winner: Friday, February 21 at 6 p.m.
#1 White County vs Livingston Academy/Stone Memorial winner: Friday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Girls Consolation Game: Monday, February 24 at 6 p.m.
Girls Championship Game: Monday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.
In other district tournament boys’ matchups at Cumberland County High School in Crossville:
#4 Livingston Academy vs #5 Cumberland County: Thursday, February 20 at 6 p.m.
#3 White County vs #6 DeKalb County: Thursday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.
#2 Stone Memorial vs White County/DeKalb County winner: Saturday, February 22 at 6 p.m.
#1 Upperman vs Livingston Academy/Cumberland County winner, Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Boys Consolation Game: Tuesday, February 25 at 6 p.m.
Boys Championship Game: Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m.
DISTRICT 7 AAA ALL-DISTRICT SELECTIONS (BOYS)
Co MVP: Cade Capps-Stone Memorial and Ty Copp- Upperman
Defensive MVP: Tripp Pinion- White County High School
All-District Defensive Team: Evan Huddleston-Upperman, Bronzden Chaffin-Upperman, Branson Turnbow- Upperman, Kadyn Page-Stone Memorial, and Cole Sims-White County High School.
Freshman MVP: Triston Futtrell- Cumberland County High School
All Freshman Team: Joseph Maynard-Upperman High School, Elliot Barnes- DeKalb County High School, Kolt Norris-White County High School, Lofton Crouch-Upperman, and Porter Hancock-DeKalb County High School
Most Improved Player: Colton Johnson- Upperman High School
1st Team All-District: Tripp Pinion- White County, Bronzden Chaffin-Upperman, Tucker Miller-Livingston Academy, Jack Cordell-Stone Memorial, and Sol Sitton-Cumberland County
2nd Team All-District: Cole Harris-Livingston Academy, Rocco Carwile-Livingston Academy, Colton Johnson-Upperman, Andrew Dennis- Cumberland County, and Dallas Kirby- DeKalb County High School
3rd Team All-District: Jordan Parker-DeKalb County High School, Briggs Lowe-Stone Memorial, Evan Huddleston-Upperman, Lucas Dickerson-White County, and Tucker Pinion-White County High School
Honorable Mention: Branson Turbow-Upperman, Cole Simes-White County, Triston Futrell- Cumberland County, Kayden Page-Stone Memorial, and Kayne Bosanko-Stone Memorial
DISTRICT 7 AAA ALL-DISTRICT SELECTIONS (GIRLS)
MVP: Ellie Butler-Livingston Academy
Defensive MVP: Lakelyn Gratsy-White County High School
All District Defensive Team: Ava Jones- White County, Aliyah Hawkins-Cumberland County, Ava Allen-Upperman, Sydney Wilhite-Cumberland County, and Gracie Butler-Upperman
Freshman MVP: Ella Jane May-Stone Memorial
All Freshman Team: Reece Collins-Livingston Academy, Carile Kileen-Cumberland County, Cassie Crouch-Upperman, Jordyn Agee-DeKalb County High School, and Sarah Winfree-White County.
Most Improved Player: Bella Winningham- White County High School.
1st Team All-District: Gracie Clark-White County, Sydney Wilhite-Cumberland County, Gracie Butler-Upperman, Ava Jones-White County, and Taylor Dolente-Upperman
2nd Team All-District: Aliyah Hawkins-Cumberland County, Lakelyn Gratsy- White County, Bella Winningham-White County, Sadie South-Upperman, and Addi Howard-Stone Memorial
3rd Team All-District: Ashley Wittenburg- Stone Memorial, Maggie Butler- Upperman, Chloe Jenkins-Livingston Academy, Ella Harrel-Upperman, and Ella Jane May-Stone Memorial
Honorable Mention: Chloe VanVranken-DeKalb County High School, Emma Poston-Livingston Academy, Avery Agee-DeKalb County High School, Lillie Hinch-Stone Memorial, and Ava Allen-Upperman
March 1 Livestock Forage Program Signup Deadline Approaches
February 17, 2025
By:
Do you have cattle, sheep, goats, or equine animals and have not signed up in the Livestock Forage program since it began in October 2024? If so, the 2024 Livestock Forage Program (LFP) signup period has been extended until March 1, 2025.
The 2024 Livestock Forage Assistance Program (LFP) has been approved for DeKalb and Cannon counties due to recent and extreme drought conditions that have affected livestock grazing during the 2024 normal grazing period. LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock on land with permanent vegetative cover or planted specifically for grazing.
Since the LFP signup began in early October 2024, nearly 450 livestock producers in DeKalb and Cannon counties have been approved and received just over $1 million.
If you are a livestock producer and have not filed your LFP application since the signup period began in early October 2024, please visit the FSA office in Smithville to file your application before the March 1, 2025 deadline. There are no approval provisions for late filed LFP applications.
For more information, call the office at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2, or come by the Smithville USDA Service Center located at 647 Bright Hill Rd., Smithville, Tennessee. The Farm Service Agency’s office hours are 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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