The names of nine Republicans and one Democrat will be on the ballot in Tennessee’s March 6 Presidential Preference Primary elections.
The Republican candidates are: Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Charles “Buddy” Roemer, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
The lone Democrat is President Barack Obama.
Voters will have to declare in which primary they intend to vote.
The DeKalb County Democratic Primary will be held in conjunction with the Presidential Preference Primary elections on March 6 to select nominees for Assessor of Property and Constable.
The candidates for Assessor of Property are Incumbent Timothy Fud Banks and challengers Scott Cantrell and Jonathan Bryan Keith. The winner will face Republican Mason Carter in the August County General Election.
Candidates for constable are:
First district: None
Second district: None
Third District: Wayne Vanderpool
Fourth District: Paul Cantrell
Fifth District: Mark Milam
Sixth District: Richard Bullard and Carl Lee Webb
Seventh District: Johnny King

The DeKalb County Commission Monday night may discuss whether to change the county’s existing regulations forbidding the storage and sale of beer within 2,000 feet of schools, churches and other places of public gathering. Some believe that this minimum distance requirement is too restrictive
During an All-Committees meeting of the commission Thursday night, a majority of the commissioners present voted to place the issue on the regular meeting agenda Monday night for possible discussion.
Some commissioners have said they would be willing to support a measure to change the 2,000 foot rule, reducing it down to some lesser minimim distance requirement. Others are adamantly opposed to making any change.
While the county has the authority to change the distance requirement, it apparently cannot alter the manner in which the distance is to be measured. In the county, the distance must be measured from “nearest point” to nearest point”.
County Attorney Hilton Conger addressed that issue during a recent county beer board meeting. “Under regulations established by the county commission in October 1939, no business can be licensed to sell beer if it is within 2,000 feet of a school, church, or other place of public gathering. That’s been the rule here in the county ever since (1939). The county can change that and make it less than 2,000 feet but DeKalb County has never chosen to do that,” said Conger.
As for how the distance is to be measured, Conger said the state supreme court ruled more than fifty years ago in a Sullivan County case that the distance is to be measured in a direct line from building to building. “That was settled by the supreme court in the case of Jones versus the Sullivan County Beer Board. That was decided in 1956. The court said that the measurement is to be made in a direct line, the nearest point to the nearest point. From the building to the building,” said Conger.
The agenda for Monday night’s meeting also includes a discussion on the progress of the shopping center renovation as a county office complex; action on budget amendments, a review of expenses and revenues, an update on courthouse (office usage), a review of issues addressed during Thursday night’s all-committees meeting, approval of notaries, and any other business properly presented. WJLE plans LIVE coverage of the meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. in the basement courtroom of the courthouse.

WJLE is providing an opportunity for you to learn more about the new law requiring voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls beginning with the March 6 DeKalb County Democratic Primary and the Tennessee Presidential Preference Primaries. The new law takes effect January 1, 2012.
State Senator Mae Beavers, State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, DeKalb County Election Commission Chairperson Walteen Parker, and DeKalb County Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley will be appearing on WJLE Wednesday morning, December 21 at 8:05 a.m. to explain provisions of the new law. Parker and Stanley will also be discussing local redistricting based on the 2010 Census. LISTEN LIVE ON WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7 or LIVE STREAMING AT WWW.WJLE.COM.
If you have a question you would like answered, please fax your question in advance of the program at 615-597-6025 or email at wjle@dtccom.net
The major points of the law include:
•A voter is required to produce a federal or state government-issued photo ID before being allowed to vote. Some examples of a valid photo ID, even if expired, are a Tennessee driver license, U.S. passport, Department of Safety photo ID card, state or federal employee photo identification card, or a U.S. military photo ID. Student college IDs will not be accepted for voting purposes.
Free photo IDs may be obtained from any Department of Safety driver license testing station. Registered voters must sign an affidavit stating that the photo ID is for voting purposes, that they are a registered voter, and that they do not have any other valid government-issued photo ID. The Department of Safety will not issue a free photo ID if the person already has a valid government-issued photo ID
•Voters who are unable to produce a valid photo ID will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot, which is a paper ballot, at the polls. Voters casting a provisional ballot will have until two (2) business days after Election Day to return to the election commission office to show a valid photo ID.
•Voters with a religious objection to being photographed, or voters who are indigent and unable to obtain a photo ID without paying a fee – for example, the voter cannot pay for a birth certificate for proof of citizenship – may sign an oath affirming to the information and will be allowed to vote on the machines.
•Voters who vote absentee by mail, voters who are hospitalized, and voters who live in licensed nursing homes or assisted living centers and vote at the facilities are not required to show photo IDs. Registered voters over the age of 65 may request an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
“The goal of the radio program is to educate the public and prepare voters for the upcoming 2012 elections,” Dennis Stanley, administrator of elections said. “We want voters to have plenty of time to obtain a valid photo ID if they do not already possess one. We encourage everyone to listen to the radio program Wednesday morning,” said Stanley.

