Local Basketball Legend to be Laid to Rest Sunday (Today)

May 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A DeKalb County basketball legend will be laid to rest today (Sunday).

79 year old Helen Fay Lee of Smithville passed away Thursday night at her residence. She was also a retired educator having served for many years as teacher, high school girls basketball coach, and guidance counselor.

Helen, who became known as “Fabulous Fay” for her athletic skills on the court including an unstoppable hook shot, rose to fame in the 1950’s during the years of half court basketball. She had developed a love for the game prior to high school while playing for Coach Floyce Vickers at the New View Elementary School in the Young Bend Community. During the 1958-59 season, Helen helped lead the DeKalb County (Smithville High School) girls basketball team to the State Tournament Championship game before losing to Porter 47 to 46. The girls team, coached by Everett Lee Mitchell, finished the season 24-2.The two defeats included a 50-49 loss to Lebanon during the regular season and the loss to Porter in the state championship game. She was a four year player with many accolades, including All-District, All-State, and District MVP. Helen is also a member of the 1,000 point club.

Helen later joined an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) squad, coached by John Head and went on to play for a national championship team that included Tennessee women’s basketball legend, Nera White. Interested in becoming a basketball coach and school teacher, Helen enrolled in Peabody College in Nashville after two years on the AAU team and got her first coaching job at Nashville East Senior High in 1965 after graduating college. Helen later met and married Rick Lee and after Rick’s tour of duty in Vietnam, the couple relocated from Missouri to Oklahoma, and then to Nashville, before settling in Smithville where Helen joined the teaching staff at DCHS and served as the head girls basketball coach for eight seasons. Rick also became a teacher in the local school system. Helen later moved from the classroom to the administration at DCHS where she served as guidance counselor until her retirement in 2002.

Helen was born on April 21, 1941 in Smithville to her parents, the late Woodrow Wilson & Lillie Mai Taylor Young. She was a member of the Mt View The Baptist Church of Christ.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 2 p.m. from the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Bro. Dennis Wood will officiate and burial will follow in the Young Bend Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until the service time at 2:00 p.m. Due to Covid-19 precautions, social distance measures will be observed.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Misty Ross and a brother, Eddie Wayne Young. Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Rick Lee; two grandchildren, Ben and Maggie Felton; and a brother, James Young all of Smithville. Two sisters, Carolyn and John Whitley of Mt. Juliet and Judy Rodgers of Hendersonville. Six nieces and nephews also survive.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

May 30, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Dog lovers will soon have a designated getaway, a fenced-in venue for their pets to walk, run and strut their stuff.

Work has begun on the development of a dog park behind the DeKalb Animal Shelter on Transfer Station Road just off Highway 70 east in Smithville near Tenneco Automotive.

J & A Fencing of Smithville was on site Friday erecting a fence around the property.

DeKalb Animal Shelter Director Megan Moore said the new dog park should be completed before the end of summer.

DeKalb Animal Shelter Director Megan Moore at Dog Park from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“We get calls quite often about the dog park. We are getting started with the fencing on the grounds. The dog park should be open sometime in the summer. Keep updated on WJLE. We should also have a facebook page started soon with the city. The name of the dog park will also be released soon and we will have a community work day for some landscaping and addition of dog agility equipment, etc to help get it started so stay tuned for updates,” said Moore.

The City of Smithville was awarded a $25,000 Tennessee Dog Park Dash grant last year for the project funded through the Boyd Foundation

A dog park is a place for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners.

May 28, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The City of Smithville Police Department has said goodbye to long time employee, Lieutenant Detective Matt Holmes.

After nearly 13 years with the City of Smithville, Holmes recently announced an early retirement. On Friday, May 29, 2020, Police Chief Mark Collins and Captain Steven Leffew presented Lt. Holmes with a plaque honoring his service to the City of Smithville.

“After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to begin the next chapter in my life. The City of Smithville has been a phenomenal place to work and I consider everyone to be like family,” said Lt. Holmes.

After being employed by the City of Smithville in September 2007 as a patrolman, Holmes was promoted to Detective in 2010 and then to Lieutenant in 2014 with the responsibility for overseeing the Investigation Division within the Police Department. Holmes is a graduate of the Walter State Police Academy, Basic TBI Investigation School, as well as TBI’s Advanced Crime Scene School.

“ Lt. Holmes has been a valuable asset to the Smithville Police Department from his creative ways at solving cases to his excellent leadership skills. We will be losing someone with experience/knowledge and the desire to always do the right thing and he will be greatly missed,” said Police Chief Collins.

“Matt was an outstanding investigator. I have watched him close out cases in amazing ways. Matt is a humble person and has always gone out of his way to help. He will be missed tremendously,” added Captain Leffew.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has given me the ability to serve the citizens of Smithville. I will always be indebted to you and I will regard the time I have spent here as some of my fondest memories,” said Lt. Holmes.

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