Students and Parents Getting Excited About STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

October 3, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School was all abuzz with activity Tuesday night as hundreds of students and their families attended a STEM night Harvest Festival.

The event, especially for Pre-K to 8^th grade students and their parents, treated attendees to a variety of STEM-related hands-on activities in an effort to bolster excitement about a future in science, technology, engineering and math.

Students were able to use a 3-D printer, operate robotics, see through virtual reality goggles and much more!

“Some of the booths offered demonstrations of STEM activities which allowed students to make things. Some things they made and took home with them were pumpkin pies in a bag through our Culinary Program. Others made eco-systems in a bottle that they took home to plant.. We also featured new items in the Makerspace like the virtual reality and the robotics. There were all sorts of things like that to get students excited about STEM,” said DCHS Math teacher Amy Fricks.

STEM activities were conducted in the DCHS cafeteria, patio, in the CTE machine, automotive, and carpentry shops, and at the Makerspace in the media center.

“We had a lot of support from all the teachers and staff from all the five schools and also from a lot of community members. It has really grown our numbers. We have had a lot of kids come through and do some really fun activities. We’re excited that they are getting excited about science and math,” said Fricks.

STEM Family Night was created in an effort to introduce elementary and middle school age students — and their parents — to STEM-inspired career paths and to further their understanding of how STEM-specific skills are used. Another STEM Family Night will be held later in the school year.

October 2, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Two men accused of breaking into a home and assaulting the resident with a metal pipe and brass knuckles will make a court appearance next week.

28 year old Jonathan Zachariah Rowland of Pine Grove Road, Smithville and 22 year old Ray Franklin Vincent of Short Mountain Road, Smithville are each charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of especially aggravated burglary. Bond for Rowland is $21,000 and $18,000 for Vincent. Their court date is October 11.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, September 20 Rowland and Vincent broke into a home on Redmon Road and assaulted the resident while also threatening the victim’s girlfriend.

According to Sheriff Ray, Rowland allegedly pushed the woman to the floor and displayed a metal pipe which he used to assault her boyfriend about his body and face. Vincent produced a set of brass knuckles which he used to also assault the man causing serious bodily injury.

24 year old Jessie Ray Herman of Meadowbrook Drive, Smithville is charged with disorderly conduct. He was also cited for no insurance and no driver license. His bond is $2,500.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 13 a deputy was dispatched to a wreck and upon arrival spoke with the driver, Herman, who began yelling and cussing in a threatening manner.

49 year old Noe Linares Castro of McMinnville is charged with driving under the influence. He was also cited for driving on roadways laned for travel. He is under a $1,500 bond.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 15 a deputy was patrolling Sparta Highway when he spotted a black Escalade failing to maintain its lane of travel. He conducted a traffic stop and spoke to the driver, Castro who had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. He eyes were glossy and red. Castro admitted to having consumed one beer. He performed poorly on field sobriety tasks but failed to submit to implied consent. A search warrant was secured to obtain a blood sample from Castro.

42 year old Jamie Rebecca Driver of West Main Street, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. Her bond is $1,500.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 16 a deputy spotted Driver walking toward Cookeville Highway on Allen Ferry Road at around 7:56 p.m. He stopped to investigate and found her to be distraught, unable to stand still, and she was not wearing shoes.  Driver told the officer that she had walked from West Main Street and replied, when asked, that she had not consumed any illegal substances though her pupils were constricted and she seemed to be agitated. The deputy determined that Driver was under the influence of a stimulant and she was taken into custody for her safety and that of the public.

21 year old Daniel A. Aguirre is charged with driving under the influence. He was also cited for simple possession of 0.49 grams of marijuana, failure to maintain lane of travel, and no driver license. His bond is $1,500.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 16 a deputy was patrolling on McMinnville Highway when he observed a black SUV failing to maintain its lane of travel. The vehicle crossed the center yellow line almost causing a collision with oncoming traffic. The officer conducted a traffic stop and spoke to the driver, Aguirre who had an odor of alcohol coming from his person. His eyes were also red and watery and an odor of marijuana could be detected coming from his vehicle. He performed poorly on field sobriety tasks but refused to submit to implied consent. A search warrant was secured to obtain a sample of his blood.

40 year old Holly Suzanne Woodside of Circle Drive, Dowelltown is charged with disorderly conduct. Her bond is $2,500.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 13 a deputy was dispatched to a wreck and upon arrival he observed Woodside yelling at other occupants of the vehicle causing a disturbance.

32 year old Shauna Faye West of Tabernacle Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on October 4.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 17 West appeared in a public place under the influence of an intoxicant to the degree that she was a danger to herself and others. After leaving a residence on Tabernacle Road, West walked down the road to another home. She had a strong odor of alcohol on her person. West admitted to having consumed a few beers.

October 2, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Tourism is big business in DeKalb County and getting bigger.

Suzanne Williams, Director of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce addressed the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night with some good economic news.

IMG_1621 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

In her report, Williams informed city leaders that Governor Bill Haslam and State Tourism Commissioner Kevin Triplett recently announced that DeKalb County’s tourism dollars increased by 6.7% from the previous year to $48.02 million, the third highest tourism dollars in the 14-county Upper Cumberland region.

Meanwhile, Williams said the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has selected DeKalb County to be included in its “Best Practices” program.

DeKalb County and Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital will be featured as a “Best Practices” in community partnerships and health initiatives for rural communities. This honor was given due to the success of the DeKalb County Health Adventure that was started by Saint Thomas DeKalb Community Benefit Dollars and continued with last year’s Three Star Grant written and submitted by the Chamber and the County Mayor’s Office.

Downtown is becoming a busier place with the addition of several new businesses including Old Timers’ Antique Mall, The Vintage Owl, The Market on Main, and D & D Fashions. Two of the downtown businesses have outgrown their present spaces and are moving to larger buildings on the square. Due to the most recent Community Development Block Grant awarded to the Chamber in the amount of $100,000, many façade improvements have been made to downtown building store fronts.

Williams further mentioned that the Chamber has been awarded a new Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Grant to be used for a Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree billboard on I-40 which will be exposed to as many as 42,000 vehicles per day.

The Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival is also being included in phase one of a new initiative by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development called “The Tennessee Music Pathway”. The music trail will be a 1,200 mile loop running the length of the state with a focus on preserving and promoting the history locally and how it has impacted music around the world and on current music events. The LIVE venues where people can go and hear music will be an integral part of this initiative. Williams said being a part of this will provide a lot of free promotion for this area.

Leadership DeKalb is back again under new leadership, Darrell and Beth Gill are the new co-directors. The opening retreat was held September 17.

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