DeKalb School District Reports Decline In COVID Cases Last Week But an Increase in Number Quarantined

September 5, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The number of positive cases of COVID in the DeKalb County School District dropped by 21 from Monday, August 30 to Friday, September 3 but the number of those quarantined went up by 19.

According to Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder, the DeKalb School District reported 113 positive cases on Monday, August 30 with DCHS having the most at 69 followed by DeKalb Middle School 22, Northside Elementary 11, Smithville Elementary School 6 and DeKalb West School with 5 cases. By Friday, September 3 the number of positive cases district wide had dropped to 92 with DCHS having 57 followed by DeKalb Middle School 18, Northside Elementary 11, Smithville Elementary 4, and DeKalb West School with 2.

The number of those quarantined district-wide was at 252 on Monday, August 30. DCHS had the most quarantined at 89, followed by Northside Elementary and Smithville Elementary each with 47, DeKalb West School 40, and DeKalb Middle School with 29. By Friday, September 3, the number of quarantined district-wide had increased to 271 with DCHS again having the most at 85 followed by DeKalb Middle School 54, Northside Elementary School 51, Smithville Elementary 47, and DeKalb West School 34.

The district reported 27 absences among the staff on Friday, September 3 due to positive cases or quarantine. DCHS had the most at 8 followed by Northside Elementary 7, DeKalb Middle School and DeKalb West School each with 4, the Transportation Department 3, and Smithville Elementary School with 1 case.

According to Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, the schools are basically relying on parents to report cases of COVID.

“We are not checking temperatures at the door and we don’t get reports from the medical profession saying someone has COVID. We rely on parents to call and tell us. Once we have a positive case we send letters home and a remind app to notify parents that their child is in a classroom where there has been a positive COVID student with possible exposures. We tell the parents that they have the option to quarantine their child and we advise them to please look for signs and symptoms. If the child shows signs, we ask the parents to keep the child home for a few days. Because of the number of students, we are unable to contact trace,” said Director Cripps.

Although remote learning is not an option, students at home can keep up with their homework from packets sent home to them or via Google Classroom.

COVID remains a concern in DeKalb County

According to the Tennessee Department Health, DeKalb County had 346 active COVID 19 cases Friday, September 3. Thirty four new cases were recorded in DeKalb County on Friday alone.

At last report a total of 7,849 people (38.3%) have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine and 6,437 (31.4%) are fully vaccinated in DeKalb County.

There have been 59 deaths in DeKalb County since the pandemic began in March 2020 and 98 have been hospitalized.

Over the last seven days, (August 27 – September 2) DeKalb County had a case count of 242 for a daily case rate of 168.7 per 100,000 residents.

For the most recent 14 days, (August 20- September 2) DeKalb County’s case count was 415 for a daily case rate of 144.7 per 100,000 residents.

For the 14 days prior (August 6 to August 19), the case count was 178 for a daily case rate of 62.1 per 100, 000 residents.

From March 5, 2020 to September 2, 2021, DeKalb County has had a total of 3,535 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 for a daily case rate of 31.6 per 100,000 residents.

Over the last 7 days the average percent positive was 31.8 %.

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) wants to remind Tennesseans that COVID-19 vaccines are the best defense in preventing the continued spread of the virus. Vaccination rates across the state have increased over the last month as the state experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant.

Individuals seeking more information on the COVID-19 vaccines can visit covid19.tn.gov or www.vaccines.gov to schedule an appointment with a local vaccine provider.

September 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Fiddle Dee Dee on Broad again presents Fiddle Dee Dee on Broad Gospel Hour Sunday night, September 5 from 5-6 p.m. on WJLE.

The program airs once a month, on the first Sunday night of each month, from 5-6 p.m. featuring recorded local talent performing gospel music.

Sunday night’s program will showcase the music of 4 the Lord and the Singing Believers.

Tune in the first Sunday night of each month for the Fiddle Dee Dee on Broad Gospel Hour from 5-6 p.m. on WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7.

