Thirteen year old Kelsey Sueanna Hedge of Smithville is the new Junior Miss of the Spring Blossom Pageant, which was held Saturday night at the high school and sponsored by the Smithville Women’s Club.
Hedge, daughter of David and Trina Hedge, succeeds the 2010 Junior Miss Haley Marie Hale, the fourteen year old daughter of Melissa and Chad Hale.
Hedge was also named Miss Photogenic.
First runner-up in the pageant was Tyra Graham of Smithville, the twelve year old daughter of Doris and Kyle Graham.
Fourteen year old Mariah Faith Jones of Smithville was second runner-up. She is the daughter of Melissa and Bill Jones.
Alyssa Kayleen Funk of Dowelltown, the fourteen year old daughter of Emily Funk, was named third runner-up.
Twelve year old Rachel Olivia Fuson of Smithville, daughter of Missy and Joe Fuson was the fourth runner-up. Fuson was also named Miss Congeniality
Others making up the top ten in no particular order were Bethany Brooke Poss, the thirteen year old daughter of Lori and John Poss of Smithville; Morgan Marie Vickers, the thirteen year old daughter of Wanda Sue and Joseph Vickers of Liberty; Brooke Danielle Roller, the thirteen year old daughter of Rose and Richard Roller of Smithville; Kacie Brooke Bain, the twelve year old daughter of Christy and David Bain of Smithville; and Hannah Walker, the twelve year old daughter of Misty and Scott Walker of Smithville.
Junior Miss Top Ten from dwayne page on Vimeo.
A total of seventeen young ladies participated in the pageant. Other participants were Alexis Kasara Davis, Hailey Nicole Glass, Meranda Kay Atnip, Amisti Jae Loftis, Casey Elizabeth Vickers, Bethany Burke, and Ashley Celestino.
TOP PHOTO: Junior Miss Kelsey Sueanna Hedge
CENTER PHOTO: Jr. Miss Top Five left to right: Rachel Fuson (4th runner-up), Mariah Faith Jones (2nd), Kelsey Sueanna Hedge (Queen), Tyra Graham (1st), and Alyssa Kayleen Funk (3rd runner-up)
BOTTOM PHOTO: Miss Congeniality Rachel Fuson (left) and Miss Photogenic and Junior Miss Queen Kelsey Sueanna Hedge

