GOP primary races will be contested in the 13th Judicial District on May 6th for the offices of District Attorney General, District Public Defender, and Circuit Court Judge, Part I. The 13th Judicial District is made up of Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties.
Noon today (Thursday) was the qualifying deadline.
Republicans Shawn Fry and Bryant Dunaway, both of Cookeville will be vying for the GOP nomination on May 6th for District Attorney General. The winner will face Tony Craighead of Cookeville in the August General Election. Craighead will be unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
In the race for Criminal Court Judge, Part I, Republicans Wesley Bray and Gary McKenzie, both of Cookeville will be seeking the GOP nomination on May 6th. The winner will take on William Fred Roberson, Jr. of Cookeville in August. Roberson is unopposed for the Democratic nomination on May 6th.
Craig P. Fickling and Edwin G. Sadler, both of Cookeville, and John Meadows of Sparta are in the race for the Republican nomination for District Public Defender on May 6th. The winner will try to unseat Democratic incumbent David N. Brady of Cookeville in August. Brady is unopposed in the primary on May 6th.
Others who are unopposed in their respective primaries on May 6th are as follows.
Circuit Court Judge, Part I:
Amy Hollars of Livingston, Democratic Incumbent
Circuit Court Judge, Part II:
Randy York of Crossville, Democrat
Jonathan Young of Cookeville, Republican
Criminal Court Judge, Part II
David A. Patterson of Cookeville, Republican Incumbent
Chancellor:
Ronald Thurman of Cookeville, Democratic Incumbent
J. Lee Burgess of Cookeville, Republican
Winners of each primary will face off in the August General Election.
Author Archive: Dwayne Page
Two Bodies Found in Center Hill Lake, Victims of Boating Accident
The bodies of two persons, a man and a woman, were found in Center Hill Lake overnight, the apparent victims of a boating accident.
Names of the victims have not yet been released.
“A call was made Wednesday at 5:14 pm by a fisherman who said he found a body in the water. Through an investigation, we learned that two people had gone fishing earlier in the day around the Holmes Creek Boat Ramp off of Holmes Creek Road in Smithville,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray in a statement to WJLE.
“A second body was found in the lake around 4:28 a.m. this morning (Thursday) after the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, using their sonar system, spotted an image of interest. The TWRA then used a submersible sonar, equipped with a camera and grab hook, to retrieve the body,” said Sheriff Ray.
Along with the Rescue Squad, the Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency were assisted in the investigation by the DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency.
Primary to Feature Four Contested Races for County Offices
The DeKalb County Democratic Primary on May 6th will feature four contested county wide and five district county commission races. Today (Thursday) at noon was the qualifying deadline.
County Mayor Mike Foster will be seeking his fourth term but will be challenged in the primary by Smithville Alderman Tim Stribling. The winner will face Republican nominee Chris Smithson and Independent Chris Bratcher, II in the August 7th County General Election.
Three term incumbent County Clerk Mike Clayborn will be looking for his fourth term. He faces a challenge from James L. (Jimmy) Poss. The winner will face Independent Candidate Daniel Critser in August.
Incumbent General Sessions/Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Hale “Butch” Cook, II is running for his third-eight year term. His primary opponent is local attorney Margie Rigsby Miller. The winner will meet Republican challenger Mingy Colwell Bryant in August. She is also a Smithville attorney.
In the race for Sheriff, Michael J. Agee and Larry Flair, Sr. will face off for the Democratic nomination. The winner will face two term Republican Incumbent Sheriff Patrick Ray in August
James D. (Jimmy) Sprague is unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Road Supervisor but he will face Republican nominee Wallace M. (Butch) Agee in the August General Election. The winner will succeed six term incumbent Kenny Edge, who is not seeking re-election.
Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack and Register of Deeds Jeffrey McMillen, both incumbents, will be unopposed in the May Democratic Primary as well as in the August General Election. Pack is seeking her fourth term. McMillen is looking for his eighth term.
Democrats will not have a candidate for Trustee. Republican incumbent Sean Driver will be unopposed for this third term in the August General Election.
