Contract awarded for Center Hill Dam Spillway Gates Replacement Project

September 30, 2022
By:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District awarded a $91,250,000 contract today to American Bridge Company for the Center Hill Dam Spillway Gates Replacement Project.

Center Hill Dam is located on the Caney Fork River in Lancaster, Tennessee. The dam forms Center Hill Lake, which covers parts of DeKalb, Putman, White, and Warren Counties. It controls the runoff from a drainage area of 2,174 square miles.

Replacement is needed because a Spillway Radial Gate Evaluation Design Document Report in 2016 revealed the eight spillway tainter gates are subject to overstress due to trunnion friction issues. Trunnion friction is the force generated around the trunnion pin during a gate lifting operation. It is caused by the bearing of the trunnion pin against the gates’ trunnion hub and bushing, which is the rotating point of the gate. In addition, the gates and lifting equipment have been in operation since the dam was completed for full beneficial use in 1948.

The scope of this contract include fabrication of eight new spillway tainter gates; removal of existing gates and lifting machinery equipment required to operate the gates; and installation of the new gates and lifting machinery equipment.

Omar Acevedo, Nashville District project manager, said the contractor will systematically replace each gate. The contractor is limited to three inoperable gates at any period of time, always leaving five operable gates. As an additional risk reduction measure, only one gate bay will be open at any given time during construction. Replacement of gates will only occur between June and November each year, which is considered the dry season, targeting lower peak summer lake elevations.

This replacement project will ensure the authorized flood-risk-reduction capabilities of this project will be realized for many years to come. During construction, “the key takeaway is that public safety is our top priority,” Acevedo said. “Corps of Engineers’ water managers will maintain lake levels within current parameters agreed upon with the Southeastern Power Administration and the public will not experience significant drawdowns of the lake elevation. The most distinguishable change to reservoir levels during the construction period, may be a lower peak summer pool from 648 feet to closer to 645 feet. This adjustment would lower project risk during construction while still falling within current operating targets.”

Acevedo said it will initially take some time for the contractor to begin fabricating the new gates, so he doesn’t expect significant construction impacts in the near term to traffic crossing the dam on Highway 96. As the project proceeds later in 2023, the Corps of Engineers plans to communicate any road closures and impacts with signage, news releases, and posts on Center Hill Lake’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/centerhilllake.

“The Corps of Engineers will do everything possible in the planning and execution phases of the project to reduce traffic impacts to local businesses and residents,” Acevedo added. “Traffic on Highway 96 will be reduced to one lane for the duration of the construction and occasional full closure up to 24 hours, but not on weekends.”

The contractor will also have to modify the bridge substructure for accessibility to accommodate replacement of the eight spillway tainter gates, which are 37-feet high and 50-feet wide, and to access lifting machinery equipment. This includes wire rope and drum setup, and replacement of high and low-speed gear boxes, 10 horsepower electric motor, bull and pinion gears, and the machinery base on each gate pier.

American Bridge Company, part of the Southland Holdings LLC group of companies, specializes in construction of new bridges, bridge rehabilitation and maintenance, complex structures, and marine construction. Its headquarters is located in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.

The replacement of the spillway tainter gates and lifting machinery equipment will not affect the operation of the dam’s three hydroelectric generating units, which provide a total capability of 135,000 kilowatt-hours of hydropower.

September 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Students at DeKalb County High School have been celebrating Homecoming with Spirit Week activities and it will conclude today (Friday) with a parade and a football game as the Tigers host the Livingston Academy Wildcats.

(Click Link Below to Hear WJLE’s Tiger Talk Program)

https://www.wjle.com/tiger-talk/

The presentation of the Homecoming queen and attendants will be at 6:30 pm. Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage of the game with the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor and Luke Willoughby.

Meanwhile the DCHS Homecoming Day Parade will depart from the high school Friday at 12:30 p.m. and make its way down Broad Street to South Congress Boulevard over to Smithville Elementary School. The parade will then come back onto Congress Boulevard to Northside Elementary School before motoring back down Congress Boulevard and turning onto Don Cantrell Street beside City Hall and entering the public square. The parade will end in a pep rally and the announcement of the winning entries.

DeKalb County, 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the region, needs a victory to keep their regular season region title hopes alive. The Wildcats (0-6) are coming off a 19-7 loss to Jackson County last week while the Tigers stepped outside the region beating Cannon County at Woodbury 55-7.

The Tigers, who started the season 2-0 before losing to Macon County, have reeled off three straight wins. Talented running back Colby Barnes has been key to the Tigers’ success. Last week he had 28 carries for 242 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win over Cannon County.

