News

A 21-year-old man lost his life and three others including two children (ages 10 & 6) were injured in a head-on crash early this morning (Saturday, June 21) on Highway 56 north (Cookeville Highway) in DeKalb County near the Putnam County line.

Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Idan Alberto Estudillo Gutierrez was traveling southbound in a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander when he crossed the double yellow center line of the highway while negotiating a curve and struck in the front end a northbound 2024 GMC Terrain driven by 60-year-old Jama Martin. The collision caused disabling damage to both vehicles. After impact, Martin’s vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway facing eastbound against a guardrail and Gutierrez’s vehicle came to a final rest in the roadway facing northbound.

Passengers with Martin, a 10-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy were transported by EMS to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.

Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt.

Meanwhile, the DeKalb County Fire Department posted more details about the crash. Their report by Chief Donny Green states as follows:

“At 2:34 a.m. on Saturday, the DeKalb County Fire Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the DeKalb County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle head-on crash on Smithville Highway near the county line”.

“When sheriff deputies arrived, they found one of the vehicles (2024 GMC Terrain) on fire with flames coming from the engine compartment. The driver (female) was still inside the vehicle and one occupant (one of the children) was outside the automobile. Deputies deployed fire extinguishers and contained the blaze until firefighters arrived and snuffed out the fire. Deputies also reported the sole occupant of the other vehicle (Gutierrez) was trapped and pinned inside the vehicle”.

“The DeKalb County Fire Department’s extrication unit and personnel arrived, assessed the scene, requested mutual aid assistance from Putnam County Rescue, and began extrication operations. The driver (Gutierrez) was extricated, and EMS treated and transported all patients to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.”

Gutierrez reportedly died at the hospital.

The Leadership DeKalb Class of 2025 has officially graduated and held a celebration on June 17th, 2025 at the Smithville First United Methodist Church Community Center.

This year’s graduates include (pictured back row) Emma Adkins-DTC, Austin Johnson-Wilson Bank & Trust, Connor Adcock- Middle TN Natural Gas, Noah Roberts-Liberty State Bank, Jana Gibbs-Down Under Poultry, Dawn Doll-Your Glamping Adventure/Simpli Hom Real Estate, (front row) Steve Cantrell-Retired Air Force, Leigh Fuson-Leadership DeKalb Director, Holly Prisock- Wilson Bank and Trust, Bryna Pelham-DCHS Class of 2025, and Hannah Keith-DCHS Class of 2025.   

These community leaders attended 9 monthly sessions learning more about successes and challenges in DeKalb County while networking and gaining team building skills.  These sessions would not be possible without all of the generous sponsors, hosts, and alumni that assist each month. 

Applications for the Class of 2026 will be available soon. You may email leaddekalb1@gmail.com or call the DeKalb County/Smithville Chamber of Commerce at 615-597-4163 if you would like more information.  

DeKalb County’s local option sales tax collections for May, 2025 were up significantly compared to the same month last year but were off a bit from April 2025.

According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, DeKalb County collected $222,504 in local option sales taxes in May 2025, up from $175,278 in May 2024 but down from April’s number of $226,958.

Smithville’s collections for May were $422,648, better than $397,525 in May 2024 but down from $429,764 in April.

Alexandria’s local option sales tax collections stood at $36,980 in May, up from $29,309 in May 2024 but down significantly from $56,812 in April.

Dowell town’s collections for May were $4,193, an increase from $3,499 in May 2024 and slightly better than $4,030 in April.

Collections in Liberty stood at $16,396 in May, down from the $18,367 taken in during May 2024 and well under April’s collections of $30,206.

Net collections for the county and cities combined in May were $702,724, better than the $623,979 shown for May 2024 but below April’s number of $747,771.

May collections reflect activity for the previous month.

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree Board invite the public to a spirited evening of music and dance as the 2025 Jamboree celebrations begin with a Kick-Off Party on Thursday, July 3rd, at Evins Park in downtown Smithville—generously sponsored by Farmhouse Realty and Studio 105.

