Aubrey Givens of Lebanon, candidate for the State Senate in the 17th district, formally filed a certified duplicate copy of his qualifying petition with the DeKalb County Election Commission Monday.
Givens, who is seeking his party’s nomination for the office in the August 5th Tennessee Democratic primary, says he is looking forward to the campaign. “Today was the day when we turned in our paper work. Everybody now has a name you can go out and vote for on the ballot and have confidence that you’ll have good representation.”
“I am originally from Lebanon, although interestingly enough, we were able to trace our roots back to DeKalb County to 1812 on my mom’s side of the family. I went to public schools and graduated from Lebanon High School and then went to MTSU. Back then we didn’t have the HOPE scholarship, you just kinda hoped you had a scholarship. Thank God I was able to be blessed and got a scholarship and a college degree. I went to the Nashville School of Law. Since that time, I have focused my practice on helping working families, helping people who need assistance and making sure they are entitled to justice and a fair shake in life. I’m proud of what I do and now I’m ready to take it to the next level to help not only the people I’ve served in the past but to be able to spread it now among all the people of this district and to give our working families a fair shake.”
“The number one issue in the state of Tennessee for this district and all the others is jobs. We’ve got to get some programs in place to get Tennesseans back to work so they can provide for their families, raise their families here in this state, and have a good standard of living, give them a good education, and make sure they have good health care. That’s what we intend to carry all the way to Nashville to represent our people of this district.”
“I want to be the first candidate, and I feel I’m the only candidate that will make this commitment. The bridges, not only in DeKalb County, but in Smith County are in disrepair. The problem with that is it’s a danger to our children crossing them in school buses, but it’s also keeping our job opportunities down. My number one commitment for DeKalb and Smith County is to get the bridges fixed so they’ll be safe, so we can encourage industry to come into our communities and put people in these counties back to work.”
“In order to be a good candidate you have to bring first and foremost good common sense and then you have to look at the issues. You have to be able to talk to the people in the communities to find out exactly what it is that concerns them. So if you have some common sense and you’re willing to listen, then if you take that to Nashville and you don’t compromise your principles or your ethics, go down there and do the right thing, you’re going to be successful.”
“I’m a little disappointed in the way things have been going over the last few years and that’s the reason for a lot of my motivation and the reason I’m taking this step. I believe we can do things better. I believe what we need to do in the state legislature is to get focused on the issues that are really important, jobs, education, and health care for our seniors. Those are the type things we need to be focused on. We need to get these programs in place. We don’t need to be focused on things that are really not important to Tennesseans. But we’ve got to stay focused on these major issues.”
“I am totally opposed to a state income tax and I won’t support that at all. I believe that our tax system can work, but we have to spend our money wisely. First, we need to get Tennesseans back to work so they can go out and buy the goods and products that generate the sales taxes and then take those sales taxes and put them in the places where they need to be. At the same time, it’s important to eliminate the waste and the fraud in our budget, the pork projects, so we can concentrate on our roads, bridges, and schools, and to keep our priorities straight.”
The 17th State Senatorial District is made up of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, Wilson, and part of Sumner County.
(Pictured second from top: left to right- Jordan Wilkins, President of the Junior High Democrats in DeKalb County, Aubrey Givens, and Alesha Stephens and Delaney Johnson, members of the Junior High Democrats)

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has charged a 55 year old man with domestic assault.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says David D. Miller of Kings Court, Smithville is under a $1,000 bond and he will be in court on March 25th.
Sheriff Ray says a deputy was dispatched to a domestic call at King’s Court off Adcock Cemetery Road on Saturday. After arrival, the officer found a male victim with three red marks on his left side. Through an investigation, officers determined that Miller had struck the victim with a baseball bat several times leaving the red marks on the victim’s side. He will appear in court on March 25th.
38 year old Wayne A. Stock of City Walk Apartments, Highway 70 East was charged Thursday, March 11th with driving on a revoked license and criminal impersonation. His bond was set at $3,000 and he will appear in court on April 22nd
Sheriff Ray says a deputy stopped Stock on Thursday. When asked to see his drivers license, Stock told the officer that he did not have his license with him. He also said his name was Wayne Reynolds. Through an investigation into the man’s identity, authorities were able to determine Stock’s real name. A background check revealed that Stock’s drivers license was revoked.
