How much longer will Mark Willoughby remain as Director of Schools?
The DeKalb County Board of Education is expected to take up that issue when it convenes in a special called session on Monday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Board of Education Building. The agenda calls it a “discussion of the Director of Schools contract”. A work session is tentatively set prior to the special meeting Monday night at 6:00 p.m.
Director Willoughby, who has held the position since July 1, 2006, announced plans to retire as of June 30 during a meeting with central office staff on Monday, March 16. He also notified the board with an email communication during that meeting.
Although he still has more than two years left in his contract, Willoughby believes the time has come for him to step down. But rather than let him stay on through June 30, some members of the board apparently want to cut ties with Willoughby now and offer him a buyout through June 30th. The cost of a buyout to the school system would be approximately $28,000 according to Board Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III.
The board was apparently scheduled to consider a buyout option during a special called meeting held Monday, March 23 but deferred action until April 6 in order to get a legal clarification on what the board’s obligations are under the contract. Although Willoughby gave a 107 day notice of his retirement, the board apparently wants to know if a 30 day notice is sufficient?
If the board members should vote to buyout Director Willoughby’s contract, they would have to find the money and then name someone to serve as interim director until a new director is under contract. “We need to talk to members of the county commission and county mayor and if they say it’s good to go maybe we can pull this money out of the sinking fund (local option sales tax fund) and not affect our budget. That will give us an opportunity to find an interim director. I know we can go a few days without one but we can’t go for very long,” Chairman Evins said.

Local Girl Scout Troop #343 is hosting a fundraising event to help cover costs of a trip to Europe in 2017.
The “Run Your Cookies Off 5K and Samoa Shuffle one-mile fun run” will be Saturday, May 30 starting and finishing at the Smithville Church of Christ. The races will start at 8:00 a.m.
Proceeds will fund the local girl scouts’ visit to the Girl Scout World Centers in London and Switzerland in 2017.
Registration is $25.00 and Girl Scout or Boy Scout troops who sign up together will get a discount. T-shirts will be available for everyone and an awesome finishers medal. Anyone who wears their Scouting Vest or Sash will get a patch.
Registration forms are at the County Complex or you may register online from their facebook page “Run Your Cookies Off and Samoa Shuffle Fun Run”
(PICTURED: SEATED- Baylee Phillips, Rachel Fuson, Sahara Lafever, and Callie Cripps; STANDING- Joannie Williams, Zoe Cripps, Kristen Parsley, and Amy Cripps)

51 election officials from 25 Tennessee counties met in Wilson County on March 27th, to learn more about their voter registration software. Michelle Riley, Embry Consulting, conducted the seminar- answering questions, unveiling new applications and listening to ideas from the everyday users.
“Having this opportunity to meet with so many of our clients at one location has been a great experience. Every county in Tennessee has different needs. We strive to provide a voter registration system that works well in every jurisdiction,” said Riley.
Dennis Stanley, DeKalb County Administrator of Elections said, “Every county in Tennessee has many of the same election administration challenges just on different scales depending on the number of voters. Coming together to learn how to best utilize the tools we have and learn from each other’s experiences benefits the voters of every county.”
Accurate voter registration rolls are the foundation of elections. Election Day is the culmination of work done every day at the Election Commission in preparation for that big day. DeKalb County processes new registrations each month. In addition to new voters, the Commission staff processes address changes, name changes, removes voters that have moved from the county or are deceased. Properly maintaining DeKalb County’s voter rolls is a daily task.
With over 11,000 eligible voters, the job of maintaining voter rolls would be costly without technology. DeKalb County and 79 other Tennessee counties use Voter Central registration software. Voter Central is a Tennessee owned company serving county election commissions in Tennessee.
The seminar was hosted by the Wilson County Election Commission at their training facility in Lebanon, TN.
Contact the DeKalb County Election Commission at 615-597-4146 or dekalbelections@dtccom.net with your questions and for information about voting, voter registration and elections.
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Many of us have often had a longing for the past, a yearning for yesterday.
With nostalgia in mind, another edition of “Reeling in the Years” will air on WJLE the night of April 11.
Former WJLE announcers Dennis Stanley and Shawn Jacobs host the program that will feature the pop/rock music and artists of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
“We’ll be playing many of the songs that today’s 50 to 65 year old residents remember as teens and young adults,” said both Jacobs and Stanley. “The music you will hear on our show will bring back many fond memories. We’ve made sure our playlist includes a few songs that were popular during April in a number of years in the 1970s. It’s those little details we want to incorporate into our show to make it even more enjoyable.”
The program will also showcase the diversity of the pop/rock music scene during a time of transition in the lives of our listeners and in the world.
“During the days we were ‘disc jockeys,’ WJLE and radio stations throughout the country were playing music that ranged from soul, rock, southern rock to disco music. All of those genres were mixed within the same program, and ironically, it worked,” said Jacobs and Stanley.
The April 11 program will air from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on WJLE FM and will be the second of four shows planned for 2015.

