News

For years the county has maintained an unmanned garbage collection convenience center in the Wolf Creek community at the intersection of Medley Amonette Road (Highway 96) and Old Buffalo Valley Road, but its located on the Tennessee Department of Transportation right of way and TDOT wants it to be removed.

During last week’s public works committee meeting, County Public Works Director Brian Reed raised the issue about whether the Wolf Creek site could eventually become a manned site. According to County Mayor Matt Adcock, Reed later checked with TDOT and the answer was not only no, but even the unmanned site there will have to go.

“The waste container can’t be on TDOT right of way and should be removed. It may be possible to purchase land from TDOT using the excess land program. I drew a line on the picture (attached) to show a possibility for purchasing excess land. Any entrance would have to meet TDOT’s driveway manual and would be difficult to have a safe entrance this close to the intersection,” wrote TDOT District 27 Engineer Bo Hoskins in an email correspondence to Reed.

The county has 11 manned convenience sites and Wolf Creek is one of three unmanned sites. The other two are at Temperance Hall and in the Austin Bottoms community. Of the fourteen sites, the county owns all but three, Snow Hill, Silver Point, and at Alexandria.

According to Reed, the state is making a push for counties to go to all manned sites and is funding grants for that purpose.

“The state has put a priority on grants for those sites and is funding up to $125,000 with a 10% local match per site and I would like to apply for some grants in next year’s budget to eventually get rid of our unmanned sites,” said Reed.

The county has not yet come up with an alternate convenience site location for Wolf Creek.

The DCHS boys’ tennis team won the DeKalb Invitational with a 5-2 victory over Macon County at the Smithville Golf Club last Friday. The Tigers were 3-0 on the day, with their other two victories over Riverdale and Oakland. The tournament title was the first in the tenure of Head Coach Brian Cadle, who is in his fourth year at the helm for the Tigers.

Lance Duke, a freshman, led the Tigers with a 6-0 record for the day, going undefeated in both singles and doubles play. Tiger seniors Ian Barnes, Jackson Mathis, and Luke Midgett all won five matches to secure the team championship. The Tigers stand at 4-1 for the season and Coach Cadle was both pleased and excited for the boys. “I started this tournament a few years ago to give our kids a chance to play lots of matches on the same day as a way to prepare for both the district regular season matches and tournament. Winning the tournament and gaining valuable season experience is a double blessing.”

The girls finished second in the tournament with a 2-1 record. They defeated Riverdale and Oakland but lost to Macon County in the championship. Charlotte Paladino, the lone senior in the varsity lineup, led the girls with a 4-2 record. Junior Candice Rico also won four matches. Juniors Abby Joe Crook, Jayde Lester, and sophomore Kayce Hale all won three matches for the Lady Tigers. The girls’ team record is 3-2, with the three wins equalling half of the team victories from last season. Cadle pointed out the growth of the girls’ team over the past three seasons. “Our girls’ program had to essentially start over in 2023, with the loss of several seniors and two returning players not coming out. We did not win a match that year, won six matches last year and now sit at three wins already. The girls have worked through the adversity and worked hard in the off-season to improve and get more experience. It certainly shows right now.”

The DCHS tennis program has enjoyed an overall surge in both participation and success, along with growing player confidence. Mathis, the senior captain, for the Tigers, commented on his confidence as a doubles player. He is partnering with a longtime friend, Midgett. “Luke and I have been friends for over ten years and know how to play off each other. We are both very energetic people on the court who know when to take the load if one of us is not playing well. We are confident in each other and go into every match knowing that we can win.”

Cadle is excited about the Tiger tennis program seeing players from the same family joining in. “We are proud to have two second-generation players in Ian and Lance. Their dads, Adam Barnes, and Patrick Duke, were both tennis players at DeKalb during their time in high school. Barnes stated, “My dad was a great influence in how I got into tennis and grew my skill so quickly. We would go to the courts a lot and hit and he taught me all that he knew about the sport.”

