“Shadow” needs home in time for the holidays (View Video Here)

November 29, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

“Shadow” needs a home in time for the holidays.

This one-year-old cute and cuddly cat is the WJLE/DeKalb Animal Shelter featured “Pet of the Week”.

“Shadow is so relaxed and he has the best personality. He is content to just hang out on your lap. Shadow is great with people as well as other cats. He is an all-around good boy. His adoption fee is $60. He will be neutered and brought up to date on all his vaccinations with flea prevention on board and he will be micro-chipped if requested and de-wormed. If you would like to meet him visit our website and fill out an adoption application and we will call you to come in and meet him,” said Shelter Director Emmaly Bennett.

Visit the shelter website to see photos of Shadow and other adoptable pets at https://www.dekalbanimalsheltertn.com/.

The shelter is now open Monday-Friday from 8 to 4 and Saturday from 8 to 12 on Transfer Station Road behind Tenneco Automotive.

November 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The Liberty and Alexandria Christmas parades will be on the same day but at different times next Sunday, December 5.

The Liberty Christmas Parade will be Sunday, December 5 starting at 2 p.m. Participants may line up at 1 p.m. on West Main Street. First and second place awards will be given for best floats, kids and animal entries, and vintage cars, trucks and tractors. drawings for cash giveaways will follow

The Town of Alexandria Christmas parade will be a night parade again this year. It will be held on Sunday, Dec 5 at 5pm beginning on West Main Street and ending at the Town Square. There will be prize giveaways immediately following the parade at the Town Square. Participant forms are available at Alexandria Town Hall at 102 High Street or on the website at townofalexandria.us

November 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

For the second year in a row the DeKalb County School District’s graduation rate dropped in 2020-21 thanks again to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data released by the Tennessee Department of Education, 83.6% of DeKalb County high school students graduated on time in 2020-21, a drop of 8.3% from the 91.9% graduation rate the previous year (2019-20) and down from 94.4% in 2018-19. The rate was 93.7% in 2017-18. The DeKalb County graduation rate for 2020-21 was also below the state’s graduation rate of 88.7%.

According to the Tennessee Department of Education, of the 2020-21 cohort, 88.7% of students graduated on time this year statewide compared to 89.6% last year, 37 districts improved their graduation rates, and 37 districts graduated 95% or more of their cohorts.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spanned the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year, the department offered several interventions to mitigate learning loss and provide necessary student supports to ensure they were prepared for graduation and postsecondary success, such as summer programming, free ACT prep workshops, and AP Access for All.

“Our state remains committed to swift and urgent action to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on our students,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The department was prepared for the negative impacts of the pandemic on our statewide graduation rate, but we are confident that with the right investment and the partnership and dedication of our districts and schools, we can resume the upward trajectory in graduation rate and ensure we are preparing Tennessee students for success.”