DeKalb County 4-H Public Speaking Contest

January 11, 2019
By: Leigh Fuson, 4-H Agent

What are your greatest fears?  For most Americans, public speaking is towards the top of the list.  However, this is a skill that is important no matter what career field you are in.  Many DeKalb County 4-H members are learning to overcome their nerves when speaking to a group.

On January 8th, the county public speaking contest was held at the Community Complex.  Students in 4^th-6^th grade held classroom contests to earn their spot at the county level.  The contest is open to all 7^th-12^th graders each year.  In 4^th grade, Silas Kirksey (Northside) placed 1^st, McKenzie Moss (Northside) placed 2^nd, and 3^rd went to Elizabeth Mosely (Northside).  In 5^th grade, Cali Agee (Northside) earned 1^st place, Addison Murphey (Northside) placed 2^nd, and Xavier Floyd (DeKalb West) was 3^rd.  Placing 1^st from 6^th grade was Evan Reid (Homeschool), 2^nd went to Luke Midgett (DeKalb Middle), and Jacob Lawson (DeKalb Middle) placed 3rd.  Tess Barton (DeKalb West) placed 1^st in 7^th grade and Lilly Waggoner (DeKalb Middle) was 2^nd.  Jacklyn Kleparek (DeKalb Middle) placed 1^st in 8^th grade while Cooper Brown (DeKalb Middle) was 2^nd.  Clayton Crook, an 11^th grader at DCHS, competed and won at the senior high level.

Altogether, there were 52 contestants at the contest.  The top two in each grade will advance to the sub-regional contest, which is later this month in Cookeville.  All contestants received cash awards and certificates for their hard work at the county level.

Congratulations to all these contestants and all DeKalb County 4-H’ers who gave a speech this school year!  There were over 200 total speeches given at the classroom level.  To learn more about 4-H activities, please contact the DeKalb County Extension Office at 615-597-4549.

January 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Former Smithville Mayor Waniford Allen Cantrell, age 87 passed away Wednesday at NHC of Smithville. He served as Mayor of Smithville from 1982 to 1986 and was a former member and Chairman of the DeKalb County Board of Education.

Cantrell, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, was also a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Smithville First United Methodist Church.

The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Friday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service at 2 p.m.

Cantrell was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Pascal Cantrell; his wife, Mary Kathryn Colvert Cantrell; and son and daughter-in-law, Sean and Darice Cantrell and a brother, Bernard Cantrell.  Survivors include sons, Steven and Gloria Cantrell of Fairfax Station, Virginia; and Andrew Todd Cantrell of Franklin. Grandsons, John and Rae Cantrell of Springfield, Virginia; Steven Andrew and Allison Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina; and J.W. and Kasey Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina. Great granddaughters, Kathryn Cantrell of Springfield, Virginia and Baley Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina. Great grandsons, Sean and Peyton Cantrell of Charleston, South Carolina and a brother, Jack Cantrell of Smithville.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

January 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

All DeKalb County School buses are undergoing an annual state inspection this week.

State Troopers Darryl Winningham and Craig Wilkerson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, inspectors for this district, are conducting the evaluation of the school systems 36 buses on route and the four substitute buses. No major deficiencies have been found that would cause a bus to be taken off the road.

IMG_3847 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“We do a complete level one inspection on the buses. We go from the bottom to the top and inside, outside. We check every bolt. Every nut, tire tread, brake pads, seats. We make sure the dash works and all the lights inside. We want to make sure everything is safe. We check tie rod ends. Everything about the vehicle. We’re always going to find something. No matter how minor we still want to find everything we can find to get it all repaired,” said Trooper Winningham.

The inspectors conduct an annual inspection for three days in January but spot checks may be made during the year.” We’re here this week but we’ll be here more than this once a year. We also do 10% spot checks throughout the year. We just pull in and walk through the lot and say we want to check this bus or look at that bus. They pull them in and we’ll do a complete inspection on them again,” said Trooper Winningham

“DeKalb County is blessed with good drivers that take pride in their jobs and take care of the buses. They truly care about the children. My drivers provide transportation for the children in the morning and afternoon and our main objective is to get them safely to and from school each day,” said School Transportation Supervisor Jimmy Sprague.

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