Seven students from DeKalb County High School won this year at the Cumberland Plateau Science and Engineering Fair at Tennessee Tech University.
Callie Crips and Sahara LaFever worked together on a project that won each of the students a scholarship to TTU’s College of Engineering. They also won third place in the senior engineering category.
Taylor Spare won the U.S. Metric Association Award, the ASM Materials Education Foundation Award and second place in the senior physical sciences category.
Marshal Evins won third place in the senior biology category.
Trey Jones, Austin Johnson and Hunter Jennings worked together on a project that won third place in the senior math category.
This was the 61st year of the fair. Prizes were given to students across several age groups in physical and biological science, math and engineering.
Photo ID:
Front row, left to right: fair directory Kelly Ramey, Callie Crips, Sahara LaFever and Taylor Spare. Back row, left to right: Austin Johnson, Trey Jones and Marshal Evins.
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DeKalb County High School Chapter of Future Business Leaders of America students have qualified to compete at the national level based on their performance at the recent Tennessee FBLA State Leadership Conference. The chapter also has a young lady who was elected to serve as state secretary on the FBLA Executive Council.
These top Business and Technology students from DeKalb County High School will be attending the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference and Institute for Leaders. They will join over 5,000 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national-level business skill competitions, workshops, business sessions, and the national officer candidate campaigns and elections.
Future Business Leaders of America is a national organization for high school, college, and middle school students preparing for careers in business and information technology occupations. The organization’s activities and programs compliment classroom instruction by giving students practical experiences through application of the skills learned at school.
The local chapter is seeking sponsors to help fund the FBLA students’ trip to the National Conference, which will be June 27-July 2 in Chicago, Illinois. The following students are eligible to attend this National Leadership Conference:
•Keely McKay, Anna Malone, and Hailey Walker: Community Service Project
•Nicole Atkins: Securities and Investments
•Hannah James: Tennessee FBLA State Secretary
•Aspen Flarity: Social Media Campaign
The cost of the trip is approximately $875 per student. This is the first time in several years that students locally have qualified for nationals. Unfortunately, there are no chapter funds available for these students and they are responsible for the cost of the trip. If you would like to help you may donate by accessing Gofundme.com/s7erpg or contacting Marilyn Roberts at DeKalb County High School.

Smithville Police arrested a man twice last week after he allegedly threatened officers and a judge.
48 year old Marty Brent Tallent is charged with aggravated assault and retaliation for past actions. His total bond is $35,000 and he will be in court again May 1.
According to police, Sergeant Travis Bryant and Officer Joey Myers responded to Tallent’s residence to do a welfare check at 3:26 a.m. on Monday, April 13. Upon arrival the officers identified themselves and asked to speak with him. Tallent told the officers he wanted them to leave or he would get his shotgun and use it against them. Tallent then turned off all lights both inside and out and ran back into the house making loud noises causing officers to be in fear for their safety. After Tallent refused all the officers legal commands, a warrant for aggravated assault was taken against him. He was arrested on Wednesday, April 15.
The next day, Thursday April 16 Tallent appeared in General Sessions Court . According to police, Tallent made a threatening remark as Judge Bratten Cook, II increased Tallent’s bond from $10,000 to $25,000 on the aggravated assault charge and suggested Tallent seek legal counsel. Judge Cook noted in the court recordings that Tallent’s actions were to be considered threatening toward the court causing officials to be in fear for their safety.
Corporal Chip Avera arrested 31 year old Johnny Lynn DeVault for Violation of Bond Conditions and Violation of an Order of Protection on Wednesday, April 15. Corporal Avera received information that DeVault was at the residence of the victim who has an active no contact bond condition against him. Another victim was also at the residence who has an Order of Protection against Devault. His bond is $10,000.
Officer Matt Farmer arrested 58 year old Tim Eugene Mullins for aggravated assault on Saturday, April 18. Police reported that Mullins produced a handgun and a stick displaying them in a threatening manner toward another man causing him to fear serious bodily injury or death. Mullins’ bond is $10,000 and he will be in court May 7.
Lieutenant Matt Holmes cited 20 year old Ashley Nichole O’Conner for criminal trespass on Tuesday, April 21. The day before on Monday, April 20 Officer Andy Snow took a trespassing and vandalism report at the Smithville Golf Course. It was reported that on Saturday, April 18 at approximately 8:40pm two people were spotted on video surveillance entering the Smithville Golf Course after hours and staying approximately one hour. As the intruders were leaving, one of them damaged two holes on the practice green. This case remains under investigation and charges are pending against the other person observed on the video. O’Conner will make a court appearance on May 7.
Officer Lance Dillard cited 38 year old Lynda Michelle Neville for theft of merchandise at Dollar General Store on Wednesday, April 22. Upon arrival Officer Dillard spoke with Neville who was found to have items concealed in her purse she had not paid for. Her court date is June 11.
Neville was arrested again on Thursday, April 23 for a second offense of driving under the influence and cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. At approximately 12:33am Officers responded to Mapco Express in reference to a possible DUI. Upon arrival Officer Joey Myers spoke with Neville who had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. Neville’s speech was slurred and she was unstable on her feet. Officer Myers asked Neville to perform sobriety tasks. She performed poorly. A computer check revealed that Neville was convicted of DUI in 2005. Neville was believed to have been operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and she was placed under arrest. A probationary search of the vehicle was performed and glass pipes commonly used with marijuana were found. Her bond is $3,000 and she will be in court on May 14.

