A DeKalb West School Golden Reunion

July 29, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A Golden Reunion!

Fifty years after they began their education journey, members of the very first kindergarten class at DeKalb West School gathered together again Saturday evening there to celebrate and reminisce.

Twelve of the 22 students from the 1974-75 kindergarten class attended including Steven Brown, Jon Foutch, Tim Rowland, Mike McMillen, Karen Robinson, Kellie Sandlin Taylor, Stacey Mullinax Martin, Monica Kimbrell Reynolds, Leigh Ann Williams Prince, Tony Vickers, Kerry Davis, and Greg Fish.

Four former educators at DeKalb West School now retired joined the celebration including Carolyn Mullinax, Genrose Davis, Carol Hale, and Danny Parkerson who is also a former principal there.

The event featured decorations, a meal, cake, and displays of memorabilia from that time period including school yearbooks and class photos.

DeKalb West School opened its doors for the first time 50 years ago starting with the 1974-75 school year consolidating the Alexandria, Liberty, and Dowelltown elementary schools.

July 29, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb Utility District, in collaboration with the State of Tennessee, has created and registered an official apprenticeship program for Water Systems Operations Specialists.

“Jon Foutch, the General Manager at DUD, was instrumental in this process resulting in the signing of the new apprentice, Thomas (Brey) Dedmon,” said Ellie Buckner, MBA Business Services Marketing Coordinator of Workforce Connections.

“As a part of his apprenticeship, Brey learned his position and attended classes to become a better employee while on staff as a paid employee. He will receive a national credential upon the completion of his apprenticeship. Workforce Connections was privileged to fund Brey as he completes his apprenticeship and looks forward to providing Smithville with future on-the-job training opportunities,” said Buckner.

July 29, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Have you seen a black bear in DeKalb County lately?

According to TWRA Officer Tony Cross, several people have reported seeing a young bear over the last three weeks primarily in the Snow Hill, Possum Hollow, Dowelltown, and Liberty area. Some have even photographed or captured the sightings on video.

(Click link below)

https://youtube.com/shorts/8YKZ4ie2gqk?si=1p8v2E_6sd9sR-jZ

“We are pretty sure it’s a young male, probably a couple of years old. Its hard to tell from the photos and videos what size he is, but he appears to be around 150 pounds, still that’s a good-sized bear,” said TWRA Officer Cross . “The bear has been seen in various places from the Snow Hill area to the edge of Dowelltown to the edge of Liberty to Dry Creek, and Possum Hollow. Several people have taken a picture or a video documenting proof where they saw the bear,” Cross explained.

Chances are the bear is only passing through and is in search of a food source along the way.

“A bear is really an overgrown raccoon,” said Officer Cross. “Many times a cub will stay with his mother up until he is around two years old and then she will decide its time for the young bear to go out on its own but a young bear will not stay in an area where there is a dominant male bear because he might be killed  so he starts to roam. As he is on the move, the bear will be looking for something to eat and that may be anything from berries and grubs to table scraps, bird feed, etc.”

“If you live in these areas where this bear has been seen, there is nothing to be afraid of,” Officer Cross explained. “Bears don’t want to be around humans and if they see someone walking or a car coming, they are going to go the other way but watch about leaving trash out unattended because like a lot of other wild animals if there is food among the garbage, a bear will dig into it”.

“Eventually this bear will want to be where other bears are. He’s not going to just hang out by himself. Right now, he is just wandering around and not bothering anyone,” said Officer Cross.

Please do not try to harm the bear. There is no bear hunting season in DeKalb County, and you could be prosecuted if you should kill a bear here.

According to the TWRA, black bears roamed all of Tennessee at one time. After European settlement, the numbers started dropping. Thanks to conservation and management efforts from all the Southeast states involved with the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA), black bears are making a dramatic comeback in the Southeast. Occasionally a bear sighting is reported in the Upper Cumberland area

The TWRA also offers the following guidelines to avoid and minimize potentially dangerous bear encounters:

– Never approach or feed bears

– When camping in bear country, keep all food stored in a vehicle from tents and dispose of food waste

– If you see a black bear from a distance, change your direction of travel, return the way you came from or wait until it leaves the area

– Make your presence known by yelling and shouting at the bear to scare it away.
If approached by a bear, the TWRA said stand your ground, raise your arms to appear larger, yell, throw rocks or sticks until they leave.

– Never run from a black bear. This will trigger its instinct to chase.

– If a black bear attacks, fight back aggressively and do not play pretend. Use pepper spray, sticks, rocks or anything to defend yourself.

“TWRA encourages residents to contact them immediately if they witness aggressive behavior by black bears at: tn.gov/twra/law-enforcement#accident. For additional information about what to do when encountering a bear while hiking and camping visit, bearwise.org.”

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