The Board of Education considered a very light agenda Thursday night.
Board Chairman Johnny Lattimore presented Director Mark Willoughby’s personnel report. Willoughby was out of town and unable to attend the meeting.
Those employed for the 2007-2008 school year since last month include:
Debra Poteete, a teacher at DeKalb West School
John Shockly, teacher at DeKalb Middle School
Penny Smitty, teacher at DeKalb Middle School
William Jennings, Special Education Teacher at DeKalb County High School
Jenny Norris, teacher at DCHS
Rebecca Purdue, teacher at DCHS
Kristin Reagh, teacher at DCHS
Layra Crook, teacher at Smithville Elementary School
Marla Beshearse,, teacher at Northside Elementary School
Jessica Hale, teacher at Northside Elementary School
Cheryl Vance, teacher at Northside Elementary School
Marlene Cook, teacher at DCHS
Vicky Atnip, Special Education Assistant
Shelly Gibson, Special Education Assistant
Jill Herron, Special Education interim teacher
Those transferred since last month include:
Tena Davison to DeKalb Middle School
Lori Isabell to DCHS
Betty Parris to Smithville Elementary School
David Gash to DCHS as Assistant Principal
Special Education Assistants Tamara Lambert and Johnna Goff have resigned
Amy Fox, Special Education teacher, was granted a leave of absence as requested.
In other business, the board voted to sell some surplus equipment from the Technology Department and deferred action until August on approval of school budgets and fundraiser requests for 2007-2008.
The board granted approval for members Charles Robinson, Linda Fuston, and Kenny Rhody to attend the TSBA 19th annual Summer Law Institute in Gatlinburg July 20th & 21st and for Charles Robinson to attend the Policy Update Workshop at TSBA on August 3rd.

Two people accused of stealing lawn chairs from the Family Dollar Store have been charged with theft by the Smithville Police Department.
Chief Tom Stufano say 38 year old Billy Eugene Cook of 6246 Dry Creek Road, Smithville and Amanda Riley of 514 College Street, Smithville are both charged with theft under $500. Bond for Cook is set at $1,000. Riley was also charged with driving on a revoked driver’s license and her bond is $2,000. Both were processed and transported to the DeKalb County Jail.
Chief Stufano says police, responding to a reported theft in progress at the Family Dollar Store, were advised by witnesses that a man and woman were removing chairs that were on sale in front of the store and placing them in their BMW car. The store was not open for business at the time of the incident. Officers contacted the driver and a computer check revealed that her license was revoked for a prior DUI. Further investigation also showed that the lawn chairs recovered still had the Family Dollar tags on them and that Cook and Riley could not produce a receipt for them. The store manager arrived and also advised that the items should not have been removed.

