A 26 year old Smithville man has been charged in a grand jury sealed indictment with child abuse.
The indictment against Kenneth Brian Ring of Foster Road, Apartments alleges that “On or about December 18th, Ring intentionally and knowingly did, other than by accidental means, treat a fifteen month old child, in such a manner as to inflict injury, constituting the offense of child abuse.”
The case was presented to the April term of the grand jury by Detective Matt Holmes of the Smithville Police Department.
Ring’s bond is $25,000 and he will be in court on May 20th.
Meanwhile, 25 year old Matthew Allen Gilles of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged under a sealed indictment with sale and delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. His bond is $60,000 and he will be in court on May 20th.
Gilles’ girlfriend, 20 year old Elizabeth D. Riley is charged with filing a false report for allegedly trying to keep officers from serving the warrant on Gilles. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on April 21st.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, “We went to Gilles’ home on Short Mountain Highway to execute the warrant. We could see Gilles through the window and knocked on the door to get him to come out. But Riley, who was also there, told officers that Gilles wasn’t in the house and added that unless officers had a warrant, they were not going to be allowed to enter. She tried to shut the door on us but we went in and arrested him”.
35 year old Sharon Morton of Readyville is charged under a sealed indictment with theft of property over $1,000. Her bond is $25,000 and she will be in court on May 20th.
Chief Mark Collins of the Alexandria Police Department said that Morton was working as a property manager for the Maplewood and Parkview apartment complexes in Alexandria which is owned by MACO Management Co, Inc . Chief Collins states that between November 2009 and September 2010 Morton took approximately $9,873 from approximately 10 tenants living at the properties . Chief Collins states that the money came from security deposits and rent which never got deposited to Maco. The case was investigated by Sergeant Chris Russell. Morton was booked in the DeKalb County Jail on April 15th.
Meanwhile, two people have been charged in connection with a recent theft.
Sheriff Ray said that 30 year old Bratten Hale Cook, III of East Bryant Street, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000. Cook was also issued a citation for simple possession of a schedule II , III, IV, and VI controlled substance. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court April 28th.
According to Sheriff Ray, at the time of his arrest Cook had in plain view at his residence a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, eight xanax pills, half of a percocet pill, oxycontin, suboxone, and suboxone strips. Cook allegedly admitted that these items belonged to him.
Samuel Wade Walker of Jerry Walker Road, Smithville is charged with two counts of theft of property over $1,000 and one count of aggravated burglary. His bond totals $25,000 and he will be in court on April 28th.
According to Sheriff Ray, both Cook and Walker, who were arrested on Wednesday, April 13th, are charged with taking four shotguns from a residence on Maple Lane without the owners consent on January 1st. The stolen guns were then sold.
Meanwhile in a separate case, Walker is alleged to have committed an aggravated burglary of a residence on Cripps Lane with the intent to commit a theft on August 29th. Entry was made through a back door. He allegedly took four shotguns and several other items from the home with a total value of $5, 575.
41 year old Donna Sue Overall of McMinnville is charged with failure to appear. Her bond is $1,500. Her court date is set for May 20th.
Sheriff Ray reported that on Friday April 15th, Overall was supposed to report to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department to serve a forty eight hour jail sentence but she failed to report until Sunday, April 17th at 6:08 p.m.

The DeKalb County Board of Education will not be able to purchase fifty two acres of property on the Allen Ferry Road for the future home of a new school.
The DeKalb County Commission Monday night, on a 7 to 7 tie vote, denied the school board’s request for approval of a budget amendment in the amount of $374,000 from the school system’s Basic Education Program Reserve (BEP) Funds to buy the property.
Eight yes votes were needed for passage.
County Mayor Mike Foster could have exercised his privilege of voting to break the tie but he chose not to do so.
Those voting in favor of granting the school board’s request to approve the budget amendment were Mason Carter and Elmer Ellis, Jr of the first district, Bobby Joines of the second district, David McDowell of the fourth district, Jerry Adcock of the fifth district, Marshall Ferrell of the sixth district, and Jimmy Poss of the seventh district.
