Love Lights Shine for American Cancer Society

December 24, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

During the holidays many families pay tribute to their friends and loved ones, living and deceased, by making a donation in their name to the American Cancer Society to further cancer research and patient services. It’s called “Love Lights a Tree”.

In reality, it’s a tribute board located on the south grounds of the courthouse where names of honorees are displayed throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

The DeKalb County Unit of the American Cancer Society seeks your support. Donations may be made now and the persons you honor or remember do not necessarily have to have suffered from cancer.

The names are in “honor of” and in “memory of” for a donation of five-dollars per name. Forms may be obtained at the local banks. For more information, contact Ivadell Randolph at 615-464-8129, Nancy Young at 615-785-3496, Melanie Judkins at 615-464-7664, Renea Cantrell at 615-684-2688, or Gail Taylor 615-597-5936.

The names of 2023 Honorees are as follows:

Billy Adcock, Lisa Anderson, Diana Atnip, Tracie Webb Baker, Kim Banks, Era Mai Billings, Dorothy Bratcher, Harold Bratcher, Jean Cook, Andrew Jackson Dakas, Debi Depriest, Jennifer Carter Dunn, Earl D. France, Phyllis Hallum, Radley Hendrixson, Connie Herrick, Edie Hobson, Eddie Hobson, Jo Doris Johnson, Walter Johnson, Beverly Jones, Donald Knowles, Evelyn Martin, James Martin, Nate Martin, Britney Miller, Cameron Miller, Lisa Taylor Moore, Jo Ann Newbell, Steve Officer, Walteen Parker, Ernest Ray, Ronnie Redmon, Sr., Ann Rowland, Carolyn Sheets, Margie Smith, Renee Songer, Gail Taylor, George Taylor, Frances Waggoner, Sandra Wall, Phillip Washer, Richard Widener, Nancy Napier Vafeas, Brad  Vaughn, and Susan L. Young,

Those in memory are as follows:
Jordan Thomas Adams, Linda Adcock, Grady Agee, B. Akin, Frances Malone Akin, John D. Akin, Mai Akin, Angie Malone Allen, Bill Ambrose, Cindy Armour, Linda Armour, Jared Atnip,

Marie Barrett, Alan Bradford, Delynn Burgess

Wallace Caldwell, Bertha Cantrell, David Cantrell, Donald Cantrell, Ernest P. Cantrell, Mattie Adcock Cantrell, Nelta Cantrell, Martha Cathcart, W.A. Cathcart, Ellen Clayton, Barry Cook, Billy J. Cook, Bob Cook, Carolyn Parker Cook, Charles D. Cook, James Buddy Cook, Jessie Cook, Norman Cook, Pam Baker Cook, Rubye Cook, Eva Crook, Grady Crook, Bobbie Don Curtis, Jimmy Curtis, Roy Pig Curtis, Ralph Curtis,

Harold Dawes, Elsie Driver, Irene Cook Durso, Tony Durso,

Homer Lee Ellis, Roberta Ellis,

Billy J. France, Danny Foutch, Willie Foutch,

Royce L. Givens, Jr., James Goodwin, Timothy Grandstaff, John Paul Grubbs, Larry Gwyn, Leonard Gwyn, Jr.,

Macon Haas, Donna Hafey, Brownie Haley, Frances Haley, Wiley Hancock, Lucille Cook Harris, Barry Hayes, Bobbye Harrison, Esker Harrison, Eva Harrison, Earl Herrick, Greg Herron, Sr., Letita Herron, Edward Hobson, Ronnie Hobson, Jimmy Hullett,

Jonathon Ivey

Amy Johnson, Annie Rhea Johnson, Calvin Jones, Earl Judkins, Len Judkins, Linda Judkins, Marie Judkins,

Lori Ann Kelsey, Edsel Kilgore, Donna Kay Knowles,

C.H. Lockhart, Jr., Donnie Lohorn, Faye Lohorn, Charles Loring, Mark Loring, Lynda Luna,

