Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson will be challenged for re-election again this year.
Hendrixson, who is seeking his third term, will face opposition from former Smithville Mayor Bruce Medley and DeKalb County High School teacher Debbie DePriest in the city election on Tuesday, June 15th.
Hendrixson was first elected mayor in 2006 and he was re-elected in 2008. Medley, a local livestock producer, served one term as mayor from 1988 to 1990. He did not seek re-election in 1990.
DePriest will be making her first attempt at elected public office.
Meanwhile, Incumbent Aldermen Stephen White and Cecil Burger are seeking re-election. Also in the race for alderman is Shawn Beckham.
White was first elected in 2000 and will be looking for his sixth term as alderman. Burger is seeking his third term as alderman. He was first elected to that office in 2006. Prior to that, Burger served as Mayor from 1990 to 2006.
This is Beckham’s first attempt at elected public office.
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected on June 15th. Each term is for two years. The terms of office for those elected will begin on July 1st.
Noon today (Thursday, March 18th) is the qualifying deadline.
Early voting for the Smithville Municipal Election will be May 26th through June 10th. Meanwhile, May 17th is the voter registration deadline for the Smithville City Election.
Voters who don’t live in Smithville but own property in the city may vote in the municipal election under certain conditions.
The Smithville Charter allows Property Rights Voting. The property must be a minimum of
7500 square feet and the person owning the property must reside in DeKalb County. Proof of ownership and residence must be shown by the following means: (1) A certified copy of the deed and the execution of an affidavit that the person still owns this property and (2) A copy of the most recent DeKalb County real property tax notice, and (3) Proof of residence in DeKalb County. Property rights registrants are entitled to vote but not to hold any municipal office or serve on any municipal board or commission. Proof of ownership and registration form must be provided to the Election Commission office by the May 17th registration deadline.
Meanwhile, Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley reminds voters who have moved since registering to vote that the election commission office needs your current address on file.
“While checking the names of registered voters on some of the petitions returned recently, we noticed some voters have moved but have not informed the election commission office of their change of addres,” Stanley said. “Updating the record is a simple process. All the voter needs to do is fill out a change of address form, which is available at the election commission office. To see if you need to update your record, simply check the address on your voter registration card. If it is different than your current address, you need to update the information with the election commission.”
“Updating the address will make your voting experience go much easier and quicker.” Stanley said,” and will not slow down the line at the polling place during early voting or election day.”

The DeKalb County High School Guidance Department is urging parents to encourage their high school seniors to submit scholarship applications by the deadlines.
Lori Barnes-Myrick, DCHS School Counselor says almost all local scholarship applications are due at the DCHS Guidance Office by March 23rd.
The following scholarships are available:
Hunter Davis Memorial Scholarship for an FFA member enter into an agriculture related field (Due April 6th to Hunter’s mother, Annette Davis)
Kyle & Kenny Robinson Memorial Scholarship for student athletes
DeKalb Community Hospital- for students going into the healthcare field
DeKalb Retired Teachers Award for students who will major in education.
Smithville Business and Professional Women’s Club Award for female students only.
The Elzie and Nell McBride Memorial Scholarship for future MTSU students only
The DeKalb Farmers Coop Award for students going into an agriculture or related field.
The Lucille Stewart Memorial Scholarship Award for basketball players or basketball cheerleaders going into teaching.
DeKalb Republican Women’s Club Scholarship. Male or female students may apply
AmVets Scholarship and AmVets Auxiliary Scholarship for a male and female student who are children or grandchildren of a veteran.
The DeKalb County Soil Conservation District Scholarship is for students majoring in agriculture.
The DeKalb Firefighters Association Scholarship is for students who have a parent or grandparent who is a current member of the DeKalb Firefighter’s Association.
And the Liberty State Bank, DeKalb County Scottish Rite, Love-Cantrell Funeral Home, Alan Hooper Memorial Scholarship, Eddie Crips Memorial Scholarship, DeKalb Funeral Chapel, Smithville Rotary Club, First Bank, Class of 1966, Class of 1969, the Jeff Garrett Memorial Scholarship, the PTO, Jolly Angels Scholarship, Smithville Women’s Club, and the Agee Oil Company Scholarship.
Local Scholarship Applications are now available in the Guidance Office or
on the DCHS website: http://www.teacherweb.com/tn/dekalbcountyhighschool/guidance/