Those voting against the school system’s request for the budget amendment were Jack Barton of the second district, Jerry Scott and Bradley Hendrix of the third district, Wayne Cantrell of the fourth district, John Green of the fifth district, Jeff Barnes of the sixth district, and Larry Summers of the seventh district.
Although the director of schools and school board members have not said definitely that the Allen Ferry Road property was intended for a new high school location, at least some county commissioners believe that was the intent of this proposed purchase.
Seventh district member Larry Summers, prior to casting his no vote, said he favored developing two community elementary schools elsewhere in Smithville, similar to DeKalb West School, rather than building a high school. “I’m for a building program but not this building program. I think the success of the west school is known. I think two community schools up here would kind of mimic the size and community involvement like the west school and would be better served so I vote no on this property,” said Summers.
Later in his remarks to the commission, Director of Schools Mark Willoughby apparently took exception to Summers statement, saying that the job of the county commission is to authorize funding for school needs, not to decide where schools should be built. “I think some members of the county court have gotten their role and the school board’s role confused or mixed up. I would ask that you let the school board do their job and respectfully county commissioners I would ask that you do your job of funding. I’m not mad. I’m disappointed because I’m talking about three thousand students. To the seven members of this court (who voted no), I think you’ve made a bad decision about what’s best for the children of DeKalb County,” said Willoughby
In response to Summers’ suggestion about having two community schools in Smithville similar to the west school, Willoughby explained that the west school has approximately four hundred students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade but that two similar schools in Smithville would each have about 857 students, which is more than the high school population. Willoughby questioned whether that would be a good move. “In the Smithville area where we have most of our population of students, if you have a school with more than eight hundred students the majority of the parents probably would not want kindergarten students and those in pre-school and first grade in the same building with seventh and eighth graders. Most progressive school systems are now going to a three tiered system, pre-k through 5 schools, 6th-8th grade schools, and 9th through 12th grade schools.” Willoughby admitted though that studies have shown that many students experience an achievement gap when they have to move from one school building to another.
During his remarks, Willoughby read from a letter he sent to members of the county commission over the weekend making his final appeal for their approval. In the letter, Willoughby said ” I am writing to request that you vote yes to allow the DeKalb County School System to amend the budget in order to purchase the property on Allen Ferry Road for a future school. This vote is not for any adult on the school board or any adult on the county commission. It is a vote for the children of DeKalb County. This has not been a rushed decision to purchase land for the children.”
“As you may know the school system in 2008 formally made a request for funding once a suitable building site was located. We have now located a suitable building site which is centrally located and has been confirmed by professional engineers. These professionals make a career out of evaluating building sites. They have evaluated this site and determined that it is in the top 33% of building sites where schools are built on. After the evaluations of the property, it is proven to be an even better site than what I thought in the very beginning. The school system is not asking for any money. The school system is only asking to use money in the BEP reserves which is intended for only one time purchases. The BEP reserves are often used by school systems throughout the state of Tennessee for such purposes. It is no secret that the future of the children of DeKalb County will have to have a new school built soon. So I ask you to allow the school system to use the money that is already in reserves for this purpose,” wrote Willoughby.
Some members of the county commission have expressed concerns about the potential costs of excavation and site preparation at this location. In response, Willoughby said ” It would be hard to find property at a better price, which is centrally located, even considering excavation of the land and site preparation. If excavation (site preparation) of the property is what we heard $2.1 million, I don’t believe that’s out of line when you consider that takes in sewage, pumping station, roads to be built and things like that. This is not out of line with any major building project of a school,” said Willoughby.
Second district member Jack Barton, who voted no on the request, stressed that his opposition is based on fiscal responsibility, not whether he supports the school system. “This is not a vote about the children. This is a vote about the fiscal responsibility of trying to find the best property for the school board to build on. Ours isn’t to choose the schools they build, whether it be a K-8 or a high school, but without options we can’t really know for sure, with myself not being an engineer and Mr. Willoughby not, that a higher (priced) piece of property on the front end doesn’t equate to a better piece of property on the back end. I’ve had so many people approach me about please vote for the schools. I’m not against schools. I would vote to buy property that was fiscally prudent. My no vote was not against children or the future growth of the school system. I encourage the school board to come back to us with a five year plan, a ten year plan, and a fifteen year plan of where our growth rates are going and not from somebody trying to sell us a school but from somebody who can help us arrive at correct population figures. We need to pick property that’s not only fiscally sound but also provides for expansion. I’m not against the school system, Mr. Willoughby, or the school board. I’m proud of our schools, but I want to make sure that the voting public knows that this is not just about children, it’s about money. Whether its BEP reserves, state money or federal money, its somebody’s tax money,” said Barton.