Six year old Addison Jean Puckett of Smithville is the 2011 Little Miss of the annual spring pageant sponsored by the Smithville Women’s Club.
She was crowned Saturday night at DCHS.
Puckett, daughter of Jimmy and Anita Puckett, succeeds the retiring Little Miss Kenlee Renae Taylor, the five year old daughter of Ken and Cindy Taylor of Smithville.
Five year old Carlee Elizabeth West of Smithville, daughter of B.J. and Megan Stewart, was named first runner-up.
Second runner-up went to Natalie Snipes, the six year old daughter of Tim and Michelle Snipes of Smithville.
Third runner-up was Katherine Dell Gassaway of Smithville, the six year old daughter of Kelly and Julianna Gassaway.
Six year old Haidyn Renee Hale of Smithville was fourth runner-up. She is the daughter of Chad and Melissa Hale of Smithville.
Rounding out the top fifteen in no particular order are Alexis Riley Hawkins, the four year old daughter of Stephanie and Josh Hawkins of Smithville; Addison Grace Miller, the four year old daughter of Amy and Josh Miller of Smithville; McKenzie Faith Sanders, the six year old daughter of Misti and James Sanders of Smithville; Allyson Roxanne Fuller, the five year old daughter of Amanda and Anthony Fuller of Cookeville; Kathryn Alysse Hale, the five year old daughter of Yvonne and Shannon Hale of Smithville; Addison Gray Roller, the six year old daughter of Chana and John Roller of Smithville; Peyton Elizabeth Norris, the five year old daughter of Jenny and Johnathon Norris of Smithville; Jenna Elizabeth Wright, the five year old daughter of Nicole and Jeff Wright of Smithville; Kylee Raegan Cantrell, the six year old daughter of Michelle and Paul Cantrell of Smithville; and Elaina Bryce Turner, the five year old daughter of Shane and Regina Turner of Smithville.
Little Miss Top Fifteen from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Kiley Isabella Speaks, the six year old daughter of Donna and Justin Speaks of Smithville, was named Little Miss Personality and Addison Gray Roller, the six year old daughter of Chana and John Roller of Smithville was selected Miss Photogenic.
The pageant featured thirty eight contestants. Other participants were Lydia Grace Johnson, Addison Hale, Jaylynn Nichlos, Micah Bogle, Katelyn Knight, Courtney Elizabeth London, Katie Patterson, Ashlynn Knight, Katherine Irene Knowles, Leah Michelle Hayes, Melanie Bogle, Briahna Ryan Murphy, Nadia Celeste Creek, Madelyn Rose Ray, Graceson Elise Boyd, Elizabeth Carlene Gaines, Ella Rea Florida, Hannah Dawn Hall, Kendall Michelle Davis, Lora Lin Kilgore, Katherine Ann Vickers, and Jazmine Elaine Wagner.
TOP PHOTO: Little Miss Top Five left to right: Haidyn Renee Hale (4th runner-up), Natalie Snipes (2nd), Addison Jean Puckett (Queen), Carlee Elizabeth West (1st ), and Katherine Dell Gassaway (3rd runner-up)
CENTER PHOTO: Miss Photogenic Addison Gray Roller (left) and Little Miss Personality Kiley Isabella Speaks (right)
BOTTOM PHOTO: Little Miss Addison Jean Puckett

Smithville Elementary School and DeKalb West School will have Kindergarten pre-registration for the 2011-12 school year on Friday, April 29th from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
A child must be five years of age by September 30th, 2011 to be eligible to enter Kindergarten for the 2011-12 school year.
Please bring your child’s birth certificate (must be original and not the mother’s copy), immunization record, social security card, and proof of residency (this may be a utility bill, rent, etc.)
Smithville Elementary Kindergarten teachers will be giving a pre-kindergarten screening on April 29th. It is necessary that you bring your child with you to pre-registration.
Smithville Elementary School will also have an open house for students attending Kindergarten in the fall on Thursday, April 28th from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Parents and students are invited to tour the school and meet the kindergarten teachers on this day.

Governor Bill Haslam has issued a proclamation announcing April as Tennessee Safe Digging Month. The proclamation reminds Tennessee homeowners and professional excavators to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging project.
April marks the start of spring digging season, so Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District, Tennessee 811 and Governor Haslam are encouraging homeowners to call 811 before they dig to prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages. A utility line is damaged by digging once every three minutes nationwide, and one-third of these incidents are caused by failure of the professional excavator or homeowner to call 811 before beginning their digging project.
When calling 811, homeowners and professional excavators are connected to Tennessee 811, which notifies the appropriate utility of the intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or spray paint. Once lines have been accurately marked, digging can begin around the marked lines.
”We join the governor in strongly encouraging individuals and companies to call 811 before they begin digging,” said Kathy Quartermaine, Damage Prevention & Education Manager at Tennessee 811. “By having underground lines marked, homeowners are making an important decision that can help keep them and their communities safe and connected.”
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, necessitates a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, putting in a fence, building a deck and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting. There is no charge for the phone call or locating the utilities.
Visit www.call811.com or www.tennessee811.com for more information about 811 and the call-before-you-dig process.

