A Slow Poke Law went into effect in Tennessee on July 1.
It is designed to keep someone from “camping out” in the fast lane of a highway with three or more lanes.
The law says the fast lane – the one on the far left – is to be used only for overtaking and passing another vehicle.
Those found in violation of the new law are subject to paying a $50 fine.
Bill Summary
This bill prohibits a person from operating a vehicle in the passing lane on an interstate or multilane divided highway that has three or more lanes in each direction, except when overtaking or passing a vehicle that is in a non-passing lane. A violation will be a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine only of $50.00.
The Slow Poke Law will not apply:
(1) When the volume of traffic does not permit the vehicle to safely merge into a non-passing lane;
(2) When inclement weather or an official traffic control device makes it necessary to drive in the passing lane;
(3) When obstructions or hazards exist in a non-passing lane;
(4) When avoiding traffic moving onto the highway from an acceleration or merging lane;
(5) When highway design makes it necessary to drive in the passing lane to exit or turn left;
(6) To authorized emergency vehicles engaged in official duties; or
(7) To vehicles engaged in highway maintenance and construction operations.

A Watertown man was airlifted after a motorcycle crash Saturday on Highway 70 between Dowelltown and Liberty.
According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 50 year old Billy Mark Judkins was riding a 2002 Victory motorcycle heading east when he failed to negotiate a curve, went off the left side of the highway, and struck an embankment.
Judkins was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb West School where he was airlifted by a helicopter ambulance.
Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Liberty Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, and Constable Mark Milam were also on the scene.

The 5th annual Earl Judkins Golf Classic will be held Saturday, July 30 at Smithville Golf Course to raise money for 4 year old Karly Campbell who was diagnosed with leukemia in February. She is the daughter of Alex and Marly Campbell of Smithville.
The event is hosted by the Cantrell Cancer Benefit Foundation and all proceeds will go directly to benefit Karly and her family. “Karly was diagnosed this year but is on the up and up from what her parents tell us but that doesn’t mean she is done with treatment. She is still going to be going through some pretty rigorous tests just to make sure she is in the clear so we want to help her out as much as we can,” said Caroline Cantrell.
The golf classic began five years ago to help families who have been affected by cancer. “We are looking to serve families who have been affected by cancer. Cancer has hit our family a couple of times pretty hard. We know how hard it is to struggle and we want to just help those families,” said Tyler Cantrell.
Those wishing to be served must first apply. A committee then reviews the applications and selects a recipient each year. The man for whom the classic is named, the late Earl Judkins, was an avid golfer and a cancer patient.
“Our family was affected by cancer five years ago with my sister the late Amy Miller so we know how hard it is for families. My great uncle Earl Judkins, the man for whom the classic is named passed away several years ago from colon cancer,” said Tyler.
Previous recipients of the benefit golf classic were Amy Miller, Chrissy Means, Gracie Dezarn, and Edith Johnson McReynolds.
This Golf Classic begins with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. The entry fee is $60 for an individual golfer or $240 for a team of four. (Includes 18 holes with cart and meal-mulligans can be bought prior to the shotgun start). Lunch will be provided. Door prizes and a raffle will be available but no cash prizes.
“We’re looking for any golfer. It doesn’t matter if you are a scratch golfer or a soon to be pro. Its a four man team. You can bring your own team but if you don’t have a team we can put you with anybody. We are just looking to benefit this little girl and her family,” said Tyler.
The entry deadline is Friday, July 15. The format is a 4-person A,B,C,D, Scramble/Own Team-Best Ball. For more information contact Tyler Cantrell at tcantrell@cosma.com. Like them on Facebook at Cantrell Cancer Benefit Foundation or Phone 1-931-239-5948 or contact the Smithville Golf Course to sign up at 615-597-6648. Donations may be made to the Cantrell Cancer Benefit Foundation. Mail to 625 Foster Road, Smithville, TN 37166 or bring them by Center Hill Cross Fit.
Meanwhile, a Cross Fit competition will be held the weekend before the golf classic which will also serve as a benefit for Karly. Call or email to get more information.

