Chamber Presents 65-Year Milestone Award to Middle TN Natural Gas

August 7, 2020
By:

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce presented a 65-Year Milestone Award to Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District. For 65 years, MTNG has supported community growth and improved the quality of life for the citizens of DeKalb County and throughout the “District.”

Since its beginning in 1955, MTNG’s mission has been to support the growth of the communities it serves by providing safe, reliable, and competitive natural gas service. This high standard is accomplished by meeting the needs of our customers with reliable, professional, and quality natural gas service; providing a well-trained, highly skilled, and safety-focused work force; and delivering America’s primary energy source at competitive rates.

Today, over 65,000 customers are served by MTNG in 22 counties. MTNG provides full- and part-time jobs for over 130 people, with offices in Smithville, McMinnville, Dayton, Sparta and Crossville with satellite offices in Woodbury, Gordonsville and the North Cumberland area. The Chamber recognizes Middle Tennessee Natural Gas for its dedication as a business and community partner and appreciates the company’s many years of Chamber support.

August 6, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell won a decisive victory to secure a second term in Thursday’s General Election.

A total of 3,266 cast ballots in the election including 1,665 on election day, 1,270 walk-in early voting, and 331 paper absentees.

Cantrell , a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Tom R. Duggin 2,166 votes to 933 and carried all 15 precincts. Cantrell also had a majority of the total absentee/early votes cast.

“I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because without Him I am nothing. I also want to thank my family, friends, and supporters in the campaign. No matter what you did to help me along the way I appreciate it. A special thank you to the voters. Either way you cast your ballot but especially thanks to those of you who supported me. I want to thank my staff at the office. I appreciate them and all the hard work they do. It wouldn’t be possible for us to be successful without a good staff so I appreciate them so much. It is just reassuring that the voters approve of the job my staff and I are doing and we look forward to serving for many years to come,” said Cantrell.

Cantrell’s new four year term begins September 1.

Here are the results by precinct:
Alexandria: Cantrell 112, Duggin 57
Edgar Evins State Park: Cantrell 13, Duggin 4
Temperance Hall: Cantrell 43, Duggin 15
Liberty: Cantrell 96, Duggin 36
Dowelltown: Cantrell 53, Duggin 23
Snow Hill: Cantrell 60, Duggin 25
Church of God: Cantrell 127, Duggin 55
Courthouse: Cantrell 121, Duggin 66
Rock Castle: Cantrell 47, Duggin 9
Johnson Chapel: Cantrell 73, Duggin 12
County Complex: Cantrell 115, Duggin 34
Belk: Cantrell 47, Duggin 15
Keltonburg: Cantrell 82, Duggin 17
Blue Springs: Cantrell 73, Duggin 17
Church of Christ Annex: Cantrell 123, Duggin 43
Early Voting/Absentees: Cantrell 983, Duggin 505

The Board of Education will have two new members next month.

Jason Lee Miller won the 6th district school board seat beating Shawn Washer 189 to 146. Miller will succeed two term incumbent Doug Stephens who did not seek re-election.

Here are the results by precinct:
Belk: Miller 32, Washer 20
Keltonburg: Miller 55, Washer 36
Blue Springs: Miller 49, Washer 41
Early voting/Absentees: Miller 53, Washer 49

Jamie Cripps will represent the school board from the 5th district. She ran unopposed for the seat and received 370 complimentary votes. Cripps will take over from long time school board member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III who chose not to seek re-election.

Evins’ has served two stints on the Board of Education. His first tenure began in 1978 and covered 18 years. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1990 which in those days were for 6 year terms. After his mother passed away, Evins’ chose not to seek re-election to a fourth term in 1996 but Evins returned to the Board after he was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2004. Evins was elected to a full term later that year and he was re-elected in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Evins also served several years as Chairman of the Board.

The school board terms are four years.

The Smithville Board of Aldermen will have a new member next month. Jessica Higgins was one of three aldermen elected in the Smithville Municipal Election Thursday along with veteran aldermen Shawn Jacobs and Danny Washer.

Jacobs led the ticket in the alderman race with 474 votes followed by Washer with 388 votes and Higgins 357 votes. H. Don Crook lost a bid for his first elected term as alderman with 329 votes. Crook was appointed alderman in September 2018 to fill a vacancy created when former alderman Josh Miller was elected mayor. Another candidate in the race, Timothy Perricone received 101 votes.

The aldermen terms are four years.

Here are the results by precinct:
Church of God: Jacobs 67, Washer 56, Higgins 51, Crook 47, Perricone 16
Church of Christ Annex: Jacobs 70, Washer 62, Higgins 61, Crook 44, Perricone 19
County Complex: Higgins 10, Jacobs 9, Washer 9, Crook 3, Perricone 2
Courthouse: Jacobs 19, Higgins 15, Crook 10, Washer 9, Perricone 3
Early Votes/Absentees: Jacobs 309, Washer 253, Crook 226, Higgins 221, Perricone 61

All seven district constables were elected without opposition. Those constables-elect and their vote totals are as follows:

1st District: Waylon Kyle 190
2nd District: Darrell Johnson 262
3rd District: Travis Bryant 343
4th District: Paul Cantrell 299
5th District: Mark Milam 330
6th District: Jason Brown 204
7th District: Johnny King 229

In the Dowelltown city election Mayor Pamela Redmon and Aldermen Phillip D. Byford and Chris Walker were elected without opposition. Mayor Redmon received 48 complimentary votes while Byford had 42 votes and Walker with 27 for Alderman

In the Alexandria city election Lynne K. Dickerson ran unopposed for Alderman and received 55 votes

Republican Criminal Court Judge Wesley Bray was unopposed in the 13th Judicial District special election Thursday to serve out the last two years of former Judge David Patterson’s unexpired term. Patterson stepped down from the bench last year and Bray was appointed by the Governor to succeed him until the August 6th, 2020 election. In DeKalb County, Bray received 2,017 votes.

