NASHVILLE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will waive all day use fees for veterans, active, reserve and guard service members and their families at its recreation areas nationwide on November 11.
“It is our intent to honor and support the men and women who have served our nation in the armed services,” said Steve Stockton, director of Civil Works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We chose this occasion to encourage our veterans, active duty personnel and their families to come enjoy one of the more than 2,400 Corps-operated recreation sites nationwide. Whether you like to walk, jog, bike, hunt, fish, swim, boat, bird watch or study nature, we invite you to visit a Corps lake near you.”
On November 11, day use fees will be waived for veterans, active, reserve and guard service members and their families visiting Corps-managed recreation areas. This waiver includes boat launch ramp and swim beach fees. However, fees for camping and camping related services as well as fees for specialized facilities, such as picnic shelters, will not be waived.
The Corps is the largest federal provider of outdoor and water-based recreation in the nation. The Corps hosts about 372 million visits each year at its lakes, beaches and other areas, and estimates that 70 percent of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a Corps lake.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen has recognized John Williams Rose of the Temperance Hall community as the owner of one of Tennessee’s oldest farms. Lancaster Farm, located in the Lancaster community near the Dekalb County line was established by Rose’s ancestors in 1790. The farm is one of only 41 farms in Tennessee currently recognized as predating the formation of the state of Tennessee. Bredesen recently recognized Rose, along with his sister and brother in law, Cindy and Steve Dowell of Smith County, who help operate the farm.
Governor Phil Bredesen, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation honored Tennessee’s oldest farms at a luncheon during the Tennessee Farmland Legacy Conference. Pioneer farms are farms founded in or before 1796 that have remained in the same family and in continuous agricultural production.
“These farms are among Tennessee’s most significant rural landscapes and each generation, in its own way and time, has contributed to our prosperity and quality of life,” said Governor Bredesen. “The state is proud of its agricultural heritage, and these Century Farms give us an enduring link to the past and a rich legacy for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”
Pioneer farms are part of the Tennessee Century Farms Program administered by the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and supported by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. CHP was started in 1975 by the department in honor of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. The program identifies, documents and recognizes farms owned by the same family for at least 100 years. To date, there are more than 1200 certified Century Farms in Tennessee.
“It’s appropriate that we take time to honor our state’s oldest farms and recognize their contributions to the economy, environment and quality of life we enjoy in Tennessee,” said Ken Givens, Commissioner of Agriculture. “Not only are we preserving the past, but we’re helping to ensure the future of these farms by keeping them profitable and giving farm owner’s options for keeping their farms.”
The Lancaster Farm is located on Hwy 141 in the community of Lancaster on the east bank of the Smith Fork Creek just south of the Caney Fork River. Sometime before 1790 John Lancaster and his family moved across the mountains to a parcel of land that was originally part of a Revolutionary War land grant of 2,560 acres. The family engaged in farming, owned and operated a mill on the Smith Fork and founded the nearby town of Lancaster.
In 1800, a son, Richard Lancaster, acquired the farm. In 1799, Richard survived an Indian attack and scalping. Family history records that he hunted Indians from that time until 1826, when he was captured and “shot full of arrows and hung from a bluff along the banks of the river.” Richard is buried in the family cemetery, called Prichard Cemetery, which is on the farm.
The third owner of the land was John Lancaster’s nephew, Thomas A. Lancaster, a veteran of the War of 1812. He and his wife Frances Lancaster had six children. Thomas opened a general merchandise store in Lancaster. William, son of Thomas and Frances, and his wife Elizabeth were the next to own the land. Melissa Lancaster, daughter of William and Elizabeth, and her husband, James C. Prichard, were the next owners of the property.
The farm passed through several more family owners and today is owned by John Williams Rose, who served as Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Tennessee in 2002-2003. His father, the late Jerry Lancaster Rose helped established the current farm operation. Rose is the eighth owner and the seventh generation in the Lancaster family line to own and operate the farm.
The first annual Tennessee Farmland Legacy Conference brought together a diverse group of stakeholders for presentations on farm estate planning, property taxes and conservation easements for landowners and planning techniques that protect farmland while not hindering economic growth for community leaders. Presenters explained how communities and farmers can both benefit from working together. The conference was hosted by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Department of Tourism, The Lyndhurst Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Land Trust for Tennessee, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, USDA Rural Development, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and Cumberland Region Tomorrow.

The Tennessee Board of Probation & Parole has issued restrictions prohibiting the sex offenders it supervises from taking part in Halloween activities. Every state-supervised sex offender in Tennessee has received a letter detailing the restrictions, which apply to any Halloween celebration, festival or other fall/harvest activity.
