Tennessee’s second segment of gun season for deer hunters opened Saturday, Dec. 20 in all three of the state’s deer hunting units according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
The dates for the second segment for each unit are as follows:
*Unit A (DeKalb County) – Dec. 20 – Jan. 11.
*Unit B – Dec. 20 – Jan. 7.
*Unit L – Dec. 20 – Jan. 11.
The statewide bag limit for antlered bucks is three, except a hunter may take no more than two antlered bucks from Unit B. No more than one antlered buck may be taken per day.
For antlerless deer hunting in Units A and B, refer to the list of hunts on page 21 of the Hunting and Trapping Guide. There are quota and non-quota hunts listed on that page.
An Annual Sportsman, Lifetime Sportsman, Type 167 Permit, or Type 94 permit is required to harvest antlerless deer on all non-quota hunts in Units A, B, and L.
Antlerless deer are defined as deer with no antlers or deer with antlers less than three inches in length.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to carry proof of satisfactory completion of a hunter education class or be in possession of the Apprentice Hunting License (along with other required licenses) while hunting any species in Tennessee.
For more information about Tennessee’s deer hunting seasons, refer to the Hunting and Trapping Guide available at all license agents or on the TWRA website at www.tnwildlife.org.

The DeKalb County Unit of the American Cancer Society seeks your support in the “Love Lights a Tree fundraising campaign.” This annual event gives area residents the opportunity to honor a special person during the holiday season and aid in cancer research.
The “Love Lights a Tree” project is designed to raise money not only for research, but includes cancer education and patient services. Donations in honor of and in memory of a special person can be made throughout the holiday season. The persons you honor or remember do not necessarily have to have suffered from cancer.
The names of honorees are as follows:
Allison Rogers, Betsy Lynam, Bruce Robertson, Carnell Hyde, Carolyn Sheets, Denise Brown, Earl D. France, Jack Midgett, Jo Doris Johnson, Joe Reeder, Judy Maxwell, Judy Robertson, Linda Judkins, Lisa Anderson, Mandy Vaughn, McKinley Jones, Michael Breeding, Peggy Johnson, Radley Hendrixson, Sarah Ellen Colwell, Shirley Beckham, Trinity Faith Young, Walter Johnson, Wesley Cantrell, William Blair, Willie Turner, Helen England, Brookelynn Maxwell, and Georgia Willoughby.
In memory:
Alfred Love, Alice Marie Dorton, Alma Love Chapman, Angel Mahler, Angela Allen, Austin Vaughn, Bailey Carr, Billie Ann Malone Frazier, Billie Jo Davis, Billy Cooper Pruitt, Jr., Billy J. France, Bobby Carroll Pruitt, Bracket Luna, Brenda Hale, Bruce Smithson, Bud Kirby, Buddy Parker, C.T. Phillips, Jr., C.L. Randolph, Carl L. Cathcart, Carl Ray Bailiff, Carolyn Maynard, Charles Johnson, Chris Stanley, Clifton Cantrell, Clinton Wall, Clyde Redmon, Cordell Love,
Cordie B. Wall, Curtis Adams, Dale Brian Berry, Dannie Edge, Darrell Carr, Dollie Fuson, Donna Phillips, Dr. Jerry Puckett, Edsel Fuston, Alfred England, Elsie Steinbach, Emily Cripps, Esker Harrison, Ethel Carr, Eula Cantrell, Eva Crook, Eva Harrison, Eva Mai Curtis, Ewin Vanatta, Florence Redmon Sanders, Floyce Vaughn, Foster Redmon, Frances Cantrell, Frances Scramick, Frank Potter Young, Fred Steinbach, G.D. Hendrixson, Gail Cripps, George Durham,
Grady Crook, Grady Judkins, Green Wall, Maude Wall, H.C. Duke, Hamp Cantrell, Jr., Harvey Colwell, Sr., Helen Jones Mayo, Herb Checchi, Sr., Hershel Ford, Hobert Curtis, Homer Ellis, Howard Patton, J.B. Redmon, J.D. Hendrixson, Jack G. Rhody, Jack Wall, James Alvie France, James Oakley, Jeremy Caldwell, Jerry Hendrixson, Jerry McGuire, Jessie Paul Johnson, Jewell Cantrell, Jewell Phillips, Jim S. Davis, Jimmy W. Davis, Jodie Cantrell, John Larry Frazier, John Redmon, John Steinbach, John Walls, Johnnie Joines, Johnny Cantrell, Jordan Steinbach, Joshua Caldwell, Judy Hawkins,
Karen Magness, Kathy Foster, Kenneth Parker, Laura Bell Wall, Len Judkins, Leonard Freeman, Sr., Leonard M. (Buddy) Freeman, Jr., Lewis L. Cobb, Jr., Lillie Judkins, Linnie Johnson, Lonnie Wilkins, Louise Winchester, Luther Cantrell, Luther Fuson, Mac A. Ervin, Margaret Freeman, Margaret Judkins, Marie Judkins, Marvin Hutson, Mary Collins, Nadine Luna, Nan Smith, Nancy Walls, Ofallon Pinegar, Paul Walls,
Pearl Fuson, Rebecca Cantrell, Rebecca Gingerich, Regena Carr Olivo, Rex Hayes, Jr., Ricky Winchester, Robert Joines, Robert McMillen, Royce L. Givens, Jr., Ruth Elder, Sara Robertson, Sarah Henderson, Sarah Hutson, Shane Hawkins, Sherman Love, Skip Henderson, T.C. McMillen, Ted Beck, Tracy Cassity, Vanice King Davenport, Velma Midgett, Vera Bell Davenport, Virgil Smith, William Doyle Thomason, William H. Chapman, Willie Redmon, Willie Taylor, Woodrow Frazier, Zak Turner,
Nina Phillips, Vada Reeder, Clarence T. Phillips, Sr., Edna Pauline Phillips, George Robert Reeder, Bertie Reeder, B. Akin, Mai Akin, John D. Akin, Bob Cook, Buddy Cook, Jessie Cook, Pam Cook. Brownie Haley, Frances Haley, Lucille Harris, Billy Shelton, H.R. Rosson, Edward Hobson, Earl Judkins, Mary Randolph, Leonard Gwyn, Jr., Luther Taylor, Margaret Hendrixson, Martha Cathcart, W.A. Carthcart, Clara Elizabeth Linder, and Sandra Willoughby.
Love lights are $5.00 each. Forms will be available at most banks in DeKalb County. The name of every person honored or remembered will be placed on a display board located on the south lawn of the courthouse through the holiday season.
For more information contact Iva Dell Randolph at 597-5296, Violet Fuson at 597-4483 or Melanie Judkins at 597-1132.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is reminding Tennesseans with natural, fresh-cut Christmas trees in their homes to take care to keep them in water, in light of the fire risk posed when they are allowed to dry out.
“The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that there is an estimated annual average of 210 home structure fires that begin with Christmas trees,” says State Fire Marshal and Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Leslie A. Newman. “Properly maintaining a cut Christmas tree’s moisture content of more than 100 percent by keeping it in water significantly reduces the chance that its needles will dry out and pose a fire hazard.”
NFPA studies also have found that, on average, one of every nine Christmas tree fires causes a fatality, compared with an average of one death per 75 non-confined home fires. Fires involving Christmas trees cause 94 percent of those related fatalities when they spread beyond the room where the fire begins, which is 49 percent of the time.
“We’re in the midst of the winter holiday season,” Newman says. “It’s imperative – amid the hustle and bustle of holiday events – that residents remember to practice good fire safety and make sure to never leave trees near heat sources, especially dried-out trees.”
To illustrate the short time in which a dry, cut Christmas tree can catch fire and engulf a room in flames, the Tennessee Fire Marshal’s office is distributing links to two videos produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
* http://fire.nist.gov/videotest/xmasTreeVideos/comparison_wetdry.wmv – side-by-side comparison of the burn rates of a properly maintained tree and a dried-out tree
• http://fire.nist.gov/videotest/xmasTreeVideos/tree_fire.mpg – tree fire spreading throughout a room.
For further information on protecting your home from fire hazards, particularly during the winter months, visit www.tn.gov/commerce/sfm or call 615-741-2981.
The Department of Commerce and Insurance works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee.

