Young Eagles Take to the Sky (View videos here)

September 22, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Saturday was a great day for flying and dozens of youth had a chance to do just that during a Young Eagles Flight Rally held at the Smithville Municipal Airport.

The event, hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1378 allowed youth ages 8-17 to have a free airplane ride. There were also Gyrocopter and a Para-glider demonstrations

The mission of the rally was to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation. For the past 25 years, over two million young people nationally have participated in the Young Eagles Program. The pilots who participated in the program Saturday, each certified with the Federal Aviation Administration, volunteered their time and aircraft to take the kids for a hands on flight locally.

Prior to the flights, pilots explained to the participants how the airplanes work and described the parts of the plane and instruments inside. They also reviewed all safety instructions prior to every flight.

Gyrocopter flight demonstration from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Each flight lasted 15 to 20 minutes and followed the basic steps in the flight pattern.

Smithville Airport Manager Mike Carpenter from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“We were very happy to host this event and really enjoyed seeing all the young people. Each one got a chance to fly. We asked them if they wanted to fly a plane and we gave them instructions on how to actually take the plane off.  It was pretty exciting to see the faces of those young people as they got to lift the plane right off the ground,” said Mike Carpenter, Smithville Airport Manager and President of EAA Chapter 1378.

Oakley and Kinley Fisher from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Two of the Young Eagles, 10 year old Oakley and 8 year old Kinley Fisher, told WJLE they really had a great time and would like to fly again.

“We took off and went around for a while and came back. It was lots of fun. This was the second time we had flown. The first time we flew to Florida,” said Oakley.

Oakley and Kinley and their parents Ivan and Holly Fisher live in Short Mountain community of Cannon County.

Following the flight, each participant received a certificate making them an official Young Eagle.  In addition to the certificate the new Young Eagle is given a logbook with an access code for a complete free online Flight Training course offered by Sporty’s.  Their name will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

September 22, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The annual DeKalb Health Fair will be held Friday, October 4 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. under the big tent at the Family Medical Center, 302 North Congress Boulevard, Smithville.

WJLE will be broadcasting LIVE from 10:30 a.m. until almost noon.

Free activities will be available for people with Medicare. Enjoy refreshments, health screenings, games and fun, and no-obligation prize drawings.

Meet and greet the local health teams including the Family Medical Center Team and the Cigna-HealthSpring team. Ask questions and get helpful health information.

The health fair is presented by Cigna-HealthSpring, Family Medical Center, Wilson Bank & Trust, and DeKalb Senior Centers.

Let’s get together to celebrate health!

September 22, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Let the games begin!

More than twenty senior citizens locally have been getting in shape and honing their skills for participation in the Upper Cumberland District Tennessee Senior Olympics Monday at Crossville.

Although the District Olympics will feature several competitive events, the local seniors will be entering just one, Chair Volleyball hoping to win a ribbon.

“We have four teams and we hope to compete well,” said Pam Redmon, Director of the Smithville Senior Center.

The eldest senior on the team who practices but will not be competing Monday is 94 year old Thelma Williams.

Senior Citizens to Compete at Senior Olympics in Chair Volleyball from dwayne page on Vimeo.

The Senior Olympics is for seniors 50 and older that combines a wide range of competitive activities. The objectives are to recognize people who have achieved and maintained good health throughout their lives; promote physical fitness and the pursuit of lifetime leisure activities; and provide opportunities for fun, recreation and fellowship. The Tennessee Senior Olympics, Inc. is a member of the National Senior Games Association, the largest sporting group in the United States.

Because it is a new event this year, Chair Volleyball will only have competitions at the district and possibly regional level but not at the state.

Ann Huebner, Team Captain and Coach, said DeKalb County plans to have as many as four teams competing Monday (six players per team) at the district level.

“I try to be fair with everybody to get them playing and having a good time. We do have a lot of fun. In fact sometimes we have to tell them to settle down and quit laughing because we have too much fun,” said Huebner.

Chair Volleyball rules of course are different from regular volleyball play.

“The net is five feet high. We use a 20 inch beach ball so nobody gets hurt if they get hit in the head but somehow that back row of ours always likes to hit me in the head,” said Huebner

“We can hit the ball three times in a row before somebody else has to hit it. We can then hit it three times again. We get two tries on every serve. It has to go over the net and not around it and we have to be seated. If we stand up it’s a fanny foul and we love to call those,” added Huebner.

“Chair Volleyball is a fun way for seniors to be active,” said Redmon.

Because players are required to remain seated, it allows those with physical limitations to participate on a level playing field with those who may be more active. Regular participation in this activity can increase flexibility and stamina.

“For anyone in a wheel chair this would be an excellent sport for them to get out for camaraderie and to relieve stress and have a great time. It’s a nice upper body workout and we have fun,” she said.

First Bank, the Smithville Lions Club, and NHC Healthcare Center of Smithville are sponsoring the local seniors in their competition Monday.

“We would like to thank them for sponsoring us with their generous donations. An entrance fee of $25 per person is required  and that is hard for our center to raise but with their sponsorship we are able to pay the fees and get tee shirts so DeKalb County and Smithville are represented well,” said Redman.

Seniors compete yearly in sanctioned District Olympics held across the state. Competition is held in Crossville, greater Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson, Johnson City, Columbia, Martin and Athens. Finalists from these games qualify for the State Finals, except for Chair Volleyball this year. The State Finals winners qualify for the Nationals held every two years.

In addition to Chair Volleyball the Upper Cumberland District events include pickleball, bowling, golf, swimming, table tennis, horseshoes, softball, basketball three-on-three, basketball free throw, basketball three point, shuffleboard, tennis, and track and field.

DeKalb County Seniors to compete in the Chair Volleyball event Monday at the Upper Cumberland District Tennessee Senior Olympics in Crossville. Pictured left to right-front row: Rita Russo, Smithville Senior Director Pam Redmon, and Team CaptainAnn Huebner. Seated behind first row: Elizabeth White, Frances Gay, Margaret Nichols, Shelly Blaine, Ann Lobello, Jim Branham, Anna Parker, and standing wearing purple shirts Debbie Repasy and Jan Thomas. Back row standing left to right: Phyllis Leonard, Alda Lee, Bill Huebner, Rick Davidson, Mary Lawson, Catherine McKeown, Linda Thomas, Linda Davis, and Nancy Wiebel.

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