The DeKalb County School System has run out of “snow days”.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby said as of Monday, February 23 no more “snow days” remain and starting today (Tuesday, February 24) and any further days missed will have to be made up either during or at the end of the school year. Students have missed a total of eleven days of school due to inclement weather counting today.
Ten days are built into the school calendar each year for “snow days” or inclement weather and three days are included for so called “stockpile” or “early release” days which are used as professional development. On the stock pile day, teachers have in-service but students do not attend. Students are sent home early on “early” release days. The school system has already used its stock pile day and all but one of its early release days for the school year.
If more days are missed between now and May 26th, the school board will have to decide how to make them up. State law requires students to be in school a certain number of days each year. Director Willoughby said he plans to ask the State Commissioner of Education to grant a waiver on at least three snow days while Tennessee has been under a state of emergency due to the winter weather.
The remainder of the school calendar for the year is as follows:
Schools will be closed for spring break March 30 through April 3
No school for students Memorial Day, Monday May 25.
The last early release day is Friday, March 6
Students will not attend on Friday, May 22. That will be an administrative day and all teachers must attend. Friday, May 22 is also graduation day at DCHS. The last day of school will be Tuesday, May 26. That will be an abbreviated school day and report cards will be sent home.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Tuesday, March 10 at DeKalb County High School from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will also be held from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at DeKalb Middle School, Northside Elementary, Smithville Elementary, and DeKalb West School.
DCHS report cards will be sent home on Monday, March 9 and at all other schools on Tuesday, March 10.

The Trustee’s Office would like to remind you that Saturday, February 28 is the last day to pay the 2014 property taxes before penalties start accruing March 1.
Since the deadline falls on Saturday, Trustee Sean Driver said the Trustee’s office will be open that day from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The Trustee’s Office is also open regular hours from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday. “Remember, if the last day comes and you can’t make it to the post office to postmark your payment, we do have a drop box on the outside wall of the county offices section of the county complex. If you choose to use the drop box that weekend (February 28) we will gather the mail on Monday, March 2 from the drop box and no penalties will be applied to your 2014 tax bill,” said Driver.
Driver said you have four options for paying 2014 property taxes. “You can come by in person at the Trustee’s Office or you may mail in your payment. We also offer online bill pay at www.tennesseetrustee.com. You go to that website and select DeKalb County and then follow the instructions. Business Information Systems has set this up for Trustees across the state and there is a fee to use your debit or credit card. If you do pay online the fee to use your debit or credit card is 2.75% of your total tax bill. Or you can use an e-check for $2.50 on any total. Online accepts Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express. Business Information Systems collects the fees, not DeKalb County” said Driver.
“We are also accepting partial payments in any amount. Remember, whatever portion of taxes is unpaid for 2014 using the partial payment plan, only the portion left unpaid will accrue at 1.5% penalty and interest per month starting March 1. The office can still receive partial payments on 2013 delinquent taxes up until March 31” said Driver.
Any 2013 unpaid property taxes will be turned over to the Chancery Court on April 1 for collection. “We have mailed out a reminder for those taxes that are left unpaid for 2013. If those taxes for 2013 are not paid before April 1 we will be sending that file to the Chancery Court on April 1. We can still receive partial payments on 2013 taxes up to that date,” said Driver.
The Trustee’s Office also offers the State of Tennessee Tax Relief. “If you would like to check on a possible tax relief for 2014, come and see us at 732 South Congress Boulevard, Room 103 or call us at 597-5176,” said Driver. ” The last day to sign up for tax relief is April 6.

Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC) cautions members to be on alert for a telephone scam that is plaguing UCEMC’s service areas.
Scam artists are calling a home or business posing as a co-op or utility employee and threatening to shut off service unless the consumer provides immediate payment using a credit card. The caller may also request that members call a 1-888 number to provide their credit card information.
“The calls sound official, and the caller ID may even display the utility name,” says Jimmy Gregory, General Manager of UCEMC. Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to indicate to the receiver of a call that the originator of the call is a station other than the true originating station. For example, a Caller ID display might display a phone number different from that of the telephone from which the call was placed. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the motivation is considered malicious by the speaker or writer. “This scam is particularly harmful to consumers because there is no way to track or recover the money.”
Officials stress that UCEMC will:
•NEVER call members to request credit card, banking or other financial information over the telephone.
•NEVER call members threatening immediate disconnection unless a payment is made. Some co-ops do give members with a first time delinquent account a courtesy call prior to disconnection.
•NEVER ask to enter your home unless you initiate the request for co-op personnel to perform a specific service. Co-ops do this only by appointment and with a member’s prior knowledge.
“We are asking co-op members to be wary of any phone calls,” Gregory says. “If in doubt, hang up immediately, and contact your local UCEMC District Office at: Carthage 615-735-2940; Cookeville 931-528-5449; Gainesboro 931-268-2123; Livingston 931-823-1213 or 800-261-2940. Be certain you are dealing with an official representative of the cooperative.”
UCEMC is a cooperative owned by its members. It distributes electric power through more than 4,500 miles of lines to more than 47,000 meters located primarily in Jackson, Overton, Putnam, Smith Counties and northern DeKalb County, with additional members served in the fringe areas of Clay, Fentress, Macon, Pickett, White and Wilson. Visit www.ucemc.com to learn more.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has charged 80 year old James Hearl Pirtle of Whorton Springs Road, Smithville with filing a false police report. Pirtle’s bond is $5,000 and he will be in court March 12.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that Pirtle reported the theft of his 2000 model Jeep taken from his nursery in DeKalb County when he knew that the vehicle wasn’t stolen. According to Sheriff Ray “On Wednesday, February 18 a sheriff’s department detective was investigating a theft report made by Pirtle. He (Pirtle) reported that his 2000 model Jeep had been stolen from his nursery in DeKalb County. Through the detective’s investigation, it was found that the Jeep was not stolen from DeKalb County. Pirtle came to the sheriff’s office on February 18 to speak with the detective about the report he had made. The detective read Pirtle his Miranda warnings (rights). Pirtle admitted that the vehicle was not stolen from DeKalb County but that he had let someone borrow the Jeep and allowed them to take it to another county. During this interview, Pirtle answered several of the detective’s questions with false statements. He was placed under arrest,” said Sheriff Ray.
32 year old Clayton Allen Moore of Lakeview Circle Smithville is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court March 5.
Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, February 20 a deputy was dispatched to a vehicle accident on Cookeville Highway. There he found a black Dodge Ram 1500 that had been driven by Moore. The officer observed Moore walking down Highland Avenue. He had a strong odor of alcohol on his person, slurred speech, and he was unsteady on his feet. Moore performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He was arrested and taken to the emergency room of the hospital for a blood withdrawal and then to the sheriff’s department for booking. Moore’s first conviction for DUI was in Putnam County in 2008.
21 year old Caleb Shain Parker of Nashville Highway, Alexandria is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court March 5.
Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, February 22 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Nashville Highway, Alexandria for a possible domestic. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a woman who said that she and Parker had been arguing and that he had kicked her in the thigh while she was in a bedroom sitting in a chair. Parker allegedly admitted to kicking the woman. He was placed under arrest.

A 34 year old man was injured when his SUV slipped off an ice and snow covered road and over an embankment on Indian Creek Youth Camp Road Friday.
Joshua Dewitt was traveling north down the steep narrow road, which runs off Highway 96 (Dale Ridge Road), when he met another vehicle coming up the hill. Dewitt’s 2000 Chevy Tahoe slid off an embankment, coming to rest on its passenger side about twenty feet off the road.
Dewitt was trapped in the SUV.
Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Rescue team, who were alerted to perform extrication, had to access the scene by a utility terrain vehicle and four wheel drive pickup due to the slippery condition of the narrow road. After the SUV was stabilized, Dewitt was removed from the back hatch and placed in a stokes basket. Members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad then transported Dewitt on a gator from the scene to the top of the hill at Highway 96 to meet an awaiting ambulance. Dewitt was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital with a possible back injury.
According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Dewitt was enroute to make a delivery of groceries to members of his family and that his relatives were in the other vehicle coming up the hill at the time of the accident.

