A total of 177 students make up the Class of 2012 at DeKalb County High School and the seniors will receive their diplomas during graduation exercises Friday, May 18th at 7:00 p.m. on the high school football field.
CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY OF ALL AVAILABLE PHOTOS OF THE CLASS OF 2012 AT DCHShttp://www.wjle.com/image-gallery/dchs-class-2012
The program will feature remarks by the Valedictorian, Adam James and Class President Victoria Tatrow.
The prestigious White Rose and Citizenship Awards will also be presented by DCHS Principal Kathy Hendrix to three outstanding members of the class. Diplomas will be presented to each graduate by Director of Schools Mark Willoughby. The DCHS Chorus will perform.
Meanwhile the DCHS Senior Awards Day program will be Thursday, May 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the gym. Scholarship awards will be presented.
During the graduation exercises, the honor students will be recognized including the 2012 Valedictorian Adam James and the Salutatorian Heather Vidal.
Students among the top twenty five senior academic ranking from numbers one to twenty five are as follows:
Adam James, Heather Vidal, Whitney England, Laura Martinez, Briana Vidal, Hailey Perry, Heather Hughes, Jessica Garrison, Jonathan Edwards, Erin Colwell, Jessica Ball, Alex Meadows, Victoria Tatrow, Riley Young, Lela Ambrose, Katie Merriman, Laura Pafford, Abigail Hendrix, Allison Little, Mason Merriman, Talisa Cantrell, Elizabeth Sanders, Brooke Hutchings, Sydney Robinson, and Joseph Angaran
Students earning “Highest Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.8 to 4.0 are:
Adam James, Valedictorian 4.0; Heather Vidal, Salutatorian 4.0, Jessica D. Ball 4.0, Erin L. Colwell 4.0, Jonathan D. Edwards 4.0, Whitney N. England 4.0, Jessica B. Garrison 4.0, Heather M. Hughes 4.0, Laura E. Martinez 4.0, Hailey D. Perry 4.0, Victoria D. Tatrow 4.0, Briana Vidal 4.0, Christopher R. Young 4.0, Lela E. Ambrose, Joseph L. Angaran, Talisa M. Cantrell, Taylor M. Cantrell, Morgan S. Garrett, Abigail Hendrix, Nicholaus T. Henry, Morgan B. Hutchings, Allison Little, Alexandria Meadows, Katie L. Merriman, Mason B. Merriman, Jacob A. Odom, Laura S. Pafford, Sydney Robinson, Elizabeth Sanders, Krystal T. White, and Austin T. Willmore
Students earning “High Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.6 to 3.79 include Chelsea L. Cantrell, Megan L. Cantrell, Yesenia L Cintron, Alicia D. Crook, Jamie Florence, James D. Freeney, Tiffini Hendrixson, Johnna G. Hensley, Sarah L. Jones, David S. Phillips, Kidman D. Puckett, Lindsay B. Snyder, Erik Z. Thompson, and Alyssa A. Young.
