A total of 48 of the 64 persons named in sealed indictments returned by a special session of the DeKalb County Grand Jury on Monday, April 12th have been arrested. All but three were indicted as the result of undercover drug investigations. The other three were indicted for theft of property (trailers).
(Click here to see pictures of each defendanthttp://www.wjle.com/node/10295)
Sheriff Patrick Ray says those indicted and their charges are as follows:
30 year old Amanda Gayle Cains
Wade Subdivision Lane
Gainesboro
1 count of conspiracy to sell and deliver 50 grams or more of a schedule II drug
2 counts violation of drug free zone
Bond- $70,000
20 year old Amanda Lee Keeling
South Grundy Quarles Highway
Gainesboro
1 count of conspiracy to sell and deliver 50 grams or more of a schedule II drug
2 counts violation of drug free zone
Bond- $70,000
31 year old James “Freddy” Summers
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
Bond- $20,000
22 year old Coty Lynn McCormick
Mohon Drive
McMinnville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond- $60,000
39 year old David Gerald Vanatta
Snow Street
Smithville
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
2 counts violation of a drug free zone
Bond- $30,000
24 year old Corey Robert Winchester
Bright Hill Road
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
2 counts violation of drug free zone
Bond- $50,000
42 year old Mark R. Robinson
Dry Creek Road
Smithville
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
Bond- $20,000
28 year old Garth Wayne Cantrell
Pine Grove Road
Smithville
3 counts of theft over $500
Bond $30,000
30 year old John M. Alsup
Pine Grove Road
Smithville
3 counts of theft over $500
Bond $30,000
32 year old Jason Zeen Cripps
Bethel Road
Smithville
2counts of theft over $500
Bond $20,000
32 year old Jeremy Patrick Bandy
Old Givens Hollow Road
Liberty
2 counts of sale of a schedule II drug
Bond $100,000
36 year old Steve Franklin Mabe Jr
Old Givens Hollow Road
Liberty
3 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond $75,000
38 year old Rachel Lynn Mabe
Old Givens Hollow Road
Liberty
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond $50,000
62 year old Sandra Heath
Lavergne Street
Alexandria
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
4 counts violation of drug free act
Bond $70,000
24 year old Danny Ray Prater
Pumpkin Hollow Road
Liberty
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug
Bond $20,000
20 year old Randall Brett Bullard
North Washington Avenue
Cookeville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug
Bond $20,000
49 year old Nickey Reese Cantrell
Lakeview Drive
Smithville
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond $30,000
48 year old Dennis C. Ellis
Anthony Avenue
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond 60,000
43 year old Mark Alan Goodson
Midway Road
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond 50,000
51 year old James Vernon Vaughn
Gentry Avenue
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug
1 count possession of a schedule VI drug for resale
4 counts violation of drug free act
Bond $5,000
18 year old Leslie Brooke Bailey
Brush Creek Road
Alexandria
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug
Bond $60,000
28 year old Robert Lee Prater
Pumpkin Hollow Road
Liberty
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
Bond $20,000
33 year old Tracie Lyndal Godsey
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug
1 count possession of a schedule VI drug for resale
4 counts violation of drug free act
Bond $60,000
20 year old Jerry Donald Johnson
Union Ridge Road
Bloomington Springs
2 counts of conspiracy to sell and deliver 50 grams or more of a schedule II drug
2 counts violation of drug free act
Bond $70,000
34 year old John David Fagan
Bright Hill Road
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
4 counts violation of drug free act
Bond $50,000
22 year old Joshua Lynne Batey
East Main Street
Smithville
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
Bond $60,000
21 year old Caleb A. Hendrix
Old Snow Hill Road
Dowelltown
1 count of conspiracy to sell and deliver of a schedule II drug
1 count theft under $500
Bond $20,000
49 year old Marti Compton
Avant Circle
Alexandria
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug
6 counts violation of drug free act
Bond $40,000
39 year old Vickie Ann Cantrell
Adcock Cemetery Road
Smithville
2 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond $50,000
Cantrell was also issued a citation for simple possession of a schedule II drug Dilaudid after a ½ of a Dilaudid pill was found
Bond $50,000
22 year old Julie Marie Prater
Pumpkin Hollow Road
Liberty
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug
Bond $20,000
21 year old Timothy “Tyler” Patrick
The Loop
Smithville
4 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
4 counts of violation of the drug free act
Bond $70,000
24 year old Stephen Kennedy
Tami Kay Road
Smithville
1 count of manufacture of a schedule VI drug
Bond $20,000
27 year old Chasity Jeannine Phillips
Shady Drive
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
1 count of violation of the drug free act