Entries will soon be accepted for the pageants at the DeKalb County Fair.
The Junior Fair Princess Pageant will be held Monday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Fairest of the Fair at the Lion’s Club Pavilion.
Registration for the Junior Fair Princess Pageant will be Saturday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m. followed by rehearsal at 10:30 a.m. Contestants must be 13 through 16 years of age. Participants must not be over age 16 by the date of the pageant. Contestants may wear any type of dress (short or long).
Registration for the Fairest of the Fair will be Saturday, July 21 at 10:30 a.m. followed by rehearsal at 11:00 a.m.. This pageant is only open to DeKalb County residents. Contestants must be age 17 and not over age 20 by December 31, 2007. Participants must not be, nor have ever been married. The winner must also agree to participate in the State Fairest of the Fair Pageant in January, 2008. Contestants should wear any type of dress (short or long). The Fairest of the Fair pageant will be Monday, July 23rd following the Junior Fair Princess Pageant.
The Little Mister and Little Miss contest will be held Tuesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lion’s Club Pavilion. Registration will be Saturday, July 21 at 12:00 noon. Little Mister contestants will practice Saturday, July 21st at 12:30 p.m. and the Little Miss participants will rehearse at 12:45 p.m. Contestants in both pageants must be 4 and not over 6 years of age by the pageant date. Girls should wear any type of dress. Boys should wear Sunday attire..
The Little Miss Princess Pageant will be held Wednesday, July 25 at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Miss Sweetheart Contest at the Lion’s Club Pavilion. Registration for the Little Miss Princess Pageant will be Saturday, July 21 at 9:00 a.m. followed by rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. Contestants must be 7 and not over 9 years of age by the pageant date. Meanwhile, registration for the Miss Sweetheart Pageant will be Saturday, July 21 at 9:30 a.m. followed by rehearsal at 10:00 a.m. Contestants must be 10 and not over 12 years of age by the pageant date. Contestants may wear any type dress. Contestants for the Miss Sweetheart Pageant are to bring a photo (snapshot) of themselves to registration.
The entry fee for each of these pageants is $15.00 per contestant, (cash only) payable at the time of registration and practice for each category at the Lion’s Club Pavilion on the fairgrounds. There will be a queen/king first and second place awarded in each category. Only one contestant per entry. Contestants must be residents of DeKalb, Smith, or Cannon Counties with the exception of the Fairest of the Fair contest which is open only to DeKalb County residents. Previous winners are not eligible in the pageants in which they won. Prizes will be awarded in each pageant.
For more information visit www.dekalbcountyfair.us

All incoming freshman for the 2007-2008 academic year at DeKalb County High School and their parents/guardians must attend the kickoff orientation set for Thursday, July 26, 6:00 pm at the high school.
The Freshman Success Academy teachers will be on hand to meet and greet students and their parents/guardians. Everyone will meet their teachers, be given a class schedule, a campus tour, an information packet, and complete the registration process.
Freshmen who complete the registration process at this time will not be required to attend school on Monday, August 6. The first full day of school for the 2007-2008 school year is on Wednesday, August 8.
The Freshman Success Academy team is excited to share the opportunities available to the incoming class at DeKalb County High School. For further information or questions, contact DeKalb County High School 597-4094.

DeKalb County Schools will open next month.
Registration for all students will be Monday, August 6th from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. That will be an abbreviated school day.
Tuesday, August 7 will be an administrative day at all schools and all teachers must attend from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Students will not attend.
The first full day of school for all students will be Wednesday, August 8
A system wide professional development day will be Wednesday, August 1 at DCHS and all teachers from all schools must attend from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
All teachers will report to their individual schools Thursday and Friday, August 2 & 3 from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. each day.
Students will not attend on Monday, Labor Day, September 3rd.
Schools will be closed for the fall break October 12-19
Students will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 21, 22, & 23 and for the winter break December 20 through January 2, 2008. Wednesday, December 19 will be the last day students attend before winter break and that will be an abbreviated school day. Students will return after the holidays on Thursday, January 3rd to begin the third nine week session.
Schools will be closed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 21 and for President’s Day, Monday, February 18.
The spring break will be March 21st through 28th
Students will not attend on Thursday, May 22. That will be an administrative day and all teachers must attend.. The last day of school will be Friday, May 23. That will be an abbreviated school day and report cards will be given to the students.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Tuesday, October 9 and Thursday, March 13 at DeKalb County High School from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will also be held from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 11 and Thursday, January 31st at DeKalb Middle School, Northside Elementary, Smithville Elementary, and DeKalb West School.
Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, October 4th, Monday, January 7th, and Monday, March 10th.
Competency testing at DCHS will be October 9-11 and February 12-14.
Gateway testing at DCHS will be December 4-6 and May 6-8. Gateway test makeup will be December 7th.
Writing Assessment for the 5th, 8th, and 11th grades will be February 5th. Writing Assessment make-up will be February 6th.
TCAP testing of elementary students will be April 14-18.
(Stockpile Days) Professional Development/Instructional Days will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 5th; Friday, April 25th; and Friday, May 9th.

