Local Church Pays Tribute to Those who Protect and Serve Community (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

September 8, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville First Assembly of God held a recognition dinner Friday night at the county complex to pay tribute to first responders and others who protect and serve our community.

Pastor Iain Swisher hosted the program and Josh Isaac sang the National Anthem. Following the meal drawings were held for gifts to the honorees donated by local businesses and others.

M2U02816 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“Tonight is about each and every one of you. We honor you in everything that you do and your dedication to the service to our community. How you show up every day and every night to serve us in unique capacities. For the roles that you fill in each department represented here tonight,” said Swisher.

Honorees attending the dinner were members of the DeKalb County EMS, Alexandria Police Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Smithville Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Constables, Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department, Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, and the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad. The 911 Central Dispatch and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency were also recognized.

September 8, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Tigers dropped their third game in a row losing to the visiting Watertown Purple Tigers 48-14 Friday night in Smithville.

The loss puts the Tigers at 1-3 on the season with a trip to Grundy County on the schedule next Friday night, September 14.

Watertown, ranked as high as number two in the state, is now 4-0.

The purple Tigers scored all their points in the first half starting with Heath Price who rambled 37 yards on a keeper with 9:03 left in the 1^st period. Cole Miller added the extra point for a 7-0 Watertown lead.

Deramus Carey extended the purple Tiger lead on a 90 yard touchdown run with 3:23 left in the 1^st period. The PAT attempt was no good but Watertown led 13-0

Carey scored his second touchdown of the night on a 33 yard run with 10:23 to go in the  2^nd period.  Price took it in for the 2 point conversion and the purple Tigers were up 21-0.

Watertown’s Brandon Watts scored on a 17 yard touchdown run with 8:15 left in the 2^nd period. Miller tacked on the extra point and the purple Tigers owned a 28-0 lead.

Carey got his third and final touchdown of the game on a 39 yard run with 4:53 left in the 2nd period. The PAT by Miller put Watertown up 35-0

Quanterrius Hughes Malone added another score for Watertown after recovering a DeKalb County fumble and racing 25 yards for a touchdown with 4:30 to go in the 2^nd period.  Miller’s extra point extended Watertown’s lead to 42-0.

The final score for the purple Tigers came on a 6 yard quarterback keeper by Brayden Cousino with 3:07 left in the 2^nd period. The PAT attempt was no good but Watertown led 48-0.

After two games and 10 quarters without a touchdown, DeKalb County broke the streak as Axel Aldino scored on a 4 yard quarterback keeper with 5:01 left in the 3^rd period. Andrew Fuson  connected on the PAT and the Tigers trailed 48-7.

DeKalb County added one more score with 7:37 left in the 4^th period as Aldino found Tanner Myers on a 53 yard pass play  for a touchdown. Fuson added the extra point and the final score was 48-14 in favor of Watertown.

September 7, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee brought his “Believe in Tennessee Tour” to Smithville Friday as part of his 95 county journey across the state in the 95 days leading up to the November General Election.

A crowd greeted Lee inside the county complex where he made his remarks.

M2U02812 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Lee, a cattle farmer and businessman, is a newcomer to politics but believes he knows what Tennesseans want in a Governor.

“I have never run for office. I am a true outsider but I have learned a lot in the last year and a half. I think people want a good job, a good school for their kids, and a safe neighborhood. That’s what matters to every single Tennessean in every single county,” said Lee.

The loss of his first wife in a farming accident several years ago caused Lee to reassess his outlook on life and his service to others.

“I lost my first wife when I was 40 in an accident on my farm. That was devastating. I had four little kids and I was in the middle of my career. It so profoundly impacted who I am. Because of that life changing experience God changed my heart in that process. The Lord walked me through that tragedy in a powerful way and because of that I got involved in some things that I had not been as heavily involved in which was non-profit work,” said Lee.

“I got involved in a young man’s life through an inner city at-risk youth program. I spent one evening a week with this kid every week for five years. That kid was failing every class in his school. I worked with his grandmother to get him moved to another school and after that his whole educational outlook changed. What I saw was the power of a good education in the life of a child and what I became was a man passionately interested not only in this kid’s life but in the fact that every single kid that lives in Tennessee deserves to have a school system and an education that gives them a bright future. We have some good schools in our state but we are still in the bottom half of states in America. We have a lot of work we can do in education,” Lee continued.

“I also got involved in a non-profit ministry called Men of Valor. I decided to mentor a man coming out of prison. I spent one morning a week with that guy every week for years and that relationship opened up my eyes to the issue of recidivism. Returning to prison and re-entry and things that relate to public safety. Right now in the state of Tennessee about 95% of the people who are in prison or jail in this state will get out. They will be released because they have served their terms and they will come out into our communities. Right now 50% of those people will recommit a crime in our community within the first two years of being out and they will go right back in. We pay for that in so many ways. I got really interested in that subject thinking we can do better than that in Tennessee,” Lee said.

“I found myself realizing that I had spent most of my adult life trying to make life better for the 1200 employees of my business and their families but maybe that it was my job to make life better for six and a half million people. That was a compelling thought to me and it caused me and my wife Maria to spend a year praying and then we made a decision to run,” said Lee.

“The voters of Tennessee have honored me and given me the great privilege of being where I am today which is being the Republican nominee for Governor. I am really proud to be here. What it has done is remind me even more importantly how much I want to serve and how I do want to use my life to impact this state for good”.

“We’re calling our 95 counties in 95 days tour the “Believe in Tennessee Tour”. We are going to every single county and meeting with people and sharing my heart for Tennessee and what I believe about it”.

“We have 15 counties in poverty and they are all rural. That is problematic for me and it is something we have to address. We have a 50% (incarceration) recidivism rate. That is not good enough. We can do better. We’re in the bottom half of states in America in education. We are a remarkable state with remarkable people but we have some remarkable challenges before us,” Lee continued.

“This is a very good state in which to live, work, and raise a family. We are privileged to be Tennesseans. I am proud of this state and where it is today because of the local and state leadership we have had. We are the envy of many states in this country but good is the enemy of great and we can do better. As good as we are I believe with the right leadership we can go to the next level in our state. That’s why I am calling this my “Believe in Tennessee Tour” because I believe that Tennessee can not only be a better place for six and a half million people but Tennessee can lead the nation. We are positioned and poised to do just that. We can show other states how to improve their schools rapidly and how to change educational outcomes. One man is not going to do that. I believe profoundly in self governance but together we can create a state that goes from good to great,” said Lee.

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