Danny Fish has been named the new DCHS girls softball coach.
Fish, who has served as an assistant to former head coach Danny Bond for the last four years, will be moving from Northside Elementary School, where he taught physical education to DCHS where he will also be a P.E. teacher.
“I am excited to be blessed with the opportunity to follow Coach Bond as the head coach of the Tigerettes. I am thankful to DCHS Principal Kathy Bryant and Director of Schools Patrick Cripps for believing in me and my vision for the future of the program. We will continue the same values, work ethic, and competitiveness that has been put forth by other Tigerette teams. We will consistently compete in the classroom and on the field. My family and I are excited and cannot wait to get started. I want to thank everyone that has helped me get to this point in my career,” Coach Fish told WJLE.
Fish was born and raised in DeKalb County and he graduated from DCHS in 1996. During his high school years, Fish played both basketball and baseball. Fish furthered his education at Motlow State Community College from 1996-98 where he received a baseball scholarship. From there, Fish received a scholarship to play baseball for two years from 1998-2000 at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tennessee, an NAIA school, and he earned “All Conference” and “All Region” honors both years. It was also at Tennessee Wesleyan where Fish got his first coaching experience in 2001. “After my time there as a student, I was offered a staff position as an assistant softball coach under TWC Hall of Famer, Jeff Rice. During my one year tenure there as an assistant, I was in charge of the outfielders, hitters, and Head JV coach. During that season, the team was able to complete an incredible run that ended when we won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship,” said Coach Fish.
Maryville College came calling for Fish in 2002 and he accepted the positions of head softball coach and assistant women’s basketball coach. “At that time I was the youngest head coach in NCAA Division III. During my first season we won a Great South Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship and made it into the NCAA Division III Top 25. At Maryville College I was fortunate enough to be a part of 8 Great South Athletic Conference Championships and competed in 4 NCAA Division III National Tournament events as a coach. Our staff also guided the Lady Scots to the 2007 NCAA Division III National Tournament,” he continued. While at Maryville, Coach Fish compiled a record of 159-115 and 80-30 in GSAC play. He was also a three-time GSAC Coach of the Year in 2004, 2007, and 2009 with five regular season titles.
In 2009 Coach Fish left Maryville for Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky where he was named head softball coach. “In my first year I took the program to unmatched heights by winning the 2010 Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament and we made it to the 2010 NAIA World Series. During my time at Union, I coached 2 Conference Players of the Year, 9 All Conference Players, 8 All Academic Team members and was awarded the 2012 Champions of Character for the most service work in the conference. At Union I was also given an opportunity to be the Director of Game Management which manages all home events,” he said.
Coach Fish returned to DeKalb County in 2012 and was employed by the local school system as a substitute teacher. He also became assistant high school softball coach. The following year Fish was hired as a physical education teacher at Northside Elementary School.
Fish earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Tennessee Wesleyan College in 2000 and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Union College in 2012.
Fish and his wife Nicole have two children, 8 year old Devin and 2 year old Karah.

