DeKalb County was well represented at the State 4-H Roundup/All-Star Conference held recently at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Roundup is a state high school level event for 4-H members competing in project areas. To get to this level, 4-Hers must complete a portfolio and be one of five state finalists. At Roundup, they are required to do an interview along with a project display or resume.
Elizabeth Sanders, a senior at DeKalb County High School, received the Level II Goat project award. Kayley Green, a sophomore, received the Level I Food, Health, and Fitness project award. Hailey Perry, a senior, received the Family and Consumer Science Leadership award. These three 4-Hers received a trip to the National 4-H Congress to be held later this year. Also, Cassie Cain, a sophomore, competed in the Level I Veterinary Science project. Matthew Cain, a senior, competed in the Level II Veterinary Science project.
State elections are also held while at Roundup. We are very proud that two DeKalb County 4-Hers were elected to state positions. Elizabeth Sanders was re-elected as the State 4-H Council Member-At-Large for the second year in a row. Hailey Perry was elected as the State 4-H All-Star Scribe.
Another major event that occurs while at 4-H Roundup is the Vol State ceremony. Vol State is the highest level of recognition a Tennessee 4-H member may achieve. Vol State is presented to high school juniors and seniors in recognition of excellence in all phases of 4-H work, as well as service and leadership rendered in their communities.
We are proud that 4-Hers Hailey Perry, Elizabeth Sanders, and Matthew Cain were presented with the Vol State Award.
More information about 4-H Roundup can be found at http://www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/roundup/index.htm. The University of Tennessee Extension offers all its programs to everyone in the community, regardless of race, sex, national origin or ethnicity.

Construction on the new DeKalb County Administrative Office Complex, formerly known as the Town and Country Shopping Center, is progressing and work on the offices of the four county officials who plan to move out there may be completed within three weeks.
Moving day from the courthouse to the new building for Register of Deeds Jeff McMillen, Assessor of Property Timothy “Fud” Banks, Trustee Sean Driver, and County Clerk Mike Clayborn is now set for Thursday, August 18.
The portion of the building being leased by the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency has already been finished and officials of UCHRA have moved in there.

The remainder of the building, which is not expected to be completed by next month, will remain under construction.
County Mayor Mike Foster, in an interview with WJLE Thursday, said the county has spent to date $1-million 808-thousand 580 dollars on the renovation of the building and is still expected to spend up to another $700,000 before it is finished.
The total project is expected to cost the county around $3.2 million. The purchase price was $750,000 and the cost of construction to renovate the complex is $2-million 523-thousand 416.
When the county bought the building, Foster said a decision was made by the county commission to borrow up to $5-million dollars. By doing so, the county was able to pay off existing debt at that time of more than two million dollars and finance the cost of this building project. While the repayment schedule is now at fifteen years, rather than six years under the former debt repayment plan, Foster said the county’s yearly payments are less with a better interest rate. Plus, he said the county is getting the added benefit of having tenants in the new building (UCHRA) which will be paying rent to the county for a number of years.
“The money we set aside when we borrowed the five million dollars was to pay off some debt that the county already had and that was paid off,” said Foster. “We then set aside three million dollars for the building to do the upgrades and what not. We borrowed the money by bond issue at three percent for fifteen years locked in. So by borrowing the money at three percent versus 5.8% (under the former loan) that saved us some money. Of course, doing it under a fifteen year loan rather than a six year loan (under the former debt repayment schedule) really changed the amount we pay. We already owed over two million dollars, so that was paid off. The rest of the money was designated for upgrading that building and buying it. So we paid ourselves (county) back out of that five million dollars, the $750,000 that we gave for it (building). We are now in the process of doing the renovations and the bid to do that work (renovation) was $2,337,000. But we did some upgrades on insulation and energy saving devices throughout the building so we added a little bit to it ( change orders totaling $186,416) so it’s (total renovation project) is $2,523,416,” said Foster.
“One company (Cambridge Constructors, Inc. of McMinnville) is doing the work and they are subbing it out. In our specs we specified that 40% of the equipment had to come from DeKalb County and they have hired some local workers too as laborers because a percentage of them had to be local too,” said Foster.
He continued “In the process, we have rented three or four spaces in there (building) that’s going to bring in about $50,000 a year to help offset the costs. That $50,000 a year will be a continuous thing. Its not just a one time thing. Our payments (under former loan) on what we already owed was $469,000 a year but only for six years. The payment on the new building is $409,000 but for fifteen years. If we take the revenue we’ll be receiving and use it for debt payment. If you did it (calculated it) that way, that would lower it (debt payment) to about $355,000. But you could also use it (rental payments from tenants) for utilities because there’s going to be some utility costs out there. But either way, we’re still about $55,000 better off than we were. We also cut the animal control officer position that was in the budget ($25,000) and moved it out there as somebody (director) to oversee the building along with a lot of volunteers. So it’s a net gain actually of a little bit of money, rather than spending more money, except we’ll be paying on it for fifteen years rather than six years the other way,” said Foster.
Foster said he still believes this is a good investment for the county.”We had to have more space for people in the courthouse. We had bought the lot here in town and had intended to use it for that purpose, but it was probably going to cost from $1.1 million to $1.5 million to build a new building over there. We later learned about this building (shopping center complex). So the county commission voted to buy it and do some renovation on it and move four of the county (courthouse) offices out there, Register of Deeds, Assessor of Property, Trustee, and County Clerk,” said Foster.
In March, 2008 the county commission voted to purchase a small lot, about eight tenths of an acre, near the public square as a possible future location for a courthouse annex. The county paid $125,000 for the property on a three year note.
Foster insists that this new building project is not the reason the county is seeking a proposed increase in the tax rate.

