DCHS Tiger Basketball Coach John Sanders Resigns

July 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Another coaching change at DeKalb County High School.

John Sanders, who for the last four seasons has been head coach of the DCHS Tiger Basketball program has announced his resignation as coach and Physical Education Teacher. Sanders is stepping down to become an assistant to Head Boys Basketball Coach Ryan Sleeper at Trousdale County High School.

“It was something I really wasn’t planning on doing but an opportunity presented itself to get a little closer to home (Carthage). It was a tough decision and one I prayed about for a while, but I think in the long run it will be what’s best for me and my family,” said Coach Sanders.

“I want to thank the DeKalb County administration and the school for being so supportive. I have enjoyed working with my co-workers but it’s the kids that I will miss the most. Everyone was really good to me,” added Coach Sanders.

A native of Smith County, Coach Sanders came to DeKalb County in 2018 after having served as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Murfreesboro Oakland High School. He and his wife Kristen Oldham Sanders still reside in Carthage. They are the parents of two children, 3-year-old Quinn and Jo Lynn who will be 1 year old in November.

In his four seasons at DCHS from 2018-22, Coach Sanders compiled an overall record of 36-73 and 17-37 in the district according to Coach T.

Meanwhile Tiger Assistant Basketball Coach Logan Vance has also resigned. He is taking a job as teacher and basketball coach at Smith County Middle School.

These resignations come just a little more than a month after DCHS Lady Tiger Basketball and Tigerette Softball Coach Danny Fish decided to leave DCHS to become head boys’ basketball coach at Warren County. Brandy Alley was later named to replace Coach Fish as Lady Tiger Basketball Coach and Danielle Tyson Horton will take over the Tigerette Program.

June 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Its show time in Smithville as the Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival returns to town with thousands expected to flock to the acclaimed festival. Each day, Friday and Saturday, July 1 & 2 begins at 9am with over 35 music and dance categories, streets full of hand-made crafts, and food booths galore.

The Community Chorus headlined a pre-jamboree patriotic program Thursday evening at Evins Park downtown joined by the Smithville Select Dancers and the DeKalb Dancin’ Delights led by Mary Ann Puckett.

The Chorus will be featured again on the Jamboree Stage as part of the Official Welcoming Ceremony Friday evening around 6 p.m. along with the posting of colors and brief remarks by local government and community leaders. A United States flag and a Tennessee State flag will also be presented by State Senator Mark Pody and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Clark Boyd to the persons who have traveled the greatest distances to get here, both from inside and outside the country. Fiddler’s Jamboree Craft Awards will be presented during the weekend for “Best of Show”, “Best Appalachian Craft”, “Best Newcomer”, and “Best Craft Display”.

The Kody Norris Show country bluegrass band will be honored on Saturday, July 2 at 5 p.m. as the 2022 Blue Blaze Award recipient followed by a mini-concert performed by the band on the main stage.

Meanwhile, the Grand Ole Opry has agreed to invite the 2022 Grand Fiddle Off Champion to play a ‘fiddle tune’ for the Opry square dancers live performance during a selected show. (TBD)

Preliminaries will be held in the following categories on Friday, July 1:

Old Time Appalachian Folksinging (Solo); Junior Clogging (ages 13-39); Junior Buck Dancing (ages 13-39); Old-Time Appalachian Folksinging (Duet, Trio, Quartet); Dobro Guitar; Mountain Dulcimer; Hammer Dulcimer; Novelty Event (Spoon Clacking, Jug Blowing, Washboard, Tub, Saws-Appalachian); Autoharp, Gospel Singing (Solo); Country Harmonica; Old Time Banjo; Youth Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers); Gospel Singing (Duet,Trio, and Quartet); Mandolin; and Old Time Fiddle Band.

The top three acts in each category will be called back for the finals on Friday night and a first, second, and third place will be awarded.

On Saturday, July 2, preliminaries will be held in the following categories:

Junior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages up to 39); Senior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages 40 and over); Senior Buckdancing (ages 40 and over); Senior Clogging (ages 40 and over); Bluegrass Banjo; Junior Fiddlers (ages 13-39); Flat Top Guitar; Contest Fiddle for the Neil Dudney Award; Bluegrass Band; Senior Fiddlers (ages 40 and over); and Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers).

Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be called back Saturday night to compete for first, second, and third place.

The winners of the Junior and Senior Fiddling competition will square off for the Grand Champion Award, the Berry C. Williams Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the festival.

Meanwhile, the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners will be held Saturday afternoon, July 2 during the Jamboree featuring competitions for children, up to age twelve, in the categories of Buck Dancing, Clogging, Dobro Guitar, Mandolin, Five String Banjo, Flat Top Guitar, and Fiddle.

Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be brought back to compete for first, second, and third place.

One child will receive the Best Overall Instrumental Entertainer Trophy Award and the top fiddler will get the James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Trophy.

WJLE will broadcast most of the on-stage entertainment LIVE on AM 1480/ FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com.

For more information on the festival, go to www.fiddlersjamboree.com

June 29, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

New data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed unemployment rates increased slightly during May in each of the state’s 95 counties. Even with the minimal increases, 93 of Tennessee’s 95 counties including DeKalb maintained rates lower than 5% for the month.

The DeKalb County unemployment rate for May was 3.9%, up from 3.4% in April but still below the rate of 4.5% in May 2021. The DeKalb Labor Force for May was 7,990. A total of 7,676 were employed while 314 were without work.

Williamson County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the state for May. At 2.3%, its rate increased 0.3 of a percentage point from April’s revised rate of 2%. Moore County had the second-lowest rate at 2.5%, a 0.4 of a percentage point increase when compared to the previous month.

Perry County’s rate came in at 5.5%, the highest in the state. That represented a 0.4 of a percentage point increase from April’s rate of 5.1%. Bledsoe County had the second-highest rate in May at 5.1%, also a 0.4 of a percentage point increase for the month.

The increase in county unemployment followed the slightest uptick in the statewide unemployment rate in May. Tennessee’s jobless number inched up to 3.3% in May, just 0.1 of a percentage point higher than the state’s all-time low rate of 3.2%.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates county and statewide unemployment rates differently. It does not factor in seasonal impacts on data when determining county unemployment rates, while it does seasonally adjust the statewide unemployment number.

Nationally, May’s unemployment rate mirrored April’s rate of 3.6%.

Job seekers can find all the resources and the services they need to start their search, all in one place. TNWorkReady.com is the site to find a new job, develop new skills, or find classes where adult learners can earn a high school equivalency diploma.

One-on-one help with a Career Specialist is also available at nearly 80 American Job Centers located in counties across Tennessee.

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