Meanwhile, during the traffic stop, 30 year old Aubrey Glenn Rigsby of Bethel Road, Smithville pulled up at the scene where he was arrested for a second offense of driving on a suspended license and a violation of probation warrant. Rigsby’s bond was set at $2,000 and he will appear in court on the driving charge April 21st.
30 year old Bradley Shane Sanders of Dry Creek Road Smithville was charged Friday, March 12th
with driving on a suspended license after a traffic stop on Short Mountain Highway. He was also arrested for a failure to pay child support warrant that was issued against him.
Meanwhile, a passenger in Sanders’ vehicle was asked to give her name and she replied that she was Krista Caldwell. The officer knew her by the name of Krista Mahaney of Sparta Highway, Smithville. Mahaney was arrested for criminal impersonation. She also had a failure to appear warrant against her for not appearing in court on another charge.
Bond for Sanders was set at $1,000 on the driving charge and he will appear in court on April 21st. Mahaney’s bond was set at $1,000 on the criminal impersonation charge and she will appear in court on the charge April 22nd
35 year old Christopher Allan Scruggs of Big Hurricane Road Smithville was charged Saturday, March 13th with a second offense of driving on a suspended license. His bond was set at $2,000 and he will appear in court on March 24th. Sheriff Ray says a deputy was dispatched to a two vehicle accident on Highway 70 west on Saturday and found Scruggs to be the driver of one of the automobiles. The officer ran a background check on Scruggs’ license and discovered them to be suspended.

Being physically active is one of the best things you can do to improve and maintain your health, yet nearly two-thirds of Americans aren’t getting the activity they need. Consider taking up walking with friends or your family by participating in Walk across Tennessee, which is an eight-week program that will spark some friendly competitions in DeKalb County. Beginning Saturday, March 27, teams of eight will compete to see who can log the most miles walking, jogging, biking, and other forms of exercise in their community. Biking or jogging teams can have a team of four. The miles walked are not literally across the state, but reported on a map posted at Greenbrook Park under shelter #1, on the Walk across Tennessee website, and other community areas.
Since everyone participates in a variety of sports, the Walk across Tennessee program also has an exercise conversion chart so that participants can count aerobics, swimming, weight lifting, etc. For example, 16 minutes of high intensity aerobics would equal one mile. According to Extension Agent April Martin, “The exercise must be intentional. For fairness, exercise cannot be counted while at work.”
There is a $3 fee per person to participate in Walk Across Tennessee. The money will be put into a “kitty” fund and the winning team will get to share the prize money.
The Walk Across Tennessee kickoff for DeKalb County is set for Saturday, March 27 at Greenbrook Park at 9:00. “Teams will keep track of their miles, which will be posted at the park under shelter #1, at other places around the community, and on the website which is http://eteamz.active.com/WalkAcrossTennesseeDeKalbCounty. Teams can be composed of coworkers, teachers, students, neighbors, etc.” Teams composed of primarily runners and/or bicyclists are limited to four team members. The eight week competition will end on Saturday, May 22.
Many people are unaware of the positive benefits of exercise. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 problem in the United States. The risk of heart disease could be significantly reduced by regular exercise. According to the Center for Disease Control, the positive effects of physical activity are not limited to lowering the risk of heart disease. Not only does regular exercise help relieve stress and anxiety,” physically active people outlive inactive people. Participating in Walk Across Tennessee DeKalb County is not only a great way to get involved with our community, it’s a healthy habit,” Martin stated.
To participate in Walk Across Tennessee, first get a team together. Biking and jogging teams are limited to four people. Choose a team captain and name your team. Team captains need to download a captain’s packet, available at the DeKalb County Walk Across Tennessee website which is http://eteamz.active.com/WalkAcrossTennesseeDeKalbCounty/ in the handout section or stop by the DeKalb County U.T. Extension Office, 115 West Market St. Smithville, located right off the courthouse square. Each team member will need to complete a registration form which is included in the team captain’s packet or at the Walk Across Tennessee website. Individual as well as team forms should be returned to the Extension office.
“Competition kicks off on March 27, 9:00 A.M. at Greenbrook Park under pavilion one, but if people are unable to make it, they can still participate” Martin said. For more information, call the Extension office at 597-4945 or visit the website.
