Long time DeKalb County Clerk and Master Debra Malone to Retire

June 17, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

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.

June 16, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

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.

June 16, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee 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 www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/localdepartments.html

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