A ground breaking was held Thursday morning for the future home of a new animal shelter for the City of Smithville and DeKalb County.
Members , friends, and supporters of the DeKalb Animal Coalition for the Humane Treatment of Animals gathered at the site located behind Tenneco Automotive and near the county’s soon to open solid waste transfer station.
“We have so many people to be thankful for who have helped with this. We especially want to thank our city mayor and our county mayor. We also want to thank our Smithville Board of Aldermen and our county commission and all the volunteers without whom we could not have done any of this,” said Marsha Darrah, President of the Coalition.
Sue Puckett Jernigan, member of the Coalition, added that while everyone is excited about the progress that has been made, more funds are needed in support of the shelter. “We are really happy about this and we’re looking forward to the finish date. We’re going to see this to the end. This is going to succeed but we still need donations and volunteers because we will be running short on funds,” she said.
Although several potential bidders expressed an interest, Mike Foster said only one bid was received to build the shelter and that was a bit more costly than expected. So the project was awarded to the bidder on a cost plus basis. “Dwayne and Cindy Ward were the only ones who had bid on it. We had seven or eight people who got papers to bid on it but they (Ward’s) were the only ones who bid. We all talked about it and thought it (bid) was high so they (Ward’s) will do it at cost plus. This way we can get the sales tax savings being that the Coalition is a 501c3 organization. Just on the concrete we have put down so far it saved us $490. By the time we pour the slab we will have realized a savings of $21,000. Hopefully, it’s going to save approximately $100,000 doing it this way,” said Foster.
The facility is situated on a four acre site and is expected to be around 4,000 square feet when completed, including outside pens. Foster said the completion date is not certain but could be within the next four months, depending upon the weather.
If you would like to volunteer or make a donation toward the shelter, contact Marsha Darrah, Sue Puckett Jernigan, or any member of the Coalition. Donations may be made by Pay Pal or at Post Office Box 354.
Jim Wood, another member of the Coalition invites you to volunteer or shop at the Coalition’s Resale Store on Walnut Street downtown Smithville on Fridays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. or Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. “Anyone can stop in and volunteer to help us out or look around and see if there is something in there they can’t live without. There are all sorts of things in there people have been donating. You’d be surprised at the number of things that are available that we’re practically giving away. I mean these are yard sale prices. Come in and see what you can find,” said Wood.
The goal of the coalition is for the county to have a permanent and safe location for neglected, abandoned and abused animals; to provide an alternative low-kill policy so these animals receive medical attention, reduce overpopulation, and be cared for until they can be placed in permanent homes.
The City of Smithville and DeKalb County have each donated $75,000 toward construction of the facility. The new shelter will take the place of a smaller one which has been in existence for years on county property but operated by the city behind the DeKalb County Highway Department Headquarters off Smith Road.
TOP PHOTO; Cindy Ward, Dwayne Ward, Alderman Gayla Hendrix, Hector Florez, Marsha Darrah, County Mayor Tim Stribling, David McDowell, Sue Puckett Jernigan, Alderman Jason Murphy, Joyce Poss, Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss, Dr. Hugh Don Cripps, Mike Foster, Jim Wood, and Sue Wright.

Students in need of clothing at DCHS were treated Thursday during the first ever “Tiger Boutique” organized by the Climate Crew.
Members of the Climate Crew collected donations of name brand clothes and set up shop for one day only in the DCHS library for other students to take advantage of for free.
“These kids in the Climate Crew came together and donated amazing clothing and by 10:30 a.m. this morning (Thursday) we had 700 items of clothing selected by over 100 students . A total of 1,555 items of clothing were given away for the day. These are mostly name brand clothes, free of any rips, stains, tears, or odors and are really good clothes for these kids. The students are so excited. We could not believe the outpouring of love from the community in giving us clothes and how many students were actually in need,” said DCHS Librarian Lisa Craig.
“Mrs. Sara Halliburton, a Biology teacher at DCHS, saw that there was a need about a year ago for this and today her vision has become a reality,” said Craig.
“We will also be doing this again in the spring so we will be looking for prom items to be donated to the library,” she added.
The DCHS Climate Crew is made up of students who have a desire to change the school culture at DCHS. “We want to do a lot of good things for kids because there is so much negativity in this world and we just want to help change lives,” Craig concluded.

