Ruby Looking for a Loving Home (View video here)

September 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

“Ruby” is in need of a loving family to give her a home!

Why not make her a member of your family?

“Ruby”, a domestic shorthaired cat, is the WJLE/DeKalb Animal Shelter featured “Pet of the Week”.

“Ruby is our longest cat resident at the shelter. She is a year and a half old and has been spayed. Ruby is super cuddly and definitely a lap cat. She loves people including kids and other cats. Ruby is an all around good cat,” said Shelter Director Emmaly Bennett.

“If you are interested go to our website at https://www.dekalbanimalshelter.com/ and look for Ruby under the adoptable pet tab. Her adoption fee is $60. Fill out that application and we will call you for an appointment to come in and meet her,” said Bennett.

For more information phone 615-597-3647.

Meanwhile, upcoming fundraising events include a first ever Cars and Paws Car Show to be held downtown Smithville on the public square Saturday October 2 starting at 10 a.m. Most of the proceeds will go to the shelter.

The 2nd annual Hogs for Dogs Poker Run sponsored by the Friends of the DeKalb Animal Shelter will be Saturday, October 16 starting at Twisted Oaks. Check facebook later for more details.

A DeKalb County Haunted History Tour will be October 19 & 21 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. starting at the law office of Sarah Cripps. Tickets are $10 each.

September 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Liberty woman was injured in a rollover crash on Highway 53 near Liberty Friday afternoon.

According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 24 year old Angela Acuna was south on Woodbury Highway in a 2001 Ford Expedition when she veered off the right side of the road, overcorrected, and came back across the road, plunging over an embankment and overturning into a cornfield. The vehicle came to rest upright. She was taken by EMS to Vanderbilt Hospital. Charges are pending.

Initial reports were that two children might have been in the vehicle with Acuna but they were not at the crash scene. Their father was contacted and he confirmed that the children were with him.

September 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Members of the DeKalb County Swiftwater Rescue Task Force dove into a weekend of training Friday through Sunday, September 10-12 in the river below the falls at Rock Island.

Almost 20 people from the task force participated in the exercises along with first responders from other counties.

The 20 hour Basic Swiftwater course provides rescue education and training to public safety professionals such as fire, rescue, law enforcement, EMS and others interested in Swiftwater or Floodwater safety. At the basic level, participants are taught water safety and rescue techniques in a classroom setting followed by hands-on practical real life scenarios in swift water. The training includes rope rescues, hazmat, confined space, trench rescue and other technical rescues and highly specialized disciplines.

“The first night consisted of a four hour awareness training class where we learned things like characteristics of the water, how to deploy rescue bags, and the use of proper hand signals and terminology, among other important information,” said Captain Dustin Johnson of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad and member of the Task Force.

“The rest of the weekend we spent several hours in the river to learn the proper way to dive, swim and float in swift currents and how to rescue another swimmer to get them safely to the bank,” added Charlie Parker, DeKalb Emergency Management Agency Director and Smithville Fire Chief, who is also a member of the Task Force. “We actually performed the exercises with each other using ropes to move people across the river since we had no actual victims,” said Parker.

After completing certification, members of the task force will be expected to put in additional hours each year to maintain the certification. An advanced course will be offered next year for those who wish to enroll.

An increase in DeKalb County swift water rescues in recent years, including two in February prompted the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad to seek additional funds from the county in forming a Swiftwater Rescue Task Force.

The task force, led by the Rescue Squad, includes volunteers from the DeKalb County, Smithville and Alexandria Volunteer Fire Departments who are committed to becoming specially trained and equipped for swiftwater rescues.

During the regular monthly meeting in March, the county commission voted unanimously to appropriate $18,000 from the general fund balance as an extra contribution to the Rescue Squad to train and equip up to fifteen volunteers for the task force. That comes to a little less than $1,200 per person.

Task force members who attended the training last weekend were Dustin Johnson, Herb Checchi, Bill Brown Jr, Robert Sartin, Luke Judkins, Gelsio Chacon, Joe Driver, Jeffery Bogle, Matt Adcock, Harlin McCloud, Larry Maddox, Luke Partridge, Joel Lowdermilk, Charlie Parker, John Poss, Dalton Roberts, Glen Lattimore, and Dakota Nokes. John Partridge and Luke Green who already have the certification did not participate in the exercises.