Winners have been named in the Town of Dowelltown’s Christmas lights contest
Names of the winners are as follows:
First Overall:
Joe & Vicki Bogle
Second Overall:
Darry & Susan Driver
Third Overall:
Kevin & Beth Kent
First Place Door/Porch:
James & Ruth White
Second Place:
Andy & Shan Burklow
First Place Window:
Terri Dodd
Second Place:
Jan Taylor

2009 will be a light election year in DeKalb County.
There will be no county or state elections, only three municipal elections.
The Smithville Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, June 16th and three aldermen will be elected that day.
The Liberty Municipal Election will be held on Thursday, August 6th and Mayor and two Aldermen will be elected.
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected in the Alexandria Municipal Election on Thursday, September 3rd.

A 52 year old woman died in a one vehicle traffic accident in Cannon County Thursday night.
Dead is Deanna M. Kirby of Warren County.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that Kirby was driving east on the Judge Purser Hill Road in a 1998 Durango SUV when the vehicle went off the right side of the road, crossed a bridge abutment, and struck a tree.
The accident was investigated by Troopers Bruce Pryor, Monty Terry, and THP Sergeant Billy Prater.
Officials say extreme fog at the time of the 7:15 p.m. crash contributed to the accident.
Kirby was wearing her seatbelt.

Student attendance has been good for the first half of the school year and a total of 268 students system wide have had perfect attendance.
Clay Farler, Attendance Supervisor for the DeKalb County School System says the attendance numbers have been impressive. “Part of my role each year is to keep up with the attendance of students in the county and to report that to the state. Perfect attendance means no missed days, no tardies, and no leave earlies for the year. We’ve had 82 full days of school (as of Monday) and there are 94 days of school left in the year (as of Monday).”
The attendance rates at each school and the number of students with perfect attendance at each grade level are as follows:
DeKalb West School:
Attendance rate- 95.8%
32 students with perfect attendance
By grade:
Pre-Kindergarten -1, Kindergarten-2, 1st Grade- 3, 2nd Grade- 2, 3rd Grade-6, 4th Grade-3, 5th Grade-7, 6th Grade-2, 7th Grade-1, and 8th Grade-5
DeKalb Middle School:
Attendance rate-96.4%
57 students with perfect attendance
By grade:
6th Grade-21, 7th Grade-19, and 8th Grade-17
Smithville Elementary:
Attendance Rate-95.3%
38 students with perfect attendance
By grade: Pre-Kindergarten-1, Kindergarten-11, 1st Grade-11, and 2nd Grade-15
DCHS:
Attendance Rate-95.1%
65 students with perfect attendance
By grade:
9th Grade-27, 10th Grade-12, 11th Grade-18, and 12th Grade-8
Northside Elementary:
Attendance Rate-96.7%
76 students with perfect attendance
By grade:
2nd Grade-11, 3rd Grade-20, 4th Grade-18, and 5th Grade-27
Farler says “I want to commend all the students, their parents, and their schools for this accomplishment. Of course, we encourage students to be in school everyday and on time and stay for the full day. For us, to be almost half way through the school year and have this many students who have not missed any school is really good.”