County commission Democratic Primary races on May 6th will be contested in the second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh districts.
The candidates for the county commission in each district are as follows (Two will be Nominated/Elected from each District)
FIRST DISTRICT:
Bennett Armstrong and Elmer Ellis, Jr. are unopposed in the Democratic Primary. They will be the Democratic Nominees in the August General Election along with Republican Nominee Mason Carter (TWO TO BE ELECTED).
SECOND DISTRICT:
Jerry Hutchins, Jr., Clarence Trapp , Joe N. Johnson, and Frank D.Thomas are seeking the Democratic Nomination. The two Democratic nominees will run in the August General Election along with Republican Nominee Bobby Joines and Independent Candidate James “Jimmy” E. Midgett. (TWO TO BE ELECTED)
THIRD DISTRICT:
Bradley Scott Hendrix, Jerry D. Scott, and Jack E. Barton are seeking the Democratic Nomination. The two nominees will be running in August along with Independent Candidate Wesley Nokes. (TWO TO BE ELECTED)
FOURTH DISTRICT:
Wayne Cantrell, David McDowell, Bobby R. Taylor, Jonathan Norris, and Anthony “Tony” Poss are seeking the Democratic Nomination. The two nominees will be unopposed in August (TWO TO BE ELECTED)
FIFTH DISTRICT:
Anita Puckett and Rick Cantrell are unopposed in the Democratic Primary. They will be the Democratic Nominees in the August General Election along with Republican Nominee Jerry D. Adcock (TWO TO BE ELECTED).
SIXTH DISTRICT:
Betty Jean Atnip, Jeff Barnes, and Marshall Ferrell are seeking the Democratic Nomination. The two nominees will be running in August along with Independent Candidate Danny McGinnis (TWO TO BE ELECTED)
SEVENTH DISTRICT:
Larry A. Summers, Kevin Robinson, and David Agee are seeking the Democratic Nomination. The two nominees will be unopposed in August. (TWO TO BE ELECTED)
CONSTABLE (TO FILL VACANT POSITIONS)
FIRST DISTRICT:
Chad Curtis will be unopposed for the Democratic nomination. He will face the Republican nominee Lee Plummer in the August General Election
SECOND DISTRICT:
There is no Democratic candidate for constable in the second district. In August, Republican Chris Tramel will face Independents Tony D. Lawson and Jonathan Low
THIRD DISTRICT:
There is no Democratic candidate for constable in the third district. In August, Independent candidates Travis Bryant and Lou Ann Sanders will be in competition for the position.
Center Hill Dam Generators to Undergo Renovations
The Nashville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans a $1 billion project to improve hydroelectric generators at dams in the region.
The Tennessean reported work could begin this year at the Center Hill Dam where plans call for three aging generators to be renovated.
Jamie James, a program manager for the district, says the refurbished generators will mean that more low-cost energy is on the market.
“More efficient generation equates to lower costs,” James said.
After work on the generators at Center Hill Dam is completed, crews will begin renovating generators at the Old Hickory Dam near Nashville.
The generators are being worked on one at a time so that there won’t be a big effect in its ability to supply energy to the power grid. The entire project is expected to take about 20 years.
“The goal of what we do — and even the pace that we’re doing these — is to maintain the low cost of the electricity and avoid anything that’s going to contribute to a rate increase,” James said.
Most of the dams were built more than five decades ago. James said the generators are designed to have a useful life of about 35 years.
“Even with the best care, electrical equipment gets old,” James said. “We are well past the design life of these units.”
The project should give the generators 30 to 40 more years of life.
Hydroelectric power is the cheapest source of energy compared with sources such as coal, nuclear and natural gas. The Army Corps sells its power to an intermediary and some of it is purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides energy for much of Middle Tennessee.
David Mistakovich, the district’s chief of hydropower, says the work will also allow the generators to provide more aeration to the water, which will reduce the environmental impact.
FBLA Students Compete in Region
The DeKalb County High School Chapter of Future Business Leaders of America competed February 13 in Region competition. We would like to congratulate the following students on placing in their competitive event at FBLA Regionals. They will be advancing to state competition in April.
