News

A local community advisory board working with Tennessee Oncology and others is seeking survivors of prostate and breast cancer and caregivers to join focus groups to share their experiences with the goal of making cancer care better.

“About a dozen of us are on this board and we are working in conjunction with Tennessee Oncology but not just specific to Tennessee Oncology, “said Tom Chandler, member of a community advisory board serving DeKalb and Putnam County. “We are looking for people to participate in focus groups to help define, better define, or improve telehealth services for both DeKalb County and Putnam County. There are similar groups for other counties but the one I am involved in is specific to DeKalb and Putnam County,” he said. “The plan would be to have focus groups from three different groups of people. One would be women who have or have had breast cancer. The second would be men who have or have had prostate cancer and the third would be caregivers of anyone who has had cancer,” explained Chandler.

Focus group participants would receive $100 per meeting.

“These focus groups would have various numbers of meetings, and the participants would be paid $100 per meeting. For example, the breast cancer focus group would probably have three to four meetings in the April time frame and maybe over into May. The prostate cancer focus group will have one to two meetings and then the focus group for the caregivers would have three to four meetings. These would be private discussions. Actually, members of the advisory board may be present at the beginning of the focus groups for an introduction of people, but this would be privately conducted by staff of Tennessee Oncology with the participants and the privacy of the people would be respected in terms of their health, etc. We are looking for volunteers for any of those three categories,” said Chandler.

Participant requirements for the Focus Group Discussion on Breast Cancer and Access to Treatment include the following:

*Individual with breast cancer or survivor (any age, stage, or phase-in treatment)

*Resident of DeKalb or Putnam County

*3-4 meeting commitment

Participant compensation:

*$100 per meeting

*Meal provided

*100% confidential

Participant requirements for the Focus Group Discussion on Caregiver for an Individual with Breast or Prostate Cancer include the following:

*Caregiver for Individual with breast or prostate cancer (any age, stage, or phase-in treatment)

*Resident of DeKalb or Putnam County

*3-4 meeting commitment

Participant compensation:

*$100 per meeting

*Meal provided

*100% confidential

Participant requirements for a “One-on-One” Interview with Prostate Cancer Survivors and Access to Treatment include the following:

*Individual with prostate cancer or survivor (any age, stage, or phase-in treatment)

*Resident of DeKalb or Putnam County

*1-2 meeting commitment

Participant compensation:

*$100 per meeting

*100% confidential

Join these focus groups to share your breast cancer, prostate cancer, or caregiver experience. Your stories will help the Community Advisory Board develop and implement a rural telehealth supportive care program. They want to hear your story so they can help make cancer care better.

This study has been approved by the WCG IRB (Western Institutional Review Board – Copernicus Group) (WCG) IRB: Institutional Review Board.

To participate call Carol Noon at 615-250-1776 or email nest@tnonc.com.

The DeKalb County Tigers fought for 3rd place in the district 7 AAA Basketball Tournament against Livingston Academy Tuesday night at Crossville but lost 51 to 49 to the Wildcats.

The Tigers will travel to either Tullahoma or Giles County Saturday for the 1st round of the region tournament. Tip off time to be announced.

In the game Tuesday night, DC led 15 to 7 after the 1st period. The game was tied at 19 by halftime. The Tigers fell behind 36 to 31 after the 3rd period and lost 51 to 49 on a late bucket by the Wildcats.

For DC, Jon Hendrix scored 11, Dallas Kirby 10, Seth Fuson and Jordan Parker each with 8, Porter Hancock, Logan Duke, and Elliot Barnes each with 4.

Named to the All-District Tournament Team from DeKalb County were Dallas Kirby and Jon Hendrix.

A pilot sustained only minor injuries when his plane went down on the lake in the Holmes Creek area Tuesday afternoon.

Chief Donny Green of the DeKalb County Fire Department issued the following statement:

“Tuesday at approximately 3:53 p.m., the DeKalb County Fire Department and other response agencies were dispatched to the Holmes Creek area of Center Hill Lake for a reported plane crash in the water”.

According to Chief Green, “a nearby fisherman witnessed the aircraft crash and immediately called 911 to report it and proceeded to render aid. The pilot, James Luna of Auburntown, Tennessee, was able to remove himself from the plane, board the fisherman’s boat, and had only minor injuries that did not require medical transport”.

“The pilot was operating an ICON A5 single-engine amphibious aircraft designed to land on water or land. He was the sole occupant of the plane and was attempting to land in the water near the north end of Holmes Creek when the crash occurred,” said Chief Green.

