The 14th annual Fiddler 5K and One Mile Fun Run, sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County will be Saturday, July 7, the weekend of the Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree. All proceeds from the race will be used in building another Habitat for Humanity home in DeKalb County.
For a registration form and more information, please visit www.fiddler5k.com or call Tecia Puckett Pryor at 597-7370. Online registration is also available at www.active.com. New this year: The course will start and end on Church Street, and race results will be chip timed. The race begins promptly at 7:00 a.m. rain or shine.
41 year old Scott Fanning of Lebanon was the overall winner of the Fiddler 5K last year. Fanning completed the course in 17:29.
Fiddler 5K and One Mile Fun Run (7-2-11) from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Meanwhile, 16 year old Morgan Voyles of Sparta was the overall winner in the women’s race. She completed the course in 21:41
In the male master’s category, 53 year old Jimmy Dawson of Cookeville was the overall winner. His time was 19:52.
In the female masters, 43 year old Lora Simpson of Sparta was the overall winner. Her time was 25:19
The overall winner of the One Mile Fun Run was nine year old Caden Close of Smithville. His time was 7:13
Twelve year old Tyra Graham of Smithville completed the One Mile Fun Run course in 8:20, the best among females.
Race director Tecia Pryor said “we had a record turnout for the 13th annual 5K – we had 322 entries for 5K and 78 for the fun run for 400 total participants. This was a record and exceeded our previous record from 2009 of 387 total participants”.
The 2012 Registration for the 5K or Fun Run is as follows:
Adults rates (over 18)
Adults Pre-Race: $20
Adults Day of Race: $25
Youth rates (18 and younger)
Youth Pre-Race: $15
Youth Day of Race: $20
Pre-registration options:
Pre-register online at www.active.com until July 4 midnight
Pre-register by mail by printing a form at www.fiddler5k.com and sending the form along with your payment to: P.O. Box 750, Smithville, Tennessee 37166. Pre-registration forms must be received in the mail by July 2. Shirts are only guaranteed for those pre-registered. For more information call 615-597-7370
Race Day Check-In Times:
Pre-registered: 6:15 a.m.
Race Day Registration: 6:00 a.m.
Please bring a completed registration form with you
Awards:
5K awards:
Overall and Master (40 plus) male and female finishers
Top three male and female finishers in the following age divisions:
9 and younger
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75 plus
Fun Run Awards:
Overall male and female finishers age 12 and younger
Top three male and female finishers age 12 and younger
Race Perks and other information:
Pre-registered participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt. All participants will receive free refreshments and be eligible for door prize giveaways before the awards ceremony
The Course is certified and R.A.C.E. Nashville will be managing timing. Strollers are welcome and at the start line, should line up at the rear. No pets allowed. 5K course is open for 60 minutes.
All proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County.

Omega Apparel Incorporated, based in Smithville, was recently acquired by Brentwood, TN resident Dean Wegner. Dean is a 1993 graduate of West Point and a 7-year Army helicopter pilot and Army Ranger veteran. He was most recently a Business Development Executive for Mars Inc. and formerly with Procter & Gamble.
In a prepared news release, Omega Apparel reports that Dean acquired the business from former owners Richard Chase and Brian Roberge. Richard and Brian are 45+ year veterans in the apparel industry. They owned Omega Apparel for 18-years and built a best-in-class reputation for Quality and Customer Service that provides a tremendous platform for future growth.
Dean brings a pro-growth mindset to Omega Apparel with the goal of acquiring additional business to enable job creation in Smithville and Middle Tennessee. Richard and Brian will remain on Omega’s Advisory Board of Directors for 3-years to provide strategic guidance and maintain the company bedrock of Quality and Customer Service.
All current employees of Omega Apparel will remain in place and there will be no changes in key staff and leadership. Dean is committed to job creation and investing in the Smithville community. Russ Brue, a former Finance Manager with Mars Petcare will join as the new CFO.
Omega Apparel Incorporated is a leading producer of uniforms for the Department of Defense. The company specializes in making dress pants and skirts for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The production facility is based in Smithville, TN and employs a workforce of 200+.

Family and friends of the late PFC Billy Gene Anderson gathered with local and state public officials, veterans, and many others Thursday morning at the site of the bridge that will now forever bear his name at Dry Creek over U.S. 70 in Dowelltown. PFC Anderson died just over two years ago while serving his country in Afghanistan
The formal dedication of the “PFC Billy Gene Anderson Memorial Bridge” featured a prayer by local minister Bobby Thomason, the posting of colors and a gun salute by the Veterans Honor Guard of the Upper Cumberland, remarks by County Mayor Mike Foster, State Senator Mae Beavers, State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, and Don Smith, Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the singing of the Star Spangled Banner by Representative Weaver, and the leading of the gathering in the pledge of allegiance.