1st place:
Bailey Redmon, FBLA principles and Procedures
2nd place:
Kelsey Hedge: Healthcare Administration
Julia Little: Public Speaking II
Crystal Vickers: Agribusiness
Hannah Walker: Spreadsheet Applications
3rd Place:
Casey Vickers: Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure
Carlee White: Spreadsheet Applications
4th Place:
Bailey Hayes: Public Speaking II
Nic Linder: Agribusiness
Center Hill Dam Rehabilitation Continues with Barrier Wall Installation
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s ongoing foundation rehabilitation project at Center Hill Dam is making progress as work crews continue to drill deep into the main dam earthen embankment to install a subsurface concrete wall. The current efforts are the second of three major contracts from 2008 to 2017 that comprise ongoing efforts to rehabilitate Center Hill Dam.
According to construction resident engineer Bill Debruyn, the problems stem from the karst limestone foundation and from the standard foundation preparation practices of the early 1940’s. The foundations of the two large earthen embankments, the main dam and a smaller saddle dam, are the focus of the multi-year project. The goal is to prevent foundation seepage from potentially harming the embankments.
Today’s technology makes it possible for work crews to make the necessary repairs deep in the foundation.
“Construction is going very well and the weather is cooperating with no major delays,” said Debruyn.
Despite the arrival of cold weather and bone-chilling temperatures, workers from the Bauer Foundation Corporation are making strides at the project site located in Lancaster, Tenn., on the Caney Fork River.
According to Debruyn, an encasement concrete wall, the first major structure, is near completion. The encasement wall is made of 10-foot by six-foot overlapping-rectangular columns into the earthen portion of the dam down to the rock foundation.
“Bauer is using custom built state-of-the-art equipment to excavate vertical columns, held open with continuously circulating slurry mix,” said Debruyn. Made primarily of clay and water the slurry not only supports the hole but transports the cuttings to the surface for removal. The slurry in each encasement wall column is then replaced with concrete. The columns overlap to form a long continuous concrete wall which protects the earthen embankment while the smaller and deeper barrier wall is similarly constructed.
“Beginning in March the barrier wall will be built through the encasement wall up to three hundred feet below the top of the dam through the karst rock ending in the solid rock layers,” said Center Hill project manager Linda Adcock.
Adcock said the barrier wall is a permanent seepage barrier and is planned to be completed in the summer of 2015.
A report is undergoing final approvals to implement the best repair plan for the earthen saddle dam. A concrete berm is planned downstream of the saddle dam from 2015 to 2017 as the final major rehabilitation phase of construction.
The Corps currently manages Center Hill Lake levels targeting a summer high of 630 feet above mean sea level and a winter pool of about 620 feet; however, day to day lake levels are highly dependent on the weather. These target elevations are 10-15 feet lower than normal and are part of risk management until the repairs are complete in late 2017.
Center Hill Dam is one of the multipurpose projects that make up the Corps of Engineers’ system for development of the water resources of the Cumberland River Basin. This system is an important part of a larger plan of development for the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The dam controls the runoff from a drainage area of 2,174 square miles.
As a major unit in the system, Center Hill Dam and Lake function to control the floodwaters of the Caney Fork River and contribute to the reduction of flood levels at municipal, industrial and agricultural areas along the Cumberland, lower Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
Highway 96/141 which routes traffic over Center Hill Dam is a heavily traveled road and is now restricted to one lane. The restriction is required to support the construction on the project and installation of the foundation barrier wall. During the two-year duration of construction at the site, one lane of Highway 96 will be closed and an automated traffic control system will safely manage vehicles across the dam. Debruyn said the maximum expected wait time is five minutes.
To read more on Center Hill Dam, the seepage problem, the fix and project updates visit the Nashville District webpage at http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/CenterHill. For more information about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, visit the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook for updates at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and http://www.facebook.com/centerhilllake, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.