Bond $70,000
Lance Edward Rollings
Earl Ave
Smithville
2 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug
Bond $20,000
45 year old Marla Adele Turner
Adcock Cemetery Road
Smithville
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
Bond $60,000
60 year old Harold Gene Blackwell
Jay Hutchins Road
Sparta
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
2 counts of violation of the drug free act
Bond $50,000
50 year old Victor W. Jones
Flemming Street
Alexandria
2 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
3 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug
12 counts violation of a drug free zone
Bond $100,000
51 year old Tamara Sue Evensen
Flemming Street
Alexandria
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug 4 counts of violation of a drug free zone
Bond $70,000
34 year old Russell Allen Blackwell
Jay Hutchins Road
Sparta
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
2 counts of violation of the drug free act
Bond $50,000
52 year old Billy Joe Rigsby
Adcock Cemetery Road
Smithville
3 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
Bond $60,000
41 year old Sherry Lynn Chandler
Page Drive
Smithville
2 counts sale and delivery of schedule III drug
Bond $30,000
18 year old Lataj K. Bass
Shady Drive
Alexandria
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug
Bond $10,000
47 year old Virginia Kay Jones
Flemming Street
Alexandria
3 counts sale and delivery of a schedule II drug
6 counts violation of the drug free act
Bond $60,000
40 year old Timothy Edward Lawson
Avant Circle
Alexandria
3 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
6 counts violation of the drug free act
Bond $70,000
Lawson was also issued a citation for drug paraphernalia for being in possession of a pill crusher and 4 straws that contained a white powdery in them.
21 year old Jamie Lee Beising
Old Snow Hill Road
Dowelltown
1 count conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II drug
1 count theft under $500
Bond $20,000
41 year old Dana Ledbetter Firth
Midnight Sun Circle
Nashville
2 counts sale and delivery of a schedule III drug
1 count sale and delivery of a schedule IV drug
6 counts violation of the drug free act
Bond $40,000
Firth was also written a citation for simple possession of marijuana after she was found to have marijuana in her possession.
26 year old Tabitha Elaine Wilson
Huddleston Street
Cookeville
1 count of conspiracy to sell and deliver 50 grams or more of a schedule II drug
2 counts of violation of the drug free law
Bond $70,000
On Wednesday, 43 year old Christine Marie Moss of The Loop Smithville was arrested after she was found to have in her possession an unlabeled pill bottle that contained 119 and ½ pills believed to be Seroquel. Moss could not show a valid prescription for the pills. She was charged with possession of a legend drug without a prescription and her bond was set at $1,000. She will appear in court on April 29th. She was present at a drug defendant’s house on Flemming Street in Alexandria at the time of their arrest.

A 14 year old DeKalb County High School student is in trouble with the law after he was allegedly caught with a “hit list” in his possession at school on Monday.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby told WJLE Thursday that the student allegedly made written threats against seventeen other high school students along with three school employees including the principal of another local school, a supervisor, and a high school teacher. The threats were not carried out.
The School Resource Officer was informed about the “hit list” on Monday and the student was taken into custody. The “hit list” was also confiscated.
A juvenile petition was taken against the boy alleging that he committed a delinquent act. He will appear in juvenile court next week. He is currently in the juvenile detention center at Cookeville.

If you’re planning to cross Hurricane bridge anytime Monday through Friday from seven a.m. until five p.m., be prepared to stop.
Starting today (Thursday, April 15th), County Mayor Mike Foster says the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department will have a “flagger” on each end of the bridge to monitor traffic across the bridge, which has state posted weight limits. “We’re going to start escorting loaded trucks across Hurricane bridge in an effort to try and help our industries and our school buses get across. The way it will work, a loaded truck must stop at each end of the bridge whenever they approach it and it (bridge) will be cleared to where they are the only vehicle on the bridge and then they will proceed across. As soon as they get across, then normal traffic flow will resume across the bridge. If the trucks are not loaded, they will proceed across the bridge like they normally would (without having to stop). This way, instead of having to go by the weight limited posted on the bridge, which are 10 tons for a straight truck and 18 tons for a semi, they can now carry a normal load that they would normally carry across the bridge. However, only one truck at a time will be allowed on the bridge. Other than that, normal traffic flow will be as it has been.”