The Alexandria F&AM Lodge #175 installed their 2012 Masonic Officers Tuesday night, December 13
Brothers pictured left to right are:
Wayne Huddleston, Senior Deacon; Bob Huddleston, Junior Deacon; Mason Carter, Worshipful Master; Anthony Keith Dies, Senior Warden; Charles Morgret, Junior Warden; Jewell Huddleston, Secretary.
(Photo by Wayne Storey-Tiler)

The DeKalb County Board of Education has taken the first step in seeking FEMA grant funds which, if approved, would be used to help construct “safe rooms” in a classroom building project at DeKalb West School.
Millions of dollars are available to eligible applicants under the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for building safe rooms to withstand winds in the event of a tornado. In this case, not only would the new safe rooms provide a place for students and school staff to take shelter in the event of a tornado, it would also ease overcrowding at the school by providing more classroom space.
During a special called meeting Tuesday night, the Board of Education voted to pay KBJM Architects, Inc. of Mount Juliet a total of $7,500 to prepare a design for the project and to pay Lashlee-Rich, Inc. of Humbolt $7,500 to prepare cost estimates and for the grant writing.
David Brown, architect of Kaatz, Binkley, Jones & Morris Architects, Inc. (KBJM), and Greer Lashlee of Lashlee-Rich, Inc. addressed the school board Tuesday night. Under this FEMA grant program, Brown said the school system could apply for up to three million dollars for this project with the federal government paying 75% of the cost, if approved. The state would pay 12.5% leaving the local share at 12.5%. “This grant is paying for the construction, the structure, the mechanical, electrical. It is paying a large chunk of it. We’ve got to take it from where our normal design stops and meet these (FEMA) guidelines but the premium that you’re going to pay is smaller than the grant you’re going to get. The way it works is this. We (KBJM) do the design, Then Greer (Lashlee) of Lashlee-Rich, Inc. will come up with detailed estimates and it’ll be broken down by materials, labor, soft costs, and we’ll have to use the guidelines that the application dictates and then we’ll come up with an amount that you need. That amount can be up to three million dollars. Lets say we have a classroom addition and in your particular case it ends up being two million dollars that we can justify for this program being this addition at DeKalb West. Out of that two million dollars, the federal government will pay for 75%. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency will kick in another 12.5% which just leaves 12.5% locally. So for every one million dollars worth of construction, its $125-thousand dollars locally. That’s the best thing out there,” said Brown.
Brown said once the plans have been prepared he will meet with the school board again in January. “I’ve been to DeKalb West several times. I’ve looked at the facility and the needs but the first thing we must have is a design. What are we going to have there. We’ve talked about classrooms, a secure vestibule and entrance to that school and obviously the kitchen needs work as well but the initial thing we need to have is a design so that I can give it to Greer so he can look at that area and come up with those (cost) estimates. We have to do what is called a benefit cost analysis and the benefit cost ratio has to be high enough for them (FEMA) to want to help you with this. But the school projects by default always hit that mark. So we need to do a design. I’d like to come back in January to give you a more detailed breakdown of what we’re proposing, what we think it will cost, and how much of a grant we need to ask for, and what the local share of that grant would be. If it still looks good in January, we can press on with our grant writer and submit this. I can tell you that the folks at the state are wanting to give this money away,” said Brown.
The deadline for submitting the grant application is March 1st.
Brown advised against filing an application for more than one project at this time, but added that grant applications for other local schools could be submitted later if funds are still available.