DeKalb County to Get New Voting Machines for use starting in 2024 (View video here)

September 12, 2022
By:

Beginning with the 2024 election cycle, DeKalb County voters will be casting ballots on new voting machines that will include a “Voter-verifiable paper audit trail.”

(See video below)

The DeKalb County Election Commission voted Monday night to purchase the machines from the Microvote Company, the county’s current vendor. The commission’s action will comply with a law passed by the legislature earlier this year requiring that on or after January 1, 2024 “each voting machine used by a county election commission must produce a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT).” As defined, a VVPAT means “a paper record that is marked either manually by the voter or with the assistance of a devise that includes human-readable voter selections that the voter may check for accuracy before the vote is cast.”

The purchase price for 32 machines and necessary supporting equipment totaled nearly $150,000. The Secretary of State received an appropriation of $15 million in the 22-23 budget and those funds, along with existing Help American Vote Act funds, are to be used for the counties to purchase the new equipment. The new machines will not be made available for use until 2024.

“We are very appreciative the state is providing funding for these machines and are excited to provide voting machines that will have a brighter, colorful screen and will give the voters another method of checking their selections for accuracy,” said Commission Chairman Walteen Parker.

“There will be very little learning curve for the voters,” added Administrator Dennis Stanley. “The new machines are basically a newer, more modern version of the machines we have now and will include the VVPAT. The short learning curve for voters and our machine technicians was an important factor in the commission choosing these machines.”

“This is just another step toward the on-going efforts of election integrity,” Stanley continued.

Tennessee was recently ranked Number 1 in the Country in election integrity by The Heritage Foundation and all election officials on the state and local level are very proud of that accomplishment.”

More information on Tennessee’s efforts to “protect the ballot box” can be found at https://sos.tn.gov/elections and selecting the Tennessee Election Integrity tab under Election News.

September 12, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The City of Smithville will alter its residential garbage pickup schedule for some starting next month.

Currently the city picks up garbage for businesses Mondays through Fridays and home garbage on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays but under this schedule there are more residential stops on some days than others.

Under the new plan, City Public Works Director Kevin Robinson said beginning October 4, some Wednesday and Thursday residential garbage routes will be changed to Tuesdays. Friday garbage routes will remain the same. Residents affected will be issued a tag starting this week which will be attached to your garbage can.

Robinson said by spreading the residential garbage pickup over four days instead of three, it will save wear and tear on the trucks, particularly the brakes. The same number of garbage trucks and employees will be used.

September 12, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Recent flooding has caused road damage in several places across the county adding to the workload of the already busy DeKalb County Highway Department.

Priority has been given to these areas since the flooding.

One of the worst spots was Old Highway 53 near Alexandria where runoff water from a hillside during a heavy downpour on Saturday, September 3 caused a small section of the pavement to buckle and break up. The repair is now complete, and the road has been re-opened.

According to some, the thunderstorm produced up to seven inches of rain in a short period of time in the Liberty-Alexandria area including Old Highway 53, Upper Helton Road, Willoughby Lane, and Wilson Hollow off Alexandria to Dismal Road, which was more than the roads could handle. Later that night, another downpour caused some road damage in the southern portion of the county including areas of Seven Springs Road, Meridian Drive, and Creek Road.

Another trouble spot is on Evins Mill Road near the creek where the shoulder is narrow and badly deteriorated. Road Supervisor Danny Hale said this portion of the road is closed until that issue has been resolved.

Much of the road damage overall from the recent floods includes exposed tiles, debris which has accumulated underneath bridges and around tiles which needs to be cleaned out, and buckled pavement.

Road Supervisor Hale said it may take up to three weeks to make all the needed repairs from the flooding.

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