The DeKalb County Election Commission has released a sample ballot for the DeKalb County General Election, Tennessee Democratic and Republican Primaries, and the Dowelltown and Liberty Municipal Elections to be held on Thursday, August 7th.
The first page of the sample ballot reveals the names of Democratic candidates for the United States Senate including Mark E. Clayton, Gary G. Davis, Kenneth Eaton, Leonard D. Ladner, Wm Mike Padgett, and Robert D. Tuke.
Incumbent Bart Gordon is the only Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in the 6th Congressional District.
The second page of the sample ballot shows the names of Democratic candidates for the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 40th Representative District including Cleveland Derrick Bain, Jeff Barrett, Steven K. Cantrell, Gayla C. Hendrix, Carl (Hix) Jones, Dean Sircy, and Sarah Marie Smith.
Spaces are on the ballot for DeKalb County Democratic Executive Committee member from each district and precinct but there are no candidates.
The sixth page of the sample ballot includes the name of incumbent Lamar Alexander, the only GOP candidate for the United States Senate.
Two GOP candidates are listed for the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 40th Representative District including Nicky Rittenberry and Terri Lynn Weaver.
There is no GOP candidate for the United States House of Representatives in the 6th Congressional District.
The seventh page of the sample ballot reveals the names of candidates for Assessor of Property, School board member in the 5th and 6th district, and constable in each district.
Candidates for Assessor of Property include Democratic incumbent Timothy (Fud) Banks, Republican John David Foutch, and Independent Sandy C. Brown.
Candidates for school board member in the 5th district are Larry Evans and Incumbent W.J. (Dub) Evins, III, both Independents.
In the 6th district, candidates for the school board are Incumbent Linda Louise Fuston and Bruce Parsley, both Independents.
Constable candidates are Republican Incumbent Reed Edge in the 2nd district, Democratic Incumbent Wayne Vanderpool in the 3rd district, Democrat Paul Cantrell in the 4th district, Democratic Incumbent Mark Milam in the 5th district, Democrat Cantrell Jones in the 6th district, and Democrat Johnny King in the 7th district. All are unopposed. There is no candidate for constable in the 1st district.
The ninth page of the sample ballot includes names of candidates in the City of Dowelltown and City of Liberty elections.
In Dowelltown, Incumbent Mayor Gerald W. Bailiff is unopposed and Aldermen candidates are Incumbent Joe L. Bogle and Elizabeth A. Redmon, also unopposed.
In Liberty, three aldermen will be elected. The candidates are Todd Dodd and incumbents Jerry W. Johnson, Dwight Mathis, and Paul M. Neal.
The tenth and eleventh pages of the sample ballot ask for a “yes” or “no” vote on the retention of two state supreme court judges, William C. Koch, Jr. and Gary R. Wade; two court of appeals judges (middle division), Andy D. Bennett and Richard H. Dinkins; court of appeals (western division), Steve Stafford; court of criminal appeals (eastern division), D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.; and court of criminal appeals (western division), Camille R. McMullen.
The deadline for voter registration in time for the August 7th elections is Tuesday, July 8th and early voting will be held Friday, July 18th through Saturday, August 2nd. Times of early voting have not yet been set.

Incoming freshmen students from DeKalb West and DeKalb Middle Schools and their parents are invited to attend Freshmen Orientation Night on Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 p.m. Students will receive their schedules and attend an orientation session with their home room teachers. Students who attend Freshmen Registration night will not be required to attend school on the regular registration day on August 5th
This Orientation Night is only for Freshmen transferring from DeKalb West and DeKalb Middle Schools.
Students new to DeKalb County are invited to registration during regular school hours July 23rd-25th or call for an appointment with the counselor at 597-4094
Meanwhile all high school students who are new to the DeKalb County School System are invited to come by the DCHS guidance office and register July 23-25th from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Students new to the school system are strongly encouraged to register during this time to avoid long registration lines during the first week of school and to allow the guidance office staff time to send for your records which will help determine which classes you need to register for.
This registration period is only for students new to the school system and not for freshmen transferring from DeKalb West or DeKalb Middle Schools.
Freshmen students transferring from DeKalb West and DeKalb Middle Schools and their parents are encouraged to attend Freshmen Registration Night on July 31st starting at 6:00 p.m.