Since her passing last week, tributes from throughout the nation have been paid to Pat Summitt, the legendary former Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach
Summitt served as the head coach of the Lady Vols from 1974 to 2012, before retiring at age 59 because of a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She died last Tuesday at the age of 64.
During her years at Tennessee, Coach Summitt won 1,098 games, the most in Division I history, and eight national titles with the Lady Vols.
Mary Ann Puckett, a DCHS basketball star from 1989-93, has her own special remembrances of Coach Summitt.
Because of her success on the court at DCHS and in AAU basketball, Puckett was sought after by several coaches from various colleges and universities during her high school years, including Coach Summitt who came to see Puckett for an in home visit during the fall of 1992. Though it was not her first encounter with the legendary coach, having previously seen her during AAU tournaments, Puckett told WJLE that the moment was still quite special.
“I got to meet her in my living room. That was pretty surreal and very special. That was a really cool time in my life and I remembered that when she passed away last week. It was during the fall of my junior year. When college coaches who were recruiting me were taking home visits we would schedule them to come in and actually visit with my family and for us get to know a little bit more about their programs. My mom would fix food for the coaches when they would come. It wouldn’t always be a full meal. We would usually have some fresh fried okra that she (mom) would put up from the summer. She (mom) would fry them some okra and give them some cornbread or something just to be a good host. I took in eleven home visits that year which was kind of unheard of. I just had a hard time saying no to the coaches who wanted to visit. Most people (athletes) would take in their top three or four people (coaches) for a home visit but I took in eleven. I don’t remember them all now but I know I had Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, and several small schools come in. But to have Pat Summitt knock on the door of your house is a pretty cool thing. She was definitely the highest profile coach I had come in and her assistant Mickie DeMoss came with her. She was sitting in the living room visiting with us. My mom remembers her talking about when Tyler (Summitt’s son) was born. He was two years old at the time. She (mom) remembers her (Summitt) saying that she had gotten soft since she had her son. But I’m not sure she was ever really soft. If she was that was really a relative term,” Puckett told WJLE.
“She (Coach Summitt) came in that evening and talked about how she only recruited two people for each position that she needed to fill. I knew she had a post position open that year and I think she had two guard positions open. She had two people she wanted to fill those spots and she would make an offer to her first choice and if her first choice didn’t take it, her second choice would. At that time I was second choice to Abby Conklin from Indiana. She (Summitt) had not yet heard from Abby as far as a firm commitment. She (Summitt) told me if she (Conklin) didn’t accept the position she would like for me to accept it. I told her I was honored to be her second choice. I didn’t tell her at that point that I was leaning toward Duke but I already was before the home visits even started. While I didn’t get a formal offer from Coach Summitt, it was enough for her to come and visit to say that I was second in line. But Abby (Conklin) did take the position that year and during the time, had I been there (Tennessee), had I been a player on her team, I would have been on a team that went on to win two or three national championships,” said Puckett.
Having played in AAU tournaments, Puckett said she got the attention of several colleges during that time including Tennessee.“ I was getting recruiting letters from Tennessee probably beginning in eighth grade, a product of playing on an AAU team that was nationally successful. We always went to the nationals and the lowest we finished was in fifth place in the nation. That’s how you got exposure was to be on a successful team. AAU Nationals was what sent me to college with a basketball scholarship,” said Puckett.
It was during her AAU playing days that she first met Coach Summitt. “I had known her off and on through seeing her at AAU tournaments and she was friends with my AAU coach Lynn Burkey, who was the coach of the girls team at Oak Ridge. I was playing for Coach Burkey who was friends with Pat Summit and she would be around our tournaments saying hello to us. For one or two summers I played basketball with her (Summitt’s) niece Tracey Head and Pat would come and watch us play at the tournaments and visit with us a little bit there,” she said.
Although she went on to play for Duke, Puckett said she highly respected Coach Summitt and was honored by her in home visit. “She was the quintessential womens basketball coach. She had a lot to do with putting womens basketball on the map. Coach Summitt inspired so many young girls. She seemed down to earth. She was a real hard working woman and commanded a natural respect from everybody around her yet she was so personable, friendly, and available to everybody,” Puckett concluded.

A local EMS employee was recognized for his years of service Thursday by his boss and co workers.
Richard “Dick” Kinsey is retiring.
Kinsey has worked for the DeKalb EMS operation, mostly in a part time role as an Advanced EMT since 2002.
Director Hoyte Hale presented Kinsey a plaque which reads:
“In appreciation
Richard “Dick” Kinsey
AEMT
The DeKalb County Ambulance Service would like to thank you for your unselfish service to the ambulance service and all the persons you have responded to throughout your many years. If we were to do a review of your many years of service to our organization we would find the true spirit of dedication to our service. Have a prosperous and happy retirement.
2016
DeKalb Ambulance Service”
“I wish I had more employees like him. He was very dedicated and dependable and was always willing to come to work, even when called at the last minute if needed,” said EMS Director Hale.
Kinsey also worked for Dura Automotive Systems in Gordonsville prior to his retirement there.

