Love Lights Shine for the American Cancer Society

December 24, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

During the holidays many families pay tribute to their friends and loved ones, living and deceased, by making a donation in their name to the American Cancer Society to further cancer research and patient services. It’s called “Love Lights a Tree”.

In reality, it’s a tribute board located on the south grounds of the courthouse where names of honorees are displayed throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

The DeKalb County Unit of the American Cancer Society seeks your support. Donations may be made now and the persons you honor or remember do not necessarily have to have suffered from cancer.

The names are in “honor of” and in “memory of” for a donation of five dollars per name. Forms may be obtained at the local banks. For more information call Melanie Judkins at 615-464-7664, Nancy Young at 615-785-3496, Renea Cantrell at 615-684-2688, Gail Taylor at 615-597-5936 or Iva Dell Randolph at 615-464-8129.

The names of 2024 honorees are as follows:

Billy F. Adcock, Eddie Anderson, Lisa Anderson, Charles Atnip, Diana Atnip, Tracie Baker, Bryan Barkes, Era Billings, Dorothy Bratcher, Harold Bratcher, Gene Cook, Carrigan Cox, Linda Culwell, Andrew Dakas, Jennifer Dunn, Earl D. France, Lori Hall, Radley Hendrixson, Eddie Hobson, Edie Hobson, Beverly Jones, Donald Knowles, Evelyn Martin, James Martin, Nate Martin, Cameron Miller, Reed Miller, Lisa Taylor Moore, Walteen Parker, Ernest Ray, Gail Taylor, George Taylor, Nancy Napier Vafeas, Brad Vaughn, Tamera Vaughn, Kim Young, Susan L. Young, Sandra Wall, Phillip Washer, Richard Widener, Eva Willoughby, and Mac Willoughby

Those in memory are as follows:
Jordan Adams, Linda D. Adcock, Grady Agee, Wanda Agee, B. Akin, Mai Akin, Angie Malone Allen, David Wayne Alexander, Bill Ambrose, Alvin Armour, Linda Armour, Betty Atnip, Jared Scott Atnip,

Margie Barrett, Alan Bradford, Virginia Browning,

Wallace Caldwell, Harvey Carter, Ora Carter, Martha Cathcart, Will Allen Cathcart, Katherine Conger, Arlo E. Cook, Barry Cook, Billy Cook, Bob Cook, Carolyn Parker Cook, Charles D. Cook, David Cook, Dean Cook, James Buddy Cook, Jean Cook, Jessie Cook, Katherine Davis Cook, Norman Cook, Pam Baker Cook, Rubye Rigsby Cook, Shirley F. Cook, Eva Crook, Grady Crook, Jimmy Curtis, Roy Dale Pig Curtis, Ralph Curtis,

Kathie Dailey, Virginia Daniel, Caesar Dunn, Elsie Dunn, Henrietta Dunn, Jessie Dunn, Jimmy Dunn, Shelah Dunn, Silas Dunn, Irene Cook Durso, Tony Durso, Larry Dyer,

Homer Lee Ellis, Roberta Ellis, Alfred England, Helen England,

David Ferrell, Billy Junior France, Danny Foutch, Judy Fuson,

John Paul Grubbs, Ruth Greer,

Brownie Haley, Frances Akin Haley, Phyllis Hallum, Lucille Cook Harris, Bobbye Harrison, Esker Harrison, Eva Harrison, Marsha Herman, Edward Hobson, Ronnie Hobson, Jimmy Hullett, John Hunt, Rufene Hunt,

Jonathon Ivey,

Amy Johnson, Annie Rhea Johnson, Diane Johnson, Calvin Jones, McKinley Jones, Alfred Cooper Judkins, Allie Edith Judkins, Eddie Roy Judkins, Earl Judkins, Geneva Judkins, Len Judkins, Marie Judkins,

Lori Ann Kelsey, Jane Bunny Keen, Edsel Kilgore, Jimmy Kimbrell, Donna Kay Knowles,

C.H. Lockhart, Donnie Lohorn, Fay Lohorn, Charles Loring, Mark Loring, Jack Ludy, Lynda Luna,

Betty McMillen, Robert McMillen, T.C. McMillen, Joe White Merriman, Amy Lynn Miller, Cleta Murphy, Michael Murphy,

Jean Neal, John Nixon, June Nixon,

Charles Owens,

Billy Eudean Pack, J.W. Pack, Calysta Pedigo, Everette Pedigo, Dexie Pursell, Linda Pursell, W.S. Pursell,

Evelyn Ramsey, David Randolph, Dr. Greg Ray, David Redmon, Everett Redmon, Lou Redmon, Noel Redmon, Odell Redmon, Sabra Redmon, Vivian Redmon, Christine Reeder, Melvin Reeder, Dennis Rigsby, Lillian Rigsby, Kyle Robinson, Wayne Robinson, Edwina Rogers, Horace Rosson,

