A man who was wounded in a shooting at his own home last April on Mountain View Drive was convicted in DeKalb County Criminal Court Thursday of reckless endangerment and aggravated assault for trying to stab the man who shot him in self defense.
A jury of eight women and four men found 25 year old Matthew Randall Sullivan guilty as charged following the day long trial. After the verdict was announced, Judge Leon Burns, Jr. revoked Sullivan’s $100,000 bond and ordered him incarcerated until his April 5th sentencing hearing.
The shooting was reported to 911 at 3:24 a.m. on Saturday, April 18th, 2009.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says his department was contacted and upon arrival, officers found Sullivan in a wooded area behind the residence.
DeKalb EMS arrived on the scene and a Life Force Helicopter was summoned to airlift Sullivan to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. A helicopter landing zone was set up on Highway 56 north in the Buckner’s Chapel Church area. Sullivan was treated and released a short time later.
Sheriff Ray says through interviews and evidence that was collected at the crime scene, the shooting appeared to have been justified. “Through interviews with the victim and witnesses at the scene, it appears that Sullivan assaulted one man at the residence and then kicked a bedroom door open where another man, female and two small children were present.”
“The man in the bedroom was then approached by Sullivan, who was holding a large knife, and witnesses state that Sullivan began to try and assault the man with the knife. The man, in fear of his life and the safety of the other people in the room, shot at least one round from a 38 caliber pistol which hit Sullivan’s right arm and chest area, exiting his back. Sullivan then left the residence and went out side.”
According to Sheriff Ray, prior to the shooting, Mr. Sullivan had gotten arrested by the Smithville Police Department for driving under the influence. “He bonded out of jail and found out that Mandy Sullivan, his estranged wife, had some people (two men) at her residence that he was not fond of. Sullivan and his wife (Mandy) had been separated for about a week and a half prior to the shooting.”
“He (Matthew) arrives at the residence, goes in and assaults one of the guys pretty badly. He (Matthew) then winds up getting a butcher knife and threatens the other man in the house. The victim stated that he actually jabbed at him one time with the knife and when he jabbed again, he (victim) shot him (Matthew) in self defense.”
“Our evidence at the crime scene shows that the victim was actually the shooter.”
After the shooting, his (Matthew’s) wife (Mandy) goes back in, moves evidence around in the home, hides the knife, takes the gun, unloads it, throws away the spent round and a live round and keeps the gun, hiding it from the officers while they were there. She also gave some false statements, covering for her husband.”
The case against Mandy Sullivan, charged with filing a false report, tampering with evidence, and fabricating evidence, is still pending.

The DeKalb County Board of Education Thursday night adopted a resolution expressing appreciation to principals and assistant principals in the school system.
The resolution states that “Whereas, principals and assistant principals are charged with the responsibility of providing safe, healthy, welcoming and supportive places for children to learn and grow in knowledge, understanding and character development; and,
Whereas, principals provide leadership for learning in our school district by helping students achieve high standards of excellence and ensuring that every child succeeds; and,
Whereas, principals serve as mentors to teachers, students and staff by providing support, direction and inspiration to be the best that they can be, by showing respect and appreciation for the contributions of individuals, by establishing a tone of encouragement and cooperation, and by recognizing and celebrating their successes; and,
Whereas, principals lead their faculties into analysis and discussions about student learning and promote improvements in teaching and learning; and,
Whereas, principals seek to build collaboration and support from parents and community and seek their engagement in their schools; and,
Whereas, principals and assistant principals establish and maintain discipline so that students learn and practice to be self reliant and productive citizens; and
Whereas, principals are directly responsible for every aspect of school operations and performance,
Now, Therefore, be it resolved that, the DeKalb County Board of Education hereby established February 11th, 2010 as Principal Appreciation Day in all of our Schools; and
Be it further resolved that, the board expresses deep appreciation to principals and assistant principals in our school system and encourages each school and community to recognize their principal and assistant principal on this day for the leadership they provide in the success of our school system and in the lives of students.”
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby presented his monthly update on personnel.
The following have been employed since last month:
Brenda Bandy, Robert DePriest, Sharon Moffett, Joel Moss, and Tara Young as substitute teachers
Transfers:
Clay Bumbalough, transferred to a full time custodian position at Smithville Elementary School
Leave of Absence:
Dena Haugh, DCHS Educational Assistant, leave as requested
Barbara Hibdon, cafeteria worker DeKalb Middle School, leave as requested
Gina Arnold, Supervisor Special Education, leave as requested
Resignations:
Dianne Page, Education Assistant, DeKalb Middle School
In other business, the board gave permission for the Department of Health to have a rabies vaccination clinic at the DeKalb Middle School parking lot on April 17th from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
The board gave permission for three DCHS students to attend the Tennessee Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville February 24-26th.
Permission was also granted for FCCLA students to attend the State Leadership Meeting April 6-8 at Opryland Hotel.
The school board voted to ask permission from the county commission to bid two school buses and a new maintenance van/truck for delivery in August to be funded in the 2010-2011 general purpose school budget.
In other business, the board re-appointed two school board members as Trustees to the Sick Leave Bank.
The purpose of the sick leave bank is to provide sick leave to contributors who have suffered an unplanned personal illness, injury, disability, or quarantine and whose paid leave is exhausted.
The sick leave bank shall be administered by a committee of Trustees. The committee shall be composed of five members: two members appointed by the board, two members appointed by the Teachers Association and the Director of Schools who shall serve as chairperson.
The two board members are Kenny Rhody and Joan Draper.
The request for the Sick Leave Bank was presented to the board in August, 2006 by John Isabell, former President of the DeKalb County Education Association. Isabell said “A Sick Leave Bank serves the purpose of allowing teachers to contribute some of their stored up sick leave days into a pool that would allow teachers who are experiencing a catastrophic event, such as a sickness in the family or sickness to themselves, who have exhausted their own sick leave, the ability to go into that pool and use some of those days.”
Officials say the Sick Leave Bank is a voluntary statewide program for certified employees of Tennessee Public Schools, established by state law. Members donate earned sick leave to the bank and are then eligible to supplement normal paid sick leave if diagnosed or an immediate family member is diagnosed with a serious or catastrophic illness.
A participant shall not receive any sick leave from the Bank until after having exhausted all accumulated sick, personal, and or annual leave including all paid extensions.
Members must submit an application to the Sick Leave Bank Trustees for review. Medical documentation must accompany the application.
The employee will be notified in writing the status of the application.
The board voted to declare the following items surplus property and will sell by sealed bid to the highest bidder:
2-Blue Bird Bus 1997 Models, a Vulcan gas convection double stack oven, a large Vulcan pizza type gas stacked oven, and 2-five gallon Vulcan commercial gas kettles.
The items will also be advertised on the Internet.

