DCHS to Partner with Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville For Dual Enrollment Program

August 17, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

For several years, DeKalb County High School and Motlow State Community College have partnered to offer a dual enrollment program in which students can earn college credits while still enrolled in high school.

For the first time, high school juniors and seniors on a vocational path in the Machine Tools Technology Program at DCHS will have a similar opportunity through a dual enrollment partnership between DCHS and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville. At the high school level, the class is applied toward a student’s high school diploma while at TCAT students are receiving hours toward their programs certificate or diploma.

Benefits of the program include students being able to complete a college education at an accelerated rate; making it easier for them to transition into their college program of study; and providing a cost-effective way to earn college hours for free through the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation’s (TSAC) Dual Enrollment Grant.. Students who do not meet TSAC Dual Enrollment Grant eligibility requirements may still dual enroll but they would be responsible for the tuition/fees.

The Board of Education Thursday night voted to enter into a dual enrollment agreement with TCAT.

“We have dual enrollment agreements with Motlow and other colleges but what we are trying to do is to establish a dual enrollment program for students in machining so they will actually get credit for work here (DCHS) and don’t have to do as much when they get there (college program),” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.

Cripps praised Todd Cantrell, the local instructor of the DCHS Advanced Manufacturing Class, for taking the metals program to a new level.

”DeKalb County is lucky to have Mr. Cantrell running this program. We have had other schools and industries come in to look at our program to see how it operates. Since he (Cantrell) has been here the interest in the program and the number of kids going into tool & die, welding, etc. has grown. The coolest thing is to see him working with the academic side. We have a great vocational program that works with our academic classes like physics and others and to see those two sides come together is amazing. Todd can tell you I can’t build anything with my hands and we have a lot of students like me but through this program they can learn how to do things with Todd and the other vocational teachers to get hands-on experience. That’s why I am anxious to get this dual enrollment program up and going for Todd and our students so we can give them an opportunity to shorten their time in the classroom and get to work,” said Director Cripps.

August 16, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville man who locked his victim inside a shed and later tried to burn down a house has been charged with arson and false imprisonment.

27 year old Michael Brady McGhee of Jennings Lane was arrested by Smithville Police on July 29. He is under a $7,500 bond.

According to police McGhee committed the offense of false imprisonment on July 28 by asking his victim to go into a shed with him at the back of Pack Circle. After entering the shed, McGhee ran out and then shut and locked the door leaving the victim inside. The victim escaped by using a car battery in the shed to break out a window. Police said the next day, July 29 McGhee intentionally set three fires at the Pack Circle residence trying to burn down the house. The fires were set on the kitchen floor, on top of the kitchen table, and in the living room of the home.

51 year old Michael Lynn Vance of 625 Highland Street was arrested on July 16 for public intoxication. Police received a complaint of an intoxicated man on Highland Street and upon arrival spoke with the man, Vance who had an odor of alcohol coming from his person. He was also unsteady on his feet. His court date is August 20.

Four days later on July 20, Vance got into trouble with the law again. He was arrested for aggravated assault, violation of an order of protection, aggravated burglary, and evading arrest. Police were called to a burglary in progress on Highland Street and upon arrival were informed by the victim that Vance had come into her house and stolen some money from a purse. When she tried to stop him, Vance punched her in the nose and grabbed her by the neck and attempted to strangle her but she fought back and got loose. The victim, who has an active order of protection against Vance, had visible marks on her face and arms from the assault. Vance had already left the scene by the time police arrived. Officers later spotted Vance in a field behind Andrews Street but he fled on foot trying to hide behind some trees. He was subsequently located and placed under arrest. Bond for Vance is $30,000 and his court date is August 20.

23 year old Krisann Rene Garmer of 628 Restview Avenue was arrested on July 1 for filing a false report. According to police Garmer filed a false report on June 8 when she reported having been sexually assaulted earlier that day. After an investigation officers determined that the contact between Garmer and the other party was consensual and that she had reported the assault to keep her boyfriend from finding out about the relationship.

38 year old David Allen Cobb Jr. of 857 Luttrell Avenue was arrested on July 1 for aggravated assault. Police said Cobb rammed his automobile into a vehicle belonging to his victim while chasing that person from Luttrell Avenue to Foster Road after an argument. Bond for Cobb is $5,000.

68 year old Betty Sue George of 905 West Main Street was arrested on July 2 for public intoxication. Police were summoned to West Main Street after George was observed yelling and making threats to neighbors. According to police, George smelled of an alcoholic beverage and was belligerent. In the presence of officers, George kept threatening to fight her neighbors.

21 year old Madison Hope Noyola of 909 Earl Avenue was arrested on July 10 for domestic assault. Police were called to the scene of a domestic incident and were informed upon arrival that Noyola and her victim got into an argument while driving down the road and that Noyola bit him on the right arm leaving a red mark. Bond for Noyola is $3,000 and her court date is August 20.

42 year old Arturo Alfaro Munoz of 1279 South Mountain Street was arrested on July 11 for driving under the influence. An officer spotted a Mustang veering in and out of the turning lane on East Broad Street before coming to a stop. The officer pulled in behind the vehicle in the turning lane and then got out and spoke to the driver, Munoz who smelled of an alcoholic beverage. Munoz consented to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on August 20.