WJLE is proud of our partner sponsors of religious programs each week and hopes you will tune in often and let them know you listen.

*7:00 a.m. Saturdays: Amazing Facts: A 15 minute program featuring Joe Crews presented by the Smithville Seventh Day Adventist Church.

•Got A Minute?: 60 second message presented by the Smithville Church of Christ with Dan Gulley-Twice a day Monday-Friday each week (various times morning and around noon).

•Cross Connection sponsored by the Upper Helton Baptist Church featuring Jimmy Arms: Monday-Friday at 11:55 a.m. each week.

•Morning Devotion: A 5 minute daily devotional by a different minister each week Monday-Saturday at 7:25 a.m.

The following are weekly sponsored Sunday programs:

•7:30 a.m.: Royce Moore of the New West Point Freewill Baptist Church (The Way of Life Ministry)

•8:00 a.m. Elders Joseph and Ricky Arnold for the New Bildad and Mount View Primitive Baptist Churches (The Firm Foundation)

•8:30 a.m. Outreach Baptist Church with Nathan Thomason (The Outreach Pulpit)

•9:00 a.m. The Keltonburg Missionary Baptist Church (Only Through the Blood)

•9:30 a.m. LOCAL NEWS

•9:35 a.m. Trent Colwell of the Smithville Church of the Nazarene (The Living Word)

*10:00 a.m. Jason Wheeley with the Old Fashion Missionary Baptist Broadcast

•10:30 a.m. Bobby Thomason of the Covenant Baptist Church (Fountain of Faith Ministries)

•11:00 a.m. Worship Services from either the Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian (Isaac Gray) or Smithville First United Methodist (David Lunsford) Churches

•12:00 NOON: LOCAL NEWS

*12:30 p.m.: House of Prayer with Zachariah Murphy

*1:00 p.m.: Truth that Transforms with Aaron Wright

•1:30 p.m. The Preaching Ministry of Toy Lawson of the People’s Pentecostal Church

•2:30 p.m. Billy Hale of the Christ Pentecostal Church of Brush Creek (The King is Coming)

•3:00 p.m. Prophet James Ferrell of the Church of Jesus Christ (The Word of the Lord)

•4:00 p.m. LOCAL NEWS

•4:15 p.m. Royce Curtis of the People’s Missionary Baptist Church

•5:00 p.m. Fiddle Dee Dee on Broad Gospel Hour (1st Sunday)

•6:05 p.m. Gospel music sponsored by Cantrell’s Furniture and Appliances

•9:05 p.m. LOCAL NEWS
Listen each week on WJLE AM 1480 and WJLE FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com.

September 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School has begun a monthly observance to recognize a teacher, student, and parent or guardian of the month and the first recipients were honored Friday morning.

Each received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal from Kilgore’s restaurant. A different restaurant will be offering a meal gift card to each month’s honorees.

DCHS 9th grade English teacher Sonja House was selected as Teacher of the Month while Senior Ellie Webb is Student of the Month, voted on by the teachers, faculty, and staff.

“I am shocked. I am blown away and beyond humbled and appreciative,” said House, who has been doing double duty recently teaching her classes and others in the absence of staff members who teach the same subjects.

“I am grateful for being student of the month. I want to thank all the teachers who nominated me. I really appreciate it and am thankful for that,” said Webb.

Ellie said she enjoys helping out with special education students in the Comprehensive Development Class. She is also on the Tennis team and a member of the HOSA, Student Government, Science, Literature, Beta, and FBLA clubs among others.

Webb is the daughter of C.D. and Cindy Webb.

Joann Meece was chosen as the guardian of the month. She is the grandmother of DCHS Junior Arianna Barnwell. As part of the nomination process for this honor, each student must submit an essay on why their parent or guardian deserves the recognition and Barnwell prepared and submitted the winning essay this month in tribute to her grandmother Meece.

“I am glad my granny won. I was hoping she would win. I put a lot of thought and effort into writing this essay and I even cried a little when I wrote it. I am really thankful she is my granny and that she gets to be here with me for this,” said Barnwell.

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