A Choosing to Change Celebration

January 2, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Celebrating Success!

A Christmas/New Year Party was held Friday night at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church gym for youth involved in the recently created “Choosing to Change” program in DeKalb County.

“Choosing to Change” began locally six months ago modeled after “The SPOT” in Smith County, an outreach program of the Youth and Family Resource Network, a non-profit, faith-based organization.

The program operates under the direction of Justin Cantrell, Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist for the Upper Cumberland area and facilitator for SPOT Youth and Family Resources Network Center in Carthage and DeKalb County and Director Barbara Kannapel, who was instrumental in starting “The SPOT” in Smith County several years ago.

The goal is to help students from 6th to 12th grade, who have committed minor infractions at school, to make better life choices and build positive relationships with others.

“Choosing to Change” works with the Juvenile Court in DeKalb County and the students who participate must attend a series of classes over eight weeks.

“In our juvenile program with delinquent and unruly offenses we sometimes do an informal adjustment, sort of a diversion, if it’s the first time they have been in trouble or if its a really minor offense,” said General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Cox. “For example, if they are in court for truancy issues, being a runaway, for vaping etc. when they come to court the first time, they are given the option to attend this class for eight weeks and if they do then we will re-evaluate the case and see how it is going at that point, checking their grades, attendance, etc. We have already had probably 30 or so youth go through the program and we have seen a lot of success with it. Friday night a Christmas party was held to celebrate the kids in the program as well as Justin and Barbara,” added Judge Cox.

“We meet from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the courthouse and we are hoping to expand it by starting an afterschool program here,” said Cantrell.

The DeKalb Prevention Coalition participated in the Christmas Party Friday night in support of the “Choosing to Change” program.

December 31, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County Schools will re-open on Thursday, January 4

The next extended break for DeKalb County students will be spring break March 25-29. Schools will also be closed for Dr. Martin Luther King Day January 15, President’s Day February 19, and Monday, April 1. The last day of school will be May 21, 2024. May 20 will be an abbreviated day.

The DCHS graduation is set for Friday, May 10.

Report cards will be issued at all schools on January 9, March 13, and May 21.

Parent teacher conferences will be held at DCHS from 3-6 p.m. on March 19 and at all the other schools, DWS, NES, SES, and DMS from 3-6 p.m. on March 21.

December 31, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

County unemployment rates dropped in a majority of Tennessee’s counties in November including DeKalb County, according to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Eighty-nine of the state’s 95 counties recorded lower rates for the month.

Unemployment remained the same in three counties in November and increased in three counties.

November’s data showed that 92 of the state’s counties recorded rates of less than 5% during the month. The remaining three counties had rates higher than 5% but less than 10%.

DeKalb County’s unemployment rate for November was 4%, down from 4.6% in October but still higher than the 3.6% rate in November 2022.

The local labor force for November 2023 was 8,191. A total of 7,866 were employed and 325 were without work.

Moore County had the state’s lowest rate in November. At 2.4%, its new rate was 0.2 of a percentage point lower than it was the previous month. Both Williamson and Sevier counties had the next lowest rates at 2.6%. The new statistics accounted for a 0.1 of a percentage point decrease in unemployment for both counties.

Perry County recorded November’s highest unemployment in Tennessee with a rate of 5.3%. The county’s new rate dropped by a staggering 2.6 percentage points from its October rate of 7.9%. Lauderdale County had Tennessee’s next highest jobless number. Its November rate of 5.2% was 0.3 of a percentage rate lower than the rate the county recorded in October.

County unemployment rates are not adjusted for seasonal events such as school breaks and weather, while the statewide rate is seasonally adjusted to take into account the impact those events can have on unemployment.

As reported on December 21, 2023, Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate did increase in November, up by 0.2 of a percentage point from 3.3% in October to 3.5%.

Nationally, unemployment dropped by 0.2 of a percentage point, moving from 3.9% to 3.7%.

Tennesseans looking for a fresh start in 2024 by taking a new career path can start that journey at Jobs4TN.gov. The state’s workforce development website lists the state’s hot occupations, average wages, and more than 210,000 current job openings.