DeKalb Soil Conservation District Plants Tree in Memory of Longtime Employee Anita Houk

September 13, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Soil Conservation District paid tribute to the late Anita Houk Wednesday morning by planting a Sunset Maple tree in her memory at Green Brook Park.

Family and friends of Mrs. Houk joined in the observance.

Houk was a 17-year office manager of the local Soil Conservation District Office until her retirement. She passed away in July.

“We are planting this tree in honor of her (Anita) because trees represent things that are big, straight, and tall and that is the way her life was. It stood out to me,” said Jimmy Herndon, President of the DeKalb Soil Conservation District Board of Directors prior to the tree planting.

“Anita really loved her job. It was a huge part of her life. She was always cheerful and had a happy attitude,” said Herndon.

“Anita and I attended high school together and I always felt comfortable being around her. She and her husband Bernard were our neighbors in the Blue Springs Community. She and I talked frequently over the years about things other than soil conservation business and in doing so she shared her faith in God and her belief in the power of prayer. We often talked about people who needed our prayers. That’s the way she thought about things. She was genuinely concerned about others and their needs,” added Herndon.

September 14, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Seventh District member Shaun Tubbs has been re-elected Chairman of the DeKalb County Board of Education.

During Tuesday night’s regular monthly meeting, Tubbs was again selected by his fellow board members to serve as chairman for the next twelve months. This will be Tubbs’ second year as Chairman.

Meanwhile, Third district member Jim Beshearse was re-elected Vice Chairman of the Board while Sixth District member Jason Miller will again serve as the board’s Tennessee Legislative Network (TLN) representative.

The board re-organizes each September electing officers to serve for the year.

In other business, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps gave his monthly report on personnel as follows:

Employment- Eddie Blair, Teacher at DeKalb West School and Heather Koelle, Educational Assistant at Smithville Elementary School.

Leave of Absence- Michael Crockett, Cameron Lester, Shelia McMillen, and Christina Merriman

Resignation-Daniel Seber

The board also voted to accept bids on replacing bleachers and lighting at the DCHS football field.

September 13, 2022
By:

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has honored Edgar Evins State Park and Dunbar Cave State Park with Excellence in Resource Management awards after they tied in the category in the annual Tennessee State Parks Awards of Excellence.

“These two parks have shown outstanding commitment to protecting our natural wonders,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “From providing a natural habitat for pollinators to the preservation of a cave, the parks show an understanding of the responsibility we have in protecting the environment, and we are proud to honor both of the parks with this award.”

Edgar Evins State Park last year sprayed, burned and hydroseeded over one mile of roadside with a native mix of 21 different wildflower species to provide habitat for native pollinators. The park now has an abundance of native wildflowers along its roadways and steep banks. The park has seen over one dozen native bee species, four native fly species and over one dozen butterfly species working the habitat.

Dunbar Cave State Park was honored for its management of Native American cave art in Dunbar Cave, particularly the Mississippian-era art. Tours of the cave allow approximately 8,000 people annually to view the art. However, the floor was being eroded, so park management partnered with Girl Scout Troop 2434 and the Tennessee Division of Archaeology to construct a raised platform over the sensitive part of the cave. The viewing platform eliminates risk from future foot traffic and prevents visitors from inadvertently touching cave walls. With a new lighting system, these steps ensure the park will be able to share the Native American art for generations.

The Resource Management category for the award includes parks that have demonstrated effective activities, natural or cultural, in managing resources within the park. Those activities can include but are not limited to invasive species management, historic preservation, rare species, inventory, landscape restoration, habitat enhancement or protection, pest management, and oral history collection.

TDEC has also announced awards for the best state parks in the following categories: Johnsonville State Historic Park for Customer Engagement; Henry Horton State Park for Interpretation; and Alvin C. York State Park for Innovation. Radnor Lake State Park was named Park of the Year as well as winning the award in Sustainability.

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