DESA Prepares and Delivers 642 Christmas Eve Meals

December 25, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A total of 642 Christmas Eve meals were delivered Tuesday morning to the needy or underserved across the county.

Feeding the hungry during Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve has become an annual effort of the DeKalb Emergency Services Association (DESA), in partnership with local businesses and volunteers,

Cooking and food preparation started early Tuesday morning at the county complex kitchen. Volunteers then loaded their personal vehicles with food trays and set out to deliver them to hundreds of homes along the routes in time for the recipients’ noon time meal.

December 25, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

An Alabama man has been returned to DeKalb County to face charges stemming from a 2015 burglary and theft.

36 year old Derik Keith Gulley of New Hope Alabama was arrested on December 16 for aggravated burglary, theft of property, and being a fugitive from justice. Gulley’s bond is $85,000 and his court date is January 30.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on April 22, 2015 Gulley broke into a home on Pea Ridge Road, Liberty by prying open a basement door. Once inside he stole several items of jewelry and later sold them to a pawn shop in Murfreesboro. Those items were recovered in 2015.

According to Sheriff Ray the delay in bringing Gulley to justice here is because he has been incarcerated elsewhere on other charges. He was picked up and returned to DeKalb County from Lincoln County on December 16. Meanwhile it has been discovered that Gulley is wanted in Huntsville, Alabama for a probation revocation resulting from the burglary of a vehicle there. Authorities in Alabama plan to extradite Gulley back there once he faces his charges here.

25 year old James Dillan Matthews of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with assault. His bond is $3,500 and he will make a court appearance on January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 14 Matthews, an inmate at the jail, assaulted another prisoner by hitting him in the head multiple times and punching him. The assault was captured on jail surveillance video.

44 year old Richard Leon McDaniel, Jr. of Hayes Ridge Road, Lancaster is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 16 a deputy went to McDaniel’s home on Hayes Ridge Road to recover property under a court order and found a loaded Taurus .38 special revolver. McDaniel admitted that he was a convicted felon. Records show that he was convicted for aggravated assault in 2016.

December 24, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The American Cancer Society invites you to make a special donation in honor or in memory of a loved one during the holiday season through “Love Lights a Tree”. A special memory board is located on the south side of the courthouse that lists the names of loved ones.

The DeKalb County Unit of the American Cancer Society seeks your support in the “Love Lights a Tree” fundraising campaign to raise money for research to find a cure as well as cancer education and patient services. Donations may be made throughout the holiday season. 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, contact Ivadell Randolph at 615- 597-5296, Lynda Luna at 615- 597-5837, Renee Cantrell at 615-684-2688, or Gail Taylor 615-597-5936.

The names of 2019 Honorees are as follows:

Billy Adcock, Loretta Adcock, Lisa Anderson, Buck Bain, Tracie Webb Baker, Kim Banks, Era Billings, Jean Cook, Andrew Jackson Dakas, Ronnie Mack Davis, Marlene Delong, Earl France, Radley Hendrixson, Edie Hobson, Eddie Hobson, Cameron Miller, Jo Ann Newbell, Joey Phillips, Carolyn Sheets, Margie Smith, Gail Taylor, Lavelle Turner, Dr. J.C. Wall, Sandra Wall, and Susan L. Young

Those in memory are as follows:

Linda Adcock, John W. Akin, Mai Akin, Linda Armour,

Tony Bailey, Rose Bain, Margie Barrett, Floy Beshearse, Shirley Beshearse, Wayne Beshearse, Virginia Browning,

Jeremy Caldwell, Joshua Caldwell, Martha Cathcart, Will Cathcart, Truman Campbell, Elaine Close, Bob Cook, James (Buddy) Cook, Pam Baker Cook, Rubye Cook, Thomas Cripps, Eva Crook, Grady Crook, Will Allen Crook, Jimmy Curtis, Ralph Curtis,

Harold Dawes, Elsie Driver, Emily Durham, Tony Durso,

Ruth Elder, Violet Jo Evans,

Willie Foutch, Laura Fox, Billy J. France, James Alvie France, Nettie Franks, Leonard Freeman, Sr., Leonard “Buddy” Freeman, Jr., Margaret Freeman,

James J. Goodwin, Royce Lee Givens, Jr., Mary Ruth Groom, Leonard Gwyn,

Brownie Haley, Wiley Hancock, Lucille Cook Harris, Bobbye Harrison, Esker Harrison, Eva Harrison , G.D. Hendrixson, Margaret Hendrixson, Jo Ann Henry, Betty J. Herndon, Edward Hobson, Ronnie Hobson, Jimmy Hullett,

Betty Johns, Wanda Johns, Annie Rhea Johnson, Bryan Johnson, McKinley Jones, Troy Jones, Jr., Earl Judkins, Len Judkins, Linda Judkins, Margaret Judkins, Marie Judkins,

Lori Ann Kelsey, Wanda Knox,

Cason Alan Lack, Olene Lockhart, Fay Lohorn, Brackett Luna, Nadine Luna,

Austin Magness, Christine Magness, Ida Malone, Nelda McEntyre, T.C. McMillen, Janette Moss, Amy Lynn Miller, Lenorea Mullinax, Cleta Murphy, Michael Murphy,

John Newbell, Leonard Nixon, Lorene Nixon,

Ann Pack, Donald Pack, Harvey Pack, Josie Pack, J.W. Pack, Calysta Pedigo, Everett Pedigo, Melody Pharris, Donna Phillips, Nina Phillips, Alice Potts,

Evelyn Ramsey, Clyde Randolph, David Randolph, Harold Randolph, Marion Randolph, Mary Randolph, Everett Redmon, Leonard Redmon, Noel Redmon, Odell Redmon, Sabra Redmon, Christine Reeder, Phyllis Roller, Horace Rosson,

Bettie Sandlin, Ewin Sandlin, Zona Selby, Dale Scott, Robbie Scott, Donald Smith, Nan Smith, Virgil Smith, Jordan Steinbach,

Albert Taylor, Buddy Taylor, Cora Taylor, Kenneth Taylor, Ruth Taylor, U.B. Taylor, Winnie Taylor, Doyle Thomason “Fonz”, Shelby Tittsworth, Debbie Tuggle,

Betty Nixon Vickers, Greeley Vickers,

Green Wall, Maud Wall, Delton Washer, Houston Washer, Chris Webb, Dennis Webb, Ruth Webb,

Mary Violet,

Marie Young