With the unveiling of the road sign by the bridge, Anderson’s widow, Caitlin and mother, Marlene were presented replicas as well as copies of the act, adopted by both the State House and Senate and signed by the Governor, naming the bridge in his honor.
“It means the world to me”, said Caitlin Anderson. “There’s no better way to honor him right now. That way my daughter can see this for years to come and appreciate it more as she gets older. My grandchildren and my family can just love this every time they drive by,” she said. Anderson’s daughter Lilly Grace turns three years old in August.
“I am so proud of Billy,” said Marlene Goodwin, mother of the fallen hero. “It means the world to me for him to be recognized,” she said.
State Senator Mae Beavers said the program was a fitting occasion for a brave soldier. “It’s a special day. We should always honor those who gave their lives to defend our freedom. I also want to thank the family for the sacrifice they made. Their loved one volunteered to go out and defend our country, defend freedom all over the world and we appreciate it very much. This is just a small token of what the community and state can do to honor those fallen soldiers,” she said.
“Its really a sad thing in a way but then its really good too that we honor people who have done so much for our country and realize the sacrifices their families have made,” said County Mayor Mike Foster.
“The real important part about doing this is that it leaves a lasting memorial so that not only every time the family drives up and down this road and crosses this bridge, they will see this sign, they will be paying tribute to Billy,” said Commissioner Smith. ” Even strangers, as they come by will see it. They will recognize the significance. It’s a continuous reminder to our citizens everywhere, the sacrifices that our soldiers make on their behalf,” he said.
” This is about honoring a young man who gave his ultimate sacrifice and for him, his love for his family and nation,” said Representative Weaver. ” It truly was a tribute and really spoke loudly of all the people who attended this event. There were so many people who turned out for this and that speaks for itself. The patriotism and the heart of the American citizen is still very grateful for these men and women who give their lives for us. I commend the community and our veterans who were here who have fought in years past, for honoring this young man, Billy Gene Anderson,” she said.
The following is the text of the Act, adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly, and signed by the Governor:
AN ACT to name a segment of U.S. Highway 70 in DeKalb County in honor of the late Private First Class Billy Gene Anderson, United States Army.
WHEREAS, from time to time, the members of this General Assembly have seen fit to name
certain highways and bridges to honor the memory of those courageous members of the United
States Armed Forces who gave their lives while serving our nation; and
WHEREAS, no person is more deserving of this honor than the late Private First Class (PFC)
Billy Gene Anderson, United States Army, who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country on May 17, 2010, while serving in Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, a young man who counted God, country, and family as the most important
things in his life, PFC Anderson was a talented musician who taught himself to play guitar and piano at the age of fifteen; and
WHEREAS, a devout Christian, Billy Gene Anderson was a wonderful father, husband,
brother, son, and friend to many; and
WHEREAS, PFC Anderson followed the patriotic tradition for which DeKalb County and the
Volunteer State are renowned by reporting for basic training in the United States Army soon after
graduating from DeKalb County High School in 2009; and
WHEREAS, on August 24, 2009, while he was participating in basic training, PFC
Anderson’s wife, Catlin Potter Anderson, gave birth to their beautiful daughter, Lilly Grace Anderson; and
WHEREAS, after graduating with honors from basic training at Fort Leonard Wood on
October 16, 2009, PFC Anderson left that same day for Fort Benning, where he completed
paratrooper training; and
WHEREAS, he then was transferred to Fort Bragg to join the 82nd Airborne and was
deployed to Afghanistan on January 13, 2010, serving with distinction as a member of Alpha
Company, 508th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division; and
WHEREAS, PFC Anderson’s personal service awards include the Bronze Star, the Good
Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Purple Heart; and
WHEREAS, PFC Billy Gene Anderson served with great courage and gallantry, giving his life
for his country and for the cause in which he believed, and for that ultimate sacrifice, he deserves
proper recognition; as a member of the United States Army, he proudly continued an essential
tradition of American society: the concept of the citizen-soldier; and
WHEREAS, PFC Anderson’s dedication to excellence in the military and his love of his
family, his fellow soldiers, country and county, exemplified in his sacrifice of life itself in defense of all that he held dear, stand as enduring examples of all the characteristics that have ensured the
continued freedom of our nation and the preservation of its ideals over the course of our history; and
WHEREAS, PFC Billy Gene Anderson selflessly gave his life while serving his country, and it
is thus most appropriate that a bridge on U.S. Highway 70 in his home county should be named to
honor his memory; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SB 2678
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the bridge spanning Dry
Creek on U.S. Highway 70 in DeKalb County is hereby designated the “PFC Billy Gene Anderson
Memorial Bridge” in recognition of the life of valor and death in combat of Private First Class Billy Gene Anderson, United States Army, one of Tennessee’s most heroic citizens.