Sheriff Patrick Ray adds that “any vehicle (trucks, school buses, emergency vehicles, etc) above the posted weight limit now will have to stop and we will stop traffic on both ends of the bridge and allow that one truck to come across the bridge. Then we will re-open traffic.”
Sheriff Ray says he and his department are proud to be able to provide this service to help our local industries, school buses, emergency vehicles, and others. This, he says, will ease safety concerns and greatly benefit everyone, especially people living in the Silver Point and Rock Castle areas.
In January, the DeKalb County Commission approved a plan to provide the “flaggers” through at least September and to apply for a state grant to help recoup the county’s costs.
Under the proposal, County Mayor Foster says the county will appropriate around $20,000 to pay at least a couple of people, through the sheriff’s department, with experience in law enforcement or traffic control who would work several hours per week monitoring traffic across Hurricane Bridge.

A lengthy investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Alexandria Police Department, TBI and other law enforcement agencies into a drug running operation here and in other counties of the Upper Cumberland has resulted in grand jury indictments against sixty one people charged with the illegal sale or conspiracy to sell prescription drugs. Three others were indicted on unrelated charges of theft (stealing trailers).
A special session of the DeKalb County Grand Jury met Monday and returned indictments against people locally and from other counties, who either allegedly sold or conspired to sell drugs to undercover operatives in DeKalb County. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, authorities believe the drugs were being supplied from a contact in New York.
Sheriff Ray says his department presented to the grand jury cases against forty people from throughout the county on drug charges, plus an additional twelve people in Alexandria, who were indicted as the result of a joint investigation between the sheriff’s department and the Alexandria Police Department. The TBI presented cases to the grand jury against nine people, mostly from the Jackson, Overton, and Putnam County area who allegedly conspired to sell drugs in DeKalb County.
Richard Brogan, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge, says defendants in the TBI investigation were facilitating the availability of drugs locally. “The main focus of our investigation was a man by the man of Timmy Young of Gainesboro, who is known as “fat boy” on the street. He had a direct connection with the main suppliers that were bringing them in from Nashville and New York. Those pills were then distributed out to what we call “runners” that would sell to other individuals on the street level.”
Agent Brogan says prescription drug abuse is a major problem in this state. “Prescription drug abuse has probably become our fastest growing problem in the State of Tennessee such as dilaudid which is synthetic morphine and oxycontin which is also a highly addictive drug. Oxycontin, for example, is selling for $80 a pill on the streets today. You can see how expensive these pills are just to buy one so you can imagine what other crimes that leads to such as burglaries, shoplifting, robberies, and things like that to take care of their habits.”
Sheriff Ray says this was a “three phase drug operation. One of the phases was with the Alexandria Police Department, where we’ve been focusing on the housing project down there. We have been getting complaints of illegal drug sales and drug use. We’ve netted twelve defendants out of there”, said Sheriff Ray.

Alexandria Police Chief Mark Collins said he is appreciative for the cooperation of the sheriff’s department in this investigation. ” Several months back we started receiving complaints and actually most of it originated from the housing project about a lot of drug activity. Through our informants we heard that there were illegal drug sales going on at times in the housing project and other places in Alexandria. With ours being a small department, I summoned the help of the Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Patrick Ray and his detectives and I, along with my Sergeant Chris Russell, began an undercover operation to see if we could buy some of these illegal drugs in Alexandria to rid the problem. We were able to make several undercover buys of illegal narcotics in the Alexandria area and outside the Alexandria area, some of them even stemmed, from our sources, out into other counties. We were able to get a total of twelve defendants actually inside the city limits of Alexandria. Most of these people who were arrested came from the housing project. They are living there in assisted living and most of these defendants are on TennCare. The government is supplying them with their medicine and they’re bringing that medicine back and selling it to anyone who knocks on their door. I don’t agree with that and I think it’s my job and duty as a sworn police officer to try to rid that.”
