Award Winning Dirt Bike Racer Kye Carter Having a “Wheely” Good Time

November 25, 2024
By: Bill Conger

DeKalb West School third grader Kye Carter knows how to have a “wheely” good time. The son of drift car racer Derek Carter and wife, Kelley, is an award-winning dirt bike racer who developed “an interest in anything with wheels at a young age.”

“As a family, we spend quite a bit of time at various race tracks for motorsports events—anything from car shows to drifting to drag racing,” mom Kelley Carter said. “So, we knew at some point Kye would be racing something; we just didn’t know it would be dirt bikes.”

The Carters bought Kye, a student in Mrs. Jessica Antoniak’s class, a Strider balance bike for his second birthday, and in no time he learned how to ride on two wheels.

“Once we saw him riding down hills with his feet on the bike and hitting some small jumps, we knew he was ready for the transition to a dirt bike.”

A year later the 3-year-old was the proud owner of a Honda CRF 50.

“It was nerve racking the first time he got on it. We had to chase him all over the yard. If he stopped, he would just fall over. The more he rode it, the better he got, and the less he needed our assistance. He has literally ridden that bike almost every day since he was 3.”

Then, in the winter of 2023, the competitive bug bit Kye to enter races.

“I asked them if I could do a race,” Kye remembers. “We’ll let you try one race. I did one race and then they let me keep doing some more. I got better and better and started winning money.”

“I believe his words were, “I wanna win some trophies!”

“That first race was fun,” Kye said. “It was just a learning experience. I didn’t win because I didn’t practice. I like fast things and dirt bikes are fast.”

“We started running the Race TN series,” Kye’s mom said. “It was a learning experience for sure, for him and us. We had to practice, practice, practice, and replay different scenarios and make sure Kye knew what he did wrong or could do better for the next race.”

To be faster for a few of the class competitions, he needed a faster set of wheels. His parents bought him a new KTM 50SX.

“Now, Kye had to make the transition from a 4 stroke bike to a really fast 2 stroke with a pretty angry power band. He made the transition faster than we thought, and with the combination of practice and the new fast bike, we started winning races.”

Kye ended the season, leading the points in the 50mc Shaft class with his CRF 50, and leading the points in 50mc Intermediate and 50mc Open with his new KTM 50sx. He was also second in points in the 65mc class running his KTM 50sx.

November 24, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A 69-year-old Nashville businessman accused of financially exploiting a 74-year-old Smithville woman appeared for sentencing in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Tuesday, November 19. He was previously charged with similar offenses in Williamson and Rutherford counties.

Michael David Verble, a native of Livingston raised in Hot Springs Arkansas, was indicted in July 2023 for financial exploitation of an elderly adult. Verble’s professional background was listed as having experience in the health care, financial services and insurance industries. On Tuesday Verble entered a guilty plea to the charge and received a four-year sentence to serve concurrently with cases in Rutherford and Williamson counties. He must make restitution of $3,500 to the victim by March 31. 2025. Verble was given jail credit of 419 days.

Assistant District Attorney General Greg Strong told WJLE last October that Verble took $3,500 from the Smithville woman to set up a trust account and never followed through.

The indictment alleges that “on or about October 2019, Verble did unlawfully and knowingly through the use of deception financially exploit an elderly DeKalb County woman in violation of state law.”

30-year-old Sonni Michael Fullilove entered a plea to possession with intent to sell a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams. He received an eight-year TDOC sentence to serve with a furlough to a treatment program. The sentence is to run concurrently with another case against him. He was fined $2,000.

32-year-old Joshua McAllen Beckham entered a plea to two counts of possession with intent to sell a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year TDOC sentence in each case to run concurrently and suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 in each case and given 97 days jail credit.

37-year-old Troy Allen Cunningham entered a plea to two counts of sale of methamphetamine over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence suspended to supervised probation and fined $2,000 in each case.

November 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

“An attitude of gratitude”

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 54th annual Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning which has become a tradition leading up to Thanksgiving Day and this year’s guest speaker was Ralph Vaughn whose message was to be thankful, set goals and mission statements for our lives, and to have a positive attitude.

“How often do I have an attitude of gratitude,” said Vaughn. Since the emphasis today is on prayer, unless we have an attitude of gratitude our prayer life will not be effective. I need to wake every day and thank the Lord for each moment in time, he said

“Prayer is not about give me, give me, give me but to say Lord help me to know you better. Help me to love you more. Thank you for explaining to me and showing me the importance and the real meaning of love. Lord, please help me to serve you better and honor you more. Again, having an attitude of gratitude. I am directing these questions to me and maybe let you lend an ear,” Vaughn said.

“Having a daily goal and significantly thinking about a spiritual goal, more than business, more than community, and more than family. Something that really causes me and maybe you to think about is what am I doing today and do I have a goal that is truly in line with where I want to be at the end of the day or at the end of life and then having a mission statement that keeps you thinking 365 days a year about how you want to be defined in your relationship with the Lord”.

“Our attitude determines our altitude whether you see the sunshine or not. Its up there. Thank the Lord the sun is always shining. I am challenging myself today, but I challenge you with that thought. Our attitude determines our altitude. As King Solomon said whatever we constantly think about we will become that person. My prayer is that the Lord continues to bless all of you and me today. With that I will say let it be, let it be. Thank the Lord,” said Vaughn.

Vaughn’s career spanned 21 years in radio broadcasting and 18 years as the president of various chambers of commerce. Ralph’s professional experience also includes property management, public relations, and marketing.

The program, held at the Smithville FBC Life Enrichment Center, featured prelude music by Susan Hinton on keyboard; the Pledge of Allegiance by Emma Adkins, DTC/Leadership DeKalb Team; National Anthem by Suzanne Slager; Opening Prayer & Blessing by Pastor Chad Ramsey of Smithville FBC; Breakfast prepared by the Smithville FBC men’s group; drinks served by the Leadership DeKalb Class of 2025; special music by Susan England, Ms Senior Tennessee America 2018; Scripture Reading by Hannah Keith and Bryna Pelham of DCHS & Leadership DeKalb; Prayer for Military and Emergency Responders by Isaac Gray, Pastor of the Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Prayer for Children and Schools by Dawn Doll of Glamping Adventure; and the introduction of the guest speaker by Smithville Alderman Shawn Jacobs. Following Vaughn’s remarks was a prayer for the local community and the lost by Connor Adcock of Middle Tennessee Natural Gas and a prayer for the state and country by Tom Clark of Lifeway.

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