News
Kirby, Agee, and Dakas Capture DCHS Basketball’s Highest Program Awards
April 27, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Seniors Dallas Kirby and Avery Agee were named the 2024-25 DCHS Tiger and Lady Tiger basketball Most Valuable Players Saturday night at the annual team banquet, while Senior Annabella Dakas is the Most Valuable Cheerleader. The awards were sponsored by Love-Cantrell Funeral Home and presented by Chad and Shelia Kirby. The MVP and MVC awards are named in memory of Kirby’s grandfather Allen D. Hooper. Dallas Kirby is the son of Chad and Shelia and the great grandson of Allen Hooper. The awards are voted on by the coaches.
Kirby was also awarded for Best Offensive Player. He led the Tigers in Field Goal Percentage, Free Throw Percentage, and Three Point Percentage with 410 total points for the year at 12.8 points per game. Kirby also made the All-District 7-3A Second Team as well as the All-District Tournament Team.
For Avery Agee, in addition to being named MVP of the Lady Tigers, her statistics for the year 2024-25 are as follows: Field Goal Percentage-38.4%, Free Throw Percentage-70.6%, 7 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game and 2 assists per game. Agee scored 920 points for her high school career with 194 made three-point shots. Agee also received All District Honorable Mention and the Team Leadership Award.
In presenting the MVC award to Annabella Dakas, DCHS Basketball Cheer Coach Shelia Kirby said “This girl is very special to me. I have seen her grow up. I knew her as a little girl. She was always beautiful and is still beautiful. The energy and joy she shows and the talent she has for cheerleading is unmatched. I love her with my whole heart”.
Other individual cheerleading awards included:
MVC: Annabella Dakas
Outstanding Jumps: Landen Tubbs
Outstanding Motions: Brylee Kirby
Team Favorite Cheerleader: Sara Moore
Most Coachable: Julianna Haynes
Roar Award (Respectful, Outgoing, Accountable, Reliable): Madeline Martin
Most Talented and Dedicated: Eden Garner
Other Lady Tiger basketball awards were as follows:
MVP: Avery Agee
Most Improved: Brooklyn Fuson
Tiger Sportsmanship Award: Lillie Young
Most Energetic: Caroline Crook
Sharpshooter: Allie Melton for highest shooting percentage
Best Hustle Award: Chloe VanVranken
Leadership Award: Avery Agee
Chloe VanVranken and Avery Agee of the Lady Tigers received District 7-3A All-District Honorable Mention and Jordyn Agee made the All-District Freshman Team.
For the Tigers,
MVP: Dallas Kirby
Best Rebounder and DC3 Best Three Point Shooter: Jon Hendrix- 145 total rebounds (4.5 per game) and 56 three-point shots made
Best 6th Man: Porter Hancock and Elliot Barnes
Best Ball Handler and Best Passer: Jordan Parker (120 total assists)
Best Offensive Player: Dallas Kirby (Led to team in Field Goal Percentage, Free Throw Percentage, Three Point Percentage with 410 total points for the year at 12.8 points per game)
Most Improved: Logan Duke
Best Defensive Player: Jordan Parker (55 deflections and 70 steals for 2 steals per game)
Tiger Leadership Award: Seth Fuson
Members of the District 7-3A All-Freshman Team were Porter Hancock and Elliot Barnes. Jordan Parker made the district 7-3A Third Team and Dallas Kirby was named to the district 7-3A Second Team. Kirby was joined by Jon Hendrix on the District 7-3A All-Tournament Team.
The season ended for the Lady Tigers (6-23) in the District Tournament as they lost to the Cumberland County Lady Jets 60 to 26 in February. The 2024-25 Tiger campaign came to a close March 1 at Tullahoma in the opening round of the Region 4 AAA tournament with the Wildcats beating the Tigers 61 to 34. It was the Tigers’ first region tournament appearance in several years. The DeKalb County boys concluded the season at 10-22.
Budget Committee to Consider Annual Funding Requests from Non-Profit Organizations
April 27, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
The county budget committee has been asked to include in the 2025-26 budget contributions to non-profit and charitable organizations totaling $366,892, down from $411,746 in the 2024-25 budget. The committee has not yet taken action on the requests.
Organizations and the requested amounts are as follows:
Upper Cumberland Development District: $ 2,000
Tennessee Forestry Division: $ 1,500
Plateau Mental Health Center: $ 7,180
Senior Program: $ 93,318, up from $88, 919 in 2024-25
DeKalb County Soil Conservation District: $ 100,651, up from $96,968 in 2024-25
DeKalb Animal Coalition: $36,805
Chamber of Commerce: $ 35,000
DeKalb County Rescue Squad: $ 51,321, down from $104,256 in 2024-25
Upper Cumberland Human Resources: $ 5,500
Imagination Library: $ 12,000
Veterans Honor Guard: $ 1,500
DeKalb County Fair: $ 5,000
Fiddlers Jamboree: $ 5,000
Civil War Trails: $400
UCHRA Assessment – Homemaker Aide, etc. $ 9,717
TOTAL NON-PROFITS $ 366,892
Taking Orders from the President?