Evins Park, located across from Justin Potter Library and the Smithville Post Office, will serve as the festive backdrop for this community celebration drenched in red, white, and blue pride.

Event Schedule 6:00 PM – The Smithville Community Chorus, under the skillful direction of longtime director Faye Fuqua, will deliver a moving patriotic concert. Immediately Following – Six square dance teams, led by Smithville’s own Square-Dancing Queen, Mary Ann Puckett, will take the stage with lively, crowd-pleasing performances by the Old-Time Dance Club.

Dance Teams:
·Smithville Select
·DeKalb Dancin’ Delights
·Center Hill Hoedown
·Caney Fork Circle Eights
·Ragland Bottom Roundup
·Little Liberty (making their debut this year)

Thanks to Farmhouse Realty’s commitment to community values and Studio 105’s creative dedication to local arts, this night will sparkle with hometown energy and Appalachian tradition.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and gather friends and family for an evening that sets the tone for a festival rooted in heritage and heart. Parking is available at the former Smithville Review parking lot, located at 106 So. 1st St., Smithville.

The Jamboree You Love Just Keeps Getting Better! Come be part of the tradition Thursday, July 3rd, at 6 PM for the Jamboree Community Launch Party. Let the music begin!

For more information, visit smithvillejamboree.com or www.visitdekalbtn.com.

Alexandria has another new Alderman. Debbie Fisher was appointed by the Alexandria Town Council during Tuesday night’s regular monthly meeting. She was then sworn into office by City Recorder Jessica Howard.

Fisher succeeds former Alderman Jeff Ford who resigned that position to accept the mayor appointment last week.

Aldermen David Cripps and Sherry Tubbs voted for Fisher while Aldermen Bobby Simpson and Luke Prichard passed. Mayor Ford cast the tie breaking vote in favor of Fisher.

Fisher said she is honored to be selected to serve the Town of Alexandria.

“I live on West Main Street and have since the fall of 2015. I spent 28 years with the Wilson County government in the finance department and 12 of those years I was the assistant finance director and the rest of my time there I was the insurance manager and risk manager for the whole county. I worked with all the county departments. My background is with county government, but I am hoping my county background can help here. I’m hoping to be helpful,” said Fisher.

The monthly regular city meeting was held a week earlier than normal due to the fair coming up next week.

In other business, the aldermen for budgetary reasons voted to eliminate two city hall positions held by financial officer Rhonda Conatser and part time water clerk Amber Ahlgard but to pay them through July.

“One of the things we are struggling with is our budget,” said Alderman Sherry Tubbs.” There was a lot of hiring and promises of more money that we could not afford. We hired a new lady Amber Ahlgard two months ago, but her position is one we will have to do away with right now. We will also need to let Rhonda go.
She has tried and done a great job but was not given the tools meant for the job. We do need a CMFO (certified municipal finance officer) but we will have to hire one already trained. I’m told MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service) will advertise for us to find a CMFO,” said Alderman Tubbs.

The aldermen adopted a continuing budget resolution to keep city government operating past July 1 until a new budget is adopted.

When asked during public comments, Mayor Ford announced that the city is perhaps moving closer to hiring a city attorney. “We interviewed an attorney today (Tuesday). They are discussing it, and we are discussing it”, said Mayor Ford.

Earlier this month, the Aldermen adopted an ordinance to authorize the city to collect a $5.00 fee for both written and electronic citations prepared by a law enforcement officer, according to TCA § 55-10-207. However, once a city adopts such a fee, the ability to collect it must sunset five years from the ordinance’s adoption.

During Tuesday night’s meeting, the aldermen approved a police department request to spend $5,478 for the purchase and installation of the needed printers and equipment for city police patrol cars to support the e-citation system.

The $5.00 fee received must be apportioned as follows:

(1) $1.00 of such fee will be retained by the city court clerk; and

(2) $4.00 of such fee will be transmitted on a monthly basis by the city court clerk to the law enforcement agency that prepared the traffic citation that resulted in a plea of guilty, or nolo contendere, or a guilty judgment.