DeKalb County High School Golfer Isaac Walker competed in the TSSAA Class A-AA Golf Tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday at Willowbrook Golf Club in Manchester.
Walker shot a 77 on Tuesday and a 74 on Wednesday for a two day total of 151. Out of 72 golfers competing, Isaac finished in a tie for 14th place. Walker, just a sophomore, was making his second appearance at the state tournament in as many years.
“I am so proud of Isaac and the way he prepared and competed this week and really all year. He is a such a great kid, a great student, and just a joy to be around. I wish I could take credit for his outstanding golf, but the credit all goes to him. He has tremendous support from his family including his dad, Scott Walker, mom, Misty Walker, and his sister, Hannah Walker. I feel Isaac’s best golf is in front of him, and there is no limit to how far he can go,” said DCHS Golf Coach John Pryor.
Walker earned his way into the state by finishing 3rd in the district tournament and 2nd in the region.
Kyle Cottam of Knoxville Catholic was the runaway winner with a score of -6.
“Isaac improved a lot at State from last year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he made a run at a state championship in the next couple of years,” said Coach Pryor.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen visited DeKalb County High School Wednesday as part of her “Classroom Chronicles” tour across the state.
The focus of the tour is to meet with students to gather their perspectives on education. “This year our focus is on students and student voices and hearing from them around their readiness for post secondary, for career, and learning from them about what can we do better as a state to make sure we’re supporting our schools and our local districts better in post secondary readiness, advanced courses, and making sure they have the rigor that they need and that the cultures in our high schools are moving toward those high expectations,” Commissioner McQueen told WJLE.
“DeKalb County is part of my opportunity today to hear from students and tour guides as they walked us into classrooms and they talked to me about their dreams and goals and where they are going to go and how DeKalb County has prepared them in that direction,” Commissioner McQueen added.
“Commissioner McQueen is someone who is always willing to listen to counties and schools. I believe she has truly at heart a concern for our students and for our school districts and I believe she wants to hear what our concerns are to help better prepare our students,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.
“I love the way she interacted with students when she went into the classroom. She asked them questions and asked about what they were doing. She was very complimentary of all the hands on activities and problem solving we were doing in the classrooms. We’re proud of that and she is welcome anytime,” said DCHS Principal Kathy Bryant.
Commissioner McQueen visited the dual enrollment students in the Distance Learning Lab, the AP Calculus Class of Andrew Dixon, the STEM/Building Trades Class of Gary Caplinger and Brad Leach, the Culinary Arts Class of Linda Parris, and the Biology Class of Mary Anne Carpenter.
TOP Photo: State Representative Mark Pody, DeKalb Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, DCHS Principal Kathy Bryant, Tennessee Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen, DCHS Senior Class President Madison Butler, Miss DCHS Rachel Fuson, Mr. DCHS Eli Cross, Supervisor of Instruction for 7th through 12th grade Lisa Cripps, and Donna Emmons, RTI2 coordinator and Instructional Coach at DCHS.

Almost a year after being closed, work is beginning to replace the Holmes Creek Road Bridge over Fall Creek.
During Monday night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Jimmy Poss said the contractor has cleared the site and construction should start by next week. “They’ve got all the trees cut and the way I understand it probably next week they will be taking that bridge out,” he said.
Twin K. Construction of Helenwood, Tennessee was awarded the bid last month to build the new bridge. City officials are hoping the project will be completed over the winter or by spring.
Twin K’s bid of $687,791 was the lowest of the five bids submitted and was recommended for approval by the city’s engineer for the project, Professional Engineering Services in Sparta. In addition to the construction bid, other added costs including engineering, design, and inspection fees, geotechnical exploration, right of way, temporary construction easement, asbestos study, and permits, put the total costs at $778,655.
The project is being funded under the state’s Bridge Grant Program. The matching cost to the city is going to be $196,625
The bridge, at the bottom of town hill behind Love-Cantrell Funeral Home, has been closed since October 30, 2015
The state forced the City of Smithville to close the bridge due to a Tennessee Department of Transportation Evaluation Report which detailed various bridge deficiencies making it potentially unsafe.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson reported Monday night that the manhole replacement project on West Main Street was recently completed and that the actual cost was under budget. “We originally awarded the contract to Flow- Line for $227,000 but it came in at $62,000 under budget. It will only cost the city about $165,000. They didn’t have to do as much excavating as they had anticipated,” said Hendrixson.
Street paving in the area of the manhole work on West Main should begin soon. “According to the engineers we have to allow time for settlement with those manholes where it went in but it will be paved,” added Hendrixson.
Paving and striping is also completed around the public square. The city still has funds budgeted this year to pave several other city streets.
Police Chief Mark Collins reported to the Mayor and Aldermen that the department has been approved for a Governors Highway Safety Office Grant. “Sergeant Travis Bryant has been working hard. We were approved for another GHSO grant. Last year it was for $5,000 and this year it is for $10,000. This grant money will be used for equipment and overtime during the summer months when we need it the most,” said Chief Collins.
The aldermen also approved Chief Collins’ request to allocate funds to purchase a patrol car to replace a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria with 130,000 miles which has been taken out of service due to transmission problems.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security announces the McMinnville Driver Services Center will re-open Monday, October 17 in the original location.
The driver services center is located at 594 Vervilla Road in McMinnville.
State and local officials cooperated to re-open the center. After much discussion, city and county officials agreed to pay the rental building space cost for the center that had been removed from the department’s state budget.
The state has agreed to provide personnel and the equipment to operate the center.
Driver Services Assistant Commissioner Lori Bullard expressed her thanks and appreciation to both state and local leaders for collaborating to re-open the center.
McMinnville is a full service driver services center open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CDT), Monday through Friday.
This center offers driver licenses, identification card issuance, motor vehicle records, vision testing, knowledge and skills testing, and handgun permits.