A 63 year old man was sentenced Monday, March 23 in DeKalb County Criminal Court after entering a plea to growing marijuana.
Judge David Patterson presided.
Donald Wayne Cantrell received a two year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to manufacturing a schedule VI drug. He was fined $2,000.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 a sheriff’s department drug detective went to Cantrell’s residence on Ferrell Road and spoke with him about some marijuana plants. Cantrell was mirandized (read his rights). Cantrell admitted to growing marijuana plants and showed them to the drug detective. Approximately 42 marijuana plants were recovered from Cantrell’s back yard. He was arrested and taken to the sheriff’s department for booking.
Meanwhile in other cases Monday, 35 year old Jessie Harris pled guilty to attempted initiation to manufacture meth and tampering with evidence. He received a four year sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other but consecutive to another TDOC sentence against him. In this case, he must serve at least 30% of the term before his release eligibility date. He has been given jail credit of 816 days.
36 year old Amy Craig pled guilty to sale of a schedule II drug and received a three year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. She was given jail credit of 51 days. Craig was fined $2,000 and must make $150 restitution to the Smithville Police Department.
33 year old Shane Miller pled guilty to two counts of sale of a schedule II drug and received a four year sentence in each case all suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000. The sentences are to run concurrently with each other.
39 year old Desiree Ferrell pled guilty to sale and delivery of a schedule II drug and received a four year sentence, all suspended but 53 days in the DeKalb County Jail. She was fined $2,000 and given jail credit of 53 days.
34 year old Christopher E. Pack pled guilty to manufacture, sale, and delivery of a schedule II drug and received a four year TDOC sentence all suspended to probation. He was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrently with a theft case against him in Smith County.
28 year old Dustin Burgess pled guilty to vandalism over $1,000 and received a sentence of three years to serve. The term is to run concurrently with other sentences against him being served. Any restitution amount to be paid will be determined later.
30 year old Karey Lynn Benson received a one year sentence for worthless check but the term has been suspended to judicial diversion state probation.
39 year old Robert Dean Bumbalough pled by information to reckless driving and received a six month sentence, all suspended upon payment of costs.
Meanwhile, in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Wednesday, March 11, 43 year old Terry Lynn Johnson pled guilty to sale of a schedule IV drug and TennCare fraud.
Judge Gary McKenzie presided.
Johnson was granted judicial diversion probation for a total of two years and was fined $2,000. Johnson must make restitution of $104.90 to TennCare and $20 to the Smithville Police Department and he will lose his TennCare benefits.
56 year old Judy Johnson pled guilty to sale of a schedule IV drug and TennCare fraud. She was sentenced to two years in each case to run concurrently and all suspended to supervised probation. Johnson was fined $2,000 and must make restitution of $104.90 to TennCare and $20 to the Smithville Police Department.
40 year old Shawn Renee Gibson pled guilty to promotion of methamphetamine and received a four year sentence suspended to probation. She was fined $2,000 and was given 24 days jail credit.
36 year old Kevin Smith pled guilty to evading arrest and reckless endangerment. He received a two year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of four years but concurrently with a 12 year sentence in a Warren County case against him. Smith was given jail credit from January 5, 2014 to March 11, 2015.
50 year old Jerry Haas pled guilty by information to a second offense of driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days suspended to supervised probation except for 45 days. He will lose his license per Department of Safety regulations and he was fined $610. Haas was given credit for 27 days jail time and 28 days of rehab.