SECTION 2. The Department of Transportation is directed to erect suitable signs or to affix
suitable markers designating the bridge described in Section 1 as the “PFC Billy Gene Anderson
Memorial Bridge”. The cost of such signage shall be funded in accordance with Tennessee Code
Annotated,§ 54-1-133.
SECTION 3. The erection of such signs shall be within the guidelines prescribed by the
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
SECTION 4. This act shall become operative only if the federal highway administrator
advises the Commissioner of Transportation in writing that the provisions of this act shall not render Tennessee in violation of federal laws and regulations and subject to penalties prescribed therein.
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

A bomb threat at the courthouse Thursday morning apparently turned out to be just that, a threat.
Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger said a woman called the DeKalb County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to report that her husband was planning to come to the courthouse to set off a homemade explosive device. It was initially rumored that the caller said something about the man being upset concerning his taxes, which may have sparked the threat. But Chief Caplinger said the clerk told police that the caller never mentioned taxes. “After I questioned the person at the courthouse who took the call, taxes were never mentioned. She (clerk) gave the phone to a court officer and the lady hung up. We don’t know if it (the threat) was court related or tax related. It could be anything right now,” said Chief Caplinger..
Since it was uncertain if the caller was directing the threat to someone in the courthouse downtown or the new county complex on South Congress Boulevard, Chief Caplinger said both buildings were evacuated as a precaution. General Sessions Court, which was underway at the time, was dismissed. Court resumed later in the afternoon.
Roads around the public square were blocked to keep traffic away from the courthouse and, according to Chief Caplinger, “students attending summer school at Smithville Elementary were moved to the far end of the building so that if something did happen they would be out of harm’s way,” he said.
Chief Caplinger praised all agencies involved for their quick response including the Smithville Police Department, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, FBI, District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee Bomb and Arson, the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, and City Fire Chief and local Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Charlie Parker. ” A bomb dog was brought in and swept both buildings to check for any type of explosive device. Nothing suspicious was found. The dog did not alert on anything. The courthouse was released to open back up at around 12:45 p.m. The county (complex) building was released to open back up later,” said Chief Caplinger.
No arrests have been made in the case, but Chief Caplinger said police are following up on some leads. ” Its still under investigation. We’re still following leads and putting evidence together to try to determine who made this call and where it came from. We have a couple of leads, nothing real strong. There was vague information given. We’re running down phone records trying to find out,” said Chief Caplinger.
“The (caller) mentioned the name of a local business and we’re following up on that. We’re not sure if it (the call) was made from that business, or if the subject worked at that business,” he said. The caller, according to the chief, may have been Hispanic.
Chief Caplinger said he wants to thank everyone who participated in this search and investigation. “Everyone did a good job and we had great cooperation between each agency. Everybody responded quickly. If he was on the way to the courthouse, it was shut down pretty quickly, which would have diverted anyone from coming in,” he added.

A state health department environmentalist, after making a visit to the Smithville Municipal Swimming Pool last week, has issued a report on the number of lifeguards needed there to satisfy state regulations and it seems to support the conclusions reached by Mayor Taft Hendrixson that only a maximum of three are required when the pool is open to the public. However, Mitzi Medley, the environmentalist, suggested that it would be a good idea, though not required, to have an attendant assigned to help control patron traffic at the slides.
Tony Poss, operator of the city pool and golf course, said he requested the environmentalist make a visit to the pool in an effort to clear up the controversy. “I did request for the lady to come and she came from Crossville. She came down and looked at our pool and said that we were required to have three lifeguards. But the first year we were here, we had one inspector to come in and he said we were required to have three lifeguards at all times in the chairs and that if we didn’t have three lifeguards, he would shut down the pool so that’s the reasoning behind the lifeguards. He also said we were required to have one extra guard for every twenty five pool bathers that come in so that’s what we did last year,” said Poss.