All of the programs of the University of Tennessee are open to all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or disability.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) has recently received information from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding 515 people who reside in DeKalb County who may qualify for additional help with their Medicare costs. This is the number of residents who may not currently be paying low co-pays at the pharmacy as well as get assistance paying their Part B premiums. The Extra Help Program (also called Low-Income Subsidy) is a program that is processed by Social Security Administration which helps certain low-income beneficiaries by paying zero dollar monthly premiums, no deductibles and very low cost share at the pharmacy. This program also eliminates the coverage gap, or as most calls it, the “donut hole.” The extra help program is valued up to $3,900.00 per year per beneficiary as well as the possibility of getting back the Part B premium which is $96.40 (for most individuals) and deducted out of SSA checks automatically.
The SHIP program can assist any beneficiary with Medicare by helping with the application process electronically. Many people in DeKalb County already qualify for the “extra help” due to the fact that they already receive TennCare or SSI benefits and therefore do not need to apply each year. For others who meet certain income and asset guidelines, the application process is easy and submitted to Social Security electronically through www.ssa.gov. The great thing about applying online is that once the application is reviewed by SSA, it is then sent to the state Medicaid office with the individual’s permission to see if they qualify to get assistance paying the Part B Premium which is called a “Medicare Savings Program.”
Many people who debate applying should do so anyway. Most people automatically assume they do not qualify because they have always been denied for other programs for making a little too much and have become tired of being told no for the smallest benefits. There are no estate recovery or recapture penalties to this benefit. An individual must have a monthly income of $1,354 or less (1,821 for a married couple) to qualify for the extra help. Having additional family members may make this amount higher. Resource (asset) limits are below $12,510 for single and $25,010 for a couple. Please note that a person’s home, car and personal possessions are not looked at. Resources, or assets, can include other properties, savings or checking accounts, certificates of deposits and cash value of any IRA’s or annuities. Due to new MIPPA laws, (Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008), the application can no longer ask for cash value of life insurance policies nor ask for value of any help provided by others to help pay monthly expenses.
If you think you may qualify for the extra help paying Part B or Part D costs, or, you know someone who may, please call SHIP for free assistance in applying at toll free 1-877-801-0044. SHIP is a non-profit program which is administered locally at Upper Cumberland Development District in Cookeville. SHIP provides free, non-biased information on all Medicare topics to beneficiaries and their caregivers throughout the Upper Cumberland fourteen counties. We are currently seeking volunteers to help us with the challenge of helping find the 310 individuals in DeKalb County. Please call (931) 432-4111 ext. 247 if you are interested in volunteering with the SHIP Program.

As clocks move ahead this weekend for daylight saving time, Tennessee State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Leslie A. Newman would like to remind Tennesseans to change their homes’ smoke alarm batteries, as well.
“ ‘Change your clock, change your battery’ is an easy phrase to remember and practice, when you update your clocks this weekend,” says Newman. “Smoke alarms, even those that are hard-wired, should have their batteries replaced regularly and be tested monthly to ensure you have the protection you need,” Newman says. “Use this time to protect your home and family.”
A working smoke alarm will double your survival chances during a home fire by giving you the critical time needed to escape. Most home fires occur at night when people are sleeping. The smoke and toxic gases from a fire can cause you to sleep more deeply, diminishing the chances of survival.
More than 90 percent of all American homes have smoke alarms, but as many as one-third of them don’t work – because of old or missing batteries. It is critical to replace batteries regularly – even if they appear to be working fine. Twice a year is recommended. This helps prevent the warning, low-battery “chirp” emitted by alarms. All too often, alarm batteries are removed but not replaced, putting home occupants at risk. There is no way to predict when a fire will occur, and just one night in a home without a working smoke alarm can prove dangerous. Replacing batteries for daylight saving time is just one fire safety step. Here are a few more:
•Smoke alarms should be put inside and outside every room where residents sleep, and on each home level. All residents should know how the alarm sounds and what it means.
•Smoke alarms need to be cleaned and maintained according to their instructions.
•Have a fire escape plan with two ways out of every room; teach it to everyone in the home, especially children.
•When the smoke alarm sounds, get out of the home immediately and go to a pre-planned meeting place.
Many local fire departments have supplies of donated smoke alarms, and departments will help install them in the homes of the elderly and disabled. Visit www.tn.gov/commerce/sfm/. The Department of Commerce and Insurance works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee.

