Head Start Students Graduate (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

May 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Seventy three students in the L.B.J. & C. Smithville Head Start Program received certificates during a graduation ceremony held Friday at the county complex auditorium.

Parents and other family members and friends turned out for the program which featured the children singing songs including ”Goodbye Friends” and dancing to the recording of “Get Funky”.

Students in each of the four classes wore graduation caps and came to the podium to receive their certificates as their names were called by the teachers.

Director Cathy Shehane read a graduation poem in honor of the students.

“A child is like a butterfly in the wind. Some can fly higher than others, but each one flies the best it can. Why compare one against the other? Each one is different. Each one is special. Each one is beautiful.”

May 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Climate Crew is preparing a Military Honor Wall at the high school.

“We would like to give the community the opportunity to add names of themselves or their family members to the wall. If you would like to add someone’s name to the wall please provide the name of the person who served in the military, the year he or she graduated from DCHS, and the branch of the military in which he or she served or are serving,” said Climate Crew spokesperson Sara Young .

Bring $5.00 cash to Mrs. Sara Young, Mrs. Sara Halliburton, or Mrs. Jamie Cripps at the high school.

“We can only accept cash this late in the year. We will open this up again at the beginning of every school year,” said Young.

May 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Since its beginnings in 1975, the DeKalb County Fire Department has been completely staffed with volunteers but times have changed and fewer people are stepping up to volunteer.

For that reason, County Fire Chief Donny Green asked the budget committee of the county commission in March for funds to be included in next year’s budget (fiscal year 2019-20) for two shared part-time positions. No two specific individuals would get the jobs. Available firefighters, who are trained and certified, would rotate in and out of the positions as needed.

Chief Green had sought $68,640 per year for the fire department to fund the two shared positions at 40 hours each per week but he will be getting less.

“We are extremely short on manpower if we have calls. I am telling you as a fire chief what I think we need in order to address emergency response in the county but it’s up to you to decide if we need that or not. I’ll take whatever you give me. I have told you what I need but I am not going to be foolish enough to say its that or nothing because anything you give me is going to be an improvement over what we have today,” said Chief Green.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, the budget committee voted to fund two shared positions at 20 hours each per week at $10 per hour for a total of $20,800 subject to approval of the county commission later this summer. The total budget for the fire department comes to $268,473.

“There is no guarantee I will get people to do it for that. Availability is still an issue. These people have jobs and work so they are sacrificing something to come and do this even for pay. In talking with and surveying our volunteers, I am concerned about us being able to find enough people to even do this (original plan) but we have to do something to make sure we have some response during the day time Monday through Friday. I will fill the positions as best I can,” added Chief Green.

The two fire fighters would be assigned to work out of the main station on King Ridge Road, which serves as the hub of the county fire department.