84 year old William Cyde Lewis of Alexandria died Saturday at University Medical Center in Lebanon. He was born in Wilson County and was a carpenter. Lewis was also a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at Hunter Funeral Home in Watertown. Tim Diffenderfer will officiate and burial will be in Hillview Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Lewis was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd Jennings and Mamie Bell Allen Lewis; a brother, Robert Earl Lewis; and an infant sister, Mamie Ruth Lewis. Survivors include his wife, Julia Mae Hancock Lewis of Alexandria. Children, Richard Allen and his wife Betty Lewis of Smithville, Marcia and her husband Greg Denton of Murfreesboro, and Cheryl Diane Lewis of Lebanon. Grandchildren, Amanda and her husband Shane Maples of Sparta, Samantha Lewis of Smithville, Lauren Lewis of Smithville, and Maddie Denton of Murfreesboro. Great grandchildren, Stephen and Daniel. A brother, Hartford and his wife June Lewis of Lebanon. Sisters, Dorothy and her husband Earl West of Murfreesboro, Annette Elrod of Murfreesboro, Linda and her husband Bob Fuston of Smithville, and Betty Lattimore of Liberty. A sister-in-law, Lucille Lewis of Alexandria. Hunter Funeral Home in Watertown is in charge of the arrangements.
Tag Archives: 2008
Early Morning Fire Causes Damage to Sullivan Residence
An early morning fire Sunday caused extensive damage to a portion of the James and Tonya Sullivan residence at 104 Shady Lane.
The Sullivan family, at home asleep when the fire started, were awakened by smoke detectors, and safely made it out of the house.
The fire apparently started in a newer portion of the residence, added in recent years, which included a family room, bathroom, and a garage. Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, who were called to the scene, battled the blaze and kept it from spreading to the rest of the house
Michael and Amanda Lattimore, who reside in an apartment complex in the area on West Main Street, smelled the smoke from where they live and set out on foot to see where it was coming from.
When the Lattimores reached the Sullivan residence, members of the Sullivan family were already coming out of the house. The Lattimores called 911 around 4:00 a.m.
No one was injured.
Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker says it appears the fire started in the attic and the cause may have been electrical, although the investigation as to the cause is not complete.
Aline Frances Fuson
97 year old Aline Frances Fuson of Dowelltown died Saturday at NHC Healthcare Center. She was a retired hairdresser and a member of the Pisgah Methodist Church. The funeral will be Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will be in Whorton Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Monday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home. She was preceded in death by her husband, J.K. Fuson; parents, John Riley and Ella Oakley Carter; three sisters, Flossie and Nealie Caplinger and Dorothy Adams; three brothers, Shealie, Delton, and Cardell Carter. Survivors include five nieces, Mary Adams of McMinnville, Phyllis Hendrix of Hendersonville, Brenda Wiser of Murfreesboro, Linda Olsen of Michigan, and Diane Bowman of Kentucky. Two nephews, Jim Carter of Kentucky and Gene Carter of Florida. Several great nieces and nephews also survive. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
DeKalb County Whips Greenbrier Bobcats 46-27
The DeKalb County Tigers defeated the Greenbrier Bobcats 46-27 Friday night in Smithville, and put to rest the program’s longest-running losing streak to an opponent. The Tigers had lost 14 straight to the Bobcats and had not beaten Greenbrier on the football field since 1979. With the win, DeKalb County’s record is now 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Region 4-3A.
Hunter Poteete accounted for 360 yards of total offense for the Tigers, and tallied six touchdowns, four through the air, but DeKalb County had to overcome an early deficit to keep their season record perfect.
Zack Ziegler gave Greenbrier the lead to open the contest, as he took the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers answered, however, as Poteete threw a 48-yard touchdown to Abram Edwards, and a four-yard scoring pass to Matthew Lawrence, which gave DeKalb County a 13-7 lead. The Bobcats went back on top in the final minute of the first quarter, as Cody Elder’s 10-yard touchdown run made it a 14-13 game after the extra point kick.
Only one score went on the board in the second quarter, and that was put up by the Tigers, who scored on Poteete’s 40-yard strike to Edwards. The two-point conversion pass attempt was no good, but DC had a 19-14 lead, which they took into the locker room at halftime.
The Bobcats struck first in the second half, as Ziegler took off on an 81-yard touchdown dash with 9:58 remaining in the third quarter. The two-point conversion pass attempt failed, but the visitors forged ahead, 20-19. It would be Greenbrier’s final lead of the contest, however, as Travon Johnson recovered a Bobcat fumble on their next drive, and the Tigers converted the turnover into an 11-play, 51-yard drive which ended with a five-yard touchdown run by Poteete. The conversion pass failed, but the Tigers went ahead, 25-20.