The DCHS team also has several siblings of current players in the tennis program pipeline. Ethan Brown, a sophomore Tiger player has an older brother, Isaac, who played for the Tigers and graduated back in 2023. Mia Bell is a freshman player for the girls’ varsity team and has a brother, Oliver, who is a 6th grader on the middle school team. Luke Midgett’s youngest, brother, John Casey, a 4th grader, is participating in the 10 and under tennis program offered in Smithville by Coach Cadle. Paladino has an older brother, Ian, who played for the Tigers and graduated in 2022. “The best tennis programs have players who belong to tennis families, with several kids playing tennis for their school. I have seen that trend in all my years of coaching. I am so excited to see our DeKalb families going in that direction.”

The boys’ program has seen a winning season in the last two seasons and earned ten wins in 2024. Cadle is hopeful that both teams will reach that pinnacle this season.”We have started strong and the kids have begun to develop a winning culture of commitment, consistency, and confidence. Our team has progressed to believing in their ability to win matches.” At press time, the Tigers played White County on Tuesday and will host York Institute on Thursday at 3:30 pm.

The Town of Alexandria is again without a police chief at least temporarily.

On Thursday March 13, Mayor Beth Tripp issued a written reprimand of Police Chief Kenneth (K.D.) Smith and placed him on suspension without pay until a disciplinary hearing before the mayor and aldermen Thursday night, March 20 at 7 p.m. at city hall.

The mayor’s written reprimand or write-ups to go in the chief’s personnel file are based on alleged events which occurred on November 30, 2024, December 14, 2024, March 10, 2025, and March 13, 2025.

WJLE was unable to make contact with Mayor Tripp by phone for comment Saturday but Chief Smith provided WJLE with a copy of the mayor’s written reprimand as shown here which alleges as follows:

“Resident complaints on several occasions telling residents city information”

“Making workplace intolerable”

“Making workers and myself (mayor) feel unsafe. This isn’t the first time”

“I gave several warnings on your temper and voice getting loud”

“Body language shows anger”

“Not following chain of command on several occasions”

“Talked with you several times trying to get you to calm down”

“Many residents have complained to me about you”

“On Thursday, March 13 at around 3 or 3:30 p.m. the mayor came in and told me to go home for the day. About 15 minutes later I was getting ready to leave and I got called in the office to read and sign a written reprimand. I read over it. I put on it “non agreeable” because I don’t agree with the information that was written down. I initialed it and handed it back to her. I had to turn in my badge, my gun and the keys to the vehicle (patrol car) and to the department. I left the vehicle parked and I had to get an officer to get me a ride home,” said Chief Smith.

“She (mayor) suspended me without pay. I have a hearing on March 20 at 7 p.m. at city hall to determine the disciplinary action toward me. I presume that will be either to dismiss the suspension, uphold it or terminate me,” Chief Smith continued.

According to Chief Smith, the allegations are baseless and without merit.

“As far as I know I have a good rapport and good relationship with all the citizens in the town that I have had contact with and all the businesspeople. I’m the type of person that I go and sit down and talk with the businesspeople. I see people sitting on their front porch and I have stopped and talked with them. I don’t know where the citizen complaints are coming from. That’ll be something that I will address at the hearing. I am trying to build a good police department for the city, and we have a good working relationship with everybody. We’re trying to get there but this is kind of a slap in the face,” said Chief Smith.

According to Chief Smith, the police department is now left with only three part time officers. “There are no full-time officers right now. There are only part time officers trying to cover the town and there will be days between now and my hearing that there will be limited police presence. I hate that for the citizens of the town,” he said.

DeKalb County stands to gain under proposed legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly giving counties authority to increase the mineral severance tax for local road construction and maintenance.

The DeKalb County Road Department currently gets $30,000 per year from the county’s mineral severance tax assessment of 15 cents per ton on companies such as quarries and rock crushers that sever from the ground sand, gravel, sandstone, chert or limestone.

State Representative Michael Hale, who supports the legislation, said any increase in the tax would help.

“Currently the mineral severance tax is 15 cents per ton. Over a period of time, its going to go up five cents every five years to the point its going to be up to 30 cents per ton and that will be earmarked totally for roads. I think its around $30,000 right now for DeKalb County which doesn’t seem like a lot but when its doubled over time to $60,000 it will help especially when it costs $200,000 plus to pave one mile of road. Everything the county can get is a help,” said State Representative Hale.

