A new Director of Schools is expected to be named in a couple of weeks.
During a workshop Tuesday evening, the Board of Education discussed procedures in selecting a new director.
According to Board Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III the school board will have another workshop on Thursday, July 9 at 5:30 p.m. followed by the regular monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m. to establish the length of the contract and other terms including the starting base salary of $85,000.
In the meantime, input will be sought from school faculty and staff and the public on questions to be asked of the three finalists during a board workshop on Tuesday, July 14. All three applicants are to be interviewed individually in one hour sessions starting at five p.m.
The School Board then plans to meet in a special session on Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. to name a new director.
The three finalists are DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps, Supervisor of Special Education Gina Arnold , and Michael James Steele, Executive Principal for Statford STEM High School. He is from Spring Hill, Tennessee

Your property taxes will be going up this fall if the county commission adopts a recommendation by the budget committee.
In a meeting Tuesday night, members of the budget committee voted to recommend passage of a new $40.9 million budget for the 2015-16 year and a tax rate of $1.78 cents per $100 of assessed value. That’s a sixteen cent increase from the current rate of $1.62.
The proposed new rate breaks down as follows:
County General Fund: 94 cents (a 12 cent increase)
General Purpose Schools: 57 cents ( a 2 cent increase)
Debt Service: 12 cents
County Highway Department: 4 cents ( a 1 cent increase)
Capital Projects Fund: 11 cents ( a 1 cent increase)
The last time the county commission raised taxes was in 2011 when a ten cent hike was imposed with five cents of the increase going to schools and the other nickel to help fund the county general budget.
Steve Bates, the county’s financial advisor, said the increase is needed because county revenues in recent years have not kept pace with inflation. “There’s not really any expenditures that are above last year. It’s just inflation. It’s just that the cost of government has increased and revenues haven’t been able to keep up. We have been budgeting on a budgetary basis going into cash (fund balance) and although we haven’t been expecting to go into cash that deep, we have been going into cash (using reserves). All we want to try to do is head that off so we can maintain our good fund balances that we have now,” Bates told WJLE
“During 2009 and 2010 property assessments did not grow because of this housing and financial crisis so while the cost of government was growing, assessments were declining. We were actually going backwards. And to further that, we were earning 2% and 3% on fund balances. Now we’re earning .2% so that’s another tax cut. As recent as three years ago, the county earned $360,000. This year we have budgeted $150,000 and I just hope we get that, “Bates added.
All five members of the budget committee voted to recommend the new budget and tax rate for approval to the county commission. Members of the committee are Chairman Wayne Cantrell and Larry Summers, Jack Barton, Jimmy Midgett, and Jerry Adcock.
County Mayor Tim Stribling said copies of the proposed budget will be made available to all members of the county commission during an all-committees meeting on Tuesday, July 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse. As required by law, a public notice will be published on Wednesday, July 15 in the newspaper. A public hearing will then be scheduled on Monday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m. followed by the regular monthly meeting of the county commission at which time the new budget and tax rate will be considered for passage. The meeting and public hearing will be held in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse.
Two other issues were addressed during Tuesday night’s meeting. The committee voted to use $25,000 from the capital projects fund as “seed” money for future development of a new fire station in the Four Seasons community.
Meanwhile, whether the county will match the city’s $75,000 allocation of funds for the development of a new animal shelter will be left up to the entire 14 member county commission. Budget committee member Jack Barton initially made a motion to include the money in the budget, but only as a one time contribution. The committee sided with Barton on a vote of 3-1-1. But later during the meeting, committee members had a change of heart and the action was rescinded. While funds for the animal shelter will not be included in the proposed budget, Barton said he will ask that the county commission give it an up or down vote as only a one time contribution after the new budget is adopted. “I feel they (DeKalb Animal Coalition) are due an answer. Since the city has put it out there on the table, I want us as a body to give them an answer up or down,” said Barton. Chairman Cantrell moved that the budget and tax rate of $1.78 be adopted and to address the animal shelter issue after the budget is passed. Cantrell’s motion was approved unanimously.

A DeKalb County man is expected to be sent back to Michigan where he is wanted for being a fugitive from justice.
