DCHS Awards Teacher, Student, and Parents of the Month

November 4, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School continued its monthly observance Thursday of recognizing a teacher, student, and parents or guardians of the month.

Each received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal from the Soda Fountain of F.Z. Webb & Sons Pharmacy. A different restaurant offers a meal gift card to each month’s honorees.

Teacher and Assistant Golf Coach Luke Dycus, who has spent 28 years as an educator including the last three years at DCHS, was selected by the administration as Teacher of the Month while 17-year-old Senior Isaac Sasser is Student of the Month, voted on by the teachers. Parents of the month are Doug and Richelle Hendrixson, and this honor was based on a winning essay written by their daughter Hailey Hendrixson, a 17-year-old Senior at DCHS.

DCHS Assistant Principal Thomas Cagle said Dycus is a gifted and versatile educator and well deserving of the Teacher of the Month Award.

“Coach Dycus is one who can do and has done a little bit of everything here from extra bus duty and working extra gates at ballgames to standing in as a game administrator at some soccer games for us. He is an absolute outstanding asset to our school. Luke helps so much with our PBS program. He is also a big asset with our CDC classroom and helps with some of those students who need his guidance in different ways. We are very glad to have him,” said Cagle.

“This is the first time I have ever received something like this in my 28 years of teaching, so I was surprised and shocked but very thankful,” said Dycus.

“I moved here three years ago and from the day I stepped on campus I felt that warm, welcome environment. People accepted me and I feel like I have family here even though I am not from here. I have thoroughly enjoyed being here”.

Originally from White County, Dycus’ teaching career over the span of almost 30 years has taken him several places.

“I graduated from Tennessee Tech with a master’s degree and also got my undergraduate degree from there as well. I am originally from White County. I lived and taught there for a number of years. I also taught in two other states, Alabama and Georgia for a few years. I came back to the middle Tennessee area because my dad was the principal in White County for a number of years and my mother worked in White and Putnam County, so I wanted to be close to them. I came back and started teaching in White County and had a good time there but after my son graduated from White County in 2020, I decided I needed a change of scenery and thought I would come here so I did and I have been happy ever since,” he said.

“I am currently the assistant golf coach here at DCHS and then I run the positive behavior support program for our school. I get a lot more out of that than my students get out of me. I get a lot from them. Our administration here has been wonderful to me, and our central office staff has been great. I am so happy to be here and so thankful to be in an environment working with people like this,” said Dycus.

It was third time’s charm for Isaac Sasser, who was named “Student of the Month” at DCHS after being nominated twice before.

Cagle said Sasser, son of Trey and Savanna Dodds, is among the best of the best students at DCHS.

“Isaac is a senior and member of our Fighting Tiger Band. He is an excellent student and has a positive attitude every day. He is always willing to help in any way he can. Isaac was nominated by a teacher and an administrator a couple of times before and this month was elected by all the other teachers in the school. He goes above and beyond every day in what we ask and expect of our students, and he really shows what it means to be a DCHS Tiger,” said Assistant Principal Cagle.

“It completely caught me by surprise, but I am honored,” said Sasser when asked how he felt about being named “Student of the Month”.

Isaac is co-captain and keyboard percussionist in the DCHS Fighting Tiger Band. During his two years with the band, he has played piano, vibes, marimba, chimes, 1st/3rd bass drum, and cowbell.

“I initially wanted to play piano but grew to love all the percussion instruments,” Sasser said. “I love playing music, especially in sync with the band.

Sasser says one of the more challenging aspects of being a band member “had to be getting the music down as I had very little experience with music.”

He would like to continue playing music in the future, perhaps at Tennessee Tech where Sasser plans to further his education after completing two-years at Motlow State.

In the classroom at DCHS, Sasser said his favorite academic subject is science.

Although they could not be on hand to receive the honor, the “Parents of the Month” Doug and Richelle Hendrixson are no doubt touched by the stirring essay from their daughter Hailey written in tribute to them.

Hailey said this essay was a way of expressing love and appreciation for her parents who have been a source of strength for a family going through adversity dealing with her brother’s cancer diagnosis.

