Fifth Graders at Northside Elementary Graduate from D.A.R.E. Program (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

May 15, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Fifth graders at Northside Elementary School and DeKalb West School again this year benefitted from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the highly acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.

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.

IMG_6315 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

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. A D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony was held Wednesday at Northside Elementary for the students who have completed the 10 week course and a similar program will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at DeKalb West School.

The curriculum 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.

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 Northside Elementary were Sarah Pugh, Elisabeth Sturdivant, Rosio Godinez, Genesis Roblero, Jerett Hamilton, and Brownie Johnson. The Overall Winner was Olivia Hale who received a $50 check from General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II.

May 15, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb Middle School eighth grade musical was presented Tuesday night.

(VIDEO BELOW SHOWS STUDENTS SINGING TO CYNDI LAUPER’S HIT OF THE 1980’S GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN)

May 15, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Two Tuesday afternoon wrecks kept law enforcement and first responders busy but no one was injured.

The first one occurred on Coconut Ridge Road.

According to THP Sergeant Tracy White, a 17 year old Smithville boy was driving a 2007 Chevy Silverado when he ran off the left side of the road and plunged over the side of the hill. According to the boy an oncoming vehicle was in his lane as he rounded a curve forcing him off the road.

Meanwhile two vehicles were involved in a crash on North Congress Boulevard.

Trooper C.J. Withers of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said that 31 year old Christopher Ogletree of Smithville, traveling south in a 2003 Chevy S-10, crossed into an oncoming lane to pass other vehicles in front of him when he lost control and ran off the left side of the highway into the grass. The truck then came back across the highway and struck a southbound Hyundai Elantra, driven by 55 year old Alena Meraz of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her husband Francisco was a passenger. Upon impact both vehicles went off the right side of the highway. The Hyundai came to a stop in a corn field.

According to Trooper Withers, Ogletree faces DUI and other charges.