A total of 2,079 people cast ballots during the early voting period of July 14th – 29th at the courthouse.
The DeKalb County Election Commission reports the following daily voting breakdown: Friday, July 14th -139, Saturday, July 15th -148, Monday, July 17th-84, Tuesday, July 18th- 131, Wednesday, July 19th- 145, Thursday, July 20th- 240, Friday, July 21st- 132, Saturday, July 22nd- 114, Monday, July 24th- 120, Tuesday, July 25th- 111, Wednesday, July 26th -120, Thursday, July 27th- 224, Friday, July 28th- 147, and Saturday, July 29th- 224. These numbers also include the mail ballots received.
The DeKalb County Election Commission reminds you that Thursday, August 3rd is election day.
Polling places at all sixteen precincts across the county will be open Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
WJLE will have exclusive LIVE election return coverage starting Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. at the courthouse. WJLE will also have regular updates throughout the night on www.wjle.com.
Author Archive: Dwayne Page
Thurston Millard Cantrell
60 year old Thurston Millard Cantrell of Sparta died Thursday at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was a DeKalb County native. The funeral will be Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the East Sparta Church of God. Jerry Barnwell will officiate and burial will be in the Oaklawn Cemetery. Visitation will be after 6:00 p.m. Saturday at the church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Otis Cantrell and Ola Rigsby Cantrell. Survivors include his wife, Linda Faye Lowery Cantrell of Sparta. A daughter and son-in-law, Christie and Billy Hammons of Rickman. A granddaughter, Hannah Hammons of Rickman. Twin brother, Willard Cantrell of Cookeville. Four sisters, Leta Snodgrass of Sparta, Alene Jones of McMinnville. Kathleen Cantrell of Nashville, and Lucille Smith of Smithville. Hunter Funeral Home in Sparta is in charge of the arrangements. This information provided as a courtesy of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home
Joe Thomas Harvey
89 year old Joe Thomas Harvey of Alexandria died Friday at UMC Hospital. He was a Wilson County native and a farmer. The funeral will be Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church where he was a member for 77 years and an Elder for 50 years. Tim Diffenderfer will officiate and burial will be in the Talley Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the funeral home and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service at the church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Jefferson and Maude Gatton Harvey; a brother, Gilbert Harvey; an infant sister; and son-in-law, Eddie M. Crips. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Alene Adamson Harvey. Children, Mary Katherine and her husband Richard Matus, Margaret Doris and her husband Donnie Uselton, and Charlotte Elaine and her husband Ken Chapman all of Lebanon, James Tommy and his wife Miranda Harvey of Alexandria, and Brenda Gail Crips of Smithville. Grandchildren, Kendra and her husband David Erie of Lebanon, Shelley Lynn Lanius of Lebanon, Randall and his wife Tara Harvey of Mount Juliet, Kevin and his wife Angelia Harvey of Alexandria, Chad Harvey of Mount Juliet,and Ryan Crips and Jeff Crips both of Smithville. Great grandchildren, Andrea Chapman, Drew Erie, Kailey Harvey, and Wyatt Harvey. Sisters, Montie Lee Robinson and Mable Dunn Christian both of Alexandria. A sister-in-law, Willie Harvey. Anderson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. The family requests that donations be made to the Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church or to the Talley Cemetery, in lieu of flowers.
DeKalb Jobless Rate Jumps To 6.3% In June
The DeKalb County unemployment rate jumped from 5.4% in May to 6.3% in June.
The local labor force for June was 9,590. A total of 8,980 were employed and 610 were unemployed.
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for June 2006, released today, show that all 95 counties increased. The increase in Tennessee’s county rates is largely due to the seasonal closing of schools, increasing the amount of unemployed students and workers into the labor market. Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June, which was released last week, was 5.6 percent, 0.2 percentage point higher than the May rate of 5.4 percent.
Williamson County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, up from 3.1 in May. Knox and Blount counties were the second lowest with 4.5 percent, up from the May rate of 3.8 percent. Lawrence County had the highest county rate at 12.5 percent, up from the May rate of 11.5.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate for the month of June at 4.5 percent, up from the May rate of 3.8 percent. Davidson County was the next lowest with 4.9 percent, up from 4.2 percent in May. The Hamilton County rate increased to 5.4 percent from 4.4 percent in May. Shelby was 6.9 percent in June, up from 5.6 percent in May.