The DeKalb County Board of Education will have a special called meeting on Monday, April 27 to establish a procedure for selecting the next Director of Schools.
The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Board of Education building. A work session is scheduled prior to the meeting at 6:00 p.m.
As WJLE first reported last week, the board’s policy states that the board must develop a procedure for selecting a new director before it begins a search. “Prior to conducting a search to fill the position, the Board shall initially develop the following:
* A job description
* A timeline
* A process for accepting and reviewing applications
* Selection procedures
Dr. Danielle Collins currently serves as Interim Director.
The policy gives the school board the option of allowing an interim to be a candidate but a board member cannot apply. “An interim director of schools appointed during the time of a search shall not become a candidate unless the Board expressly permits such inclusion in the selection procedures. A board member may not apply for or in any other way be considered for the position of director of schools,” the board policy states.
WJLE will have LIVE coverage of the meeting at 7:00 p.m.

The Tennessee Legislature has passed a law prohibiting the use of cell phones inside the polling place, except for informational purposes.
“This is something that needed to be addressed by the legislature and codified into law,” said Dennis Stanley, DeKalb County Administrator
of Elections. “Until this law passed, local election commissions could or could not adopt a similar policy, which the local commission did two years ago. Now, the issue is addressed in state law and there is conformity state wide.”
The legislation states a county election commission cannot prohibit a voter from using a mobile electronic or communication device at the polls “for informational purposes to assist the voter in making election decisions.”
However, the measure goes on to say a voter “shall be prohibited from using the device for telephone conversations, recording or taking photographs or videos while inside the polling place.”
The law also gives election commissions the authority to “require that any mobile electronic or communication device be silenced while in use at the polling place.”
“Election commissions all across the state are charged with protecting the integrity of the ballot and this law will help them do that,” Stanley added.
The bill calls for the law to go into effect January 1, 2016.

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County Mayor’s office would like to invite residents across the county to participate in the DeKalb County Clean Up campaign on Saturday, May 16th. This event will be held in conjunction with the Keep America Beautiful initiative going on across the country. This organization’s mission revolves around a core belief that beauty is a silent but powerful force that makes communities safer, healthier and more livable.
Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, would like to remind everyone that DeKalb County’s peak tourism season is about to begin, so now is a great time to start getting things spruced up for our coming visitors. According to Williams, “I think we are all aware of the value and importance of beautification in our communities to attract newcomers and tourists to our area and to maintain a stable and growing economy.”
To get a head start on clean up, dumpsters will be set up at highly visible and convenient locations a few days prior to the main event. Dumpster locations will be at the Dowelltown Community Center, Liberty Community Center, Alexandria City Parking Lot (behind square), and the County Complex parking lot.
County Mayor Tim Stribling says, “We invite people to come out and help clean up around our communities and highways. Folks are welcome to pick up litter at places of their choice, or we will be glad to assign a safe place for you.”
DeKalb Clean Up volunteers are asked to come to the County Complex, 732 So. Congress Blvd., Smithville on May 16th between 9 AM and 10 AM to sign-in and pick up the provided trash bags, rubber gloves, and bottles of water. We will be taking a group picture at 9:30 AM for the media if you like to participate in that.
For early sign-up, you can stop by the Chamber, located in the Courthouse, Room 201, anytime during regular office hours by May 15th to pick up supplies. Or if stopping by is not convenient, call the Chamber office at 597-4163 to be counted as a DeKalb Clean Up volunteer — just give your name and the general area where you will be working. Whether you’re beautifying your street, a highway, a park, ball field, a stream, or your own home, what a difference we can make through working together!