DeKalb is one of only four counties in the state that experienced a drop in the unemployment rate for June
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for June show that the rate increased in 91 counties. The four counties that decreased were DeKalb, Hawkins, Moore and Smith.
DeKalb County’s jobless rate for the month of June was 10.3%, down from 10.6% in May but still higher than 9.6% in June, 2010.
The local labor force was 10,400 in June. A total of 9,350 were employed and 1,070 were unemployed.
DeKalb County’s unemployment rate for June was fourth lowest among the fourteen counties of the Upper Cumberland region as follows:
Pickett County- 15.1%
Van Buren- 13%
Clay- 12.5%
Warren- 12.2%
White- 12.2%
Jackson- 12%
Fentress- 11.8%
Cumberland- 11.4%
Overton- 11.3%
Macon- 10.8%
DeKalb-10.3%
Cannon-10.2%
Putnam-9.7%
Smith-9.6%
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for June was 9.8 percent, up slightly from the May revised rate of 9.7. The national unemployment rate for June 2011 was 9.2 percent, up from the May revised rate of 9.1 percent.
Lincoln County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 6.8 percent, up from the May rate of 6.1 percent, followed by Williamson County at 7.2 percent, up from 6.6 percent. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 20.9 percent, up from 20.7 percent in the previous month, followed by Lauderdale County at 15.7 percent, up from 14.9 percent in May.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 8.0 percent, up from 7.4 percent in May. Hamilton County was 9.2 percent, up from 8.2 percent the previous month. Davidson County was 9.1 percent, up from 8.5 percent in May, and Shelby County was 11.1 percent, up from the May unemployment rate of 10.0 percent.

