DeKalb Firefighter Graduates from Academy’s Live Burn Class

March 31, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Jacob Parker of the DeKalb County Fire Department graduated from the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Training Academy’s Live Burn Firefighter I class that was held Saturday and Sunday, March 30 and 31, 2019.

Captain Brian Williams says this 16-hour course requires students to demonstrate skills needed to extinguish a passenger vehicle fire attack, exterior Class A fire attack, interior structure fire attack, commercial buildings and ground cover fire attack. “We are extremely proud of this recent graduate. Today, our department stands better prepared to respond to emergencies because of the high standards for training we set for our firefighters,” said Captain Brian Williams .

March 30, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has again delayed bid letting for two phases of the proposed Highway 56 improvement project

TDOT previously announced that the bid letting would be in March but has now delayed it until May 10.

State Senator Mark Pody, Vice Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee said he is frustrated by the further delays.

“I met with TDOT officials and we specifically talked about the road and they told me they are now planning to let it out for bids on May 10 so we can start this construction. I am disappointed that we are missing a month but at least its right around the corner,” said Pody.

“This is incredible because we thought this (bid letting) would happen last fall but every time they (TDOT) thought they had everything in order it seems there has always been a delay in getting something done due to an environmental or federal issue. Of course we (state) get matching funds from the federal government so we have to work with them as well. So now May 10 is the new target date for bid letting. I am going to be consulting with them (TDOT) every week to verify that nothing changes on that,” added Senator Pody.

TDOT proposes to let bids for two of the phases from south of the Warren County line to near Magness Road (3.3 miles) and from south of State Route 288 near Magness Road to East Bryant Street in Smithville (5 miles). The third segment from near State Route 287 in Warren County to near the DeKalb County Line is not yet ready for bid letting.

The state plans to build largely two lanes of a proposed four lane project and maintain traffic on the existing Highway 56 (alignment) while construction is being done on the new portion.

“On the southern part from the DeKalb County line up to Vaughn Lane, its going to be a two lane roadway. There will be left turn lanes at the side roads. As we get closer to Smithville where some of the intersecting roads are offset there will be some extended sections of three lanes. Once we get to Vaughn Lane we will be expanding to the three lane typical all the way up to just past Morgan Branch. When we get past Morgan Branch we will be building a five lane section with curb and gutters and sidewalks,” said Robert Rodgers of the TDOT Region 2 Project Development Office.

According to Rodgers, the state will deviate from the existing road in the Shiney Rock area in order to bypass the cemeteries. The highway will then tie back in to the existing alignment in Smithville.

“Where the church and the cemetery are now, we are going off alignment because there was not room to fit the proposed finished road in between the two. Traffic on that section will stay on the existing road until the new road is complete,” said Rodgers.

The proposed cross sections for the project are as follows:

*From south of State Route 287 to north of Bessie Gribble Road-two 12-foot travel lanes with a 12-foot continuous center turn lane, four-foot shoulders and ditches.

* From north of Bessie Gribble Road to Vaughn Lane-two 12-foot travel lanes with 12-foot shoulders and ditches. There will be left turn lanes at intersecting roadways.

*From Vaughn Lane to north of Morgan Branch-two 12-foot travel lanes with a 12-foot continuous center turn lane, 12-foot shoulders and ditches.

*From north of Morgan Branch to East Bryant Street- four 12-foot travel lanes with a 12-foot continuous center turn lane, four foot shoulders, two-foot curb and gutter, a sidewalk within a 10 foot utility strip on either side.

March 30, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

One man was airlifted after a pickup truck crash early this morning (Saturday) on Highway 70 near Sligo bridge (Smithville side).

The accident is under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the man’s name has not yet been released.

Although the truck was on the highway, the injured man, still conscious, was found about 85 to 100 feet down an embankment off the road. Authorities have not said whether the man was ejected from the truck or walked away from the crash and found himself off the embankment.

Members of local EMS, first responders, law enforcement, and the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad converged on the scene. Climbing rope and a stokes basket were used to gain access to the victim and bring him to the top of the hill. He was taken by DeKalb EMS to a helicopter landing zone on the Sparta side of Sligo bridge set up by the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department.

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