The law enforcement portion shall be accounted for in a special revenue fund of said law enforcement agency and may be used only for the following purposes:

(1) Electronic citation system and program related expenditures; and

(2) Related expenditures by the local law enforcement agency for technology, equipment, repairs, replacement and training to maintain electronic citation programs.

However, the clerk’s portion shall be used for computer hardware purchases, usual and necessary computer related expenses, or replacement, and may not revert to the general fund at the end of a budget year if unexpended.

During public comments, one city resident asked if funds were able to “stop doing band aids when it comes to roads in this town (street repairs)”

“Roads are very pricey, and we don’t know where we are on the budget,” said Mayor Ford. “The town has been operating basically off of the bank account balances since last August. We are putting our budget back together so we will be looking at that (roads). Just listening to the public, the people of this town as far as I view, they treasure trash pick-up, and they don’t like potholes. There may be a few other things that you guys are big on but that’s what makes it on Facebook, social media, and the public square. That is certainly things that we as a board will look at,” said Mayor Ford.

The alderman set Saturday, October 4 as the date for Ole Timers Day at the request of a business owner so plans can be made now. The event will start at 9 a.m.

In the future, Mayor Ford said he would like to get reports from the business community, seniors, and maybe even the fair board to keep the city in the loop on what they are doing. He said it’s an open invite but not required.

Seamstress and quilter Elizabeth Pruitt, the owner of Quilts, Memories, and Sew Much More, has founded a special niche that has created rave reviews and swelled into a massive business. Pruitt started the memory bears from her DeKalb County home ten years ago when her dad, a college history professor at Westbrook College in Portland, Maine passed away. He always wore blue striped or solid blue oxford cloth shirts. Among a huge pile of her dad’s shirts, she found the perfect one to use, an orange and gray plaid Seersucker.

“I made the bear and I showed it off on Facebook. People just loved it!” Pruitt explained to WJLE from her sewing room. A very large computerized quilting machine fills part of the room with many of her ongoing projects organized to her liking.

The popularity of the bears began to extend beyond Smithville when she created a listing for them in her Etsy shop, QuiltsandMemoriesUS. “My goodness gracious! I have made 1,700 bears in the last four or five years for people all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia.

Pruitt is invited into the lives of people’s loved ones who are grieving deceased family or cherished friends. They often send photos of the person who died wearing the clothes along with a personal letter explaining the significance, and sometimes they are accompanied by the people’s obituaries.

“A lot of them that stand out to me are the young adults, who didn’t get a chance live their life. Those are the ones that seem to choke me up a little bit. This one woman lost her 17-year-old son in a car accident, and one of the shirts in the box was the shirt he wore when he died in the car. That gets me. When I got the bears all done and I sent them to her, she had a gathering of his friends, and she had a picture of her son and the friend wearing the shirt that she gave to the friend. Now they’re sitting there holding the bear that I made from the shirt. That’s just heartbreaking.”

Pruitt will receive unique items like a handmade 1963 prom dress made from red velour material with eggshell white colored lacing across the top. She made two bears that looked just like the dress.

“A girl sent me her wedding dress, and I made a bride and a groom bear from her wedding dress. He was wearing a little vest and the bride bear was wearing a little veil. It was really cute.”

She was asked to create a bear from the fabric of a grandpa’s favorite recliner that was camouflage with a deer pattern.

“There’s so many things that people can come up with like favorite blankets, favorite quilts, even fabric luggage. They cut all the fabric off it because mom had traveled the world with that piece of luggage. They had me make a bear from the luggage fabric. It was crazy, but it was pretty cool when it was done.”

Pruitt’s bears garner praise, strong reviews and thank you notes from those who now have a tangible memory to literally hold.

“Here’s a whole story that I got from somebody,” Pruitt explains as she reads one of the letters in her collection. “I’m sending you a flannel shirt. Lavender is my wife’s favorite color. My wife’s name is Cynthia. She passed away from breast cancer 10 days ago. Ten days before he sends me a shirt for a bear.”