“No fire occurred, and no spills resulted from the crash,” Green explained. “Fire crews responded in Fire Boat 2 from Hidden Harbor Marina. The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Emergency Medical Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency also responded to the scene. DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency was also contacted and provided with information that has been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” said Chief Green.

An inebriated man found sitting on the doorsteps of a church was arrested earlier this month for public intoxication.

35-year-old William Justin Goodman of Hodges Road, Smithville is under a $1,500 bond and he will be in court March 6.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Saturday, February 15 a deputy found Goodman sitting on the steps of the Mount Pisgah Free Will Baptist Church. He was apparently there alone. Goodman smelled of alcohol, his speech was slurred, and he was unsteady on his feet. Goodman admitted to having consumed alcoholic beverages and narcotics prior to walking from his home on Hodges Road to the church. He was placed under arrest.

41-year-old Tabatha Marie Pasley of McMinnville is charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution. Her bond is $7,500.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 7 at 4:07 a.m. a female correctional officer at the jail conducted a strip search of Pasley, an inmate and Pasley produced a purple container from her body cavity. The container held 11 peach-colored pills believed to be suboxone.

54-year-old Paul Douglas Shackelford of College Street, Liberty is charged with reckless endangerment. His bond is $7,500 and he will be in court March 13.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 17 a deputy responded to a possible domestic complaint on College Street in Liberty. Upon arrival the officer spoke to all parties involved and determined that Shackelford had displayed a handgun in the direction of another person. He was then placed under arrest.

22-year-old Ricoryon Lammontez Henderson of Murfreesboro is named in a grand jury sealed indictment returned November 19, 2024 charging him with aggravated burglary of a habitation, burning personal property land, theft of property up to $1,000, and assault-threat of bodily injury (2 counts). His bond is $85,000 and he will be arraigned in criminal court March 5.

45-year-old Daniel Derrick Hill of Smith Road, Smithville is named in a grand jury sealed indictment for possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver (2 counts). The offenses were allegedly committed on April 25, 2023. His bond is $100,000 and he will be arraigned in criminal court on April 28.

23-year-old Elijah Thomas Hall of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with driving on a revoked license (2nd offense). He is under a $4.000 bond and his court date is March 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 20 at 6:47 p.m. a deputy was patrolling Short Mountain Highway when he spotted a brown Ford Ranger with its hazard lights on failing to maintain its lane. The officer pulled over the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Hall. According to the deputy, Hall stated that he had a restricted license. After the officer conducted a background check through central dispatch, he learned that the license was revoked and that Hall had a prior conviction on August 22, 2024 due to driving under the influence. Hall was placed in custody.

55-year-old Jeffery Lee Bates of Old West Point Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court March 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 20 a deputy was summoned to Sparta Highway to do a welfare check on a man lying face down in a ditch. The officer found the man, Bates who became unsteady on his feet and he smelled of alcohol. He was placed under arrest.

26-year-old Kelsey Elizabeth Steinbach of Keltonburg Road, Smithville is charged with possession of a schedule I drug. Her bond is $4,000 and she will be in court March 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 23 a deputy went to Walmart looking for Steinbach who had two active warrants for her arrest. After locating Steinbach, he placed her in custody. Steinbach claimed she had acid inside the purse she was wearing at the time of her arrest. The officer searched the purse and found inside a clear plastic baggie a single-colored stamp believed to be LSD.

The wait is over!

After 67 years at the current location, Smithville Elementary, the oldest school building at its core in the county, will be getting a new home on property adjacent to Northside Elementary School.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting the county commission voted 12-1 to adopt a detailed bond resolution not to exceed $55 million to fund construction of a new 800 student Pre-K to 2nd grade elementary school. The term of the bond is for up to 30 years. The projected cost to build the new 124,207 square foot facility at the latest estimate is $53,414,825.

The new school will be funded only by revenues from local option sales tax money (local purpose/sinking fund) designated for school construction and operation. There will be no need for a property tax increase because the county will not be allocating any property tax money to fund it.

Commissioners voting for the bond resolution were Daniel Cripps, Myron Rhody, Tony Luna, Brandon Donnell, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Greg Matthews, Larry Green, Glynn Merriman, Jeff Barnes, Andy Pack, Beth Pafford, and Mathias Anderson. Tom Chandler voted against it. Sabrina Farler was absent.

Commissioner Chandler gave his reasons for not supporting the new school project.

