No more “Snow Days” left for DeKalb School District

February 18, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County School District has used up all its 13 allotted inclement weather “snow days” for the year.

Students district-wide will return to remote learning Thursday and Friday, February 18 & 19 via Google Classroom.

No classes will be held on campus at either school for in-person learning due to inclement weather Thursday and Friday. When weather and road conditions improve, classes will resume on-campus at each school.

Except for 11th graders, all other students at DeKalb County High School will be on remote learning on March 2 to allow juniors to take the ACT exam in person at school.

“ Wednesday (February 17) was our last inclement weather day and going forward If we miss any days due to inclement weather we will be continuing by remote,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.

“We build up 13 days throughout the school year to use for inclement weather but starting this school year back in August we had to shut down due to COVID-19 so we used 9 of those days. The unfortunate part is that we were unable to go remote during that time because we didn’t have our 1:1 devices. We sent that request into the state and got approval. Our only other choice would have been to add those 9 lost days to the end of the school year,” he said.

Director Cripps said remote learning is the preferred option over extending the school year or canceling spring break.

“A good thing about having the 1:1 devices is that you can do that (continue instruction) without having to add days to the end of the school year. The state says we have to put in 180 days of instruction each year so when we miss school over our allotted 13 inclement weather days we have to make up that time but I don’t like trying to change our school calendar once it is set because families make plans. Being able to do the remote learning prevents us from having to add days to the end of the school year,” said Director Cripps.

The remainder of the 2020-21 school calendar shows that DeKalb County students will be off for spring break with no on campus or remote learning the week of March 29 to April 2. Thursday, May 2 will be an administrative day with no school for students. Friday, May 21 will be the last day of school for the year and report cards will be sent home.

Graduation for the Class of 2021 will be Friday, May 14 at 7 p.m. on the high school football field.

The DCHS prom date will be April 9 at the Capital Theatre in Lebanon.

February 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell reminds you that March 1 is an important date for business owners and applicants of the Greenbelt Program.

“March 1 is the deadline for personal property schedules. Anyone who owns a business needs to have those turned in by March 1. If you do not turn one in at all or it is not turned in by March 1, there are penalties after that deadline. We want you to avoid those penalties if possible,” said Assessor Cantrell.

“March 1 is also the deadline for Greenbelt applications. If you do not have your form turned in by March 1, you will not be able to qualify for the savings for the 2021 tax year,” said Cantrell.
“If you are already enrolled in the Greenbelt program, you do not have to reapply. However, if you have purchased property, added acreage to your farm, or had a name change within the last year and seek to enroll in the Greenbelt program, you need to apply by March 1 in order to get the 2021 savings. In addition to not receiving the 2021 savings, there would be a rollback tax that would apply as well. A rollback tax is the savings received on the property for the previous three years,” Cantrell said.

“Basic requirements for the Greenbelt application are that you must own a minimum of fifteen acres and be actively farming a minimum of fifteen acres and are able to produce some kind of agriculture product to the gross amount of $1,500 per year. Also, if you own fifteen acres and you do not have an agriculture product, your land may qualify under forestry. Requirements under the forestry program include a forestry plan written for the property.”

February 16, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville woman who allegedly stole a checkbook and passed three forged checks in October will make a court appearance on May 6.

32 year old Maranda Rose Smith of Andrew Street, Smithville is charged with three counts of forgery and three counts of theft under $1,000. She was further cited for simple possession of methamphetamine. Her bond is $12,000.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on October 29 Smith stole a checkbook and forged the name of her victim on the check for $180 and then deposited the money into her account. Smith passed to other forged checks involving the same victim on October 31 for $450 and for $300. During a search at the jail, Smith was found to have hidden in the right side of her bra a small baggie containing 0.6 grams of a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine.

A Smithville man who allegedly cut open the trunk lid of a car to obtain a jack which he used to lift another vehicle to steal a catalytic converter has been charged with vandalism over $1,000 and theft.

47 year old Jeffery Lynn Sanders of Highland Drive, Smithville is under a $25,000 bond and he will make a court appearance May 13.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 14 Sanders damaged a car by cutting the trunk lid open with a saw to obtain a jack which he used to jack up another vehicle to steal a catalytic converter. Sanders actually cut through one of the converters completely but only partially cut through another. After Sanders was confronted by the owner he took off running with a back pack and one of the converters. He was found later lying down in a tree line and the converter and backpack were recovered.

51 year old Billy Eugene Cook of Floyd Drive, Smithville is charged with criminal trespassing and theft of property. His court date is May 6. Sheriff Ray said that on January 5 Cook came onto the property of his victim on Lakeview Drive and took a Lodge cast iron skillet from the porch valued at $65.

47 year old Freddy Sylvester Stringer of Church Street, Liberty is charged with violation of the sex offender registry. He is under a $10,000 bond and his court date is May 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 5 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Church Street in Liberty due to a complaint of an unwanted guest. Upon arrival he spoke with Stringer, a convicted sex offender, and learned that Stringer was furloughed from the White County Jail three days earlier and had failed to comply under the state’s sex offender registry law to report his new address within 48 hours upon arrival.

29 year old Steven Ray Foster of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution. His bond is $3,500 and he will make a court appearance on April 15. Sheriff Ray said that on February 10 Foster was asked by correctional officers before entering the jail if he had anything on him that would be considered contraband and he replied no. He was later spotted on jail surveillance video removing something from his body cavity. Correctional officers searched Foster and found on him a white powdered substance believed to be methamphetamine that weighed 0.2 grams.

21 year old Gregory Michael Patton, Jr. of Lancaster is charged with driving under the influence. He was further cited for violation of the open container law and no insurance. His court date is May 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 11 a deputy was called to a wreck on Robinson Road where he found a GEO Prizm in the yard of a residence and the driver, Patton, passed out behind the steering wheel. After being awakened by the deputy, Patton admitted to having been drinking earlier. Patton smelled of alcohol and a bottle of Smirnoff Ice was found in the floorboard on the passenger side. Patton submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.

A man who got gas at the Liberty Stop N Buy without paying for it on February 8 was caught two days later when a sheriff’s department detective spotted his car at DeKalb Market where he and a passenger had accidentally locked themselves out of the vehicle.

22 year old Joseph Daniel Morgan of Woodbury is cited for property theft due to the gas drive off. His passenger, 31 year old Misty Dawn Gingerich of Holmes Creek Road was cited for theft after she removed an antenna from another vehicle at DeKalb Market to unlock Morgan’s car. Their court date is May 6. When confronted by the detective Morgan admitted to getting $25.24 worth of gas without paying for it while Gingerich confessed to taking the antenna.

37 year old Jennifer Elizabeth Chapman of West Main Street, Smithville is cited for fraudulent use of a credit card. Her court date is April 22.

Sheriff Ray said that through the month of December, 2020 to January, 2021 Chapman used the credit card of another without their consent for products or services through Infinity mobile and Amazon Prime totaling $375.38