Normally, for shipping orders Pruitt allows a lead time of six to eight weeks to create the memory bear, but she can squeeze local folks into a shorter time frame. Before the memory bears, Pruitt had already been tackling a myriad of projects from hemming and sewing to t-shirt quilts and most recently custom rug tufting. She lends her crafty hands to non-profits at times including a genealogy tree that is planned for Alexandria. It’s quite the feat to juggle all her sewing jobs.

“I’m too easily distracted,” she admits with a smile. “I’ll think I’ve got to cut those shirts. let me go make a bear, wait a minute, I’ve got to work on this dress. It’s just like, dishes are in the sink. I got to go put the dishes in the dishwasher. That’s part of being here at home. It’s like focus. You can do this.”

Starting as a teenager, Pruitt has been sewing for more than 40 years.

“My mother taught me how to read patterns and how to sew,” she says. “One of the first things I ever made was a little peach corduroy flower girl dress for my older sister’s wedding back when I was about 13 years old. That was my first experience in sewing. But I didn’t do anything for the longest time until I had the kids [Bailey and Grayson]. Then, it was just pretty much a hobby until people knew I could do hemming. It just grew from there.”

Pruitt will be giving a live demonstration of her craft at the DeKalb County Fair on Thursday, June 26 at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m.

Hello Nicole!

Meet Nicole Wright, the next DeKalb County Clerk and Master for the Chancery Court.

Appointed by Chancellor Ronald Thurman to succeed longtime Clerk and Master Debra Malone upon her retirement effective June 27, Wright will be taking her oath of office that afternoon at 4 p.m. in Smithville. Wright’s first full day will be Monday, June 30.

“I am truly honored to be considered for this position, and I look forward to assuming the duties of the office,” Wright told WJLE Tuesday.

“I learned about the opening a few months ago. I immediately began to pray about it and consider it. I submitted my resume to the Chancellor and later interviewed with him. A little over a week ago, he informed me that I got the job,” said Wright.

Born and raised in DeKalb County, Wright has made public service a lifelong career.

“I began my adventures in public service here in DeKalb County in 1995. I went to work for the DeKalb County Ambulance Service. I was an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) for 25 years working at various times in that position. I served at the 911 Dispatch under the direction of former Sheriff Lloyd Emmons and later became a dispatcher for the City of Smithville Police and Fire departments. I subsequently worked at the DeKalb County E-911 centralized dispatch center when it relocated to its new facility for a brief period,” stated Wright.

“Following that, I worked as a Deputy Clerk for former Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack for six years and ran for the position in the 2018 August election as the Democratic nominee when Ms. Pack chose not to seek re-election. I was subsequently employed by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office of Warren County.

“During my career, I also worked for five years as an Office Administrator for local attorney Jeremy Trapp. I served as an Escrow Officer for DeKalb Title, LLC for five years. In October 2024, I became a Deputy Trustee at the DeKalb County Trustee’s office,” Wright said.

Nicole and her husband Jeff Wright reside in Smithville, and they have three daughters and four grandchildren. Jeff has also made a career in public service, both as a career firefighter for the City of Murfreesboro and as Deputy Chief and 39-year veteran firefighter of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department.

“Smithville is our home, and I enjoy working near my family,” said Wright.

Nicole plans no major changes in the operation of the office and the two current employees will stay on including full time deputy clerk, Amanda Vaughn, and part time deputy clerk Sarah Evans.

“I am so grateful they have agreed to stay,” said Wright. “Debra has done a tremendous job in her many years of service, and I look forward to keeping that going. I certainly want to wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement,” she said.

“I enjoy meeting new people and engaging in conversations. Our door remains open, and we are here to serve,” Wright concluded.

Goodbye Debra!

Almost 26 years after becoming Clerk and Master for the DeKalb County Chancery Court, Debra Malone has announced her retirement, effective June 27.

Nicole Wright has been appointed to a six-year term as the new Clerk and Master by Chancellor Ronald Thurman to succeed Malone.

