Tech students design database for Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree

June 20, 2023
By: Megan Trotter

As musicians take the stage for the 52nd Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree this June 30-July 1, little do they know that a group of recent graduates from Tennessee Tech University helped make this year’s registration much smoother.

Computer science majors Earl Pike of Knoxville; Christopher Mitchell of Smithville; Justin Miller of Chattanooga; Destin Harris of Knoxville and Sean Tyrer of Elk Rapids, Michigan, were responsible for designing a new database for the Jamboree’s contestant registration system.

The project was their senior capstone project, which they picked from a list that described a number of projects without mentioning the name of the organizations the projects were for. Once the team was formed, the organizations were revealed.

“When we found out it was the Jamboree, we were excited!” Pike said. “I have a deep connection with my Appalachian heritage and being able to bring that forward in time and be a part of that cultural preservation is awesome.”

Tyer described what drew him to the project in the first place: “I decided to put this one on my list of interesting projects due to how it could help improve not only my web development skills, but also backend coding skills.”

The new system that the team created allows the event organizers to more easily keep track of the contestants registered for each musical competition. It displays to organizers the city each contestant is from, how many are competing in each division, if the person has paid the registration fee and other information vital to the organization of the bluegrass and Appalachian music and dance competitions that draws thousands of spectators every year.

“I hope that it will improve registration speeds and make keeping track of registrations easy for those using the system,” Mitchell said.

Organizers of the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree say they are very pleased with the results.

“The computer science capstone group has created an innovative registration system for the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree that promises to take the event to greater heights,” said Ethan Shaw, Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree board member. “Thanks to the team’s hard work and expertise, the new system is highly versatile, enabling us to add, modify, or eliminate event categories with ease. This was a significant upgrade from our previous registration system, which was not as flexible.”

Miller said, “I hope that this project will make the lives of the registrars for the event easier. I know how much of a hassle it can be to manually enter data or try to add things to a database and have it crash. My main hope for this project is that they will be able to use it for years to come, hassle free!”

Each of the team members graduated from Tech this past spring and are moving on to start their careers in fields that include cyber security, web development and even a computer scientist in the U.S. Navy’s largest command center in Virginia. They all mentioned they had chosen Tech as their university due to a number of factors, including the reputation of its programs, scholarship options and the closeness to home.

“I chose to come to Tech because of the engineering program, as well as how affordable it is compared to other colleges,” Miller said. “The engineering program itself is very high quality, and to be able to get such a good education for a relatively cheap price made the choice very easy.”

As preparations for the Jamboree are underway, those using the new system thanked the Tech graduates for their work.

“The capstone group’s contribution has opened up endless possibilities for the Jamboree’s future technological growth, as we can now explore and leverage multiple avenues of technological innovation,” Shaw said. “We cannot express enough gratitude to the Tennessee Tech computer science department for their partnership and invaluable assistance. The Jamboree is immensely proud of what this group has achieved and what it means for our future. As a former Tennessee Tech capstone student, I knew that the Jamboree was fortunate to partner with Tech on this exciting project.”

June 20, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County and the Cities of Smithville and Alexandria are being awarded grants for either water and or sewer line improvement projects according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The local grant awards are among 131 grants totaling $299,228,167 from the state’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund, part of which TDEC is administering in the form of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure grants. Since August, TDEC has awarded and announced $933,632,711 in grant funds through ARP programming.

Of the 131 grants, 29 are collaborative grants and 102 are non-collaborative grants. Collaborative grants involve multiple entities (cities, counties, or water utilities) partnering on projects to work toward a shared purpose. All grants awarded represent 469 individual drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater infrastructure projects.

DeKalb County is receiving a “Collaborative Grant” in the amount of $700,000. DeKalb County, in collaboration with the Baxter Utility District, will use ARP funds to modernize aging infrastructure and reduce water loss. The grant will be used to replace approximately 12,150 linear feet of existing water line, which will improve operations in the City of Baxter’s water system and reduce leak responses.

The Cities of Alexandria and Smithville are receiving “Non-Collaborative Grants”.

The Town of Alexandria will use $674,931 in ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and address critical drinking water and wastewater needs. Projects include the replacement of aged meters with new reading meter heads, the replacement of an aging booster pump station with new pumps and upgrades to the electrical system, a new back-up generator for the pumping station, and the replacement of an aging can-type sewer lift station with new grinder pumps.

The City of Smithville will use $1,336,999 in ARP funds to address critical wastewater needs. Projects include the renovation and replacement of approximately 9,000 linear feet of aged gravity sewer line subject to high amounts of infiltration and inflow.

Tennessee received $3.725 billion from the ARP, and the state’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group dedicated $1.35 billions of those funds to TDEC to support water projects in communities throughout Tennessee. Of the $1.35 billion, approximately $1 billion was designated for non-competitive formula-based grants offered to counties and eligible cities to address systems’ critical needs. Those include developing Asset Management Plans, addressing significant non-compliance, updating aging infrastructure, mitigating water loss for drinking water systems, and reducing inflow and infiltration for wastewater systems.

The grants are part of the $1 billion non-competitive grant program. The remaining funds ($269 million) will go to state-initiated projects and competitive grants.

“As Tennessee continues to experience unprecedented growth, we’re prioritizing critical infrastructure investments that will address the needs of Tennesseans and give local communities the resources needed to thrive,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “We look forward to the improvements these projects will bring, and we commend the communities who have gone through the application process.”

“More than ever, infrastructure is critically important to our local communities,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge. “This money will allow cities and towns to address deficiencies and make improvements that will pay dividends not just in the present but in the years to come as well. I greatly appreciate the work of the governor and my colleagues on the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their work in making sure these funds were spent appropriately and efficiently.”

“We continue experiencing considerable growth across the state, and many of our communities require additional resources to address their evolving needs,” said Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. “These grants will play a major role in ensuring cities and towns have access to infrastructure solutions that will enable them to continue thriving so Tennessee remains a preferred destination for both businesses and families.”

“We are grateful to the local applicants, and we anticipate excellent results from these grants,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “This shows that Tennessee recognizes the need for improved water infrastructure, and we are grateful for the leadership of Governor Lee and the General Assembly in seeing that communities get this assistance.”

June 19, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Kitten lovers will find it hard to resist “Miso”, the WJLE/DeKalb Animal Shelter featured “Pet of the Week”

“Miso is a four-month-old sweet little boy. He is super loving and has already been neutered, vaccinated, and micro-chipped so he is ready to go to a new family. He is just a big cuddle bug. He loves to be held and he is great with children and other cats. Miso is an all-around sweet kitten,” said shelter director Emmaly Bennett.

“If you are interested in adopting Miso please check out the adoptable pet’s link on our website to fill out an application at https://www.dekalbanimalsheltertn.com/ and we will call you to come in and meet him,” said Bennett.

The shelter is open Monday-Friday from 8 to 4 and Saturday from 8 to 12 at 186 Transfer Station Road. Phone 615-597-3647.

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