March DCHS Teacher of the Month honor goes to Kevin Burchfield

April 18, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

The March Teacher of the Month award at DeKalb County High School goes to Kevin Burchfield.

For winning the honor, Burchfield received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal at El Rancho Mexican Restaurant.

Burchfield, a veteran physical science teacher at DCHS, will soon be stepping down. He has announced his retirement with the close of the school year next month ending a 29-year career. Burchfield began his teaching duties in 1992 as a biology instructor but later took a few years off before making his return to the classroom in 1998.

Burchfield said he appreciates having received this Teacher of the Month honor and he has enjoyed his tenure on the staff at DCHS.

“Education changes about every four or five years, but its been fun and I really have enjoyed teaching here and being with the people. My students make me feel old because I had some of their fathers and mothers in my class at one time. I’m teaching the second generation,” he said.

Burchfield’s wife Penny works at Shiroki, and they are the parents of two, Erin Payne and Wesley Burchfield. They have a granddaughter, Sarah.

As for plans after retirement, Burchfield said “I have enough stuff around the house to do to last me a year but after taking a year off I might come back as a substitute teacher,” he said.

April 18, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

Another record breaker!

Good Friday was made even better for the DCHS Class of 2025 with a successful WJLE Radiothon for Project Graduation which shattered the all-time record set just two years ago although it fell short of the $15,000 goal.

During a three-hour WJLE radiothon on Good Friday, April 18 which was also LIVE streamed on the DC Blitz Facebook page, the community rallied in support of the DCHS Class of 2025 with pledges and donations totaling a record breaking $13,685 edging out the previous WJLE DCHS Project Graduation Radiothon record of $13,390 set in 2023 and easily beating last year’s total of $8,500.

The radiothon was hosted by Jordan Atnip. Many members of the class participated and parents on the Project Graduation committee worked behind the scenes to help make the program run smoothly. A special thanks to Daniel Leslie who set up the DC Blitz Facebook Live stream from the WJLE Studios.
To add extra fun and excitement, members of the class took challenges to sing, dance, and to gulp down pickled pigs’ feet, pork brains, habanero, mystery meat, and spoonfuls of baby food, dog food, cat food, and more.

Donations can still be made through Venmo and by cash or check at the high school, Family Medical Center, and at City Hall.

“We appreciate WJLE, all the listeners, and everybody who called in and donated today and to the kids for coming out here and giving of their time to the cause that is going to benefit them,” said Project Graduation Committee Chairman Michiko Martin.

“In all reality this will probably be the last time this whole group of kids are ever together, so we want to make it a fun and exciting time for them with games and food and ways for them to make money and have prizes but be safe on graduation night. For a lot of them they will be going off to college and they will be able to get some things from this to help make their next step in life successful even if they are not going to college,” said Martin.

“We had a good time and were super excited to raise over $13,000 and I know its going to a good cause. We just want to say thank you so much to everyone who donated today. I think Project Graduation will be a good thing to be able to hang out with all of our friends for the last time before we all go off to college. For me, next year I will be going to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and I am planning on majoring in Biology and going Pre-Med,” said DCHS Class of 2025 Salutatorian and Class President Madeline Martin.

Project Graduation is an all-night drug-free, alcohol-free graduation party for members of the DCHS Class of 2025 committed to having a safe, wholesome, yet entertaining celebration together for the last time as a class. The event begins following the graduation ceremony Friday, May 16.

April 18, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

The Budget Committee of the DeKalb County Commission heard Tuesday night from department heads of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, 911 Emergency Communications District, County Fire Department, and Library Director who made their budget requests for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Although he was not in attendance, 911 Director Brad Mullinax put in a request for an additional $11,500 to support salary increases for three 911 dispatchers. He has made the same request of the City of Smithville, and he is seeking another $7,000 from the Town of Alexandria.

The county currently funds three dispatcher positions at $160,000 per year. If the budget request is approved the cost to the county would go to $171,500. The City of Smithville also funds three dispatchers at $160, 000 and is being asked to up its funding by $11,500 more. Alexandria funds half a dispatch position at $28,000 and will be requested to increase the amount by $7,000 to $35,000. The 911 board funds another three and a half dispatcher positions.

Dusty Johnson, Captain of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad requested an additional $8,500 to purchase one used portable radio.

The Rescue Squad, made up of volunteers, is a non-profit organization and not an entity of county government. It receives an annual contribution from the county for its services which includes searching for drowning victims, cave/rope rescues and searches for missing persons, etc. This year’s request is for a total of $51,321 including the purchase of the radio.

Library Director Kathy Hendrixson requested a one dollar increase in the hourly pay for part time staff which comes to an additional $3,800. The rate will go from $12 to $13 per hour. This along with the step raises already scheduled for full time staff in the budget would put the library’s total budget at $248,167 for the year.

County Fire Donny Green has not asked for any significant increase in the fire department budget.

“Everything is pretty much static in our budget requests this year. There are a few things I increased line items on like parts and repairs just because of increased costs. Its not anything significant. I have a couple of line items in my budget that is tied to raises. I would like for those items to be adjusted regarding part time personnel (one shared position) and related expenses for social security, and unemployment contingent on what you (budget committee and county commission) do for other general fund pay raises. The other line item increases in my budget are very minimal because of costs going up but I had a couple of line items that went down,” said Chief Green.

Meanwhile the $25,000 budgeted amount for property tax relief has been increased to $34,000 to due to an increase in applicants for the program.

The budget committee took no action on any request Tuesday night. The next meeting of the committee will be Tuesday, April 22 at 6 p.m. in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse.

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