Officials of the City of Smithville and the DeKalb County School System have come up with a plan for dealing with traffic problems in the school zone at Northside Elementary School, but Alderman Shawn Jacobs says many parents still want someone to direct traffic there.
During a workshop meeting of the mayor and aldermen Monday night, Alderman Jacobs says parents are upset and they want the city to take action. “No one is satisfied with the plan that was worked out. These mothers are mad. They’re saying it’s just playing politics and that it’s something that should have been fixed in fifteen minutes, but it’s been drawn out for a month. If nothing else, for public relations gentlemen, I think we need to put an officer directing traffic at Northside. I mean, that’s public safety and that’s what police departments do. I’m just speaking from the number of complaints I get and I’m just trying to be responsive to the people that call me. I hate to get into this blame game where everyone is saying that everybody is trying to blame everybody else and whose responsibility it is. I don’t care whose responsibility it is, I just want to address what is being perceived, at least, as a safety concern and try to be responsive to the people, especially if we can do it without costing any money.”
The aldermen are expected to discuss the issue again during the regular meeting Monday night at seven p.m. at city hall.
Concerns were raised last month during a meeting of the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen that an accident could occur in the school zone unless the problem is addressed. The issue is that parents who pick up their children in the afternoons have to line up on the shoulder of Highway 56 north which makes it difficult for motorists exiting the school parking lot from being able to see around them. And because of the heavy traffic on Highway 56 during that time, many motorists leaving the school have to wait a long time before they can get back out on the road. Some say either the city, county, or school system should have an officer or trained civilian to direct traffic there during the mornings and afternoons.
To come up with an alternative, Director of Schools Mark Willoughby met last month with Smithville Alderman and Police Commissioner Aaron Meeks, Smithville Police Chief Richard Jennings, Northside Elementary School Principal Dr. Gayle Redmon, and Transportation Supervisor Peggy Pursell.
Willoughby says the proposal they came up with is to extend the school zone at Northside Elementary to Smith Road and to have the buses enter and exit on Smith Road. Parents would no longer be permitted to park on the shoulder of the road but they would have more room to enter and exit the school from Highway 56. There are apparently no plans under this proposal to have anyone directing traffic. ” We’ll be re-directing our buses to enter and leave through the Smith Road area. Therefore, the buses will not be lined up with car traffic in the mornings or afternoons, which we’re hoping will help some. We’re not going to start this right now, we’re going to wait for a few things to happen,. We’re going to move the flashing lights down there at Smith Road, then we will move (extend) the school zone a little bit further down the road. By doing that, we’re hoping to get those buses away from the cars. And then the cars would be snaking through the parking lot, similar to what they have in the past. But we’ll be getting the buses out of the way. The cars would be entering and exiting the same place they have always have, the only difference is that the buses will not be entering or exiting in the places where they have in the past. The buses will only be entering and exiting at Smith Road..”
Again Willoughby says the plan has not yet been implemented. TDOT may have to grant permission to extend the school zone before the signs and flashing lights can be relocated and some minor work has to be done at the entrance to the school property from Smith Road in order for buses to have easier access.

A 27 year old man faces an aggravated assault charge after allegedly firing a weapon at his mother last week.
Matthew Allen Baker is under a $5,000 bond and he will be in court October 1st.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says deputies were dispatched to Pine Orchard Road Smithville on Tuesday, September 8th where a man had shot at his mother and was still armed. Upon arrival, officers found Baker at his residence and placed him into custody without incident. County detectives charged Baker with aggravated assault after they learned that Baker had a loaded shotgun and pointed it at his mother, shot twice in the ground in front her, and once over his mother’s vehicle. Baker also busted out a tail light on his mother’s vehicle with the butt of the gun as she was leaving. The woman was apparently not injured during the incident.
Also on Tuesday, deputies responded to an auto accident on Banks Pisgah Road Smithville and found the driver of the car 24 year old Flint Wilson Gilley II to be in an intoxicated state. Gilley had an odor of alcohol on his person. He was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech, and red watery eyes. Gilley was asked to perform field sobriety tasks which he failed. Gilley did admit to drinking a six pack of beer prior to the accident. Gilley was charged with driving under the influence and his bond was set at $1,500. He will appear in court on October 1st.