Kelsey Evins Named Valedictorian at DCHS
DeKalb County High School has released the names of students in the Class of 2014 Top Academic Ranking including the Valedictorian Kelsey Evins and the Salutatorian Ashley Barnes.
Evins is the daughter of W.J. (Dub) and Edie Beth Evins. Barnes’ parents are David and Suzette Barnes.
Beginning with the Class of 2014, students must have completed more challenging honors and advanced placement courses in order to be eligible for Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and the top academic ranking. Their ACT scores and attendance are also factors. In order to meet the new standards, students must have taken ten or more honors classes and have a minimum 21 ACT composite. Students receive more quality points toward their grade point average for taking honors classes. Students who do not meet the new standards are ranked according to their GPA after all the other students who are ranked and do meet the standards. A student must have attended DCHS for two years to be eligible for becoming the Class Valedictorian and Salutatorian.
Students in the Class of 2014 Top Academic Ranking are as follows:
Kelsey Evins, Ashley Barnes, Justin Wiser, Peter Antoniak, Joshua Davidson, Danielle Tyson, Courtney Caldwell, Kayna E. Caplinger, Crystal Vickers, Kalab Ferrell, Travis Ferrell, McKenzie Poteete, Laura Reed, Emily Snow, Lauren Medlin, Connor Giddens, Elizabeth Mason, Chelsey Brannon, Courtney Rice, Kelsey MacDonald, Steven Laxton, Samantha Sircy, Erika Brown, Tyler Monette, Hannah Ball, Seth Gerringer, Mallory Sullivan, Alexis Cornelius, Hunter Eckert, Taylor Cantrell, William Dougherty, Elizabeth Lasser, Katlin Emme, Roger Sharp, Brittany Wilkerson, Eli Gill, Evan Ward, Julia Armendariz, Karem Bain, Kalynn Thompson, Austin Frazier, and Lauren Colwell.
Sheriff’s Department Investigating Church Vandalism
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a vandalism discovered Thursday night, February 13 at Buckner’s Chapel Church on Cookeville Highway.
Someone painted graffiti on the side of the church building.
No arrests have been made as yet.
Meanwhile in a separate case, the Sheriff’s Department has charged a woman with trying to smuggle drugs into the jail.
41 year old Lisa Lue Ray of Cookeville Highway, Smithville, charged with possession of contraband in a penal institution, is under a $10,000 bond and she will be in court on Thursday, February 20. Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Wednesday, February 12, Ray was brought to jail on a separate warrant. During a strip search conducted by a female corrections officer, a pill bottle fell from Ray’s body cavity. The bottle contained two- half oblong white and blue speckled pills, a schedule IV drug; one blue diazepam pill, a schedule IV drug; and a pack of Suboxone strips, a schedule III drug. According to the warrant, Ray did knowingly and unlawfully intend to take controlled substances into a penal facility where prisoners are quartered.
19 year old Patrick Jess Gilliam of Rogersville, Tennessee is charged with two counts of felony reckless endangerment and felony evading arrest. His bond is $25,000. He was also issued a citation for driving on a suspended license. Gilliam was arrested on Tuesday, February 11.
Sheriff Ray said that on October 16, 2013 two Sheriff’s Department Detectives responded to an unwanted guest call on Highway 56 north. They stopped a vehicle and checked for warrants on the two persons in that automobile. The passenger had an active warrant against him out of Hawkins County. The detectives approached the vehicle, opened the door, and asked the passenger to get out. The driver, Gilliam, then took off at a high rate of speed on Highway 56 north endangering the lives of the two detectives.
39 year old Autumn Danielle White of Dowelltown is charged with driving on a suspended license. White was also issued a traffic citation. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on March 5. Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, February 13 a deputy was dispatched to check out a complaint of a possible drunk driver on Short Mountain Highway. The officer spotted the car in question on Midway Road, crossing over to the other lane of traffic. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and found the driver to be White. A computer check revealed that her license were suspended. She was placed under arrest and brought to the jail for booking.
Walker Says Road Supervisor Qualifications Too Strict
Shane Walker had hoped to become the next DeKalb County Road Supervisor but that will not happen this year.
