DeKalb County High School senior Mallory Sullivan finished tied for fifth at the Class A/AA state golf tournament Wednesday at the Willowbrook Golf Club.
Sullivan, the only female from DCHS to compete in the state golf tournament all four years, carded a 3-over 75 to tie for a fifth place finish at 82-75—157, just a stroke away from a medal. She had the second lowest score of the day on Wednesday.
“The first day she struck the ball so well but her putting kind of let her down,” said DCHS golf coach Joe Pat Cope. “She had a bunch of three-putts that day. She came back the second day and shot even par on the toughest side and hit the ball as good as anybody there. I was tickled to death with her performance,” he said.
Sullivan placed 11th in the state tournament as a freshman, second as a sophomore and tied for 14th as a junior. “It’s been a blessing for me to coach an athlete of that caliber,” continued Coach Cope.
“She has signed to play at Belmont where her sister, Shay went. Her work ethic is so good. She is going to be a success at the college level because every day, if she is not playing, she is hitting balls, chipping, or working on her putting and that’s what it takes. She is willing to put in three or four hours every day and it shows in her game,” said Coach Cope.
Middle Tennessee State junior Payne Denman is the only DCHS male golfer to compete at the state tournament all four years.
Although he did not advance to the state tournament, Coach Cope also praised Ethan Roller for his performance this season. “I want to give a shout out to Ethan. He is a senior this year and came up a little bit short in the region. We had such a tough region with Notre Dame, Signal Mountain, and Macon County. The score he shot would have been good enough to go to the state in the triple-A that was played the other day at Riverwatch with Warren County, Cookeville, and White County. He would have qualified there and he would have qualified in every other region in the state except for the one he was in. He is a heck of a golfer too and we’re about to get him signed to a scholarship as well,” said Coach Cope.
Christian Academy of Knoxville senior Sophia Schubert won the individual girl’s title at the state tournament, carding a 4-under 68 Wednesday for a two-day total of 141. She topped runner-up Allyson Dunn of Sullivan South (75-77—152) by 11 strokes.
Macon County’s Kaitlin Cartwright (79-76—155) was third, followed by Clarksville Academy’s Anna Michelle Moore (78-78—156).
Sullivan tied with Christ Presbyterian Academy’s Siarra Stout (74-83—157).
Sullivan South won the girls title with a 315, followed by Macon County (323), CAK (327), Milan (327), Clarksville Academy (336), Boyd-Buchanan (340), CPA (351) and Trinity Christian (390).
On the boys side, Alcoa (591) won, beating Sullivan South (608) by 17 strokes. CPA (612) placed third, followed by Lipscomb Academy (614), Notre Dame (627), Boyd-Buchanan (667), Milan (683) and Jackson Christian (736).
CPA sophomore Grayson Davis claimed the boys individual title with a 70-69—139, beating Lipscomb senior Dawson Armstrong (70-69—139) on the first hole of a playoff.

Due to the government shutdown, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District closed all of its campgrounds and day-use parks including those on Center Hill Lake as of noon on Friday, October 4 . The district previously announced it intended to keep these areas open as originally scheduled. However, officials say support to recreation areas can no longer be sustained as the district progresses through its orderly shutdown.
Center Hill Lake campgrounds are located at Floating Mill, Ragland Bottom and Long Branch. Day-use areas are at Floating Mill, Ragland Bottom, Hurricane Bridge, Holmes Creek, Long Branch, Buffalo Valley, and Johnson Chapel.
Campgrounds, primarily for use by reservations only, are for those who want to spend a night or longer on the lake. Many campgrounds offer boat ramps, shower houses, bathrooms, washers & dryers, dump stations, and typically have grills, fire rings, picnic tables as well as other amenities. Campgrounds are gated and during the government shutdown, public access to them will be denied. Typically campgrounds close for the season by the end of October each year anyway.
For persons who wish to spend the day or maybe an hour or two at the lake, the Corps provides day-use areas. Many day use areas have amenities such as swim beaches, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, and launching ramps. Camping is not permitted in day use areas. Day-use areas are not gated and while they are officially closed during the government shutdown, no barriers will be erected to prevent public access to them.
The Corps sincerely regrets the inconvenience and impact this decision may have on customers who have been looking forward to visiting the district’s parks and campgrounds.
“We know that this is a time of year when many vacationing families are using or planning to use Corps recreation facilities, and we will reopen them for public use and enjoyment as quickly as possible,” said Lt. Col. John L. Hudson, Nashville District commander.
Corps parks leased to partner agencies and concessionaires will remain open, but cannot be supported by the Corps while the shutdown is in place.
Customers on site prior to the closure going into effect were to be required to vacate campgrounds and parks not later than noon on Friday, October 4. Customers required to vacate campsites early are to receive a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservations. Customers may elect to leave reservations open for possible use after the shutdown is lifted. To request a refund please contact the reservation customer service at 1-888-448-1474 (TDD 1-877-833-6777). If the customer chooses to do nothing, the reservation service will automatically cancel reservations after their departure date during the shutdown period.