Paul E. Howard
81 year old Paul E. Howard of Alexandria and formerly of Pocola, Oklahoma died Wednesday at his residence. He was a retired contractor and horseman. The funeral will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Hunter Funeral Home in Watertown. Don Mathis will officiate and burial will be in the Hillview Cemetery in Alexandria. Visitation will be Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. He was preceded in death by his parents, Len Howard and Mary Bolt Howard. Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Phyllis Stafford Howard of Alexandria. A son and daughter-in-law, Brandon and Debbie Howard of Watertown. Three daughters, Mary Frances and her husband Jim Evans of Lebanon, Sandy and her husband Henry Crawford of Jacksonville, Florida, and Ladonna McClendon of Orlando, Florida. Five grandchildren, Larry Paul Bowden, Brandy Lee Bowden, and Brady Len Bowden all of Lebanon, Richard Mistone of Watertown, and Kimberly Williams of Ohio. Two sisters, Ruby Nell Perkins of Pocola, Oklahoma and Mary Lee Williams of California. Special friends, Linda and Nick Mitchell, Debra Ray, and Dub and Debbie Prescott. Hunter Funeral Home in Watertown is in charge of the arrangements
Billy Joe Corley
79 year old Billy Joe Corley of Lower Helton Road, Alexandria died Wednesday from injuries he suffered in a three wheeler accident. The funeral will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Dan Mallette and Richard Buckner will officiate and burial will be in the Mount Zion Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Avant Funeral Home in Alexandria on Thursday from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Corley is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ruth Hancock Corley. Four children, William Randall and his wife Angie Corley of Chapel Hill; James Quinn Corley of Smyrna; Tony Joe Corley of Liberty; and Kimberly and her husband William Turner of Smithville. Six grandchildren, Jonathan Q. Corley, William Shane Corley, Calef Corley, Chase Corley, Justin Turner, and Alex Turner. A sister, Wilma Corley Oakley of Alexandria. Avant Funeral Home in Alexandria is in charge of the arrangements.
FSA County Committee Nomination Deadline Approaching
Donny Green, County Executive Director for the DeKalb County Farm Service Agency, reminds DeKalb County farmers that the deadline to nominate candidates to serve on USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee is Tuesday, August 1.
?Our goal is to have as many eligible candidates nominated to serve on FSA county committees as possible, especially minorities and women,? said Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture.
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.
Nominees must reside in Local Administrative Area (LAA) # 1 which generally covers the central belt of DeKalb County including Blue Springs, New Home, city of Smithville, Holmes Creek, Allen?s Chapel, Cookeville Hwy., Cherry Hill, and portions of Dale Ridge communities. 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.
Producers should keep in mind several important dates regarding the upcoming county committee elections. Producers can request, fill out and submit nomination forms up to August 1. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters by November 3. The deadline to return ballots is December 4.Elected committee members and alternates take office on January 1, 2007.
For more information about FSA county committees, visit the DeKalb County USDA Service Center or call 615-597-8225, extension 2.
Elderly Man Dies In All Terrain Vehicle Accident On His Farm
An elderly DeKalb County died in an all terrain vehicle accident on his farm in the Alexandria-Temperance Hall area Tuesday.
The body of 79 year old Billy Joe Corley of Lower Helton Road, Alexandria was discovered early Wednesday morning.
Detective Charles Griffith of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department says Corley left his house on a three wheeler to check on a cow Tuesday afternoon and when he didn’t return family members became concerned and began looking for him.
Authorities were later notified and Griffith says people on foot, on four wheelers, in four wheel drive trucks, and by other means took part in the search including family, friends, neighbors, members of the DeKalb County Rescue Squad, Sheriff’s Department, volunteer firefighters, and others. An aerial spotlight search by helicopter was also planned but was canceled because of dense fog. The search continued through the night and into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning.
According to Griffith, the search was scheduled to resume after sunrise Wednesday, but word came around 5:50 a.m. that members of the family had found the body.
Detective Griffith says it appears Corley lost control of his three wheeler while trying to negotiate a turn on a steep hillside and overturned. His body was found near the three wheeler. Griffith says the accident occurred on Corley’s farm approximately a half mile from his home but the three wheeler and body were difficult to find because of the rolling landscape and tall brush and weeds in that area.
Walker Crowned Miss Sweetheart
The 2006 DeKalb County Fair Miss Sweetheart is 11 year old Kelley Beth Walker.
She was crowned Wednesday night during the annual pageant held at the fair.
Walker is the daughter of Shane and Michelle Walker of Smithville.
She succeeds the retiring 2005 Miss Sweetheart, Kristen Smartt, the 12-year-old daughter of Aaron and Paula Taylor and Leslie and Dedra Smartt of Smithville.
The first runner-up in the pageant was Tessa Shawn Thomas, the 12 year old daughter of Troy and Judy Thomas of Smithville.
Kerigan Bess Sanders was the second runner-up. She is the 10 year old daughter of Larry and Melissa Knowles of Smithville.
11 year old Arielle Corinne Davis was named Miss Photogenic. She is the daughter of Eddie and Beth Davis of Brush Creek.
Little Miss Princess Title Goes To Kelsey Sueanna Hedge
Nine year old Kelsey Sueanna Hedge was crowned Little Miss Princess at the DeKalb County Fair Wednesday night.
Hedge is the daughter of David and Trina Hedge of Smithville.
She succeeds the retiring 2005 Little Miss Princess, Haley Marie Hale, the 9 year-old daughter of Chad and Melissa Hale of Smithville.
First runner-up in the pageant was Destiny Danielle Franklin, the 7 seven year old daughter of Christopher and Jennifer Franklin of Smithville. She was also named Miss Photogenic.
Seven year old Tyra Grace Graham was the second runner-up. She is the daughter of Kyle and Doris Graham of Smithville.