Tag Archives: Dekalb County

Empower Upper Cumberland will double the reach of its Circles program in the coming weeks, expanding to four more counties. Empower UC Director Megan Spurgeon said the program will branch out to Overton, Cannon, Warren, and Smith counties. She said the program focuses on helping low-income families create plans for long-term success. “Once we have them up and running and ... Read More »

The Dekalb County Library System will allow you to start fresh this January by waiving overdue fees on any returns. Dekalb County Library System Director Kathy Hendrixson said the program does not include damaged or lost books. She said the system is eager to work with people on whatever is necessary to bring them back to the libraries. “People are ... Read More »

Overton County will take the next step in economic development through a new Property Evaluation Grant from the state. Only three counties received the grant. Overton County Executive Steven Barlow said the county plans to use the grant for the development of a new industrial park. Barlow said the state will send experts to help identify and inspect potential properties. ... Read More »

Smithville will hold its 22nd annual Christmas on the Square Saturday to celebrate the season and the increasingly popular downtown. Downtown business owner Karyn Walker said the Smithville Merchants Alliance teams up with the city to plan the yearly event. Walker said the evening showcases downtown Smithville as a destination for tourism and local families. “Our community is just growing ... Read More »

The DeKalb County Commission will allow the public more opportunities to be heard with a change to commission procedure. Commissioner Tom Chandler said public comments should come at the end of the commission’s work sessions and at the beginning of their normal meetings, the opposite of what they currently do. “That would allow people to comment on what they had ... Read More »

DeKalb County Commissioners approved the additional funding of four anti-drug programs during their Monday meeting. The funds will be split between the local sheriff’s DARE program, the Youth and Family Resource Network, the DeKalb Prevention Coalition, and the Recovery Court Program. County Mayor Matt Adcock said the funding requests totaled just over $145,000. “The state joined a settlement, this is ... Read More »

The burn ban has been lifted for DeKalb County. The ban was lifted a day after burn restrictions were removed for most of the Upper Cumberland. The county also has no burn restrictions. Overton County is the only county in the Upper Cumberland under restrictions. Burn permits are still required for all open burning. You can apply for a burn ... Read More »

Open Burning is banned in DeKalb County until further notice. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has issued a burn ban for DeKalb County. A Burn ban is issued by the state in conjunction with the county and the local forestry department. Violation of a burn ban is considered a Class A misdemeanor, which could result in jail time and hefty ... Read More »

The DeKalb County Jail Committee has voted to recommend building a new justice center instead of just a jail. The committee voted 8-2-1 to send that recommendation to County Commissioners. A Justice Center would be a more comprehensive approach to all areas in the criminal justice system. Committee Member and County Commissioner Tim Reynolds said the decision for him was ... Read More »

A new roof over the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree will be constructed thanks to a $75,000 state Tourism Enhancement Grant. In 2019 a windstorm ripped the cover off, and the stage has not had a roof since. The original roof was built some 30 years ago, designed by Tennessee Tech students. Jamboree President Kim Luton said she hopes the grant will ... Read More »