Signup Date Announced for 28th Annual DeKalb Angel Tree Project

October 19, 2022
By:

The 28th Annual DeKalb County Angel Tree Project signups are coming soon. Friday, November 11th has been chosen as the application date. It is one day only. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. Application time is from 8:00 am until 7:00 pm at the First Baptist Church Life Enrichment Center, 101 West Church Street, Smithville under the carport.

Applicants must be DeKalb County residents. Children from birth to no older than age 12 by December 25, 2022 are eligible. You must bring photo identification and a bill with the correct current DeKalb County address of the person applying. You must also provide social security cards and birth certificates (Mother’s copy is okay) for all children listed on the application. Guardian paperwork for temporarily placed children is acceptable. Documents are returned to the applicant, only the application is kept. Please make sure you fill out the application as completely and accurately as possible.

If an applicant cannot appear in person, their application can be submitted by someone else as long as all of the required information and documentation is presented. Come prepared with all of the necessary documentation to complete your application between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm on Friday, November 11th. This is the only day that applications will be available and accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS. Due to continued COVID 19 issues, face coverings are required and social distancing practices will be observed. For additional information please contact Laura Stone (text only please) at 615-464-7135. Remember you only have Friday, November 11th to complete and turn in your application.

October 18, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The State Highway 56 construction project is running behind schedule and the contractor, Jones Brothers, LLC has asked the Tennessee Department of Transportation for more time to complete the project without penalty.

The bid was awarded in 2019 for the project which extends almost 8 miles from south of the Warren County line in DeKalb County to East Bryant Street in Smithville.

TDOT Public Information Officer Rae Anne Bradley spoke with WJLE and said that the state is building largely two lanes with 10-foot shoulders along the route.

“This consists of construction of bridges and paving from south of the Warren-DeKalb County line to East Bryant Street. Construction began in September 2019. The contractor is Jones Brothers Contractors, LLC. The original bid amount was $43,691,948 and the current contract bid amount including change orders is currently at $44,047, 150. The current approved adjusted completion date for this project was August 17, 2022. However, the contractor has notified us (TDOT) that a request is being made for some additional time due to some additional work items in this project. Once we receive that request it will be reviewed and a determination will be made whether or not additional time is given to this contract,” said Bradley.

“When this contract is completed, it will be a two-lane highway (one lane in each direction) and there will be some left turn lanes at various side roads but inside the Smithville city limits near the end of the project there will be five lanes (two in each direction) with a continuous dedicated center turn lane. It will transition from two lanes to five lanes approximately 1,100 feet south of East Bryant Street,” Bradley continued.

Although the contractor has been behind, Bradley said Jones Brothers is now making great progress. “The contractor has made several traffic shifts throughout the project. Traffic has been shifted onto portions of the new state route 56 alignment on detours, runarounds, and still on existing parts of state route 56 so once grading and paving is completed around log mile 3.75 traffic will be shifted onto a large portion of the new alignment that extends into the Smithville city limits. This is tentatively scheduled to take place in November or December depending upon their schedule,” said Bradley.

“We are really encouraging drivers to use caution through this area especially at the intersection of state Route 288 and State Route 56 as well as the intersection of Ferrell Road and State Route 56 because these intersections have experienced quite a few changes over the past few months where they have made improvements to those,” said Bradley.

The new road is being built adjacent to the old road with several sections crossing over or tying into the existing route. The new roadway will consist of two to three travel lanes depending upon location with 10-foot paved shoulders and the design will accommodate left turn movements to access connecting streets.

From south of the Warren County line to College Street in Smithville will be two lanes (one lane in each direction) with left turn lanes at connector roads. From College Street to the New Life Connection Center, 750 South Congress Boulevard will be three lanes (one lane in each direction) with a dedicated center turn Lane. From the New Life Connection Center to East Bryant Street will be five lanes (two lanes in each direction) with a dedicated center turn lane.

There is a new traffic signal at the East Bryant Street and State Route 56 intersection (very end of the project). Other intersections along the corridor have been or are being adjusted to safely connect with the new alignment including Arnold Road (Gene Vaughn Road), Sink Creek Road, Magness Road, State Route 288 (Keltonburg Road), County House Road, Jacobs Pillar Road, South Tittsworth Road, and South College Street.

In addition to realignment, the planned design includes eight box culverts and construction of two new bridges. One is a three-span bridge over Pine Creek and the other is a two-span bridge over Sink Creek. There is also a triple barrel box culvert at Cappy Springs which is part of the construction project. This triple barrel box culvert is labeled as a bridge due to its size under the roadway.

Additional safety improvements include new guardrails, paint, and markers.

October 18, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A downtown property owner is taking issue with the City of Smithville’s Beer Ordinance.