The Christmas season is drawing near. Remember what Christmas was like when you were young? The family gathered together to give and receive blessings and gifts.
Christmas is a time for love, a time for joy, and a time for family. Not all children this year will take part in a celebration with their own families. Local children who are in foster care need assistance. Children who have been taken out of abusive or neglectful homes or sent away from their family by the Juvenile Court system may be sharing Christmas with a family of strangers. Your help is needed to make sure their needs are met during the holidays. “There are over sixty foster children that have been removed from this county. The number changes often. Some get to eventually go back home but more children usually wind up in care than get to go home,” said Annette Greek, Treasurer of the DeKalb Foster Children’s Fund.
“We’re needing to get money for their Christmas and birthdays and other needs. We’ve done graduation gifts, school sweaters, and football uniforms. We’ve got foster kids who are really active in the school system too and we want to provide the best for them that we can,” said Greek.
As in years past, your assistance is requested with Christmas gifts for local children who are in foster care with the Department of Children’s Services. If you or your organization is willing to help provide funds, please send them to Mrs. Greek. “I collect the money and I send it to the foster parents. Teen age kids (foster children) also get a check,” said Greek.
Since the ages of these foster children vary, a cash donation is preferable to gifts. “We do money for this because a lot of them (foster children) are out of town and it’s just easier on everybody for the money to go instead of trying to get Christmas gifts spread all over the state. We try to do around $150 per child for Christmas. But I try to do for the birthdays too so I need quite a bit (donations) since there are sixty kids and there may be more later in the year. These kids deserve more than we can give them so please help. I know things are slow. Some of the letters (seeking donations) have been out for the last two weeks and so far I have only received one check and it is $450 less than usual (from this donor) so I know I’m going to need small amounts (donations) from more people because I don’t know if the large ones (donations) will be there,” Greek concluded.
You may send your donation to: Annette Greek, in care of F.Z. Webb & Sons Gifts, 400 West Public Square, Smithville TN 37166. For more information call 615-597-4186.
Greek says she will also be glad to accept your cash donation directly at the store.

A 19 year old Smithville woman was seriously injured when she lost control of her car and crashed on Highway 83 (New Home Road) this morning (Thursday).
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Sommer Roark was traveling north in a 1995 Chevy Camaro when she wrecked while trying to negotiate a curve. The car went off the left side of the road and struck three trees and a mailbox before coming to rest in a ditch facing the highway.
Roark was treated by DeKalb EMS.
She was later airlifted from near the scene by a Life Force Helicopter ambulance and flown to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
Officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and members of the Main Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department were also there.

Parents, children, and local businesses are invited to join the City of Smithville for the Police Department’s “Trick or Treat Halloween Downtown” Thursday, October 31 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Beth Adcock, records clerk for the Smithville Police Department, organized the first “Trick or Treat Halloween Downtown” last year and it turned out to be a great success. Hundreds of children were served.
According to Adcock, the event serves as a way for the Smithville Police Department to give back to the community, to allow trick or treating in a safe environment, and to afford the police officers an opportunity to interact with the children and gain their trust. It also provides parents who may not be able to take their kids trick or treating on the night of Halloween,to do it during the day at downtown businesses and at offices in the courthouse and at city hall.
Participating businesses will have candy and special treats for the children. Look for the stores and offices with a picture of a pumpkin on their windows. Maps will be available at the police department, Justin Potter Library and other locations to show parents which businesses will be taking part in the event. WJLE will post the map at www.wjle.com. Last year, some of the clerks in the businesses and government offices joined in the fun by dressing up in Halloween costumes .
Adcock says a Halloween costume contest will be held again this year for children up to pre-school age at 10:00 a.m. upstairs in the community room at city hall. Another costume contest for those up to age twelve will be at 4:00 p.m.
Mayor Jimmy Poss encourages parents and children to join the city in “Trick or Treat Halloween Downtown” Thursday, October 31 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
For more information call Beth Adcock at the Smithville Police Department at 615-597-8210 or check out the police department’s facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SmithvillePoliceDepartment

Art lovers will get to experience the beautiful fall colors and tour the studios of some of the region’s leading professionals in fine art and craft on Friday through Sunday October 25 – 27 during the annual Off The Beaten Path Studio Tour.
The participating artists welcome visitors to this three day open studio celebration of fine craft and demonstrations. Studios will have art on display for viewing and for sale.
The 2013 tour features 13 studio locations with 30 participating artists. “It’s a self guided tour,” said spokesman Tim Hintz. “You pick up a brochure or download a map from www.offthebeatenpathtour.com. and you can read about the artists and pick out the studio you want to go to. It’s hard to do it all in one day. That’s why we have three days to do it. We’ll have guest artists at a lot of the studios and demonstrations. It’s your chance to meet the local artists who also help support the community and to buy something from them that is handmade, unique, and one of a kind,” he said.
Art Studio Tour locations include:
“From the Earth and Sea Originals” at 237 Gard Lane, Smithville
“Fresh Chairs” at 118 Ponder Lane, Smithville
“Stella Luna Gallery” at 412 South College Street, Smithville
“Made by DeMay” at 801 South Mountain Street, Smithville
“Cosmic Clay Studio” at 8252 Old Mill Hill Road, Dowelltown
“Beech Hollow Studio” at 578 Frazier Hollow Road, Dowelltown
“Liberty Paper” at 1618 Cripps Road, Liberty
“Bareglass Studio” at 15858 Center Hill Dam Road, Silver Point
“Chery Cratty Pulp Painter” at 176 Ponder Lane, Smithville
“David Sharp Woodcarving Studio” at 234 Ponder Road, Smithville
“Creek Bend Pottery” at 2566 Dry Creek Road, Dowelltown
“Kathryn Faille Fibers” at 189 Sundrifter Lane, Auburntown
“Kathe Reed’s Beads” at 445 Big Hurricane Road, Smithville
Although tour stops are numbered, the event is intended to be entirely self-guided, giving visitors the opportunity to drive from studio to studio in any order.
For more information, or to download a copy of this year’s tour map and guide, please visit the group’s website, www.offthebeatenpathtour.com.