Smithville Jamboree Board Names Kim Luton President

August 15, 2022
By:

The Board of Directors of the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival have named Kim Driver Luton as the new president. The decision was made at the board’s August 11 meeting. Kim has served on the Jamboree board for the past six years, and she says she is honored to be named president.

“I have such a passion for music and arts. My grandfather was one of the founders of the Jamboree, so I guess it’s just in my blood. It’s one way I think I can give back to this community who has given so much to me. ”

Kim is a 1977 graduate of DeKalb County High School. She graduated in 1985 from MTSU with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing, with minors in Music and Information Systems. Although she is a classical pianist, she has a love for bluegrass music. She is married to Bill Luton, and they have three children (Russell Ambrose, Lela Ambrose, and Trent Luton), and two grandchildren (James and Emme).

“The purpose of the jamboree is to perpetuate and preserve the playing and singing of old time Appalachian bluegrass and folk music,” Kim says. “In addition, we promote the creation, and display, of handmade crafts. According to our by-laws, this is our mission. My goal as president is make sure we are doing all we can to preserve our music and craft heritage by improving the Jamboree every year. With the experience brought to the board that was elected to serve with me it’s going to be great.”

Elected to the Jamboree board are Brandon Shaw, Vice President; Jack Barton, Coordinator; Grant James, Treasurer; Vicki Woods, Secretary; Tabulation Manager, Vicki Woods; Olivia Southard, Crafts Director; Alex Woodward, Sales and Marketing; Ethan Shaw, Technology and Social Media; Shawn Jacobs, Media; and Rob Ramsey, Judges. The SmithvilleDeKalb County Chamber of Commerce Committee will be chaired by Suzanne Williams. Other Jamboree committees include Blue Blaze, Inclusive, Marketing, Registration, Stage, Contestant, Judges, and Junior Jamboree Board.

“We need volunteers,” Kim says. “If you are interested in serving on any of our committees, please contact us at smithvillejamboree@gmail.com, or by calling 615-597-8500. In the meantime, look for the Jamboree to be involved in more community events throughout the year.”

August 15, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A woman died Saturday after she was thrown from her motorcycle during a crash and hurled over the side of Center Hill Dam plunging several feet into the lake.

E-911 received the call and paged out first responders at 4:26 p.m.

According to the crash investigation by Trooper Dylan Palmer of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 28-year-old Brooke Murphy of Antioch, TN. was traveling south on Dale Ridge/Wolf Creek Road navigating a curve to the right trying to cross the dam when she struck a northbound GMC truck, driven by 41-year-old Tom Baird of Nashville. After impact, the motorcycle hit the dam’s concrete barrier. Murphy was thrown across the handlebars and over the side of the dam into the lake below. The motorcycle came to a final rest in the northbound lane facing south. The truck pulled to a stop outside of the roadway in a parking lot facing south.

Murphy was reportedly removed from the water and brought by boat to a ramp near the dam where DeKalb EMS and members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad had arrived, but she was unresponsive although efforts were made to resuscitate. Members of the DeKalb County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, TWRA and US Army Corps of Engineers Officials were also on the scene

August 13, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School has released a diagram showing new traffic flow protocols for motorists entering and leaving the campus mornings and afternoons.

Parents, students, and others who arrive at the high school in their vehicles are urged to follow the guidelines by entering and exiting the campus in the same direction in order to reduce traffic congestion.

Essentially, motorists are asked when entering the campus to turn right off Highway 70 or West Main Street in the lane nearest the football field side for student pickup and drop off in front of the school and when leaving to make only right hand turns onto Highway 70 (West Broad Street) or to access West Main Street toward town if needing to turn left. Buses are to enter the campus off Highway 70 in the bus lane nearest and gym and cafeteria for student pickup and drop off and to exit by the cafeteria toward the middle school. Bus lanes are to be kept clear at all times when buses are coming and going between 7:10-7:45 a.m. and from 2:30-3:10 p.m. each day.

“Coming in and out of the high school we have two entrances (off Highway 70 or West broad Street) or three if you include West Main Street and a lot of times in the mornings and afternoons traffic tends to get a little backed up or busy with as many students as we have coming in and out of our parking lot,” said Assistant DCHS Principal Thomas Cagle.

“The idea of the map is to show the bus drivers, parents, and students who are coming in and out of the school at different times of the day whether its morning or afternoon what we are expecting as far as coming in and out of the school to help with the flow of traffic to make it as efficient as we possibly can with the available space at the high school to get everyone in and out in a timely manner,” said Cagle.

“The two biggest things from the map is when students and parents are leaving the high school we are asking them to make right hand turns only on Highway 70 and no left hand turns and if they need to go left back toward town to use West Main Street as their way to turn left and go back to town to avoid holding up traffic by trying to cross those lanes to get out into the flow of traffic turning left on Highway 70. We are hoping people will work with us and make those right-hand turns coming out onto Highway 70 and if they need to make a left hand turn to take West Main,” Cagle continued.

“The other is the bus lane, making sure we only have buses coming in and out of that lane in the afternoon, so we don’t hinder bus drivers from getting in and getting those students,” he added.

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