Betty Sandlin, Ewin Sandlin, Zona Selby, Carolyn Sheets, Judy Slager, Roy Slager, Donald Smith, Jordan Steinbach, Tommy Stockling,

Albert Taylor, Beecher Taylor, Buddy Taylor, Cora Taylor, Johnnie Agee Taylor, Ruth G. Taylor, Tony Taylor, U.B. Taylor, Winnie Taylor, Vicky Terrell, Shelby Tittsworth, Helen Trusty,

Johnnie Vandergriff,

Frances Waggoner, Green Wall, J.C. Wall, Jr., Maud Wall, Delton Washer, Elsie Washer, Houston Washer, Gaynelle Willoughby, Ralph Willoughby, Richard Wilt, Anthony Wright,

Kenneth Young, and Marie Young.

December 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Although anticipated, the costs of housing DeKalb County inmates in other counties has become expensive and that cost is growing.

During Thursday night’s committee meeting of the whole, Sheriff Patrick Ray updated the county commission on the expense to date as requested.

“For the last two years we have been very lucky. We have either stayed with that (budget) or if we didn’t, I have pulled money from somewhere else (within budget) to cover it so we would not have to come back for more money to come out of the general fund,” said Sheriff Ray.

This year, expenditures for housing inmates out of the county have exceeded the budgeted allocation of $60,000 for the year 2024-25. According to Sheriff Ray, the total cost from July 1, 2024 through December 17, 2024 is $129,304 with more December bills coming and from that $60,000 allocation also comes the expenses ($3,086 to date) for interpreters, heating and air services and the fire alarm system at the jail, and charges for advertising. This also includes community probation ankle monitoring fees but does not take into account the back-and-forth inmate transportation costs for an officer, vehicles, tires, oil changes, etc.

Adding to the financial concerns are the increased inmate medical costs. Already $89,990 has been paid out from the $100,000 budgeted line item for medical and dental services for 2024-25. Sheriff Ray explained that outstanding medical bills on hand as of Thursday, December 19 are $228, 653 (without any reductions) with many more medical bills to come in. “The best reduction we could expect to get is 40%,” he said.

Although some inmates have private insurance or TennCare others don’t which adds to the county’s financial woes.

“I was notified Wednesday from a medical company that we have an inmate in jail that will be getting $2,300 worth of medication every month. It’s a high dollar med for a certain disease he has and there’s probably no way of him getting out (jail) anytime soon,” he explained.

Sheriff Ray gave another example for an uptick in medical costs.

“Many times, when we send an inmate to another county as soon as they get sick they (other county) take them to the emergency room whereas with inmates in this county, if they need a medical furlough, we may be able to get one for them as recommended by our nurse and approved by the judge,” said Sheriff Ray.

Since July 1, 2024 the county has been paying Robertson, Smith, Cannon, Putnam, and Bedford counties for housing local prisoners and although in the past a few counties have kept inmates at no charge, Sheriff Ray said he will no longer ask any county to continue doing that.

“I will not call another county and say hey, can you house our inmates, for $20,000 a month, for nothing. That’s not right for their taxpayers to do that. The favors I pull are those that if we have somebody that can’t go in our jail I beg somebody to house them. If it were not for Bedford and Putnam County we would be in a pickle,” said Sheriff Ray.

During Monday Night’s regular monthly meeting (December 23), the county commission will consider adopting a budget amendment for $100,000 from the fund balance of the general fund to help cover the overage. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the county complex.

After receiving news in August 2023, from the Tennessee Corrections Institute that the number of state certifiable beds at the DeKalb County Jail had to be reduced from 102 to 52. Sheriff Ray has been sending some inmates to other counties willing to take them for a daily fee.

The TCI Board of Control met Wednesday, December 4, 2024 in Nashville and voted to continue certification of the DeKalb County Jail for another year under a plan of action upon the recommendation of TCI Deputy Director Bob Bass. The facility still has only 52 certifiable beds for male inmates.

A “plan of action” allows a facility to maintain a certified status after failing to meet all minimum standards while demonstrating to the TCI Board of Control that the facility is making measurable progress over a period of time (months or years) to rectify deficiencies found during inspection.

The DeKalb County Jail Committee will meet again with Bass on January 6 to discuss the county’s next move on possibly building a new jail facility.

December 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A long time member of the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District (911) Board is stepping down.

Jerry Scott, who has served on the 911 board for 22 years, has announced his resignation. The board has nominated Hugh Washer to fill the two year unexpired term of Scott. The county commission is expected to confirm the appointment during Monday night’s monthly meeting.

Scott is also a former county commissioner from the 3rd district having served 24 years. He left that office in August 2014.

« First ‹ Previous 1 80 88 89 9091 92 100 190 2581 Next › Last »