A celebration was held last week to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the DeKalb County Drug Court Program now renamed the “DeKalb County Recovery Court” and to recognize the latest persons to graduate from the program, Lisa Dillon and Christina Murphy.
The celebration banquet ceremony and ribbon cutting were held at the New Life Connection Center in Smithville on Monday, September 26.
Not only was the event held to commemorate 10 years of restoring lives, reuniting families, and helping participants begin their journeys into recovery through the program, but also to raise awareness for the disease of addiction.
Norene Puckett, Program Coordinator welcomed the crowd of over 90 people, and stated “The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long lasting and can lead to many harmful, often self-destructive, behaviors. September is National Recovery Month and that is why we chose to have our event tonight, in honor of this. The national slogan for recovery month is ‘Prevention Works, Treatment is Effective, People Recover.’ Our program and drug courts like ours across the country target non-violent, high risk, high need offenders and give them the treatment they need, rather than punishment through incarceration. Lives are transformed through judicial monitoring, random and frequent drug testing, evidenced-based treatment, support of the drug court team, and holding our participants accountable for their actions. Addiction is a treatable disease!”
Puckett went on to say, “Tennessee is in the top 3 in the country for prescription drug abuse. And our leaders across the state have recognized this and are acting on it. The TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has selected drug courts across the state to take part in a vivitrol pilot program. We are one of 4 drug courts in the Middle TN region and 1 of 11 in the state to have been selected to be in the pilot program. Vivitrol is a once a month injection used in treating alcohol dependence and opiod use disorder. In my opinion, this is lifesaving medication and I am so thankful to be able to give our participants access to it.”
In 2013, the TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, which funds and monitors drug courts across the state, wanted to be more inclusive of all the types of treatment courts throughout the state (i.e. veterans court, drug court, DUI court, juvenile drug court, etc.) and to show the positive aspects of the programs, so they changed the name to Tennessee Recovery Courts. Following Puckett’s speech a ribbon cutting ceremony was done with the Smithville-DeKalb Chamber of Commerce to unveil the new name of the drug court program, the DeKalb County Recovery Court.
Speakers that night were Judge Bratten Hale Cook II, who gave an overview of the program and the 10 year history, along with the history of drug courts throughout the country. Nathan Payne, Region Coordinator for Lifeline of Tennessee spoke on his personal story of addiction and spoke about the need to reduce stigma for persons suffering from addictive disease. The keynote speaker was the Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Mark Gwyn, who praised the work of recovery courts across the state and nation. He addressed the perception that he himself along with many officers he has worked with once had towards drugs. “We will lock-up everyone and get us out of this problem!” He told the audience his views did not change toward the drug problem until he was hired with the TBI and worked with a drug court program in Davidson County. During his time with that program (during a methamphetamine pilot program) his mind was made up. When he saw how people’s lives can be transformed through treatment and accountability, he has been a firm supporter of recovery courts ever since.
The evening also celebrated two more graduates of the program, Lisa Dillon and Christina Murphy. Each woman was presented with a plaque recognizing them for successfully completing the requirements of the DeKalb County Recovery Court program.
DeKalb County Recovery Court would like to thank the sponsors for the evening: Bradford Health Services, Buffalo Valley Treatment Centers, Community Probation Services, DeKalb Community Advisory Board, DeKalb Florist, DeKalb Prevention Coalition, Gayla Hendrix Law, Haven of Hope Counseling, Health Connect America, Power of Putnam, Smithville Church of Christ, Smithville Church of God, Sober Living Services (Omega House), Turn Key Bail Bonding, & Volunteer Behavioral Health. The DeKalb County Recovery Court program is funded by multiple sources which include State funded grants through the TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, court fees and fines of individuals charged with drug or alcohol related charges, additional funding appropriated through the County Commission and through donations of time from the Honorable Judge Bratten Hale Cook II, the Office of the District Attorney General, the Office of the District Public Defender , Sheriff Patrick Ray, Haven of Hope Counseling and Community Probation Services.

