Pody Tells New TDOT Commissioner Proposed DeKalb Highway Projects Need to Start Moving

February 13, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

State Senator Mark Pody wants the Tennessee Department of Transportation to move forward with two major highway improvement projects planned for DeKalb County.

Pody, Vice Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he met last week with the new TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright and told him that these projects on Highway 56 between Smithville and the Warren County line and Highway 70 at Alexandria to Highway 96 in Liberty, have waited long enough.

“I told him that in our county that we have to get this done between McMinnville and Smithville. That has been put off several times. I also told him we have to get this project on Highway 70 extending into Wilson County and that it needs to be done all the way through. I thought those were the two highest priorities we have in our county. I would like to get it (Highway 70) widened all the way to the Wilson County line and eventually all the way up to Interstate 40 but Wilson County has some different priorities right now. They are not against it but it’s not their highest priority right now but I think it will be as we go through the process,” said Pody.

State funding is already in place for two phases of the proposed Highway 56 improvement project and at last report would be in TDOT’s March bid letting barring any further delays.

TDOT proposes to let bids for two of the phases from south of the Warren County line to near Magness Road (3.3 miles) and from south of State Route 288 near Magness Road to East Bryant Street in Smithville (5 miles). The third segment from near State Route 287 in Warren County to near the DeKalb County Line is not yet ready for bid letting.

Meanwhile plans are still in the works for expansion of Highway 70 (State Route 26) from Highway 53 in Alexandria to Highway 96 in Liberty but while right of way acquisition was long ago acquired for the project, the state does not have any immediate plans for construction. The $15.2 million project is included among those identified by TDOT to be addressed as part of the IMPROVE ACT adopted by the state legislature.

February 19, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Lady Tigers will have to settle for fourth place in the District 8AA basketball tournament after losing 41 to 39 Monday night to York Institute in the girls consolation game at Tennessee Tech.

The Lady Tigers, a 4^th seed from district 8, will meet the top seed from district 7, Cumberland County (23-6) Friday at Crossville at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile Macon County defeated Upperman 55 to 38 to claim the girls district tournament championship Monday night.

DeKalb County swept the regular season series against the Lady Dragons winning 66 to 52 on November 30 in Smithville and 51 to 34 at Jamestown on January 18.

In the game Monday night, DC trailed 9 to 8 after the 1^st period. The game was tied at 22 by halftime. The Lady Tigers trailed 33 to 29 after the 3^rd period and lost 41 to 39.

Kadee Ferrell scored 13, Lydia Brown 11, Mya Ruch 7, Emme Colwell 5, and Maddison Parsley with 3.

The Lady Tigers are now 20-10 on the season.

Livingston Academy and Upperman will battle for the boys District Tournament Championship Tuesday night, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. In the consolation game, York Institute will face Watertown for third place at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at Tennessee Tech.

February 18, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A Nashville couple and twin infants (boy and girl) escaped injury in a one car crash Sunday night on Highway 70 east (Sligo Hill) on the Smithville side.

24 year old Ashly Vaul was driving west in a 2004 Chevrolet Aveo when the car started to hydroplane in the rain and went off the road into a ditch coming to rest on its side. 26 year old Logan Cochrane and two-four month old infants were passengers.

DeKalb EMS was at the scene and checked out the infants but they did not have to be transported to the hospital. The adults refused transport to the hospital.

Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and DeKalb Volunteer Fire Department were also on the scene.

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