Those earning “Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.2 to 3.59 include Christian J. Atnip, Michael W. Caldwell, Tiffany D. Cantrell, Tiffany A. Celestino, Emily B Dawson, Jasmine M. Dimas, Katy J. England, John B. Foster, Quinton R. Harbaugh, Allyson R. Judkins, Danielle L. Knowles, Mary F. Knowles, Monserrat Leon, Xing (Tammy) Q. Li, Renny A. Mason, Preston S. Melton, Lorrie M. Merriman, Kalli A. Mitchell, Samanvi R. Munagala, Tevin M. Owens, Bradley C. Pack, Stephanie C. Rackley, Johnna R. Roller, Kayla D. Self, Laura A. Sullivan, and Ashlee M. Whitehead
Members of the DCHS Class of 2012 are as follows:
Alexander J. Ader, William A. Ader, Lela Ambrose, Joseph Angaran, Jordan Arnold, Christian Atnip, Andrew Atnip, Justin Avera
Terry Bain, Jessica Ball, Thomas Beltz, Macie Bouldin, Micheal Braswell, Dustin Brown, Jennifer Butler,
Michael Caldwell, Chelsea Cantrell, Megan Cantrell, Talisa Cantrell, Taylor Cantrell, Tiffany Cantrell, Austin Carlson, Juan Carrillo, Tiffany Celestino, Yesenia Cintron, Erin Colwell, Jakob Craven, Alex Cripps, Jackson Cripps, Alicia Crook, Chelsea Crutcher, Adam Cubbins,
Tanner Davis, Emily Dawson, Jasmine Dimas, Rebecca Duffield,
Jonathan Edwards, Matthew Elliott, Katy England, Whitney England, Gage Estes,
Jeremie Ferdelman, Zacharias Ferrell, Jamie Florence, Brady Foster, Dylan Freeney, Caleb Furnival,
Benjamin Gard, Sloane Garrett, Jessica Garrison, Jordan Gash, Zachary Goldstein, Katelyn Goodwin, Clayton Gott, Joseph Gray, Hannah Green, Lucas Griffin, Jonathan Griffin,
Steven Haas, Kara Hackett, Quintin Harbaugh, Todd Hasty, John Hayes, Abigail Hendrix, Tiffini Hendrixson, Nicholaus Henry, Johnna Hensley, Taylor Hensley, Jessie Herman, Savannah Hershman, Heather Hughes, Hunter Humphrey, Brooke Hutchings,
Adam James, Jessie James, Kaitlin Jennings, Matthew Johnson, Garrett Johnson, Ian Johnson, Kenneth Johnson, Sarah Jones, Heather Jones, Stephanie Jones, Allyson Judkins
Alexander Keith, Clay Kilgore, Danielle Knowles, Mary Knowles, Tabitha Knowles,
Jeremy Landsem, Steven Lawrence, Amanda Laxton, Monserrat Leon, Tammy Li, Allison Little, Aurora Little, Sarah Lomas, Erika Lucio,
Zachery Malone, Laura Martinez, Renny Mason, Wesley Mason, Andrew McCoy, Cheyenne McDaniel, Alexandria Meadows, Preston Melton, Corey Merriman, Katie Merriman, Lorrie Merriman, Mason Merriman, Kalli Mitchell, Terry Mollinet, Justin Moore, Samanvi Munagala, Alex Murphy,
Raul Narvaez, Teddy Nelson, Dustin Netherton,
Jacob Odom, Tevin Owens,
Bradley Pack, Christopher Pack, Laura Pafford, Tiffany Pease, Ashley Pedigo, Hailey Perry, David Perry, Trey Petty, Sebastian Phillips, Westly Poss, Christopher Powell, Kayla Presley, Kidman Puckett,
Stephanie Rackley, Brenda Ramirez, Dylan Reagan, Deshon Reeder, Blake Reffue, Cora Beth Rhody, Louis Richards, Collene Riley, Martin Riley, Gabrielle Ritchie, Yazmin Rivera, Sydney Robinson, Johnna Roller, Makenzie Roller,
Elizabeth Sanders, Kayla Self, Justin Skinner, Brooke Snyder, William Sowell, Corey Spare, Daniel Stanley, Mark Stanley, Russell Storey, Laura Sullivan,
Billy Tate, Victoria Tatrow, Ashley Taylor, Zachary Taylor, Destiny Thomas, Zachary Thompson, Billy Tiner,
Nicholas Underhill, Jonathan Upton,
Gabriella Vanatta, Briana Vidal, Heather Vidal,
Brian Waggoner, Tia Ward, Krystal White, Ashlee Whitehead, Jacob Williams, Breanna Williams, Austin Willmore,
Alyssa Young and Riley Young.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has arrested another person in the recent burglary of a local business on Highway 70 east.
Sheriff Patrick Ray reports that 26 year old Johnna Michelle Maynard of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville is charged with burglary and theft of property over $1,000. She is also cited for simple possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Maynard was arrested on Tuesday, April 3. She will be in court on April 18. Her bond is $10,000.
Sheriff Ray reports that on or about March 17, Maynard served as a lookout while another person (Willie Ray Murphy) broke into a business on East Broad Street, taking several items. She is accused of helping in the commission of the theft.
During her arrest, Maynard told a drug detective that she had two needles in her bra and a bottle of xanax in her body cavity. A female correctional officer removed those items from Maynard. Found were eight and a half lorazopam pills (2 milligrams) and five lorazapam (1 milligram) pills along with the needles.
