April 4 Last Day to Register to Vote for May 3 Election

March 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County residents must register to vote by midnight on Monday, April 4, 2022 to be able to cast a ballot in the DeKalb County Republican or Democratic primary elections on May 3, 2022.

“In the upcoming election, DeKalb County voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots for various judicial and county offices,” said Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. “To cast a ballot in this election, you must be registered to vote.”

(View sample ballots at links below)

Democrat Primary Sample Ballot

Republican Primary Sample Ballot

Registering to vote, updating your address or checking your registration status is fast, easy and secure with the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system. Any U.S. citizen with a driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security can register online from any computer or mobile device at GoVoteTN.gov.

(DeKalb County Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley in conjunction with WJLE has produced a short video with important information of which voters should be aware for the May 3 DeKalb County Democratic and Republican Primaries. Stanley said the purpose of the video is to answer questions that voters may have to better prepare them for election day. The following is a summary of the information shared by Stanley in the vide):

“I encourage all Tennesseans to register to vote or make sure their registration is up-to-date before the deadline,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “It is important for all of us to make our voice heard at the polls and with our convenient online voter registration system you can safely register in minutes.”

Paper voter registration applications are available to download on GoVoteTN.gov or at the DeKalb County Election Commission Office or at www.dekalbelections.com. Completed paper voter registration applications must be mailed to the DeKalb County Election Commission or submitted in person. Mailed voter registrations must be postmarked by April 4, 2022.

The DeKalb County Election Commission is located on the first floor of the DeKalb County Courthouse in Smithville. Voters can drop off completed registration forms or register in person Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Early voting starts Wednesday, April 13, and runs each weekday, including Saturdays, until April 28. The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Tuesday, April 26. Election Day is May 3.

For more information about registering to vote, voter eligibility and other election information, visit GoVoteTN.gov or contact the DeKalb County Election Commission.

March 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a $264,446 Facilities Confinement Grant through the Tennessee Department of Health to purchase new patrol cars, a booking system, HVAC units, and laptops for the cruisers with no local match requirement for the county.

County Mayor Tim Stribling and Sheriff Patrick Ray made a joint announcement about the grant Monday.

The grant award is part of the Tennessee Department of Health’s mission to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in confinement facilities such as prisons and jails in Tennessee. This funding is offered in partnership with the Center for Disease Control and the United States Department of Justice.

Stribling said he was made aware of the grant opportunity last fall by the Upper Cumberland Development District and informed Sheriff Ray.

“I was contacted by the Upper Cumberland Development District that there was a Facilities Confinement Grant that we could apply for so I spoke to DeKalb County Planner Tommy Lee of UCDD and got a little more information and then contacted Sheriff Ray and asked if he would be interested in it. I forwarded him the email that they (UCDD) had sent me. It just so happened that we both had a meeting at the Upper Cumberland Development District at the same time. We were at the same meeting. I asked him (Sheriff Ray) after the meeting was over if he would mind going down the hall with me and speaking with Mr. Lee and his staff with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. We did and found out more about the grant and what all we could apply for and that there was no match required by the county. I felt it was something we should take advantage of so Sheriff Ray and Chief Deputy Robert Patrick, who was also there, asked questions about what all they could apply for,” said County Mayor Stribling.

“The grant is about the impact of COVID-19 in the Jail and the Sheriff’s Department both and what we applied for were things that could combat that,” said Sheriff Ray.

“With this grant we were able to get four patrol cars, and a booking system that we had talked to the County Commission about last year that we were going to have to replace because the booking system was about to be obsolete,” Ray explained.

“We will also receive two HVAC units for the Jail Annex, and 30 laptop computers for our patrol cars where the deputies can get online from their cars and look at the new booking system to see prior bookings and if they need to identify someone, they can do that. It also allows us to go paperless with our reports. We can go in and fill out offense reports and we can assign detectives reports off this booking system. It is a great opportunity for us to get things we needed and by getting this grant, it will save local taxpayer dollars. I appreciate Mayor Stribling thinking of us at the Sheriff’s Department and the Jail in order for us to get this grant. It’s stuff that we really needed,” said Sheriff Ray.

“The grant was through the Tennessee Department of Health and we’re very fortunate to have the Upper Cumberland Development District to help us write grants,” Mayor Stribling explained.

“Anytime there’s a grant available, whether it’s through them or not, they are always ready and willing to help us write the grant. They were a big part in us getting the grant and I felt like it was something DeKalb County should take advantage of.”

March 29, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Judge Gary McKenzie handed down sentences in burglary and drug cases Monday in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

33-year-old Henry Butler entered a plea to a charge of aggravated burglary and received a sentence of four years to serve at least 30% before his release eligibility date. The term is to run concurrently with a Cumberland County TDOC sentence against him. Butler was given jail credit from August 2, 2020 to March 28, 2022.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on August 1 , 2020 Butler allegedly broke into a residence and garage on Chapman Hollow Road. After entering the garage Butler allegedly broke into and stole a 1993 Toyota Corolla. Butler also took from the residence two shotguns, two handguns, a leather western gun belt, several power tools, and other miscellaneous items with a total value of $3,790. The car was valued at $2,500. The case was investigated by a detective.

41 year old Mark Young entered a plea to burglary and aggravated burglary and received a sentence of four years in one case and two years in the other to run concurrently for a total of four years but all suspended to supervised probation. He was given jail credit for 121 days.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 6, 2021 Young allegedly stole a tiller from a shed on McMinnville Highway valued at $800. He also allegedly broke into a residence at the same location as the shed on McMinnville Highway and took a Remington 7 millimeter rifle with a Vortex scope valued at $600, a Marlin lever action 30-30 rifle valued at $500, a 22 caliber Cricket rifle valued at $200 and a Bore sight set valued at $200.

46-year-old Jo Ann Luna entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received a sentence of eight years at 30% all suspended to TDOC probation. She was fined $2,000 and given jail credit for 59 days.

45-year-old Kevin Mansfield Curtis entered a best interest plea to simple possession and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation. He was fined $750.