Mailbox Vandalism Charges Pending Against One Adult and Five Juveniles
by: Dwayne PageMar 02, 2025
Mailbox vandalism is about to land one adult and five juveniles in trouble with the law.
Sheriff Patrick Ray issued the following statement about the investigation. “My detectives today (Thursday 2-27-25) interviewed 5 juveniles and 1 adult about destroying mailboxes across the northern and southern parts of DeKalb County. We have had written and some verbal reports of mailboxes getting vandalized on Cookeville Highway, Old Bildad Road, Blue Springs Road, Ike Adcock Road, Keltonburg Road, Antioch Road, Green Hill Road, and Short Mountain Road all in DeKalb County,” he said.
“I am asking the public, if you live outside the City limits of Smithville and you are seeking any financial restitution for damages to your mailbox that has been vandalized, you will need to contact dispatch at 615-215-3000 and let a deputy respond to your location and see the damage or evidence of the damage. All damages to the mailboxes must have been vandalized between the dates of Monday February 17, 2025 and Thursday February 27, 2025. Your report must be turned into the Sheriff’s Department by Wednesday March 5. Charges then will be brought forth on these individuals,” said Sheriff Ray.
“If you are a resident of Smithville, you will need to report your vandalism of your mailbox to the Smithville Police Department. The Smithville Police Department will be taking charges on your reports,” added Sheriff Ray.
Sheriff Says Inmate Housing and Medical Costs Over Budget for 2024-25 Fiscal Year
by: Dwayne PageMar 02, 2025
Its been 19 months since the county was forced to cut the certifiable bed capacity of the DeKalb County Jail in half from 102 to 52 and since that time many prisoners have been relocated to other jails. And while the county continues to ponder where to build a new jail, the costs to the county of sending these inmates off to other places continues to rise.
During a jail committee meeting Tuesday night, Sheriff Patrick Ray updated members of the county commission on where these prisoners are going and how much it is costing to keep them there. Expenditures in this report are from July 1, 2024 to February 25, 2025.
According to Sheriff Ray the county is already over budget in the line items for inmate housing and medical/dental costs with still four months left in the 2024-25 fiscal year. The total expenditures just for housing inmates out of the county to date (February 25, 2025) was $213,865.
“We are still housing as of today (February 25) 18 inmates in other counties including Robertson, Smith, Cannon, Putnam, and Bedford. Some of them are females and some are sex offenders. Others are inmates that cannot go into the regular prisoner population because of trouble they have or have had that required that they be moved. Some have a very aggravated charge that keep them from being housed with other inmates,” said Sheriff Ray.
“There has always been $65,000 each year that has been appropriated to the jail to spend on maintenance and alarm fees that we do monthly. Our central heat and air bills are paid out of that money along with interpreter services. Back in December you (county commission) added $100,000 to that fund putting the total for the year at $165,000,” said Sheriff Ray.
“As of today (Tuesday, February 25) we are at $213,865 for inmate housing. If you compare that number to where we were in December the last time I gave you a report on that ($129,304) we have spent $84,560 in just two months on inmate housing along with some ankle monitors with the probation service that gets paid out of that”.
“The expenditures of our everyday maintenance and other things we do also comes out of that money and to date (Tuesday, February 25), we have paid $7,825. Last December it was $3,086 which means we have spent $4, 738 in two months including a total of $3,153 which was for an inmate transportation service. Part of that was used to extradite a prisoner from California to DeKalb County. The D.A.’s office wrote a letter to have the prisoner extradited back”.
“As of today (Tuesday, February 25) we are at $61,766 in the hole (over budget in this line item). That means at the next county commission meeting if you want to we will need to figure how much further we go in the hole or what it will take to get us through March and April.”
Sheriff Ray said costs of inmate medical and dental services also continue to soar.
“We have always been appropriated $100,000 in the line item for medical and dental services. For years we have been under budget in that category but this year we have already paid out $128, 073 and we have a negative balance of $28, 073 in that line item today. I have $192, 432 worth of outstanding medical bills. The company that we deal with for inmate medical does a reduction on the costs. Most of the time across the board we will have to pay 40% of that. They knock off the 60%. Hopefully we are actually at $76,973 but we have other outstanding medical costs that have not yet been billed and we have from today through June 30 (budget year) to go for (additional) medical costs,” said Sheriff Ray.
“When they (other counties) notify us that they have sent one of our inmates to the hospital we have no control over that. For example if we have an inmate get sick in Bedford County then we have to send correctional officers down there to sit with them as long as they are in the hospital and we are responsible for the bill. That drives up cost for overtime and it takes somebody (correctional officer) away from the jail. There is also fuel expense and other costs to take prisoners back and forth to court,” he said.
“A new law took effect July 1, 2024 in that when someone is charged with an aggravated crime of domestic abuse or aggravated assault a condition for bond is that they be on a GPS monitor that the inmates have to pay themselves. That’s probably a $400 set up fee that the inmate will have to pay before they are released. If they can’t pay that $400 then they will have to sit there (jail) until their case is done. We have been very fortunate in that a lot of people (inmates) on this new GPS system have come up with the $400 but if they stop paying it then we have to go pick them back up because they have to be monitored 24/7 with this monitoring service. I also heard another proposed new law is being considered in the state that if approved anyone charged with a highly aggravated offense would have no bond set. Those are things I am having to look at as far as housing inmates to determine how much our jail population grows or shrinks,” said Sheriff Ray.
DeKalb Fire Department Comes to Rescue of Disabled Person During Structure Fire
by: Dwayne PageMar 02, 2025
The DeKalb Fire Department came to the rescue of a disabled person during a residential structure fire Wednesday.
Chief Donny Green issued the following statement:
“On Wednesday at approximately 10:55 a.m., the DeKalb County Fire Department was dispatched to a residential fire on Keltonburg Road with a disabled person still inside the home”.
“Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene and found the home filled with smoke and occupants and pets still inside. Firefighters, DeKalb County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel, and DeKalb County Sheriff Department deputies safely removed the disabled occupant from the residence.”
“Firefighters quickly arrived and successfully extinguished the fire and ventilated the home. Fire damage was contained to the laundry room in the floor and wall behind the clothes dryer. It was determined the dryer vent was clogged causing excessive heat to ignite the lint in the vent”.
“EMS personnel evaluated the patient, and the patient refused medical transport. The Keltonburg, Belk, and Main Stations responded to the incident,” said Chief Green.