West Walnut Art Walk draws hundreds to downtown Smithville for evening of Culture, Craft and Entertainment

September 20, 2022
By:

Hundreds of DeKalb County residents converged downtown Friday evening for the first Art Walk, sponsored by the Shoppes of West Walnut.

“It was a perfect night for a perfect gathering,” says Bert Driver one of the event organizers and sponsors.
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“Judging from the enthusiastic turnout, people here in Dekalb County are hungry for this kind of cultural get-together.”

For art aficionados, Art Walk presented a unique opportunity to explore the old and new, right here at home. Participating artists exhibiting their latest creations along Walnut St. included Gerry Smith Burklow, felt/paper mache; painter Lara Cottrell; Beverly Mayes- mixed media sculptor; One Stop Soul Shop- MacKenzie; Kerry Judkins, acrylic and oil landscapes; Andy Murphy, landscape photographer; photographer and woodworker Matt Antoniak; and Tabitha Thierjung, Glass Artist in Residence at The Appalachian Center for Craft. Best of Show Honors went to Lara Cottrell while Gerry Smith Burklow earned Best Display.

Meanwhile, a free art gallery was set up showcasing originals by Renoir, Dali, Whistler, and other renowned masters from the collection of Shane Brock, as well as a vintage hand carved tusk on loan from Crede Colgman.

Live musical entertainment for the evening was provided by members of MTSU’s Cerulean Soul Jazz Band.

“By every measure, Art Walk was a success,” notes Driver. “We promise there will be more events like this for the people of DeKalb County in the future.”

September 19, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School has found a new way to promote student achievement with help from two local sponsor partners, FirstBank and Wilson Bank & Trust.

New signs are now prominently displayed on the wall in the hallway of the school near the office to highlight the names of students who have met various academic and vocational benchmarks.

“Our goal at DCHS is to find more ways to promote the amazing things our kids do each and every day,” said Assistant Principal Thomas Cagle. “We have some really bright students and those that work really hard in many different facets and any way we can promote those students and show that we want to take advantage of it. This summer I worked with FirstBank and Wilson Bank & Trust along with Kathy Bates who helped me with the design of these metal signs on which we will post the students names to recognize them. We wanted it to be done in a little more professional way rather than simply posting a list on the board,” Cagle continued.

“We will be able to have students names up there who are TN Ready Graduates and students who have met their benchmarks and are graduating with honors. Their names will be posted on the board throughout the year as we get those scores in from the ACT results. We will also have boards that will focus on students’ overall ACT scores as well as industry certifications for those on a vocational path, our Advanced Placement (AP) students, and those doing dual credit classes. There will be lots of different avenues in which we can recognize students academically and vocationally here on these boards at the front office,” he added.

“We want to thank both FirstBank and Wilson Bank & Trust for their donations as a sponsor for us to be able to get these signs made to put them up on the wall,” said Cagle.

“We are excited for what the youth of DeKalb County is working toward in bettering themselves and what the staff has done here at DCHS to help recognize students for their achievements. We are proud to be a sponsor and partner with this,” said Alex Woodward of Wilson Bank & Trust in Smithville.

“We are thankful for the staff out here at DCHS as well as the parents and students. Anything we can do as a bank or community to support the good things here we want to be part of that. This is just one way to recognize some really great achievements out here,” said Casey Midgett of FirstBank in Smithville.

“I appreciate both banks for their generous donations. We do this to recognize our students for their hard work and dedication,” explained DCHS Principal Bruce Curtis.

September 19, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

An alert Alexandria Police officer discovered a break-in at a church there Saturday evening and later caught the two people believed responsible for the crime.

18-year-old Nickoli Delmerovich-Nunes Dagrella of Alepna, Michigan is charged with burglary, vandalism, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His court date is September 29. A 16-year-old was also taken into custody and will make an appearance in DeKalb County Juvenile Court.

In a prepared statement, Alexandria Police Chief Chris Russell explained how the events unfolded leading to the arrests.

“On September 17, 2022, Sergeant Josh Arnold of the Alexandria Police Department was on patrol on Cemetery Street and observed an open door and a window air conditioner unit that had been tampered with at the historic Seay Church. Upon further investigation it was determined that someone had forced entry by breaking open a side door causing damage. Sergeant Arnold had noticed a vehicle leaving the area prior to discovering the burglary.”

“A few hours later, Sergeant Arnold again went back to the church and noticed the same vehicle unoccupied parked by the side of the church. While waiting for additional law enforcement, Sergeant Arnold located and detained Dagrella and then arrested the juvenile after spotting him in the woods. Further investigation revealed that the pair was responsible for the earlier burglary at the church. A computer check through NCIC revealed that the juvenile was reported as a missing person out of Georgia,” said Chief Russell.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department responded to assist the Alexandria Police Department in the case.

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