New Tennis and Pickleball Courts?

August 7, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

New Tennis and Pickleball Courts?

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Smithville Aldermen adopted a resolution in support of the city’s application for a $750,000 BlueCross BlueShield Healthy Place Grant to develop up to six new tennis courts and seven pickleball courts on underutilized areas of the golf course.

“This is a $750,000 grant with no local match,” said Mayor Josh Miller. “I have applied every year since I have been mayor but I have not been able to get it. We are talking about changing the scope of the work this time for six tennis courts and about seven pickleball courts,” he said.

The project is contingent upon the city getting the grant.

Four years ago, the city applied for a BlueCross BlueShield Healthy Place Grant to fund a new playground at Greenbrook Park, but it was not approved.

BlueCross BlueShield Healthy Place Grant provides funding to support the development of outdoor recreational spaces that encourage physical activity and community engagement.

August 7, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Elementary School has undergone a few cosmetic changes.

Principal Anita Puckett said visitors to the school will notice new signage, window clings, a sensory hallway for students, and the sphere bollards (security barriers) out front of the building which were recently given a new colorful look. The work was done over the summer.

Recognizing that the school lacked proper signage, Puckett said she wanted to make some changes to better identify the school and direct visitors into the campus.

“Especially if you are not from Smithville, once you drove onto the campus you really didn’t know which building you were at because there was nothing in front of our vestibule that identified us as Smithville Elementary School,” said Principal Puckett. “We also have two entrances including one which is the pre-K car line and the other which is the main entrance but there was nothing to identify where to go,” she said. “I contacted Chris and Kristy Williams. She is a teacher here and Chris, her husband works for a sign company and has his own shop. Within two weeks they had created the metal main entrance and Smithville Elementary School signs, and we appreciate that so much,” said Puckett.

SES will also soon be getting a new digital marquee sign out front.

To perhaps add a layer of security, Principal Puckett said window clings have been added to the vestibule at the entrance which display the SES wildcat mascot and paws along with the greeting “Where Your Journey Begins”. “We already had the vestibule, but this is another layer of protection,” said Puckett. “I reached out to Matt Holmes at Tennessee Fleet and asked him to check out our windows. When I was at DeKalb Middle School a few years ago, he did the windows and doors there. Here I just wanted primarily the windows done and he offered a bid,” she said.

Out front of the building, the two sphere bollards have a new eye-catching appeal thanks to Principal Puckett and her husband Jimmy.

“I had a vision to do puzzle piece balls, one representing autism and another with primary colors that are bright and vibrant to make it look more like a welcoming campus,” said Puckett. “My husband and I worked very diligently hand stenciling all the puzzle pieces and then we hand painted them,” she said.

Another Puckett vision fulfilled is the new sensory hallway at the school especially for students perhaps experiencing dysregulated behavior and emotional regulation. The hallway floor now features markings for activities like hopscotch with unique names for each section including Sunny Valley, Lava Leaps and Dinosaur Cove.

“This is especially for children who are very upset with high emotions who perhaps can’t express what is wrong with them. They can come into the sensory hallway and do-little activities to help them regulate without affecting the other classrooms. I want to thank Darlene Evans for all her hours of dedication in making this a reality,” said Principal Puckett.

“Thanks to everyone who supported me in making these changes to improve the school especially Director Patrick Cripps,” Puckett concluded.

August 7, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A new School Resource Officer has been named to join the existing staff of SRO’s

Sheriff Patrick Ray has announced that Deputy Jasmine Garza will serve as an extra SRO at DeKalb County High School and also as a fill-in SRO at other schools in DeKalb County.

The Board of Education allocated funds for the position in the 2024-25 school budget at the request of Sheriff Ray.

The other five positions are funded by the state.

“I asked the School Board to appropriate a salary for an extra School Resource Officer in the 2024-2025 School Budget,” said Sheriff Ray. “There has been a need for an extra SRO at the High School because of the extra volume of investigations. We also had a problem when an SRO was out for sickness, we did not have another SRO to replace them. We had to take away the SRO, who was assigned to the Middle School, and move that officer within the 4 other schools in our county, leaving the Middle School unattended. The High School SRO was trying to protect not only the High School, but the Middle School also. I appreciate the School Board and Director Patrick Cripps for their help in this matter,” said Sheriff Ray.

“Deputy Garza began her law enforcement career for the sheriff’s department as a Correctional Officer and was chosen to be sent to the Police Academy as a Deputy,” said Sheriff Ray. “She has been a Deputy for me for 2 years. I believe she will bring an abundance of resources to our SRO Program. I also believe having a female as an SRO will be beneficial to the school system along with this program. It is very well known that most victims of crime, especially children, can talk and relate to a female officer easier than a male officer. I believe Deputy Garza will be a great Deputy for this kind of intervention. Also, a female Deputy will be able to better search females if the need arises,” added Sheriff Ray.

Deputy Garza said she is pleased to have this new assignment “I have been with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for 5 years,” said Officer Garza. “I spent 3 years in corrections and 2 years as a road deputy. I believe that it is time for me to work in another position, and that is why I put in for SRO. I am excited to be an SRO to work with the youth and be part of a strong support system that is in place for them. I hope that being here with the children will assist them in coming to us as law enforcement to help them with any problem they may be facing,” she said.

Other School Resource Officers are:
Smithville Elementary School Deputy Roger Whitehead
Northside Elementary School Deputy Matt Summers
DeKalb Middle School Deputy Joseph Carroll
DeKalb County High School Deputy Chris McMillen
DeKalb West School Deputy Billy Tiner

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