Application Workshops To Be Held For THDA HOME Repair Grant

April 29, 2021
By:

DeKalb County has secured a $500,000 HOME program grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) to help local families with home repairs.

The Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) is administering the grant and will be hosting application workshops for anyone needing assistance completing their application. Application workshops will be held on May 6th and May 13th in Smithville at the DeKalb County Complex. Enter through the UT Extension portion of the building . Both workshops will be held at 6:00 p.m. Once applications are received, a priority list will be formed based on the level of rehabilitation work required and socioeconomic factors of each applicant. This will help determine how many homes can be repaired.

HOME program funding is intended to help families of low income, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities who cannot afford to bring their homes up to code. Officials anticipate helping homeowners with issues such as leaking plumbing, unsafe flooring, faulty wiring, damaged roofs, and more.

The HOME program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered in Tennessee by THDA. HOME grants must be used for the production, preservation, or rehabilitation of affordable housing for low and very low-income families and individuals.

April 29, 2021
By: Leigh Fuson, 4-H Agent

For the first time in over a year, DeKalb County 4-H was able to compete in an in-person contest.

Sixteen members traveled to the Wilson County Fairgrounds to compete in the Central Region 4-H Livestock Judging contest where their knowledge of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were put to the test. This contest is always one of the largest judging events in the region with around 20 counties and 250 youth participating this year. The event was spread out over the day to allow for social distancing.

Two teams of 5th graders in the Junior division both placed in the top ten. The team of Carson Miller, Zane Starkey, and Ben Waggoner won 6th while Sam Arnold, Triniti Kelsor, and Gauge Pack placed 8th. Gauge Pack was 1st high individual and Ben Waggoner was 2nd out of 63 contestants! The team of 7th graders included Cali Agee, Chaylea Lunsford, and Kylynn Smullen placed 10th in the Jr. High division.

The high school division was the largest in the contest this year. The teams were unable to snag a top ten finish, but they still did a great job! Competing at this level was Briona Agee, Jenna Cantrell, Ansley Cantrell, Gracie Griffin, Riley Fuson, Luke Magness, and Avalynn Smullen. These contestants have an added challenge of giving oral reasons: a verbal defense of why they chose to place the class as they did. For most of the members, this was their first time giving reasons. They must be able to think on their feet and use good presentation skills, as well as use good livestock terminology.

Livestock judging allows young people to develop decision-making and critical thinking skills while evaluating and selecting meat animals. They also learn more about the livestock industry as a whole. So, how do you “judge” livestock animals exactly? 4-H members learn how to assess the conformation, or body structure, and muscle of different breeds of beef cattle, sheep, goats, and swine in order to know which animals would be best in a breeding program or would make the most profit in a market situation. They also learn how to read and use performance data and genetic information to assist in the selection of breeding livestock.

These youth represented DeKalb County well at this very competitive event. The members worked hard and practiced several times. They also made some farm visits and had a lot of fun along the way. Thanks to Melissa Oliver and Jimmy Herndon for hosting the 4-H members at their farms! If you are interested in learning more about livestock judging, or any other 4-H event, please call 615-597-4945 or email lfuson2@utk.edu

4-H is the Youth Development program for University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University Extension. 4-H teaches leadership, citizenship, and life skills to more than 302,000 youth in grades 4-12. UT/TSU Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment through the cooperation of county, state, and federal governments.

By: Dwayne Page

The American Job Center, TN Dept of Labor, and Upper Cumberland Workforce Development Board are hosting a Job Fair on Thursday April 29th from 9am to 1pm at the DeKalb County Complex Community Center Auditorium, 712 S. Congress Blvd in Smithville.

This hiring event will include open interviews and immediate job offers. It is open to all employers and currently Ficosa, NHC HealthCare, Bonnell Aluminum, Star Manufacturing, Tenneco, Bledsoe County Correctional Complex, and Resource Manufacturing have committed to attend.

American Job Centers provide free help to job seekers for any career and employment-related needs. Career counselors are available to work with you to identify interests, assess skills or abilities, and advise on jobs and training opportunities.

The American Job Center (AJC) is a partnership of organizations, working as a team, to promote a universal approach to providing effective workforce assistance to job seekers and businesses. This collaboration of state, regional, and local organizations is designed to provide a seamless delivery system of programs, services and training.

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