Illusionist Devon Owens is planning to follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous magician, Harry Houdini. Devon will be performing at Tennessee Tech University on Feb 13th at the half time of both the Golden Eagles and the Lady Golden Eagles basketball games. The Women’s game begins at 5:30 and the Men’s Game begins at 7:30.
Greg, Devon’s father says, “He’s always looking for the next big challenge and he has now found that challenge.” At 13 years old, Devon will be attempting Houdini’s Strait Jacket Escape for the first time in front of an audience. “We’ve been rehearsing this at home for several weeks, but to put this in front of people will be a different bird all together.” Greg continues, “It took a lot of convincing as parents to buy him a strait jacket. No parent wants to see their kid struggle. Devon made me promise that I wouldn’t help him on the 13th; that’s going to be really hard for me.”
“The Tech crowd has lots of energy. I enjoyed performing there last year and I’m looking forward to returning,” says Devon. “I chose to do this escape because I wanted to see how hard it was and it is actually a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”
Devon is an award winning magician. One of his major awards includes the Youth Stage Magic Competition at the Winter Carnival of Magic in Pigeon Forge, TN against some of the best youth magicians in the country. He’s also a percussionist in the DeKalb County High School marching band. “I’ve been in the Band since 5th grade and have been performing magic since 3rd grade,” says Devon. “Music and Magic are a very big part of my life.”
According to Devon and Greg, the Strait Jacket escape is not a magic trick; it’s based strictly on skill. When Harry Houdini first took on the challenge of the strait jacket, he would go behind a curtain and several minutes later he would come out with the Strait Jacket in his hands. He would get a lukewarm response from his audience. It was then that Houdini’s brother, Theo, suggested he try the escape while the audience watched. That’s when the escape became a world-wide sensation. Devon will be escaping from a regulation strait jacket right in the middle of Tennessee Tech’s Hooper Eblen Center.
Tennessee Tech’s Director of Corporate Sales and Marketing, Misty Pearson said, “Our fans have been asking when we’re bringing the ‘little magician’ back. We’re excited to see Devon again this year. We’re all wondering what he’s going to pull out of his hat.” There will be no hat, but in addition to the Strait Jacket escape, Devon will be performing The Metamorphosis, which is the illusion that made Harry Houdini famous.
You can find out more about Devon and even become a fan on Facebook at www.MagicOfDevon.com.

A 60 year old man, allegedly involved in the distribution of child pornography, recently received a six year sentence after pleading guilty by information in criminal court to a charge of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
Joseph Buck was accused of knowingly possessing less than 25 images with intent to promote, sell, distribute, transport, or exchange material which includes a minor engaging in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity.
In addition to the six year sentence, Buck is under lifetime community monitoring and shall not possess any computer which is capable of accessing the Internet.

