Sergeant Dewaine Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant

He is now supervisor over Cumberland, White, and Van Buren Counties

For the last four years, Jennings has served as Sergeant for Putnam County.

From 2007 when he joined the THP until his promotion to the rank of Sergeant, Jennings worked in DeKalb County as Trooper.

Lieutenant Jennings received his latest promotion in May and was recognized in a formal pinning ceremony at the THP Training Center in Nashville conducted by Colonel Tracy Trott.

Lieutenant Jennings is a U.S. Navy veteran and he logged twelve and a half years as a law enforcement officer before joining the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since becoming a member of the THP, Jennings has been named three times as the Cookeville District Trooper of the Year in 2008, 2009, and 2012 and he was Trooper of the Year for the entire State in 2009. In 2017 Lieutenant Jennings received the THP Life Savers Award.

He is a Crash Reconstructionist, Radar Instructor, District Field Training Officer Coordinator, Supervisor of Strike Team 6, Drug Recognition Expert, and a member of the THP Honor Guard.

Jennings is a graduate of Bethel University where he received a degree in criminal justice

For years it has been a wholesale Retail Garden Center for plants, trees, and shrubs and while that is still the main focus of the business, Bert Driver Nursery has added a beer garden and serves as an occasional entertainment venue.

The Burlap Room Beer Garden and Tap House is located at the former drive-in theater building inside of Bert Driver Nursery. It opened with an event celebrating Earth Day, April 21 serving Calf Killer Beers, made in Sparta, and Theoretic Ales produced locally by Alex Von Seitz, who operates a licensed in-home brewery at his residence in DeKalb County.

“As we discussed with them how they make beer and learned what they are all about, we decided to feature their craft beers because it was here local in Smithville and DeKalb County so after doing some research we decided to open a beer garden here at Bert Driver Nursery. It is inside the same building as the former DeKalb County Drive-In Movie Theatre so the history of the concession stand has been a drive-in movie theatre, a nursery, and now a beer garden,” said Driver.

“We are featuring seven taps both from theoretical ale from here in Smithville and Calf Killer beer out of Sparta. Those are the two beers we feature at any time through the week. During our normal nursery business operation hours we will be glad to let you taste the beers or even purchase them and fill growlers. We do have extended tap room hours on Thursdays and Fridays and Saturdays we’ll stay open until 8 p.m.,” said Driver.

The Burlap Room Beer Garden and Tap House will also serve as host to music and entertainment events this summer including a Summer Solstice celebration on June 23.

“Along the way we have been trying to feature local music as well. We have had a couple of events here. In fact we have one upcoming on Saturday, June 23. That will be a summer solstice celebration here at the nursery in the burlap room. We will have four bands and food trucks. Its kid friendly and pet friendly. There might even be a sno-cone truck here. There is a $15 cover charge but children ages 12 and younger can get in free. We will have local featured artists ranging from blues music to reggae, Americana rock, to singer-songwriter so we would love for you to come join us on that day to celebrate the summer solstice,” Driver said.

The driver of a pickup truck died in a crash Thursday afternoon on Medley-Amonette Road (State Highway 96) near the Putnam County line.

Dead is 56 year old Morris D. Carr of Baxter.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Carr was traveling north in a red GMC Canyon when the truck exited the roadway to the right and traveled for around 100 yards before it flipped onto its side where the passenger side compartment was pinned against a tree near a rock bluff. The driver was pinned in the passenger compartment in between the truck and tree. Carr was not wearing his seatbelt. He died at the scene.

Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Team and Liberty Station responded along with DeKalb EMS and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

The crash was investigated by Trooper Danielle Neal of the Tennessee Highway Patrol