Willoughby responded “Mr. Barton that’s why I hired civil engineers and architects to make the evaluation. Their evaluation proved very positive on that site. I went to professionals and asked them how it needed to be evaluated. These people build schools all over the state of Tennessee and they tell us that this building site is in the top 33% of building sites”.
County Mayor Foster suggested that the school board and county commission work toward ending their differences and find common ground. “My idea is we sit down and try to solve problems rather than create problems for each other. I fully understand that the school board’s responsibility is to run the schools. I also understand that these fourteen men here (county commissioners) are the ones who decide how things are funded. We have got to be together. We don’t need to be two separate entities arguing with each other. I think everybody here is concerned about the children. We don’t need to be argumentative. We need to sit down and communicate. We all realize that a lot of our schools are old and need something done to them. I fully agree with you Mark (Willoughby) that its your (school board’s) decision what schools to build, but the county commission will have to arrange funding for that (in the future) and we’ll have to ask the taxpayers to probably increase their taxes by thirty, forty, or fifty percent. We all need to be on board with that. We can’t do it if we’re divided. It’s time we sit down and try to solve those things,” said Foster
In January, the school board voted unanimously to enter into a contract to buy this property, subject to approval by the county commission and a favorable site assessment study by the engineers.
The site, which is located near the existing DCHS/DeKalb Middle School campuses, belongs to Mark and Karen Adams, Melvin and LeeAnn Crips, and Billy Crips.
Under terms of the contract, the school system had a 90 day “due diligence” period to have an engineering firm conduct core drilling, inspections of the title to the property, the environment condition of the land, and other site assessments to determine whether the property is satisfactory for it’s intended purposes.
Director of Schools Willoughby said that architects and engineers who conducted the site study found 44 usable acres suitable for a new school.

Now that spring has sprung many people will be spending lots of leisure time recreating on Center Hill lake.
If you’ve recently purchased a boat or planning to buy one, make sure you have the vessel properly registered.
Under state law, all mechanically powered vessels and all sailboats which are principally used in Tennessee must be registered. (Boats are not titled in Tennessee.) Mechanical propulsion includes electric trolling motors but does not include boats powered only by oars or paddles. Boats which require registration must be properly registered before using them upon any public water of Tennessee. Registration fees are determined by the length of the boat.
The Tennessee Department of Revenue requires that boats which have never been registered before must show certification that their sales tax was paid when purchased. The owner needs to have the appropriate County Clerk’s office or boat dealer stamp the application verifying that the tax was paid. The registration form is then mailed to or taken to the address shown on the form for processing.
If a registered boat is being transferred from one individual to another, you must follow the same process as described for previously unregistered boats above. If a dealer is not involved, the county court clerk’s office will require a notarized bill of sale from the individuals involved, according to DeKalb County Clerk Mike Clayborn. “We register boats just about every day. But what the Department of Revenue is doing now and what they have instructed us to do is that we must have a notarized bill of sale with the name and address of the seller in order to register a boat. The reason they do that is because on the information you have the TN number and the boat VIN number. They (state) run that and want to make sure that you’re buying it from the person they have it registered to. It’s a tax thing. Most of us know that our state is low on money. They are really getting to the place that anything which has taxes on it, they’re watching. They want to make sure that everybody is paying their taxes, especially on boats. Right now, it’s a big time of the year. Boats are being traded and being sold so anyone who is fixing to buy a boat, if somebody gives you the card make sure the name on that card and that bill of sale are the same person because if they’re not, then you’ve got problems. If you have a bill of sale that is not notarized, it really doesn’t mean anything. But whoever notarizes that bill of sale is declaring that they saw you sign that. This way you can’t come back and say I didn’t sign that because its been notarized. That’s the reason they want the notarized bill of sale so there won’t be any controversy about who signs the bill of sale,” said Clayborn.
