A doggone great dog up for adoption at a doggone great deal (View Video Here)
by: Dwayne PageMar 02, 2025
Get to the DeKalb Animal Shelter this week for a doggone great deal before this pet is doggone.
“Oakley is very sweet and well mannered,” said Shelter employee Amy Kitchen. “She is about a year old. Oakley has been spaded and had all her vaccinations. She is ready to go home whenever you want to come and meet her. Oakley is sponsored and through February 28 her adoption fee is only $50. The fee increases to $90 by March 1,” said Kitchen
If you are interested in meeting Oakley, fill out an application on the animal shelter website or come in. Visit https://www.dekalbanimalsheltertn.com/ or call 615-597-3647.
The shelter is open Mondays-Fridays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Transfer Station Road off Highway 70 east behind Tenneco.
Stone Memorial holds off Tigers in close semi-finals District Tournament game
by: Dwayne PageFeb 23, 2025
After pulling off a big upset of White County Friday night, the DeKalb County Tigers came close but fell short of pulling off the same feat Saturday night and lost 57 to 47 to Stone Memorial in the semi-finals of the District 7 AAA boys basketball tournament at Crossville.
The Tigers (10-20) will play for third place in the tournament Tuesday night, February 25 at 6 p.m. in the consolation game at Cumberland County High School in Crossville. WJLE will have LIVE coverage. By winning Friday night, the Tigers have earned a berth in the Region Basketball Tournament at a date, time, and location to be announced.
On Friday night, DC (#6 seed), eliminated White County (3rd seed) 55 to 50 and advanced to the semi-finals Saturday night and a meeting with the Stone Memorial Panthers (#2 seed)
The Tigers kept it close most of the way, trailing 13 to 7 after the 1st period and 26 to 16 by halftime. The Tigers cut the Panthers lead to 38 to 36 by the end of the 3rd period and trailed by only one point 42 to 41 with 4:40 left in the 4th period but the Panthers pulled away down the stretch and won 57 to 47.
For DC, Dalllas Kirby scored 20, Jon Hendrix 14, Jordan Parker 7, Porter Hancock 4, and Seth Fuson 2.
Public Hearing Scheduled on SRM Limestone Rock Quarry NPDES Permit Application (View Video Here)
by: Dwayne PageFeb 23, 2025
Residents trying to stop Smyrna Ready Mix (SRM) from proceeding with its limestone quarry on North Driver Road at Snow Hill are being afforded a public hearing to speak out against the state’s issuance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit and the potential impact on human health and the environment from treated mine wastewater and storm water on the 30-acre site. The receiving stream for the proposed discharge is Drivers Branch.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Mineral and Geologic Resources has announced that a public hearing will be held Thursday, March 27 regarding the proposed issuance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit. The hearing will be held at the DeKalb County Complex, 712 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville starting at 5 p.m. with an information session to allow participants to ask questions formally and receive input from the TDEC staff. The formal hearing will begin at 6 p.m. Once the formal public hearing begins, the question-and-answer format will end, and all public comments will be collected for the hearing record without response from TDEC during the hearing. The public may also join the hearing by computer or phone conference at 1-629-209-4396. Written comments may be submitted by mail or emailed to DMGR.Publicnotice@tn.gov. The last day to submit comments for the hearing is April 7, 2025. If you have questions related to the draft NPDES permit: TN0070737 contact Daniel Lawrence at 865-803-1206 or Daniel.Lawrence@tn.gov
The purpose of the hearing is to gather information from the public relevant to a final decision on the permit application. Comments not related to water quality, or the information contained in the permit application will not be considered in the decision-making process. Issues such as air quality, zoning, blasting, noise, dust, and traffic are not related to water quality and are not regulated by the Division of Mineral and Geologic Resources or the NPDES program; therefore, consideration of these issues would not contribute relevant information for the proposed permit.
Neighbors in the Snow Hill area first became aware of SRM last summer after being shaken by a blast during the company’s prep work for the quarry at the site. Complaints were filed with the state and county. In August the state found that SRM had been crushing without issuance of an NPDES permit. (Inspection in response to a citizen concern regarding blasting debris and mining activities. Mining staff confirmed the presence of rock processing equipment on site and newly blasted limestone without permit coverage).
SRM submitted an application in September after which the site was determined to be inactive.(Inspection for HD Report received on September 12, 2024. Staff present included Daniel Lawrence, Bryan Epperson, Emily Bonts, and Rebecca Drennan. HD submittal was confirmed, though additional features further within the property were also identified and subsequently noted to the applicant. Site was not active at the time of inspection. Processing equipment was on site, as were several piles of crushed stone. All drainage was properly controlled. No discharge was occurring, and no condition of pollution was noted. Facility was out of compliance because a NPDES permit is not in place)
By November SRM was again found by the state to be in non-compliance for operating without a permit and halted activity at the site. (Processing rock without permit coverage. Mining activities on site have expanded since the last inspection via land clearing, and site entrances have been made accessible for construction and mine traffic).
According to the state, the permit application was deemed to be complete December 2 but SRM must wait until a permit is approved and in place before proceeding. SRM must also control drainage from the disturbed area.
Locally, neighbors in recent months have complained to the county commission because a cease-and-desist order has not been sent by the county to SRM regarding the quarry on Snow Hill due to the fact that SRM had apparently been operating illegally without a permit prior to passage of the county powers act in October.