The Tennessee Highway Officials Certification Board recently denied Walker’s application for certification to become a candidate. “I was hoping to run for Road Supervisor but the state felt like they had certain implemented things in the statutes that I wasn’t able to be certified through them. So I cannot run this time but hopefully in the next election in 2018, maybe I can run then,” said Walker in an interview with WJLE Friday.
Though Walker has had supervisory experience in the construction industry; has studied engineering at Nashville Community College, and is now a certified bridge inspector, the Tennessee Highway Officials Certification Board found his qualifications lacking. Walker believes he has sufficient experience and education to carry out the responsibilities of Road Supervisor. “I already have several certifications through the state that I have been working on since 2011-12 plus a year of college but they (state) don’t recognize that (course) from Nashville State Community College. At the time I went there it was not an accredited college course toward engineering. The years in supervisory experience that I had was in a different field of work (construction) that I had done prior to this (bridge inspector),” he said.
Currently, in order to be certified, a candidate for county road supervisor must:
(1) Be a graduate of an accredited school of engineering, with at least 2 years’ experience in highway construction or maintenance; or
(2) Be licensed to practice engineering in Tennessee; or
(3) Have at least 4 years’ experience in a supervisory capacity in highway construction or maintenance; or
(4) Have a combination of education and experience equivalent to either (1) or (2).
Walker plans to take his concerns to state legislators, hoping to get the law changed to provide more options for persons to become certified to run for Road Supervisor in the future. “The statutes in place right now say that you either must have a two year engineering degree or you must have four years of supervisor experience with a highway or road crew of some sort. It leaves it too narrow. I would like to see a state certified course that they will teach where you could serve your community without them putting you under such scrutiny. If they could just put something in as an addendum (to the law) for smaller counties where they could say if you’ve got this state certified course and you can prove you’ve had the capability of running (supervising) crews then that should be enough for a county with a population like DeKalb County. I am going to pursue this and see if we can get that (law) changed and get something added to give other people chances that want to run,” said Walker.
Had he been eligible to run, Walker believes he would have been a viable candidate and he wishes to thank all his family, friends, and supporters who would have backed his candidacy.
Ralph Vaughn Named President of Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce
Former Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce President Ralph Vaughn has been named president of the Nashville-based Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce (TNCCC).
During his tenure at the Rutherford chamber from 1986-97, membership grew from 400 to a thousand, and the annual budget increased from $80,000 to more than $750,000. He also was instrumental in helping raise $1.2 million for construction of the chamber building on Memorial Blvd., recruiting new companies to the area and starting the first Convention & Visitors Bureau to help promote tourism.
“It is my honor and privilege to announce the hiring of Ralph Vaughn as president of the Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce. Ralph has a vast history of business success and brings with him an incredible ability to develop and grow chambers of commerce, as well as other organizations,” said TNCCC Board Chairman Bob Gerard.
“However, the most important quality about Ralph is his heart for bringing ministry to the workplace. This aligns perfectly with our mission, and we look forward to where God is taking this organization,” he added.
Most recently, Vaughn handled special projects for Barrett Firearms Manufacturing in Murfreesboro, which included seeking branding and licensing partnerships with manufacturers; serving as publicist and overseeing community, charitable and political programs on behalf of the company; and managing the Barrett real estate development.
Prior to that he served as president and CEO of the Madison-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce in Georgia; CEO of Swanson Developments, a multi-million dollar real estate and property management company in Murfreesboro; and in various news and management positions for two Tennessee radio stations and for the DeKalb Star newspaper in Smithville, Tenn.
In addition to his new role at TNCCC, Vaughn is volunteer president of the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame, an organization dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the legacy of radio in the state.
“As Christians, we are to honor the Lord in all that we do, especially in the work world. The Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce is a wonderful opportunity for us to do exactly that,” Vaughn said.
The Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce is a faith-based organization whose mission is to advance the common business interest of its members. Established in January 2008, TNCCC’s purpose is to transform the economic and spiritual climate of the community by invoking the principles of faith at work. More than 300 companies, organizations and individuals are members.