Another great Fair on the River is complete. Thank you to all the volunteers for helping make this a success. Especially, thanks for all your help registering entries and caring for the exhibits during the week.

Thanks to all the Smith County residents who exhibited their goods. Both the residents and the Family and Community Education (FCE) members showed their talent by all the awards they won. A special congratulations to Night Owls FCE club for winning the Hallie Mai Clemons FCE award of $100 for the FCE club with the most entries. There were 11 Best of Show Awards presented.

Family and Consumer Sciences, FCS exhibits Best of Show winners were:

Photography- Kay Bennett

Heirlooms- Tammy Jackson

Floriculture- Leanne Hesson

Canning- Dena Salzler

Cooking- Myra Fisher

Sewing- Maggie Klenke

Fine Arts Amateur- Tabatha Edwards

Fine Arts Professional- Anne Towns

Crafts- Myra Fisher

Quilts- Maggie Klenke

Needlecraft- Nancy Hackett

In addition to Best of Show Prizes, a $10 premium check was given. Thanks to our wonderful FCS exhibit sponsors: Granville Bed & Breakfast (Randall and Peggy Clemons) (3); Carthage FCE club; Nancy Hackett in memory of Randall Hackett; Stan Webster in memory of Edith Stanton Webster; Carol Webster in memory of Beatrice Webster; The Holliman Children in memory of Mack and Dot Holliman; Elmwood/ Chestnut Md. FCE club in memory of Ruby Hale; Justin and Mary Draper in memory of Edward Massey Sr.; and a sponsor donation in honor of Night Owls FCE club. I hope everyone will start planning now on what they want to enter in next year’s fair!

Gladys Nixon’s Lazy Day Cobbler

1 stick butter

1 ½ cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

¾ cup milk

1 large can peaches or other fruit (include juice)

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Melt butter in bottom of 9-inch square pan. Beat together 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk and pour over butter. Do not stir. Pour the can of fruit (including juice) over the batter. Again, do not stir. Sprinkle the other ½ cup sugar over the top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown and baked thoroughly.

Submitted by: Anita Bennett, Gordonsville FCE Club.

During the second week of June, Smith County 4-H took 50 happy campers to the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in Crossville, Tennessee, for a fun-filled week of 4-H Camp. Despite some blustery weather at times, campers had a great time making new friends, trying new things, ziplining, swimming, making crafts, playing games, spending time at the fishing pond, archery range, rifle range, and lake, and enjoying a foam party and songs, stories, and s’mores around the campfire.

The following 4-H’ers from Smith County attended 4-H Camp with us this summer: Ali Kay Babcock, Alex Bodie, Braxton Carden, Gracie Craddock, Cecelia Cowan, Aiden Davis, Jake Dawson, Sam Dawson, Olivia Dallas, Sawyer Dillard, Hannah Dixon, Charlotte Driver, Clay Driver, Gracie Driver, Oliver Durham, Nathan Elmore, Jorja Flynt, Theron Geho, Will Gillispie, Mason Grisham, Aspen Gibbs, Ivee Gibbs, Bryant Harper, Aubrey Hicks, Eli Hickman, Scarlett Hicks, Amelia Hodges, Sophia Holder, Natasha Hollis, Lucas Hula, McCall Kemp, CJ Lawson, Oakley Lawrence, Willow Lawrence, Joshua Lee, Maizie Mahaney, Haley McDonald, Tristan McCarter, Jake Myers, Ethan Perkins, Kayden Perry, Charlotte Pena, Izabelle Quick, Ella Grace Tanis, Makaeleigh Tarpley, Marshall Taylor, Cole White, Chase Williams, Tucker Williams, and Gracie Wooten.

Our camp week was so successful thanks to our incredible team of adult volunteers and teen leaders. Thank you to Elston Gibbs, Janae Lawrence, Cynthia Zeitz, and Courtney Dickens for serving as adult leaders for our campers. Special shout-out to our new Ag Agent Will Herbert who came to hang out with us for a few days at camp, too! Will jumped right in, and we’re so glad to have him on our team.

Our Teen Leaders Kynlee Davis, Greg Dixon, Ja’Kodi Gibbs, and Evy Quijano also did a phenomenal job helping out campers and doing whatever else was needed to keep camp running smoothly!