46 year old David Duane Brewer of Corinth Church Road, Smithville is under a $200,000 bond. He made his first court appearance on Thursday, June 25 where he signed his waiver of extradition and he will be in court July 16 if Michigan authorities have not picked him up. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, a detective ran an NCIC computer check on Brewer Wednesday, June 24 which revealed he is wanted in Livingston, Michigan where he is facing charges of larceny over $20,000 and two counts of unlawful driving away.
21 year old Dusty Ray Mathis of Lanis Road, Baxter is charged with two counts of vandalism and one count of criminal trespassing. His bond is $4,500 and he will make a court appearance on July 16. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, June 20 in order to gain entry to property on Austin Bottom Road, Mathis knowingly drove through a field, garden and two galvanized gates in his 1997 Dodge pickup truck causing a total of $300 in damage. Mathis did not have the owner’s consent to be on the property. The case was investigated by a sheriff’s department detective.
37 year old Jessie Eugene Thomas and 32 year old Terra Elaine Locklear both of Dale Ridge Road, Dowelltown are each charged with aggravated burglary and theft over $1,000. Thomas is also charged with vandalism. Bond for Thomas is $11,500. Locklear’s bond is $10,000. They will make a court appearance on July 16. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, June 23 Thomas and Locklear broke into a residence on Dale Ridge Road and took several tools and building materials with a total value of $1,190. During the burglary, Thomas also broke out a window valued at $425. The case was investigated by a sheriff’s department detective. Thomas and Locklear were arrested on Friday, June 26.
35 year old Roger Curtis Gregory of South Main Street, Carthage is charged with leaving the scene of an accident. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court July 16. Sheriff Ray said that on April 28, Gregory was operating a 2004 Nissan Maxima east on Hickman Road at Temperance Hall when the car went off the left side of the roadway, hitting a fence and trees causing damage. After the crash, Gregory drove away from the scene without notifying the owner of the fence or the sheriff’s department about the wreck. When confronted by a deputy later, Gregory admitted to being involved in an accident and that he failed to stop. Gregory was arrested on June 27.
23 year old Nathaniel Dylan Tippens of Redman Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property under $500. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on July 16. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, June 26 Tippens, an inmate at the jail, took forty six Ranitidine (stomach) pills and nineteen Ibuprofen pills from an office in the annex. “Tippens was an inmate in the jail annex. Due to a plumbing problem all the annex inmates were moved into a hallway. While in the hallway, Tippens gained entry to an office by way of a pass through door. He pried open the door, got into the office and took the pills. He later admitted to taking the pills and they were returned to the correctional officers,” said Sheriff Ray. In an effort to keep such a thing from happening again, extra locks and hasps have been added to the door.
32 year old Henry Burt Turner, Jr. of Liberty is charged with aggravated burglary, theft of property under $500, and violation of an order of protection. He is under a $10,000 bond and will be in court July 23. Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, June 11 a sheriff’s department deputy observed Turner and a woman together in her car on the public square in Smithville. Knowing that the woman has an order of protection against Turner, the officer approached the vehicle and spoke with the woman. After confirming that the order of protection was still active, the deputy obtained a warrant for Turner’s arrest. Meanwhile, according to Sheriff Ray Turner broke into a residence on Old Sligo Road May 19 causing $900 in damage to the home and took a blue Rhino propane tank and a Stanley fubar tool valued at $100. Turner was arrested for the burglary and theft on June 28 after being in custody in Rutherford County for a separate offense. The case was investigated by a sheriff’s department detective.
26 year old Matthew Tyler Hale of Upper Helton Road, Alexandria is charged with driving on a suspended license. His bond is $1,500 and he will make a court appearance July 16. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, June 28 a deputy spotted Hale operating a motor vehicle traveling north on Main Street in Liberty. He also observed Hale swap seats with a passenger while the vehicle was still in motion. Knowing that Hale had a suspended license, the officer made a traffic stop. Hale was previously cited for driving on a suspended license on June 21, 2015. His license were suspended on February 12, 2015 for failure to provide insurance.
