DWS Announces February Honors

March 6, 2024
By: Bill Conger

DeKalb West School has named the Students of the Month for February. Selected for the accomplishment were Rylee Woodruff, PreK, Karson Davenport, Kindergarten, Aiden Checchi, 1st grade, Ty Combs, 2nd grade, Annabelle Ray, 3rd grade, Cammi Neal, 4th grade, Paisely Avera, 5th grade, Averie Winchester, 6th grade, Halia McDaniel, 7th grade, and Katie Beth Swearinger, 8th grade.

Longtime educator Jenny Cantrell, a 2nd grade teacher, was named Teacher of the Month, and Brandi Womack, the school’s bookkeeper, was named Employee of the Month.

March 6, 2024
By:

Local veteran and hometown hero Joe Stone, Senior Master Sergeant, USAF retired was recently honored with a “Quilt of Valor” presented to him.

A Quilt of Valor is a homemade quilt that is awarded to a service member or Veteran who has been touched by war. The quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your sacrifice in serving our nation.”

Stone’s military career is recounted as follows:

On November 1, 1950, Joe was drafted into the Army where he served as a Squad Leader and Machine Gunner. After completion of various training programs, he was stationed in Nuremberg Germany, which is a long way from Liberty, TN. While in Germany he split his time between Grafenwoehr Army Base, Hohenfels Army Base, and the Czech border on patrol. “I was discharged from the Army in October 1952 and returned home and married Oleda “Tincy” Cook June 16, 1953,” said Stone.”I missed the military life so in October 1955 I was inducted into the United States Air Force.”

“I went to Lackland AFB, TX for processing and from there went to Frances E Warren AFB, WY,” Stone continued. “While there I attended Automotive Technical School where I graduated with honors. I then took a remote assignment for 1 year to Northeast Cape, AK. My next assignment took me to Charleston AFB, SC as a vehicle inspector in the Transportation Squadron. I attended Aircraft Maintenance Tech School at Sheppard AFB, TX which led me to Tyndall AFB, FL”.

“There I worked on B-57’s and RB-66 Bombers,” Stone explained. “I worked on C-130’s at Seward AFB, TN then went on to be a vehicle inspector. From July 1963-January 1966 I was stationed at Naha AFB, Okinawa, I returned to Walker AFB, NM until December 1966 then to Bergstrom AFB, TX. I attended 1HC Heavy Equipment School in Chicago, IL from June 1967-October 1967, I was assigned to Eglin AFB, FL to the 823rd CES Red Horse Squadron”.

“I departed December 1967 to Phan Rang Vietnam as a Red Horse. I worked on all types of heavy equipment, built roads, runways, buildings, and bridges. The Red Horse Squadron would take a piece of land and in no time would construct a fully functional base. I had been in Vietnam for about 3 weeks when the TET Offensive started. Every night at about midnight the rockets and mortars would start, that was a very scary time,” said Stone.

“Returning from Vietnam December 1968 I was stationed at England AFB, LA in charge of the refueling maintenance shop. In June 1971 I was assigned to Hanscom AFB, MA in charge of Vehicle Maintenance Squadron. I served as vehicle Maintenance Superintendent at Kirkland AFB, NM from August 1975-August 1976 at which time I was assigned to Elmendorf AFB, AK. Due to snow removal, Elmendorf had the largest number of vehicles in the Air Force. When my 3-year tour at Elmendorf was complete I decided it was time to retire. On August 1, 1979, I retired from the United States Air Force and settled back in Smithville,” Stone said.

“I am thankful Tincy was a supportive wife and mother to our daughters Lisa, Sheila, Joanna, and Laura as it was not easy to uproot your life and move so often,” added Stone.

“During my career I had the honor of serving with many outstanding soldiers,” Stone concluded.

Joe is proud of his military career and is honored to be a recipient of this Quilt of Valor.

March 5, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Political newcomer Megan Moore won the DeKalb County Republican nomination for the Board of Education-District 5 in Tuesday’s primary.

Moore defeated Tom Walkup 191 votes (58.95%) to 133 votes (41.05%).

Two precincts make up the 5th district and Moore carried both, County Complex and Johnson Chapel. She also had more early votes/absentees than Walkup.

Moore will be unopposed in the August DeKalb County General Election. She will succeed Jamie Cripps on the school board from the 5th district. Cripps did not seek re-election. The term is for four years.

Here’s how the vote breaks down by precinct:

Early Voting/Absentees combined: Moore-71; Walkup-59

County Complex: Moore-68; Walkup-49

Johnson Chapel: Moore-52; Walkup-25

Meanwhile 6th District Incumbent Board of Education member Jason Miller won the GOP nomination for re-election unopposed with a total of 287 complimentary votes. Miller will be unopposed in the August DeKalb County General Election. The term is four years.

Constable candidates in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th districts ran unopposed in the DeKalb Republican Primary Tuesday and will be unopposed as GOP nominees in the August DeKalb County General Election. The terms are four years. There is no constable candidate in the 6th district.

The nominees in each district and their complimentary vote totals are as follows:

1st District: Tyler Cripps- 272 votes

2nd District: Danny Adamson-302 votes

3rd District: Incumbent Travis Bryant- 298 votes

4th District: Incumbent Lane Ball- 308 votes

5th District: Incumbent Mark Milam- 335 votes

7th District: Jeremy Neal- 176 votes

Meanwhile Judge Shawn C. Fry received a total of 1,637 votes in DeKalb County. He was unopposed for the newly created Criminal Court Judge position in Part III of the seven-county 13^th Judicial District. Fry was appointed to the judgeship last year by Governor Bill Lee.  He will be unopposed in the DeKalb County General Election. Upon his election in August, Judge Fry will serve until September 1, 2030. Thereafter, the judge of part III shall be elected to a full eight-year term.

In DeKalb County, Donald Trump received a total of 2,242 votes to 312 for Nikki Haley in the GOP Tennessee Presidential Preference Primary while President Joe Biden, who was unopposed in the Tennessee Democratic Presidential Preference Primary, received 185 votes in DeKalb County

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