We are so grateful to these individuals for spending the week with us and making an impact on our local youth.

Smith County 4-H would also like to thank the individuals and community partners who donated to our 4-H Camp Scholarship Fund. This year, our camp scholarships were made possible by generous donations from American Legion Post 57, Smith Farmers CO-OP, the Smith County Fair in memory of Willie Neal, the Jamie Evitts Memorial Fund, the 4-H Picnic at the Tennessee State Fair, and other private donors. This summer, 13 of our campers attended on half-scholarship.

Junior 4-H Camp is open to youth in Smith County who have completed grades 4-6, and we take around 50 youth to 4-H Camp every summer during the month of June! If you have any questions about 4-H Camp, would like to be notified when camp sign-ups begin next year, or are interested in financially contributing to our 4-H Camp Scholarship Fund, please reach out to the UT-TSU Extension Office in Smith County.

The 4-H Youth Development Program delivers programs through cooperative efforts of the University of Tennessee, Tennessee State University, and public and private sector volunteers. 4-H educational programs are offered to all youth, grades 4-12, on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

Thanks again to all of the volunteers, Extension Agents, and 4-H Camp staff that made our camp week safe and fun for all of our kiddos! It takes a village to make a 4-H program successful, and we’re so grateful for all of the people in our Smith County 4-H village!

For further information concerning the many opportunities that 4-H has to offer the youth in Smith County, call 615-735-2900 or email rpetty@utk.edu.

The State of Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday weekend will take place Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27.

During this holiday, Tennesseans can save nearly 10 percent on qualifying clothing, school supplies, and computers. Clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less will be tax-free, and computers priced at $1500 or less will also be tax-free. Qualifying items may be purchased online and in stores.

“Tennessee’s strong track record of fiscal stewardship has allowed our state to cut taxes and put dollars back in the pocket of hardworking Tennesseans,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “I encourage every family to take advantage of back-to-school savings, and thank the General Assembly for their partnership to provide direct financial relief for taxpayers.”

“Tennessee’s sales tax holiday is the one time each year when these items can be bought without paying any sales tax,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said. “We encourage Tennesseans to take advantage of the savings.”

Visit http://www.tntaxholiday.com for more information about the sales tax holiday, including a list of qualifying items. If you have questions, you can also call 615-253-0600 or email revenue.support@tn.gov .

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws, and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws.  The department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue.  During the 2024 fiscal year, it collected nearly $22.2 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $4.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.  To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

Highpoint Family Wellness – Gordonsville with Ascension Saint Thomas is thrilled to have Justin Brown, FNP-C, onboard. As a dedicated and certified family nurse practitioner, Brown, working alongside Heather Lambert, FNP, brings a strong commitment to proactive healthcare, emphasizing disease prevention and early management for patients of all ages.

While Brown has called Carthage home for the past three years, he has roots in the Lebanon community. His passion for preventative care was shaped by his experience as an ICU nurse, where he witnessed firsthand the critical impact of timely intervention and health promotion. This philosophy now guides his practice at Highpoint Family Wellness – Gordonsville.

“My goal is to empower patients to take an active role in their health,” says Brown. “I believe that by focusing on prevention and early management, we can significantly improve long-term health outcomes and help individuals live their fullest lives.”

Brown provides comprehensive primary care services, including:

· Sick visits

· Hypertension management

· Diabetes management

· Chronic illness management

· Physicals (Annual, school, and sports)

· Preventative care

Brown earned his Master of Science in Nursing from Middle Tennessee State University in 2024 and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cumberland University in 2021.

Outside of his practice, Brown enjoys spending time with his wife and their two dogs, often outdoors or cheering on their favorite football teams.

Brown is now accepting new patients. Highpoint Family Wellness – Gordonsville is located at 14 Main Street, Suite B, Gordonsville, TN 38563. Appointments may be made by calling 615.588.1015 or by booking online at highpointhealthpartners.com

About Highpoint Health with Ascension Saint Thomas

Highpoint Health is a regional health system dedicated to making communities healthier in Middle Tennessee. It is composed of Highpoint Health – Sumner, a 167-bed hospital in Gallatin; the Highpoint Health – Sumner Station campus in Gallatin; Highpoint Health – Riverview, a 35-bed critical access hospital in Carthage; Highpoint Health – Trousdale, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Hartsville; and in March 2025, Highpoint Health – Winchester and Sewanee (jointly 198 acute and skilled care beds) joined the system as well. Highpoint Health is operated as part of a joint venture between Lifepoint Health and Ascension Saint Thomas. This collaboration brings together the organizations’ clinical excellence, best practices, and talented caregivers to collaborate in new ways that improve access to high quality clinical programs and specialty care for patients and communities. To learn more, visit HighpointHealthSystem.com.

