Wright arrested in Church burglary and theft of van

April 7, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A Dowelltown man, who eluded a deputy during a pursuit Sunday night, is in even more trouble with the law after he broke into the Dry Creek Baptist Church and stole a 2002 Chevy church van on Tuesday.

40-year-old Kenneth Adam Wright of Vandergriff Hollow Road, Dowelltown is charged with reckless endangerment, evading arrest (2 counts), burglary of an auto, theft of property, burglary, and vandalism. His total bond is $68,500 and he will make a court appearance on April 21.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said the story began Sunday night when a deputy spotted a man, who he thought to be Wright, at DeKalb Market. Store video surveillance later confirmed that the man was Wright. Knowing that Wright had active warrants against him for failure to appear and was to be held without bond, the officer drove into the parking lot of DeKalb Market to speak to Wright but he jumped in his vehicle and fled. The deputy then activated his blue lights and sirens and began a pursuit of Wright’s vehicle on Nashville Highway which reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour with Wright, at times, traveling on the wrong side of the highway almost hitting several oncoming automobiles. Wright stopped at Wilder Hollow in Dowelltown before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot.

On Wednesday, someone from the Dry Creek Baptist Church on Dry Creek Road near Dowelltown discovered that the church van was missing and that the church building itself had been broken into and vandalized. It appeared someone had entered the building through the return to the central heat and air unit. Sheriff Ray said investigators believe the break-in and theft had actually occurred sometime on Tuesday.

Three hours after the church burglary and theft were reported Wednesday at 2:36 p.m. an Alexandria Police officer, having heard about it, spotted a van behind a church in Alexandria, which turned out to be the one stolen from Dry Creek Baptist Church. Two detectives from the sheriff’s department responded and upon arrival saw someone fitting Wright’s description. As the detectives approached, the man tried to flee on foot but they caught up and placed him in custody. The man was Wright.

Sheriff Ray said Wright admitted to stealing the church van, valued at $8,500 and breaking into the church and vandalizing the heating and air system causing over $1,000 in damage.

April 6, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The body of a man was found floating face down in Center Hill Lake this (Wednesday) afternoon at the Johnson’s Chapel Recreation area only a few feet from the boat ramp in about 3-4 feet of water.

According to Sheriff Patrick Ray the body was nude except for the pair of socks he was wearing and although identification was found tucked in one of the socks, no name is being released pending a positive identification. The body has been sent to Nashville for an autopsy.

Sheriff Ray said the identification found on the body matches that of a man reported missing last month in an adjoining county.

“Today at 1:23 p.m. there was a 911 transfer call from the White County to DeKalb County Central Dispatch. The caller stated that there was a body in the water floating near the bank and boat ramp at Johnson’s Chapel. When we arrived on the scene, we found the body of a white male. We called the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad and TWRA and they assisted in retrieving the body from the water and bringing it to the bank. The body was naked. The only thing he had on was a pair of socks. His identification was in his sock. We think we know who the male is. We believe him to be from a surrounding county,” said Sheriff Ray.

The discovery was made by a fisherman

“A man came to the area to check the lake to see if it (lake level) was up because he was going to go fishing when he noticed something near the boat ramp. At first, he thought it was an animal but as he got a closer look, he found it to be a human body. Because of the poor phone service in that area, the man went to the top of the hill to call 911 which did a transfer to White County and then the White County 911 center transferred it to DeKalb County,” added Sheriff Ray.

April 6, 2022
By:

DeKalb County state representatives recently hosted the DeKalb County High School Student Government Association (SGA) at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville.

Sen. Mark Pody, Sen. Janice Bowling, Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver and Rep. Clark Boyd were all on hand to escort students and advisors to observe sessions in both the senate and house chambers where the student group was recognized from the floor by both houses. The hosts then took time to answer individual questions and explain some of the current bills being discussed in the sessions. Afterwards, the group was given a guided tour of the capitol and grounds and received a generous gift bag compliments of Sen. Pody’s office.

SGA is a student organization at DCHS made up of class officers and students interested in developing leadership skills.

SGA members pictured on the steps inside the Capitol are: Advisors: Britney Gulley, Lauren Ferrell and Donna Emmons. Students: Andrew Dakas, Milas Driver, Leah Johnson, Mara Oakley, Daniel Stiffler, Kathryn Hale, Brynn Harvey, Peyton Norris, Caroline Tobitt, Allison Gay, Stephanie Godinez, Jacklyn Kleparek, Aleaha Miller, Ailish Munoz, Alyssa Pugh, Adan Ramirez, Raven Savage, Brayden Shehane, Jasmine Bilbrey, Haylee Merriman, Dylan Trapp, Brayden Tubbs and Hagen Waggoner.