The Tennessee Department of State has launched a campaign to educate citizens about the new photo identification requirement that will go into effect for elections held in the state after Jan. 1, 2012.
After that date, people who wish to vote will be required to show photo identification when they arrive at the polls. Accepted forms of identification include any photo ID issued by the State of Tennessee –
including drivers’ licenses – and photo IDs issued by other states or the federal government, including U.S. passports, government employee identification cards and military ID cards.
The law, a safeguard against voter fraud, allows people who forget to bring photo IDs to the polls to cast provisional ballots and provide their county election officials with proof of identity within two business days after an election. People who vote absentee are not required to show photo IDs. And people who have religious objections to being photographed may sign oaths acknowledging their identities.
People who can’t afford other forms of photo identification may get a state-issued ID, free of charge, at drivers’ license offices around the state.
“I believe this new requirement is a common sense step that will increase public confidence in our elections,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “Requiring photo IDs will decrease the chances that an eligible voter can
be impersonated by someone else at the polls. As a voter, I want to know that my ballot counts just the same – no more, no less – as any other eligible voter. Photo IDs help ensure people aren’t casting more than one
ballot – and that those who are ineligible to vote don’t cast ballots at all. For those reasons, photo IDs are one more tool we can use to help combat voter fraud.”
The Tennessee General Assembly approved the photo ID requirement during this year’s legislative session. Sen. Bill Ketron and Rep. Debra Maggart were the prime sponsors of the legislation.
The Department of State includes the Division of Elections, which will be spearheading the outreach effort to citizens. As part of that effort, the Division of Elections has provided local election officials with information about the new requirement that will be distributed to people casting ballots in municipal elections being held around Tennessee this
year. Also, information about the new law will be posted on the Department of State’s web site.
Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins said those are only two of the many ways the department will be using to get its message out to the public.
“It is very important to us that people understand this new requirement so they are not surprised when they get to the polls next year,” Coordinator Goins said. “I am encouraging election officials and other leaders in Tennessee’s 95 counties to help us spread the word about photo IDs. I invite civic groups and other organizations to contact our office for information that they can distribute to their members – and to invite their county administrator of elections to come to a meeting to explain how the new law will work.”
Secretary Hargett and Coordinator Goins also plan to make the new law a recurring theme during their public speaking appearances around the state.
“I strongly believe that citizens of our state are comfortable with the idea of showing photo IDs in order to vote – just as they must do to board a plane, cash a check or perform any number of routine activities,” Secretary Hargett said. “A poll conducted last month by Rasmussen Reports indicated that 75 percent of people across the country support the photo
ID requirement – with only 18 percent against it. Other polls have shown even stronger support for photo IDs, so we feel people clearly understand the benefit of making this change in order to help protect the integrity of our elections.”
To view answers to some frequently asked questions about the new law, go
to http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/IDRequirement.20120101.pdf