The 15th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, August 14, 2025 from 6-7:30 PM. The Center will be honoring the Tennessee General Assembly members who represent the children of Wilson, Smith, Jackson, Macon, and Trousdale counties. This year’s honorees are Senators Paul Bailey, Ferrel Haile, Mark Pody, and Ken Yager; Representatives Clark Boyd, Michael Hale, Kelly Keisling, and Susan Lynn. The Center will honor these recipients of the Center’s Pillar of Hope Awards for 2025.

The Pillar of Hope Award is so named because our Center has four strong pillars on the Center’s welcoming front porch, and the award is given to a “pillar in our community” who serves children wholeheartedly.

The General Assembly’s support of the Savannah Grace Copeland Act increased funding to child advocacy centers all over the state. The 15th CAC continues to serve child victims of severe physical and sexual abuse in Wilson, Trousdale, Macon, Smith, and Jackson Counties.

“We are deeply grateful to every legislator who championed this funding, especially those who live in the communities our Center serves,” Heather Wamble, Executive Director for the 15th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center said. “Together, we are making Tennessee a safer, stronger place for children.”

The media and public are invited to attend. Please let us know if you can attend by sending your RSVP via email to me at director@cac15.org.

About the 15th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center
Our mission is to reduce the trauma of child abuse and facilitate the healing process. We serve child victims of sexual and severe physical abuse from Wilson, Trousdale, Macon, Smith, and Jackson counties in Tennessee. Our Center is a child-safe environment designed especially with the child and their family in mind. We provide children and their non-offending parent/caregiver with appropriate mental health, medical, and other resources in our district. Our compassionate and skilled team is committed to providing the support and care that young victims of abuse and their families/caregivers need to begin their journey toward healing. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit governed by a diverse Board of Directors.

For more information about 15th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center and how you can help prevent child abuse, visit www.cac15.org

About The Savannah Grace Copeland Act
This bill is named in honor of Savannah Grace Copeland, a middle school student from Knox County who was tragically killed by another student. That student had a history of experiencing neglect, highlighting the broader issue of child-on-child violence as a serious concern alongside adult-on-child abuse.

The bill reflects a legislative commitment to strengthening early intervention efforts in cases of child abuse and neglect. It emphasizes the role of Child Advocacy Centers in identifying, interrupting, and addressing patterns of abuse and neglect, with the goal of preventing future tragedies similar to Savannah’s.

The 2025 Mr. and Miss Baby Fairest of the Fair Pageants were held at the Smith County Fair on Saturday, July 5, 2025. The pageants were divided into three divisions include boys and girls from each of the age ranges 0-6 months, 7-15 months and 16-23 months.

The boys 0-6 months Mr. Baby Fairest of the Fair (0-6 months) Winner was Jackson McCloud who also won Most Photogenic.

Three girls 0-6 months participated. Miss Baby Fairest of the Fair (0-6 months) Winner was Zaila Stilwell, 1st Runner-up was Carlie Grisham and 2nd Runner Up was Kinlee Grace Bly. Zaila Stilwell also won Peoples Choice.

Four boys 7-15 months participated. Mr. Baby Fairest of the Fair (7-15 months) Winner Harlan Christopher Preston 1st Runner-up was Thomas Jameson Niznik and tied for 2nd Runner-up were Roman Stewart and Remington James Daniel Huff.

Eight girls 7-15 months participated. Miss Baby Fairest of the Fair (7-15 months) Winner was Delilah Jade Hess, 1st Runner-up was Georgia Rose Massey and 2nd Runner-up was Reba Jayne Horton. Caroline Reese Billingsley won Peoples Choice and Georgia Rose Massey won Most Photogenic.