Maynard is the third person charged in this case. 28 year old Matthew Malachi Lawson of Haley Road, Smithville and 29 year old Willie Ray Murphy of West Bryant Street, Smithville are also charged with burglary and theft of property over $1,000. They were arrested on Friday, March 23.
According to Sheriff Ray, “Murphy went around to the side of the building (a business) and busted out a glass door. He then entered the business. While Murphy was in there, he took out some power tools for concrete work. Lawson, who brought Murphy to the business, sat in the vehicle and served as a lookout person. Lawson then left and later returned to pick up Murphy and the stolen equipment”.
50 year old Lucille Killian Wright of Ragland Bottom, Sparta is charged with violation of an order of protection. She was arrested on April 3. Wright will be in court April 19. Her bond is $1,500.
Sheriff Ray reports that a deputy, while responding to a complaint of a female threatening another person at Ragland Bottom, found Wright causing the disturbance. By being near the person who had taken out the order of protection against her, Wright was found to be in violation of the order.
50 year old Danny Ray Ponder is charged with theft of property under $500. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court April 19. Sheriff Ray reports that on Wednesday, April 4 a deputy was called to a location on Old Mill Hill Road, where someone had reportedly stolen some metal. Upon arrival, the officer found Ponder to be the suspect. He also saw metal roofing in the bed of Ponder’s truck. The deputy asked Ponder if he had permission to take the metal. Ponder replied “no”.
33 year old Christina Marie McClain of Earl Steel Road, Brush Creek is charged with two counts of forgery. Her bond is $3,000 and she will be in court on April 19. She was arrested on April 5. Sheriff Ray said that two checks, which were stolen from a location in Smith County, were forged and cashed at an Alexandria business last month. He said that on Thursday, March 22, McClain passed a forged check on an account in the amount of $185.15. The victim stated that she had not signed the check nor authorized anyone else to sign it. Four days later on Monday, March 26, McClain passed another forged check in the amount of $240 at the same business.
43 year old Elsie Mae Judkins of Jefferson Road, Smithville was named in sealed indictments returned by the grand jury last week, charged with aggravated burglary, theft over $1,000, burglary, and theft under $500. Her bond is $20,000. Judkins was arrested April 5 and she will be in court May 25.
77 year old William Albert Warren of Holiday Haven Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court June 14. Sheriff Ray reports that on Sunday, April 8, Warren’s pickup truck was stopped by a deputy after the officer saw it traveling in the middle of the roadway on Short Mountain Highway. Warren had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and his speech was slurred. He was very unsteady on his feet and he could not perform any field sobriety tasks. He did submit to a blood alcohol test. Warren told the officer that he had consumed three beers.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has announced that on Tuesday during non-peak hours the contractor for the Hurricane Bridge project on SR-56 over the Caney Fork River will be switching traffic on the bridge to the other side. There may be delays during the traffic switch, and THP will assist with traffic control. Once the switch is over, the bridge will remain at one lane under signal control with the same weight restrictions.

Smithville Police have arrested a local man in a prescription fraud case.
20 year old Chase Groshon of Evins Mill Road, Smithville is charged with passing a forged prescription at Rite Aid Pharmacy. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on April 12.
Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger reports that Groshon allegedly passed a forged prescription for roxicodone 30 milligrams (150 pills) using the name of Nashville physician Dr. Gita Mishra. A total of $125.88 was paid for the prescription by Groshon and $61.98 by Tenn Care. The incident occurred in December.
Smithville Police became aware of the incident after Murfreesboro Police Detectives made an arrest of another man there on drug charges who implicated Groshon as the source of the narcotics. Police investigated Groshon and determined that he was not a patient of Dr. Mishra and that he had passed the forged prescription here.
23 year old Christine Moore is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500. Chief Caplinger reports that early Saturday, March 24 just after midnight police went to a residence on South Mountain Street in response to a 911 hangup call. The officer arrived and found Moore, along with a man and a five year old child. It was determined that an altercation had taken place between Moore and the man. He said it started as a verbal argument earlier in the evening but later turned physical when she allegedly smacked the man in the face with her open hand and had allegedly hit both the man and the child with a belt.
