Student Enrollment in the DeKalb County School System, after the first month of school, is down by 21 students compared to this same time last year.
Clay Farler, Attendance Supervisor, told WJLE Tuesday that system-wide, DeKalb County has an enrollment to date of 2,945, compared to 2,966 after the first month of school last year.
Enrollment is down by 13 students at Smithville Elementary School, down by one student at DeKalb Middle School, down by 16 students at Northside Elementary School, and down by 6 students at DeKalb County High School. Enrollment at DeKalb West School is up by 15 students.
Farler says one reason the enrollment number may be down at DCHS is because of the addition of the adult high school. Those attending the adult high school are not counted in the enrollment at DCHS.
The enrollment numbers include students in the four Pre-K classes at Smithville Elementary and one Pre-K class at DeKalb West School, all of which are not yet filled.
The enrollment numbers after the first month of school for 2007 and 2006 at each school are as follows:
DeKalb County High School-
Year 2007- 819
Year 2006- 825
DeKalb Middle School-
Year 2007- 527
Year 2006-528
Northside Elementary-
Year 2007-527
Year 2006-543
Smithville Elementary School-
Year 2007-645
Year 2006-658
DeKalb West School-
Year 2007-427
Year 2006-412

Early voting will be held Monday through Wednesday, September 10th-12th for the DTC Communications Director Election.
The annual meeting will be held on Saturday, September 15th at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria.
Directors will be elected in four exchanges, including the Auburntown (464), Gordonsville (683), Temperance Hall (548), and Woodland (765) exchanges.
Incumbents Roy N. Pugh, Robert Don Malone, and David Parker are running unopposed in the Auburntown, Temperance Hall, and Woodland exchanges, respectively.
The Gordonsville exchange is represented by two candidates: Incumbent James H. Dillard, Jr. and David A. Watson who qualified by petition.
Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 15 and during early voting Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 10-12.
Hours and locations for early voting include:
Early Voting Hours
Mon., Sept. 10 – Noon to 7 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 11 – Noon to 7 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 12 – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Early Voting Locations
Kenneth Sandlin Building, DeKalb County Fairgrounds, Alexandria
Gordonsville Clinic/DTC Conference Room, 126 JMZ Drive, Gordonsville
DeKalb County Courthouse, Room 100, 1 Public Square, Smithville
DTC Training Center (former Woodbury phone store), located beside the DTC Customer Service Center, Woodbury
On Saturday, Sept. 15, gates to the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria will open at 11:45 a.m., with voting from noon until 4 p.m. The business meeting will begin at 4 p.m. or once the last person in line at that time has voted.
Only DTC members may vote, and each member must present identification. For a single membership, only that individual may vote. Either member of a joint membership may vote, but not both. In the case of a business membership, a business affidavit is required.
For questions regarding membership and voting guidelines, refer to the by-laws section included in the current DTC phone directory, or call DTC at 615-529-2955.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the DeKalb County H.E.L.P. Program delivered bottled water last week to elderly and others in need.
H.E.L.P. Program Coordinator Wanda Poss says “The H.E.L.P. program, which stands for Helping Elderly Live Productively, is funded through donations to help our elderly and people in need. We have decided to furnish bottled water which this program has paid for. Sheriff Patrick Ray and I delivered approximately 50 cases of water Tuesday.”
Sheriff Ray expressed his support for the program. “I was very excited to be apart of this very needed program. People in our communities, especially our elderly, are having a tough time due to the extreme heat and lack of well water. I feel this program is a very beneficial tool in helping our citizens.”
Poss says the next program will be the Christmas meals for the Elderly.

The Restore of DeKalb County’s affiliate chapter of Habitat for Humanity will open in late September and is ready to start accepting merchandise.
Restores are retail businesses which specialize in the sale of new, used and recyclable products which are given to Habitat but are not used in construction of Habitat homes. The store provides all members of the community an opportunity to support Habitat for Humanity’s mission through their patronage and donations. Once established, the Restore will become an important source of funding for Habitat for Humanity’s home building projects in DeKalb County.
The Restore will need start-up inventory of usable building materials and supplies, wooden furniture, doors,windows, cabinets, working appliances and tools, and related items. At this point, we cannot accept upholstered furniture, opened paint, any hazardous materials, computers or yard sale items.
For more information about donating, volunteering your time or the Restore project, leave a message at the Habitat for Humanity phone number, 215-8181, or contact Mike Antoniak, 536-5885.