If you should violate the boater registration laws in regard to the payment of sales tax, you are subject to investigation by the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Four and a half months ago, a former DeKalb County man, 54 year old Michael Gene Cantrell who now reportedly resides in Jamestown, was indicted by the grand jury here on three Class E felony counts of Sales Tax Evasion. The indictment alleged that between July 2003 and May 2007, Cantrell submitted false and fraudulent documents to the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office for the purpose of registering two vehicles and a boat. The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to the arrest of Cantrell. The case is still pending.

Spring and summer mean having fun in the sun and enjoying many outdoor activities. Keeping your family safe is also important. The Tennessee Department of Health reminds Tennesseans that preventing exposure of people and their pets to the rabies virus is a priority, especially during this time of year.
Keep vaccinations up-to-date for all dogs and cats, as required by Tennessee law and local ordinances. Owners are urged to have their dogs (3 months of age or older) and cats (6 months of age or older) vaccinated. Store purchased vaccines are not legally acceptable.
Vaccination clinics will be held today, Saturday, April 16th from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the Liberty Community Center, at the Alexandria Parking Lot, and at the DeKalb Middle School Parking Lot. A fee of $7.00 will be charged for each innoculation.
For more information contact an Environmental Health Specialist at the DeKalb County Health Department at 597-7599.
Humans can be exposed to rabies when attempting to assist, feed or handle wild animals. If a wild or domestic animal is seen as ill or acting strangely, it should be reported to your local animal control agency. Bats in particular should not be handled. If a bat is found inside, in a swimming pool, or brought home by your pets, use precautions and consult your local health department.
Rabies is a deadly virus transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies infection occurs primarily in wildlife in Tennessee, but it can be transmitted to any mammal, including humans and family pets. Bites are the most common means of transmission; contact with saliva from an infected animal can also be a concern.
Citizens can take the following actions to help prevent the spread of rabies:
Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come into contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
Keep children away from any wild or dead animals. Educate them not to touch or attempt to pick up, feed or handle any wild or unfamiliar domestic animals, especially those that are or appear to be sick or injured.
Do not disturb bats. Instead, consult your local health department or animal control agency for assistance in dealing with potential exposure to bats.
For more information or assistance with a potential rabies exposure, call your local health department or the Tennessee Department of Health emergency line at 615-741-7247.

A 21 year old man was injured Friday morning in a one vehicle accident on Keltonburg Road.
Central dispatch received the call at 6:15 a.m.
Trooper Darrell Knowles of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said that Joshua Cantrell was driving east on Keltonburg Road in a Dodge Ram pickup truck when he went across the road and struck a ditch and culvert. The truck came to a stop in the ditch on the north side of the road. Cantrell, who suffered a head injury, was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital.
According to Trooper Knowles, Cantrell had completed second shift factory work and then did some work on a car before heading home. He apparently fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in the accident. Cantrell did have on a seatbelt but Trooper Knowles said he wasn’t wearing it properly.

Be careful not to get a parking ticket, and be sure to pay the fine on time if you do. Otherwise, you may be prohibited from getting your vehicle registration renewed under proposed legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly.
DeKalb County Clerk Mike Clayborn told WJLE Thursday that if the “parking ticket” bill is passed in the state legislature, county clerks would be prohibited from registering or renewing registration if the owner of a vehicle has parking tickets within such county that are more than 60 days past due.” Most people realize that if you get stopped without proof of insurance, that goes directly to the state and the state puts a block on your tag and you can’t do anything with it. You can’t renew it. You can’t transfer it. You can’t do anything with that tag until your insurance company proves to the state that you have insurance on your particular vehicle. This legislation would impose (regulations) on parking tickets. If you have a parking ticket, we would have to verify that you don’t have an outstanding parking ticket. If you do, we would not be able to renew your tag. We wouldn’t be able to do anything for you. If that happens, its going to be a nightmare not only for us but for city policemen, our sheriff, and anybody who has the authority to write a ticket. We’re hoping this (legislation) doesn’t pass,” said Clayborn.