Senator Mae Beavers, surrounded by her Senate colleagues, announced today that she is running for another term for the State Senate seat representing Wilson, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith, Sumner, and Trousdale counties. The decision came after much deliberation and prayerful consideration. There had been discussion that Senator Beavers could possibly be running for the Wilson County Mayor position; however, at the insistence of many colleagues and a multitude of constituents, Beavers has declared her desire to continue her work in serving the people of the 17th District.
“This decision is based upon my desire to serve the state,” Beavers stated. “I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish in the state legislature in the past eight years, and I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish in the next four years, especially if we have a Republican Governor and Republican majorities in both the House and Senate. My work here is not done.”
Senator Beavers has a Bachelor of Science degree from Trevecca Nazarene University. She has worked as a court reporter and paralegal before being elected to the county commission, and more recently worked as a financial advisor. In the Tennessee Legislature she was a leader in the fight to stop the passage of a state income tax. Since being elected to State Senate, she has taken a leadership role, serving the past two sessions as the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Beavers began her public service as a Wilson County Commissioner from 1990-1994 and represented West Wilson County in the Tennessee State House of Representatives from 1994-2002. She was elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.

DeKalb County’s unemployment rate for January increased to 11.7%, up from 11% in December. The rate for January, 2009 was 11.3%.
The Labor Force for January was 9,620. A total of 8,490 were employed and 1,130 were without work.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for January was 10.7 percent, unchanged from the revised December rate of 10.7 percent. The national unemployment rate for January 2010 was 9.7 percent.
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for January 2010 show that the rate increased in all 95 counties.
Lincoln County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 8.3 percent, up from 7.3 in December. Marshall County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 20.3 percent, up from 18.7 in December, followed by Henderson County at 19.9 percent, up from 18.5 percent in December.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 8.6 percent, up from 8.1 in December. Davidson County was 9.6 percent, up from 9.2 in December. Hamilton County was at 10.0 percent, up from 9.2 in December, and Shelby County was 11.4 percent, up from 10.6 in December.

A fire Thursday morning destroyed the trailer home of Shawn Pyles at 563 Adcock Cemetery Road. Pyles was renting the trailer from the owner Billy Tisdale.
Central dispatch received the call at 4:25 a.m.
Pyles and his girlfriend Melissa Genzak awoke to smoke and escaped from their burning home unharmed but three of the family pets perished.
County Fire Chief Donny Green says the fire apparently started in the kitchen area but the exact cause is undetermined, although it appears to have been accidental.
Members of the Midway, Cookeville Highway, Short Mountain Highway, Main Station, and Tanker truck of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with DeKalb EMS and the Sheriff’s Department.

Mike McWherter, Democratic candidate for Governor, made a campaign stop in Smithville Wednesday.
During a town hall style meeting at the courthouse, McWherter, son of former Governor Ned Ray McWherter, laid out his vision for the state and why he wants to be the next Governor of Tennessee. During the question and answer session, McWherter was asked about his stand on education, roads and bridges, and elected versus appointed school superintendents among other issues.
Following the meeting, local reporters asked McWherter about specific issues. The following are the questions and his responses.
How is the campaign progressing?
“We’ve been visiting all 95 counties across the state and I’ve found we have a lot of family friends in all these counties and it’s up to our campaign to build a winning organization around that.”
Why do you want to be Governor?
“As you look across Tennessee we have seen literally thousands of jobs disappear. Our state unemployment is running right at eleven percent. That’s the highest it’s been in my working lifetime. I believe Tennessee needs a Governor who will put the retention and creation of jobs front and center on the agenda and that’s why I’m running for Governor.”
Won’t that be a difficult task given the state of the economy?
“Everybody who pays taxes in Tennessee right now has an investment in three big signature industries, Hemlock, Wacker, and Volkswagen that have located in this state and are under construction right now. I think for all of us to get the return on our investment we have in those industries, the next Governor has got to go after the supplying industries for those companies, if it’s seatbelts, head lights, or solar parts, we’ve got to go after those companies and get them to locate here in Tennessee. But to do that we’ve got to have our infrastructure in place. As a businessman, I well understand what it’s going to take to be able to attract those industries and get the return on our investment.”
Are Jobs and Roads going to be your top priority?
“In my administration, it’ll be about job creation, but I don’t ever want to imply that I don’t take educational issues very seriously in this state. As a matter of fact, I think the two go hand in hand. One of the main things Industry is looking for is training and development for their work force at all times. You just can’t go out and get a job today, a good paying technical job, and not expect to have updated training, so that’s got to be a key component in developing jobs in this state as well as infrastructure.”
