Enrollment numbers in the DeKalb County School System keep fluctuating.
As WJLE reported last Tuesday, enrollment was down slightly from last year as of Monday morning. But by Thursday, enrollment was up by ten students over last year.
According to Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder, a total of 2,909 students were enrolled as of Monday, August 3. But during Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting, Reeder said numbers taken from the computer showed that district-wide there were 3,015 students enrolled, up from 3,005 a year ago.
“These (numbers) are pretty fluid and will be until Labor Day. We’ll have people coming in and moving out,” said Reeder.
As of Thursday, enrollment at each school was as follows compared to last year:
DCHS: 867 (up by 37 students)
DeKalb Middle School: 536 (down by 18 students)
Northside Elementary: 658 (up by 35 students)
Smithville Elementary: 569 ( down by 40 students)
DeKalb West School: 382 (down by seven students)

DeKalb Middle School had the honor and rare opportunity to host two Medal of Honor recipients and family members of a third in a tribute ceremony Friday morning.
83 year old Leo Thorsness, a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and 71 year old Harold (Hal) Fritz, a retired United States Army Officer both received the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Vietnam War. The two national heroes were scheduled to arrive in Smithville on a Blackhawk helicopter but inclement weather prevented it. They rode into town instead in a Chevrolet Suburban.
Members of the community and local veterans greeted the war heroes with handshakes and salutes as they entered the school and some waved flags in a show of patriotism.
Family members of the late World War I hero Sergeant Alvin C. York were also honored guests including York’s son and daughter Andrew Jackson York and Betsy Ross York Lowery along with two of his grandchildren, Gerald York and Deborah Marie York, who is the executive director of the Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation. The program featured a power point tribute to Sergeant York as well as to a DeKalb County Medal of Honor recipient, the late Charles P. Cantrell, who served in the War with Spain in 1898. Plaques of appreciation were presented to the York family and to Thorness and Fritz.
Veterans in attendance sat together during the tribute program, which also featured video vignettes about Thorsness and Fritz. Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department presented flags and student Bill Miller led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance with Thea Tippin singing the National Anthem.
(VIEW VIDEO OF TRIBUTE PROGRAM BELOW)

Principal Randy Jennings helped with the introductions and reminded the students of the significant sacrifices these men made for their country. “As students you guys look up to a lot of people; basketball players, singers, actors, and all those people you put on that pedestal. We use that term hero very loosely a lot of times. Those are just famous people. They are not necessarily heroes. Here are the real heroes. We are honored to have our Medal of Honor recipients with us,” said Jennings.

After making brief remarks, Thorsness and Fritz participated in a question and answer session with Tom Duggin serving as moderator. The questions were previously selected from students. Following the assembly, Thorsness and Fritz visited a few classrooms before they departed the school in the Suburban.

Thorsness was held as a prisoner of war for six years in North Vietnam and spent much of the first three years enduring torture sessions and extensive stints in solitary confinement.