In addition to facing possible jail time, Chief Collins says these defendants may also be evicted from their housing project homes. “The way I understand it and speaking with the housing authority in the past is that if someone who lives there gets arrested for violations like we’ve got, they’re subject to losing their home (evicted) and I think they should”
“When I became the police chief about three years ago, I promised the citizens of Alexandria that I would give them the best law enforcement I possibly could and I am still going to commit to that. Alexandria is a great place and we have a lot of good people.”
“I just want to extend my gratitude to all the departments who have helped, especially to Sergeant Russell and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Ray, and his detectives for making this operation a success.”
In addition to the Alexandria investigation, Sheriff Ray says his department worked with the TBI on it’s cases and conducted a probe of it’s own.”We worked probably a nine month to a year long investigation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It focused on our local drug dealers here. It also focused on other places within our drug task force region. The investigation led into Nashville and from there to New York, the source of the drugs.”
“Our department (sheriff’s department) also did an investigation in which we made cases leading to indictments of three defendants charged with theft over $500, where they had taken some trailers. The other forty were drug cases. Altogether, there were sixty one indictments (for drugs), including nine from the TBI, twelve from Alexandria, and forty from the sheriff’s department. Those forty came from Alexandria, Liberty, some in Dowelltown, and in the Smithville area. We tried to go all over the county and buy drugs where we could. They’ve been bought on every end of the county this time.”
“We’ve bought everything from marijuana, oxycontin, dilaudid, suboxone, among other illegal drugs. The agencies involved in this operation were the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Task Force, the District Attorney General’s Office, the Alexandria Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the THP Swat team, DeKalb County constables, federal marshals, and the county fire department for allowing us to use their main station on King Ridge Road (to book the prisoners), and also from concerned citizens who have called and informed us of people who they thought were in the business of selling illegal narcotics. We appreciate every call that we had. We try to check every call we get on our drug tip lines. A lot of people think that they can call in a drug dealer and by morning we’ll have them put in jail. That doesn’t work that way all the time. It takes a lot of surveillance work. It takes the buys themselves. We have to obtain informants to go in and make the buys. Then all the legal paper work has to be done after that to get our indictments.”
Sheriff Ray adds that some of the defendants were also charged with dealing drugs in what the law classifies as a “drug free zone” where children may be present. “We charged people with being in violation of the drug free zone laws, which is being near any school, library, ball parks, or anywhere children could be present. There’s a statute for that. We have numerous counts (charges) of those, where either the drug dealer lived in those areas and instructed our informants to come there to buy drugs or, in some cases, they told our informants to meet them at a certain location. Most of what we got (defendants/drugs) has been in those drug free zones where some of them lived.”
In order to make room for many of these extra prisoners, Sheriff Ray says some of the state prisoners who were already in jail have been moved to other facilities. “In the last few days, we have tried to prepare for this drug roundup because naturally some of these people are not going to be able to make bond. These sixty four people would overload the jail. Our inmate population is somewhere in the 90’s. That’s what it’s been for the last few months and on the weekends we’re running close to 100 with 103 beds in the jail. So yesterday (Tuesday) we sent some state prisoners to the Macon County Sheriff’s Department to serve the remainder of their time there to give us some room at the jail to house these inmates here. We also sent some (state prisoners) to the Tennessee Department of Corrections this morning (Wednesday) so that we can hold some of these individuals that can’t make bond. Some of them will have violations of parole or probation warrants that will be coming with no bonds on them so naturally they won’t be able to get out of jail on those.”
Sheriff Ray says he is proud of his department and the teamwork shown throughout this operation. “I want to commend my department. Every correctional officer that I have, every deputy, detective, all my administrative staff, court officers, every employee I have has played a very important role in this operation. Unity is the key to power. I want to stress this. All of our outside law enforcement agencies have come in and helped us. I don’t think any one department or any one officer wants to take all the credit for the operation. It’s not only our job, but it’s our obligation, we’re sworn to uphold the law and we want this done as a team effort.”
“As sheriff, I would like to dedicate our part of this operation to everyone who has lost friends and loved ones due to suicides or drug related deaths. This is the only way that law enforcement and the community can come together. If we’ll bond together we can make things happen, just like it’s happened today. We want to stress to everyone, keep calling in, keep working with us, and we’ll hope to have another one (roundup) real soon.”