Present law provides that the office of county clerk is not required to review the driving record of any owner before issuing a certificate of registration or a tab, sticker or other device as a prerequisite to payment of wheel or road taxes.
This bill adds a requirement for the county clerk to inquire to county law enforcement and to appropriate officials in any city within such county as to whether the owner has any outstanding parking tickets that are more than 60 days past due. If the owner does have such outstanding parking tickets, then the clerk will not issue a certificate of registration, registration plate or sticker to the owner, until the owner shows proof that the parking tickets have been paid. The clerk must send written notice to the owner that the tickets must be paid prior to registration or renewal.
The legislation is sponsored by Democrat Karen D. Camper of Memphis in the State House and by Republican Brian Kelsey of Memphis in the State Senate.

The DeKalb County Board of Education Thursday night adopted resolutions honoring administrative and instructional support staff and teachers. The April monthly meeting of the school board was held at Smithville Elementary School.
The resolution of appreciation honoring teachers states that ” Whereas, teachers nurture students and engage them in activities which will educate and graduate tomorrow’s citizens and leaders; and
Whereas, teachers spend countless hours preparing teaching materials, grading papers and projects, studying about issues in education, consulting with administration, parents, students, and fellow educators; and
Whereas, teachers create a safe and healthy learning environment for the students to enjoy while they participate in daily lessons; and
Whereas, teachers demonstrate an exemplary attitude and establish rapport with the students; and
Whereas great teachers transmit their passion for learning onto their students; and
Whereas, effective teachers give positive and constructive advice, praise accomplishments, and adjust their teaching styles as needed to meet the individual needs of students.
Now, Therefore, Be it resolved that the DeKalb County Board of Education recognizes the numerous contributions that our teachers make each day by establishing May 3, 2011 as Teacher Appreciation Day in all DeKalb County Schools; and
Be it further resolved that the board expresses appreciation and thanks to teachers in our school system and encourages each school and community to recognize them for their contribution to the success of our school system and its students”.
The resolution honoring administrative and instructional support staff states that “Whereas, the administrative and instructional support staff in the DeKalb County School System is an outstanding group of dedicated school employees who care deeply about the students; and
Whereas, our teachers and administrators depend upon administrative and instructional support staff members to prepare learning materials, operate the office, and carry out business functions of the school, tutor, counsel, advise, and guide individual students and perform a variety of other activities that result in an improved learning environment for students and their teachers throughout the school year; and
Whereas, our instructional and administrative support staff is made up of individuals who have shown a commitment to our schools and the students they serve; and
Whereas, most members of our administrative support staff bring into our schools a pleasant personality, a good measure of common sense, a calm demeanor, and a willingness to let others occupy the spotlight and receive credit for success; and
Now, Therefore be it resolved that the DeKalb County Board of Education hereby establishes April 21, 2011 as Administrative and Instructional Support Staff Appreciation Day; and
Be it further resolved that the board expresses appreciation and thanks to all the support staff in our school system and encourages each school to recognize and join in the celebration of these individuals on that day for the role they play in the success of our school system.
Be it further resolved that the board endorses the use of an outer space theme to celebrate administrative and instructional support staff members because students can have fun with the theme, use what they have learned about space in the celebration and because many of our students consider them to be shining stars who help to guide them in the right direction”.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby gave his monthly update on personnel:
Rebecca Purdue, a teacher at DCHS has resigned
Annie Walker, PreK Educational Assistant at Smithville Elementary School has retired
Candice Scarbro, teacher at DeKalb Middle School, was granted a leave as requested.
In other business, the board voted to accept sealed bids on the sale of six buses being taken out of service as surplus property. Sealed bids will be opened on June 9th. The board also approved the disposal of other surplus property including several computer monitors and printers.
Darrell Gill, on behalf of the Junior Pro Football Program, asked for and received permission from the school board for the architectural and engineers building plans to be submitted to the state fire marshal for the construction of a new 5,134 square foot field house at DCHS, subject to a review by the school system’s maintenance supervisor Earl Jared.