The Alexandria Aldermen adopted the city’s new budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year on first reading Tuesday night.
Second and final reading passage will be scheduled following a public hearing at the next meeting on Tuesday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m. at city hall.
The city’s property tax rate is established at .7896 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The budget includes higher water and sewer rates. A separate ordinance adopting the new rates was approved by the aldermen following a public hearing, prior to action on the budget ordinance.
Under the plan, the minimum bill for Alexandria water and sewer customers will increase by a total of ten dollars per month, going from $29.50 to $39.50.
The rate for Alexandria water customers will increase from $14.75 to $19.75 for a minimum bill up to 2,000 gallons. Customers will pay an extra 70 cents per additional 100 gallons of usage. The minimum sewer bill up to 2,000 gallons will also increase by $5.00, going from $14.75 to $19.75.
Water customers outside the corporate limits will see their rates jump from $21.30 to $28.52 per month for a minimum bill of up to 2,000 gallons. Customers will pay an extra 70 cents per additional 100 gallons of usage per month.
The City of Alexandria purchases its water supply from the Smith County Utility District.
City officials have said one of the reasons for the rate increase is due to higher costs being passed on to Alexandria from the Smith County Utility District. However during the public hearing, concerned resident and former Alexandria Mayor Danny Parkerson questioned why the rate of increase to city subscribers was much more than the increase to the city from the Smith County Utility District.
Aldermen explained that the city water and sewer fund has been running in the red for the last two or three years because there hasn’t been a rate increase for sometime, and that the state is now forcing the city’s hand. Aldermen said if the city does not get the water and sewer fund back in the black to make it self supporting soon, then the state could set rates for the city, which could be much higher than the rate increases in this plan.
Parkerson also suggested that some action be taken by the city to lessen the burden of this rate increase on the town’s elderly who are on fixed incomes. Aldermen said later they may address that suggestion at another meeting in the near future.
The Alexandria budget projects General Fund Revenues at $323,404 including $80,546 from current property taxes; $11,000 from delinquent property taxes; and $24,000 from the beer tax along with intergovernmental taxes of $60,000; licenses and permits $500; fines $72,000; Utility in lieu of tax $9,358; other revenue $1,000; and remaining revenue $65,000
General Fund expenditures are budgeted at $316, 404 as follows:
Administrative salaries: $32,032
Audit: $4,000
Election expense: $2,000
Insurance & security bond: $12,000
Legal: $20,000
Office supplies: $5,000
Park & recreation: $600
OASI: $4,000
Equipment & supplies: $5,000
Building maintenance: $7,000
Parade/Halloween: $1,000
Senior citizens civic center: $5,000
Unemployment taxes: $6,000
Utilities & telephone $4,000
Total:$107,632
Police Department
Salaries: $85,860
911: $21,660
Gas & Oil: $15,000
Office supplies: $3,000
Repairs: $3,000
Materials & supplies: $500
Vehicle maintenance: $8,000
Equipment & supplies: $7,000
Total: $133,242
Fire Department:
Grant match: $5,000
Gas & Oil: $1,000
Total: $6,000
Total General Fund Expenditures: $316,404
Industrial Development Fund
Revenue: $20,632
Expenditures:
Marketing: $2,000
Equipment: $3,000
Other expenses: $15,632
Total: $20,632
Regions-Seay Church
Revenue: $3,340
Expenditures: $3,340
State Aid Fund Budget:
Income
State Gasoline & Fuel Tax: $42,000
Expense
Automobile expense & gas: $3,000
Materials & supplies: $3,000
Payroll expenses: $300
Equipment repair: $1,000
Purchase of equipment: $4,000
Utilities: $10,000
Total: $22,300
Water and sewer fund operating revenues are projected at $577,632. Total operating expenses are budgeted at $532,551
Water/Sewer Fund Operating Revenues
Water: $427,020
Sewer: $139,517
Penalties: $4,500
Other Income: $6,600
Total: $577,632
Operating Expenses
Office Supplies: $5,500
Water Supplies: $19,000
Water Samples: $480
USDA Bonds: $26,000
Audit: $2,450
Annual dues: $2,000
Utilities (Gas, Electric, Phone): $47,000
Water Purchased: $234,243
Salaries: $32,656
Advertising: $300
Bad debts (returned checks): $1,500
Sewer supplies: $11,000
Sewer samples: $11,000
Insurance: $12,000
Professional services (Accountant, Attorney): $12,000
Postage (General, Bills): $4,000
Contracted services: $83,422
Contracted labor: $25,000
Miscellaneous: $3,000
Total: $532,551

Although he is a strong believer in the lawful rights of gun owners, an incident at the DeKalb County Fair last week convinced Alexandria Police Chief Mark Collins that handguns should be banned during the fair.

During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Chief Collins asked that the Alexandria aldermen adopt an ordinance making possession of handguns illegal at the DeKalb County Fair. Although the fairgrounds are leased and operated by the DeKalb County Fair Association, the property belongs to the City of Alexandria.
The cause for concern arose last Monday night when a patron at the fair reported losing his handgun from the holster he was wearing while on one of the carnival rides. Chief Collins said some of the rides were shut down for a short period of time as members of the Alexandria Police Department, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, carnival workers, and fair association volunteers searched for the weapon.
Chief Collins said he was fearful that the gun might have been picked up by a teenager or a small child.
It turns out that the man had not even brought the gun to the fair in the first place. During the search at the fairgrounds, Chief Collins asked the man to return home just to make sure he had not left the gun there. While conducting a search at home, the man found his gun.
The aldermen plan to honor Chief Collins’ request but have deferred action until the next meeting in August when an ordinance can be prepared and presented by City Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. The ordinance may also ban handguns at other events on city properties.