What impact will losing the DeKalb Utility District as a water customer have on the City of Smithville?
Will the city have to eventually raise water rates to its own customers because of it?
During Monday night’s meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen, City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson said a new rate study is being conducted to determine the city’s actual cost of producing water. “Through J.R. Wauford (city’s utility engineer), they have recommended a gentleman to us. He is out of Hermitage and he does water and sewer rate studies. He has been working with us, going through our data. We’re trying to figure out where we are at and where we are going. DUD is probably going to be leaving us in the next few months. They are getting ready to start up their plant. We’re trying to get a plan together as far as how that is going to impact the city. They are our biggest customer but they are also our biggest expense. This is unknown territory. Hopefully by the next meeting, I’ll have him here and he can give a report. We need to see what it’s costing us and see what we may need to do in the future as far as our water and sewer rates. Hopefully we won’t have to do anything. I just want you to know we’re working on it. The number we have (from previous water rate study) $2.67 per thousand gallons to produce water is now five or six years old. A lot has changed since then,” said Hendrixson.
City water customers currently pay $5.00 per thousand gallons of usage. Rates for customers outside the city limits are $7.50 per thousand gallons. City sewer customers pay $5.00 per thousand gallons plus the flat usage rate of $3.62. The rate the city charges the DeKalb Utility District is $2.67 per thousand gallons.
In this year’s budget, the city reduced projected revenues from the sale of water to the DUD from $765,000 for the year ended June 30, 2016 down to $400,000 for half the year 2016-17. City officials said earlier this year that such a loss of income may eventually force the city to look at ways of cutting spending or raising new revenues to make up the difference.
DeKalb Utility District is nearing completion of its own water plant but the DUD has not yet announced a launch date.

The DeKalb County Health Department and the City of Smithville Police Department are partnering together for a Child Restraint Checkpoint Event at the DeKalb County Complex on Wednesday, October 5 from 2-5 p.m.
Come by the DeKalb County Complex to have your child’s car seat checked for proper installation. You may also ask questions about your child’s restraint device. They would love to see you and your children. Their goal is the safety of your child.
For more information contact Ashby Woodward of the DeKalb County Health Department at 615-597-7599 or Patrolman Will Judkins of the Smithville Police Department at 615-597-4089.

Dr. Robert R. Atnip, the City of Smithville, and DeKalb County are joining chiropractic physicians nationwide this October during National Chiropractic Health Month to help raise awareness of non-drug approaches to pain management in the face of the U.S. opioid epidemic.
The campaign promotes the use of alternative therapies for pain, such as chiropractic services, before turning to opioids and other riskier treatments.
“Chiropractic is an important and effective first line of defense against pain,” says Dr. Atnip. “It’s vital today that patients who are in pain know they have non-drug options.”
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that as many as one in four patients who receive prescription opioids long-term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggles with addiction. In addition, a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that nearly 50 percent of Americans say they personally have known someone who is addicted to prescription painkillers.
Many respected health care organizations now recommend non-drug treatments. Using treatments such as spinal manipulation, chiropractic physicians take a drug-free approach to treating common conditions such as back pain, neck pain and other musculoskeletal disorders. High-quality research has found spinal manipulation to be effective and safe.
Hosted by the American Chiropractic Association, National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM) is a nationwide observance held each October. The event raises public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic care and its natural, whole-person, patient-centered approach to pain and health and wellness.
Robert R. Atnip, D.C. is a graduate of National College of Chiropractic. He has been in private practice in the Smithville area for more than 44 years. For more information about how D. Atnip can help you achieve better overall health and wellness, please visit ACAtoday.org or www.nuhs.edu or call 615-597-5375.
Last week, DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling and Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss signed proclamations designating October as “National Chiropractic Health Month” in Smithville and DeKalb County. Dr. Atnip and his wife Guylene were on hand for the occasion.
The proclamation is as follows:
“WHEREAS, Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health;
WHEREAS, Chiropractic services are used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs and headaches;
WHEREAS, Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) are physician-level providers who focus on the whole person in their conservative drug-free approach to health care and pain management;
WHEREAS, To date, the failure to adequately address chronic pain in today’s health care system has resulted in unnecessary suffering and an enormous loss of human potential, as well as massive financial and personal costs;
WHEREAS, With the increase in chronic pain, there has been a simultaneous rise in opioid use, which has been associated with adverse outcomes (e.g. addiction, overdose, insufficient pain relief).
WHEREAS, There is a growing body of research that validates the effectiveness of chiropractic services as a first line of defense against pain.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Smithville and DeKalb County officially join with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in proclaiming the month of October 2016 as National Chiropractic Health Month”.