TDOT Recommends speed zone change on section of North Congress Boulevard

May 2, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The speed limit may soon be changed from 30 to 45 miles per hour on Highway 56 (North Congress Boulevard) between Church Street (near the Police Department Building) and where the turn lane ends near the Northside Church of Christ.

During Monday night ‘s regular monthly meeting the aldermen adopted an ordinance to change the speed limit there based on a traffic study by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Second and final reading action will be scheduled following a public hearing at the next city council meeting in June.

Mayor Josh Miller said Alan Wolfe, Regional Traffic Engineer at TDOT sent him a letter with the recommendation after the study was completed.

“I was asked to call the state six weeks ago about doing a speed study on Highway 56 in the city limits. Mr. Alan Wolfe of TDOT did the study and this was his response.

Reading from Wolfe’s letter, Mayor Miller said” “We have completed our speed study for this section of State Route 56 in Smithville. Based on the results of the study we recommend the speed limit remain 30 miles per hour from Highway 70 to just north of the State Route 56 intersection at Church Street. From north of Church Street we recommend raising the speed limit to 45 miles per hour all the way to the existing 45 mile per hour speed zone where the turn lane ends just north of the Northside Church of Christ”.

A speed limit of 25 miles per hour will still be enforced in the school zone mornings and afternoons at Northside Elementary School.

May 2, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Scholarships and other awards will be presented to members of the Class of 2022 at DeKalb County High School during the annual Senior Awards program Tuesday night, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the DCHS gymnasium.

Representatives of colleges, universities, branches of the armed services, businesses, civic groups, and other organizations will make the presentations.

Meanwhile, graduation for the DCHS Class of 2022 will be Friday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. on the high school football field.

May 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Election Day is Tuesday, May 3 for the DeKalb County Democratic and Republican Primaries.

Voting will take place at all 12 precincts in the county Tuesday, May 3 from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. WJLE will have LIVE election return coverage and interviews with the candidates Tuesday night starting at 7 p.m.

For the 13 days of early voting combined (April 13-28), a total of 1,909 cast ballots including 1,815 in person and 94 by absentee. In the Republican Primary, a total of 1,247 voted compared to 662 in the Democratic Primary.

(View sample ballots at links below)

Democrat Primary Sample Ballot

Republican Primary Sample Ballot

A total of eighteen candidates are in the race for the eight county-wide public offices up for election this year in DeKalb County and each party (Democrat and Republican) is having its own primary on the same day, Tuesday May 3 to nominate candidates to run in the August DeKalb County General Election. Voters must choose which primary in which to vote, either Democrat or Republican. Voters cannot vote in both primaries on Tuesday, May 3.

Three incumbent Republican County office holders are running unopposed in both the May 3 GOP primary and the August 4 General Election including Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin, County Clerk James L. “Jimmy” Poss, and Trustee Sean Driver.

Incumbent Republican Road Supervisor Danny Hale is running unopposed in the May 3 GOP Primary, but he will face Democrat Wayne Shehane in the August General Election. Shehane is unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Road Supervisor on May 3.

In the race to succeed retiring Incumbent Register of Deeds Jeff McMillen, there are two candidates, Democrat Shelby Reeder and Republican Daniel Seber. Both are running unopposed in their respective party primaries on May 3 but will run against each other in the August 4 General Election.

Incumbent Republican Sheriff Patrick Ray faces opposition from Keneth Lee Whitehead in the May 3 GOP Primary. The nominee will be unopposed in the August 4 General Election.

Both party primaries feature contested races for County Mayor. Incumbent Tim Stribling faces opposition from Mike Foster in the May 3 Democratic Primary while Matt Adcock, Bradley Hendrix, and Anita Puckett are seeking their party’s nomination for County Mayor in the May 3 Republican Primary. Winners of each Primary on May 3 will run against each other in the August 4 General Election.

There are also contested races in both party primaries for General Sessions Court Judge.

Margie Rigsby Miller and Tecia Puckett Pryor are vying for their party’s nomination in the May 3 Democratic Primary while Mingy Kay Ball and Brandon Cox are running against each other for the Republican nomination in the May 3 GOP Primary. Winners of both primaries will face each other in the August 4 General Election. The newly elected Judge will succeed Incumbent Bratten H. Cook, II who is retiring from the bench as of August 31.

The terms of each office are for four years except the General Sessions Judge which is an eight-year term.

Twenty-nine candidates are in contention for one of the 14 seats on the county commission in 2022 including 9 Democrats, 17 Republicans, and 3 Independents.

Both the Democratic and Republican Parties are having Primaries on May 3 to select nominees (2 from each of the 7 districts in the county per primary) to run in the August 4 DeKalb County General Election. Two commissioners from each district will be elected in August. The terms are four years each.

In District 1, Incumbent Julie Young is running unopposed in the May 3 Democratic Primary while Bennett Armstrong and Tom Chandler are unopposed in the May 3 GOP Primary. Independent candidate Daniel Cripps will be on the ballot with Young, Armstrong, and Chandler in the August General Election. Two are to be elected in August.