“This year, the health inspector came in, and we have to do what they tell us to do. She told us the same thing, that we had to have three lifeguards in the chairs and one for every twenty five bathers, so that’s why we have scheduled our lifeguards the way we have. So everything was kind of up in the air with the mayor coming up with these state regulations so I requested somebody above our health inspector to come in and she came from Crossville. She inspected the pool and said we were only required one for every twenty five bathers and after fifty one, it was three lifeguards. So that’s the third opinion we’ve had. We just wanted something in writing telling us for sure what we need to do,” said Poss.
In her report, Medley wrote “I visited the pool for consultation and discussed lifeguard requirements.”
She further wrote the following:
“(1) lifeguard is required when 1-25 bathers are in the pool”
“(2) lifeguards are required when 25-50 bathers are in the pool”
“(3) lifeguards are required per pool square footage when 51 or more bathers are present” (Rule 1200-23-5-.02 (3) (a) 1″ (This rule states as follows: Safety: Lifeguards shall be present at Type A Pools in accordance with the following square footage schedule:
Square feet:
1,800 to 3,000 (1 lifeguard)
3,001 to 6,000 (2 lifeguards)
6,001 to 9,000 (3 lifeguards)
9,001 to 12,000 (4 lifeguards)
Mayor Hendrixson says Smithville has a Type A Pool which is about 7,800 square feet.
State regulations specify what constitutes a slide under definition (1200-23-5-.01 (58) “Water slides or Water Flumes” mean inclined troughs that convey patrons in a stream of water ending in a pool. Under rule 1200-23-5-.02 (3) (a) 5. “Type E pools shall have an attendant or lifeguard on duty at all times at the point patrons/swimmers enter the water.”
While Smithville has slides, the pool is not Type E, therefore, according to Medley, it doesn’t require a fourth lifeguard to monitor the slides. However, she wrote that such an attendant would be helpful to prevent entrapment inside the slides. “I also discussed the slide at the pool. Per definition (1200-23-5-.01 (58), the slide is NOT a permitable Type E pool subject to attendant/lifeguard requirements of rule 1200-23-5-.02 (3) (a) 5. However, due to the enclosed nature of the slide and the presence of water streaming inside the slide, and that the slide turns, an attendant, although NOT REQUIRED, per se, would control the patron traffic and prevent any possible entrapment of doubled children possibly face down in the water,” she wrote.
Poss said since the city is only going to pay for three lifeguards, he is footing the bill right now for another guard to monitor the slides. “We looked at the slides and she (environmentalist) recommended that we have one extra attendant, a guard or somebody there to help keep the pool safe. That’s all we’re wanting is to keep the pool safe for everyone. Right now we are paying out of our own pocket, to keep the slides safe. We’ve been out of pocket for the last week, just trying to keep it safe for everyone coming in to use the pool,” said Poss.
Poss said his lease calls for the city to bear all pool expenses and it doesn’t specify how many lifeguards he can have, although aldermen have recently voted to fund no more than three at a time while the pool is open. “According to the contract there is no limit. No maximum or minimum, no hours of operation. Before they did their budget, I requested five lifeguards. I told them what they made per hour and the next thing I knew, we were only allowed three,” He said.
Altogether, Poss said there are nineteen life guards but he doesn’t use them all. “The city has employed nineteen lifeguards, but we don’t work nineteen. We are abiding with what the city requested after they finally gave us notice that they are only going to pay for three. Still, to date, we’ve not had anything in writing telling us what we are required to do. We got a phone call last Wednesday, telling us we could only work three. As of today, I still don’t have anything in writing or in my contacts with city officials telling us what we’re supposed to do but we are doing what they are requesting us to do, trying to get along with the city and make everything right,” said Poss
Still, Poss said on days when the pool is extremely busy, its difficult for just three lifeguards to have to monitor such large crowds. “When we get a busy day with 250 plus swimmers, its very stressing on these lifeguards to have to watch that many kids and the liability is unreal,” said Poss. The guards also have to rotate stations often, which Poss said can create inconveniences. “They are required to rotate every so often. That’s how they are trained. We rotate stations so they are not looking at the same area of the pool for hours at a time, getting bored with what they’re doing. That way they’re keeping their eyes and minds fresh,” said Poss. “I order for these lifeguards to rotate, and when they rotate we have to shut parts of the pool down, just so they can take a break. We try to do this every twenty minutes. I don’t feel like it is fair to the people who pay their money to come in and use the pool only to have it shut down most of the day,” he said.