The Harlem Wizards will bring their trick-hoops and alley-oops back to DeKalb County on Tuesday night, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. but this year the event will be held at the DeKalb Middle School gym. Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
The Wizards, a show basketball team, will play local personalities to raise funds for the DeKalb Middle School Softball Team field construction.
“The Harlem Wizards have been here twice at DCHS and both years we sold out and I expect this year to sell out as well” said DMS teacher Suzette Barnes. “Proceeds from this event will go to the DeKalb Middle School Softball Team. We started construction of a softball field on the campus of DeKalb Middle in 2011. We played our first game there in the spring of 2012 and if you have driven by and seen the field we still have a long way to go. We are still in need of a concession stand and press box area with restrooms and facilities like that. Eventually we will need lights. So this is a fundraiser for our softball team to complete the project we started,” Barnes said.
(SEE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO BELOW)

At a Harlem Wizards game, fans witness amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy. When you’re in the stands, you’re more than a spectator, you’re part of the show with loads of audience participation throughout the game.
Fans will experience a magical display of tricks, coordinated ball handling, fancy passing, and aerodynamic athleticism combined with high-energy comedy and audience interaction. The experience can only be summed up in two words: Awe-Inspiring!
General admission tickets will be available in advance or at the door. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase in advance for reserved seats as well as courtside plus seating. “For this fundraiser we have 850 tickets available at DeKalb Middle School. It’s a little smaller seating capacity than the high school. We’re doing it a little bit different on ticket prices this year. All of our general admission tickets are $10.00 in advance or $12.00 the night of the event. General admission is first come, first served as far as seating. Something new this year is we’re adding reserved seats. We only have 100 of these tickets available and they are $15.00 purchased in advance. They will not be available the night of the event. We’re also offering courtside plus. With courtside plus, you get courtside seating along with a meet and greet with the Wizards players before the game and a free poster. We only have 25 of those tickets and they are $25.00 each. Tickets may be purchased from any DMS softball player or at Kilgore’s Restaurant, DC Fitness beside Food Lion, or if you are an employee at Star Manufacturing contact Sonya Parsley or Jamie Cripps at SW Manufacturing. Tickets may also be purchased at DMS after 3:00 p.m.” said Barnes.
Ticket order forms will be sent home with students at SES, NES, and DeKalb West.”Those will be sent home with the students around mid-February, about a week before the event. So if parents want to order tickets, they may fill out the ticket order form and then send back to the school with their child the ticket order form and a check made to DeKalb Middle School Softball. We will pick those up and send the tickets back home with the child. We’re trying to make this very easy and convenient for people to pick up tickets, ” said Barnes.
The Wizards will take the court against a DeKalb Middle School team which will include DMS Principal Randy Jennings, DMS teachers Tad Webb, Justin Nokes, Josh Agee and Justin Poteete; DeKalb West Assistant Principal Joey Agee; SES teachers Leah Magness and Ashley Barnes; NES teachers January Agee and Mike Crockett, DCHS SRO Officer Keneth Whitehead, DeKalb County School Board member Shaun Tubbs, TWRA Officer Tony Cross, DeKalb County School Bus Supervisor Jimmy Sprague; NHC Administrator Clint Hall, Jason Winningham of Legacy Athletics; Casey Agee of DeKalb Community Hospital; Jonathan Norris of Southern Landscape Supply and Fourth District County Commissioner; and Helping Hands Foundation and three time Grammy nominated Bluegrass Entertainers of the Year Dailey and Vincent.
For students who can’t attend the show, the Harlem Wizards will be making a personal appearance at four of the schools in DeKalb County for a gym assembly program on the day of the event. Members of the Wizards will be at Northside Elementary and Smithville Elementary Schools at 1:00 p.m. and at DeKalb Middle School and DeKalb West School at 2:00 p.m.

The 2015-16 Tennessee hunting and fishing licenses are now on sale. Licenses are available at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) regional offices, license agents and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.
The new licenses annually go on sale each Feb. 18. The 2015-16 licenses are valid through February 2016. License sales provide the primary funding for the TWRA, which does not receive any funding from the state’s general fund (i.e. state sales tax). The 2014-15 licenses expire Feb. 28. Licenses purchased before July 1 are available at current prices.
Resident licenses may be purchased by persons who possess a valid Tennessee driver’s license; persons who have lived in Tennessee for 90 consecutive days with the genuine intent of making Tennessee their permanent home; military personnel on active duty in this state and their immediate families, who reside with them, regardless of resident status; students who are enrolled in a Tennessee school, college, or university for at least six months. A Social Security number is required to purchase a Tennessee hunting or fishing license.
Licenses may also be purchased online at TWRA’s website: www.tnwildlife.org or the TWRA On the Go App and charged to a credit card. Licenses may also be ordered by telephone and charged to a credit card by calling 1-888-814-8972. All licenses purchased by credit card will be charged a processing and handling fee. The fees over the telephone are $7.50 for those licenses mailed and $6.25 for those not mailed. Through the internet, charges are $4.25 for those licenses mailed and $3 for self-prints.
To expedite telephone orders, the caller should have ready the name, address, physical description, Social Security number, driver’s license number, TWRA ID number (if renewal), and credit card number.
Licenses are printed on a special tear-resistant, water-proof paper. In case of a lost license, duplicate licenses can be obtained from any REAL license agent for a $7 fee.

Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department quickly snuffed out a fire Tuesday afternoon at 195 Wildwood Drive off Cookeville Highway in the Holiday Haven area.
The home belongs to Teresa Riedley.
According to County Fire Chief Donny Green, the family has a fireplace in the home and noticed smoke coming out around the top of the ceiling. Thinking the flue was on fire, they called 911.
Firefighters arrived and discovered the fire to be coming from inside a wooden casing around the flue on an outside wall of the home. “We inspected the flue but didn’t see any flame. We went outside and saw smoke coming from the wood casing around the flue. We used a thermal camera to detect the heat source and a chainsaw to open the wood casing. Flames shot out from inside the casing where some insulation had caught fire,” said Chief Green.
The fire was extinguished with no damage to the inside of the home. No one was injured
Members of the Cookeville Highway, Main Station, Short Mountain Highway, and tanker of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with manpower from the Midway station.

A DeKalb County woman, who works as a Communications Operator 2 dispatcher for the Cookeville District of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, has been awarded a scholarship to further her education through an online program at Bethel University.
Tonya Hattaway, a resident of the Seven Springs community, said she is honored to have been selected to receive the scholarship as she works toward earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. “Bethel University, through the Department of Safety offered us a chance to get a scholarship. They offered it to Department of Safety employees who were interested in it. We had to submit a resume, three letters of recommendation, and write a five thousand word essay. They went through and picked from that and decided who would get the scholarships for $5,000 to promote and encourage the employees to continue their education in college. I applied and was selected for a $5,000 scholarship. I am already attending Bethel and I am half way through to get my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration so this is going to help me finish my degree. They have an online program and that is what I have been doing for the last eighteen months, attending their online program. With my schedule, working at a job like I have and with a family, it’s a really big help to be able to do this online at my pace when I have time to do it,” Hattaway told WJLE.
Hattaway has worked for the THP, a division of the Tennessee Department of Safety for almost eleven years. She began as a Communications Operator 1 dispatcher, before advancing to Operator 2 status a year later.
She is one of only two Department of Safety (THP) employees to receive this scholarship in the Cookeville District. Similar scholarships were also made available to employees in the other THP districts across the state.
In addition to her work and studies, Hattaway is active in her community having been a leader in forming a neighborhood watch program in the Seven Springs area. “I am very proud of that. I came up with the idea after coming home from work one night and finding some people in my yard at eleven o’clock. I also knew there are elderly people in our community that live alone so that concern for the safety of my neighbors is what led me to the idea (Neighborhood Watch). Plus I wanted to be involved in the community and have our neighbors know each other,” said Hattaway.
Bethel is a private, 4-year institution affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Located in McKenzie, Tennessee, Bethel also has satellite campuses in Jackson, Clarksville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis and Paris.

The Little Miss & Mister and Spring Blossom Annual Pageants will be Saturday, March 14, beginning at 12 Noon at the DCHS gymnasium. The Spring Blossom will follow the Little Miss & Mister contests. Participants for the Little Miss & Mister must be between the ages of four and six (not younger or older by the night of pageant) and the Spring Blossom is open for girls only ages seven to eighteen.
An entry fee of $25 is required upon submission of entry form for the pageants. Also, any contestant wishing to enter the photogenic category must send a photocopy with the application. The deadline to turn in applications is Monday, March 9. No entries will be accepted past the deadline due to trophy ordering and program designing.
The pageants are open to DeKalb County residents only and contestants must be registered with the DeKalb County School System or a local day school program. Entry forms may be picked up at all DeKalb County Schools, DeKalb Community Bank, Liberty State Bank, Creative Styles, The Tannery, Savvy Scrubs and Clair’s Consignment. Entry forms are also available by email.
Concessions will be open. There will be a $4 admission fee which will apply to all (excluding contestants and children under 3).
The pageants are sponsored by the Smithville Women’s Club. For more questions or details please call 464-7910 or 464-8643.