“Lord knows this is a touchy subject. Let me first acknowledge that the school board has a responsibility to find what school should be built and when and how they should be maintained. But I also acknowledge that the county commission has a fiduciary responsibility to determine not just whether the funds are available to fund the school board’s plans but to also determine if those funds will be spent in the best interest of the county. So I exercise my fiduciary responsibility as a member of this commission to say that I do not think this plan is in the best interest of the county. I do not believe the current enrollment data nor the 10-year growth history in our schools warrants this particular plan of action at least as a first priority,” said Commissioner Chandler.

“I also believe the school board has willingly withheld maintenance and upgrades for Smithville Elementary that would have extended its life because they were determined to build a new elementary school no matter what. On multiple occasions I have said that I would vote for a comprehensive 30-year plan that included a new elementary school if that plan included a broader plan for repairs and upgrades to the middle school and the high school. This is not that plan. This is the same ole tired plan to build a new elementary school. I remind this commission that this school could have been built in 15 years and at a lower cost if the school board had coughed up $2 million 18 months ago,” Chandler continued. “However, I applaud the school board for their plan to build walls around some of the classrooms in the middle school. But you should ask yourselves. Why do we have classrooms with no walls? Open concept learning was bs 50 years ago and its bs today. No, we have classrooms with no walls because it was cheaper than building a real elementary school. It’s the same reason why we have a dormitory instead of a real jail,” said Chandler.

“For decades the infrastructure of this county has been addressed with financially low ball and shortsighted solutions and the public has been willingly led down that primrose path not because it made any sense but because they just didn’t want to pay higher taxes. The piper is at the door, and she is here not just about our schools but also about the courthouse, the jail, the community centers, the roads, the fire department, EMS, the list goes on. Stop and ponder this for a minute. Every child in kindergarten in DeKalb County today will have graduated from high school and for some of them their children will have graduated from high school before this school is paid for. At that point the high school will be 90 years old and the middle school will be 80 years old. That is not going to be an enticement for parents to put their children in DeKalb County Schools. Don’t you think we should have some idea of what the plan is for those schools and what it will cost before we continue down this primrose path” asked Chandler.

While the new school project has been set in motion, it still may take months for development to begin and perhaps as long as a year or more before the new school is ready to open.

“I talked to our architect today and we will get the topographical study done first and then we will go from there. It may take three months or so to get that completed because it is an extensive study. They will be doing core drilling and things of that nature on the property. Its not like building your house but we are excited to get started,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.

The existing Smithville Elementary School, originally built in 1958, is 70,557 square feet in size (including additions over the years), and had an enrollment of 534 students as of August 2024. As far back as 2017, a facilities study by Upland Design Group, concluded that the school, which has mold and other concerns, should be replaced and repurposed for other uses.

According to Upland, the school board’s architect, the new Pre-K to 2nd grade Smithville Elementary School will be 124,207 square feet in size and will be designed to accommodate 800 students with room for future expansion to house up to 300 additional students (1,100) total. The school will be built with 11 classrooms for each grade level of kindergarten, first, and second grade (33 classrooms for 20 students each) along with seven Pre-K classrooms for 20 students each plus four CDC/SPED classrooms as needed. The future expansion will accommodate 15 new classrooms at 20 students each. There will be 189 parking spaces on the campus.

Leaving well enough alone!

The county commission Monday night during its regular monthly meeting rejected a proposal to amend the rules for public comments at the formal monthly county commission meetings effective July 1, 2025.

The proposed changes were recommended by members of the government services committee made up of Chairman Sabrina Farler, Larry Green (Secretary), Greg Matthews, Daniel Cripps (Vice Chair), and Tom Chandler.

Currently and going forward during formal monthly county commission meetings, any member of the public wishing to address the chairman of the county commission is given three minutes to speak on any topic at the beginning of the meetings. The speaker must give his or her name, address or their district of residence.

Had the policy been changed, members of the public wishing to speak at the formal monthly meetings would have been required to first sign up 30 minutes prior to the meetings. Once the meetings began, signees would have then been allowed to address the chair for up to three minutes but only on agenda items after giving their name, address and or district of residence. Also, before public comments the chairman would have been required to read aloud the previously established and standing rules which include that citizens are not permitted to call names, question the integrity or motive of any individual or make personal or derogatory comments.

There will also be no change in the public comment policy regarding workshops or committee meetings. Currently and going forward, any member of the public wishing to address the chair during a workshop or committee meeting is given three minutes at the end of the meeting for public comments and may speak on any issue without having to sign up.

During the public comments period Monday night, Sammie Maxwell addressed the chair and commission. “I am always a proponent of civility and decorum at meetings. If efficiency and better business is your goal that is wonderful. That’s good. If your goal is to silence someone that is not good. A hallmark of democracy is our freedom of speech to let our representatives know our opinions and thoughts. What I want to suggest is for you to consider an additional meeting, something like a public forum to let people feel that they have a say so,” said Maxwell.