“I didn’t do it (essay) just for the award. It was for both my mom and dad in going through all the bad things happening right now with my brother Douglas who is almost 21 years old and in treatment for cancer. Because of my parents, we are all staying positive and getting through it together becoming stronger as a family. I am really proud of my parents. They are always there for me, and I love them. I don’t know what I would do without them,” she said.

In addition to her brother, Hailey has a twin sister, Emily.

After high school, Hailey said her ambition is to become a country music star. Her favorite country performers are Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood.

“Hailey’s essay was excellent,” said Cagle. Its one of those that really reaches you and addresses all the things her parents are doing at home to help her through challenges that we may not always know about,” added Cagle.

November 4, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The largest single day turnout for early voting in DeKalb County turned out to be the last day!

The DeKalb County Election Commission reports that 280 people cast ballots on Thursday, November 3 for next Tuesday’s state and federal general elections. That’s 275 in person and five by absentee.

For the 14 day early voting period, October 19 through November 3 a total of 2,134 people voted. While that is a good turnout, it is down a bit from the early voting total for the August DeKalb County General Election at 2,357.

The early voting breakdown by precinct is as follows:
Alexandria: 147
Temperance Hall: 96
Liberty: 136
Snow Hill: 124
Smithville Church of God: 381
Rock Castle: 12
Courthouse: 417
Johnson Chapel: 110
County Complex 254
Keltonburg: 125
Blue Springs: 88
Church of Christ Annex: 244
Total: 2,134

The early voting numbers are also down in DeKalb County from the November elections of 2020 and 2018 but there are reasons for that.

In November 2020, a total of 4,606 voted early in DeKalb County but that was a Presidential Election which always creates a greater turnout. Four years ago, in November, a total of 3,135 cast ballots early in DeKalb County but there were more contested races on the ballot that year including a U.S. Senate and State Senate Race along with the Governor, Congressman, and two State House of Representative elections.

Next Tuesday, November 8, voters will be making their selections for Governor, Congressman and State Representative and voters in the 4th district only will have a candidate for Constable to fill an unexpired term. In addition, voters will be making their choices on four constitutional amendments. Polls at all 12 precincts in DeKalb County will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE election return coverage after the polls close at 7 p.m.

Candidates for Governor are: Republican incumbent Bill Lee, Democratic nominee Jason Brantley Martin and Independents Constance M. Every, John Gentry, Basil Marceaux, Charles Van Morgan, Alfred O’Neil, Deborah Rouse, Michael E. Scantland and Rick Tyler.

Candidates for U.S House of Representatives District 6 are Republican incumbent John Rose and Democratic challenger Randal Cooper.

Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives District 40 are Republican Michael Hale and Democrat Tom Cook, both from DeKalb County.

The lone candidate for Constable in the 4th District is Republican Lane Ball.

November 3, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Almost two years after first being appointed as one of the county’s three judicial commissioners, David Gash has resigned.

Applications to fill the vacancy can be obtained at the County Mayor’s Office. The application deadline is 3 p.m. on Friday, November 18. Resumes are preferred along with the application.

The County’s Judicial Committee will meet on Monday, November 21 to select an applicant to recommend to the full county commission for final approval.

During the regular monthly meeting on Monday, November 28, the county commission will make the one-year appointment and is expected to re-appoint the other two judicial commissioners, Tammy Ashburn and Joy Whitman to new one-year terms.

Duties of the Judicial commissioners include processing the following: Criminal summons for the general public; Orders of protections; signing all arrest warrants for the Smithville, Alexandria, and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Departments, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Edgar Evins State Park Rangers, and TWRA Officers; signing search warrants and search warrants for blood draws; signing Mittimus; setting bonds; speaking with every person who has been arrested; answering any and all calls from the public; and attending certification classes three days each year with no pay for hours attended.

Judicial Commissioners are subject to call at all hours of the day and night when on duty. Only one judicial commissioner works at a time during a one-week period on call for 168 hours. They rotate their weeks one week on duty and two weeks off.

The county commission has the sole authority in appointing judicial commissioners and terms may be from one to four years according to state law. For several years the county has had a judicial committee to vet and recommend applicants for appointment to the county commission. The committee is made up of Sheriff Patrick Ray, County Mayor Matt Adcock, Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin, General Sessions/Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Cox, and Assistant District Attorney General Greg Strong.

Each judicial commissioner is paid $14,900 per year.