April 27, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
A man found talking out of his head about martial law, making threats against police, and saying he was taking his orders from the President was arrested earlier this month.
32-year-old Dustin Paul Summers of Smithville is charged with public intoxication, two counts of possession of a controlled substance (Fentanyl & Marijuana) with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of Methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver; and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is under a $106,500 bond and will appear in court on May 8.
Chief Deputy Brian Williams of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said that on April 19 a deputy responded to 1071 Midway Road to conduct a welfare check on someone heard screaming. Upon arrival the officer found Summers in his vehicle at Faith Baptist Church on Midway Road and he was yelling out his window. According to the deputy, Summers appeared to be under the influence. He was talking out of his head about martial law, not making sense, and further stated that he was going to kill police and that he was getting his orders from President Trump. Summers was asked but refused to roll down his window so that officers could determine if he was under the influence or having a medical emergency. While deputies were talking to Summers, other officers were able to open the passenger door and remove him from the vehicle. During a search of his person, deputies found in his pocket a container which held a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. A further search of the vehicle turned up a bag containing drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and more crystal-like substances.
29-year-old Zackery Alexander Walker of Green Hill Road, Smithville, is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is under a bond of $11,500 and his court date is May 1.
Chief Deputy Williams said that on April 16 a deputy was dispatched to the area of Big Rock Road, to investigate a report of two suspicious men on bicycles. Upon arrival, the officer observed Walker and another man. As Walker rode past the patrol car on his bike, the deputy noticed him reach into his left cargo pocket and drop something out. He checked the spot and found a glass pipe with residue. A further search of Walker’s person and bicycle yielded another pipe with residue in a black bag as well as a clear baggy that held a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine that weighed 0.66 grams.
44-year-old Nathan Todd Cooke of Sparta is charged with aggravated assault and violation of an order of protection. He is under a $10,000 total bond and he will be in court on May 1.
Chief Deputy Williams said that on April 18 a deputy was summoned to the Johnsons Chapel Recreation Area due to a domestic complaint in which a man was observed assaulting a woman.
Upon arrival, the officer confronted Cooke and his wife. The woman said she and Cooke had been arguing when he pulled her out of the truck by the hair of her head. A background check through central dispatch revealed that Cooke was under a temporary modified order of protection from White County to keep away from his wife except for peaceful sober contact and that Cooke was prohibited from having possession of or consuming alcohol. Cooke smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred. He admitted to having consumed four beers and he was placed in custody.
77-year-old Sharon Lois Moody of Smithville is charged with domestic assault. She is under a $2,500 bond and will be in court on May 1.
According to Chief Deputy Williams, an officer responded to Jacobs Pillar Road on April 19 due to a physical domestic compliant. Upon arrival, the deputy spoke with Moody and two others. One of them, Moody’s granddaughter alleged that Moody had struck her in the face and pinched her during an argument. Moody admitted to the assault saying she did not like the way her granddaughter was talking to her.
31-year-old Gerardo Morales of Smithville is charged with domestic assault. He is under a $3,500 bond and will be in court on May 8.
Chief Deputy Williams said that on April 20 a deputy was summoned to Blue Springs Road on a domestic abuse complaint. Upon arrival the officer spoke with two women who claimed that Morales, a husband to one of them, had gotten into an argument with one of the parties there and that when she slapped his arms to get him away from her daughter, Morales slapped her across the left side of the face, causing swelling and bruising. He was then taken into custody.
22-year-old Lucas Diaz Ruiz of Watertown is charged with DUI and driving without a license. He is under a $5,000 bond and he will make a court appearance on May 8.
According to Chief Deputy Williams, an officer was dispatched to Nashville Highway on April 20 due to multiple reports of a reckless driver. Callers reported a motorist driving on the wrong side of the road, almost striking other vehicles. The deputy spotted the suspect vehicle, a maroon Honda Civic in Liberty driving in the wrong lane. After making a traffic stop, the deputy spoke with the driver, Ruiz and learned from a background check through central dispatch that Ruiz did not have a valid driver’s license. Ruiz smelled of alcohol and his eyes were red and bloodshot. According to the officer, Ruiz was chugging a container of water, and he noticed extensive damage to Ruiz’s vehicle. A passerby reported to having followed Ruiz’s automobile and witnessed it hit another vehicle on Nashville Highway although officers were not able to locate the car he struck. Ruiz admitted to consuming two to four beers two hours prior to his arrest. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.