The DeKalb County School System is about to run out of “snow days”.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby says only one “snow day” remains to be used and any further days missed would have to be made up somewhere.
Eleven days are built into the school calendar each year for “snow days” or inclement weather and two days are included for so called “stockpile” or professional development days. On the stock pile days, students do not attend. One of the stockpile days has already been used and the other is scheduled for Friday, March 5th. Willoughby says the school board could elect to have school on the remaining stockpile day, if necessary.
If more than two days are missed, the board would have to decide how to make them up.
State law requires students to be in school a certain number of days each year.
The remaining school calendar calls for students to be off again for President’s Day, Monday, February 15th and spring break March 29th to April 2nd
Students will not attend on Friday, May 21. That will be an administrative day and all teachers must attend.. The last day of school will be Saturday, May 22nd. That will be an abbreviated school day and report cards will be sent home.

51 year old Joseph Mantz,Jr. received a total sentence of eight years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a total of eleven drug charges in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Monday.
Judge Leon Burns Jr. presided.
Mantz entered a plea to four counts of sale of a schedule II drug and he received three years in each case; four counts of delivery of a controlled substance with a three year sentence in each case; one count of sale of a schedule III drug and a two year sentence; and two counts of delivery of a schedule III controlled substance with a two year sentence in each case. Most of the sentences run concurrently but three counts run consecutively for a total of eight years.
In other cases, Mantz’s wife, 47 year old Mary L. Mantz received a total sentence of eight years, suspended to probation supervised by community corrections after pleading guilty to ten drug charges. Mantz entered a plea to three counts of sale of a schedule II drug and received a three year sentence in each case; three counts of delivery of a controlled substance with a three year sentence in each case; two counts of sale of a schedule III drug and a two year sentence in each case; and two counts of delivery of a schedule III controlled substance with a two year sentence in each case. Most of the sentences are to run concurrently but three counts will run consecutively.
33 year old Christopher E. Young pleaded guilty to theft of property under $500 and a second offense of driving under the influence. He received a sentence in each case of 11 months and 29 days to run consecutively. The sentence is to be suspended except for 45 days to serve. He will lose his drivers license for two years. Young must also pay a $610 fine, and complete the alcohol safety education program. He was given jail credit of twenty days of time served.
41 year old Donna Estes pleaded guilty to a worthless check charge. She received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to supervised probation to run concurrently with another criminal court sentence against her. Estes must pay $75 to the economic crime fund, perform 10 hours of community service work, and make restitution of $71.78 to Food Lion.
30 year old Brandon Loader pleaded guilty to a fourth offense of driving under the influence. He received a two year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation except for 150 days to serve. Loader will lose his drivers license for five years and he must complete the alcohol safety education program and pay a fine of $3,015. He is also under an order classifying him an habitual motor vehicle offender, with three or more requisite convictions within a ten year period. This order means he has lost his driving privileges for at least three years and must petition the court in order to have them restored.
44 year old Ricky Estes entered a no contest plea to theft over $1,000 and received a three year sentence to be on probation except for one year to serve. He must make restitution in the amount of $385 to one victim and $75 to another. Estes also pleaded guilty to a fifth offense of driving under the influence and received a one year sentence. He must pay a $3,000 fine in that case. Estes was also found to be an habitual traffic offender and received a one year sentence.. All the sentences are to run concurrently and Estes was given jail credit of 260 days.
43 year old Eddie Leroy Taylor pleaded guilty to five counts of passing a forged instrument and received a two year sentence in each case to serve in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of ten years but concurrently with other cases against him in DeKalb, Rutherford, and Warren Counties. He was given jail credit of 398 days.
30 year old Robert Paul Brawley pleaded guilty to theft over $1,000 and possession of drug paraphernalia. He received a four year sentence in the theft case, to be released on probation after being given credit for time served. Brawley received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on the drug paraphernalia charge, also to be released on probation.
30 year old Ken W. Bly was found to be an habitual motor vehicle offender, with three or more requisite convictions within a ten year period. This order means he has lost his driving privileges for at least three years and must petition the court in order to have them restored.
Harold Blackwell pleaded guilty to violation of probation, was given credit for time served, and released back on probation.
Philando Darnell Fullilove was found in violation of probation after a hearing and ordered to serve the balance of an eight year sentence.
Rodney Hugo Gora pleaded guilty to a violation of probation and was ordered to serve the balance of a sentence
Mark George Koch pleaded guilty to a violation of probation, was ordered to serve ten days, and then he will be released back on probation.
Patsy Estes McCoy pleaded guilty to two counts of violation of probation and was ordered to serve one year in each case.
Billy Paul Mooneyham pleaded guilty to a violation of probation and must serve 45 days.
Mark Randall Robinson was found in violation of judicial diversion after a hearing and a sentencing hearing will be held for him on March 22nd.
Stephanie L. Vanatta pleaded guilty to a violation of probation and she must serve the balance of a four year sentence.