What A Dog! (View Video Here)
by: Dwayne PageMar 10, 2025
Make friend for life with Jackson! The WJLE/DeKalb Animal Shelter featured “Pet of the Week”
Jackson is a two-year-old pointer/Coon hound that is already neutered and has had all of his vaccinations. He loves being outdoors. Jackson is sponsored by the Friends of the DeKalb Animal Coalition, so his adoption fee is only $50.
If you are interested in meeting Jackson, 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.
Three People Sentenced in Criminal Court
by: Dwayne PageMar 09, 2025
Three people were sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Wednesday, March 5.
42-year-old Krista Shaynae Hodges entered a plea by criminal information to tampering with evidence and received a three-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. After two years of probation if she is in compliance with probation, she can be moved to good behavior probation.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that in September 2023 a detective obtained a search warrant for a residence and two phones resulting in charges for illegal possession of drugs and weapons. While looking through the evidence on the Samsung Galaxy A03s the phone shut down and then remotely reset but all information that had been on the phone was lost. Later, an inmate at the jail had a video visit with Hodges which was recorded. On the video, Hodges admitted to having remotely reset the phone. According to Sheriff Ray, Hodges’ act of deleting evidence from the phone effectively hindered the drug investigation.
In other cases, 46-year-old Zeb Donovan Pololu entered a plea to simple possession of a schedule II drug and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $750 and granted judicial diversion.
Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, November 26, 2021 a deputy stopped a red Chevrolet mini van for the traffic offense of crossing the highway’s middle white dotted lines several times. He then spoke with the driver, Pololu who had no insurance. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, the officer found in a baggie inside a pocketbook 2.13 grams of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. Also recovered were other baggies and two scales, one of which had a white substance on it.
23-year-old Christopher Edward Spoon-Murphy, Jr. entered a plea by criminal information to possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) under 0.5 grams and was sentenced to six years to serve at 30% before his release eligibility date. He was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrently with two violation of probation cases against him. Spoon was given 305 days jail credit.
The Joey Reeder Baseball Field Dedication (View Video Here)
by: Dwayne PageMar 09, 2025
The Joey Reeder Baseball Field!
Seven months after the Board of Education voted to name the high school baseball field in honor of the legendary coach, a formal dedication ceremony was held Friday evening at DCHS.
Family, friends, former players, and others gathered for the tribute which took place prior to the Tigers game against Macon County. Surrounding him on the field during the ceremony were Reeder’s mother Faye, his wife Shelby, daughter and son-in-law, Paige and Byron Adcock, and granddaughters Stella and Lakelyn. Coach Reeder also threw the game’s ceremonial first pitch.
After falling behind 5 to 0 in the first inning, the Tigers rallied later in the game but lost to the visiting Macon County Tigers 20 to 14.
Coach Reeder guided the Tiger baseball team from 1982 to 1997.
WJLE’s Voice of the Tigers John Pryor emceed the following tribute.
“On August 8, 2024 the Board of Education voted to name the Tiger baseball field as the Joey Reeder Field due to his 16 years of dedication to the program, the players, and outstanding accomplishments”.
“From the years 1982 to 1997 he led his teams to an overall record of 387 wins and 146 losses for a winning percentage of 73%. His district record was 179 wins and only 15 losses for a district winning percentage of 92% and a post season record of 55 wins and 23 losses for a winning percentage of 71%”.
“During his baseball tenure Coach Reeder won 13 district regular season championships, 13 district tournament championships, 2 district runners-up, 1 district 3rd place, 2 regional championships, and 2 state quarterfinals. Two of his teams ranked in the Johnson City News High School Baseball poll top 25 for the Tennessee Classification”.
“Joey Reeder was a 12-time District Coach of the Year, the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association District Coach of the Year 4 times. The Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year, Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year, and he was named as Coach of the Tennessee High School All Star Game for the East Squad 2 years”.
“During his tenure coaching DeKalb County High School Tiger baseball, his impact on players consisted of 17 players who played college baseball and two players who were selected in the major league draft”.
“We would like to thank the school board for commemorating Joey Reeder, his former player’s accomplishments, and his family for their unwavering support”.
“Finally, on behalf of the former students, your colleagues, and especially your former players, we would all like to thank you for making our lives better and congratulations to you for this well deserved honor Coach Joey Reeder”.