A week after being involved in a serious traffic accident on Banks Pisgah Road, three persons have been released from the hospital and are making a recovery.
Lieutenant Brian Lawson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says 18 year old Kerrie Neal of Lee Braswell Road, Smithville was traveling south on Banks Pisgah Road last Tuesday evening in a 1994 Chevy pickup truck when she crossed the double yellow line and struck a northbound 1993 Nissan pickup, driven by 39 year old Lisa Evon Crowe of Parkhurst Road, McMinnville. Lieutenant Lawson says the crash occurred as both drivers were trying to negotiate a curve in front of the Banks Cumberland Presbyterian Church near Bethel Road.
According to Lieutenant Lawson, both Crowe and Neal were airlifted along with a passenger of Neal’s vehicle, 17 year old Billy Gene Anderson of Page Drive, Smithville.
Two were flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga and one to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
All three have since been released.
Lieutenant Lawson says Crowe, who was the most seriously injured, suffered a broken finger, broken bones in her hand and two broken ribs.
Neal was cited for failure to keep the proper lane of travel and Anderson was cited for not wearing a seatbelt.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department arrested four people last week on charges ranging from drug offenses to aggravated assault, DUI, and disorderly conduct.
27 year old Amanda Mae Riley of Bright Hill Road Smithville was charged last week with sale and delivery of a controlled substance. Riley was a passenger in a vehicle, pulled over on a traffic stop. When the deputy asked Riley if she had any illegal drugs on her person, she produced two pill bottles containing Hydrocodone, Lorazepam, Xanax, and other drugs. Her bond was set at $40,000 and her court date is September 20th.
On Saturday night, Deputies received a call about a disturbance at a residence on Bright Hill Road. On the way to the call, deputies stopped persons in a vehicle on Bright Hill Road believed to be involved in the disturbance.
Deputies found 32 year old Leon Ramirez Santos of South College Street Smithville under the influence of alcohol. Santos and another suspect who was in the vehicle with him, 27 year old Victor Manuel Cruz of Kendra Drive, Smithville, were questioned.
When Deputies arrived at the residence they found a man identified as 24 year old Olmos Mora Gerardo of Church Street, Smithville being detained in a bedroom by other people at the residence.
Upon an investigation, deputies found that Cruz had assaulted a 21 year old man with a baseball bat at the residence by beating him on the head.
Gerardo and Santos were also causing trouble there. The victim, whose name is being withheld, was airlifted from the scene by a Life Force helicopter ambulance and flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.
Cruz is charged with aggravated assault and his bond is $10,000. Santos is charged with DUI and disorderly conduct and his bond is $3,500. Gerardo is charged with disorderly conduct and his bond is $2,500. All three will appear in court September 27th.

With Smithville Police Chief Tom Stufano stepping down, effective Tuesday, September 4th, Lieutenant Steven Leffew has been named the ” Interim Officer in Charge” of the department, until a new Chief is selected by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
In a prepared statement, Leffew writes that “Recently, we here at the Smithville Police Department, have lost many knowledgeable and experienced employees. It is my belief that as police officers, we are bound by our duty to the citizens of Smithville to continue on and to fully carry out our oath of office.”
“Lieutenant Richard Jennings, after being reinstated to the department, has decided to take a leave of absence. Therefore, I have agreed to accept the duties of interim officer in charge until the mayor and board of aldermen select a new Chief of Police. Upon the appointment of a new Chief of Police, I will relinquish all duties of Interim Officer in Charge and reassume my duties of Lieutenant.”
“I am fully aware that there are community concerns as to whether the department will be able to provide continual police protection. Although facing the situation of being understaffed at the present time, I want to let the citizens of Smithville know that our department is fully functional. Our department will continue to provide the same honored and trusted police protection, 24 hours a day and seven days a week and will respond to all calls for service.”
“As Interim Officer in Charge, I will always be available to the citizens of Smithville and will always be open to suggestions. Thank you for your continued support.”
In addition to Chief Stufano, Captain Steve Deffendoll, Investigator Bill Elliott, and Sergeant Leilani Defore, are leaving Tuesday, September 4th and Central Records Supervisor Sue Mathis stepped down August 31st.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson said Friday that he hoped to have some police officers hired soon, saying the city had pool of applications on file, and he emphasized that all shifts would be covered by the department to give the city as much police protection as possible, until the vacant positions are filled.
In the past, the mayor, city recorder, and the alderman/commissioner over the department would fill a job vacancy, until the next regular meeting of the city council when the aldermen would officially vote on the hiring. However Mayor Hendrixson would not say whether that would be the procedure in this case.
Since the aldermen cannot legally make decisions informally outside of a regular or special called meeting, which would violate open government laws, Mayor Hendrixson says a special meeting might have to be called before anyone is hired.
In the meantime, Mayor Hendrixson says at least two people may be hired to replace city recorder Burnace Vandergriff. According to the mayor, the city plans to advertise the opening of two positions, one for city secretary-treasurer-city recorder, and one for public works director.
Vandergiff has announced his resignation, effective later this month.
The next regular meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen is Monday, September 17th. The board will not meet on Labor Day.