The new fieldhouse, being built with high school football and Jr. Pro funds, will be for the Tiger football program complete with a dressing room area, locker room, training room, utility room, showers and bathrooms, an office for the coach, and two dry storage areas, one of which would be for the youth football league. Construction is expected to begin this summer with volunteer labor.
The board also voted to ask Director Willoughby to gather more information on what is specifically needed and the cost estimates for updating the existing science lab facilities at DeKalb County High School. Once that information is obtained, the board may schedule a special meeting to discuss the issue further.

Martha Webb has committed to continue her education, and basketball career at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee.
The daughter of Alan and Lora Webb, Martha was a standout forward for the Tigers at DeKalb County High School.
This 5’11” standout was an All-District 8AA performer during her junior and senior seasons under head coach Joe Pat Cope at DeKalb County. During her career she deposited 1,141 total points while knocking down 127 career three-pointers. She was also versatile enough to haul down 668 career rebounds.
As an NCAA Division III institution, Maryville College does not award scholarships based on athletic performance; however, for her proven academic ability and accomplishments in high school, the Smithville, Tennessee native and class salutatorian has been awarded the Maryville College Scholarship.
Darrin Travillian, head coach of the Maryville College women’s Basketball team, said, ” Martha is an excellent addition to our program. She has been the “go-to” player and leader of her team. Although she played a great deal of post this season, Martha has the ability to step out on the perimeter and make shots, giving her the chance to play some at the four and five. She is a willing rebounder and defender, which will give her the opportunity to compete for playing time in our front court.”
This fall, Webb will join a team that finished the 2010-11 season with a 21-5 record winning the Great South Athletic Conference regular season crown by posting a perfect 14-0 mark during the regular season. The Scots have earned 17 invitations to the NCAA tournament pacing the school’s athletic department in post-season appearances.
Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state’s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the spring 2011 semester is 1,103 men and women, representing approximately 17 states, 15 countries.
(PICTURED ABOVE: FRONT ROW LEFT TO RIGHT- Emily Webb, Lora Webb, Martha Webb, Alan Webb and Thomas Webb. BACK ROW- Coach Lynus Martin, Coach Joe Pat Cope, and Coach Josh Agee. NOT PICTURED- Anderson Webb (Martha’s brother who is a student at Belmont University) and Mary Ann Puckett (Assistant Coach)

The winners of the annual Leadership DeKalb Alumni awards were honored Tuesday night during the Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church.
Casey Midgett received the Community Leader of the Year Award and Kay and John Quintero were presented the Legacy Award.
The Community Leader of the Year award goes to someone who has made a significant and positive impact on the county, specifically during 2010 and in a capacity beyond commitment to his or her profession. In 2010, Casey was named Chairman of Relay for Life in DeKalb County, an event which has become one of the largest community-wide endeavors of the year and raises tens of thousands of dollars annually for the American Cancer Society. Casey is also very active in his church. He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and will be coaching T-ball this summer. Casey believes in this community and works to ensure that it is a better place for those who live here.
The Legacy Award goes to the person or persons who have made a significant and positive impact on DeKalb County over a considerable period of time and in multiple or lasting ways. Kay Quintero has been a licensed professional counselor for several years and both she and John have been Mission Service Corp volunteers. Recognizing the great need for services locally for those dealing with drug and alcohol addictions, the Quinteros approached the leadership of the First Baptist Church and Haven of Hope was established. Haven of Hope is a Christian centered source of encouragement for hurting people. It offers individual and group counseling, support groups, and a safe place where people can seek solace from the constant pressures of life. The Quinteros are committed to getting people the help they need. John runs the ministry portion of Haven of Hope as its volunteer Executive Director. John is also a member of the local Drug Court program. In addition to her work with Haven of Hope, Kay serves on the Board of Directors of the Smithville Housing Authority and Lighthouse Christian Camp. She is part of the DeKalb County Community Advisory Board and the DeKalb Prevention Coalition. Both John and Kay are very involved with their church where Kay teaches Mission Friends for pre-schoolers and is the church pianist. John is Sunday School Assistant and sings in the choir.
The guest speaker was Dr. Steve Morse, an economist and director of the Tourism institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who spoke about the economic impact tourism has in DeKalb County.