Parents working on checklists to get their children ready for the start of school have an important health item to include: required immunizations.
All children enrolling in Tennessee schools for the first time, as well as those going into the seventh grade, must provide an official Tennessee Immunization Certificate before classes start
The certificate must be signed by a qualified healthcare provider or verified by the state’s immunization information system.
All students entering seventh grade are required to have proof they have had two doses of the chickenpox vaccine, or a history of the illness, and a booster shot for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis or whooping cough, commonly known as Tdap, to protect them through their teens. Another required immunization is for measles, mumps and rubella, also known as MMR.
In addition, pediatricians recommend preteens get their first of three doses of a vaccine to help prevent cancers caused by the human papillomavirus, as well as their first dose of meningitis vaccine.
Although HPV and meningitis vaccines are not required for preteens, they are recommended to be given at the same time as the required Tdap booster and any other vaccine a child may need.
Incoming college students in Tennessee public colleges who will reside in campus housing must provide proof of immunization against meningococcal meningitis after age 16.
Medical or religious exemptions may apply for families not wishing to have their children immunized, but proper documentation is required.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, immunizations required for school are available from most healthcare providers across the state, including county health departments. Children younger than 19 may be eligible for free vaccines if they have no insurance, are enrolled in TennCare, have private insurance that does not cover vaccines or are American Indian or Alaska native.
Most insurance plans, including TennCare, fully cover recommended and state-required childhood vaccines, as well as the cost of annual well child examinations through the age of 21. Insured children are encouraged to visit their primary healthcare provider or other provider who can administer vaccines and bill insurance for any services they might need. TDH strongly recommends a visit to the child’s primary care provider so the child can have an annual well child physical exam at the same time. Annual wellness visits are important to keep children healthy through all the changes of the pre-teen and teenage years, but many don’t get these important preventive health services.
Local health departments have vaccines available for all uninsured children, those whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines, and any child who has difficulty getting in to see a healthcare provider to get a required vaccine. Local health departments can issue immunization certificates and transcribe immunization records for any child if the family isn’t able to get a certificate from their healthcare provider for any reason.
The complete list of Tennessee Child Care and School Immunization requirements is available on the TDH website at: http://health.state.tn.us/TWIS/requirements.htm. Questions about school policies on when or how immunization certificates must be provided should be directed to local schools.

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced today that the department intends to award Questar, a national leader in large-scale assessment, a contract to develop and administer Tennessee’s annual state assessments for the 2016-17 school year.
In addition, McQueen announced that Tennessee will phase in online administration over multiple years to ensure state, district, and vendor technology readiness. For the upcoming school year, the state assessment for grades 3–8 will be administered via paper and pencil. However, the department will work closely with Questar to provide an online option for high school End of Course exams if both schools and the testing platform demonstrate early proof of successful online administration. Even if schools demonstrate readiness for online administration, districts will still have the option to choose paper and pencil assessments for their high school students.
Questar will develop and administer the 2016-17 assessments as part of the state’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Similar to the design of the 2015-16 assessments, next year’s tests will continue to feature multiple types of questions that measure the depth of our state academic standards, specifically students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills. The department also plans to reduce and streamline state tests and will communicate additional specifics in the comings weeks.
“Students, teachers, and parents deserve a better testing experience in Tennessee, and we believe today’s announcement is another step in the right direction,” Commissioner McQueen said. “We are excited to move forward in partnership with Tennessee teachers, schools, and districts to measure student learning in a meaningful way and reset the conversation around assessment. Educators across the state have shared how having an assessment aligned to what students are learning every day has improved their instruction. It’s also critical that we continue to look for ways to streamline and reduce testing in our state.”
Questar currently develops and administers large-scale annual assessments for other states, including Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and New York. Questar has partnered with Indiana on End of Course exams for 14 years and with Missouri for five years. The department issued the official letter of intent to Questar today. Pursuant to state contract procedures, after a minimum seven-day period, the contract will be finalized and fully executed.
During the vendor selection process, the department surveyed industry leaders in large-scale assessments, vetting vendors that have successfully developed and administered large-scale assessments across the country. After researching multiple vendors, the department determined that Questar has a proven track record of excellence in statewide testing, administering large-scale assessments via paper and online, and developing a high quality test quickly, which makes it particularly well suited for Tennessee at this crucial time. This past school year, Questar administered the New York grade 3–8 assessments to more than 1.3 million students. In 2015, Questar also developed the Mississippi annual assessment on a timeline similar to Tennessee’s.
“Questar has recent experience developing a large-scale test thoughtfully and urgently,” Commissioner McQueen said. “We believe it is the right partner to collaborate with as we continue to develop assessments that are meaningful and measure what our students truly know and understand.”
Questar was also recently named as the state’s vendor for an optional second-grade assessment. This assessment will replace the state’s previously administered optional K–2 (SAT-10) assessment.
More information about next year’s test will be available after the department finalizes the remaining details with Questar. After the contract is executed, the department will share final details about the structure for next year’s state assessments, including administration time and dates.
Following that, the department will work with Questar to refine and finalize the assessment blueprints, which outline the number of questions devoted to various groups of standards. Those will be released later this summer. Additional resources, including sample test questions and resources that will help educators, parents, and students to become more familiar with the assessment, will be available this fall.