35 year old Sebrena Michelle Tate of Alexandria was arrested on July 12 for public intoxication. Police were dispatched to the Webb House where Tate was outside acting suspiciously. She was observed getting into a car and later sitting on the porch. Upon arrival the officer spoke with Tate who appeared to be confused and unaware of where she was. Tate didn’t have on a shirt or shoes and police learned that she may have earlier consumed alcohol and taken some drugs. Her court date is August 20.

37 year old Charles Leonard Zellman of 303 Jackson Street was arrested on July 17 for domestic assault. Police received a complaint of a man assaulting a woman in the old Regions Bank parking lot. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the victim who appeared to be in distress. The woman said that she and Zellman had been arguing when he leaned into the vehicle where she was seated and intentionally hit her in the nose with his elbow and tried to grab the car keys out of the ignition. As she drove away, Zellman started walking toward Jackson Street. The investigation revealed that Zellman was the primary aggressor. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court August 20.

41 year old Taylor Conrad Fife of Nashville was arrested on July 18 for driving under the influence. While behind the wheel of his vehicle in the Save-A-Lot parking lot, Fife was observed to have had an odor of alcohol on his person. His speech was slurred and when he got out of the automobile Fife was unsteady on his feet. He submitted to but performed unsatisfactory on field sobriety tasks. Police secured a search warrant for a blood draw from Fife. Bond for Fife is $1,500.

37 year old Troy Jimmy Ray of McMinnville was arrested on July 19 for driving under the influence. Police spotted a vehicle traveling at 63 miles per hour in a 40 mph speed zone and pulled it over. The driver, Ray smelled of alcohol and his eyes were glossy. Police learned that Ray had been drinking earlier at the Cowboy Up Bar in Warren County. Ray submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He was arrested for DUI and cited for speeding. His bond is $1,500.

35 year old Rachel Dawn Zayed of 825 Adcock Cemetery Road was arrested on July 20 for public intoxication. Police spotted Zayed laying in the middle of Elm Street before she got up and ran toward Broad Street where she sat down on the side of the road. According to police the woman was nearly struck by traffic. Zayed was so unsteady on her feet that she had to be assisted to stand. She had a strong odor of alcohol coming from her person and could not speak coherently. Zayed was taken into custody for her safety. Her court date is August 20.

43 year old Brandon Lee Starnes of 705 South Mountain Street was arrested on July 25 for violation of an order of protection. Police responded to the Sonic Drive-In where Starnes had been spotted. Starnes had active warrants against him and was wanted by police. Officers found Starnes in the car with the person who has the order of protection against him. Under the order, Starnes is not to have any contact with that person. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court August 20.

20 year old Malachi Christian Martin of 425 Kendra Drive was cited on July 25 for vandalism. Police said Martin damaged a wall and a cabinet door facing in the victim’s residence. Martin’s court date is August 20.

29 year old Travis Michael Jenkins of Carthage was arrested on July 26 for criminal impersonation, simple possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police were summoned to Kwik-N-Ezy to investigate a complaint of a stolen vehicle. Police confronted Jenkins and inquired about his identity but Jenkins gave officers a phony name and date of birth. Jenkins later admitted who he really was and he was taken into custody. But while being transported to the police department for questioning, police noticed him moving around in the back seat. After Jenkins was removed from the patrol car at the police department, officers lifted the back seat and found a small blue container and inside were two gum wrappers that held a white substance which tested positive for methamphetamine. A glass pipe with white residue was also found in Jenkins’ pocket. Police further learned that Jenkins had active warrants against him. Bond for Jenkins is $6,500 and his court date is August 20.

66 year old Victoria Heine Openo of 109 Hayes Street was arrested on July 29 for public intoxication. Police were dispatched to the hospital where a suspected intoxicated person had left the emergency room. Police later found Openo walking in the road near 3-D Financial. Openo smelled of an alcoholic beverage and she was unsteady on her feet. Her court date is August 20.

48 year old Marcus John Peregoy of Liberty was cited on July 31 for vandalism. Police said Peregoy damaged an entry door and wall at Magnolia Inn by kicking open the door. His court date is August 20.

August 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

U.S. Census Bureau Staff will be back in Smithville Monday and Friday, August 17 & 21 for mobile questionnaire assistance to help people respond online to the 2020 Census. Look for them between Center Hill Wine and Spirits and Food Lion on South Congress Boulevard from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The current DeKalb County self response rate to the census is at 50.3% which is approximately 12% below the Tennessee average. Self response rates for the cities are as follows: Liberty-49.2%, Alexandria 55.2%, Smithville 57.4%, and Dowelltown 57. 4%. The final county wide response rate for 2010 was 62.3%.

More than 3,000 U.S. Census Bureau staff are now going into communities across the nation with the lowest 2020 Census response rates to encourage and assist people with responding on their own to the 2020 Census. This operation, known as the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) program, is a separate activity from census takers going door to door to count households that have not yet responded. MQA is part of the Census Bureau’s final push to encourage people to complete the 2020 Census. The Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) operation began nationwide Tuesday, August 11.

MQA representatives will encourage people to respond to the 2020 Census in open, public places in the lowest responding areas of the nation. These are places where people naturally visit when leaving home to help increase self-response rates. People are encouraged to respond on their own online or by phone. Locations for MQAs will include grocery stores and markets, food banks, laundromats, restaurants and grab-and-go eateries, unemployment offices, back to school drives, places of worship, and libraries.

The local census response representatives will help people complete the census on a 2020 Census tablet or on their own device, while practicing state and local social distancing protocols. All census workers have been trained in social distancing protocols and issued personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks to be worn during MQA support.