Seniors Martha Webb and Destry Wiggins were named the 2011 DCHS basketball Most Valuable Players Thursday night at the annual team banquet, while Juniors Allison Judkins and Ashlee Whitehead were each selected as Most Valuable Cheerleaders. The awards were presented by Chad Kirby of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. The MVP and MVC awards are named in memory Chad’s grandfather, Allen D. Hooper.
Webb, who scored over 1,200 points in her career at DCHS, also received the best offensive player award and she was recognized for being named to the second team all-district.
In addition to winning the MVP honor, Wiggins also took home awards for best ball handler, smartest player, hustle, best offensive player, and best athlete. He was further recognized for being named to the first team all-district and the district’s all defensive team.
The season for the DeKalb County Tigers ended with a loss to the Cannon County Lions in the semi-finals of the Region 4-AA Tournament at White County High School in Sparta. The Tigers concluded the 2010-11 campaign with an over-all record of 23-9.
The DeKalb County Lady Tigers wrapped up their season losing to Cannon County in the opening game of the District 8 AA basketball tournament at Sparta. The Lady Tigers finished with an over-all record of 14-14.
Other individual cheerleading awards included:
Most Spirit: Kelsey Hale
Most Improved: Katie Agee
Best Jumps: Jasmine Dimas
Best Dance: Christian Atnip
Best Stunts: Kaylee Cantrell
STAR Award (Spirit, Team, Attitude, Respect): Erin Cantrell-Pryor
Tiger Mascot: Chase Cantrell
Other Lady Tiger basketball awards were as follows:
MVP, Best offensive player, 2nd team all-district: Martha Webb
Tiger Award: Mercedes Luna
Best Practice: Lauren Adcock
Best Attitude, Best Defensive Player: Alex Meadows
Best Sixth Man: Brooke Hutchings
Best Rebounder: Lydia Foutch
Most Improved: Chelsea Lewis
Best Newcomer, All district Freshman Team: Danielle Tyson
For the Tigers,
MVP, Best Ball Handler, Smartest Player, Hustle Award, Best Offensive Player, Best Athlete, 1st team all-district, All district defensive team: Destry Wiggins
Best Defensive Player, Best Attitude, All district honorable mention: Tyler Kent
Best Practice Player: Randy Hansard
Most Improved, Best Foul Shooter, All district honorable mention: Dylan Roller
Best Passer: Will Molander
Best Sixth Man: Braxton Atnip
Best Rebounder, All district defensive team, 3rd team all- district: Sonni Young
All district honorable mention: Cody Puckett
Meanwhile, the late Price Harrison, a long time supporter of DeKalb County athletics, was named the Tiger basketball Fan of the Year. His daughter Hart Harrison received the award . Mr. Harrison died in January.
The annual DCHS basketball banquet was held at the Smithville First Baptist Church Life Enrichment Center.
TOP PHOTO : MVP Basketball Players and Cheerleaders: left to right- Destry Wiggins, Martha Webb (MVP) Allison Judkins, Ashlee Whitehead (MVC). Awards presented by Shelia and Chad Kirby of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home
SECOND PHOTO FROM TOP: DCHS Tiger Basketball Player Award Winners: Front Row- Chase Cantrell (Tiger Mascot), Dylan Roller, Will Molander, Destry Wiggins, and Tyler Kent; Back Row- Randy Hansard, Braxton Atnip, and Sonni Young
THIRD PHOTO FROM TOP :DCHS Lady Tiger Basketball Award Winners: left to right- Danielle Tyson, Chelsea Lewis, Brooke Hutchings, Alex Meadows, Martha Webb, Lydia Foutch, Mercedes Luna, and Lauren Adcock
FOURTH PHOTO FROM TOP :DCHS Basketball Cheerleader Award Winners: left to right-Kaylee Cantrell, Christian Atnip, Allison Judkins, Ashlee Whitehead, Erin Cantrell-Pryor, Kelsey Hale, and Katie Agee
BOTTOM PHOTO: The late Price Harrison named the recipient of the DCHS Basketball Fan of the Year Award: Harrison’s daughter, Hart Harrison (right) accepts the award from Lynda Hansard (left)