Betty Malone, Billy Malone, Ida Adkin Malone, Betty McMillen, T.C. McMillen, Amy Lynn Miller, Jessie Mai Miller, Cleta Murphy, Michael Murphy,

John Newbell,

J.W. Pack, Calysta Pedigo, Everette Pedigo,

Evelyn Ramsey, David Randolph, Dr. Greg Ray, David Redmon, Everett Redmon, Lou Redmon, Noel Redmon, Odell Redmon,  Sabra Redmon, Vivian Redmon, Christine Reeder, Melvin Reeder, Dennis Rigsby, Kyle Robinson, Horace Rosson,

Zona Selby, Wayne Shuttleworth, Donald Smith, Nan Smith, Virgil Smith, Jordan Steinbach, Marlene Haas Stoglin,

Albert Taylor, Buddy Taylor, Cora Taylor, Johnnie Agee Taylor, U.B. Taylor, Winnie Taylor, Shelby Tittsworth, Debbie Tuggle,

Green Wall, Maud Wall, Delton Washer, Houston Washer, Chris Webb, Charles Williams, Mike Williams, Donna Willoughby, Richard Wilt, Anthony Wright,

Georgie Young, Kenneth Young, and Marie Young.

December 23, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Tigers closed out the week before Christmas with a 64 to 45 loss to Loretto Friday in the Adidas Shootout at Murfreesboro Riverdale.

The Tigers are now 7-7.

DC led 14 to 13 after the 1st period but trailed 32 to 27 at halftime and 52 to 43 after the 3rd period before losing 64 to 45.

Jordan Parker led the Tigers in scoring with 11 followed by Dallas Kirby 10, Seth Fuson 9, Jon Hendrix 6, Alex Antoniak 4, Owen Snipes 3, and Ian Colwell with 2 points.

The Tigers, who had beaten Sipsey Valley High 45 to 42 in the Adidas Shootout Wednesday , went to Sparta Thursday where they faced York Institute and lost 65 to 48 in the Frank’s Christmas Shootout.

December 22, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The county may be poised to make a $2.3 million investment under a seven-year financing deal through Motorola to upgrade its radio communication system for emergency services.

The county commission has not yet decided on what action to take. Should the county enter into a contract with Motorola, Mayor Matt Adcock said a revenue source must be identified to fund the annual payments which are expected to be over $346,000. To take advantage of the Motorola offer at current pricing, the county must act before January 19.

For years, the DeKalb County government has operated with a radio system made up of conventional analog technology to communicate between central dispatch and local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, EMS, and rescue squad. But over time, the system’s technology has become antiquated and more unreliable. According to Brad Mullinax, Director of the DeKalb Emergency Communications (E-911) District, the time has come for the county to invest in a new system upgrade.

Last month and again Thursday night, Mullinax urged the county commission to begin making plans to update the county’s mobile, portable, and fixed radio transmission technology and to join the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) which provides first responders the ability to have additional coverage to talk on the radio with surrounding state communication towers during major events and disasters no matter where they (first responders) are located. In order to join the TACN network, Mullinax explained that all county responder radios will need to be replaced.

“We’re on analogue and not even good analogue,” said Mullinax. “We’re not on analogue that we can even repair at this point and that’s the thing that scares me about this more than anything is we’re one lightning strike away from losing all emergency services communications in the county”.

“This is a priority. We have been talking to other ECD districts and counties in the Upper Cumberland. Warren County is exploring this. Putnam County already has a grant to replace their radios and go to TACN. Both Cannon and Coffee County have also completed the transition to TACN. There is a great edge to being with TACN as far as maintenance of this new equipment. If we had a tornado come through and take out all of our radio equipment, it would not be our problem. It would be the state of Tennessee’s problem. We wouldn’t have to absorb that cost,” said Mullinax.