In an interview with WJLE recently, Malone explained that while she has been Clerk and Master since October 1999, she actually began working in the office almost 35 years ago when she was hired as a deputy clerk by former Clerk and Master John Robert Nixon in 1990.

“At the time I was working at Federal Mogul in the office when a friend and co-worker told me about a soon to be job opening in the courthouse. He knew about it because his wife had worked for another county official there. I checked on it and learned that an employee for Mr. Nixon was leaving so I came in and talked to John and he hired me. I’ve been here ever since,” said Malone.

Although she never expected the opportunity of a career in this line of work, Malone said she has always enjoyed the job, and Mr. Nixon (now deceased) was a great mentor to her.

“When I came to work in 1990 as deputy clerk for John I was 32 years old. My husband, Miles and I have one son, Granger, who had just turned 5 years old at that time. There were a few challenging times, trying to learn the job, transferring from handwriting everything in books to computers, trying to keep up with all the changes in the laws and proper procedures, but I can truly say I have loved this job. Mr. Nixon was so good to work with, and such a great teacher. He became a great friend to me. John and I had worked together for 9 years when he decided to retire” she continued.

Before Nixon stepped down, Malone said she let him know she was interested in the Clerk and Master position, but of course it was the Chancellor at the time Vernon Neal, who had to make the appointment. Malone remembered how she got the call from the Chancellor.

“I had previously let him (Nixon) know that I was interested in the position of Clerk and Master whenever he retired, and he had shared that with Chancellor Neal. I’ll never forget the phone call from Chancellor Neal, which I wasn’t expecting or prepared for, in which he said “So, tell me why you think you’d be a good Clerk and Master”. Of course, caught off guard, I was dumbfounded, and couldn’t answer immediately. Then he laughed and I relaxed a bit and was able to speak again,” explained Malone.

Not long after that phone call, Malone got the job when Nixon retired, and she is thankful to Chancellor Neal (now deceased) for the opportunity.

“I was appointed to the office on October 1st of 1999 and have always appreciated and enjoyed being the Clerk and Master for DeKalb County. I thank God always for the blessings this position has brought me and my family over the years, and hopefully I have done a good job for the county. My parents taught me to always do the best job possible at whatever I’m doing, and I’ve tried to do that,” said Malone.

In 2006, Chancellor Neal retired from the bench, and he was succeeded by Chancellor Ronald Thurman.

“I appreciate Chancellor Thurman so much and have enjoyed working with him for 19 years. He is a very considerate, caring and accommodating person and is always ready to assist us when needed,” said Malone.

As she prepares to leave the office, Malone said she is thankful to her current and past employees for their dedication and hopes they will remember her as a “good and fair boss”. Malone is also grateful to the public and others, especially the county commission, for their support.

“For many years it was just me and one deputy clerk but in 2019 the County Commission approved the hiring of a part-time clerk. That has improved the efficiency of this office,” said Malone. “And I have had some great deputy clerks. Judy Mathis and I worked together for more than 12 years before her retirement, and Amanda Vaughn has been with me since September of 2014. Both have been not only my co-workers but have come to be very good friends of mine. We’ve also had several part-time deputy clerks since 2019 including Sarah Evans, the sweet young lady who is working with us now,” she said.

“This position has been such a blessing to me and my family, and I have learned so much working with the court system,” Malone continued. “I’ve attended many training sessions and conferences offered by the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts and by CTAS. It’s amazing to me that I have been in this office for more than 34 years and I’m still learning something new all the time. I’ve met a lot of good people and made several good friends over the years. Most of the attorneys have been so good to work with, and their secretaries are just great. When dealing with the public you get a mix of good and not so good, but the good outweighs the bad every time”.

Malone also fondly remembered longtime friend and real estate auctioneer Charles Atnip who often helped her with court ordered sales. Atnip passed away earlier this year.