In less than 16 hours after a reported Sunday night Armed Robbery in progress at the BP Gas station on Highway 70, Smithville Police Detectives have arrested three individuals for the crime, including the night manager of the store.
Chief Tom Stufano says 20 year old Michael Dirden, Jr. of 437 West Main Street, Smithville has been charged with setting up the robbery and filing a false police report. He was taken to the DeKalb County Jail. His bond is $10,000.
Others charged include a 17 year old juvenile and the gunman, 18 year old James Wilber of 107 West Bryant Street, Smithville.
Chief Stufano says the incident began at 8:30 p.m Sunday night when Dirden, the night manager of the convenience mart, telephoned 911 to advise that a man brandishing a gun forced him to reopen the store as he was locking up. Video surveillance showed that a person dressed in camouflage, wearing a bandana and sunglasses and carrying a black pistol forced the manager into the store, stole the money bags and then hit the manager in the face as he exited the parking lot on foot. Dirden was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital where he was treated and released.
However, Chief Stufano says investigators, after reviewing video footage and crime scene evidence, found inconsistencies in the story. After numerous interviews, Investigators began to suspect possible employee involvement. Police were able to establish that Dirden had been involved with setting up the robbery and had been planning the incident for three months. Dirden had solicited the help of friends and gave them detailed information as to where the surveillance cameras were setup, how to approach and exit the store, staging how the robber would hit him in the face in front of the camera, and the exact script to be used in filing the police report.
According to Chief Stufano, the 17 year old juvenile picked up the gunman, Wilber, a block away from the store. Wilber was identified as the person who entered the store and allegedly pistol whipped and robbed Dirden, which led to a two and a half hour manhunt by local police. It was discovered that Wilber had used a realistic looking CO2 powered pellet pistol during the incident. The investigation revealed that Dirden, Wilbur, and the juvenile met back up together after Dirden returned from his hospital visit and then split up the cash proceeds. Approximately half of the money was spent in a matter of hours after the robbery.
Investigators found hundreds of dollars of stereo equipment in Dirden’s car, and identified debt payoffs the three had made. Additionally, the juvenile had made an early morning bank deposit into his personal account. Detectives were able to retrieve the remainder of the cash and the gun from various locations in the city. The bandana Wilber had used was found in the woods next to the BP station. The remaining camouflage clothes, checks and credit card receipts were burned in a fire pit to conceal their evidence value. Wilber was arrested and charged with the crime with bail set at $10,000. The juvenile was released to the custody of his father and will be charged in a Juvenile Court petition.
Chief Stunfao says “Although the case was lengthy and complex, Smithville Detectives and residents offering information were credited with a speedy resolution of the case. The partnership with the community in detecting illegal activity continues to show that violent crime will not be tolerated by this community. Police are also crediting the merchants in their active participation and security setups.”

A Liberty man was severely burned in a suspicious house fire around 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says 28 year old Adam Reynolds is in the burn unit of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. County Fire Chief Donny Green says sources have told him that Reynolds suffered third degree burns over 80% of his body.
According to Sheriff Ray, a witness reported that he noticed an orange glow and went to Reynold’s house on Mauldin Lane, off College Street, Liberty. As the witness pulled into the driveway, he saw Reynolds, badly burned, coming off the back porch. The witness assisted Reynolds until help arrived.
Sheriff Ray says Reynolds was rushed from the scene to DeKalb Community Hospital by DeKalb EMS. He would have been flown by helicopter ambulance to Vanderbilt, but because of foggy conditions at the time, the helicopter could not fly. Reynolds was then transported by ground ambulance.
County volunteer fire fighters, who found the house completely engulfed in flames upon their arrival, could not save the structure. It was destroyed.
Because the fire appears to be of a suspicious nature, Sheriff Ray says the Tennessee State Bomb and Arson Team was called to assist the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department in the investigation.
Members of the Liberty Fire Station and the Main Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded.