Assistance Available to Agricultural Producers through the Conservation Stewardship Program

January 28, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Assistance Available to Agricultural Producers through the Conservation Stewardship Program

Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. NRCS plans to enroll up to 10 million acres in CSP in 2018.

While applications for CSP are accepted year round, applications must be received by March 2, 2018 to be considered for this funding period.

Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active agriculture production on their land. CSP also encourages the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and new management techniques such as precision agriculture applications, on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate, and new soil amendments to improve water quality.

Some of these benefits of CSP include:
•Improved cattle gains per acre;
•Increased crop yields;
•Decreased inputs;
•Wildlife population improvements; and
•Better resilience to weather extremes.

NRCS recently made several updates to the program to help producers better evaluate their conservation options and the benefits to their operations and natural resources. New methods and software for evaluating applications help producers see up front why they are or are not meeting stewardship thresholds, and allow them to pick practices and enhancements that work for their conservation objectives. These tools also enable producers to see potential payment scenarios for conservation early in the process.

Producers interested in CSP are recommended to contact their local USDA service center or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted.

January 28, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Bradley Miller, a senior, was named Most Valuable Player of the 2017 DCHS Tiger Football Team during the annual Awards Banquet held Saturday night at the Smithville First Baptist Church Life Enrichment Center building.

The MVP trophy was presented to Miller by Coach Steve Trapp.

“This guy has played a lot of football for us this year as a senior. I don’t think he came off the field a whole lot. He was on special teams, defense, and offense. We put him in as running back in a couple of games. He returned kicks and punts. Last year as a junior he probably had the best defensive back year ever as a DCHS football player but he didn’t have as many opportunities this year because people just wouldn’t throw at him. Last year he was All-State in different areas and pre-season All State this year. He is a tremendous high school football player,” said Coach Trapp.

In addition to his MVP trophy, Miller was named Most Outstanding Defensive Back in Region 3 Class 4A

The Tiger football team finished the season in November with an overall record of 3-8 and another appearance in the state play-offs. The Tigers lost in the first round of the TSSAA Class 4A Football Play-Offs at Lewisburg to Marshall County on November 4. The final score was 42-0.

Meanwhile, Breanna Gibson, a senior, was named Most Valuable Cheerleader at the football banquet Saturday night. The presentation was made by Cheer Coach Amanda Fuller.

“This girl is beautiful inside and out. She is brilliant. She works hard. She is very calm. Slow to anger. She leads by example and has pushed herself very hard for four years to become the awesome cheerleader that she is today. She is a perfect example of what a cheerleader should be and although she had an injury this season she was still at all the practices and games leading her team. She was an NCA All American nominee and was asked this year to join the NCA staff which is a great and rare honor. She has been a true blessing to this squad for four years,” said Coach Fuller.

Other individual Football Player Awards are as follows:

Offensive Player of the Year- Tyler Cantrell
Offensive Lineman- Gage Delape
Offensive Back- David Bradford
Receiver- Braxton Linder
Defensive Player of the Year- Jesse Smith
Defensive Lineman- Isaac Cross
Linebacker- Nick May
Defensive Back- Grayson Redmon
Special Teams Player- Andrew Fuson
Most Improved- Peyton Leaf
MVP- Bradley Miller
Coach Clay Edwards Memorial Tiger Pride Award-Nick May

Coach Trapp presented awards to eight members of the team and an assistant coach for earning All Region 3 Class 4A Honors including the following:

Most Outstanding Tight End: Braxton Linder
Most Outstanding Returner: Paxton Butler
Most Outstanding Defensive Back: Bradley Miller
DCHS Assistant Coach Thomas Cagle received Special Teams Coach of the Year in Region 3

Named to the All Region 1st Team from DCHS are:
Jesse Smith, Nick May, and Gage Delape

Named to the All Region 2nd Team from DCHS are:
Tyler Cantrell and David Bradford.

Individual Cheer Awards are as follows:

Best Stunts- Alley Sykes
Most Spirited- Breanna Gibson
Best Jumps- Kiersten Griffith
Best Dancer-Katherine Malone
Best Cheer-Allison Maynard
MVC- Breanna Gibson
DEAR (Dedication, Enthusiasm, Attitude, and Responsibility)-Shaunta Koegler

January 27, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Mary Alice Carfi is planning to make another run for the State Senate in District 17. She picked up her qualifying petition Friday at the Wilson County Election Commission.

State Senator Mark Pody obtained his petition earlier this month from the Wilson County Election Commission.

Carfi narrowly lost to Pody in the special election in December to serve out the unexpired term of former State Senator Mae Beavers.

But if there is to be a rematch in November, both Carfi and Pody must win their respective Primaries on August 2.

Candidates wishing to run for State Senate in District 17 must qualify for the Tennessee Democratic and Republican Primaries by noon on April 5. That also goes for candidates seeking to run for the State House in Districts 40 & 46 as well as for Governor, Congressman in the 6th District, and the U.S. Senate.

Meanwhile in DeKalb County while no new petitions were picked up Friday, four candidates filed their petitions which have been verified including Nicole Wright for Circuit Court Clerk, Wayne Cantrell for 4th District County Commissioner (incumbent), and Beth Pafford for 7th District County Commissioner all running in the May 1 DeKalb County Democratic Primary; and Randy Paris, an independent candidate for County Mayor who will be running in the August 2 DeKalb County General Election.

Both Nicole Wright and Mark Milam are now in the race for the Democratic Nomination for Circuit Court Clerk. The winner will likely face Republican Susan Martin in the August 2 DeKalb County General Election, though Martin’s nomination is not official until the DeKalb County GOP Caucus on Sunday, February 11. Other candidates still have time to enter the race.

In the 4th District, Incumbent Wayne Cantrell and Bobby Taylor have filed their petitions and been verified as candidates for the County Commission. They are seeking the Democratic Nomination on May 1. Two Democrats and two Republicans can be nominated from each district. Dr. Scott Little also has a petition to run for the County Commission in the 4th district in the Democratic Primary but he has not yet filed it with the election commission. Republican Greg Matthews has announced his candidacy for the County Commission in the 4th district, subject to his being nominated by the DeKalb GOP caucus on February 11.

In the 7th District, Beth Pafford is the first candidate to file her qualifying petition to run for the County Commission in the May 1 Democratic Primary. Incumbents Larry Summers and Kevin Robinson have obtained petitions to run for re-election for the County Commission in the 7th district but they have not yet filed them with the election commission. Republican Bruce Malone has announced his candidacy for the County Commission in the 7th district, subject to his being nominated by the DeKalb County GOP Caucus on February 11.

Randy Paris is now formally in the race for County Mayor. He will be running against the Democratic nominee in the County General Election on August 2. No Republican has announced a candidacy for the office. Three contenders are in the race for the Democratic Nomination for County Mayor on May 1 including Incumbent Tim Stribling, former County Mayor Mike Foster, and 3rd District County Commissioner Bradley Hendrix. All three have filed their petitions and been verified as candidates.

The deadline is Noon February 15 to qualify for the offices of County Mayor, Sheriff, Road Supervisor, County Clerk, Circuit Court Clerk, Register of Deeds, and Trustee as well as the county commission (two seats from each of the seven districts in the county).

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