On Friday, September 11th, a deputy spotted a vehicle driven by 45 year old Charles Wayne Smithson on Highway 56 North swerving and passing two cars on a double yellow line. After the stop, officers noticed Smithson had an odor of alcohol on his person, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Smithson was asked to perform field sobriety tasks but he refused. Smithson also refused a blood test to determine how much alcohol and/or drugs were present in his system. Inside the vehicle, deputies found beer cans and a .357 pistol. Smithson did not possess a valid hand gun carrying permit for any weapons. Smithson was charged with a first offense of driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a weapon, and he was issued written citations for violation of the implied consent law and for open alcohol containers. His bond was set at $4,000 and he will appear in court on October 29th.
On Sunday, deputies stopped 33 year old Jamie Lynn Cozart of Highway 96 Auburntown for a traffic offense. When the officer asked for his driver’s license, Cozart said that he had left it at home. The deputy then ran a computer check which revealed that the driver’s license was suspended for failure to satisfy citations in both Wilson and Rutherford Counties. Cozart was charged with driving on a suspended license. His bond was set at $1,000 and will appear in court on October 14th.

A 29 year old woman, who was seriously injured in a September 2nd traffic accident in DeKalb County, has died.
Kym Curtis of McMinnville passed away late Saturday afternoon at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.
Arrangements are being handled by DeKalb Funeral Chapel but the family has chosen direct cremation so there will be no funeral service or visitation.
According to Sergeant Mark Dial of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Curtis was driving a 1993 Chevy Caprice traveling east on Keltonburg Road when she went off the highway while negotiating a curve to the left. “The passenger side wheels traveled off the pavement. She over steered to bring the vehicle back onto the pavement, resulting in her going into the west bound lane” where she sideswiped a westbound 2001 Hyundai, driven by 26 year old Joseph Edge of Smithville. Sergeant Dial says the Curtis car continued east in the westbound lane and made an angle impact with the front of a westbound 2009 Toyota Yaris, driven by Allison Marie Vance, who was following behind Edge..
After Curtis was extricated from her car, both she and her 18 year old sister, Laura Curtis, who was a passenger in the Caprice, were airlifted from the scene and flown to Erlanger Hospital. Laura Curtis was treated and released.
Vance was removed from her vehicle and transported by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital where she was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
Joseph Edge was apparently uninjured in the crash and his eleven month old daughter, also escaped injury.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation Friday identified 111 bridges across the state that will be either replaced, repaired or rehabilitated through a new initiative aimed at reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges in the state. There are no DeKalb County bridges on this list.
TDOT’s Better Bridges Program is a four year program approved in 2009 by the Tennessee General Assembly that will utilize bonds to pay for the repair or replacement of more than 200 structurally deficient bridges in the state. Today, TDOT presented a list of bridges to be covered in the first year of the program to Governor Phil Bredesen and leaders of the Tennessee General Assembly as required by Public Chapter 552.
“The bridge projects identified for the first year of this program will improve the safety and reliability of more than one hundred bridges in Tennessee,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “Addressing these projects now rather than later allows us to take advantage of today’s lower construction costs.”
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the price of steel and iron scrap fell nearly 57 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, and cement prices were down 15 percent over that same period.
“Without this program much of this critical work on structurally deficient bridges would have to be deferred for years,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “The bridges we rebuild today with this investment will serve the state for decades to come and provide a lasting benefit for future generations.”
The 111 bridge projects selected for the first year of the bonding program are spread evenly across the three grand divisions of the state and include one project costing more than $20 million and five projects with costs of more than $4 million each.
The needed replacement of a bridge built in 1936 on State Route 33 (Maynardville Highway) over the Clinch River (Norris Lake) in Union County will be included in the first year program and is estimated to cost more than $20 million.
Five projects with costs exceeding $4 million include: rehabilitation of the SR-9 (E. Broadway) bridge over the French Broad River in Cocke County which was originally built in 1928; replacement of a bridge in Perry County on SR-13 that crosses the Buffalo River built in 1952; replacement of a bridge in Montgomery County on SR-13/US-79 (Wilma Rudolph Blvd.) over the Red River which was built in 1931; replacement of a bridge in Shelby County on SR-14 (S. Third St.) over the Illinois Central Railroad that was built in 1932; and replacement of a bridge on SR-35 (Chapman Highway) in Sevier County that crosses Gists Creek originally built in 1956.
TDOT also today identified four large bridges that will be funded during the second year of the program. They are: SR-33 (Henley Street) over the Tennessee River in Knoxville; SR-73 (US-321) over the Tennessee River in Loudon County; SR-109 over the Cumberland River in Sumner & Wilson Counties; and SR-57 (US-72) over SR-23 and the CSX & ICG railroads in Shelby County.