“Over the years I’ve worked with a few different auctioneers through court ordered sales and dealt with some fine people. Most have always been very considerate and helpful in any way possible. The Charles D. Atnip Realty and Auction Company gave me my education in auctions,” explained Malone. “We spent many extremely hot days together, and 3 or 4 super cold, snowy or icy days doing auctions, but it was always good to work with them, and they always gave 100% no matter the size or dollar value of the sale. Charles Atnip was a good friend to me, and I miss him,” said Malone.

“As I approach my retirement, I realize I won’t be seeing and visiting with many of the people I’ve come to know so well, and that’s sad in many cases. I appreciate the time we’ve spent together. But I’m also preparing for a new phase of life in which clocks and appointments are less important, and the freedom of unscheduled days lies ahead. Thank you, DeKalb County,” said Malone.

Next week, the torch will pass to a new Clerk and Master and Malone wishes her successor well.

“Nicole Wright has accepted the position of Clerk and Master and will soon take the oath of office. I wish her the best and hope she enjoys her time as the DeKalb County Clerk and Master as much as I have,” said Malone.

A new jail on a new site?

It was only a recommendation but if the full county commission votes later this month the same way the jail committee voted Monday night, a new jail and sheriff’s department complex will be built on another site, other than the current location. The committee has not yet settled on a recommendation regarding the number of beds, costs, or the funding option.

The jail committee vote was 9-2 in favor of eliminating the existing site as an option and building a new jail complex on a green space, yet to be identified. Member Tony Luna made the motion and member Andy Pack offered a second. Members voting for the motion along with Luna and Pack were Tom Chandler, Daniel Cripps, Sabrina Farler, Brandon Donnell, Greg Matthews, Jeff Barnes, and Chairman Larry Green. Members Myron Rhody and Beth Pafford voted no. Members Mathias Anderson, Tony (Cully) Culwell, and Glynn Merriman were absent.

Although all members of the county commission make up the jail committee, the commission would still have to formally vote on the jail committee’s recommendation which could come next week when the commission meets in regular monthly session.

For at least some jail committee members, their decision Monday night was based somewhat on the latest cost estimates provided by Treanor Architects and Bell Construction that put the price tag for jail construction from $8 to $9 million higher on the current site (two story structure) than on a green space (one level building) when comparing the 152 bed versus 200 bed options.

No one from Treanor or Bell were able to attend the meeting Monday night, but their findings were addressed by jail committee Chairman Larry Green.

“It is possible to do a one-story jail next to the existing jail but we would still have to use the existing jail for the administration part only. There would be no prisoners in the existing jail,” said Green. “With the existing jail, they have costs of $5.6 million to redo the existing jail (miscellaneous logistics utility lay down, etc.) whatever we do downtown. And they also pointed out when they get inside that jail to start refurbishing it they have no idea what they are getting into when they start knocking down walls and tearing up floors because they will have to gut the inside of it. And whatever we do downtown is all we would ever be able to do downtown because there is no more room to expand. A 152-bed jail on the existing site would run $36.8 million. On a green site, a 152-bed jail would run $28.2 million. That’s roughly an $8 million difference. If we build a 200-bed jail on the existing site its $43.8 million and on a green site its $34.5 million,” he said.

Although no site has yet been recommended for purchase, two properties have been at the forefront of discussion among the commission.

“I talked to the owners of the Smith Road property (71.5 acres) that we looked at and they have offered to sell it to the county for $1.8 million instead of $2 million and we have the Robinson Road property which is $1.3 million for 36 acres,” explained Green.

“Once we make a decision on the land then the next step is hiring an architect and then the architect, the sheriff, TCI, and the commission would get together and work on the final plan for it and then the architect would draw up blueprints and send it out to contractors. Any land we buy has to be pending soil samples,” said Green.

According to Green, the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) would need to give the final plan its stamp of approval as meeting conditions for state certification. TCI representatives were in attendance at Monday night’s jail committee meeting but did not speak.

“So, we are not even looking at the (existing) Smithville Elementary property when the (new) school is constructed? There is 14 acres there that we already own” said member Myron Rhody.