Under the legislation as introduced, the rate of the tax must be set by two thirds vote of the county legislative body, but must not exceed the following amounts per ton on sand, gravel, sandstone, chert, or limestone severed from the ground in the county:

(1) For a tax period that begins prior to July 1, 2025, fifteen cents (15¢) per ton;

(2) For a tax period that begins on or after July 1, 2025, and prior to July 1, 2030, twenty cents (20¢) per ton;

(3) For a tax period that begins on or after July 1, 2030, and prior to July 1, 2035, twenty-five cents (25¢) per ton; and

(4) For a tax period that begins on or after July 1, 2035, and for subsequent tax periods, thirty cents (30¢) per ton.

According to the legislation, not less than thirty (30) days after the end of a county’s fiscal year, each county that receives revenue from a tax levied pursuant to this part shall provide an annual written report to the comptroller of the treasury, the commissioner of transportation, the chair of the transportation and safety committee of the senate, and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over transportation issues, detailing the amount of revenue deposited into the county road fund during the previous fiscal year, the amount of revenue spent by the county, and how those expenditures have been designated and used for construction, maintenance, and repair of the county system.

A county legislative body that has authorized a tax under this part may increase the tax rate in accordance with state law (§ 67-7-203) adopting a resolution by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote. The presiding officer of the county legislative body shall deliver a certified copy of the resolution increasing the tax rate to the department of revenue. The new tax rate must not be collected by the department of revenue pursuant to the county legislative action until the first day of a month occurring at least thirty (30) days after the receipt of a certified copy of such action by the department.

Its your lucky day?

With St. Patrick’s Day on the way, the DeKalb Animal Shelter has the perfect pet to make you feel lucky! Meet “Murphy”, the WJLE featured “Pet of the Week”.

Although Murphy is unable to hear, he is full of love and anxious to share it with a forever family.

Murphy is four years old and he is neutered, micro-chipped, and fully vaccinated. For the month of March he is sponsored by the Friends of the DeKalb Animal Shelter and his adoption fee is only $50.

If you are interested in meeting Murphy, 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.

The DeKalb County Board of Education’s regular monthly session Thursday night was brief with only routine business on the agenda.

The board approved the extended utilization of four school buses, adopted board policies as recommended by the state, and Director Patrick Cripps announced the resignation of Erica Garrett, Pre-K Assistant at DeKalb West School.

When asked by Board member Jim Beshearse, Director Cripps said that Mike Hollingshead of Hollingshead Materials, LLC (Smyrna Ready Mix) recently made a $20,000 donation to the school district.

The board also approved the DCHS boys soccer team attending the Smokey Mountain Invitational Tournament March 21-23 at Gatlinburg, approved DeKalb West School and Northside Elementary School applying for a grant, approved World Vision using the DeKalb West School campus as a start/end for a 6K run, and approved the DCHS FBLA students attending the State Conference April 6-9 in Chattanooga

Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below 5% in January including DeKalb County even as most counties saw an uptick in their rates over the previous month, according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

DeKalb County’s rate for January was at 4.3%, the same as December 2024 but up slightly from 4% in January 2024. The local labor force for January was 7,916. A total of 7,575 were employed and 341 were without work.

In 87 counties, January’s unemployment rates were up compared with December 2024’s rates. Rates remained the same in six counties and decreased in two counties, Cannon and Monroe.

Williamson County reported the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 2.8%, the same rate as the previous month. Rutherford and Macon counties followed at 3%. Rutherford’s rate was the same as in December, and Macon’s rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point.

Perry County had Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate at 7.6%, a 2.3 percentage point increase over the previous month.

Pickett and Cocke counties had the next-highest rates at 7%. Pickett’s rate was up 1.9 percentage points over December, and Cocke’s was up 2 percentage points.

Data released last week showed that Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January was 3.7%, the same as December’s revised rate. The national rate was 4%.

While statewide unemployment rates are adjusted to consider the impacts of seasonal labor, county rates are not.

Career specialists are ready to assist job seekers at American Job Centers across the state at no cost. Find the AJC closest to you.

Older Tennesseans can find meaningful work through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The program serves those who are 55 and older, currently unemployed, and in need of updating their skills. Participants are placed in a paid community service position that matches their personal goals. They receive training while working an average of 20 hours a week. Contact a program in your area and get started today.