“I have done significant testing with this system and I am confident to put a stamp of approval on it from my standpoint that it will work. I have been inside every school in the last two days with this radio. I have been inside the hospital. I have been inside the courthouse. I have been inside the jail doing testing. I have gone to the factories. We went to S&W Manufacturing and I parked my truck at the northwest corner of the building. I then went back in the building to the southeast corner and even surrounded by concrete walls with metal all around and machines running, I talked to dispatch on the radio and it was clear as a bell. I have no doubt this is a significant improvement in our radio system. I just hope and pray we can somehow make this happen,” said Mullinax.

During Thursday night’s meeting, Mullinax provided information to the county commission on how the purchase of a new system from Motorola could be financed through the company.

“I was asked at the last meeting by a county commissioner to check on financing options. I have done that with different vendors and none of them offer any type of finance or lease program except Motorola. We have obtained an all-inclusive proposal from Motorola to replace the entire county (radio) system for $2.3 million. It would totally equip first responders for the entire county including DeKalb Fire, DeKalb Sheriff, DeKalb EMS, the Rescue Squad and allow the county to put vehicle repeaters, mobiles, and portables in all first responders hands. Mobile radios only that go into ambulances will be supplied by the state. They (Motorola) gave us a proposal. This is a financing option. There is no early pre-payment penalty so this could be paid off at any time. I would not recommend more than seven years on this financing program because that is the longest duration of the warranty. The actual annual payment on the project for a seven-year deal is $346,507,” Mullinax explained.

To help the county offset the first-year cost, Mullinax said the DeKalb 911 Emergency Communications District is offering to make a $300,000 contribution.

“The 911 Board met on December 7 and voted unanimously that if the county wishes to execute the contract with Motorola, we (911 board) will provide a $300,000 incentive reimbursement to the county to go toward that payment,” said Mullinax. “That will just about cover the first year’s payment which is not due until twelve months after the contract is signed. If the contract is signed in January, it would be next January before the first payment is due”.

Mullinax further explained how the 911 Board is able to make that $300,000 contribution to the county.

“We (911 Board) were planning to use that money to purchase new dispatch consoles for our own upgrade, but Motorola has offered to provide our consoles at no cost. As result of that offer to us by Motorola, we can give the county the $300,000 to purchase the radios”.

County Mayor Adcock said the new radio system is needed but how to pay for it is the question that remains to be answered.

“I think it is an important project. I think we are able to do it because of the $300,000 contribution 911 is offering to us. I believe we (county) could probably supply the other $46,000 out of our capital projects fund for the first year but it’s a matter for the budget committee to find out what our revenue source is going to be to continue those $346,000 payments for the remaining six years.”

“In our next meeting, we will either have to do a budget amendment to make up for the $46,000 with the contribution of $300,000 from 911 and accept the contract terms or they (county commission) will have to make a motion to have a special called meeting to make a decision before January 19,” said County Mayor Adcock.

Coffee County Sheriff Chad Partin, who was asked to come and address the DeKalb County commission Thursday night about his experience of transitioning to a new radio communication system there stressed the importance of making that move.

“Those (cost) numbers ($2.3 million) are big and scary. We were at a point just like you are with our analogue equipment and went through this same scenario,” said Partin. “I would have never thought then that in my lifetime I would have done a $2 million project for handheld and mobile radios but it’s a lifeline to an officer or firefighter in trouble and needing help or backup especially in a remote area. This is the most important device we carry on a daily basis other than our firearms. You have a device here and the technology that not only works on the spectrum of wireless but also on your computer network. I’m here tonight with a radio that’s working on cellular and not towers. I can key up from right here and talk back home and it can be heard clearly. I could be in Las Vegas, Moscow, or anywhere and its the same. That would not be the case with our old-style radios. It’s a program that works and one that will work well in DeKalb County. Don’t let these numbers scare you. Its expensive but you can’t put a price on your public safety responder’s lives,” said Partin.

Currently, TACN supports 58,000 local, state, and federal government users statewide. In the last year alone, over 30 additional agencies have made the decision to join TACN to experience the statewide communications interoperability.

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