The following are the bridges on the list for repair or replacement under the first phase of the bond program.
Tennessee Department of Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Bond Program Fiscal Year 2009-2010 (PHASE I) Project Selection List
County Route Description Type of Work
Blount SR-33 SR-33 (Old Knoxville Hwy) over Little River at LM 16.90 Rehabilitation
Blount SR-336 SR-336 (Brick Mill Road) over Little Baker Creek at LM 0.52 Replace
Bradley SR-2/US-11 SR-2 (Hiwassee Street) over Hiwassee River & Southern Railroad at LM
20.95
Rehabilitation
Carroll SR-1/US-70E SR-1 over Rutherford Fork Obion River at LM 11.02 Rehabilitation
Carroll SR-1/US-70E SR-1 over Reedy Creek at LM 14.43 Rehabilitation
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over Overflow at LM 3.86 Replace
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over Overflow at LM 3.92 Replace
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over Overflow at LM 4.04 Replace
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over South Fork Obion River at LM 4.14 Replace
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over Old River Bed at LM 4.28 Replace
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over Overflow at LM 6.09 Replace
Carroll SR-436 SR-436 over Clear Creek at LM 6.20 Replace
Carter SR-159/US-321 SR-159 over Elk River at LM 7.23 Replace
Cocke I-40 I-40 Eastbound lane over Pigeon River at LM 9.62 Rehabilitation
Cocke I-40 I-40 Eastbound lane over Pigeon River at LM 9.76 Rehabilitation
Cocke I-40 I-40 over Branch at LM 2.4 Rehabilitation
Cocke SR-9/US-25W SR-9 (E Broadway) over French Broad River & Southern Railway at LM
21.6
Rehabilitation
Cocke SR-107 SR-107 over Dry Fork Creek at LM 2.41 Replace
Davidson SR-1/US-41 SR-1 (Murfreesboro Road) over Mill Creek at LM 21.97 Replace
Dickson SR-1/US-70 SR-1 (US-70) over Piney Creek at LM 4.17 Rehabilitation
Dickson SR-48 SR-48 over I-40 at LM 0.21 Rehabilitation
Dyer SR-104 SR-104 over Bethal Branch at LM 28.38 Rehabilitation
Dyer SR-104 SR-104 over Overflow at LM 28.85 Rehabilitation
Dyer SR-182 SR-182 (Lenox-Nauvoo Road) over Coon Creek at LM 3.79 Replace
Dyer SR-211 SR-211 over Branch at LM 6.04 Rehabilitation
Fayette SR-194 SR-194 (Oakland Road) over Loosahatchie River at LM 19.62 Replace
Fayette SR-194 SR-194 (Oakland Road) over Branch at LM 19.74 Replace
Fayette SR-194 SR-194 (Oakland Road) over Little Laurel Drainage Canal at LM 21.90 Replace
Fayette SR-194 SR-194 (Oakland Road) over Branch at LM 21.70 Replace
Fayette SR-194 SR-194 (Main Street) over Wolf River at LM 0.81 Replace
Fayette SR-194 SR-194 (Main Street) over Overflow at LM 0.72 Replace
Fentress SR-52 SR-52 (Livingston Highway) over East Fork Obey River at LM 5.23 Replace
Fentress SR-52 SR-52 (Livingston Highway) over Branham Hollow Branch at LM 7.47 Replace
Gibson SR-77 SR-77 over Overflow at LM 9.57 Rehabilitation
Gibson SR-104 SR-104 over Branch at LM 12.53 Rehabilitation
Grainger SR-1 SR-1 over Richland Creek at LM 16.28 Rehabilitation
Grainger SR-1 SR-1 over Richland Creek at LM 17.07 Rehabilitation
Greene SR-34/US-11E SR-34 (East Andrew Johnson Highway) over Rheatown Creek at LM
25.24
Rehabilitation
Greene SR-350 SR-350 (East McKee Street) over Richland Creek at LM 5.15 Replace
Hamilton I-24 I-24 over Ramp to I-124N at LM 7.52 Rehabilitation
Hamilton I-75 I-75 Northbound lane over Big Spring Creek at LM 1.17 Rehabilitation