Todd Cantrell, who owns a building at 119 West Market Street, said the ordinance, as it stands does not permit him to be granted a city beer permit because the location is within 400 feet of a church. The problem, according to Cantrell, is that the city has granted beer permits to others in the past which are in violation of the existing beer ordinance including as it relates to places of public gatherings.

City Attorney Vester Parsley said he is unaware of any illegally issued permits under the existing beer ordinance, which has been on the books since 2004.

Cantrell got the idea of possibly opening a small restaurant and serving beer after a tenant in his building downtown recently decided to move to another location on the public square.

“After he (tenant) moved out I began thinking I would like to put in some type of short order restaurant and maybe serve burgers, fries, etc and potentially sell beer. Its not a major point but if we are going to have other people selling beer downtown then I would like to be able to compete with those businesses,” said Cantrell.

Cantrell claims its not fair for people to be held to different standards and he is asking that the city fix the problem by either possibly revoking beer permits granted illegally or removing the 400 foot distance requirement from the ordinance.

“It seems to me there are some violations of this 400 foot rule that need to be addressed or they (city) need to eliminate that 400 foot rule for everybody and not show favoritism to certain groups. As long as its fair for everybody, I think everybody should be under the same set of rules and be able to have the same opportunities and if there have been some violations they at least need to investigate and find out what happened, where it happened, how it happened, and who has allowed this to happen and hold somebody accountable to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” said Cantrell.

City Attorney Parsley said no beer permit holder has been given preferential treatment by the city.

“All of those who have been issued beer permits actually have complied with the 400 foot rule. I don’t know of any favoritism shown to anyone. Our current ordinance #361 sets out that there would be a 400 foot restriction between (businesses permitted to sell beer) and schools, churches, and public gatherings and to my knowledge all of those beer permits are in compliance with that,” said Parsley.

Last month the Smithville Aldermen adopted a new beer ordinance on first reading which mostly mirrors the existing ordinance but includes a new Tennessee Responsible Vendors Act provision. However, another wording change in the proposed new ordinance from the existing one which adds “residence” to the 400 foot distance requirement has raised some concern.

City Attorney Parsley said the word “residence” was added inadvertently and that the aldermen will most likely eliminate it from the new ordinance before final passage.

Under the new ordinance, the language states that “In no event will a permit be issued authorizing the manufacture or storage of beer, or the sale of beer within 400 feet of any school, residence, church, or other place of public gathering. The distance requirement shall be measured in a straight line from the primary entrance of the establishment seeking a permit to sell beer to the primary entrance of the school, church, or other place of public gathering.”

The existing ordinance #361 does not mention the term “residence” and states that “No permit authorizing the sale of beer will be issued when such business would cause congestion of traffic or would interfere with schools, churches, or other places of public gathering or would otherwise interfere with the public health, safety, and morals. In no event will a permit be issued authorizing the storage, sale, or manufacture of beer at places within four hundred (400) feet of any school, church, or other such place of public gathering.

The term “place of public gathering” as used herein shall include, but not be limited to, all such places as defined by applicable state law. Further, such definition shall include any and all public buildings, whether such public buildings are owned by a governmental entity or agency or leased by a governmental entity or agency, a church, or school. The distance requirement contained herein shall be measured in a straight line from the primary entrance of the establishment seeking a permit to sell beer to the primary entrance of the school, church, or other place of public gathering”.

Cantrell believes the term “place of public gathering” as defined in the ordinance is intended to include playgrounds, church annex buildings such as life enrichment centers, street festivals, government offices and other public facilities including those that operate under grant programs, among other locations. Cantrell also wants to know what determines a “primary entrance” of a place of public gathering. “Is it where the mailbox is located or where the greatest number of people enter,” asked Cantrell.

Six years ago Smithville voters approved a “Liquor by the Drink” referendum which now allows restaurants who qualify and are licensed by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission to serve wine and liquor on the premises. Unlike city beer permits which are granted by the city beer board, no distance requirement applies to the issuance of a liquor license. The Alcoholic Beverage Commission is the entity that issues the permits for the sale of wine and liquor and the City has no control of establishing any distance requirements

Cantrell said it is unfair and makes no sense that someone like him could possibly qualify for a liquor license from the state without having to meet a distance requirement yet be denied a beer permit from the city for not meeting the standard.

“If we are going to be having liquor by the drink and wine in the downtown square area I find it interesting that they are making it harder for people to be able to serve something that is much milder like beer,” said Cantrell.

The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen are scheduled to revisit the proposed new beer ordinance and possibly act on second and final reading during a special called meeting following a public hearing on Thursday October 27 at 6 p.m. at city hall.

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