As for it’s part of the investigation, the TBI, in a prepared news release, states that “Nine defendants were indicted on charges of conspiracy to sell and deliver over 50 grams of a schedule II controlled substance and violations of the drug free school zone act. The operation called “Yellow Dot” centered around the sale and distribution of hydromorphone, also known as Dilaudid.”
“In February of 2009, TBI and the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force received information about a string of home burglaries and shoplifting thefts by subjects who were supporting a Dilaudid habit. That information prompted the drug investigation.”
“The defendants were selling Dilaudid ranging from $20 to $30 per pill at various locations in Putnam County and Cookeville, TN. Information received during this investigation prompted the TBI to open a case into the source of the prescription drugs in Smith County and Nashville, TN. That investigation resulted in the arrest of nineteen individuals in December of 2009.”
“The following defendants from TBI cases were booked into the DeKalb County Jail. Three currently have active warrants.
Charles Dowis, Cookeville, TN
Lakrisha Willis, Livingston, TN
Ron Stewart, Gainesboro TN
Tabbie Wilson, Cookeville, TN
Ted Hooten, Gainesboro, TN
Tim Young, Gainesboro, TN

A man charged in an armed robbery at the Dollar General Store on South Congress Boulevard on September 15th, 2009 was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday.
29 year old Jacob Gadberry pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery under a negotiated settlement and received an eight year sentence to serve. The term is to run consecutive to another sentence he is now serving in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. Other charges against him including criminal impersonation were dismissed. Gadberry was given jail credit from September 15th, 2009 to April 12th, 2010.
Judge David Patterson presided in court on Monday.
Gadberry’s partner in the crime, 20 year old Nina Natasha Sullivan pleaded guilty in March to criminal responsibility for facilitation. She received a six year sentence in the community corrections program. She was given jail credit from September 15th to March 22nd.
According to Smithville Police Officer Scott Davis’ report, Sullivan entered the Dollar General store in Smithville around 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15th and asked to use the restroom. After she left, Gadberry came in the store, opened an office door where the manager was counting money, and ordered her at knife point to open the safe where he took more than three thousand dollars and left the store. No one was injured.
Shortly after the robbery, county deputies Chris McMillen and Steven Barrett stopped a 1991 Nissan at Walnut and North Mountain Street, where the two suspects were taken into custody.
Officer Davis’ actual report states as follows:” I was dispatched to 513 South Congress (Dollar General Store) in reference to a robbery. Upon my arrival, I made contact with the witness who advised that the suspects were a white male wearing an orange Tennessee shirt, and a white female who was driving an older model red Nissan.”
The defendant (Sullivan) opened the door where management was counting money and asked if she could use the bathroom. The witness, Dawn Allen, stated “yes” and the defendant (Sullivan) went to the bathroom. Ms. Allen stated that a few minutes later the male suspect (Gadberry) yanked open the door and had an open utility tool knife and stated ” open the safe, don’t hit the alarm or be stupid, get back into the chair”. The suspect then took a blue and red money bag from the safe and fled the store.”
County deputies McMillen and Barrett, who were apparently at the jail at the time, heard the radio traffic and saw a vehicle fitting the description driving around the public square the wrong way. They pulled the car over at the intersection of Walnut and North Mountain Street
Officer Davis’ report states that “the suspects vehicle had money thrown inside the floor board and some of it was stuffed under the passengers seat. Once both suspects were removed from the vehicle, Sullivan was placed into Sergeant Joey Jones’ patrol car where she attempted to hide money taken from the robbery. The amount of the money taken in the robbery is estimated at $3,011. The money was recovered in the suspects’ vehicle and placed into the evidence room. At 11:59 p.m., I was attempting to locate the money bags that were taken during the robbery. I located the money bags at 201 South Third Street. These items were placed into evidence. ”
Meanwhile, in other cases Monday, 25 year old Wallace Rackley pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and received a three year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation except for 180 days to serve. He was given credit for time served. Rackley must make restitution for the cost of a door damaged during the incident. A vandalism charge against him was dismissed.
Rhonda Perez, charged with worthless check over $1,000, was granted pre-trial diversion. She must perform 30 hours of community service work and abide by all other terms of her probation.