Does the state’s tax base need to change to create more revenue?
“If I can get Tennessee back to work and I’ll be doing that with the help of the legislature and my cabinet, we will create consumers and consumers will create revenue. It was just three years ago that this state was running at a surplus, of course we had low unemployment in those days, but there was such a surplus that legislators voted for block grants for their districts giving money to various needy organizations. If we can get people back to work we’ll have that kind of surplus again. We’re making some tough budget decisions this year and as this economy turns around I don’t want to see us go on a spending spree. I think once we get some of these cuts under our belt we need to evaluate how we spend any surplus money we will have in the future and make sure we build back our rainy day fund and any excess revenue we have, make sure it’s utilized in such a way that it helps build this economy for the future.”
Should state government be downsized?
“I don’t know that state government has to be downsized dramatically. There are a lot of services that state government provides that are essential services. I believe we’ve done a pretty good job under Governor Bredesen of controlling the growth of state government and that’s something I want to continue doing is to watch every penny and make sure we’re getting the maximum bang for our buck. So I’m not so much worried about the size of state government as I am efficiency. I want to make sure that state government is efficient.”
Do you support expansion of the Pre-K program?
“I think the pre-K program in this state has been a home run. It is a model for the rest of the country. If you can get these students to foster a love of learning at an early age, it will carry them through their entire education career. That’s what we have to do. It’s a voluntary program. A lot of people don’t want to be in it because they’d rather have their kids at home. But it’s a program that helps a lot of disadvantaged youth and fosters a love of learning in them early on and it’s a whole lot cheaper to educate than it is to incarcerate.”
Should Pre-K be mandatory rather than voluntary?
“I would want it to continue to be voluntary. As I said some people want to keep their kids at home at that age so I think it should totally be a voluntary program all across the state. There is a huge waiting list so as revenue returns that’s one area where I would like to see us expand upon”.
Why do you oppose elected School Superintendents?
“Teachers are accountable to principals. Principals are accountable to Superintendents. Superintendents are accountable to an elected school board. There is voter accountability in our school system through electing our school boards. I think it is a terrible mistake for superintendents to have to go out, take time away from the school, to raise money and then they have to go out and campaign.”
What are your thoughts about the Hurricane and Sligo Bridges?
“I know the Hurricane Bridge and the Sligo Bridge are both big issues in this county. As the next Governor if I’m going to be successful in helping to recruit industry into these areas then you’re going to have to have the infrastructure in place. I want to be very careful that I don’t go out and start making a bunch of campaign promises but If I’m able to fulfill my vision for the state of Tennessee it’s going to involve having the infrastructure in place so that we can go out and really sell these areas, recruit jobs, and get people back to work.”
What is your business background?
“I’m a small businessman in Jackson, Tennessee. I own an Anheuser-Busch distributorship there. A lot of people think I went into a family business. I did not. My father has his company and I have mine. I borrowed the money and I remember paying it back so I know it’s mine. I serve on the Jackson Energy Authority Board, which is our local utility there and it provides everything from wastewater to electricity and natural gas, to water and broadband services and I think that working with JEA has given me a unique background in what it takes to keep industry in your area and what it takes to recruit industry in your area. Industry today has to compete on a global basis and as a utility we constantly have to be mindful of the infrastructure that we have in place there so that our industries can be competitive on a global basis and we have to be mindful of what industry is looking for to come and locate in that area. I think it’s important that we maintain our state as a low tax state. It makes us very attractive to industry all across the country and if we can be a low tax state and at the same time be mindful of building our infrastructure I think we are a natural location for industry to come.”
How active will your father, former Governor Ned Ray McWherter, be in your campaign?
“My father always has been and I guess always will be my number one advisor. I’m 54 years old and I have learned after 54 years that he is much more frequently right than wrong so I listen to him a lot. He has been really engaged in my campaign. He is still probably more familiar with the state budget than anyone else in the state except for maybe Governor Bredesen right now. But he is very engaged. You will see him out on the campaign trail. He is very interested. He told me before I ever decided to run that one thing he wanted to do is visit all 95 counties again because there’s a lot of projects he got underway and a lot that have matured that he got started. He said he wanted to go visit all the counties and see those projects brought to completion or maturity so I told him when we started this campaign that he would get that chance.”