Visible signs of spring are beginning to emerge as warm temperatures and sunny skies push back the doldrums from what has been one of the coldest winters on record. As Tennesseans begin to take advantage of this weather to do some yard work around the home or farm, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry wants to remind folks that if they are considering conducting an open burn, a burn permit is required in advance of such activity.
“Burning vegetative material that has accumulated around the yard or using fire to clear an old field can be an efficient tool to get rid of such debris,” said State Forester Steven Scott. “However, it is very important that citizens practice safe outdoor burning recommendations. Obtaining a burn permit in advance of debris burning is our way of making the public aware of those recommendations and helping them know when, where and how it is safe to burn.”
The free burn permits are required in all areas of the state by law from now until May 15 unless otherwise covered by local ordinances, so residents should check with their local government for other restrictions. The permits can be obtained by calling your local Division of Forestry office between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Phone numbers for each office can be found in the state government section of your local phone book, or by visiting www.BurnSafeTN.org and clicking on the ‘Burn Permits’ button for a list of phone numbers by county. Permits are generally good for 24 hours and can be issued for weekend burns.
More than 415,000 permits were issued last year for activities that included unconfined, outdoor burning of brush and leaves, untreated wood waste and burning to clear land. The volume of requests on any given day can be high, so the Division asks residents to exercise patience if they experience any delay in getting through to an operator.
Once a burn permit is obtained, debris burners should practice common sense while conducting a burn. This includes:
Establish a control line around the fire, down to bare soil before conducting the burn.
Notify neighbors and local fire departments in advance as a courtesy.
Have tools on hand such as a leaf rake and garden hose or bucket of water to help control the fire.
Watch for changing weather conditions as winds can blow the fire in the wrong direction.
Always stay with your fire until it is completely out. It is not only the smart thing to do, but it is also illegal to leave an open fire unattended.
Escaped debris burns are the leading cause of wildfires in Tennessee. The Division’s burn permit system has dramatically helped reduce the numbers of escaped burns since the program began in 1995. Burning without a permit is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine not to exceed $50. Wildfires caused by arson are a class C felony punishable by three to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 fines. Anyone with information about suspected arson activity should call the state Fire Marshal’s Arson Hotline toll-free at 1-800-762-3017.
Burning permits can be obtained from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling the DeKalb County office of the Division of Forestry at 597-4015. Permits for the weekend can be obtained on Friday. For residents in the City of Smithville, you must call Central Dispatch at 215-3000 to obtain a burning permit.
For more information on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry, visit www.TN.gov/agriculture/forestry. For more information on safe debris burning, visit www.BurnSafeTN.org

Several children in the Smithville Day School at the Smithville Church of Christ visited WJLE on a field trip Tuesday morning.
The children were interviewed on the radio and sang “Jesus Loves Me”
The Smithville Day School is a pre-school program that meets every Tuesday and Thursday. There are five classes and children from eighteen months to pre-kindergarten are served. During this time, the primary objective is to provide an exciting and rewarding environment for your child. Some of the goals are to increase your child’s language development, improve physical development, increase intellectual development, master hand/eye coordination activities, enhance fine and gross motor skills, increase awareness in interpersonal relationships, stimulate by exposure in the areas of arts and crafts, teach moral and cultural values concerning honesty, obedience, friendship, and trust.
A Bible lesson is taught every day. During this time, your child is taught the difference between right and wrong, the feelings experienced when they have done something wrong, and the values of trust, honesty, obedience, and respect for their parents. Children are taught about the many Bible characters in the Old and New Testaments and how these stories are applied to each child’s life. Above all, the children are taught they we should love God.
For more information, call 615-597-6308 or Frances Hedge at 597-4975.

It may be August before any significant work begins on the renovation of the Smithville Water Treatment Plant.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson updated the aldermen on the project during Monday night’s city council meeting. “We had a pre-construction conference with W & O Construction last Tuesday. Of course they were awarded the bid on the water plant and they have been given notice to proceed. They will be doing some things down there in the electrical work, probably maybe pouring a concrete pad for a generator, but the majority of the work is probably not going to start until August. They have ordered all the pumps and there’s about a ten or twelve week lead time on all this equipment. They will be doing some things down there but the major part won’t start until about August. It was stressed to them highly that the water producing had to go on so there won’t be any foreseen interruptions in water producing. The engineer is confident they will do a good job. The engineering firm works with them good and they were the low bidder. So like I said they will be doing some things down there but the majority of the work probably won’t start until around August.”
The Smithville Board of Aldermen, on February 1st, approved a resolution awarding the construction bid to W&O Construction Company of Livingston in the amount of $2,542,000. The actual costs will be more when taking into consideration fees for engineering and other related services. The city will receive a $500,000 community development block grant administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help fund the project. But the bulk of the funding, $2,342,000 will have to be appropriated from the city’s water and sewer fund.
Mayor Hendrixson said last month that the city would not have to borrow the money. There are sufficient funds in the city’s water and sewer fund reserves to support the project.
The project entails modernizing the water treatment plant and making improvements to the raw water intake. Mayor Hendrixson says W &O Construction has 365 days to complete the project and service to customers will not be interrupted while the renovation is underway.
In other business, the aldermen voted to accept bids for the airport hay contract. The current two year contract expires in April.
Mayor Hendrixson said the city has been asked to make a donation to Project Graduation. The aldermen voted to contribute $500. This is the same amount that the city has donated in the past.
Alderman Shawn Jacobs mentioned that some citizens have raised safety concerns about an intersection near the public square. “It has been brought to my attention by some citizens that the intersection of Webb Street and South Third Street by the dentist office and across from the Foutch residence. I understand that there have been quite a number of accidents at that location. It was suggested by the people who brought it up to me that a four way stop be put there. Personally, I hate four way stops. I think they probably cause more accidents than they solve but I thought we might want to discuss it and ask Lieutenant Leffew or his department to maybe take a look at the statistics of the number of wrecks we’ve had there and get a recommendation as far as public safety goes. I’m not sure what to do but I’ve heard discussions about that being a dangerous location because of the hill there, you can’t see and some cars pull out too far trying to see if anybody is coming up the hill.’
Lieutenant Leffew said he would gather some information and report back to the board.

Candidates interested in running for mayor or alderman in the Smithville Municipal Election have until noon on Thursday, March 18th to qualify with the DeKalb County Election Commission Office in the courthouse.
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected on Tuesday, June 15th. The positions are currently held by Mayor Taft Hendrixson and Aldermen Stephen White and Cecil Burger. Each term is two years.
Mayor Hendrixson has qualified to seek re-election. He will be challenged by former Smithville Mayor Bruce Medley, who has qualified to run for mayor. Debbie DePriest has qualified to run for Mayor.
Meanwhile Aldermen White and Burger will be seeking re-election. Shawn Beckham has also qualified to run for alderman.