He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the skies above Vietnam and is one of only 79 living medal recipients. He is a native of Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
Thorsness flew 92 successful missions in all, but he was forced to eject from his plane midway into his 93rd. He injured both of his legs in the ejection and was captured by members of the North Vietnamese military.
Thorsness was released from captivity in 1973, at which point he retired from the Air Force. He received the Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon in a White House ceremony on October 15, 1973.
In 1966, Fritz, a native of Chicago Illinois, was working toward a career in veterinary medicine when he got his draft notice. After advanced armor training, he was accepted for Officer Candidate School. In 1968, he was sent to Vietnam. While he was there, Fritz led a column of heavily armored vehicles on a dirt highway near Quan Lo. He was suddenly blown out of his armored vehicle from a huge explosion by a large force of North Vietnamese soldiers. Fritz’s force was caught in a crossfire. Fritz jumped into an armored vehicle, took a heavy toll on the attackers, and led his tiny force in a point-blank charge that temporarily drove the enemy back. He was hit several times, and one particularly heavy blow on the left side of his chest knocked him down.
Fritz had tried to call headquarters but didn’t know if the transmission had been received. As he readied his men for a last stand to protect the wounded, he saw the aerial of a U.S. tank coming down the road. It was part of a tank platoon that had overheard his call for help. Eventually, he and his wounded troopers were evacuated by helicopter.
Later that day when he returned to the battlefield, he found a battered cigarette lighter that had been given to him as a going-away present by his wife. It had been in his left breast pocket and had stopped an enemy bullet that would otherwise have killed him.
He returned to the U.S. in the spring of 1968 and learned in 1971 that he would receive the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon.
“Some of the unsung heroes, the men and women that served in the various branches of service in the United States who came back, they were not awarded the Medal of Honor but their valor and dedication are equal to anyone who has the Medal of Honor,” said Fritz in his remarks during the tribute program Friday.
“The Medal of Honor is given in the name of Congress. It’s not won. It’s presented and awarded to a recipient. We are recipients of the Medal of Honor and we wear our ribbons proudly not for ourselves but for the men and women that have served, that are serving, and will serve in the armed forces of the United States,” he said.
“War is a terrible thing. But I believe beyond my lifetime that somebody or maybe some people sitting in this audience will be the key to finding a way to peaceably settle disagreements between individuals and countries. You are going to play a role in that. You are going to be part of that solution. Your contributions are very important. The two greatest weapons in the world today are faith and education. Always extend your hand out to your fellow American to help them. They in turn will help you and others. That’s what makes America so great. That’s why men and women serve. Because we want to preserve freedom, not only for today but for the future,” Fritz concluded.
“We are so blessed just by being born in America. We wear this medal for those who can’t. We wear it for everybody who served,” said Thorsness.
Only 79 Medal of Honor recipients are still living. It’s the country’s highest military honor, given for valor in combat and action that saved the lives of fellow soldiers, sailors and Marines.
A total of 45 million men and women have fought in America’s wars, but only 3,500 have received the Medal of Honor.
DeKalb Middle was one of only a few mid-state schools selected to receive a visit from Medal of Honor recipients as part of “Nashville Salutes”, a three day event focusing on these heroes and what they stand for while preserving their legacy through the Medal of Honor Foundation’s Character Development Program, which incorporates the ideals of courage and selfless service into the middle and high school curriculum to build character and promote responsible citizenship.
Tena Davidson, an educator at DeKalb Middle School, discovered the program and introduced it to students in her class last year. Principal Jennings thanked Davidson for her efforts in making Friday’s program possible.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps is still serving under a 30 day contract with the Board of Education pending a final agreement.
The school board intended to finalize the contract Thursday night but decided to put it off until legal counsel, who has already reviewed the agreement, is consulted again to make sure there are no provisions which conflict with state law. “The contract is a good viable contract but there are still some mistakes in it that our attorney may have (not corrected). He condensed it some. A lot of it relates to the Tennessee Code. We want to make sure that everything we want in the contract coincides with the Tennessee Code. I will check with him (attorney) Friday. He called me today (Thursday) but it was on my way to the board meeting so we didn’t have a lot of time to talk about it. He is available all day Friday so I am going to talk with him then. What we will do is work on getting the wording exactly like it needs to be. We have until August 17. If we get this information back (from legal counsel), have it emailed to you (school board members), and if everyone is agreeable with the contract and sign off on it in the form of an email making it official to us then the Director, myself, and the Vice Chairman will sign the contract and at the next board meeting we’ll make it part of the minutes at that time,” said Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III.
Board member Danny Parkerson made a motion to adopt Evins’ recommendation. Board member Jim Beshearse offered a second to the motion. All members in attendance signaled their approval on a voice vote. Board member Jerry Wayne Johnson was absent due to an illness.
By a unanimous vote of 7-0, the Board of Education met in special session Thursday night, July 16 and named Cripps the next Director of Schools. Cripps accepted the board’s offer of a two year employment contract at a base salary of $85,000 per year. Cripps signed an initial 30 day contract which is valid until the board finalizes the deal.
In his monthly written report on personnel, Director of Schools Cripps presented a list of names of persons who have been hired, transferred, or resigned/retired since last month.
Employment:
Jill Bowman, teacher at DCHS, replaces Mary Ann Puckett
Brittany Campbell, teacher at DCHS, replaces Chelsa Burch
Joel Goff, teacher at DCHS, replaces Shea Wiegle
Tonya Perry, teacher at DCHS, replaces Karla Crabtree
Tracy Luna, teacher at DCHS, replaces Derek Schatz
Nathaniel Kennard, teacher at DCHS, replaces Taylor McDaniel
Mary Ann Blair, teacher at DeKalb Middle School, replaces Lori Alexander
Cheryl Vance, teacher at DeKalb Middle School, replaces Amy Key
Candace Jones, teacher at Smithville Elementary School, replaces Beth Cantrell
Leslie Moore, teacher at Smithville Elementary School, replaces Vicky Duke
Nicki Johnson, teacher at Smithville Elementary School, replaces Jessica Styer
Julie Hale, educational assistant at DeKalb West School, replaces Shelly Gibson
Lori Chew, interim teacher SPED Resource, fills position of Betsy Walker on a leave of absence
Deborah Gentry, teacher at DeKalb West School
Lindsay Floyd, teacher at Northside Elementary School, replaces Greg Hibdon
Lauri Sweeny, teacher at DeKalb Middle School, RTI (new position)
Eddie Dillard, teacher (ESL- English as a Second Language) at Smithville Elementary School (part-time) (new position)
Emily Summers, teacher at Smithville Elementary School, replaces Carrie Lee
Katie Stutts at DeKalb West School, replaces Evann Wilson
Cheryl Vandagriff, teacher at Northside Elementary School, replaces January Agee
Suzanne Caldwell, custodian at DeKalb Middle School, replaces Pauline Braswell
Substitutes:
Joyce Alexander, Guylene Atnip, Carolyn Caldwell, Donna Davis, Sue Driver, Betty Fisk, Debbie France, Vicki Haggard, Carol Hale, Charlene Hallum, Jimmy Hendrixson, Betty Hickey, Ester Holder, Shirley Ingram, LaTonya Kleparek, Sharon Moffett, Stephen Moore, Angela Osment, Jessica Rackley, Judy Redmon, Joyce Robertson, Virginia Rose, Bob Smith, Kim Taylor, Jan Thomas, Helga Thompson, Luanna Tollett, Brad Trapp, Jenny Trapp, Wanda Vickers, Melissa Wallace, and Kim Young.
Leave of Absence as requested:
Betsy Walker, Whitney Brelje, Felicia Warden, and Karen Jacobs
Transferred:
Jessica Styer from Smithville Elementary School to Northside Elementary SPED to replace Julie Styer
Amme Cantrell from DeKalb Middle School to DCHS SPED
January Agree from Northside Elementary to DeKalb Middle School SPED
Mary Ann Puckett from DCHS to DeKalb Middle School/DeKalb West School to replace Michael Littrell
Diana Moon from DeKalb West School to Northside Elementary School
Danny VanDyne from Smithville Elementary to DCHS to replace Carl Malone
George Storie from part-time cafeteria to full time custodian to replace Danny VanDyne
Beth Cantrell transferred to the Smithville Elementary School Computer Lab
Resignations/Retirements:
Lori Alexander, resigned
Lisa Bell, resigned
Derek Schatz, resigned
Chelsa Burch, resigned
Karla Crabtree, resigned
Michael Littrell, resigned
Alyssa Conger, resigned
Taylor McDaniel, resigned
Shelly Gibson, resigned
Greg Hibdon, resigned
Katie Collins, resigned
Vicky Duke, retirement
Amy Green, retirement
Corrine Seifert, resigned
Mike Merriman, resigned
Donald Haggard, resigned
Julie Styer, resigned
Dee Anna Reynolds, resigned