Although Barnes has been a big factor, Tiger Coach Steve Trapp said so has been the play of the offensive line, quarterback, and the defense.

“Its not just Colby. It’s the guys up front. It’s J.P. (quarterback Jordan Parker) making sure the ball gets to where it needs to go. It’s the receivers outside blocking. That’s something we have told them they need to add to their repertoire. We have always asked them to do that but even more so now. We’re trying to keep teams off balance using those receivers in different roles where we still have the ability to throw the ball down field enough to make all the teams have to honor that. I really like what all our guys are doing for us right now. I like how they are working up front and giving Colby the lanes to run in. Barnes has had some big nights but he will be the first to tell you that he couldn’t do it without those guys around him. The defense continues to get better. Our offense has cleaned up a little bit so hopefully we’ll stay clean and efficient on offense and our defense will stay on point,” said Coach Trapp.

WJLE’s Pre-Game shows begin with “Coach to Coach” at 5:00 p.m. featuring former UT assistant coach Doug Matthews with former coach and Tennessee Titans Radio Play by Play Color Analyst Dave McGinnis and broadcaster Larry Stone talking Tennessee and SEC football.

“Coach to Coach” is followed by “Murphy’s Matchups at 6:00 p.m., a look at Tennessee High School Football from Murphy Fair with commentary on games and coaches’ interviews.

“Tiger Talk” airs at 6:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor interviewing Coach Steve Trapp and Tiger football players Shadie Rankhorn, Ty Webb and John Ellis.

Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. with play-by-play coverage on WJLE AM 1480 and WJLE FM 101.7 from the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor and Luke Willoughby. You may also listen on the LIVE Stream at www.wjle.com

The DCHS 2022 Football Schedule is as follows:
REGION OPPONENTS (*)
August 19: Warren County-(Tigers won 35-34).
August 26: Smith County-(Tigers won 17-14)
September 1 (THURSDAY): Macon County*- (Tigers lost 21-13).
September 9: Watertown-(Tigers won 26-14)
September 16: Cumberland County* (Tigers won 48-13)
September 23: Cannon County- (Tigers won 55-7)
September 30: Livingston Academy* (HOMECOMING)-Smithville 7 p.m.
October 14: Upperman*-Baxter 7 p.m.
October 21: Goodpasture-Goodpasture 7 p.m.
October 28: Stone Memorial* Smithville 7 p.m.

WJLE will have LIVE coverage of each week’s games and LIVE streaming at www.wjle.com.

September 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The 1972 DCHS Tiger Football Team will gather for their 50th Anniversary Reunion tonight (Friday, September 30) for a Dutch treat pre-game meal at Twisted Oaks at 4:30 p.m.

All members of this team regardless of class year, coaches, managers are invited to attend. Following the period of fellowship and dining, the team will proceed to the DeKalb County High School Football Homecoming festivities and game to cheer the Tigers to victory over Livingston Academy. They will be recognized at halftime.

The 1972 Tigers Football season was in jeopardy due to a school budget crisis that year. The team overcame a slow start to post the first winning season in the history of DeKalb County High School. Fifty years later this team will break huddle one more time and wish the present team success.

The team finished the 1972 season on the field at 6-4 but actually was credited with another win to go 7-3 after one of the opponents on the schedule that year, Brentwood had to forfeit. The 1972 Tigers defeated Woodbury 28-12, Baxter 8-6, Montgomery Central 44-8, Gainesboro 42-0, Monterey 6-0, and Grundy County 16-6. The Tigers lost to Huntland 20-0, Brentwood 33-0, Gordonsville 8-0, and Watertown 26-6.

The 1972 Tigers were led by head coach Wayne Cantrell and assistants John Eaton and Donnie Elledge.

Members of the team included Mike Corley, David Colwell, Randy Prichard, Jay Whiteford, Raymond Miller, Jackie Gaither, Eddie Evans, Jimmy Knowles, Fred Dowell, Robert Rowe, Bill Owen, Robert Donaldson, David Davis, Don Page, Doug Hooper, Ronnie Hawkins, Alan Bradford, Joey Goodwin, Kirk Wills, Phil Owen, Ricky Hale, Doug Davis, John Colvert, Randy Bond, Gwynn Prater, and Bobby Turner.

“The memory of that season has faded with time for most Tiger fans, but the lessons of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity continue to be displayed in the lives of these teammates,” said Corley.

For more information please contact Raymond “Crazy Legs” Miller at 615-504-4743 or Mike “Tank” Corley at 615-597-0530.

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