DeKalb County’s unemployment rate inched up slightly to 10.3% in February, an increase from 10.2% in January according to new numbers released Thursday by the state. The local jobless rate for February a year ago was at 10.9%.
DeKalb County’s Labor Force in February was at 10,030. A total of 9,000 were employed and 1,030 were unemployed
Among the fourteen counties of the Upper Cumberland, DeKalb County recorded the third lowest jobless rate for the month of February. Here’s how the counties rank from highest to lowest in the Upper Cumberland:
Pickett County- 18%
Van Buren- 13.7%
Clay-13%
Fentress-12.7%
Cumberland-12.7%
Overton-12.6%
White- 12.3%
Warren-12.2%
Jackson-11.9%
Macon- 11.4%
Smith-11.1%
DeKalb 10.3%
Cannon-10.1%
Putnam- 9.3%
Tennessee’s unemployment rate for February was 9.6 percent, up 0.2 from the revised January rate of 9.4 percent. The national unemployment rate for February 2011 was 8.9 percent, 0.1 percentage point lower than the January rate.
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for February 2011 show that the rate decreased in 57 counties, increased in 26 counties and remained the same in 12 counties.
Lincoln County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 6.6 percent, down from the January rate of 6.7 percent. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 22.7 percent, down from 23.2 percent in the previous month, followed by Pickett County at 18.0 percent, down from the January rate of 18.4 percent.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.6 percent, up from 7.5 percent in January. Hamilton County was 8.6 percent, down from 8.7 percent the previous month. Davidson County was 8.7 percent, up from 8.6 percent in January, and Shelby County was 10.5 percent, up from 10.4 percent in January.

The 2011 Chamber Annual Membership Dinner and Awards Banquet is set for Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church Annex. “We are excited to again host this enjoyable and informative event. This year, we are celebrating our 48th year as a Chamber. We invite you to share in this fun-filled night of dining, entertainment, and the latest updates from the Chamber including the introduction of our new Board members and 2011 Officers,” says Chamber Executive Director Suzanne Williams.
The special evening begins at 5:30 PM with a “Silent Auction”; the dinner and program start at 6:00 PM. Dinner music will be performed by Tomomi McDowell. Thea Tippin will sing the National Anthem as Boy Scout Troop #347 present the flags. Other entertainment for the evening will be by singer, Ron Noonan.
The meal consists of roast beef brisket with gravy, green beans, red-roasted creamed potatoes, fresh baked yeast rolls, and a choice of strawberry cake with cream frosting or chocolate butter cream cake. The Leadership DeKalb Class of 2011 will serve the meal.
Leadership DeKalb Alumni will announce their nominees and winners of their “Legacy” and “Community Leader of the Year” awards.
The keynote speaker for the evening will be Dr. Steve Morse, economist and director of the Tourism Institute at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He is a professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in economics of the hotel, restaurant and tourism industries, and hospitality pricing strategies. Dr. Morse is a leading economist that tracks economic trends in all 95 counties in Tennessee, the Southeast, and U.S. economies. He has been quoted as an expert in tourism’s role in economic development in leading news sources such as USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Morse will present about the past, present and future economic development and the impact of tourism on the Smithville – DeKalb County economy.
Corporate Sponsors for this event are Caney Fork Electric, DeKalb Community Bank, DeKalb Community Hospital, DTC Communications / DTC Wireless, Liberty State Bank, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, and WalMart.
Please contact the Chamber office at 597-4163 for more information, to donate a silent auction item, door prize, or to become a Corporate Sponsor. Banquet tickets prices are $20 per person and can be purchased by calling the Chamber or from the Chamber Board of Directors.

A benefit chili supper and auction will be held for Terry Cowart on Friday, April 1st at 6:00 p.m. at the Smithville Church of God at 801 West Broad Street.
Cowart is a full time dispatcher for the DeKalb County Dispatch 911 Center. He has been employed there for almost five years. He recently had open heart surgery and will be out of work for almost three months. This fundraiser is being held to help meet his medical and other expenses during his leave while he is recuperating.
Everyone is invited to attend. If you cannot attend but would be interested in making a donation, please contact any dispatcher or 911 Director Brad Mullinax. Phone 215-3000.