With a recent pay dispute over lifeguards apparently settled now, Poss said he is hoping for more cooperation from city hall. “Lifeguards are up to date on their hourly wages. We are employing three lifeguards right now. Until we can get this issue resolved, we are taking care of the slides, the deep end, and the other chair as best we can. We’re just wanting a little help from the city and more cooperation. We’re willing to work with the city. We want to make it right. We want to give something to the people they can enjoy,” said Poss.

The last day of early voting for the Smithville Municipal Election Thursday, drew the largest single day turnout of the two week period at 101. That puts the total at 594 from May 30 through June 14.
Here’s how the voting breaks down each day:
Wednesday, May 30, 48 voters
Thursday, May 31, 55 voters
Friday, June 1, 45 voters
Saturday, June 2, 24 voters
Monday, June 4, 38 voters
Tuesday, June 5, 40 voters
Wednesday, June 6, 27 voters
Thursday, June 7, 58 voters
Friday, June 8, 23 voters
Saturday, June 9, 47 voters
Monday, June 11, 22 voters
Tuesday, June 12, 24 voters
Wednesday, June 13, 42 voters
Thursday, June 14, 101 voters
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected on Tuesday, June 19, each to serve a two year term, beginning July 1. The candidates for mayor are Taft Hendrixson and Jimmy Poss. Candidates for alderman are Scott Davis, Jason Judd Murphy, Tim Stribling, and Steve White.
The ballot will also include a referendum on liquor by the drink in city restaurants. Voters will have the opportunity to vote either “yes” or “no” on whether to “authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in the City of Smithville.”
Election day voting, June 19 will be from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. in the basement courtroom of the courthouse.
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.
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.
WJLE WILL HAVE EXCLUSIVE LIVE ELECTION RETURN COVERAGE WHEN THE POLLS CLOSE TUESDAY NIGHT AT 7:00 P.M. CHECK HERE FOR THE LATEST RESULTS UNDER LOCAL NEWS AT WWW.WJLE.COM OR LISTEN LIVE ON AM 1480/FM101.7 OR LIVE STREAMING ON THIS WEBSITE.

Traces of mold believed to be present in portions of Smithville Elementary School has prompted a response from school officials.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby addressed the issue Tuesday night during the school board meeting, saying an environmental consultant with a Nashville air quality monitoring company visited the school last week and in addition to steps already taken, plans are to do a cleaning of duct work to improve air quality in the building and to work on reducing condensation in places where mold could form. “Ms (Julie) Vincent, Mr. (Earl) Jared, and myself, along with an environmentalist came to the school last Friday. We walked over the whole school but Ms. Vincent and some of the teachers had already sent in areas of concern and those areas were the places where we actually went to and looked in more detail. Personally, I was pleased with some of the recommendations that he (environmentalist) gave us,” said Willoughby. ” One of the recommendations was to clean the air vents. He recommended that they be cleaned every ten to fifteen years. We’re already in the process of making contacts with contractors in order to come in and do that (cleaning). There’s another area that needs some insulation. That same contractor is going to come in and do the duct work. We were told that these contractors will come in and do the insulation which will help cut down on condensation in some areas. One of the things, we thought, could be of concern were things on the floor in the first grade area. We asked the environmentalist for his recommendation about that. He said that wasn’t mold on those floors where we had some concerns. But we’re going to have some people go in and strip those floors down and put down two or three coats of wax. From talking with the person who is putting down our floor tile in the cafeteria, he told me that years ago, they used to put down the floors with some kind of black glue and that this black glue is part of what is coming up between those tiles,” said Willoughby.
“The environmentalist removed the air conditioner covers on the outside of the building and it looked brand new in there. It did not look like it was old at all,” said Willoughby. ” It was very clean. He complimented our maintenance department for keeping their filters and everything changed so that was a big plus. When he got through, I was pretty pleased because it appeared, from what he said, to be an easy fix with some of the concerns we had. So we’re making contacts with contractors, trying to get them in there this week. After we do that, we’ll ask the environmentalist to come back and look it over to see if there are other concerns that he might have. He (environmentalist) recommended coming up with some kind of policy and we will follow his lead on that to do what is best for this building and to assure people that we’ve got a good building for students to come into,” said Willoughby.
Fifth district school board member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III urged school officials to make sure “we’re vigilant to find the root of this problem and to fix it. If it recurs then we need to search some more. Since we’re getting new roofs on some areas, we need to find the source of these problems for the health of our children and the faculty as well,” he said.