Executive Director Bo Irvin said, “Halloween is different from other holidays because children and adults may wear costumes, and because candy is given as a treat. By issuing restrictions to state-supervised sex offenders, we make clear what they must do to comply with the law at this time. Our goal is to protect the safety of the public, especially children, throughout the Halloween season.”
The letters advise sex offenders that:
• Neither they, nor anyone in their home, can answer the door to trick or treaters on Halloween;
• They cannot pass out candy;
• Their homes cannot be decorated for Halloween, either inside or outside;
• They cannot host Halloween parties at their homes;
• They cannot go to haunted houses, corn mazes, hay rides or any other seasonal activity;
• They cannot be at any function where children are gathered, including private residences;
• They cannot give any Halloween treats to children;
• They cannot wear costumes and
• They cannot take any child trick or treating.
Probation/Parole Officers have discussed the restrictions with sex offenders under their supervision, and had the offenders sign to acknowledge they understand the conditions. Between now and Halloween, officers will make visits, both announced and unannounced, to verify that offenders are complying with their curfews and the directives.
The Board of Probation and Parole ( www.tn.gov/bopp/ ) is an independent seven-member board whose members are appointed by the Governor. The Board is charged with the responsibility of deciding which eligible felony offenders will be granted parole and released from incarceration to community-based supervision. Along with the supervision of those granted parole, the Board is also responsible for supervising felony offenders who are placed on probation by criminal courts.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department made an arrest Thursday in a recent burglary investigation.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says detectives from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department arrested 33 year old Robert Howard Mattox of Keltonburg Road Smithville for aggravated burglary and theft of property over $1,000. According to Sheriff Ray, Mattox entered a home on Green Hill Road in DeKalb County and took several guns, knives, and ammunition valued at over $3,707. Detectives were able to recover all of the stolen property. Due to Mattox’s lengthy criminal history for property crimes, his bond was set at $125,000 and he will appear in court on October 23rd. Mattox is on parole out of Meigs County.
Meanwhile, 46 year old Tina Keith Stephens of Allen Street, Smithville was arrested Saturday by the Smithville Police Department and was being booked into the DeKalb County Jail when correctional officers found a white pill believed to be a soma. Stephens was charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution and her bond was set at $5,000. She will appear in court on November 20th.
Last Wednesday, deputies spotted 35 year old Kathyerine Michelle Carr of Kings Court Trailer Park driving an automobile on Adcock Cemetery Road. Officers had prior knowledge of Carr having a suspended license. She was stopped and arrested for driving on a suspended license. Carr’s license was revoked after she failed to satisfy a citation on July 7th in Smith County. Carr was also arrested for the same offense earlier by the Smithville Police Department. Carr’s bond was set at $1,500 and her court date is October 30th.

Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department celebrated the grand opening and dedication of the newly renovated headquarters and training center on King Ridge Road with an open house on Saturday.
State Senator Mae Beavers, instrumental in helping the department acquire the former TDOT building, was recognized with a special tribute. A framed picture of Senator Beavers and a copy of the tribute are on display inside the building.
Also during the program, Regina Wilhite of Woodmen of the World, presented an American flag to the department.
County Fire Chief Donny Green told WJLE that Saturday was a special day for the department. “This is a big deal for our county wide fire department. It benefits, not only our eleven stations and 80 volunteer fire fighters, but it benefits our community. This building and training center is available to our other emergency agencies and community groups for meetings. We’ll share it with any of those who would be interested in using it. The sheriff’s department uses it and our medical first responders have used the training facility. We have two nice training rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, so we can have two separate meetings going on at the same time. That all results in better training for our department and other emergency agencies and better service to the people out in the communities of DeKalb County. It means so much for our training program in DeKalb County.
Chief Green says members of the department volunteered their time and talents to help renovate the facility. “This renovation has been about an eight month effort, beginning in early January and we’ve been putting some of the finishing touches on it this week in preparation for the open house. All the labor has been done by our volunteers. We’ve had a few things like the central heat and air and electrical services that was contracted but all the building and interior frame work was built by our volunteer fire fighters. We’ve got a lot of skilled people on our department that have some good construction skills. We’ve been able to save the county a lot of money by doing this work by ourselves instead of having to hire it done. We appreciate County Mayor Mike Foster and the county commission for helping and supporting us in this renovation project. We also want to recognize State Senator Mae Beavers for her contribution in helping us acquire this piece of property that used to be the State Highway Department, the TDOT building. We actually got a deed to the property a little over a year ago. After that, we started planning this renovation project.”
During Saturday’s ceremony, Chief Green read from a special tribute to Senator Beavers. “Each person who walks through this remarkable facility should always remember Senator Mae Beavers as a very special person who has committed her service in Tennessee’s 17th Senatorial District by keeping her constituents’ safety and well-being her top priority.”
