Local Spanish-American War Hero’s Medal of Honor to be Displayed in New National Heritage Center at Chattanooga

February 3, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

For his heroic actions during the Spanish-American War, Charles P. Cantrell of DeKalb County received the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s highest award for valor.

Cantrell’s medal, which has been on display at Justin Potter Library since 1995, will be on loan to the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center of Chattanooga through May 13 for an exhibit titled “Honoring the Sacrifice: Medals of Honor Through Time”.

Members of the American Legion Post #122; Kathy Hendrixson, County Library Director at Justin Potter Library, and members of the DeKalb County Library Board formally presented the medal Monday afternoon to Molly Randolph, Curator of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.

The exhibit, which will launch at the Grand Opening of the Heritage Center on February 22, is designed to showcase a large collection of Medals of Honor and to highlight the individual backgrounds and stories behind the Medal of Honor recipients, from the Civil War to Vietnam. Each of the recipient sections will include a biography, pictures of the recipient, the actual medal and various objects that belonged to the individual and represent their service.

Private Charles P. Cantrell was born 13 February 1874 in Smithville, TN, and entered the Army from Nashville, TN. He was sent to fight in the Spanish-American War with Company F, 10th U.S. Infantry, a unit that played a major role in the taking of San Juan Hill, a stronghold of the Spanish. In that battle at Santiago, Cuba on July 1, 1898, Cantrell, without regard for his own safety, gallantly assisted in the rescue of the wounded from in front of the lines and under heavy fire from the enemy and was cited for his bravery with the Medal of Honor. Private Cantrell died on August 3, 1948 and is buried at Nashville National Cemetery.

Cantrell’s grandson, Charles Thomas Cantrell presented the medal to the American Legion Post #122 in a formal ceremony on June 29, 1995 on the stage of the Fiddlers’ Jamboree during a special Tennessee Bicentennial Celebration. Since then Cantrell’s medal, binoculars, citation, and American flag have been kept on display at Justin Potter Library.

“We are borrowing objects from institutions and individuals all over the country in order to bring this very large collection to the Heritage Center, said Randolph. Our hope is that visitors will be inspired by these extraordinary acts of valor by ordinary individuals and that they can connect these same character traits to their day to day lives”.

The exhibit will officially open to the public at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 22. The public is invited to join at least 15 visiting Medal of Honor recipients and numerous national, state and local dignitaries at 10 a.m. that day for a special celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony that will culminate a three year campaign to build the new National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, the heart of where the Medal’s heritage started nearly 158 years ago. Because of its Tennessee roots, the Heritage Center will feature a large number of Tennessee Medals of Honor and recipients in this and subsequent exhibits, which will rotate three to five times a year.

Self guided tours of the Heritage Center will be offered from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday during Grand Opening weekend. Tour tickets are required and may be purchased in advance through www.MOHHC.org/Tickets. Special discounts are offered to military and senior citizens and group rates are available.

For more information about the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, please visit www.mohhc.org or call 423-877-2525.

February 3, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb Youth Baseball League is undergoing changes.

With player registration beginning Saturday, February 8 President Casey Midgett has announced that the league is switching its affiliation to Cal Ripen/Babe Ruth and with it will come some modifications in the way the program is operated.

“We have switched affiliations this year and are now part of Cal Ripen/Babe Ruth baseball. The Cal Ripen part is for the younger kids and Babe Ruth is for the older ones but its all part of the same organization,” said Midgett”.

By being affiliated with Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth, Midgett said DeKalb County teams will have more opportunities during post season play.

“The local season we have here will be basically unchanged. We get to run it just like we normally do but after our regular season is over we will get to participate in the tournaments that Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth offer. Just like our high school plays in a district, we (youth baseball) will also play in a district. Our district will be us (DeKalb), Cookeville, Crossville, Livingston, Celina, and Jamestown. When the tournament starts it will be at the district level and if we do well enough we will go on past that to what we call the state which is really just a large region of teams. We will have an opportunity to play through there and go further even as far as their world series which is televised now. This will give our kids a little something more to look forward to,” said Midgett.

“What we have run into in the past is when we went to our tournaments we ran into a lot of travel teams and while we competed well it really was stacked against us although we took the best players from all of our teams in whatever respective leagues they were in and competed with those guys. We feel this will be a much better fit for us and give our kids a better opportunity to really succeed,” he continued.

The home field for the younger players will be at the Little League Park on Allen’s Ferry Road while the Joe L. Evins Park will serve as home to the new senior league team.

“We will be at the field on Allen’s Ferry Road, commonly known as the Little League field. Overall we will start with players ages 7-8 and up to 15 year olds this year. Our 7-8 year olds in the past have been a coach pitch team. One of the changes this year is we will not have a coach pitch league. It will be machine pitch for 7-8 year olds. We will have a machine doing the pitching instead of coaches doing that which is the way Cal Ripken is set up in the tournaments. We want to match that so our kids will be used to that type of pitching when we get there (tournaments) ,” said Midgett.