In his remarks, Dr. Morse said statistics show that for the year 2009, more than $34 million was generated in direct tourist spending in DeKalb County; that tourism produced more than $7.22 million in worker income and paychecks; created $4.65 million in local county tax revenues; created $1.97 million in state tax revenues; and generated 279 jobs.
As a result of taxes generated by 2009 tourist activity in DeKalb County, Dr. Morse said each household here paid $746 less in local and state taxes; each household paid $524 less in local county taxes; and that each household paid $222 less in state taxes.
On an average day in 2009, tourist spending in DeKalb County created $12,751 daily in local county tax revenues; created $5,404 daily in state tax revenues; and generated $19,784 in daily worker paychecks.
Dr. Morse added that while the 2009 recession had a downward impact on most all Tennessee economic sectors, including the tourism sector, DeKalb County faired better than many other counties.
According to Dr. Morse, statistics show that when tourist spending is compared to all other consumer retail spending from 2008 to 2009, retail spending decreased by 8% in Tennessee while tourist spending decreased by only 4.1% during the same period in DeKalb County. As a result, Dr. Morse said tourist spending in DeKalb County was relatively stronger than overall consumer retail spending during the 2009 recession.
The source for this data is the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the Tourist Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Meanwhile, the retiring members of the Chamber board were recognized including Judy Sandlin of the DeKalb County Fair Board and Robin Driver of Center Hill Realty
New members are Bill Little, CEO for Cannon County Hospital, LLC.; Janna Gillard, publisher of the DeKalb County Guide; Tony Luna of the Real Estate Team and Sligo Marina; Lori Manns, owner of Manns Master Mechanics; Valerie House, active community supporter who is involved with the Cookeville Rescue Mission, the Genesis House, and the Leadership DeKalb Alumni Association, and Rhonda Caplinger of Liberty State Bank.
Other member of the Chamber board are Tom Miller of Liberty State Bank; Keith Blair, Attorney-at-Law, George Oliver of the Smithville Rotary Club; Jason Ray, Leadership Alumni from the Class of 2009; Mike Williams of the DeKalb County Fair Board; Angie Meadows of the Smithville Review; Rob Willingham of Middle Tennessee Natural Gas; Michelle Burklow of the DeKalb County Board of Education; and Kathie McGlamery of the Appalachian Center for Crafts.
The 2011 officers are Vice President; Janna Gillard, Secretary Valerie House, Treasurer Jason Ray, and Past President Tim Hintz. A new President will soon be named.

Mr. Wm. Freddy Curtis, US Government and Sociology Teacher at Cannon County High School and Smithville resident has been selected as 1 of 25 Teachers Nationwide (Grades 6-12) to attend the C-SPAN 2011 Summer Educators’ Conference in Washington, DC on July 14th-15th, 2011. He was selected after completing an application process that included an essay regarding utilizing C-SPAN in the classroom and sharing C-SPAN resources with fellow educators.
Conference topics will include: C-SPAN’s mission, history, programming, and event coverage; How to navigate C-SPAN’s online resources (c-span.org, C-SPAN’s newly launched Video Library, Congressional Chronicle, and C-SPAN Classroom); Enrichment opportunities available for students and educators (StudentCam, and Teacher Fellowship Program); and Successful techniques for successfully using C-SPAN resources to enhance learning.
As a guest of C-SPAN, they will provide and arrange for Curtis’s roundtrip travel to Washington, DC, and hotel accomodations on Wednesday and Thursday nights (July 13th & 14th, 2011).
Curtis stated, “I am honored for this selection and look forward to sharing about C-SPAN at In-service and Social Studies meetings during the 2011-2012 School Year! I am very excited, because I have never been to Washington, DC!”
Mr. Curtis is a 25 year veteran of the Cannon County School System serving as a teacher and principal at West Side Elementary School from 1986 to 2008, and currently serving as US Government & Sociology Teacher at Cannon County High School. He is married to Trena Braswell Curtis, 2nd Grade Teacher at Smithville Elementary School, and has four sons – Matt, Trent, Casey, and Evan Curtis. They reside at 288 Dogwood Circle in Smithville, TN.