“The school board owns that,” replied Chairman Green.

“Yes, but it (belongs to) the taxpayers and it has all the infrastructure already there,” said Rhody.

“We’ve had a kickback from some people wanting to see the jail on the current site no matter what because they don’t want a disruption to their neighborhood or for whatever reason,” said member Chandler.

“At some point we need some feedback from the citizens of the county on whether they are willing to pay another 8 to 9 million dollars more to have it on the current site knowing that if you say that it will potentially impact the tax rate. My gut tells me there are people in this county that want it on the current site no matter what the cost is,” said Chandler.

After the vote, member Pafford made a motion for the county to advertise seeking other land options which might be better suited and closer to the courthouse, but her motion died due to the lack of a second.

During the public comment period, Steven Cantrell, in part, said facts not considered in the proposed jail cost estimates should be addressed. “Mathias (Anderson) highlighted in previous discussions the cost of transporting prisoners from a green space to the city. That was a lot of money. I would recommend that you get those figures because those could in maybe a matter of 10 to 12 years offset those costs for building it downtown as opposed to on a green space. All we are looking at now is jail here, jail there but not the logistics of going back and forth so I would ask that you consider that as you go forward,” said Cantrell.

“I know we need a jail. I have worked or been involved in emergency services most of my life. I understand how it works. I like the idea of leaving the jail where its at and building right where it is. I just don’t think that DeKalb County needs a 200-bed jail. People are used to the jail being where it’s at. I don’t think it’s going to affect the Jamboree or Friday night shopping. I think going to 70 acres is ridiculous. I don’t think I’m alone in what I think,” said Darcie Cripps.

“Huge decisions like this need to go to the public. If you have more information, you should be sharing it line by line somewhere where people could go to and look at pros and cons of this location and pros and cons of that location and then get input from the citizenry, have town meetings, send out flyers and have people return them. Let the constituents say this is what we want. That’s how everyone should be looking at this,” said Paul Miranda.

As another option, Miranda suggested that the county look at building the jail on property near the county owned solid waste transfer station off Highway 70 east behind Tenneco Automotive.

The jail committee meeting began with a video presentation showing all around the outside, inside, and overhead views of the existing jail property narrated by Sheriff Patrick Ray.

The Department of Health (TDH) is reminding families across the state that now is the time to make immunizations a priority. With students on summer break and families enjoying camps, pools, and outdoor fun, this is an ideal time for parents to ensure their children are fully vaccinated before heading back to school in August.

The DeKalb County Health Department will have Vaccine Clinics for Kindergarten to 12th grade and college students on July 22 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and July 24 from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

What Parents Should Know:

Kindergarteners and other children enrolling in a Tennessee school for the first time must provide schools with a complete, official Tennessee Immunization Certificate before classes begin. The certificate must be signed by a qualified health care provider or verified by the state’s Immunization Information System.
All current students entering seventh grade must provide schools with a limited official Tennessee Immunization Certificate showing they have received a Tdap booster (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis).
College-bound students should check with their school for specific requirements. However, teens who are fully vaccinated, including having received a meningitis booster after age 16, will meet requirements for all Tennessee state-run colleges.

The full list of Tennessee childcare and school immunization requirements is available at tn.gov/health/cedep/immunization-program/ip/vfc.

Routine Immunizations for All Ages:

In addition to school-required shots, local health departments provide vaccines for infants, children, teens, and adults. These include protection against hepatitis A and B, HPV, meningococcal disease, and more. Staying current on recommended immunizations helps reduce the spread of disease in families, schools, and communities.

Fight Flu Event – October 21, 2025 :

To help protect Tennesseans from seasonal flu, TDH offers the influenza vaccine in all health departments across the state. Please call your local health department for times and availability. If you can join us, on October 21st, all 95 county health departments will offer free flu shots to the public as part of the Fight Flu statewide campaign. The flu shot is safe, effective, and your best defense against serious flu illness.

To schedule an appointment or learn more about available immunizations, contact your local health department or visit health department vaccine clinics