Sheriff’s Department Awarded $264,446 Tennessee Department of Health Facilities Confinement Grant

March 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a $264,446 Facilities Confinement Grant through the Tennessee Department of Health to purchase new patrol cars, a booking system, HVAC units, and laptops for the cruisers with no local match requirement for the county.

County Mayor Tim Stribling and Sheriff Patrick Ray made a joint announcement about the grant Monday.

The grant award is part of the Tennessee Department of Health’s mission to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in confinement facilities such as prisons and jails in Tennessee. This funding is offered in partnership with the Center for Disease Control and the United States Department of Justice.

Stribling said he was made aware of the grant opportunity last fall by the Upper Cumberland Development District and informed Sheriff Ray.

“I was contacted by the Upper Cumberland Development District that there was a Facilities Confinement Grant that we could apply for so I spoke to DeKalb County Planner Tommy Lee of UCDD and got a little more information and then contacted Sheriff Ray and asked if he would be interested in it. I forwarded him the email that they (UCDD) had sent me. It just so happened that we both had a meeting at the Upper Cumberland Development District at the same time. We were at the same meeting. I asked him (Sheriff Ray) after the meeting was over if he would mind going down the hall with me and speaking with Mr. Lee and his staff with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. We did and found out more about the grant and what all we could apply for and that there was no match required by the county. I felt it was something we should take advantage of so Sheriff Ray and Chief Deputy Robert Patrick, who was also there, asked questions about what all they could apply for,” said County Mayor Stribling.

“The grant is about the impact of COVID-19 in the Jail and the Sheriff’s Department both and what we applied for were things that could combat that,” said Sheriff Ray.

“With this grant we were able to get four patrol cars, and a booking system that we had talked to the County Commission about last year that we were going to have to replace because the booking system was about to be obsolete,” Ray explained.

“We will also receive two HVAC units for the Jail Annex, and 30 laptop computers for our patrol cars where the deputies can get online from their cars and look at the new booking system to see prior bookings and if they need to identify someone, they can do that. It also allows us to go paperless with our reports. We can go in and fill out offense reports and we can assign detectives reports off this booking system. It is a great opportunity for us to get things we needed and by getting this grant, it will save local taxpayer dollars. I appreciate Mayor Stribling thinking of us at the Sheriff’s Department and the Jail in order for us to get this grant. It’s stuff that we really needed,” said Sheriff Ray.

“The grant was through the Tennessee Department of Health and we’re very fortunate to have the Upper Cumberland Development District to help us write grants,” Mayor Stribling explained.

“Anytime there’s a grant available, whether it’s through them or not, they are always ready and willing to help us write the grant. They were a big part in us getting the grant and I felt like it was something DeKalb County should take advantage of.”

March 29, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Judge Gary McKenzie handed down sentences in burglary and drug cases Monday in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

33-year-old Henry Butler entered a plea to a charge of aggravated burglary and received a sentence of four years to serve at least 30% before his release eligibility date. The term is to run concurrently with a Cumberland County TDOC sentence against him. Butler was given jail credit from August 2, 2020 to March 28, 2022.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on August 1 , 2020 Butler allegedly broke into a residence and garage on Chapman Hollow Road. After entering the garage Butler allegedly broke into and stole a 1993 Toyota Corolla. Butler also took from the residence two shotguns, two handguns, a leather western gun belt, several power tools, and other miscellaneous items with a total value of $3,790. The car was valued at $2,500. The case was investigated by a detective.

41 year old Mark Young entered a plea to burglary and aggravated burglary and received a sentence of four years in one case and two years in the other to run concurrently for a total of four years but all suspended to supervised probation. He was given jail credit for 121 days.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 6, 2021 Young allegedly stole a tiller from a shed on McMinnville Highway valued at $800. He also allegedly broke into a residence at the same location as the shed on McMinnville Highway and took a Remington 7 millimeter rifle with a Vortex scope valued at $600, a Marlin lever action 30-30 rifle valued at $500, a 22 caliber Cricket rifle valued at $200 and a Bore sight set valued at $200.

46-year-old Jo Ann Luna entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received a sentence of eight years at 30% all suspended to TDOC probation. She was fined $2,000 and given jail credit for 59 days.

45-year-old Kevin Mansfield Curtis entered a best interest plea to simple possession and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation. He was fined $750.

March 29, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Tennessee’s 2022 spring turkey hunting season is set to open in most areas of the state on Saturday, April 2.

In an effort to help the turkey population in specific areas, the season starts April 16 in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) unit (consisting of Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton counties) and in Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Wayne counties in Middle Tennessee. The Young Sportsman Hunt is April 9-10 in these counties. The season concludes May 15 in all areas of the state.

“The purpose of the delay opening in the MAV unit and select Middle Tennessee counties is to give birds a chance to breed without disturbance,” said Roger Shields, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Wild Turkey Program Coordinator. “Hopefully this will lead to better reproduction and help increase the population in these areas of concern.”

This will be the third spring turkey season to “Tag Before You Drag” where hunters tag their big game animal in the field prior to moving. Hunters are able to use the TWRA on the Go app to simply E-tag and report their harvest in the field in one easy step, with or without cell phone service, prior to moving.

If you do not have a phone, attach one of the temporary transportations tags that printed at the bottom of your license this year and you have until midnight on the same day of the harvest (or before leaving the state) to check in your harvest online at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com or at one of several manned check stations. Temporary transportation tags can also be obtained by logging in at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com.

One bearded turkey is allowed per day, not to exceed the spring season limit of three bearded turkeys (two birds in the MAV unit).

A hunting and fishing combination (Type 001), plus a supplemental big game license, or a sportsman license is required. To purchase a license online, go to https://www.gooutdoorstennessee.com/.

More information on the 2022 spring turkey season can be found in the 2021-22 Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide. The guide is online at www.tnwildlife.org and available at TWRA offices and license agents.

Hunting hours are 30 minutes prior to legal sunrise until legal sunset (times found based on your location in the TWRA On the Go app). Legal hunting equipment includes shotguns using ammunition loaded with No. 4 shot or smaller, longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows.

Firearms and archery equipment may have sighting devices, except those devices utilizing an artificial light capable of locating wildlife.