8th Grader Kaden Mullinax Competes in Half Marathon

April 14, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb West School student, Kaden Mullinax, completed his first half marathon on Sunday, April 6th, racing in the Covenant Health Half in Knoxville. The eighth grader, who is part of DeKalb Middle School’s cross country team, covered the 13.1 mile course in a time of 2:06. He placed 4th in his age group and finished 697th overall out of a field of 2,034 participants, which is in the top one-third.

DeKalb’s cross-country coach, Kristen Van Vranken had this to say, “To accomplish something of this magnitude as an eighth grader is phenomenal. The mental focus and physical exhaustion in a race of this length is so challenging and Kaden conquered his goal and finished. He is a huge part of our cross-country program and a wonderful student-athlete. We couldn’t be more proud of him”.

April 14, 2025
By: Bill Conger

Two DeKalb West School students and one DeKalb Middle School student finished in the Top 10 at the 2025 Middle School Math Contest at Tennessee Tech. DMS 8th grader Carter Moore was number 2 out of 145 students in his grade division while DWS 8th grader Gabriel Blair placed 5th. DWS 6th grader Wyatt Bain placed 8th out of 145 students in his grade division.

Four hundred third-five students from 40 schools participated in the contest Thursday (April 10) at TTU.

DWS Math Contest students pictured front row left to right are Wyatt Bain, Paisley Avera, Turner Stanley, and Bella Gonzalez

Pictured back row left to right are Conner Robinson, Kaden Mullinax, Dakota Ferrell, Gabe Blair, Levi Reynolds, Bentley Martin, Joseph Grabovack, and Lucas Nokes.

April 14, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

A man charged with attacking his former foster parent and that man’s daughter appeared for sentencing last Monday, April 7 in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

24-year-old Garrett Nicolas Vallem entered a plea to one charge of aggravated assault and received a five-year sentence to serve at 30% before his release eligibility date. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Knox County case. Vallem was given jail credit for a total of 619 days served. He was originally charged with two counts of aggravated assault but one of them was dismissed upon his plea.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on June 1, 2023 a deputy was summoned to a residence on Old Bildad Road due to a 911 wrong number call. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a man and his daughter who reported that Vallem showed up intoxicated at their home and began arguing. They said Vallem then stood up and hit his former foster parent several times on the arms, ribs and face, before putting his hands around the man’s neck rendering him almost unconscious. As the daughter intervened trying to break up the fight, Vallem allegedly hit and grabbed the woman by the throat, rendering her almost unconscious. The officer reported that the former foster parent had red marks on his neck and the side of his head, as well as a cut on his elbow and head, while the woman also showed red marks around her neck.

Meanwhile.33-year-old Hope Leigh Hicks entered a plea to possession of methamphetamine over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. She was fined $2,000.

Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins said that on July 31, 2024 police were summoned to South College Street where a woman was reported to be slumped over the wheel of a vehicle with the motor running. Upon arrival the officer awoke the woman, Hicks and got her out of the vehicle. She was unsteady on her feet. Hicks’ speech was slurred, and her eyes were red and watery. She consented to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. A small bag of a crystal-like substance was found in the vehicle along with a loaded nine-millimeter handgun. Police learned that Hicks was under bond conditions from an aggravated assault case preventing her from having possession of a firearm. She was placed in custody and a blood sample was taken from her.

49-year-old Robert Dwayne Moore entered a plea to possession with intent to deliver less than 0.5 grams of a schedule II drug and received a four-year sentence all suspended to TDOC probation. He was fined $2,000.

Chief Collins said that on May 16, 2024 an officer while on patrol stopped a vehicle on Earl Avenue. While speaking with the driver, Moore the officer noticed signs of impairment and a strong odor of marijuana. During a subsequent probable cause search, the officer found four bags of a crystal-like substance that weighed 6.09 grams, one bag containing 14 yellow pills, two bags of crushed pills, and a bag containing a green leafy substance along with scales and a grinder with white residue.

52-year-old Melisha Renea Martin entered a plea to possession with intent to deliver a schedule II drug. She received a four-year sentence all suspended to TDOC probation. Martin was fined $2,000.

Martin was charged with three others on February 28, 2022 by the DeKalb and Warren County Sheriff’s Departments while executing a search warrant at 745 Adcock Cemetery Road. At the time Martin was charged with possession of Methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver; Possession of a Schedule II drug (Methadone); Possession of a Schedule I drug (Heroin); Possession of a Schedule IV (Xanax); Possession of a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone); and Possession of a Schedule VI drug (Marijuana) with intent to sell or deliver. Inside her bedroom were heroin, Xanax pills, Oxycodone, methadone pills, methamphetamine, marijuana, and a large amount of baggies, scales, pipes and other paraphernalia. Inside a car registered to Martin were additional marijuana and meth.

45-year-old Hani Mohamad (BJ) Shirhan Ittayem entered a plea to possession with intent to sell less than 0.5 grams of a controlled substance. He received a six-year sentence all suspended to TDOC probation and was fined $2,000.