Area young people ages 8-17 will have a chance to take to the skies on Saturday, August 8, as Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1378 hosts a Young Eagles Flight Rally at the Smithville Municipal Airport (0A3).
The rally is part of the EAA Young Eagles Program, created to interest young people in aviation. Since the program was launched in 1992, Volunteer EAA pilots have flown more than 1.9 million young people who reside in more than 90 countries.
Following the flight, each young person, will receive a certificate making them an official Young Eagle. In addition to the Certificate the new Young Eagle will be given a Logbook with an access code for a complete free online Flight Training course offered by Sporty’s. Their name will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, WI. The Logbook is also accessible on the Internet at www.youngeagles.org.
Those wanting to participate in the flight rally on August 8, 2015 are asked contact Mr. Lonnie Hitchcock at lonnie.hitchcock@woodsnswings.com to pre-register. Registered participants will then come to the Smithville Municipal Airport (0A3) starting at 8:30 AM in preparation for their flight. The 20 minute flights will begin at 9:00 AM and end at 11:30 AM. Additional information about EAA and the Young Eagles program is available on the EAA’s Home Page at www.eaa.org.

In order to provide a secondary source of power especially in times of emergencies and to ensure continued reliability for current and future demands, Smithville Electric System has acquired property to develop a new substation.
The facility, to be called the John Robert Nixon substation, will be located on just over five acres at 1233 South College Street. The name is in tribute to the man who has served as a member and Chairman of the Board of Smithville Electric since the utility was established 45 years ago. Construction is expected to begin soon with completion anticipated by late 2016 or early 2017.
While SES will continue to share the existing substation on West Main Street with TVA and Caney Fork Electric Cooperative, the new one will be solely for the use of Smithville Electric System.
“We’re getting ready to build a second substation so we can have an alternate power source for the City of Smithville. This way we will be able to supply power to the entire city from either substation. We can do maintenance work on the West Main Street substation without shutting off the power to the entire city. Initially, we will transfer part of the supplied load from the West Main substation to the new one, ” said Richie Knowles, Interim Manager of Smithville Electric System in an interview with WJLE Wednesday.
A secondary substation could also serve as a means of new industrial recruitment. ” It will provide us a secondary feed for industries that might be looking at possibly coming to Smithville. That is usually their first question ” do you have a dual feed”? At the moment we have to say no but we’re working on that so in the future when they call we’ll be able to say “yes we do”. Hopefully that will help attract new industry and help us keep the industry we have,” said Knowles.
According to Knowles, this location is ideal because it is directly beneath an existing transmission line route. Efforts will be made to keep it hidden from public view as much as possible. “It’s going to be just one transformer. A small compact substation. It will set back off the road. Hopefully, it won’t be unsightly to the neighborhood. We’ll make it as clean as possible with fencing and landscaping. We’ll try to make it as nice to the neighborhood as we possibly can,” said Knowles.
TVA has already approved plans for the new substation, which will be approximately 105 feet x 192 feet in size. “TVA has approved the site. We got that approval before we purchased the property. We now have to get the substation designed, engineered, and do the grade work. Of course, we’ll have to order all the materials and start assembling it. We hope to get the plans done in the next couple of months and maybe start the grade work before this winter. We hope to have it up and operational by late 2016 or early 2017,” said Knowles.

DeKalb Middle School held a Back to School Celebration Wednesday on the first full day of school.
Members of the school administration and faculty welcomed students as they entered the building.
(VIEW VIDEOS BELOW BY MARY ANN PUCKETT)