DMS Teacher Working Through Tornado Damage

March 16, 2020
By: Bill Conger

It’s been a long two weeks for the family of DeKalb Middle School English teacher Candice Scarbro. The 19 year teaching veteran had no idea a tornado was about to strike her home in Putnam County in the late night hours of March 2, turning their world upside down.

“We didn’t know there was bad weather. We didn’t get any warnings on our phone or anything. “

Her ailing husband, Kevin, who normally stays up to watch the news, went to bed early in a different room for a sleep study. She and her 8-year-old daughter Riley, a student at Northside Elementary School, were sleeping in Candice’s bed.

“Probably about 1:40, something woke me up. I think it was the wind and hail. As soon as I lifted my head up, our windows blew out. I grabbed my daughter, and I had my dog. We had mud and glass all over us.”

“My husband came running in there. Are you all okay? My son [Blaine, 10 a NES student] was in the other room on the other side of the house. I guess he heard all the houses around us falling, and he came in there.”

While Candice’s husband was assessing the damage, she and her children went into the closet. Rain from the storm started falling on them, so they went into the living room. They soon went outside to check on her mother-in-law and sister-in-law who also live on Charlton Square in the Eller Plantation subdivision.

“Their kitchen was destroyed, and they were sitting in the garage. There was a man in their garage.

Apparently the tornado slung him out of his house, and he somehow ended up in my mother-in-law’s garage, and he had a broken arm.”

Sitting by candlelight in their living room, The Scarbro’s also welcomed into their damaged home a family of five whose house had been wiped out.

“While we were sitting there waiting for the sun to come up and to quit raining, one of my ceilings fell in my bedroom and scared everybody. About 30 minutes later, one of my ceilings in the kitchen fell. We were afraid the next ceiling to fall was the living room because rain was coming in so bad. But it didn’t.”
The next morning, Candice opened the door to see the damage by daylight.

“Most of my neighbors’ houses that were completely demolished landed on top of all of our vehicles and up into our garage. When we first walked out the door when the sun came up, we couldn’t even see our vehicles because all the house debris was all over our driveway and all up into our garage.

“I have two neighbors on each side of me and two across the street from me that their houses are completely gone. There’s nothing left. “

Candice says what’s left of her mother-in-law’s house will have to be demolished, but she and her husband were more fortunate.

“Our house is still standing. Our roof was intact. We had some damage on the roof. How our roof didn’t come off like everyone else’s I don’t know! They [Engineers assessing tornado] came into our house, especially because they were trying to figure out exactly why our roof didn’t come off to the extent of everybody else’s. Our little house is really the luckiest one around.”

Candice says her family lost several personal belongings and will have to rebuild the interior. In the meantime, she, Kevin, and the kids will live in a rental. A college friend set up a Go Fund Me account to raise money to help the Scarbro’s rebound. Candice says she’s thankful for the donations and the people who have helped her family through this ordeal.

“It’s just been unreal—my friends, my family, my DMS family has been so supportive and helpful,” she said, her voice breaking. “We’ve just had so many people give and help. It’s unbelievable the kindness of others.”

To make a donation to the Go Fund Me campaign, follow this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-cookeville-tornado-victims

March 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

“Tia” is looking for a new home after her former owner recently passed away.

DeKalb Animal Shelter Director Megan Moore with Tia from dwayne page on Vimeo.

This beautiful 7-8 year old Husky Mix is the WJLE/DeKalb Animal Shelter featured “Pet of the Week”.

“Tia was in a household with other dogs but unfortunately her owner passed away. She is house trained and does well with other dogs. Tia can be a little female dominant but she is a super sweet girl and has great leash manners. Tia is just a great all around dog especially if you are looking for one a little older and out of that puppy stage. Come meet Tia. She might just be a good fit for you,” said Shelter Director Megan Moore.

The shelter, located on Transfer Station Road behind Tenneco Automotive off Highway 70 east in Smithville, has been in operation since November, 2017 under the DeKalb Animal Coalition, a 501 c 3 non profit organization.

Stop by the animal shelter, call 615-597-3647 (DOGS), or visit facebook. The shelter is currently open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12-4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 12 noon. Closed Wednesday.

Upcoming DeKalb Animal Shelter Events
March 21st: Easter Egg Hunt Fundraiser 1-3
March 22nd: Happy Trails Brewing Co. Adoption Event 2-4
March 30th: Smithville Golf Course Adoption Event 11-3
April 4th: Volunteer Orientation 12-1
April 11th: Yappy Hour-A Wine and Wags event
2-5pm adoption event, 5-7pm Wine tasting with Stonehaus Winery, 8pm Live music
April 25th: Earth Day adoption event at the Burlap Room & Beer Garden (times TBA)

March 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Officers of the Smithville Chapter #374 Order of the Eastern Star for the ensuing year assumed their new positions during an installation ceremony Saturday at the meeting hall on Market Street.

Dr. Robert R. Atnip was installed as the Worthy Patron and his wife Guylene is the Worthy Matron of the Smithville Chapter.

Other members assuming new leadership roles in the Chapter were Katherine McKeown, Carolyn Williams, Joel Dawes, Patricia Wilt, Mary Gottlied, Louise Knowles, Patricia Tallent, Becky Cowan, John Gottlied, and Wanda Gard.

During the ceremony, Carolyn Williams served as Installing Officer and Van Mathis of DeKalb #488 was the Assisting Installing Officer.

The theme of the Chapter for the year is “Celebrate 2020 Vision in OES” with a motto “to think about a plan for a future with imagination and wisdom” based on Biblical scripture from Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he”.

Following the ceremony, members and guests shared fellowship and a meal.

The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world to which both men and women of all faiths may belong. Only men who are Masons are eligible and only women with specific Masonic affiliation may be members. Eastern Star is a social order comprised of persons with deep religious convictions and spiritual values reflecting the spirit of fraternal love and the desire to work together for good. It gives them the opportunity to give a part of their time to many projects that benefit mankind.

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