John Curtis forced a fumble on the ensuing Greenbrier possession, but the Tigers came away empty-handed on the following drive. Lawrence, then, forced yet another Bobcat turnover on the next drive, as he jarred the ball loose from quarterback, Mason Head. Logan Roller recovered the pigskin for the Tigers, who scored on the very first play from scrimmage after the turnover on a 53-yard run by Poteete. Zach Taylor kicked the extra point to give DeKalb County a 32-20 lead.
The DeKalb defense forced a Greenbrier punt on the next possesion, and the offense put the game away on the following drive. Poteete dumped a screen pass to Ryan Leiser, who broke through the Bobcat defense for a 74-yard touchdown. Taylor kicked the extra point to make it a 39-20 Tiger lead.
Greenbrier would answer on a 54-yard sprint to paydirt by Elder, but Lawrence snagged the on-side kick attempt in the air to give the ball back to the Tigers. Lawrence put the icing on the victory with a two-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the game.
Poteete finished the night 14-of-28 through the air, with 270 passing yards and four touchdowns, In addition, he rushed for 90 yards on 20 carries and scored two more touchdowns. Lawrence carried the ball 14 times for 69 yards and had both a rushing and receiving touchdown. Edwards also had two receiving touchdowns for the Tigers.
DeKalb County will have a bye next week, and will host Station Camp for Homecoming on Friday, September 19th. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m., and WJLE will have live coverage.
Other Region 4-3A scores from Friday night: Macon County upset Pearl-Cohn in Nashville, 6-0, for their first win of the season. Both Macon County and Pearl-Cohn are 1-2 on the season. Station Camp knocked off Sycamore, 28-13. The Bison and the War Eagles are both 2-1 on the season. Station Camp opens up 1-0 in Region play. Meanwhile, White House was dealt a 41-6 setback by Alcoa for their first loss of the season. The Blue Devils were ranked #5 in Class AAA in this week’s AP poll.
Among other DeKalb County opponents, Warren County lost to Franklin County, 30-12. The Pioneers fall to 1-2 overall, this season. Watertown was whipped by Trousdale County, 45-7. Trousdale is ranked #1 in the State in Class A. The Purple Tigers fall to 1-2 with the loss. Cannon County was handed a Region loss by York Institute, 27-7. The Lions drop to 0-2, after losing their season opener to Sequatchie County, 16-13, last week. Upperman, meanwhile, fell to Westmoreland, 25-0. The Bees are now 1-2 on the season.
Earl M. Poss
68 year old Earl M. Poss of Gassaway died Friday at the Alvin C. York Medical Center of a short illness. He was a Cannon County native, a Methodist, a U.S. Army veteran, and a retired logger. The funeral will be Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home. Burial will be in Sycamore Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday at 10:00 a.m. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Ruby Kirby Poss. Survivors include two brothers, Carl and his wife Emma Jean Poss of McMinnville and Don and his wife Linda Poss of Smithville. A sister, Elena Wimbush of Macon, Georgia. Several nieces and nephews survive. Woodbury Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Over $23,000 Raised During Thursday Night Benefit for Michael Hale
More than $23,000 was raised during a benefit for Michael Hale called “A Time to Shine” at DeKalb County High School Thursday evening.
Hundreds enjoyed a barbeque meal in the cafeteria and a concert of gospel and bluegrass music in the gymnasium by “Holy Crossing’, “Right on Time”, and Dailey & Vincent”. After the music, a benefit auction was held.
Spokesperson Casey Agee says a total of $23,200 was raised just on that one night alone from ticket sales to the supper, sales of tee shirts, the auction, and from donations.
All the money raised during the benefit goes to Michael Hale who is struggling to recover from the Guillian-Barre Syndrome, a disease he has suffered from since May.
Hale, who is on oxygen, attended the benefit and tearfully greeted well wishers throughout the evening.
Hale told WJLE that he is slowly getting better. “On Monday night, May 19th, I was fine at nine o’clock but at ten o’clock that night, it came on me. I went in the hospital on May 20th. It’s been a tough three and a half months but the good Lord has been with us all the way. I’m slowly getting better. I’m still going through physical therapy. I’m having some issues with my heart, my lungs, and other things. I’m on oxygen but I’m getting better everyday and I know it’s because of the prayers and the good Lord. We’re going to make it on through.”
“As far as recovery, the doctors are saying it’ll take probably 18 to 24 months, but I’m hoping to be back out soon. They say that the nerves heal back at the rate of an inch per month so that tells you how slow the healing process of Guillain-Barre is. I’ve been able to go to church. I’ve had the opportunity to preach four times at church. As far as the funeral home (DeKalb Funeral Chapel), I’ve been able to be at three funerals, but it just really drains me. I’m slowly getting to come back and to see the people.”