Five girls 16-23 months participated. Miss Baby Fairest of the Fair (16-23 months) Winner was Mary Mae Louise Deason, 1st Runner-up was Hallie Blair Taylor and 2nd Runner-up was Haisley Reign Presley. Audrianna Lampkins won Peoples Choice and Nora Everleigh Read won Most Photogenic.

This year, Smith County was host to the Multi-County 4-H Livestock Clinic on Thursday, May 22, 2025. This event was held at the Smith County Ag Center and attended by over 40 4-H’ers from across the Central Region! Participants were able to learn more about showing livestock with a focus on the topics of showmanship, fitting and grooming, and skillathon for the species of their choice: beef cattle, goats, sheep, or swine.

Experts in each species spent the day sharing their knowledge with participants. The Locke Family (Morgan, Leslie, Emma, Bryant, and Brody) and Becky Sintek were our beef cattle clinicians. Kiley Wilson and 4-H’ers Addison Spangler and Knox Logan shared information about goats. Emily Nave was our sheep clinician, and Kyra White was our swine clinician.

Special thanks to Trent Jones from Putnam County for serving as our showmanship judge at the end of the day. Lunch and our showmanship awards were generously sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America thanks to Mr. Chris Ferrell.

No matter if 4-H’ers had many years of showing under their belts or if they had never stepped inside the show ring before, it was a day of hands-on learning and fun for all!

The Multi-County 4-H Livestock Clinic is a partnership between UT-TSU Extension in Smith, Wilson, and White Counties. If you would like to learn more about the many livestock opportunities available through 4-H, please call 615-735-2900 or email rpetty@utk.edu.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) compiled statistics from the state’s recently completed 2025 spring wild turkey hunting season. The total reported harvest is 29,037, down 2,610 (8 percent decrease) from 2024 and a 13 percent decrease over the previous 5-year average (33,304).

“Going into the spring, I thought harvest this year might be down a bit due to the poor reproduction that occurred back in 2023,” said Roger Shields, TWRA Wild Turkey Program Coordinator. “The low productivity meant we would have fewer 2-year-old birds on the landscape than in years past.”

On top of that, this year was a very wet spring, which Shields said likely impacted the harvest, both for its effect on turkey behavior as well as hunter behavior. “We heard from a number of sources that birds were not as vocal this year and as hunters, if we’re not hearing birds, we’re often less inclined to keep heading to the woods, especially if it’s raining all the time,” he said. “We’ll have a better idea of how hunter effort changed and how that might have affected total harvest after we get results from our post-season hunter survey.”

A total of 23,785 hunters reported harvesting at least one turkey, 1 percent lower than the 5-year average of successful hunters (23,996). One turkey was harvested by 78 percent of the successful hunters and two birds were harvested by 22 percent of the successful hunters.

There were 25,797 gobblers and 3,066 jakes harvested from the five new turkey management units. The Central unit had a total reported harvest of 13,775, followed by the Northeast with 5,839, Midwest with 4,607, Southeast with 3,860, and West with 956.

The 2026 spring turkey season will be held April 11-May 24. The 2026 Young Sportsman Hunt is the weekend of April 4-5.

The 2025 Miss and Mister Toddler Fairest of the Fair Pageants were held at the Smith County Fair on Wednesday night, July 2nd, 2025.

Mr. Toddler Fairest of the Fair 2025 was Houston “Brooks” Phillips and 1st Runner up was Daxton Forrester

The winner of the 2025 Smith County Miss Toddler Fairest of the Fair Pageant was Hattie Lynne Warden 1st Runner Up was Elsie Pearl Paschall (left) and 2nd Runner Up was Elsie Dee Dyer (right).

Riley Embry was also crowned the People’s Choice Award and Most Photogenic was awarded to Hattie Lynne Warden.

Thirteen girls participated in the 2-3 year-old age division and 2 contestants participated in the 2-3 year-old boys division.

Congratulations, contestants!

The Fairest of the Fair Pageants will continue this week at the Smith County Fair. Visit http://smithcountyfairtn.net for a complete schedule of events.

The 2025 Miss and Mister Tiny Fairest of the Fair Pageants were held at the Smith County Fair on Wednesday night, July2nd, 2025.

Mr. Tiny Fairest of the Fair 2025 was Deklan Kennedy and 1st Runner up was Duke King.