27 year old Rhonda Goff and 31 year old Nicka Barrett were cited for shoplifting on Friday, March 23. They will be in court April 12. Chief Caplinger reports that a Walmart employee saw the women putting items from the store in a purse. After being stopped the women allegedly produced the stolen items from their purse.
Meanwhile, Chief Caplinger wishes to thank local businesses who donated food, cash, and prizes for the recent “Night out with the Police and Fire Department” get together with the public.
Special thanks to Florence & White Ford, El Rancho Mexican Restaurant, Tractor Supply, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Advance Auto Parts, Dollar General Store, Family Dollar, Gentleman’s Barber, The Tannery, Bumper’s Drive-In, Potter’s Home Center, Tangles Salon and Spa, Wal-mart, DeKalb Community Bank, and Liberty State Bank.

The AmVets Post 101 Ladies Auxiliary hosted the 5th annual Easter Egg Hunt at Greenbrook Park on Saturday for children up to twelve years old.

The event also included an egg coloring contest, a coloring book contest, and refreshments.
Prizes were awarded in three age groups, one to four years old, five to eight years old, and nine to twelve years old.
The Easter Bunny also made an appearance during the Easter Egg Hunt

Two DeKalb County men were taken into custody in Warren County Wednesday morning after allegedly committing an armed robbery at the Sparta Discount Drug Store in White County.
34 year old Christopher Morris Stanley and 33 year old Ricky Allen Ashford, II were reportedly arrested separately after a foot chase off Shady Rest Road near the VFW in Warren County. They are being held in the White County Jail facing charges of aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. They will also face charges in Warren County for trying to flee from authorities.
Stanley and Ashford allegedly robbed the pharmacy at gunpoint, demanding cash and drugs. The incident occurred after 9:00 a.m.
The Sparta Expositor reports that according to police, the store clerks described the suspects as dressed in dark colors with long sleeves, gloves and ski masks. They also said one suspect had a handgun, and the other had a device that appeared to be a taser. Before officers arrived, the suspects reportedly fled the scene in a black Chevrolet Impala heading north on Spring Street in Sparta. A description of the vehicle was reported to White County authorities and a BE ON THE LOOKOUT or BOLO was issued. The car was later spotted by a Warren County constable near Rock Island.
The Southern Standard reports that “officers converged on the area and a chase ensued onto Shady Rest Road, which runs nearly parallel with Sparta Highway just outside the McMinnville city limits.”
The men abandoned the vehicle on foot into the woods between Shady Rest and Sparta Highway. One of the men was soon apprehended and the other man was captured after a tracking dog led officers to him. The men were found with cash, drugs, and a handgun.

Should porta potties be set up to accommodate anticipated larger crowds at the Smithville Municipal Swimming Pool this summer?
The aldermen Monday night decided to check with the health department to find out if inspectors would approve porta potties, even if only on a temporary basis until the city decides if it wants to build a permanent restroom facility there.
Restrooms are already available at the golf course for swimmers but after an increase in pool activity last summer, Alderman Steve White said more restroom facilities are needed. The issue has been raised more than once in recent months but so far no action has been taken.
Alderman White, who presided over the meeting Monday night in Mayor Taft Hendrixson’s absence due to an illness, brought up the subject again. ‘We talked about this back in December, and here it is April and we’re still not any further along than what we were then,” said White
Alderman Danny Washer suggested that since pool season opens soon, the city should look into the possibility of setting up porta potties, at least for this year to gauge how much they are used and to perhaps look at a long-term fix for next year, if there is a need. “To see how its going to work out, why not get porta potties for this year, because its going to push us right now,” said Washer. “Try porta potties that are handicapped accessible. They have them. They come with sinks in them. They maintain them and everything. Try that for this season and see how that works out and that will give us plenty of time to see what we need to do for next year,” said Washer.
Alderman White objected to the porta potty idea, saying he thought it might pose a sanitary health concern and environmental risk to the pool, especially if vandals were to turn them over. “I would be definitely against the porta potties just because of the sanitary part of it, with it being a temporary thing, and the vandalism thing. I’m also pretty sure that the porta potties would not be approved by the health department either,” said White.