41 year old John Allen (J.J.) Judkins is charged with burglary and theft over $500. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court July 16. Sheriff Ray said that on May 27 Judkins entered a barn on the Old Keltonburg Road and took several 2 x 10 sheets of tin off the side of the barn and took an area of fence valued at more than $500. The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the Sheriff’s Department.

One day after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states cannot ban gay marriages, the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office issued the first license to a local same sex female couple.
“On Saturday morning the first couple came into the office and filled out the application. They completed the application process and obtained the marriage license. They were married over the weekend and returned their marriage license to us on Monday,” County Clerk James L (Jimmy) Poss told WJLE Tuesday.
Although only one license has been issued so far to a same sex couple, Poss said there have been other inquiries about the process for obtaining a license. “Once the ruling came down on Friday morning we got our first call and by the end of the day we had a total of three calls inquiring about same sex marriage. They were checking to see if our office was actually issuing the marriage license to same sex couples,” Poss said.
While the female couple did not request his office perform the marriage ceremony, Poss said he was asked on Saturday by another individual if he performed marriages for couples. “She was inquiring about how she could actually obtain a license and get married at the same place,” he said.
Poss announced upon taking office as county clerk last September that he would not perform marriage ceremonies. While state law gives county clerks the authority to marry couples, it is not mandated that they do so.
After Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Tennessee Attorney General advised county clerks across the state that they may begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The University of Tennessee County Technical Advisory Service Institute for Public Service sent an email to all 95 county clerks Friday morning in the wake of the court’s historic ruling. “We have been advised by the Tennessee Attorney General that county clerks may begin issuing marriage licenses immediately under the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling,” the CTAS message said.
Poss felt he had no choice but to comply with the ruling based upon the advice he was given since the U.S. Supreme Court has the final say in determining the laws of the land. “Both CTAS and Jay West, Executive Director of the County Officials Association sent emails and told us very early on after the ruling on Friday to begin issuing marriage licenses immediately, to not hold off for any reason,” said Poss.

The Community Chorus will make a return appearance during the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival Friday evening
With the theme “What the World Needs Now is Love”, the chorus will be performing a variety of patriotic songs with a special tribute to veterans, particularly disabled veterans. Again this year, adults and children alike will be singing in the chorus with some clogging as well.
“To open the program we’ll have a fanfare of American patriotic music. This is always a high time with the audience participating. Hopefully by that time there will have been one thousand flags passed out in the audience. The AmVets will be helping us with that and we truly appreciate their help. And another person in town anonymously gave a thousand flags,” Faye Fuqua, Chorus Director told WJLE Monday.
“A real important part of the program is recognizing and paying tribute to veterans. There may be service men who are still serving (in the crowd). This year we’re going to include (in the tribute) a recognition of those who are disabled. There will be something really special coming at that time so we encourage all veterans to come out and help us celebrate you,” said Fuqua.
The program begins at approximately 6 p.m. on Friday from the Jamboree stage. You can also catch a rehearsal performance on Thursday evening on the steps of city hall at around 5:30 p.m.

In order to keep police salaries from reaching a level far above other city employees, Smithville Aldermen Monday night were poised to eliminate three steps of the police department’s existing seven step pay scale with passage of the new 2015-16 fiscal year budget. But at the urging of Alderman and City Police Commissioner Jason Murphy, the council decided to postpone any move to revise the scale until next year. As a result, the new city budget was adopted on a 3-2 vote with the seven step wage scale remaining intact for another year. Aldermen Josh Miller and Shawn Jacobs, concerned about other aspects of the budget, voted against the spending plan.
Passage of the budget on second and final reading came during a special meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen covered exclusively by WJLE.
The idea for making changes in the police department wage plan was proposed at a city budget workshop last Tuesday, June 23 to keep pay raises on a more level playing field with other city departments. But since the workshop some police officers began raising concerns. A few of them attended Monday night’s meeting.
Under the proposal, any city police officer who had exceeded the fourth step would have received a cost of living raise as provided to all other hourly employees instead of moving to the next scheduled step in the wage scale. For the new fiscal year, the cost of living increase given to all hourly city employees is two percent.
