DCHS Basketball Senior Conner Close Scores 1,000th Career Point

December 13, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

DCHS senior basketball standout Conner Close entered Tuesday night’s game against Smith County in Smithville “close” to reaching a milestone.

Needing only five points to gain entry to the prestigious DCHS 1,000-point club, Close wasted no time. After just under three minutes into the game, Close had done it scoring the first 5 points of the contest giving his team an early lead and etching his name forever in the annals of Tiger basketball history.

The game was stopped momentarily with 5:42 left in the 1st period to mark the accomplishment. Coach Joey Agee presented Close a 1,000th point game ball as fellow players, family, friends, and fans gave Close a standing ovation of applause and cheers. Close finished the night with 15 points and a total of 1,010 for his high school career as the Tigers defeated the Owls 66 to 56. The night was even more memorable as the Lady Tigers evened the score with the Owlettes winning 50 to 48 after losing to them only a week ago at Carthage 67-44.

In the boys game, the Tigers trailed 16 to 14 after the 1st period and 26 to 23 by halftime. The Tigers jumped out front 47 to 34 after the 3rd period and went onto win 66 to 56.

Jordan Parker led the Tigers in scoring with 23 followed by Conner Close with 15, Dallas Kirby 14, Alex Antoniak 8, Jon Hendrix 4, and Seth Fuson 2.

Last week the Tigers beat the Owls 59 to 49 at Carthage.

The girls game was tied at 13 by the end of the 1st period, 19 to 19 at halftime and 33 all at the end of the 3rd period. In the 4th quarter, the Lady Tigers outscored the Owlettes 17 to 15 and won 50 to 48.

Chloe VanVranken scored 16 followed by Ella VanVranken 15, Allie Melton 13, and Tess Barton with 6.

Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers improve to 5-4 and will travel to Cannon County Friday night, December 15. Action begins with the girls game at 6 p.m. followed by the boys contest and WJLE will broadcast both LIVE.

In the earlier meeting on November 28 in Smithville, the Tigers beat the Lions 54 to 52 to start their now five game winning streak but the Lady Tigers lost 53 to 46.

December 12, 2023
By: dwayne page

During the holidays many families pay tribute to their friends and loved ones, living and deceased, by making a donation in their name to the American Cancer Society to further cancer research and patient services. It’s called “Love Lights a Tree”.

In reality, it’s a tribute board located on the south grounds of the courthouse where names of honorees are displayed throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

The DeKalb County Unit of the American Cancer Society seeks your support. Donations may be made now and the persons you honor or remember do not necessarily have to have suffered from cancer.

The names are in “honor of” and in “memory of” for a donation of five-dollars per name. Forms may be obtained at the local banks. For more information, contact Ivadell Randolph at 615-464-8129, Nancy Young at 615-785-3496, Melanie Judkins at 615-464-7664, Renea Cantrell at 615-684-2688, or Gail Taylor 615-597-5936.

December 12, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A routine traffic stop Friday, December 8 by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department resulted in the discovery of drugs and charges against two people.

35-year-old Jessica Renee Scruggs of Page Drive, Smithville, who was driving the vehicle, is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while in possession of methamphetamine, driving on a suspended license, and simple possession of a schedule II & III drug.

52-year-old Chad Everete Knowles of the Loop Circle, Smithville was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver.

Bond for Scruggs is $112,500 and Knowles’ bond is $102,500. Both will make a court appearance on the charges December 21.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Friday, December 8 a deputy was patrolling Sparta Highway when he spotted a blue Chevrolet Trailblazer that failed to maintain its lane of travel. The vehicle also bore a silver license plate cover obstructing the tag. The officer conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, Scruggs and her passenger, Knowles. After obtaining consent to search, the deputy found several items of drug paraphernalia including pipes and needles containing residue. The search also turned up a a black bag with six individual baggies inside which held a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine with different weight quantities in each bag. The combined total weight of the substances was 17.17 grams. Found in Knowles’ pocket was a scale that could have been used for distributing narcotics. A quarter of an orange pill believed to be suboxone was retrieved from Scruggs’ purse.

During the investigation, Scruggs told the officer she had no driver license and a background check through central dispatch confirmed her license was suspended.

60-year-old Kevin Ray Wilson of Yulonda Hill Road, Smithville is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving on a revoked or suspended license. His bond is $28,500 and he will be in court December 21.

Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, December 9 a deputy was patrolling Midway Road when he spotted an orange Ford Ranger without a license plate. He pulled it over and detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. When asked if there was any marijuana in vehicle, Wilson, the driver, said he had a little bit on him in his jacket pocket. The deputy then retrieved from Wilson’s jacket pocket, a glove containing a clear baggie which held a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana that weighed 18.7 grams. In the vehicle were several straws and a pipe with residue on them. Central dispatch confirmed that Wilson’s license was suspended for failure to appear in court.

30-year-old Enrique Adelaido Lomas of New Home Road, Dowelltown is charged with altering/falsifying or forging an auto title. His bond is $8,500 and he will be in court January 4.

Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, December 10 a deputy was on East Main Street, Smithville when he spotted a white Cadillac with Lomas in the driver seat. The officer turned around to stop the vehicle, Knowing Lomas’ license were suspended. The deputy pulled over the vehicle at the car wash on East Broad Street and detained Lomas after he got out of the vehicle and started to walk away. After a background check through central dispatch, the officer confirmed that Lomas’ license was suspended for failure to appear on November 4, 2023. The tag on the car was also out of date and had been altered. A sharpie had been used to change the month on the tag from November to December.