Alderman Gayla Hendrix said porta potties might be the answer in the short term, especially during peak usage times at the pool, until a plan can be drawn up and proposed for permanent restroom facilities. She said the aldermen need to see a plan that includes costs estimates and where such a building would be erected on the grounds. “As he (Washer) was saying for this season, maybe try this especially during the busiest weekends. But we need to see a plan. We discussed maybe something like they have at the lake, concrete blocks with maybe two women and two mens (restrooms). Where are you going to put it? Are you going to put it in front of the pool? Are you going to put it behind the pool? We don’t have a drawing. We don’t know what we’re looking at. We don’t know how much money and pool season starts in six weeks,” said Hendrix.
Alderman White replied “What I’m talking about is something similar like we did out there at the airport (park). With our employees doing most of the work, probably five to six thousand dollars would fund a four commode bathroom.”
Alderman Hendrix asked “Why don’t we check on the cost of having the handicapped accessible porta potties for the busiest times and weekends at the pool? Then Hunter (Hendrixson) can look up what it cost to build the bathrooms at the airport park. We can look a little bit closer at the pool area and come up with a feasible place to put it. I think the front of the pool would not be a good idea. I think that would look bad. Maybe if we can get an estimate on prices and get a design and a place, it might be something we can have completed by the end of the season. We’re coming up here and discussing it but we’re not bringing any concrete information,” said Hendrix.
Meanwhile, Alderman White said existing bathroom stalls at the golf course will have to be modified to make them handicapped accessible, but he added that this would not be too expensive.
The city is also apparently making plans to purchase a portable chairlift to make the pool more handicapped accessible to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ADA requirements were to have been met by March 15th, but officials say the U.S. Justice Department has granted the hotel industry at least a 60-day extension for complying with a new rule aimed at making existing hotel pools compliant. City officials say that extension also applies locally.

The VFW Club will be without a beer permit for at least another month.
Quartermaster Thomas Skelenka appeared before the DeKalb County Beer Board Thursday night to inquire about when the VFW can get back its permit. Until then, the club cannot sell beer.
The beer permit was suspended last month following an undercover investigation into allegations of illegal sales of liquor. Agents of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission raided the VFW club on the Sparta Highway March 15 seizing gambling machines, a raffle prize, and cash.
Operators of the VFW allegedly kept selling liquor, even after letting their liquor license expire.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said he was instructed by former beer board chairman Mack Harney to take the VFW’s beer permit after operators of the club were issued citations for selling liquor without a license and for possession of gambling devices. Sheriff Ray said he retrieved the permit and surrendered it to the county clerk, pending a final decision by the beer board.
Skelenka told the beer board that while the club can remain open, it cannot survive financially without a beer permit. He said membership has dropped off and unless business picks up and new members can be recruited, the club, which has been in operation since 1946, could go bankrupt and close its doors.
Beer Board members Thursday night voted to have county attorney Hilton Conger attend the next meeting in May to render a legal opinion on how to handle the situation with the VFW since the allegations have to do with liquor and gambling, something the beer board has no control over. The question beer board members want to know is whether the actions of the VFW constitute a violation of their beer permit and whether the beer board should impose further sanctions or civil penalties.
AS WJLE first reported last month, Special Agent Brad Allison said the investigation by the ABC began after complaints surfaced about the VFW. “The Alcoholic Beverage Commission received an anonymous complaint about the VFW in Smithville selling liquor without a license. The complaint was given to the ABC Cookeville Office who researched to see if the VFW currently had a liquor license and they did not. At that time they executed an undercover operation at the establishment and were able to purchase liquor from the bartender inside the VFW. After purchasing the liquor, they then prepared and executed a search warrant on Thursday, March 15. At that time during the search warrant, there were approximately fifty bottles of liquor that were seized; four gambling machines; several envelopes with various amounts of money in the envelopes with some labeled “race boards”, some labeled “dice”. There was a TV seized that was in a box labeled “raffle” with the amount of the price for the raffle tickets written on the box,” said Allison
As a result of the investigation, bartender Brian Soye was cited for unlawful sale of alcohol and quartermaster Thomas Skelenka was issued citations for storage of alcohol for sale and possession of gambling devices. All are misdemeanor offenses.