News

On Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15, local business owners invite you to rediscover downtown Dyersburg during the first ever Lights of Christmas event.

The Giving Tree Project is in full swing for the holiday season. Now in its 4th year, the annual event is changing direction, and will be accepting items to benefit residents of local nursing homes.

On Thursday, Dec. 13, Hillcrest Baptist Church, located at 825 Hillcrest Ave. in Dyersburg, invites the public for the church’s first Festival of Trees community event. There is no cost of admission to the event, which will occur from 5-8 p.m.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Dyersburg. Festive celebrations, flickering lights and winter greens are hallmarks of the holiday season, but they also present fire risks that can quickly turn this festive time of year into a devastating one. The Dyersburg Fire Department offers these tips to educate the public about potential fire risks during the holidays and to help everyone safely enjoy the season...

With nearly all pledges and donations accounted for, this year’s Autumn March raised more money than in previous years. Now the committee is prepared to disburse these funds. The West Tennessee ALS Association will receive $5000, and Matthew 25:40 will be awarded $2500. In addition, this spring the committee will dispense four scholarships amounting to $1000 each to seniors representing local high schools. ‘These funds were raised through the exceeding generosity of businesses and individuals in our community,’ declared Autumn March co-chairperson Sarah Alley. ‘We’re so delighted to reinvest them for the good of the community. A huge thanks to all of our supporters!’ Race organizers have already launched plans to host an even bigger and better event Oct. 19, 2019. Pictured, front row: Melissa Clark, Sarah Alley, Mary Claire Hopper; back row: Gary Meade, Melissa Brubaker, Randy Butler.

The clocks on the courthouse dome have watched over downtown Dyersburg for over 100 years. While originally controlled by a Seth Thomas clock mechanism, time has taken a toll on the clocks. There have been times when none of them actually worked. Thanks to the dedication of a few local volunteers, residents who visit downtown Dyersburg now enjoy seeing the clocks working and hearing the bell sound on the hour and the half hour...

BRANDON HUTCHESON bhutcheson@stategazette.com Though temperatures hovered in the upper 30s Thursday evening, it did not impede community members and those from surrounding areas from enjoying the opening night of the Sorghum Valley Christmas Village at the Dyer County Fairgrounds. The event celebrates its 11th year in 2018...

Happy Camper Creations and owner Belinda Cleaves will be hosting a Christmas Village fundraiser with proceeds benefitting RhizoKids International. The event will be held at Three Oaks Chapel, located at 1105 Resthome Rd. in Dyersburg, on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m...

Christmas is the season of giving, and this year the Community Fund Project is asking residents to give the gift of Christmas cheer to numerous Dyer County children by purchasing tickets for the annual Christmas Stocking Fundraiser, where the winner will be awarded with over $2,600 in gift cards and prizes.

The Dyer County audit findings for the fiscal year ending on June 30 have been released by the Tennessee State Comptroller’s Office.

This week’s Dyersburg High School student spotlight representative is Alveena Nadeem. Alveena is a sophomore and the daughter of Faaiza Arshad. She was nominated for student spotlight by DHS AP Government instructor and Model UN advisor Mark Stenberg...

On Monday evening, nearly 300 local children, parents and guardians attended the annual Christmas event at McIver’s Grant Public Library. Held from 5:30-6:30 p.m., this year’s theme was ‘A Lego Christmas’, and children enjoyed various games, crafts, as well as an opportunity to meet Santa Claus and Lego Man.

The Dyersburg Civitan Club and Dyer County Community Cancer fund recently partnered in an effort to help a local family in need of a wheelchair ramp.

Dyersburg State Community College encourages all students and potential students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb. 1 to ensure a greater chance of receiving funds for the 2019-20 academic year. Students and parents can complete the 2019–20 FAFSA form online at www.fafsa.gov or by using the new myStudentAid app...

DCHS Spotlight Student for the Week of December 10th is 9th grade student, Carrington Newell. ‘Carrington is very mature young man who is always on task to fulfill his duties as a great student. He is ready to assist in the leadership class no matter what the assignment. Carrington is an fine example of a outstanding representative of DCHS.’ - Mrs. Willa McCall...

On Thursday, Nov. 29, a ribbon cutting signifying the recently announced partnership between Dyersburg State Community College and Bethel University was held on the DSCC main campus. Staff members from both colleges, Dyersburg/ Dyer County Chamber of Commerce staff and diplomats, and community members gathered for the occasion inside a classroom located in the E.B. Eller Administration Building.

The annual Sorghum Valley Christmas Village is set to open Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at the Dyer County Fairgrounds. The 1800s-era themed village, featuring an old-time Christmas, will run from Thursday, Dec. 6 through Saturday, Dec. 8 from 6-9 p.m. Though there is no admission, event coordinators are asking attendees to bring in items of donation including canned foods, eyeglasses, hearing aids, books, coats, blankets, new toys, and pet foods for families in need as well as local charities. For additional information, visit the following State Gazette link: http://www.stategazette.com/story/2570501.html.

Brrr! Your home’s heating systems are working double time to keep you warm this winter. With the winter chill upon us, the Dyersburg Fire Department says safety must be your top priority since heating is the second leading cause of home fires. Following these suggestions can help keep your home warm and safe...

BRANDON HUTCHESON bhutcheson@stategazette.com On Monday, Dec. 3, the Dyersburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen convened at 7 p.m. to hold its regular meeting inside the Municipal Building Courtroom. Following the approval of the previous meeting minutes (Nov. 5), the agenda turned to new business, led with the presentation of 3 resolutions...

On Monday, December 3, a court hearing regarding a lawsuit against the City of Dyersburg's pension plan occurred in Dyer County Circuit Court with Judge Lee Moore presiding. The lawsuit, which was originally filed in June 2016 by fireman Aaron Cryer as well as policemen Jason Alexander and Brian Peckenpaugh, was a result of changes made to the Dyersburg Pension Plan by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Dec. 7, 2015.

On Monday, Dec. 3, 7th grade students of Northview Middle School’s STEM program brought 14 handmade kayaks to the pond located at Oakview Golf Course, where STEM instructor Mike French tested each kayak’s ability to float while bearing roughly 270 lbs. of weight.

The Dyersburg Choral Society will present its annual Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m., on Dec. 6 at Cumberland Presbyterian Church, located at 2280 Parr Ave. in Dyersburg. The Choral Society, which functions under the auspices of Dyersburg State Community College, numbers 56 members and is under the direction of Floyd Speck with Carolyn Burnett as accompanist. Members come from around the area including Missouri and Kentucky...

On Thursday, Dec. 6, McIver’s Grant Public Library will host a woodworking discussion with Kendall Parker of Yorkville. Parker, whose handcrafted wooden bowls and trinkets have been on display throughout the month of November, will speak to those who wish to attend on Thursday at 4 p.m. The event is free to the public. For additional information contact the library at 731-285-5032.

On September 11, 2018 at approximately 5:45 p.m., an anonymous tip to the Dyersburg 911 center prompted law enforcement officials from the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office to respond to a call of a body hanging from the underside of a bridge located on Slaughter Pen Road in Dyer County.

Beginning Thursday, Dec. 6 and lasting until Saturday, December 8, the Sorghum Valley Christmas Village, located at the Dyer County Fairgrounds, will be in operation from 6-9 p.m. nightly. The event, celebrating its 11th year in 2018, provides attendees with a glimpse back in time to the 1800s and the experience of an old-time Christmas season.