DeKalb County students will be taking the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP, Achievement Tests starting April 28.
TCAP Achievement testing for grades 3-8 will begin on April 28 with Reading/Language Arts; April 29 for math, and April 30 for Science with makeup testing on May 1.
SAT-10 (Stanford Achievement Tests) testing for K-2 Achievement will be April 28 .
Meanwhile a Social Studies online pilot test for grades 3-8 will begin May 4-8 for grades 3 and 6; for grades 4 and 7 on May 7 -13; and grades 5 and 8 on May 11-15.
End of Course testing at DeKalb County High School also begins in May. “As we approach the end of a school year final end of the year assessments start. DeKalb County High school just finished their online US History test Pilot last week,” said Lisa Cripps, Supervisor of Instruction for 7th through 12th grades. ” We will be starting our End of Course testing in May with the following tests each day as follows”:
May 4 -English 3 and Algebra I
May 5 -English 1 and Algebra 2
May 6- English 2
May 7- Biology and Chemistry
May 8- Makeup test day.
Directly after EOC testing the high school we will be reviewing for their final exams, and then Graduation is May 22,” Cripps continued.
“All testing will be under a secure testing environment. If you enter the schools at that time you may see signs letting you know that tests are in progress. That means the doors are shut and we are in a secure environment for testing,” said Cripps.
For more information on testing check your school’s webpage or call the school or central office.
Meanwhile, Kindergarten registration will be on May 6th at 9am- 1pm at DeKalb West and Smithville Elementary Schools
Children who plan to attend kindergarten must turn five years old on or before August 15, 2015 in order to enroll for the 2015-16 school year.
Parents, when you come for that registration, you will need to bring with you the following information:
*Child’s Birth Certificate
*Child’s Social Security Card
*Recent Kindergarten Physical.
*Current Immunization Certificate (shot record)
*Proof of residency for DeKalb County (i.e. gas/electric bill)
“Parents, please share with your child that he or she will be tested on registration day. This is an opportunity for your child to show the kindergarten teachers what he or she knows.
Registration forms may also be found online at www.ses.dekalbschools.net under news/information.

Lisa Mabe’s third grade class has won the March Madness Reading Challenge at Northside Elementary School.
Mabe’s class earned 582.8 total Accelerated Reader (AR) points for the month. Students averaged 30.3 AR points each. That is equal to every student reading 60 half-point books in one month.
Students also submitted summaries to earn points for any articles or books they read not included on the AR list. Each student was presented with a special medal by Librarian Ms. Libby McCormick

