Memorial Service Held for Victim of Christmas Eve Fire

January 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A memorial service was held Sunday for a man who perished in a fire Christmas eve in the Blue Springs Community.

The funeral for 36 year old Garrett Randell Duggin of McMinnville took place at the Chapel of High’s Funeral Home in McMinnville.

Duggin was apparently staying in an outbuilding on Talley Road when it caught fire on the night of Christmas eve and spread to a house six feet away belonging to another individual.

DeKalb 911 received a call of a structure fire and dispatched members of the DeKalb County Fire Department at 9:15 p.m. Although county firefighters were on the scene within five minutes the outbuilding, already fully involved in flames, had collapsed. Fire crews were able to bring the blaze under control but the adjacent residence was extensively damaged.

Members of the Short Mountain Highway, Main Station, Blue Springs, and Belk stations responded along with DeKalb EMS and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

After human remains were found in the rubble, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was notified and joined the Sheriff’s Department in the probe.

The cause of the fire is undetermined.

A welder at Smithport Cabinetry and member of the Baptist church, Duggin was the son of Gary Duggin and Melissa Bunch. He was married to Shanna Duggin of McMinnville, TN on October 16, 2001. He was preceded in death by grandmother, Ann Thomas; great-grandmother, Virginia Farless; paternal grandfather, Richard “Jack” Duggin; great-aunt, Lola Weir; and brother-in-law, Manuel Madewell, Jr.

In addition to wife and parents, he is survived by three children, Savanna, Sadie, and Garryn Duggin; step-father, Tim Bunch; step-mother, Rhonda Duggin; two sisters, Candace Long and Icie Boyd; two brothers, Justin Duggin and Colby Duggin; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Sandra and Manuel Madewell, Sr.; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Sandra and Michael Phillips; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Chris and Christie Madewell; brother-in-law, Jason Dwayne Madewell; niece and nephews, Kloee and Maverick Long and Aubree Boyd; several other nieces and nephews also survive.

January 3, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Silver Point man will be making a court appearance in February for being where he wasn’t supposed to be on Christmas Day.

67 year old Matthew Edwin Riihimaa of Captains Point Road, Silver Point is charged with 2 counts of bond condition violations and one count of violating an order of protection.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on December 25 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Captain’s Point Road due to an unwanted person complaint. Upon arrival the officer found Riihimaa there along with the woman who has a court order of protection against him. Under the order and bond conditions, Riihimaa is supposed to keep away from this woman. A records check revealed the Riihimaa was also on bond from a previous charge of violating an order of protection due to a domestic assault on November 27. His bond totals $70,000 and he will be in court February 18.

49 year old Scottie Wayne Blalock of Lee Braswell Road, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court January 28.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 27 a deputy was dispatched to the emergency room of the hospital due to a possible domestic incident which occurred at a home on Lee Braswell Road. Upon arrival the officer spoke to a woman who said that she and her boyfriend, Blalock got into an argument and that he punched her in the mouth causing her lip to bleed and stomped on her ankle causing it to swell.

47 year old Shawn Edward Soales of Blue Springs Road, Smithville is charged with a second offense of driving on a suspended license. His court date is January 21.

Sheriff Ray said on December 17 a detective pulled over a green Toyota Camry for a light law violation ( rear taillights not functioning properly). Soales, the driver, did not have a valid license. His license was suspended for failure to appear in Alabama with an action date of January 9, 2012. Soales also committed the same offense and was cited on April 25 2019 in DeKalb County.

41 year old Josh Wayne Gaw of Maxwell Street, Baxter is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,500 and his court date January 28.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 18 a deputy was dispatched to a domestic complaint on Smithville Highway. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a woman who said she and her former boyfriend, Gaw were coming home from Baxter when he slapped her and began pulling her hair. She had a red mark on the left side of her face. Gaw was determined to have been the primary aggressor.

44 year old Kevin Mansfield Curtis of White Bluff is charged with 2 counts of sale and delivery of a schedule II drug and is under a $60,000 bond. He was indicted by the grand jury for these offenses on November 24, 2014.

January 3, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS basketball teams went to Jamestown Saturday on a mission to slay the dragons but fell short losing to York Institute 51 to 45 in the girls game and 66 to 52 in the boys contest.

The Lady Tigers are 3-5 overall and still looking for their first district win of the season while the Tigers are 3-4 and 1-2 in district play. The Dragonettes improve to 7-3 (2-1) while the Dragons are 5-4 (2-0).

(Click link below to hear WJLE’s Tiger Talk program)

https://www.wjle.com/tiger-talk-january-2/

In the girls game, the Lady Tigers trailed 13 to 7 after the 1st period, 28 to 13 at halftime, and 36 to 23 after the 3rd period before losing 51 to 45.

Kadee Ferrell scored 15, Ella VanVranken 14, Madison Martin 10, Cadee Griffith 4, and Megan Cantrell 2.

In the boys game, the Tigers found themselves down 8 to 4 after the 1st period, 30 to 25 at halftime, and 52 to 41 after the 3rd period and went on to fall 66 to 52.

Evan Jones scored 13, Brayden Antoniak 10, Jordan Young and Stetson Agee each with 9. Elishah Ramos 5, and Luke Jenkins, Robert Wheeler, and Aiden Curtis each with 2.

DeKalb County will host Warren County Tuesday night, January 5 in Smithville starting with the girls game at 6 p.m. and then the boys game. WJLE plans LIVE coverage.

With only a few exceptions, no public attendance is permitted at high school athletic events until at least January 19 in accordance with Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order #70. The only attendees permitted at high school athletic practices or games, in addition to the student-athletes on the team, are:

1.Players’ parents or guardians and immediate household members;
2.First Responders;
3.Coaching and team personnel;
4.School, game, and facility administrators;
5.Athletics officials; and
6.Media and athletic scouting personnel attending the event in their professional capacity.

Social distancing between persons from different households is required. While the Executive Order does not mandate the use of masks, the Governor has encouraged masks, and the TSSAA COVID-19 Sports Regulations provision regarding the use of masks remains.

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