News
DWS Announces March Students and Teachers of the Month
April 11, 2025
By: Bill Conger
DeKalb West School has announced the Students of the Month for March. Named to the honor were Bryce Grisham, PreK; Madilynn Tipton, Kindergarten; Landon Fuson, 1st grade; Madeline Hamlet, 2nd grade; Tristen Lynn, 3rd grade; Marley Pyburn, 4th grade; Kalynn Lattimore, 5th grade; Bradi Turney, 6th grade; Alivia Deyoung, 7th grade; Mia Hall, 8th grade.
Two teachers of the month were chosen for March. Principal Sabrina Farler and Assistant Principal Cindy Snow presented the certificates to longtime 5th grade teacher Jeanna Caplinger and one of the school’s newest additions, music teacher Hannah Bratton.
Its Now Official! Chris Tatrow Denied Parole in 1995 DeKalb County First Degree Murder Case
April 11, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
It’s now official!
57-year-old Chris Tatrow will spend another three years in prison.
“After independently reviewing Chris Tatrow’s parole case following his review hearing held at Northwest Correctional Complex on April 8, 2025, the Board of Parole’s final decision was to decline parole due to the seriousness of the offense. His parole case will now be reviewed again in three years (April 2028). To improve chances of parole at his next hearing, the Board recommended Mr. Tatrow maintains positive institutional behavior and complete programming as recommended by his Strong R assessment,” said Dustin Krugel, Communications Officer for the Tennessee Board of Parole in a statement to WJLE Friday morning, April 11.
“Four concurring Board member votes were needed to reach a final decision. In this particular case, after independently reviewing and voting on this case, the Board eventually adopted Board member Gary Faulcon’s recommendation following the April 8 hearing,” said Krugel.
“The Board decides whether to grant or deny parole on a case-by-case basis by evaluating each inmate across a list of many different standards and criteria, including seriousness of the offense, time served, a risk/needs assessment, the offender’s institutional record, victim input, and the statements of the offender and other interested parties,” he added.
Tatrow is serving a life sentence for first degree murder in the 1995 DeKalb County murders of 26-year-old John Harry and 18-year-old Roger Zammit. He is incarcerated at the Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX) in Lake County at Tiptonville, Tennessee.
(Click the link below to read details about the Chris Tatrow case in this 1998 Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ruling)
DeKalb Tennis Sweeps Opponents for the Week
April 11, 2025
By: Brian Cadle
The DCHS tennis teams ended a week of away matches with sweeps over Smyrna and Upperman. The victory over Upperman was a district win, as both DeKalb teams are vying for a spot in the end-of-season district team tournament. The tournament begins April 24th and includes the top four teams with the most regular-season wins. With six matches remaining until the tournament, five are against district opponents, including Cookeville, Livingston, Cumberland County, Stone Memorial, and Warren County.
The boys’ team had three starters, Lance Duke, Ethan Brown, and Cameron Ramsey, absent from the team for an FBLA state conference for Tuesday’s Smyrna match. Sophomore Boston Cantrell and freshman Zane Starkey achieved their first-ever varsity victories. Starkey teamed with senior Luke Midgett in doubles, winning his #5 singles match. Cantrell earned the win in #4 singles. Head Coach Brian Cadle was proud of his younger players stepping up. “Bos and Zane represent the future of our program as we are losing three seniors after this season. It was exciting to see them gain invaluable experience and also lead our team to a road victory.”
Abby Joe Crook led the girls’ team this week with an undefeated 4-0 record in her singles and double matches. Kayce Hale, Crook’s doubles partner, went 3-1 for the week, with her only loss coming in singles against Upperman. Charlotte Paladino, the lone senior on the team, went 3-1 for the week, capped by two wins against Upperman on Thursday. Crook, a junior, and Hale, a sophomore, have been integral to helping the Lady Tigers achieve a four-match winning streak. “Abby Joe has shown tremendous growth in her mental game this season. She can now move past a bad shot or lost point during a match, which helps her focus forward thinking to winning.” Hale has emerged as a consistent contributor to the varsity team after beginning her playing career in the fall of 2023. “Kayce is a young lady who simply loves the game of tennis. She is an outstanding student and person who has committed hours upon hours of practice. I know that Kayce comes out to the courts with her parents at all hours to work on her game. She does not miss an opportunity to play tennis. Her dedication is paying off for her and our program.”
The Lady Tigers are now 7-3 in the season, and the Tigers have moved to 8-2. DeKalb travels to Cookeville High School on Monday to play two district matches against CHS and Livingston Academy.