Toby L. Young pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and received a three year sentence. He was given credit for 320 days of time served.
26 year old Jessica Barrett pleaded guilty to promoting the manufacture of methamphetamine. She received a two year sentence all suspended to supervised probation except for time served. She must pay a fine of $2,000. Barrett was given jail credit of 170 days.
44 year old Teresa Beasley pleaded guilty to facilitation to sell a schedule II controlled substance. She received a two year sentence, all suspended to TDOC probation. She is to be considered as a candidate for judicial diversion. Beasley must pay a $2,000 fine and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment.
36 year old Freddy S. Stringer, Jr. pleaded guilty to driving while suspended. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days. The term is to run concurrent with a violation of probation against him
42 year old Melissa Kay Walther pleaded guilty by information to violation of the implied consent law. Her license will be suspended for two years. She may apply for a restricted license to help meet her child’s medical needs.
36 year old Sharon C. Groshon pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation. She was fined $50 and must perform 25 hours of community service work.
31 year old Jason K. Cline pleaded guilty to a second offense of driving under the influence. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days with 45 days to serve. The last 28 days of the sentence may be served in an inpatient rehab program. He will then be on supervised probation. Cline will lose his license for two years and he must pay a fine of $610. He was given jail credit of 48 hours.
35 year old Brad Elliott Johnson pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in each case, all suspended to supervised probation. The sentences are to run consecutively. He was also fined $900.
35 year old Christopher Bush pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $500, three counts of theft under $500, and one count of burglary of a boat. He received a total sentence of four years, suspended to supervised probation after serving 90 days. Bush must pay over $3,000 in restitution to the victims and $375 to the economic crime fund.

A total of 170 students at DeKalb County High School will receive their diplomas during graduation exercises Friday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m. on the high school football field.
The program will feature remarks by the Valedictorian, Hunter Tramel, the Class President, Amanda Ours and Guest speaker Michael Burt, a championship coach, motivational speaker, leadership expert, author, and culture builder.
The prestigious White Rose and Citizenship Awards will also be presented to three outstanding members of the class. Diplomas will be presented to each graduate by Director of Schools Mark Willoughby. The DCHS Chorus is also expected to perform.
The honor students will be recognized including the 2010 Valedictorian Hunter Tramel and the Salutatorian Wesley Blair.
Students among the top twenty five senior academic ranking from numbers one to twenty five are as follows: Hunter Tramel, Wesley Blair, Grant James, Caleb Spencer, Meagan Sullivan, Hunter Poteete, Seth Willoughby, Amanda Ours, Reddy Munagala, Cynthia Woodward, Tyler Harbaugh, Tiffany Young, Haley Snyder, Erica Neely, Jared Adams, Dakota Dexter, Payne Denman, Nicholas Goff, Caroline Carter, Kendra Foutch, Kyle Hogue, Jessica Fox, Lindsey Harden, Austin Garrett, and Gabrielle Byford.
Students earning “Highest Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.8 to 4.0 include
Hunter Tramel-Valedictorian 4.0, Wesley Blair- Salutatorian 4.0, Grant James 4.0, Erica Neely 4.0, Hunter Poteete 4.0, Caleb Spencer 4.0, Meagan Sullivan 4.0, Seth Willoughby 4.0, Cynthia Woodward 4.0, Jared Adams, Caroline Carter, Payne Denman, Dakota Dexter, Kendra Foutch, Jessica Fox, Austin Garrett, Nicholas Goff, Tyler Harbaugh, Kyle Hogue, Reddy Munagala, Amanda Ours, Haley Snyder, and Tiffany Young
Students earning “High Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.6 to 3.79 include Gabrielle Byford, Axyl Chalfant, Tyler Dunaway, Kayla Ellis, Sabrina Griffin, Lindsey Harden, Katie Nixon, and Katelyn Stutts.
Those earning “Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.2 to 3.59 include Paulina Alfaro, Matthew Antoniak, Reeves Beller, Elicia Cantrell, Samantha Coe, Rachel Cunningham, Brandon Dyer, Abram Edwards, Whitney Gann, Jaylen Garrett, Jessica Goldstein, April Hale, Ethan Hale, Stephanie Hobbs, Conner Jones, Sasha Knowles, Abigail Laprad, Layne Mathis, Tyler McCloud, Brad Michaels, Travis Neal, Zachary Odom, Morgan Page, Micah Prichard, Kristian Puckett, Myra Tramel, and Joseph Vickers.