The winner of the 2025 Smith County Miss Tiny Fairest of the Fair Pageant was Emma Grace Jones (center) 1st Runner Up was Ellie Kate Hopkins (right) and 2nd Runner Up was Oakland Grace Ferrell (right).

There were 23 contestants in the Miss Tiny Fairest of the Fair pageant. Emery Bennett won the People’s Choice Award and Most Photogenic was awarded to Kady Lane Dixon.

Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen!

The Fairest of the Fair Pageants will continue this week at the Smith County Fair. Visit http://smithcountyfairtn.net for a complete schedule of events.

The 2025 Mrs. Fairest of the Fair Pageant was held at the Smith County Fair on the night of Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Four ladies participated in the Mrs. Fairest of the Fair Pageant.

The winner of the 2025 Smith County Mrs. Fairest of the Fair Pageant was Ashlee Crain (center), 1st Runner Up was Lacy Loggins Rigsby (right) and 2nd Runner Up was Makayla Turner (left)

Congratulations, ladies!

The Fairest of the Fair Pageants will continue this week at the Smith County Fair. Visit http://smithcountyfairtn.net for a complete schedule of events.

The 2025 Miss Petite Fairest of the Fair Pageant was held at the Smith County Fair on Tuesday night, July 1, 2025.

The winner of the 2025 Smith County Miss Petite Fairest of the Fair Pageant was Taylor Swann (center), 1st Runner Up was Jaxie Sue Jenkins (left) and 2nd Runner Up was Kodi Reagan West (right).

There were 13 contestants in the Miss Petite Fairest of the Fair pageant. Kodi Reagan West won the People’s Choice Award and Most Photogenic was awarded to Paislee Lynn Hale.

Congratulations, ladies!

The Fairest of the Fair Pageants will continue this week at the Smith County Fair. Visit http://smithcountyfairtn.net for a complete schedule of events.

The Dog and Cat Show at the Smith County Fair was held on Saturday morning, June 27th. Several dogs participated in the the show sponsored by Smith County Animal Clinic. Several dogs and handlers participated in seven divisions.

Congratulations to the winners listed below: (handler – dog)

Sporting Division

1st Place – Crystal McCall – RosaleeWorking/Utility

1st Place – Kaybree Denney – Willow

2nd Place – Ella Dixon – Fancy

3rd Place – Jamie Summerville – Drake

4th Place – Delilah Dixon – Windsor

Hounds

1st Place – Millie Lancaster – Frank

Toy Terrier- Non Sporting

1st Place – Maddox Nester – Dudley

2nd Place – Ellie Webb – Tatertot

3rd Place – Ava Silcox – Ellen Kate

Misc/Mixed Breeds

1st Place – Jacob Lankford – Luna

2nd Place – Millie Lancaster – Sadie

Best Dressed

1st Place – Delilah Dixon – Windsor

and Kaybree Denny – Willow

2nd Place – Ella Dixon – Fancy

3rd Place – Jamie Sommerville – Drake

Jr. Handler

1st Place – Kaybree Denny – Willow

2nd Place – Ava Silcox – Ellen Kate

3rd Place – Jayden Nester – Dudley

3rd Place – Ella Dixon – Fancy

Best in Show Cat – Kylee Allmon – Salem

The Dog and Cat show was sponsored by Smith County Animal Clinic. To schedule an appointment call 615-735-3330. Many more pictures of the Dog and Cat Show and other Smith County Fair events visit the Smith County Fair Facebook page.

The 2025 Miss Junior Fairest of the Fair Pageant was held at the Smith County Fair on Tuesday night, July 1, 2025.

Seventeen lovely tweens ages 10-12 participated in the Junior Fairest of the Fair Pageant. Most Photogenic was awarded to Natalie Nicole Denton and People’s Choice was Mattie Grisham.

The winner of the 2025 Smith County Miss Junior Fairest of the Fair Pageant was Tilly Gene Boze (center), 1st Runner Up was Alliyah Mai Dedmon (left) and 2nd Runner Up was Makaeleigh Faith Tarpley (right).

Congratulations, ladies!

The Fairest of the Fair Pageants will continue this week at the Smith County Fair. Visit http://smithcountyfairtn.net for a complete schedule of events.