Hamilton SR-17 SR-17 (Saint Elmo Ave) over Mountain Stream at LM 0.09 Replace
Hamilton South Seminole Drive over I-24 at LM 3.27 Rehabilitation
Hardeman SR-18 SR-18 over Cypress Creek at LM 29.89 Rehabilitation
Hardeman SR-57 SR-57 over Overflow at LM 20.29 Replace
Hardeman SR-57 SR-57 over Big Muddy Creek at LM 20.38 Replace
Hardeman SR-57 SR-57 over Overflow at LM 20.64 Replace
Hawkins SR-1/US-11W SR-1 Southbound over Poor Valley Creek at LM 3.53 Rehabilitation
Hawkins SR-31 SR-31 over Poor Valley Creek at LM 2.34 Rehabilitation
Hawkins SR-113 SR-113 over Robertson Creek at LM 6.63 Rehabilitation
Haywood SR-1/US-70E SR-1 over Branch at LM 25.74 Rehabilitation
Haywood SR-19 SR-19 (Old Mercer Road) over Branch of Carter Creek at LM 15.61 Replace
Haywood SR-19 SR-19 (Old Mercer Road) over I-40 at LM 16.62 Rehabilitation
Haywood SR-76/US-79N SR-76 over South Fork Forked Deer River at LM 23.98 Replace
Haywood SR-76/US-79N SR-76 over Mud Creek at LM 21.59 Rehabilitation
Haywood SR-76/US-79N SR-76 over Overflow at LM 21.98 Rehabilitation
Hickman SR-50 SR-50 over Swan Creek at LM 20.63 Replace
Jackson SR-56 SR-56 (Jennings Creek Highway) over Crab Tree Creek at LM 23.27 Replace
Jackson SR-135 SR-135 (Keeling Branch Highway) over Keeling Branch at LM 17.62 Rehabilitation
Johnson SR-34/US-421 SR-34 (South Shady Street) over Roan Creek at LM 19.96 Rehabilitation
Johnson SR-67 SR-67 over Doe Creek at LM 5.61 Replace
Johnson SR-67 SR-67 (West Main Street) over Roan Creek at LM 16.78 Rehabilitation
Johnson SR-133 SR-133 over Beaverdam Creek at LM 2.77 Rehabilitation
Knox SR-131 SR-131 (Ball Camp-Byington Road) over Meadow Creek at LM 5.95 Replace
Knox SR-332 SR-332 (Concord Road) over Southern Railway at LM 1.87 Rehabilitation
Lawrence SR-15/US-64 SR-15 over Shoal Creek at LM 14.78 Rehabilitation
Lawrence SR-15/US-64 SR-15 over Crowson Creek at LM 14.63 Rehabilitation
Lawrence SR-242 SR-242 over Knob Creek at LM 12.02 Rehabilitation
Lawrence SR-242 SR-242 over Factory Creek at LM 7.93 Rehabilitation
Lewis SR-48 SR-48 over Blondy Hollow Branch at LM 12.52 Rehabilitation
Marion SR-283 SR-283 (Alvin York Highway) over Branch at LM 3.06 Rehabilitation
Marshall SR-11/US-31A SR-11 over Branch at LM 8.73 Rehabilitation
Maury SR-245 SR-245 (Campbellsville Pike) over Little Bigby Creek at LM 9.92 Rehabilitation
Maury SR-247 SR-247 (Snow Creek Road) over Turkey Creek at LM 2.5 Replace
Montgomery SR-12 SR-12 over Little McAdoo Creek at LM 4.04 Rehabilitation
Montgomery SR-13/US-79 SR-13 (Wilma Rudolph Blvd) Northbound lane over Red River at LM
21.57
Replace
Morgan SR-29/US-27 SR-29 (Morgan County Highway) over White Oak Creek at LM 23.05 Replace
Overton SR-84 SR-84 over Carr Creek at LM 7.65 Rehabilitation
Perry SR-13 SR-13 (SR-13) over Buffalo River at LM 1.73 Replace
Pickett SR-154 SR-154 (Pickett Park Road) over Thompson Creek at LM 1.26 Rehabilitation
Polk SR-40/US-64 SR-40 (US-64) over Brush Creek at LM 23.04 Rehabilitation
Putnam SR-96 SR-96 (Medley Ammonett Road) over Buffalo Valley Creek at LM 1.28 Rehabilitation
Rhea SR-29/US-27 SR-29 (US-27 Bypass) Left Lane over Richland Creek at LM 5.58 Rehabilitation
Roane SR-1/US-70 SR-1 over Southern Railroad & Black Creek at LM 2.46 Rehabilitation
Roane SR-72 SR-72 over Stamp Creek at LM 4.55 Rehabilitation
Roane Lawnville Road over I-40 at LM 1.7 Rehabilitation
Robertson SR-11/US-41 SR-11 over Red River at LM 24.58 Rehabilitation
Robertson SR-49 SR-49 over Carrs Creek at LM 7.92 Rehabilitation
Rutherford SR-102 SR-102 (Almaville Road) over Branch at LM 2.38 Replace
Sevier SR-35/US-441 SR-35 (Chapman Highway) North & South Bound Lanes over Gists
Creek at LM 10.65
Replace
Sevier SR-35/US-441 SR-35 (Chapman Highway) North & South Bound Lanes over Gists
Creek at LM 10.98
Replace
Sevier SR-35/US-441 SR-35 (W Main Street) over West Fork Little Pigeon River at LM 13.76 Rehabilitation
Shelby I-40 I-40 Eastbound Lane over Sam Cooper Blvd at LM 14.13 Rehabilitation
Shelby SR-14/US-61 SR-14 (South Third Street) over Ravine at LM 9.51 Replace
Shelby SR-14/US-61 SR-14 (South Third Street) over IC Railroad at LM 9.68 Replace
Shelby SR-57 SR-57 (Poplar Ave) over SR-57 West Bound Ramp to I-240 South
Bound at LM 8.08
Rehabilitation
Shelby SR-57 SR-57 (Poplar Ave) Eastbound Lane over I-240 & I-240 Exit Ramp at LM
8.09
Rehabilitation
Shelby SR-57 SR-57 (Poplar Ave) Westbound Lane over I-240 at LM 8.18 Rehabilitation
Smith SR-24/US-70N SR-24 (Lebanon Highway) over Roundlick Creek at LM 2.96 Rehabilitation
Smith SR-25 SR-25 (Dixon Springs Highway) over Lick Creek at LM 0.15 Rehabilitation
Sullivan SR-36 SR-36 (West Center Street) over Reedy Creek at LM 10.48 Rehabilitation
Sullivan SR-126 SR-126 (South Wilcox Drive) over Holston River at LM 1.90 Rehabilitation
Union SR-33 SR-33 (Maynardville Highway) over Clinch River (Norris Lake) at LM
15.69
Replace
Washington I-26/US-23 I-26 (James H. Quillen Parkway) over Boones Creek at LM 6.81 Rehabilitation
Washington SR-81 SR-81 over Muddy Creek at LM 16.60 Replace
Washington SR-400 SR-400 (Watauga Road) over Brush Creek at LM 4.99 Replace
Wayne SR-203 SR-203 over Indian Creek at LM 12.03 Rehabilitation
Williamson SR-106/US-431 SR-106 (Lewisburg Parkway) over West Harpeth River at LM 5.09 Rehabilitation
Wilson SR-265 SR-265 (Central Pike) over Dry Creek at LM 13.69 Rehabilitation

The DeKalb County Tigers enjoyed a homecoming win over the White County Warriors 34 to 14 Friday night in Smithville.
The win improves the Tiger record to 3-1 on the season.
DeKalb County got on the board with 5:32 left in the first quarter on a one yard touchdown run by Tyler Weatherby. The P.A.T by Zack Taylor was good and the Tigers led 7-0.
White County evened the score with three minutes left in the first period on a one yard touchdown run by Aaron Murray. Conor Sparkman converted on the P.A.T. and the game was tied at 7-7. That was the score at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors took the lead with 4:50 to go in the second period on a 30 yard touchdown run by Jordan Armstrong. Sparkman converted on the P.A.T. and White County led 14 to 7.
DeKalb County scored with 1:07 left in the second period on a 26 yard touchdown pass play from Quarterback Hunter Poteete to Abram Edwards. The P.A.T. by Zack Taylor was good and the game was tied at 14-14. That was the halftime score.
The Tigers got a turnover in the third quarter which led to points a few plays later. Kevin Kijanski took it in on a one yard touchdown run with 7:07 left in the third period. Taylor converted the P.A.T and DeKalb County led 21 to 14. That was the score at the end of the third quarter.
DeKalb County’s Matt Giles caught an 18 yard touchdown pass from Quarterback Hunter Poteete with 8:54 to go in the fourth period. Taylor’s P.A.T. attempt was no good, but the Tigers built their lead to 27 to 14.
The final score came with 1:41 left in the game as Tyler Weatherby caught a pass from Quarterback Hunter Poteete covering 34 yards for the touchdown. Taylor converted on the P.A.T. and DeKalb County led 34 to 14.
DeKalb County will travel to Carthage next Friday night to take on the Smith County Owls. WJLE will have LIVE coverage.

Students from DeKalb County High School celebrated the last day of Homecoming Week with a parade Friday afternoon.
The Tiger football team’s homecoming opponent Friday night is the White County Warriors and the floats in the parade had a Tiger versus Warriors theme.
The parade featured Homecoming Queen April Hale and her court, the DCHS Fighting Tiger Band, lots of decorated cars and trucks, county and city law enforcement officers, and fire fighters, among others. The event concluded with a pep rally on the square led by DCHS Football cheerleaders.
The Sophomore Class took first place with their float called “Tigers Flush the Warriors” featuring a large “stuffed” toilet with the legs of a White County Warrior Football player sticking up as he is being flushed. The float was complete with large “toilet paper” and holder along with a “Tiger Bowl”.
The Senior Class won second place with their float called “Tigers Wipe Out the Warriors”. This float displayed a beach scene including a Tiger on a surf board with waves, a Warrior player under the board, an umbrella, sand, and beach chairs.
Third place went to the Freshman float with the theme “Dominate the Warriors” This float had a large chariot with a Tiger driving, Greek columns, two Tiger football players, and two Warrior football players.
The FCCLA Club took fourth place for their float called “Tigers Knock out the Warriors” featuring a Tiger hospital scene with a Warrior on a stretcher, a syringe to give a shot, a hammer to knock him out, and lots of doctors and nurses
The Junior Class received fifth place for their float “Wound the Warriors”. This float had a large stuffed Tiger paw with a White County Warrior football player laying under the paw and an ax in his back.
The FFA also had a float with hay bales and club members riding along.
Winners of the best decorated vehicles in the parade were: First place- Kristen Puckett; Second place- Weston Rhody; and Third place- Jessica Cantrell
Fluty’s and Liberty State Bank tied to win the Homecoming Business Decorations Contest.

A downpour of rain forced a change in location but did not dampen the spirits of those attending the 40th birthday celebration of DeKalb Community Hospital Thursday afternoon.
Plans were for the observance to be held under a huge tent on the grounds of the hospital but due to heavy rains, the program was re-scheduled an hour later at the Life Enrichment Center of the Smithville First Baptist Church.
The hospital’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bill Little, a Smithville native, thanked everyone for their show of support as the hospital turns 40 and he spoke of the future and what it holds for healthcare in this community.
“To have a successful hospital here like what we’ve had for the last 40 years, it really is partnership. It’s the medical staff. It’s the employees. It’s your local government services, EMS, police, fire. And it’s you, the patient, who chooses to come to our facility. It takes all of those to make an organization like this work. I can assure you that regardless of what happens on a national level or even on a state level, you can rest assured that it’s this partnership that will continue to allow us to be successful, not just for the immediate future, but I believe also for decades to come. It’s our commitment to make sure that for every patient that comes through our doors, we provide timely care, we provide great quality in the care that we deliver, we provide very compassionate service to each and every person whether you be a patient or a family member, and that we provide things in the most cost effective manner as we can. As all of us are acutely aware, that’s part of the problem that we face. I think we have a unique situation here in the partnership that I just talked about, working together. Health care in this community works. I’ve had the opportunity to work in other communities and you see where a lot of lessons are learned that hard way. We don’t have those issues with our partnership for health care services in this community. We’re going to continue to grow as this community grows. We’re going to provide the technology that we need to deliver excellent health care services. They’ve shown their commitment to do that in the decades previous and we’re going to continue to show that on a go forward basis. It’s been a very successful journey so far and I think it’s going to be an even more successful journey and I highly encourage and wish that you help participate in that journey with us.”

Local girl scouts and other children sang “Happy Birthday” for the occasion and later gathered outside for a “Butterfly Release”

Prior to Little’s remarks, Dr. Doug Hooper gave a brief history of the hospital, mentioning names of the various groups and corporations who have owned and operated it since 1969 and he spoke of renovations, additions, and improvements that have been made at the hospital over the years to maintain and expand health care services.
Recognition was given to those attending who were born at DeKalb Community Hospital along with past and present employees, and members of the medical staff.
Everyone attending also enjoyed cake and ice cream.