DeKalb GOP to Hold Primary for School Board Positions in 2022

December 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Republican Party Executive Committee met on Monday, November 29 and voted to hold a DeKalb County School Board Republican Primary election for districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and any other vacancies that may occur, on Tuesday May 3, 2022.

Party leaders have until December 10 to notify the election commission of their decision in time for the 2022 elections.

The DeKalb County Democratic Party Executive Committee will meet Monday, December 6 to decide on whether to have a primary for school board races in 2022.

Under a new state law, candidates for local school boards in Tennessee can now run-in partisan races.

For many years local school board elections have been nonpartisan in Tennessee and candidates were barred from campaigning as a nominee or representative of a political party when running for school board.

Now, local political parties are allowed to direct county election officials to hold a party primary for the seats.

In a letter to chairs of both the DeKalb County Democratic and Republican Parties, Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley explained that the district offices for school board up for election in 2022 can be added to local party primary ballots in May 2022.

“The General Assembly passed legislation during their recent special session that allows parties to nominate candidates for any school board office. Because you have called a primary in May, you have the option to add school board offices that will appear on the August ballot to the primary. This includes county school districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 7,” said Stanley.

“If you would like to supplement your existing call for a primary to add school board offices, you must file an original written notice with our office no later than the close of business on Friday, December 10, 2021. Like any call for a primary, we request that it be signed by two members of the county executive committee,” Stanley said.

The election commission will begin issuing candidate petitions for the May 3, 2022, primaries on December 20, 2021.

December 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School continued its monthly observance Friday of recognizing a teacher, student, and parents or guardians of the month.

Each received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal from F.Z. Webb & Sons Pharmacy, Gifts, and Soda Fountain. A different restaurant will be offering a meal gift card to each month’s honorees.

DCHS Senior English and Visual Arts teacher Stephanie Turner was selected as Teacher of the Month while senior Joanie Campbell is Student of the Month, voted on by the teachers, faculty, and staff. The parents of the month are Chris and Holly Moore, and this honor was based on a winning essay written by their daughter Sadie.

“My essay was about how my parents deserve to be Parents of the Month because of everything they do for us,” said Sadie. “They always go out of their way to do things for us, and always bless us with the things that we need or want.”

Chris Moore is the minister of the Smithville Church of God, where he has pastored for six years, as well as working for the school system. Holly is a teacher’s aide at DeKalb County High School.

“Sadie did an outstanding job with her essay,” said Assistant DCHS Principal Thomas Cagle. “She told the many different ways they help her achieve excellence in school and in life. It really resonated with me this month. I take my time to read all the essays to choose, but hers really resonated the emphasis on how much her parents do to be excellent in DeKalb County School and outside of school.”

Turner said she is excited to be named Teacher of the Month.

“I’m really honored and really happy,” Turner said. “I teach senior English and visual art, and this is my sixth-year teaching.”

Cagle said Turner is DeKalb through and through, having graduated from DCHS, the same school her parents graduated from.

“Ms. Turner is a fantastic teacher,” Cagle explained. “She does a lot for us here at the school. This month, she actually helped design a project of mine, our ‘Thankfulness Trees’ here at the high school. She designed the trees and put them all together, and she did an outstanding job. It was a lot of work for her and her art classes to do. I couldn’t be more thankful to her for her contributions to us here at the high school.”

Campbell, Student of the Month, said music is her favorite study and hopes to one day become a professional entertainer

“I feel very honored to receive this award,” Campbell said. “I didn’t feel like I deserved something like this, but my teachers have shown me that I did. I guess what I like to study most is music and aspire to be a musician or a singer.” Campbell plays piano and guitar.

Assistant Principal Cagle said Joanie has earned this Student of the Month honor. “She was nominated by one of our teachers. She has captivated everyone here at the school. She’s a great student and is one of our stars in the choir with Mr. Gulley. She’s a fantastic singer and just can’t give her enough praise. Every day she’s one of those kids that come in with a smile on her face, says ‘Good morning,’ and exhibits a lot of qualities that we as teachers and administrators look for in our kids.”

“These awards are a way for us to acknowledge students who are performing exemplary each month. This isn’t always going to be for your straight “A” student. It’s for those putting in the effort to make DeKalb County better each and every month. Every teacher can nominate a student and all teachers vote on the student nominated. Teachers are voted on by the administration. The parent of the month award is determined by student essays. Students can write an essay each month and nominate their parent for a chance to win. In the essays, students can highlight things the parents are doing in their life outside of school that we may not know about,” said Cagle.

December 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Two people escaped injury in a car crash Tuesday night on West Broad Street near Walmart.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 32-year-old Christopher Price of Smithville was traveling west in a 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser attempting to make a left turn into the Walmart parking lot when he crossed the path of an eastbound 2018 Buick SUV driven by 52-year-old Scott Odom of Sparta who was approaching the entrance to Walmart. The collision caused Price’s vehicle to overturn onto its left side. Odom’s automobile spun around and came to a final rest facing west in the eastbound lanes of travel. Neither driver suffered any injuries.

The crash was investigated by Trooper Bobby Johnson and assisted by THP Lieutenant Dewaine Jennings and THP Lieutenant Charlie Caplinger

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