Commissioner Myron Rhody argued against changing the current public comments policy. “We shouldn’t restrict the public from speaking about other concerns other than what’s on the agenda,” said Rhody. “They may have something that’s popped up within the last day or two they need to talk about. I don’t go along with all these changes. I do think it needs to be done in an orderly manner, but I am going to be in favor of leaving it like it is. After all we do work for them (public). They elected us to be their representatives,” said Commissioner Rhody.

As part of the proposed changes, the public would have been prohibited from applauding or making any unnecessary noise during the public comments period. Commissioner Beth Pafford said there was no need to make the rules so restrictive.

“I don’t believe telling people they can’t clap and being restrictive (to speaking only) to the agenda. There are not public forums where people can just talk and even here (county commission meetings) they (public) can’t ask questions and at all (meetings) except for one incident (public) has been very respectful when they have come up here to talk. I have concerns about passing these restrictions at this time because that’s what they look like. An attempt to restrict the public’s voice rather than to bring order to the meeting,” said Pafford.

Commissioner Tom Chandler made a motion to adopt the proposed amendments to the policies and procedures including the public comment rules as recommended by the government services committee. Commissioner Larry Green offered a second to the motion. Before the vote, Commissioner Beth Pafford moved to amend Chandler’s motion by excluding the proposal on “public comments” and her amendment was approved 9-4. In addition to Pafford, commissioners voting for the amendment were Myron Rhody, Greg Matthews, Andy Pack, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, Brandon Donnell, Jeff Barnes, and Tony Culwell. Commissioners opposed to Pafford’s amendment were Tom Chandler, Tony Luna, Larry Green, and Daniel Cripps. Sabrina Farler was absent.

The commission then voted on the motion as amended to basically leave the current public comments policy as it is with no changes. The vote was 11-2 in favor meeting the two thirds majority requirement for passage in this case. Only Chandler and Luna voted against it.

Amendments to the policies and procedures which were approved by a two thirds majority of the commission as recommended by the government services committee included a provision to change the term “committee of the whole” to “workshops” referring to meetings of the full county commission in a workshop or informative session. Also approved was an amendment to the policy that would prohibit the chairman of any standing committee to make a motion or a second to a motion.

A man already in trouble with the law has more problems after being caught with illegal drugs while trying to evade arrest.

38-year-old Justin Murphy of Smithville is charged with violation of an order of protection, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule I drug, possession of a schedule II drug, possession of a schedule III drug (2 counts), and possession of a schedule V drug.

Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins said that police were summoned to Highland Drive on February 20 due to a man there in violation of an order of protection. While enroute central dispatch confirmed that the man, Murphy was under an active order of protection. Upon arrival officers found Murphy inside the home but he fled out the back door. As he tried to get away, Murphy pulled items from his pockets and threw them on the ground. Those items were later identified as illegal drugs and paraphernalia. Police immediately intercepted Murphy and took him in custody. His bond was set at $24,500 and he will be in court March 6.

42-year-old Hollie Michels of Lebanon is charged with violation of bond conditions (2 counts) and violation of conditional release.

Chief Collins said that on February 17 police were summoned to a disturbance complaint on Jennings Lane and upon arrival found Michels at the home. Officers confirmed through central dispatch that Michels had previously been arrested for domestic assault and had been placed under a no contact with the victim order at this residence on Jennings Lane. Michels was placed in custody and bond was set at $3,500. Her court date is March 6.

The following day, February 18, while conducting extra patrols on Jennings Lane, police spotted Michels’ vehicle in the driveway of the victim. Michels was found inside the victim’s home in violation of the no contact order and was placed in custody. Her bond for this offense is $7,500 and she is to appear in court on this charge March 6.

Later the same day, February 18, officers were summoned to a domestic complaint on North Congress Boulevard involving persons in two vehicles. Upon arrival police found Michels and the victim. According to officers, the victim reported that Michels, while on conditional release, had been following him in her vehicle almost causing a wreck. There was no physical evidence of assault, but Michels was again placed in custody. Her court date for this offense is March 6.

31-year-old Edwin Ordonez Figueroa is charged with driving under the influence and cited for violation of the light law, financial responsibility, and driving on roadways laned for traffic. Chief Collins said that on January 30 a night officer spotted a vehicle traveling in the middle of two lanes on West Broad Street with its lights off. After stopping the automobile and speaking with the driver, Figueroa the officer noticed that he showed signs of impairment. Figueroa submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He admitted to drinking beer. Figueroa was placed in custody. His bond was set at $1,500.

