County to Host Town Hall Meeting Concerning Options for Jail/Judicial Center

March 7, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A town hall meeting!

Got questions about plans for a new jail/judicial center? Get answers during a public forum to be held by the county commission and county mayor on Monday, March 18 at 5 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mike Foster Multi-Purpose Center of the county complex.

Stephanie Harding, Detention Facility Manager at the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI); Jim Hart, Jail Consultant and Field Manager of the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS); John Eisenlau of Treanor Architects and Rick Bruining of Bell Construction, will also be at the meeting.

The public is invited to attend to learn more and ask questions.

WJLE plans to LIVE video stream the town hall meeting on facebook

The town hall will be followed by a jail committee meeting at 6:30 p.m. also in the auditorium of the Mike Foster Multi-Purpose Center of the county complex.

March 7, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Kicking the can down the road!

For years some in the community have argued that the county ought to identify present and future needs whether it be for infrastructure such as a new school, jail, or other concerns and then develop a long range plan for addressing them, rather than merely kicking the can down the road and taking a band aid approach when an immediate need arises.

County Mayor Matt Adcock believes that is a good idea and he wants to form a new committee to start the process of getting the county to think along those lines.

In the March County Commission meeting, Mayor Adcock said he will be proposing a new County Commission Committee, called the “Committee of Forethought and Preparation”. “I will ask that this committee be added to the policy and procedures of the County Commission and be a regular standing committee of our elected body,” said County Mayor Adcock.

“For too long DeKalb County’s negligence of planning has taken a toll on the community. DeKalb County has always been known for “kicking the can down the road.” We have also been known to only be reactive instead of proactive. Every time a major issue arises, we make hasty decisions to band aid our problems instead of making permanent long-lasting results,” County Mayor Adcock told WJLE.

“DeKalb County has made no future plans for a jail, schools, or any other long-term project that this community must have. We have identified this problem in the past but only have discussion without action. Today, we change those bad habits and develop a committee that holds accountability and prepares the community for tomorrow and the generations after,” he said.

“The truth is visible. We need a new school and a new jail. Honestly, there are many projects throughout the county that need consideration and a plan to make action on. The funding is constricted which makes it evident why this committee is so vitally important,” Mayor Adcock continued.

“I can anticipate that DeKalb County will have growing pains with hardships that have burdened us from previous elected bodies and administrations, however, I foresee that these challenges will be conquered. That all the decisions made of today will prosper the future and the planning of today will bring clarity for tomorrow and every day after,” he said.

“This standing committee will be composed of seven members, three that must be members of the budget committee. The members and officers of this committee will be appointed by the County Mayor and confirmed by the legislative body in September and will have one-year terms just as all the other standing committees,” explained County Mayor Adcock. “This committee will have a chairperson, vice chairperson, and a secretary. The committee’s aim will be to plan for the county’s larger projects whether an issue of expenditure or revenue. They should consider the recommendations of any elected or appointed official of DeKalb County, including the school system and highway department that could have business with this committee. The committee should develop future planning for DeKalb County’s capital improvement plan.
These plans could be for any number of years that seem reasonable to the committee. For example: 5-year plan, 10-year plan, 15-year plan, 20-year plan, 30 plan, etc. The projects could be of any capital improvement. For example: Public Safety Buildings, Schools, Jails, Courts, Community or Sport Complexes, County Maintenance Shops, Fueling Stations, etc. The committee should meet at least bi-annually if not more often to discuss and consider the forethought and preparation of the future success of DeKalb County. The committee will develop recommendations and present them to the full committee of the County Commission and/or budget committee to recommend the allocation of funding necessary for the fruition of the projects. This committee shall be perpetual and place emphasis on the importance of making measurable progress and holding self-accountability,” said County Mayor Adcock.

March 6, 2024
By: Bill Conger

DeKalb West School has named the Students of the Month for February. Selected for the accomplishment were Rylee Woodruff, PreK, Karson Davenport, Kindergarten, Aiden Checchi, 1st grade, Ty Combs, 2nd grade, Annabelle Ray, 3rd grade, Cammi Neal, 4th grade, Paisely Avera, 5th grade, Averie Winchester, 6th grade, Halia McDaniel, 7th grade, and Katie Beth Swearinger, 8th grade.

Longtime educator Jenny Cantrell, a 2nd grade teacher, was named Teacher of the Month, and Brandi Womack, the school’s bookkeeper, was named Employee of the Month.