Brenda Cantrell to Retire from First Bank (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

January 4, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

After 48 years in banking Brenda Cantrell has decided to call it a career.

The Senior Financial Center Manager at the Smithville Branch of First Bank is retiring. Cantrell’s last day is next Friday, January 11 and fellow employees will host a retirement celebration for her from 2-4 p.m. that day. The public is invited to stop by.

Cantrell’s career in banking began after she graduated high school in 1970. She went to work at 1st National Bank in Smithville, where Regions Bank is now located. A year and a half later she joined the staff at Citizens Bank (now First Bank) and has remained there in the same building for more than 46 years.

“I started out as a bookkeeper filing checks and getting out statements. I progressed to bookkeeper and teller. Back in those days you had many hats to wear. I was a proof operator, a drive through window teller, and a cashier doing the bank’s book. I then became a loan officer and was secretary to the board when we were still Citizens Bank, and then I advanced to assistant branch manager and later became branch manager,” said Cantrell.

Over the decades, Cantrell has seen many changes in banking.

“Technology is the biggest issue for anybody right now and staying up to date with everything going. I started out filing checks when I began in the banking business, posting them to people’s accounts and mailing out the statements. That’s now done by automation. You run the checks through a scanner and it automatically memos to the customer’s account. The changes have been phenomenal,” Cantrell continued.

“When I started we were Citizens Bank and then it was sold to First American. Am South then purchased First American and later Am South and Regions merged with Regions being the surviving name. In 2007 First Bank bought seven branches of Am South and we have been First Bank ever since,” said Cantrell.

As for retirement, Brenda said she doesn’t have any specific plans.

“I don’t really have any plans. I’d like to get more involved with God’s Pantry and church activities and maybe visit the senior citizens center since I am a legitimate senior citizen now,” said Cantrell.

Brenda said she will miss her many banking customers and fellow employees.

January 4, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Board of Education will consider a light agenda when it meets in regular monthly session next Thursday night, January 10 at 7 p.m. at the Ernest Ray Education Center. A work session will be held prior to the regular meeting at 6 p.m.

The agenda is as follows:

Directors personnel report

Committee and school reports

Any other business that may properly come before the Board.

The consent agenda is to consider and act on the fiscal year 2018 Impact Aid Section 8002 Application and consider and act on approval of a grant for the Back Pack Program.

January 3, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County students will return to school Monday, January 7.

Friday, January 4 is a stockpile day for teachers.

The remainder of the school calendar is as follows:

Schools will be closed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 21; for President’s Day on Monday, February 18; for spring break March 25-29; and for Good Friday, April 19.

The DCHS graduation is Friday, May 17.

The last day of school for the year will be Friday, May 24. Thursday, May 23 will be an administrative day for teachers. Students will not attend.

Parent-Teacher Conferences at DeKalb County High School will be Tuesday, March 19 from 3-6 p.m
Parent-Teacher Conferences at DeKalb West School, DeKalb Middle School, Northside Elementary School, and Smithville Elementary School will be Thursday, March 14 from 3-6 p.m.

Report cards will be sent home for K-8 students on Thursday, March 14 and for DCHS students on Tuesday, March 19. Report cards will be sent home from all schools on Tuesday, January 8 and Friday, May 24.

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