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Established in 1941, Reelfoot Lake’s Wildlife Refuge covers roughly 11,000–acres of property surrounding the lake and is home to numerous species of ducks and birds, as well as deer and other local wildlife. Refuge Ranger Tara Dowdy has been with Reelfoot Lake National Wildlife Refuge for 11 years. Like the park, Dowdy says the Refuge also hosts numerous annual programs, however, their work lies mainly with the safety and wellness of the animals.

On Friday, January 3, Sen. Marsha Blackburn paid a special visit to Dyer County to speak with local and state officials, as well as business leaders about current state legislation. Sen. Blackburn is the first female elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, defeating democratic former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident or simply stepping off the train for the first time, Newbern has much to offer in the sense of small-town community, and during the holiday season the city really knows how to shine. Literally.

Hundreds of families in need will be receiving a box filled to the brim with food this holiday season thanks to a program started by the late Dr. William F. Pierce Jr., a philanthropist and dedicated lifelong member of the Kiwanis Club who started the program in 1945.

The former Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a historical landmark in the community of Trimble, is now being restored to its former beauty thanks to the help of Virginia Parks Williamson, daughter of the late Hamilton and Merion Parks, a family whose roots and history run deep throughout the Dyer County area.

The sound of holiday music played throughout downtown Newbern Thursday night as a crowd of hundreds lined the sidewalks in anticipation of the Rotary Club's 30th Annual Christmas Parade.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, friends, family and loved ones of over 100 soldiers in the 168th Military Police Battalion gathered at the National Guard Armory to say goodbye. The 168th Battalion heads for the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where they will replace the U.S. Army Reserves’ 382nd Military Police Battalion from Westover, Massachusetts and support police and security operations.

There’s no better way to bring in Thanksgiving than with a hot pecan pie, and since 1991, downtown Dyersburg business Pennington Seed and Supply has been synonymous with pecans. Each year, Pennington Seed and Supply receives thousands of pounds of pecans from within a 150-mile radius of Dyersburg.

Tucked away near the Obion River in Finley, a long gravel road will lead you directly to a piece of Dyer County history with influential reach that has stretched all the way to Memphis and even parts of the west coast.

Christmas lights and the smell of hot food was the order of the night for downtown Dyersburg during Friday night’s Downtown Christmas Open House. Set for Friday night 5-8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., the event’s opening night welcomed hundreds for 3-hours of shopping, eating, and socializing. This year’s Christmas Open House featured numerous downtown shops, restaurants, and popup vendors.

Tucked away on Coffman Craig Rd., where Tigrett meets the town of Friendship, is the Bowen Chapel Cemetery. Stretching out over several acres, the site is believed to have been established in the late 1840s or early 1850s, and has served as a community cemetery, offering free burial plots to families free of charge, a policy that continues to be upheld to this day.

Since retiring from a long career at Marvin Windows, local woodworker Steve Meadows, owner of Meadows Custom Woodwork, has made a name for himself through handcrafting unique, quality wood furniture, frames, novelty items and more.

Dot Foods, the largest food industry redistributor in North America, just made a total contribution of $20,000 worth of food to four area food pantries. The donations are part of Dot’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor philanthropic program benefitting local efforts to fight hunger. According to Feeding America, in Tennessee, one in seven people and one in five children struggles with hunger.

On an ideal fall day, 150 participants showed up to take part in the fourth annual Autumn March for ALS Awareness. This past Saturday marked the 29th running of the “March” going back to its 1991 inception as a fundraiser for the Union Mission.

On Thursday, October 24, Dyer County High School senior student Sierra Alexander was named this year’s Most Valuable Choctaw.

4-year-old Luke Johnson wants to be a captain on a cruise ship, and during a surprise send-off party staged at Smallcakes Cupcakery, Luke’s dream was granted thanks to the help of Dream Factory of Dyersburg.

Celebrating its 10th year of success, the annual Girls’ Night Out event welcomed a large crowd to Dyersburg State Community College Thursday, October 24, for an evening of shopping, networking, food and friends.

On Wednesday, October 9, representatives of WRAP [Wo/Men Rape Assistance Program] met with Dyersburg Mayor John Holden, and various members of the Dyersburg Police Department and Dyer County Sheriff’s Department for a proclamation signing declaring October Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Newbern Elemetary School students learned a little about life in the 1800s during a tour through Dyer County's Sorghum Valley.

The 48th annual Reelfoot Arts and Crafts festival kicked off on Friday at 9 a.m. With thousands in attendance and hundreds of vendors, the event stretched across Reelfoot Lake State Park, Ellington Hall, as well as inside and outside the Clifton B. Cates National Guard Armory.

The 35th Dyer County Community Cancer Fund BBQ for Cancer drew a crowd of hundreds to downtown Dyersburg on Friday morning, September 27. Held annually on the Square, the barbecue partners with numerous community supporters to raise funding for cancer patients in Dyer County.

Farm to Table is an annual event held at RoEllen Ranch Farm Adventure. The event welcomes over a hundred locals with all proceeds benefitting Healing Horses, a non-profit organization designed to enhance the lives of community members through therapeutic equine-assisted therapy.