State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver of Lancaster in District 40 and Clark Boyd of Lebanon in District 46 were unopposed for re-nomination in the Tennessee Republican Primary on Thursday. No candidates qualified for these offices in the Tennessee Democratic Primary. Weaver will face opposition from Independent candidate Paddy Sizemore of Smith County in the November Tennessee General Election. The terms are for two years. In DeKalb County Weaver received 1,524 votes on Thursday while Boyd had 484 votes.

Suanne Bone of Lebanon qualified for the Tennessee Democratic Primary on Thursday to fill a vacancy as State Executive Committeewoman in District 17. In DeKalb County Bone received 546 votes.

Republican Congressman John Rose of Cookeville was unopposed in the Tennessee GOP Primary for re-nomination on Thursday but he will have challengers in the November Tennessee General Election. Christopher Martin Finley of Sparta was unopposed for the Democratic Nomination for Congressman on Thursday and will be in the November race. Christopher B. Monday of Cookeville is an independent candidate for the office in November. The term is two years. In the primaries Thursday Congressman Rose received 1,769 votes in DeKalb County while Finley had 523 votes

Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty and Black activist Marquita Bradshaw will face off in November to succeed retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.

Hagerty defeated Nashville trauma surgeon Manny Sethi in the Republican primary, while Bradshaw scored an upset win over former Army helicopter pilot James Mackler in the Democratic contest, despite being far outraised by Mackler, who was endorsed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and others.

In DeKalb County Hagerty had 1,165 votes and Sethi received 894 votes. In the State Democratic Primary James Mackler led the pack locally with 206 votes. Bradshaw was next with 151 votes.

Independent candidates for the U.S. Senate in the November Tennessee General Election are: Yomi “Fapas” Faparusi Sr., Jeffrey Alan Grunau, Ronnie Henley, G. Dean Hill, Steven J. Hooper, Aaron James, Elizabeth McLeod, Kacey Morgan, and Eric William Stansberry.

On the Judicial Retention question for the Court of Appeals Western Division, DeKalb County voters elected to retain Carma Dennis McGee as a Judge of the Court of Appeals, Western Division The vote locally was 1,419 to retain and 624 to replace.

August 6, 2020
By:

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce recently applied for, and was awarded, 2 Tourism Enhancement Grants making DeKalb County one of only two counties in the state of Tennessee to be approved for both applications totaling $150,000. The grants were awarded for The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree renovation project and an interactive stage set for the DeKalb Community Theater.

“With the 50th Jamboree Anniversary Celebration coming next year, the timing couldn’t be better for a renovated stage. We will also be adding new handicap accessible ramps to assist our newest performers competing in our special needs categories for 2021,” said Chamber Director, Suzanne Williams. “In addition, the DeKalb Community Theater now will have the opportunity to produce plays, musicals, and band performances using pre-created or graphic designed artwork and backgrounds at the touch of a button helping to draw visitors from across the region, including thousands of Center Hill Lake tourists looking for things to do while spending time in DeKalb County. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the State of Tennessee for providing DeKalb County this wonderful opportunity to enhance our tourism assets.”

The Chamber applied on behalf of the City of Smithville in the amount of $75,000 for the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree to be used for a new custom stage and stage cover, backdrop, a handicap accessible on/off ramp, along with appropriate ADA compliant signage, and professional stage lighting.

In addition, the Chamber applied on behalf of DeKalb County in the amount of $75,000 for enhancements to the DeKalb County Complex Community Theater. With tourism growth in mind, the goal is for the DeKalb Community Theater to become a state-of-the-art, multi-media venue to encourage increased year-round tourism to our county through the arts, performances, and concerts with the addition of a ‘Green’ Cinema Environmental Screen and professional grade stage lighting and sound equipment. This new technology will reduce the performance costs of multiple, complicated stage sets, as well as being a timesaver allowing for additional plays to be produced throughout the year, while marketing to a much broader audience.

The Tourism Enhancement Grant becomes more competitive each year. This year, 69 applications were received, totaling requests of over $4.5 million. Fifty-two of the 69 applications were not awarded due to the Tourism Enhancement Grant budget being just over $1 Million. An advisory committee selected the 17 communities who are receiving grants.

The Chamber of Commerce urges the community to join in the excitement of the 50th anniversary of the Jamboree by volunteering to be a part of the ‘50th Jamboree Committee’. Volunteers will be asked to contribute their creative ideas, help with historical searches, contacting past champions, and use their personal talents and skills to help implement the new ideas and projects. If you would like to be a part of this special committee, please contact the Chamber or email: smithvillejamboree@gmail.com.

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