The Smithville Police Department is urging citizens to be vigilant to avoid becoming the victim of scams
“As reports of scams continue to increase at an alarming rate, I would like the community to be aware of the top scams that we are encountering. Sadly our senior citizens and the unaware are being victimized. Unfortunately prosecution proves difficult most of the time due to jurisdiction issues. I know people work hard for their money so hopefully this information will be helpful in protecting against these predators,” said Captain Steven Leffew.
Here are a few scams of which you should be aware:
Fake check scams:
Fake check scams are clever ploys designed to steal your money. You can avoid becoming a victim by recognizing how the scam works.
•There are many variations of the fake check scam. It could start with someone offering to buy something you advertised, pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you’ve supposedly won, or pay the first installment on the money that you’ll receive for agreeing to have money in a foreign country transferred to your bank account for safe keeping.
•Fake check scammers hunt for victims. They scan newspapers and online advertisements for people listing items for sale, and check postings on online job sites from people seeking employment. They place their own ads with phone numbers or email addresses for people to contact them. They also buy lists on the black market of people who have been previously scammed.
•They often claim to be in another country. The scammers say it’s too difficult and complicated to send you the money directly from their country, so they’ll arrange for someone in the US to send you a check.
•They tell you to wire money to them after you’ve deposited the check. If you’re selling something, they say they’ll pay you by having someone in the US who owes them money send you a check. It will be for more than the sale price; you deposit the check, keep what you’re owed, and wire the rest to them. If it’s part of a work-at-home scheme, they may claim that you’ll be processing checks for their “clients.” You deposit the check and then wire them the money minus your “pay.” Or they may send you a check for more than your pay “by mistake” and ask you to wire them the excess.
•The checks are fake but they look very real. In fact, there have been cases where the bank tellers have been fooled. The companies whose names appear may be real but they have been dummied up on the checks without their knowledge.
•You don’t have to wait long to use the money but that doesn’t mean the check is good. Banks usually make the funds you deposit available quickly. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good. It may take several days for the forgery to be discovered.
•You are responsible for the checks you deposit. When the check bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to your account. If there isn’t enough to cover it, the bank may be able to take money from other accounts or even sue you to recover the funds.
There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back. It’s a scam.
Prizes and Sweepstakes scam:
•Never pay to play. It’s illegal for a company to require you to buy something or pay a fee in order to win or claim a prize.
•Don’t believe that you have to give the company money for taxes on your prize. Taxes will be deducted from your winnings or you will pay them directly to the government.
•Guard your credit card and bank account numbers. No legitimate sweepstakes company will ask for this information. Your social security number may be required for tax reporting purposes if you have won. Do not provide that information unless you’re absolutely sure that you entered the contest and that you know the company operating it.
•Watch for imposters. Some con artist use company names that are identical or very similar to well known, legitimate sweepstakes operators.
•Be wary of offers to send you an “advance” on your “winnings.” Some con artist uses this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your “winnings” instructing you to deposit it and then wire payment to them for taxes, bonding or for some other purposes. Again, the check may clear because it may take several days for the forgery to be discovered. After you wire the money back, the check finally bounces and you are left responsible for the debt to the bank.
•Get it in writing. Legitimate sweepstakes companies will give you written information about how a contest works, including the odds of winning, the value of the prizes, the fact that no purchase is necessary and that buying something does not improve your chances of winning.
•Don’t be fooled by official looking advertisements. One clue that you haven’t really won is if a letter or envelope is sent at bulk mail rates. Meaning that thousands of other people are receiving the exact same thing.
Charity scams:
•If you’re approached by an unfamiliar charity, check them out. Most states require charities to register with them and file annual reports showing how they use donations. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Giving Alliance also offers information about national charities or go to Give.org
•Ask for written information. Legitimate charities will be happy to provide details about what they do and will never insist that you act immediately.
•Beware of sound-alikes. Some scammers try to fool people by using very similar to those of legitimate, well known charities.
•Ask about the caller’s relation to the charity. The caller maybe a professional fundraiser but not even an employee or a volunteer.
•Be wary of request to support local police or firefighters. Some fraudulent fundraisers claim that donations will benefit local police or firefighters. If you’re not sure whether the charity is legitimate, contact your local police or fire department to verify the claims are true.
•Be especially cautious after natural or other disasters. Scammers love to take advantage of those situations to trick people who want to aid victims.
If you’re not sure whether a charity is legitimate, check it out with your state charities regulator or the BBB before you donate.
There are many other scams being conducted but these are the top three that the Smithville police department is encountering at this time, according to Captain Leffew.

A kindergarten teacher at Smithville Elementary School was named ” DeKalb County Teacher of the Year” and received the “John Isabell Memorial Award” Tuesday night during the eighth annual Teacher of the Year banquet at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church.
The award was presented to Tanya Howard by Interim Director of Schools Dr. Danielle Collins.
Howard was among five local educators who were recognized during the banquet for being chosen by peers as “Teacher of the Year” at their schools. The others were Jennifer Griffith, a third grade math, science, and social studies teacher at Northside Elementary School; Lori Pryor a third grade self-contained teacher at DeKalb West School; Tad Webb a seventh grade math teacher at DeKalb Middle School; and Sonja House a ninth grade English/10th-12th grade Theatre Arts teacher at DeKalb County High School.
The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote recognition, respect and appreciation for teachers; to stimulate interest in teaching as a career; and to encourage public involvement in education.
Principals introduced the Teachers of the Year at their schools, remarked on how they deserved the honor, and presented them with a school bell award.
Local community leader Steve Officer served as guest speaker for the banquet.
Roy Nelson Pugh of Liberty State Bank, a sponsor of the banquet, was also an honored guest. School board members attending were Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III, Danny Parkerson, and Doug Stephens.
The DeKalb County Teacher of the Year Award is now named for John Isabell, a long time educator and former President of the DeKalb County Education Association, who passed away last year after suffering from cancer.