The new Tennessee boating registration fees are effective as of July 1, 2008, marking the first increase since 1998, according to Ed Carter, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Boating Chief.
Fees for boats 16 feet or less in length will increase $3 to $13 for one year. Fees for boats more than 16 feet to less than 26 feet cost will increase $5 to $25.
While the fee increase becomes effective July 1, boaters will not see the increase until their current registration expires. At the owner’s discretion, boats in Tennessee may be registered for one to three years.
The increase in the registration fees in these categories and other categories of boats represent the increase in the Consumer Price Index since 1998.
Additionally, boats must have a validation decal that must be affixed to the vessel on each side of the boat immediately preceding or following the Tennessee identification number. Vessels with a valid document issued by the United States Coast Guard are not required to display a certificate of number but will display a current validation decal issued by TWRA.
The fee to be collected for issuance of a vessel certificate or number or registration is as follows:
Size:
16 feet and under $13 (1 year) $24 (2 years) $35 (3 years)
Over 16 feet to less than 26 feet $25 (1 year) $48 (2 years) $71 (3 years)
26 feet to less than 40 feet $38 (1 year) $72 (2 years) $107 (3 years)
40 feet or more $51 (1 year) $97 (2 years) $142 (3 years)
Consignment (Manufacturers Only) Same fees as lengths and years above.
Dealer/Manufacturer Certificate $32 (1 year) $64 (2 years) $95 (3 years)
Duplicate and Replacement Certificate $6 (1 year)
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission approved the boating fees and regulation changes.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced farmer and rancher candidate nominations began June 15 for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees.
The nomination period continues through August 1, 2008. Elections take place this fall.
“I encourage all producers to participate in the county committee election process by nominating candidates by the August 1 deadline,” said Schafer. “We are counting on as much participation as possible, because county committees are an important link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We have seen a trend in recent years of increased nominations of minority and women producers and we hope that will continue.”
According to Donny Green, County Executive Director for the DeKalb County Farm Service Agency, Committees apply their judgment and knowledge to make decisions on county commodity price-support loan eligibility, establishment of allotments and yields, conservation programs, disaster programs, employment and other farm program-related issues. Nationwide, there are more than 7,800 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees.
Committees consist of three to five members who are elected by eligible local producers.
To be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate.
Nominees must reside in Local Administrative Area (LAA) # 2 which is described as the area that includes: West of a line where Hwy. 146 crosses the Cannon County line following Hwy. 146 north to Hodges Rd.; thence north to Tabernacle Rd.; following a line from Tabernacle Rd. to Dry Creek Rd.; west of Dry Creek Rd. to Hwy. 70 West; north of Hwy. 70 to Hwy. 96 North (Dale Ridge Rd.); west of Hwy. 96 North to Hwy. 141 (Wolf Creek Rd.);West of Hwy. 141 to Center Hill Dam; thence following the Caney Fork River north/northwest to the Smith County line; thence south of the Smith County line; thence east of the Wilson County line to the Cannon County line; northwest of the Cannon County line back to the intersection of Hwy. 146 and the DeKalb/Cannon County line. LAA # 2 generally covers the following communities in DeKalb County: Alexandria, Liberty, Dowelltown, Snow Hill, Temperance Hall, Dale Ridge, portions of Short Mountain, Dry Creek, Pea Ridge, Wolf Creek, and Lancaster.
Individuals may nominate themselves, or others, as a candidate. In addition, eligible candidates can be nominated by community-based and other organizations in the county where the election is being held before the close of the nomination period, especially groups representing socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. Nominations and elections are open to all eligible candidates and voters without regard to race, color, religion, nation origin, age, sex, marital status or disability.
The nomination form (FSA-669A) is available at USDA Service Centers and online at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/elections. For more information about FSA county committees, visit the DeKalb County USDA Service Center or call 615-597-8225, extension 2.

A Watertown man, already in possession of Xanax pills, got arrested in Alexandria Tuesday night after police learned he showed up at a residence on Avant Circle looking to buy more drugs.
Alexandria Police Chief Mark Collins says 46 year old Jeffrey Lynn Brashears was charged with possession of a controlled substance (Xanax).
According to Chief Collins, Brashears came to the residence on Avant Circle where an alleged drug dealer once lived, looking to purchase more Xanax pills, but learned that the person he wanted to see had moved.
Alexandria Police stopped Brashears on West Main Street after the person who now lives at the Avant Circle residence, called them to report the incident.
Chief Collins says Brashears was in possession of Xanax pills at the time of his arrest and was charged in the case.

Incumbent Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson and Incumbent Aldermen Stephen White and Cecil Burger have been re-elected to new two year terms after beating their challengers in Tuesday’s Municipal Election.
A total of 963 voted in the election including 684 during early voting and 279 on Tuesday (election day).
Mayor Hendrixson defeated Faye Driver Fuqua 542 (56.75%) to 413 (43.25%).
Alderman Burger led the ticket with 570 votes (34.46%) followed by White with 567 votes (34.28%). Unsuccessful candidates for aldermen were Danny Washer with 409 votes (24.73%) and Alford Webber with 108 votes (6.53%).
Mayor -elect Hendrixson and Aldermen-elect Burger and White will be sworn into office again soon. Their terms officially begin July 1st.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen consist of Mayor Taft Hendrixson and Aldermen Stephen White, Cecil Burger, Tonya Sullivan, Willie Thomas, and Jerry Hutchins’ Sr.
The positions of Sullivan, Thomas, and Hutchins will be up for election in June 2009.
The vote in the mayor’s race Tuesday breaks down as follows:
Faye Driver Fuqua:
Early Voting-271
Absentees (paper ballots)-39
Election Day-103
TOTAL-413
Taft Hendrixson:
Early Voting-353
Absentees (paper ballots)-14
Election Day-175
TOTAL-542
The vote in the aldermen race breaks down as follows:
Cecil Burger:
Early Voting-362
Absentees (paper ballots)-32
Election Day-176
TOTAL-570
Danny Washer:
Early Voting -276
Absentees (paper ballots) 21
Election Day-112
TOTAL-409
Alford Webber:
Early Voting-75
Absentees (paper ballots)-9
Election Day-24
TOTAL-108
Stephen White:
Early Voting- 367
Absentees (paper ballots)-21
Election Day-179
TOTAL-567