Public Awareness Event Makes Appeal For More Organ and Tissue Donors (VIEW VIDEOS HERE)

June 19, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Did you know that by being an organ and tissue donor you may one day help save the lives of up to eight people?

In an effort to heighten awareness about the need for organ and tissue donation, John Cunningham of Donate Life Tennessee and County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss hosted a public meeting Tuesday evening at the county complex.

Abby Malone of Brush Creek, a soon to be freshman at Gordonsville High School, delivered a speech about how a liver transplant in 2015 saved the life of her grandmother, Barbara Cantrell, just a week before Abby was born.

M2U03010 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Abby’s parents are Sammy and Nancy Malone and her mother’s parents are Dwayne and Barbara Cantrell of Alexandria.

According to Cunningham, the current donation statistics show that more than 113,000 people in the Unites States are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant with 3,000 in Tennessee. During the fall of 2018, there were five people in DeKalb County waiting and in the overall Upper Cumberland Region, the most current data shows 68 people waiting for a life saving transplant.

“Every day 20 people die waiting for a transplant, and every 10 minutes a new name will be added to the national transplant waiting list. While statistics show most Americans support donation, many individuals believe they’re unable to donate, or are unaware of ways to register.  Although age and medical history are primary determining factors, until medical professionals evaluate a potential donor, it isn’t as simple as just ruling someone out.  If you are passionate about signing up on the registry, we strongly encourage you to do so!  You’re decision today could save a life in the future!”,” said Cunningham.

“Of the 113,000 people waiting about 80% of them need kidneys while others are waiting for a liver or heart transplant. Organs from a deceased donor can potentially save the lives of up to eight people. Organs that can be donated include the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and intestines and in the case of tissue donation, the lives of up to 75 people can be impacted or enhanced.

“If you are getting your driver license or renewing you can register at the driver service center. If you are at a county clerk office where they do driver license renewals you can register there as well. Also at donatelifetn.org you can register to be an organ and tissue donor,” said Cunningham.

“We hope to expand these awareness events in the future and to maybe join some surrounding counties. We would like to see more involvement. It would be nice to have people actually on the organ donor list to get involved to share their need and their stories to help bring more people out and from the donors’ side, those families are equally as important because they have already made those decisions and are benefitting these recipients who are waiting. We just need more people to join us in spreading the word how important it is that more people become organ and tissue donors,” said County Clerk Poss.

June 19, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A 24 year old Woodbury woman was injured in a one car rollover crash at 4:23 a.m. this morning (Wednesday) on Highway 146 south of Cecil Hale Road.

Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Kimberly Gunter was traveling south in a 2014 Kia Forte when she went off the left side of the road onto a grassy embankment and then came back onto the highway, crossing the center line, before going off the right side of the road and overturning. The car came to rest on the driver side.

Gunter was entrapped in the car. Members of the DeKalb County Fire Department Extrication and Rescue Team were summoned to help get Gunter out of the car.

She was then taken by DeKalb EMS to St Thomas DeKalb Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department was also on the scene.

June 18, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Criminal Court Judge David Patterson has heard his last case in DeKalb County.

The veteran judge held court here for the final time Tuesday. After 13 years on the bench, serving the seven counties of the 13^th Judicial District, Patterson has decided to step down as of June 30. He announced his retirement plans in a letter to Governor Bill Lee in March.

The Governor has not yet named anyone to succeed Patterson.

Four people initially applied with the Trial Court Vacancy Commission to be recommended for the appointment including Rebecca Brady, Wesley Thomas Bray, and J. Michael Shipman all of Cookeville, and Jeffrey A. Vires of Crossville. The commission recently interviewed the candidates and has submitted to the Governor the names of Brady, Bray, and Shipman for consideration. The appointee will serve until a special election in 2020. The winner of that election will serve the remaining years of Patterson’s unexpired term which ends on August 31, 2022.

Asked why he chose to retire midway through his second term, Patterson said he felt the time was right.

“It’s just time. I am 70 years old. I’m trying to do it before I’ve lasted too long and wear out. I think at times there are those who maybe stay longer than they are welcome and I sort of wanted to do it on my own terms when I feel good. I have two grandchildren and another one coming and I want to have some energy for them. I really enjoy being with them and there are some other things I still want to do. I’m happy to be retiring,” said Judge Patterson.

Patterson spent 35 years serving the 13th Judicial District, including 16 years as a prosecutor and seven years as the Putnam County Youth Services Officer.

“Bill Griffith was the General Sessions Judge in Putnam County and he hired me in 1983. A couple of years into that he said you need to go to law school. I didn’t know how I was going to do that until he said I am going to pay for your law school and he did. Bill Griffith paid for four years at the Nashville School of Law for me. He also told me that one day both of us would be judges. He passed away at age 56 and never got to see me be a judge but I became a youth service officer to begin with in the juvenile court system in 1983,” Patterson said.

It was during his years working for former District Attorney General Bill Gibson as Chief Assistant that Patterson helped prosecute several noteworthy cases including one in DeKalb County.

“It was the case where several boys were charged (in 1995) with killing two young men here in DeKalb County (John Harry and Roger Zammitt of Dry Creek). It was a prosecution we had to move away from here. The primary defendant in that case was Chris Tatrow (still serving time in prison). That (trial) got moved to Cumberland County to be tried (in 1996),” said Patterson

“As a prosecutor one of the other cases that was real notable was when Byron Looper killed State Senator Tommy Burks in Cumberland County (1998). We had to bring a jury in from East Tennessee to Cumberland County to try that case. As a prosecutor those are the two of the biggest cases but we’ve had some cases as a judge that I have presided over that have been notable too including several murder cases. Those are the ones that stick with you and you consider as being the big ones,” he added.

In 2006, Patterson pulled off a rare upset when he unseated a sitting judge (Lillie Ann Sells) in a hotly contested election to win his first 8 year term as Criminal Court Judge.

“That was a very tight race. I won by 10 votes. There was an election contest and 1 vote was taken from me so out of 40,000 votes that were cast I won by 9 votes. I was known to other Circuit level judges at the time as landslide Patterson,” he said.

Patterson won that first term as an Independent and was re-elected as a Republican in 2014 to a second 8 year term.

Judge Patterson said he has no plans to ever seek political office again although he will miss being judge at least for a while.

“I’m sure I will miss it. I have always enjoyed all the counties I have served in and had some very close relationships with the lawyers of this district as well as other Circuit level judges. I will also miss my clerks including Ms. (Susan) Martin who has just been elected here.  I very much enjoyed my relationship with her and Ms Katherine Pack (former Circuit Court Clerk). I felt very close to her. She is a wonderful person,” added Judge Patterson.

While he hasn’t ruled out practicing law a little on the side, Patterson said he is looking forward to taking things a little slower.

“When the weather gets cold and I’m going to be in the house more my wife is going to be looking at me and saying what are you going to do? I am still an attorney and it may be that I do a little bit of work as an attorney. I don’t know why not. I am not adverse to doing some other things on my own time and cases I might take myself,” he said

“Looking back it has really been a good run for me. I have been treated very well. I believe things happen with purpose. I believe there is a good creator and I think He sustains us well. He has done very well for me,” Judge Patterson concluded.

The 13th Judicial District includes Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Putnam, Smith and White counties.

Other judges in the district are Republican Gary McKenzie, Criminal Court Judge; Republican Jonathan Young, Circuit Court Judge; Democrat Amy Hollars, Circuit Court Judge;  and Democrat Chancellor Ronald Thurman. The District Attorney General is Republican Bryant Dunaway and the District Public Defender is Republican Craig Fickling.

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