Sheriff Ray said that on February 19, 2023 a detective tried to confront Ittayem but he fled into the woods on foot after abandoning the motorcycle he had been operating. The detective conducted a visual inspection of the motorcycle and found on it a green scale with residue. A further search of the motorcycle yielded a bag which held a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine that weighed 19.78 grams, and a white powdery substance thought to be cocaine which weighed 3.69 grams.

A Murfreesboro man who set fire in the front yard of a Dowelltown residence threatening a woman and her four-year-old son inside before breaking into their home entered a plea to aggravated burglary.

22-year-old Ricoryon Lamontez Henderson received a four-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. The term is to run consecutive to a Rutherford County case against him. He was given jail credit of 49 days

Sheriff Ray said that on April 24, 2024 Henderson allegedly broke into the Corley Street residence through a bedroom window after setting fire to property outside causing the woman there and her four-year-old son to fear imminent bodily injury. Once inside, Henderson allegedly stole a green and brown Michael Kors purse valued at $250.

Before breaking into the home, Sheriff Ray said Henderson allegedly set fire outside to a flowerpot and table valued at $90, a bicycle valued at $40, and a portion of the front yard. He then took a picture of the fire and sent it to the woman. Sheriff Ray said gasoline believed to have been used as an accelerant was found on the scene and a lighter was recovered from Henderson.

35-year-old Jeremy Trent Sanders entered a plea to reckless endangerment and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to CPS probation.

Sheriff Ray said that on March 2, 2024 a deputy was at the Midnight Express on Sparta Highway on a call and during that investigation, Sanders walked up to the officer acting belligerently and he smelled of alcohol. At first Sanders complied with the officer’s request to leave but he later returned still acting belligerently. Sanders again was asked to leave and complied. Later Sanders returned again in a gray Nissan Altima. Sanders, who appeared to be intoxicated, was removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest after refusing to submit to field sobriety tasks and implied consent.

26-year-old Elijah Malik Walton entered a plea to aggravated assault and received a three-year sentence all suspended to TDOC probation.

According to Chief Mark Collins, Smithville Police were summoned to Bizee Mart in September 2023 in reference to a shooting that had occurred. Officers spoke with the victim who reported that Walton had shot at her. During the investigation it was discovered that Walton and the victim had gotten into an argument in Murfreesboro and she left. Later, Walton located the victim getting gas at Bizee Mart and an altercation occurred with him striking her in the face. Once she got into her vehicle and started to drive away, Walton pulled a gun and shot at her, placing the people at the convenience store in harm’s way also. Warrants were taken for Walton and he was taken into custody later.

46-year-old Jason Richard Skaroupka entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams (2 counts) and received an eight-year sentence on TDOC supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and given jail credit of 199 days.

The warrants against Skaroupka allege that “On August 15 and September 19, 2024 he sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Smithville Police Department in an undercover capacity. While conducting a search warrant on the home of Skaroupka on September 19, miscellaneous drug paraphernalia were found in his bedroom which included waterbongs, used syringes and many small plastic baggies, and a weed grinder. A handgun was also found in his bedroom”.

51-year-old John Allen Judkins Jr. entered a plea to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to supervised probation except for 48 hours to serve. He was fined $350 and will lose his driver license for one year. Judkins must also undergo an alcohol and drug assessment.

Smithville Police responded to a call of two people in a truck yelling on April 26, 2023. The vehicle was in the middle of the road. Upon arrival, the officer found two individuals passed out in a Ford Ranger in the middle of the intersection. The driver, Judkins was passed out with his foot on the gas pedal and brake with the truck in gear. The officer put the truck in park and woke both parties, at which time, Judkins tensed up and put the gas pedal to the floor revving the motor to a high rpm. Judkins’ speech was slurred, and he was sweating in 55-degree temperature. When asked to exit the vehicle, Judkins complied but he was unsteady on his feet. He told the officer that he couldn’t perform field sobriety tasks, but he did consent to a blood draw.

40-year-old Frank Andy Checchi entered a plea to possession of a schedule II drug under 0.5 grams with intent to deliver (2 counts) and received a four-year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of eight years, but all suspended to TDOC probation pursuant to judicial diversion. He was fined $2,000. All other charges against him were nollied.

According to Police Chief Collins, both Checchi and his girlfriend, 37-year-old Randi Renee Dossett of 549 Cooper Street were each charged in February 2024 with child abuse or neglect, possession of schedule II drugs (Ritalin, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Methamphetamine), possession of a schedule III drug (Suboxone), possession of a schedule IV drug (Xanax), possession of a schedule VI drug (Marijuana), and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“During the search several miscellaneous drug paraphernalia objects were found in the home including meth and marijuana pipes, scales, needles, burnt tin foil, cut straws, residue, and grinders along with 1 hydrocodone, 41 Adderall, 7 oxycodone, 2.5 grams of meth, 5 grams of fentanyl, 11 suboxone, 5.5 Xanax, and 10 grams of marijuana. Drugs were also found in the common areas easily accessible to the children and living conditions were found to be squalid,” said Chief Collins.

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