Hale says he and his family are touched by the tremendous show of love and support from the community. “No words could ever say how Tara and I feel for everything that’s been done for us, for the money that’s been given, the presence of the people here today, the cards, food, their continued support of the funeral home, and our ministry. The people of DeKalb County have been wonderful to us and there’s no way we could ever repay or express how much it means to us.”
Michael’s wife Tara also expressed her gratitude to the community.” I just want to thank the people for their support and their love. We couldn’t have done it without them but most of all we couldn’t have done it without the good Lord.”
Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the Peripheral Nervous System. Characterized by muscle weakness, paralysis of the limbs, and breathing muscles, onset of the disorder is sudden and unexpected. It can develop over hours or days, or may take up to a month. Though possibly life threatening due to symptoms , most patients will recover from even the most severe cases.
Enrollment up by 70 Students in DeKalb School System
Student Enrollment in the DeKalb County School System, as of the 20th day of school, is up by 70 students compared to this same time period last year.
Clay Farler, Attendance Supervisor, told WJLE Thursday that system-wide, DeKalb County has an enrollment to date of 3,006 (pre-k to 12th grade) compared to 2,936 after the 20th day of school last year.
Enrollment is up by 13 students at DeKalb County High School, up by 9 students in the Adult High School, up by 16 students at DeKalb Middle School, up by 72 students at Northside Elementary School, down by 36 students at Smithville Elementary School, and down by four students at DeKalb West School.
Farler explained the reason the enrollment is significantly higher at Northside and lower at Smithville Elementary is because four- second grade classes were moved to Northside to help relieve overcrowding at SES.
The enrollment numbers to date for 2008 and 2007 at each school are as follows:
DeKalb County High School-
Year 2008- 824
Year 2007- 811
Adult High School
Year 2008- 21
Year 2007- 12
DeKalb Middle School-
Year 2008- 545
Year 2007-529
Northside Elementary-
Year 2008-598
Year 2007-526
Smithville Elementary School-
Year 2008-616
Year 2007-652
DeKalb West School-
Year 2008-402
Year 2007-406
Louise Oakley Hawker
87 year old Louise Oakley Hawker of Hannah Branch Road, Liberty died Wednesday at DeKalb Community Hospital. She was born in the Hannah Branch community, the daughter of the late Annie Elizabeth Caplinger and Clarence L. Oakley. A brother and sister, J.C. Oakley and Frances Nixon; her husband, Charles Bratten Hawker; and a grandson, Bradley Scott Hawker, preceded her in death. She worked at the Alexandria Garment Plant for 30 years. She was also a homemaker and a member of the Pisgah United Methodist Church. The funeral will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Pisgah United Methodist Church. Matthew Long and Perry Clayton will officiate and burial will be in the Church Cemetery. The Hawker Family will receive friends at Avant Funeral Home on Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the family departs for the church at 1:15 p.m. Mrs. Hawker is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Danny and Helen Hawker of Lebanon and Larry and Elaine Hawker of Lebanon. A daughter and son-in-law, Loretta and Don Malone of Liberty. Eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren survive. Avant Funeral Home in Alexandria is in charge of the arrangements.
Clara Gambrell Trapp
89 year old Clara Gambrell Trapp of Chattanooga, formerly of McMinnville, died at her residence on Tuesday of an extended illness. She was born in DeKalb County, a homemaker, and she attended the One Accord Community Church in Red Bank. The funeral will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at McMinnville Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in the Gardens of Memory. The Trapp Family will receive friends on Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at McMinnville Funeral Home. She was preceded in death by her parents, Riley and Allie Maxwell Grambrell; her husband, Otis Lee Trapp; sisters, Mable Gambrell Pedigo; and Velma Leona Gambrell Hutchings Parrish; and brothers, Verble Gambrell, Ruby Solon Gambrell, Lloyd Ray Gambrell, Lee Roy Gambrell, William David Gambrell, Fred Winston Grambrell, and James Clifford Gambrell. Survivors include a daughter, Peggy Trapp Dyer and her husband Everett; grandsons, Jeffery Lee Dyer and Bryan Vincent Dyer all of Chattanooga; a brother Floyd and wife Jo Gambrell of McMinnville; a sister, Myrtle Pedigo of Smithville; and a sister-in-law, Janell Gambrell of Hendersonville. Nieces, nephews, family members, and friends also survive. McMinnville Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Chattanooga, 4411 Oakwood Drive, 37416.
Nashville Man Injured at Burgess Falls State Park
A Nashville man fell some 25 feet while climbing a ledge at Burgess Falls State Park Tuesday.
19 year old Caleb Tuck was seriously injured in the fall.
According to a report in the Herald-Citizen of Cookeville, Tuck suffered a broken jaw, a possible broken leg, and other injuries after landing on some rocks.
Members of the Putnam and White County Rescue Squads hiked down to Tuck and then carried him out in a basket.
He was treated at the scene by the Putnam County EMS and later airlifted by helicopter ambulance to a Nashville hospital.