19-year-old Carly Pewitt of Smithville is cited for assault. Chief Collins said that on February 3 police were summoned to Highland Drive due to a disturbance and upon arrival witnessed Pewitt strike another person. There were no injuries. Her court date is February 20.

47-year-old Tommy Jones of Fayetteville is charged with simple possession of a schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, and he was cited for violation of the light law and an expired license.

Chief Collins said that on February 4 an officer pulled over a vehicle on West Broad Street for a light law violation and spoke to the driver, Jones. The officer noticed that Jones seemed nervous. After learning that Jones had previous drug charges a K-9 unit was deployed and the dog alerted on the vehicle. A bag containing 4.3 grams of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine, a grinder with a green leafy residue and a cut straw with residue were found in the automobile. Jones was placed in custody. His bond is $6,000 and he will be in court on February 20.

59-year-old Edward Caldwell of Smithville is cited for violation of registration, financial responsibility, and simple possession of a schedule VI drug. 47-year-old Amanda Knowles of Smithville was also cited for simple possession of a schedule VI drug. Chief Collins said that on February 4 police pulled over a vehicle on North Congress Boulevard for violation of registration. During the investigation, Caldwell was found to be in possession of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana and Knowles had a green leafy substance also thought to be marijuana. Their court date is February 20.

21-year-old Kenneth Dodd of McMinnville is charged with public intoxication. Chief Collins said that on February 6 an officer was called to South Mountain Street where a man, believed to be confused, was spotted in the middle of the road. Upon arrival the officer found the man, Dodd and spoke with him. Dodd seemed to be impaired, and he admitted that he had been drinking. Dodd was taken into custody. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court February 20.

23-year-old Cabrera Palomec of Smithville is charged with DUI and cited for speeding, driving on roadways laned for traffic, unlicensed driver, financial responsibility, and open container. Chief Collins said that on February 10 an officer pulled over a vehicle on East Broad Street for speeding and failure to maintain its lane of travel. The officer noticed that the driver, Palomec seemed to be impaired. He admitted to drinking but refused to submit to field sobriety tasks. Several open containers of beer were found in the automobile. Palomec was placed in custody. His bond was set at $2,500 and he will be in court February 27.

49-year-old Anthony Lewis of McMinnville is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence and cited for driving on roadways laned for traffic and implied consent. Chief Collins said that on February 19 police pulled over a vehicle on Congress Boulevard for failure to maintain lane of travel and spoke with the driver, Lewis. According to the officer, Lewis appeared to be impaired. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. Lewis was placed in custody. His bond is $6,500 and he will be in court March 6.

42-year-old Amber Rice of Smithville is charged with DUI and implied consent. Chief Collins said that on February 19 an officer responded to Taco Bell where a woman was spotted passed out in a vehicle. Upon arrival he found the woman, Rice passed out in the drivers’ side seat with the engine running. While speaking to her the officer noticed that she seemed to be impaired. Rice submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. She admitted to having used marijuana on a regular basis. Rice was placed in custody. Her bond was set at $2,500 and she will be in court March 6.

25-year-old Samuel Castillo of Smithville is charged with DUI and cited for no driver license and financial responsibility. Chief Collins said that on February 23 officers responded to an accident on East Broad Street. Upon arrival they spoke with the driver, Castillo who appeared to be impaired. Castillo admitted to having consumed several beers. Castillo submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He was placed in custody. Bond was set at $2,000 and he will be in court March 13.

DeKalb County’s local option sales tax collections for January 2025 outperformed December 2024 and as well as totals for January a year ago.

According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, DeKalb County collected $277,102 in January 2025, up from $175,759 in December 2024 and better than $222,079 taken in during January 2024.

Local option sales tax collections in January 2025 were up in three of the four towns in DeKalb County compared to December 2024 and better than January 2024 totals in two of the cities.

In Smithville, January 2025 collections were $467,422, up from $394,435 in December 2024 but below $573,752 in January 2024.

Alexandria’s collections increased from $33,091 in December 2024 to $35,418 in January 2025 and were better than January 2024’s collections of $32,635.

Dowelltown brought in $4,795 in January 2025 compared to $4,135 in December 2024 and $4,318 in January 2024.

Liberty’s dropped from $12,961 in December 2024 to $11,560 in January 2025 and were below $13,933 collected in January 2024.

Net collections of local option sales taxes for the county and cities combined in January 2025 were $796,299, up from $620,384 in December 2024 but below the $846,718 taken in during January 2024

January 2025 sales tax collections reflect previous month activity.

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.

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.