“We will have a 9-10 year old minor league which is the first level of kid pitch baseball and 11-12 year old kid pitch which is what we call major league. Something else we are really pushing this year is our 13-15 year old league. We call that our senior league. It is designed to fill that gap of kids that age who don’t have an option to play anywhere else. We will have some players in our senior league from the West School’s baseball team but we won’t start our season until their year is completed. Overall we are aiming for mid April to start our youth baseball league but as far as senior league it probably won’t start until late April or the first of May. We will play the senior league games at the Joe L. Evins field and they will have an opportunity to have an all-star team and advance like the rest of our teams,” said Midgett.

Age requirements are a bit different for Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth.

“In the past it was whatever age you were on January 1 that determined what level you played in. From now on it will be whatever age you are as of May 1. To make it fair to all everyone will go back in the draft this first year even if you are a returning player. An exception is we will allow the head coach to keep his player and he will have an assistant coach who will have his player as well but everybody else will go back into the draft to make it as fair as we possibly can for everyone,” said Midgett.

Registration fees will also increase.

“We have raised the registration fee from $40 to $65 per player plus $50 per additional player from the same family. It is actually a cost savings to people. In the past we have asked parents to either work the concession stand or to pay $30 to get out of working but this year no parent will have to buy out or work in the concession stand. We will pay other people to do that. If you bought out last year you will save $5 this year by us doing it this way”.

Midgett said improvements are underway and more are planned for the ballfields.

“We have some things in the works. A new scoreboard has come in and it will be put up at the Little League field and we will take down the old scoreboard there and put it at the Joe L. Evins field. We’re also working on the fields. We’re going to put in a dirt mound for the minor and major league teams and we will need some help to do that. We would like to build a batting cage. We have the pad poured for that and we’re one step away from being able to erect a shed out there where kids can practice when its raining or during the winter. We want to continue making improvements to the field where we can have a first class place to play. Its all about trying to better DeKalb County as a whole and start building that community pride,” added Midgett.

DeKalb Youth Baseball Signups will be February 8 at Northside Elementary School; February 15 & 22 at the County Complex Main Room; and February 29 at the UT Extension Office in the County Complex.

Registration fees are $65.00 per child and $50 for each sibling. Please bring proof of player age and proof of residency. Player ages determined by what age the player is as of May 1st.

Coach Pitch: 7-8 year olds
Minor League: 9-10 year olds
Major League: 11-12 year olds
Senior League: 13-15 year olds

Tryouts for all leagues will be Saturday, March 7

There will be no concession stand buyouts this year and no parents will be required to work them.
They accept debit/credit cards. Transaction fee applies.

February 2, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A Saturday night crash on Cookeville Highway near the DeKalb/Putnam County line claimed the life of a 20 year old Smithville man.

Samuel Dewayne Wright was taken from the scene by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The accident occurred at around 8:17 p.m. in DeKalb County.

Trooper Caleb Bain of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that Wright was traveling south on Highway 56 in a 2006 Mini Cooper as 18 year old Hunter Hoffman of Mount Juliet was northbound in a 2015 Dodge Charger.

According to Trooper Bain it is unknown as this time which driver was at fault until CIRT (Critical Incident Response Team) of the THP takes a look at the scene and conducts a further investigation.

Hoffman was transported by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center for non life threatening injuries.

Both were wearing their seatbelts.

Samuel was born October 19, 1999 in Lebanon to his parents, John & Teresa Waggoner Wright. Samuel was employed with Donelson Air and he attended the Refuge Church in Smithville. He was the President of the Unique Obsessions Car Club of Smithville, an organization he was proud to be a part of.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 2pm from the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Bro. Graden Kirksey & Bro. Donnie Kelly will officiate with burial to follow at DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation with the family will be on Tuesday from 11am-9pm and Wednesday from 10am until service time at 2pm.

He was preceded in death by his Maternal Grand Father, Grady Samuel Waggoner & Paternal Grand Parents, Archie & Thelma Wright. Maternal Aunt & Uncles, Sharrion & Mike Rhoten & Joe White. Paternal Aunt, June Blaylock. Survivors include his Parents, John & Teresa Wright of Smithville. Sister, Olivia & Ivan Beale & a soon to be niece or nephew of Smithville. Maternal Grandmother, Oneda Montgomery Waggoner of Smithville. Uncles & Aunt, Jerome Waggoner of Smithville, Roy & Wilma Rockwell of Livingston, Andrew & Lynne Wright of Celina, Kim & Joe Endsley of Knoxville. Several cousins, friends and family also survive.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to The Refuge Church building fund in memory of Samuel.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.

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