Members of the DCHS Class of 2010 are as follows:
Jared Adams, Angela Alfaro, Paulina Alfaro, Schuylar Allen, Taylor Allen, Matthew Antoniak, Nathan Armour, Brandon Atnip, and Corey Atnip,
Autumn Banks, Reeves Beller, Lance Bennett, Wesley Blair, Hillary Bowman, Michael Briley, Brittany Brown, Natasha Burrage, Gabrielle Byford,
Jade Cade, Ashly Caldwell, Elicia Cantrell, Macey Cantrell, Caroline Carter, Axyl Chalfant, Mindy Chrisman, Holly Cikalo, Dakota Clark, Samantha Coe, Britany Collier, Matthew Collier, John D. Crutcher, Jordan Crutcher, Rachel Cunningham, Jodi Curtis,
Kandi Davenport, Michael Davenport, Ethan Davis, Payne Denman, Dakota Dexter, Ryan Dodd, Tyler Dunaway, Brandon Dyer,
Abram Edwards, Kayla Ellis,
Allen Faux, Kendra Foutch, Jessica Fox, Cody Fults,
Whitney Gann, Austin Garrett, Jaylen Garrett, Juan Godinez, Nicholas Goff, Jessica Goldstein, Sabrina Griffin,
Brandon Haas, Megan Hackett, Travis Hagan, April Hale, Ethan Hale, Tavisha Hall, Tyler William Harbaugh, Lindsey JoAnn Harden, Kirsten Nichole Hardison, Rebecca Lee Haynes, Ashley Breanna Hendrixson, Mizael Hernandez, Michael Austen Highers, Aaron E. Hines, Stephanie Hobbs, Daryl Lindsay Hobby, Kyle Patrick Hogue, Christopher Garrett Hoke, Chelsea Lee Holden, Kayla Dawn Hubbard,
Grant James, Bethany Nichol Johnson, Cody A. Johnson, Travon Aki Johnson, Conner Jones,
Colby Mason Kelnhofer, Tyler Kemp, Sasha Suzanne Knowles, Daniel Kosirog,
Kimberly Ann Lanier, Abigail Laprad, Heather Nicole Lee, John W. Licht, Chelsye Janae Linder,
Ryan Macy, Mark Mason, Jessica Lauren Matthews, Layne Thomas Mathis, Talisha Mathis, Ethan Matthews, Tyler McCloud, Shaun McGinnis, Heather Melton, Brad Michaels, Lyndsey Miller, Joseph Miller, Ross Moore, Kane Morgan, Frank Morris, Veronica Mullins, Tejaswi Munagala,
Jesus Narvaez, Kayla Neal, Travis Neal, Zachary Neal, Erica Neely, Katie Nixon, Jenna Norris,
William Odom, Zachary Odom, Lizabeth Oliva, Andrea Ottinger, Amanda Ours, Ashley Owen,
Brian Pack, Morgan Page, Piyush Patel, Carlos Perez, Jonathan Plattenburg, Hunter Poteete, Sarah Price, Micah Prichard, Brandon Puckett, Kristian Puckett, Salvador Puentes, Brandon Pyles,
Raul Ramirez, Chandler Robinson, Casey Rowland,
Joi Satterfield, Anthony Schellingburger, Tiffani Scott, Jason Singleton, Eddie Lee Smith, Haley Snyder, Hilda Soto, Caleb Spencer, Kristina Stephens, Britta Strayn, John Strayn, Andrea Stringer, Katelyn Stutts, Meagan Sullivan, Dustin Summers, Jesse Sutton,
Corey Tate, Nicole Taylor, Vanessa Taylor, Kyle Thomas, Nathaniel Tippens, Jaime Torres, Hunter Tramel, Myra Tramel, Joshua Tyree,
Justin Vandergriff, Katelyn Vanwinkle, Joseph Vickers,
Ashley Waggoner, Jessica Walden, Daniel Watts, Tyler Weatherby, Tiffany Wheeler, Seth Willoughby, Cynthia Woodward,
Tiffany Young.