“In 2002, Senator Beavers received DeKalb County Fire Department’s highest honor by being selected as an Honorary Lifetime Member. Her leadership in state government and in our communities has been an inspiration to all, and an example for others to lead by.”
“Today, DeKalb County Fire Department is celebrating the completion of this building project that is a culmination of many years of hard work. It all began in 2002 when Senator Beavers negotiated a $1 per year lease for this property between the Tennessee Department of Transportation and DeKalb County Government. On August 14, 2007, Senator Beavers acquired a permanent property transfer deed to the DeKalb County Fire Department from the State of Tennessee. Since that time, Senator Beavers, DeKalb County Mayor Mike Foster, and the DeKalb County Commission provided funding and grant sources that made it possible to renovate and complete a large addition to the existing building.”
“Without our leader’s extraordinary generosity and vision, this facility would not have come to fruition. However, we owe our gratitude to the many people who have been instrumental in making this day possible. To the men and women of the DeKalb County Fire Department who volunteered countless hours of personal labor and sacrifice in the building of this facility, Walter and Linda Siggleko, and Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District’s Project Hometown Help for generous financial contributions.”
“This facility’s central location in DeKalb County is symbolic of the central role it will play in benefitting our communities. This is why, today, we are here dedicating this facility to Senator Mae Beavers, as she is the true representation of community spirit, leadership, pride, and cooperation. Our security and prosperity depend upon our willingness to be involved in our world. Senator Beavers’ involvement in making DeKalb County Fire Department better prepared to serve our communities is a testimony to her legacy.”
“This is a great day for DeKalb County Fire Department. This is a day of honoring the legacy of Senator Beavers and an opportunity to rededicate our commitment to serve our fellow man. It is well known and widely accepted that investments in preparedness and training yield enormous benefits to our citizens through improved safety, better health, and community vitality.”
“Senator Beavers and our county’s leaders, through their vision, have duly recognized the importance of public safety in supporting our current and future firefighters. Sacrifices we make today builds our progress of tomorrow. The benefits of this facility can be hard to predict, but based upon the past, the future will be more spectacular than we can ever imagine.”
Senator Beavers, saying she was undeserving of the honor, gave the credit to Chief Green and the department. “Thank you for what you do for this community. You have no idea probably of what we pay on a fire rate just in Wilson county to have the service and you are giving all of this to DeKalb County. It’s a tremendous help to the county and I appreciate your dedication to your community and just the fact that you’re out there everyday putting your lives on the line. It means so much to me. It was an honor for me to help get this building and it’s just tremendous to see what you have done with it. I’m going to get some pictures to take to the commissioner to show him what this means and what TDOT has done for this community. It’s an honor to serve you. This is a great county.”

Habitat Chili Cook-off and Bake Sale Friday!
Who makes the best chili in DeKalb County? Find out on Friday, October 24th when Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County hosts its 5th annual Chili Cook-off and Bake Sale on the square. In case of rain, the event will be relocated to the Smithville First United Methodist Church Christian Fellowship Center.
Chili will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the west lawn of the courthouse. You can purchase your bowl for $5.00, eat all the chili you want, and vote for your favorite chili and the best decorated booth. Handmade pottery bowls will be available for $10.00. Delicious baked goods prepared by members of local churches will also be for sale.
“We are looking forward to another great day of good food and fellowship at the chili cook-off,” said Nolan Turner, president of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County. “We have completed our second Habitat house and are looking forward to building a third,” said Turner. “The proceeds from the Chili Cook-off will be used towards building our next house, so we hope that we will have a great turnout!”
At press time, those competing in the Chili Cook-off are the “The Courthouse Gang” from the DeKalb County Officials; “Great Bowls of Fire” from Bradley Printing; “Three-Star Chili Team” from the Chamber of Commerce, “Chili Fever” from the DeKalb County Board of Education; “Hot Checks Chili” from DeKalb Community Bank; “Edgar Evins Chili Peppers” from Edgar Evins State Park; “The Janney Bean Counters” from Tom Janney, CPA and Associates; the DeKalb County Republican Women’s Club; Allen’s Chapel Methodist Church and “The Risk Takers” from Jackie Smith State Farm Insurance. The Smithville Review will be hosting a “relief table” for after-chili stomach needs.
Last year, “The Chuck Wagon Chili Crew” from the DeKalb County Board of Education took the top honors for Best Chili, with The Inn at Evins Mill following in second place. In the decorating contest, “Great Bowls of Fire” from Bradley Printing won the “Best Decorated” booth award.
Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Habitat for Humanity builds and renovates houses in partnership with volunteers and families in need, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. The houses then are sold to those in need at no profit and with no interest charged.
For more information on the Chili Cook-off and Bake Sale, contact Jeff McMillen at 597-4153. To contact Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County, call 215-8181.