Alderman Murphy said he felt the city was moving too quickly on an issue that needs more study and that the police officers were not given sufficient notice.
“Basically what I think is we should not do anything to the pay (scale) yet but to have a plan to do something by the next budget year. It gives us more time to think about it and it gives the officers notice that their pay in the future will change,” said Alderman Murphy.
“I found out about this (proposal to change wage scale) on Friday. My (employment) anniversary date is July 1 so I was expecting a raise really soon. I budgeted my personal affairs that way and found out that wasn’t going to happen. My own thought is that if it could be put off just long enough for us make adjustments or to be prepared for it would be helpful,” said Officer James Cornelius in addressing the Mayor and Aldermen.
“Everyone in the police department certainly understands and respects the decision making process the council is faced with. We do understand that we’re in a position that something has to be done. We do respect and appreciate you working with us as much as you have. I just want to express on behalf of the police department that the intention behind the step (wage) program was to retain officers. I couldn’t ask for better guys to work with and I certainly think we are headed in the right direction as far as gaining quality people and that can’t be done alone and we do need everyone’s help and we appreciate your support,” added Captain Steven Leffew.
Janice Plemmons-Jackson, the city’s financial advisor proposed freezing the police wage scale at four steps until a study could be done. “We could schedule a workshop for a committee to compare salaries to other places for all the departments and look at what officers in other places are making and see if we are in line with them or see if we need to give them another step and make an evaluation. To me that seems more logical to say that we have a problem coming along so we’ll freeze the steps at four and give a two percent raise and then do a study and see if we’re in line with where we need to be. Then if we need to in a few months we could pass a budget amendment and go ahead and give another step. But you have money in the bank. You could pay and spend this but the trend is that revenues are flat and have been for many years and expenses continue to climb each year,” she said.
While the aldermen agreed with Plemmons-Jackson that a study should be done before next year, they did not take her advice on freezing the police wage scale at the four step level at this time.
Meanwhile, the new city budget also includes pay raises for salaried employees. The new base salary for each is as follows:
City Administrator: $61,500
Chief Financial Officer: $40,000
Police Chief: (OPEN POSITION): $58,000
Fire Chief: $43,500
Airport Manager: $39,000
The city has appropriated $45,000 toward payment to volunteer fire fighters. That’s about $10,000 more than last year. The city fire department plans to implement an incentive program to pay volunteers not only for fire calls but to reward them for doing extra duties.
The new city budget totals $8-million 111-thousand 623 dollars.
The property tax rate will remain the same at .6490 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Water and sewer rates will also be unchanged. City water customers will continue to pay $5.00 per thousand gallons of usage. Rates for customers outside the city limits are $7.50 per thousand gallons. City sewer customers will continue to pay $5.00 per thousand gallons plus the flat usage rate of $3.62.
The rate the city charges the DeKalb Utility District will remain at $2.67 per thousand gallons.
Capital outlay projects include:
*New sanitation truck and trash containers- $350,000
*New extrication “Jaws of Life” equipment ($25,000) and a new thermal imaging camera ($10,000) for the Fire Department.
*Police Car & Unspecified -$40,000
*New Animal Shelter- $75,000.That money will only be spent if the county appropriates $75,000 to match the cost of the project
*Airport: (Mostly funded by grants):
Lighting Rehabilitation- $325,000
Fuel Farm- $350,000
Taxiway land acquisition-$135,000
Taxiway Initial Design- $150,000
Digi-WX-$100,000
Upgrade existing MX hanger door-$100,000
Unspecified-$5,000
Land acquisition- $85,000
*Water service truck (water and sewer department)- $50,000
The city also plans to spend $200,000 from the State Street Aid budget to mill and repave the downtown square area and to replace any old worn out water and sewer lines in the process. An expenditure of about $30,000 to be appropriated from the water and sewer fund.
Total general fund revenues are projected to be $4,160,050, not enough to cover total estimated expenditures of $4,856,693. The city plans to appropriate $696,643 from the general fund surplus to balance the budget. The water and sewer fund is expected to show a surplus of $8,155 by year’s end with total revenues at $2,628,600 and expenditures of $2,620,445

The National Junior Beta Club presented former DeKalb West School student Callie Mulloy with the prestigious John W. Harris award Sunday (June 28) at the Beta Club’s national convention.