In District 2, Incumbent Myron Rhody is unopposed in the May 3 Democratic Primary while Incumbent Sabrina Farler and Jim Pearson are unopposed on the May 3 GOP Primary. All three will be on the ballot in the August General Election. Two are to be elected in August.

In District 3, Incumbents Susannah Cripps Daughtry and Jenny Trapp are facing opposition from Jack E. Barton, III in the May 3 Democratic Primary (two Democratic candidates to be nominated) while Tim Perricone is unopposed in the May 3 GOP Primary. The Democratic and Republican nominees will be on the ballot in August along with independent candidate Tony Luna. Two are to be elected in August.

In District 4, Incumbent Janice Fish Stewart is unopposed in the May 3 Democratic Primary while the Republican Primary on May 3 has three candidates, Tony L. “Cully” Culwell, Dan Delacruz, and Greg Matthews (two GOP candidates to be nominated). The Democratic and Republican nominees will be on the ballot in August along with independent candidate Wayne Cantrell. Two are to be elected in August.

In District 5, there are no Democratic or Independent candidates, but five persons are running in the May 3 GOP Primary including Incumbent Jerry Adcock, Larry L, Green, Joshua Holloway, Charles Glynn Merriman, and Steve Randall Merriman, Sr. (two GOP candidates to be nominated) The nominees will be unopposed in the August 4 General Election.

In District 6, Incumbent Jeff Barnes and Danny McGinnis are running unopposed in the May 3 Democratic Primary. Two candidates are running unopposed in the May 3 GOP Primary including Justin Douglas Adcock and Doug Stephens. The Democratic and Republican nominees will be on the ballot in August. Two are to be elected in August.

In District 7, Incumbent Bruce Malone and Timothy Brian Reynolds are unopposed in the May 3 GOP primary. Democratic Incumbent Beth Pafford is unopposed in the May 3 Democratic Primary. The Democratic and Republican nominees will be on the ballot in August. Two are to be elected in August.

There are two contested Board of Education races in 2022 but not until the August 4 DeKalb County General Election.

Voters in district 1, 2, 3, 4, & 7 will elect a school board member. The terms are for 4 years.

There are no Democratic or Republican candidates for the Board of Education in District 1 but Incumbent Danny Parkerson is running unopposed as an Independent for re-election in the August 4 General Election.

Incumbent school board member Alan Hayes is unopposed in the May 3 GOP Primary in District 2 as well as the August General Election.

Incumbent school board member Jim Beshearse in District 3 is unopposed in the May 3 GOP Primary as well as the August 4 General Election.

Three people are in the race in August to succeed Incumbent school board member Kate Miller in District 4 who is not seeking re-election. Scott Little, in the Democratic Primary on May 3, and Eric Ervin in the GOP May 3 Primary, are unopposed but they will be challenged by Independent Tony Poss in the August 4 General Election.

Incumbent school board member Shaun Tubbs in District 7 is running for re-election as an Independent in the August 4 General Election. He will face opposition from Republican Ryan Mollinet who is unopposed in the May 3 GOP primary.

Seven positions in the seven-county 13th judicial district are up for election in 2022 and a total of nine candidates are in the race All are eight-year terms.

The district is made up of Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties.

The candidates for each office are as follows:

Chancellor- 13th Judicial District
Ronald Thurman (Incumbent) –Republican (May 3 GOP Primary) Unopposed

Circuit Court Judge Part I- 13th Judicial District:
William T. “Will” Ridley-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary)
Amy Turnbull Hollars (Incumbent)-Independent (August General Election)

Circuit Court Judge Part II-13th Judicial District:
Caroline E. Knight-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary)
Jonathan Young (Incumbent)-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary)

Criminal Court Judge Part I 13th Judicial District:
Gary S. McKenzie (Incumbent)-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary) Unopposed

Criminal Court Judge Part II 13th Judicial District:
Wesley Bray (Incumbent)-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary) Unopposed

Public Defender 13th Judicial District:
Craig P. Fickling, Jr. (Incumbent)-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary) Unopposed

District Attorney General 13th Judicial District:
Bryant C. Dunaway (Incumbent)-Republican (May 3 GOP Primary) Unopposed

Starting with this election, those who voted in the past at Dowelltown, Belk, and Edgar Evins State Park, will be voting at different locations.

“I want to remind voters of some precinct changes. Those who did vote at Edgar Evins State Park will now vote on election day at the Temperance Hall Community Center. Those who voted at the Dowelltown Community Center will vote now at the Liberty Community Center and those who were voting at the Belk Community Center will vote on election day at the Keltonburg Community Center,” said Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley.

To vote on Election Day, DeKalb County voters need to bring valid photo identification to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government is acceptable even if it’s expired. College student IDs are not acceptable. For more information about what types of ID are acceptable and other election details, visit GoVoteTN.gov.

Completed absentee by-mail ballots must be returned by mail to the DeKalb County Election Commission. Ballots must be received before the polls close on Election Day, Tuesday, May 3.

For more information about early voting or other election information, visit GoVoteTN.gov or contact the DeKalb County Election Commission at 615-597-4146.

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