Two small children were airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital Saturday afternoon after they allegedly swallowed lamp oil at their home.
Dorothy Kifer called 911 from a cell phone at 12:53 p.m. to report the incident. She said that her 2 year old and 3 year old had swallowed some lamp oil.
DeKalb EMS was sent to the residence at 1190 Smith Fork Road. The children were later airlifted by Air Evac and a Life Force helicopter ambulance and flown to Vanderbilt Hospital.
Information on the present condition of the children was unavailable to WJLE as of Monday afternoon

The 13th annual Relay for Life in DeKalb County will be held starting Friday, June 4th at Greenbrook Park, going all night until early Saturday morning, June 5th.
The Relay for Life is usually held on Mother’s Day weekend in May, but Casey Midgett, the DeKalb County Chairman for Relay, says the committee decided to change the date, hoping for a little dryer weather. “We just met as a group late last year and decided that maybe moving it to June would be something that might benefit everybody. We’re at least going to try it this year so on Friday, June 4th we’ll have our Relay for Life and we’re looking forward to it. We’re going to start praying that it doesn’t rain.”
“Relay is a 12 hour event. You know, cancer never sleeps so we’re going to be there all night in support of those who have cancer, who have won the battle against it, or who have lost their lives to it.”
“Our goal is $100,000 this year but we’d like to do even better than that. We raised $80,000 last year but we’d like to get back to that point ($100,000) because this money comes back to us here. We send a lot of it to research to try and find a cure so we don’t even have to do this (fund raising) anymore. But a lot of people don’t realize that people who suffer from cancer in DeKalb County can have access to some of the money that is raised, not simply through ours but all the relays that are done, when they’re battling cancer. When they’re going to the hospitals in Nashville and having to deal with this, we have programs out there that will help these people with transportation or if they have to stay down there we’ll help them with lodging. We call it a HOPE lodge. It’s basically a house/hotel type place where they can stay for free. They just have to go through the channels to get that. So it’s not all going just for research, it’s also going for practical purposes to try to help someone who is suffering from this. You don’t want to have to worry about money when you’re having to deal with this (cancer) and if we can take that worry from you, then I think we’ve done a good job.”
Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society’s signature event, is a fun-filled overnight experience designed to bring together those who have been touched by cancer. At Relay, people from within the community gather to celebrate survivors, remember those lost to cancer, and to fight back against this disease. Relay participants help raise money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society in its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health issue. During Relay For Life events, teams of people gather and take turns walking or running laps. The events are held overnight to represent the fact that cancer never sleeps. Through the survivors’ lap and the luminaria ceremony, the people who have faced cancer first hand are honored, and those who have been lost to this disease are remembered.
But, Relay isn’t about taking laps — it’s about coming together in the fight against cancer. It’s a time to remember those lost to this disease and celebrate those who have survived. It’s a place where people connect with others, share the cancer experience, and find comfort and solace. And it’s an opportunity to build hope for a future where cancer no longer threatens the lives of the people we love.
As volunteers and donors, your efforts support research, education, advocacy, and services that allow the American Cancer Society to offer help and hope to people across the country when they need it most. By joining together at Relay, we celebrate life, friendship, and an opportunity to work to defeat cancer for future generations.
On June 4th, the community will gather together as one group to help in the battle against cancer. At Greenbrook Park in Smithville, dozens of teams, volunteers, community leaders, and citizens will enjoy the annual Relay for Life event. Plans are to have lots of entertainment and food available that evening, starting at around 6:00 pm. Planning for the Relay is a year round event and the organizers hope that you will enjoy what they have in store for you. Relay is the largest community event held in DeKalb County. Please join in for this special night and have lots of fun helping raise money.
For more information about participating in Relay for Life, contact Casey Midgett, Lynn Miller, or Iva dell Randolph
Meanwhile, on the second weekend in June, a 5K and One Mile Fun Run will be held to benefit Relay for Life. “It’s the Relay 5K and it’ll be held on Saturday, June 12th, the weekend after Relay for Life”, said Lynn Miller. ” It’s a 5K and a one mile Fun Run. All the money from that event will go to Relay for Life. If you’re interested in participating in the 5K and Fun Run, you can come by and see me at Regions Bank to pick up a form or you may contact Casey Midget. Forms are also available at other locations.”