“I was scared,” Callie says of accepting the award in front of thousands of other students at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
Callie, who served as Vice President of the DWS club this past school year, was one of five students presented with Beta’s MVP leadership trophy.
“I am full of pride and thankfulness that Callie was chosen for this great honor,” said School Counselor and DWS Junior Beta sponsor Bill Conger. “I’ve had Callie in class since she was a Kindergarten student my first year at DeKalb West, and I’ve enjoyed watching her grow academically and mature over the years. The Beta Club made a perfect pick.”
“Her peers and adults alike admire Callie’s intelligence and loving spirit,” School Resource Officer Lewis Carrick wrote in a recommendation letter for Mulloy. “She is driven and strives at being the best for those around her. She stands out as a positive role model for the rest of the students.”
Callie’s academic record is outstanding, her character is beyond reproach, and her skills as a leader are superb. While being involved in other extracurricular activities like cheerleading, gymnastics, and softball, she has maintained straight A’s on her report card. She is a member of the gifted program. Callie says, “I always strive to go above my academic goals.”
Beyond her educational aspirations is her faith. “Whether I succeed or fail in my ambitions, there is always One I can go to for hope and inspiration; my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Her beliefs are underscored by the way she conducts her life. For example, instead of enjoying a well-deserved hour break for related arts and gym at the end of the day, Callie sacrificed her time to tutor her classmates. She longs to see them succeed and understand their subjects as she does.
Callie supported the administration early each morning when she and another Junior Beta student provided child care for PreK-1st grade students prior to school. “There is nothing so special as watching their smiles and laughter light up the room,” she said. “That simple little moment just reminds me of the good in the world.”
Callie has logged approximately 80 hours of service to the Junior Beta Club this year alone. She is always willing to do whatever is needed whether it’s picking up trash, tutoring, writing/drawing cards of appreciation, working with the food bank, and performing with the Drama Club at church. Her special calling is with the elderly at our community’s assisted learning center, Webb House. Callie is the kind who puts her heart and 100% effort into everything she does.

The Picking Friends band will be performing a free concert in downtown Smithville on Thursday, July 2nd. The music will begin at 7:00 PM on the open-air stage located at the Joe L. and Ann S. Evins Park, across from the Smithville Post Office and Justin Potter Library. Picking Friends is a 5-member band comprised of talented musicians who love to perform a mix of traditional and gospel bluegrass. Band members Brian Anderson and Glenn Carpenter are from Watertown, TN and Shawn Frick, John Mason, and Glenn Moats are from Lebanon, TN. Picking Friends has performed all across the middle Tennessee area and into Virginia.
In addition, Smithville Sugar Squares and DeKalb Dancin’ Delights dance teams will also be performing that night. Smithville Sugar Squares dancers include Tess Barton, Katherine Gassaway, Kathryn Hale, Emma Jennings, Madelyn Johnson, Summer Morse, Elizabeth Seber, and Lillie Grace Young, DeKalb Dancin’ Delights dancers are Ellie Cripps, Annabella Dakas, Kaitlin Hutchins, Kristen Hutchins, Katherine Knowles, Preston Summers, Sadie West, and Shelby West. Their teacher is Mary Ann Puckett.
So, bring your own lawn chair and enjoy a fun evening of music and dancing! The perfect way to get in the Jamboree mood!
Pictured l-r:
Brian Anderson, Glenn Carpenter, Shawn Frick, John Mason, Glenn Moats

The Smithville Police Department and other law enforcement agencies will be hosting a child seat installation on Tuesday, June 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Smithville Wal Mart location. Officers will inspect and properly install child restraints and answer questions on proper child restraint methods.
“In a lot of cases we find that child restraints are not properly installed. We are currently in the process of training child restraint technicians within the Smithville Police Department. I encourage everyone that wants to have their child seat checked out, to come out and see us. This is a free service of the Smithville Police Department,” said Captain Steven Leffew