As of last Monday, the DeKalb County Trustee’s Office had collected 96.46% of the $8.5 million in 2015 county property taxes to be collected for the year. That includes property, residential commercial, personal, and public utility taxes.
“We are at 96.46% collected for 2015 taxes and that is out of $8.5 million to collect. We’re a little over $300,000 still to be collected but close to 97% in June is very good for the county. Some of you always ask about the year before and where we’re at is 95.94% on this day in 2015. We gained from more assessment money coming in during 2015 plus the tax rate increase,” said Trustee Sean Driver in addressing the county commission Monday, June 27.
The county’s tax base for 2015 expanded to $8,578,328, an increase of $835,000 over the previous year’s tax base of $7.7 million dollars.

A prisoner at the DeKalb County Jail has been charged with two counts of vandalism for trying to disable surveillance cameras inside the cells.
31 year old Michael Brandon Redmon of Holcomb Road, McMinnville is under a $5,000 bond and he will be in court on July 21. In the first incident on Friday, July 1 at 9:50 p.m. Redmon was observed by video surveillance climbing on a sink and door inside his jail cell and then hitting the camera with his fist causing damage to the camera. In the second case, Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Sunday, July 3 at around 5:55 p.m. Redmon was observed in the jail’s day use area cell hitting another camera with a broom causing damage to that camera.
27 year old Christopher Allen Summers of Dale Ridge Road, Dowelltown is charged with driving under the influence. He was further cited for violation of implied consent, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving on a suspended license. His bond is $1,500 and he will make a court appearance on July 21. Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, June 29 a deputy was called to a private property hit and run accident on Lower Helton Road involving a white Chevrolet Impala. While enroute, the officer spotted the car traveling south on Dale Ridge Road. The deputy turned around and caught up with the car which had he found setting on Dale Ridge Road. The cars amber parking lights were on and Summers was sitting in the driver side seat. According to the officer, Summers’ eyes were bloodshot. He was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred. Summers also was very belligerent and he refused to submit to field sobriety tasks.
31 year old Joshua Lynn McCowan of Miller Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property under $500. His bond is $2,500 and his court date is July 21. Sheriff Ray said that on May 10, McCowan allegedly took a blank check belonging to a woman on Potts Camp Road. McCowan then allegedly passed the check in the amount of $250.
25 year old Brandon Thomas Bates of Hannah Branch Road, Liberty is charged with criminal impersonation. His bond is $3,500 and his court date is July 14. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, July 3 a deputy responded to Redmon Road to locate a missing juvenile. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to Bates who identified himself as Dustin Warner and said he owned the property at 202 Redmon Road. But the deputy, who knows Warner, was aware that Bates was lying to him.
22 year old Kevin Michael Kijanski of Oak Drive, Dowelltown is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is July 14. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, July 3 a deputy received a call about a man who was passed out in the driver seat of a vehicle behind DeKalb Market on Highway 70 west. Upon arrival, the officer observed a jeep parked behind the store with its head lights on. Kijanski was also at the vehicle. He had a strong odor of alcohol on his person. Kijanski submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. His eyes were bloodshot and he was unsteady on his feet. Kijanski admitted to having consumed alcohol earlier in the evening.