Twenty Six DWS Fifth Graders Graduate from D.A.R.E. Program (VIEW VIDEO OF GRADUATION HERE)

May 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Twenty six fifth graders at DeKalb West School graduated from the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in a ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

D.A.R.E. is a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department-led series of classroom lessons that teaches fifth graders in DeKalb County how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

Lewis Carrick, the Sheriff’s Department’s School Resource Officer at DeKalb West School, doubles as the D.A.R.E Officer instructor for the fifth grade classes.

The 10 week course identifies fundamental, basic skills and developmental processes needed for healthy development including: Self-awareness and management, Responsible decision making, Understanding others, Relationship and communication skills, and Handling responsibilities and challenges.

IMG_6537 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

D.A.R.E. believes that if you can teach youth to make safe and responsible decisions, it will guide them to healthy choices, not only about drugs, but across all parts of their lives. As they grow to be responsible citizens, they will lead healthier and more productive drug-free lives.

As part of the course, students prepared essays on what they have learned from D.A.R.E. and a winner was selected from each fifth grade class. The winners at DeKalb West School were Carter Vickers from Ms. Nadina Martel’s class and Autumn Dies from Ms. Jeanna Caplinger’s class. Vickers was the overall winner and he received a $50 check from General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II presented in his absence by Tish Summers and Megan Cook.

D.A.R.E. students in Ms. Caplinger’s Class were Cole Bain, Mireya Barrett, Will Bouldin, Abby Crook, Autumn Dies, Xavier Floyd, Peyton Key, Nicholas Maddox, Cameron Mitchell, Hudson Moss, Ethan Reynolds, Landon Roehner, Madeleine Schwenke, Isabella Tarpley, and Caleb Tipton.

D.A.R.E students in Ms. Martel’s Class were Darci Blair, Isabelle Hendrixson, Jonathan Keith, Chaylea Lunsford, Nicholes Murphy, Caitlin Shoemake, Kolby Slager, Cameron Stanley, Conner Talley, Carter Vickers, and Brennan Winfree.

May 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

An honors physics class at DCHS was the first to take advantage of the new Outdoor Learning Space and Garden at DCHS.

Teacher and Coach Dylan Kleparek took his class outdoors last Thursday to test solar ovens made by the students.

“Each student made a solar oven and we’re seeing where we get to making use of the sun’s energy. Today we got to 220 degrees F. That’s hot enough to boil water,” said Kleparek.

Work began Thursday on development of the new Outdoor Learning Space and Garden.

When finished the venue will serve as an outdoor collaborative work area (200′ x 250′ in size) for students in a variety of classes complete with picnic tables, raised beds for growing herbs and vegetable plants, a flower bed, bench, bird bath, storage sheds, and more. The project was made possible thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Foundation and the creativity of students in the agriculture program’s landscape design class who came up with the layout.

May 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville man will make a court appearance Thursday on four counts of forgery and failure to appear in court.

47 year old Craig Anthony Hill of Holmes Creek Road is under a $30,000 bond.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said Hill passed forged checks to three different businesses from March 20 to April 1 as follows:

*March 20 at Regions Bank in Smithville for $260.47

*March 27 at Region’s Bank in McMinnville for $288.47 and $246.00

*April 1 to a bonding company for $300.00

Hill failed to show up in General Session Court May 9 on a capias warrant to answer prior charges of possession of a controlled substance in a penal institution, 2 counts of public intoxication, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of probation and a separate count of failure to appear in court.

34 year old Bryon Ray Gibbs of Gin Alley, Alexandria is charged with driving on a revoked license and possession of methamphetamine for sale or delivery. He is under a $10,000 bond and his court date is June 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on May 13 a deputy spotted a silver Pontiac Grand Prix setting in the middle of Woodbury Highway at Liberty. The officer stopped to make a welfare check and spoke with the driver, Gibbs. A computer check confirmed Gibbs’ license are revoked.

A search of Gibbs’ person turned up a small black container which held a bluish crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine which weighed 0.58 grams.

25 year old Carl Brandon Williams of Lebanon is charged with aggravated assault. Williams is under a $6,500 bond and his court date is June 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on April 27 Williams intentionally injured a woman by punching her in the face causing her to have a bloody lip and nose and swelling.

33 year old Jose Elias Tejeda of Columbia is charged with a second offense of driving on a revoked license. His bond is $3,500. He was also cited for a light law violation.

Sheriff Ray said that on May 20 a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a gold Chevy Malibu for a light law violation (right head light not working). The driver, Tejeda, told the officer that he did not have a license. A computer check confirmed that Tejeda’s license were revoked for DUI in 2012. He had one prior offense for driving on a revoked license in Maury County on May 4, 2013.