A man accused of holding a woman against her will at knifepoint and then repeatedly raping her back in December was indicted by the Grand Jury Tuesday, March 11.

34-year-old Timothy Ryan Lawson of Poss Road is indicted for especially aggravated kidnapping; aggravated rape (2 counts); rape (2 counts); aggravated assault; and interference with emergency calls.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on December 14, 2024 a detective was summoned to the hospital where a woman was taken after a possible rape in her home. Upon arrival, the detective spoke with the woman who reported that on the night of December 13, 2024 Lawson allegedly held her hostage, displayed a large knife and forced her to have sex with him saying he would kill her if she didn’t. After allegedly taking her phone so she could not call for help, Lawson then allegedly raped the woman a total of five times from the night of December 13 to the morning hours of December 14, 2024.

Meanwhile a man who allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and robbed his own grandparents in April, 2024 was indicted by the grand jury Tuesday, March 11.

43-year-old John Brent Williams of Four Seasons Road, Smithville is indicted for especially aggravated kidnapping; aggravated robbery; and aggravated assault (2 counts)

Sheriff Ray said that on April 16, 2024 a deputy was summoned to the sheriff’s department due to a report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival he spoke with Williams’ grandparents who reported that the day before on April 15 Williams came to their residence at around 9 p.m. and entered a bedroom where he stole a handgun and then held his grandmother at gunpoint refusing to let her leave the home while ordering his grandfather at gunpoint to hand over the keys to their vehicle, a 2017 black Ford Escape. During the incident, Williams allegedly tried to strangle his grandmother and began dragging her by the hair.

Williams later left the residence with the gun and the vehicle. The Ford Escape was valued at $11,000

Williams was arrested on other charges in Kentucky and extradited back to DeKalb County.

A labor of love!

Members of the local FCE Club met Wednesday to put their sewing skills to good use by assembling a variety of comfort cushions, primarily for breast cancer survivors who have undergone treatment and surgery. The comfort cushions will be donated to an area breast cancer clinic and dispersed to future patients.

This is just the latest project undertaken by FCE, which stands for Family Community Education, once known as the home demonstration club. The group meets every three months and participates in various community endeavors from cooking demonstrations to field trips and hosting guest speakers, etc. Membership is open to men and women and the club operates under the local UT/TSU Extension Service.

“We always do projects or have a guest speaker. Today we are making comfort cushions for breast cancer survivors to put on their seatbelts and under their armpits where they have had their scars,” said Pat Wilt, FCE Secretary/Treasurer.

“This is the Family Community Education Club (FCE), once known as the Extension Homemaker Club and one of the things they do is participate in community projects. This project today is wonderful and is going to affect a lot of lives. It’s (FCE) a program offered by UT Extension and anyone can join. We meet every three months,” said Dr. April Martin, DeKalb County UT/TSU Extension Agent.

The purpose of comfort cushions is to provide relief for patients after surgery. They are used to relieve pressure from the areas of discomfort. Plus, they help provide better rest and sleep for the patient. Seat belt cushions create a protective barrier and helps relieve pressure to a tender chest area which may cause discomfort.

New names!

During Tuesday night’s meeting, the public works committee of the county commission voted to rename the history room, arcade room, and art room at the county complex to give them a more distinguishable identity subject to final approval by the full county commission.

The committee is recommending that the history room be renamed “The Tennessee Room”, that the arcade room be given the name “The DeKalb Room” and that the art room be called “The Classroom”.

Since the county complex was opened in 2012 the rooms had names for their intended purposes. Arcade games were originally placed in the arcade room for youth to gather but over time they were removed. Although the history room was meant to have been used to display county historical artifacts it was never developed for that purpose. Both rooms remain vacant but are often used by senior citizens and other groups. The art room is located near the main auditorium of the complex and its purpose is also primarily for the public to meet or gather.

Meanwhile, the committee also voted to recommend that any historical displays be placed in the county offices end of the county complex down the hallway by the offices of the county clerk, register of deeds, trustee, etc. provided it meets with the approval of the full county commission and state fire marshal. The idea is to make the displays more highly visible to the public while keeping them in a more secure environment. If approved it may take some time to organize such an effort in that the county currently has no panels, cabinets, or display cases for historical artifacts.