County Puts Hold on Naming New Medical Examiner/Director

July 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The appointment of a new DeKalb County Medical Examiner/Director will have to wait.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the county commission voted to postpone the hiring of Dr. Caleb Cantrell in the position to succeed Dr. Denise Dingle upon the recommendation of County Mayor Matt Adcock after it was discovered that under state law a county medical examiner, appointed to serve a five-year term, can’t be replaced without a 90-day suspension for cause. Dr. Dingle is apparently in the midst of her five-year term.

Concerns about the medical examiner position were first raised several months ago during county commission workshops after complaints that the office, in some cases, was not providing a timely response to on scene deaths causing delays in investigations before the removal of a body.

Dr. Cantrell was introduced to the county commission during last Thursday night’s committee of the whole meeting as the new medical examiner by County Mayor Adcock, who appointed him subject to the final approval of the commission. The appointment was on Monday night’s regular monthly meeting agenda.

Lonnie Laxton, who works under Dr. Dingle in the medical examiner’s office, addressed the county commission Monday night during the public comment period complaining that the new appointment caught Dr. Dingle off guard because she had not been notified that she was being replaced. Laxton said he was made aware of it by county employees who had seen the report on WJLE’s website. He then informed Dr. Dingle.

“Our counsel asked us to have somebody from the office at this meeting,” said Laxton. “The TCA code (state law) for the medical examiner’s office states the medical examiner is appointed for five years unless there has been a problem resulting in a suspension. We have not heard of anything. We got a call from employees of the government who said they saw on WJLE that we were getting taken out of our positions. I asked the medical director if she knew that, and she said no. The last thing I knew everything was going well. But then we get this call that she (Dr. Dingle) is being replaced. I thought I would bring this up because she couldn’t be here because of another engagement,” said Laxton.

While acknowledging previous concerns about delays in response times, Laxton said the medical examiner’s office has addressed them.

“There had been cases where people had been running a little bit late and the sheriff’s department was having to wait a little bit, but we got that fixed. We hired more people to be there within a matter of minutes. We thought I had better come up here to try and figure out what is going on because we haven’t heard anything since back in January when we did have a problem and we fixed it afterwards,” said Laxton.

The county pays Dr. Dingle’s office $100 per call. Laxton said a proposal by the medical examiner’s office had previously been offered to reduce that to $50 per call.

“I had talked to you before about bringing it down to two employees of the ambulance service that was going to do most of the investigations. I told the mayor since you are doing that and we (medical examiner’s office) don’t have to do the scheduling, we will take it down from $100 a call to $50 a call but we never heard anything from it. It apparently went by the wayside,” said Laxton.

During Monday night’s meeting, County Mayor Adcock acknowledged that Dr. Dingle is serving a five-year term in the role as medical examiner for the county and that action to replace her had to be postponed.

“We do have on our agenda the appointment of a new medical examiner/director, but we did get language today on the TCA code (state law) for a county medical examiner. She does have a five-year term. There would have to be a 90-day probationary period before we can elect a new one. After discussing this with the county attorney we feel like we should table this for now until we look into it a little bit more. That is my recommendation,” said County Mayor Adcock.

The commission approved the postponement.

According to state law, “A county medical examiner shall serve a five-year term and shall be eligible for reappointment by the county mayor with confirmation by the county legislative body”.

“The county medical examiner may be suspended by the county mayor for good cause, which shall include, but not be limited to, malfeasance in the performance of the duties of a county medical examiner, criminal conduct, or behavior that is unethical in nature or that is in violation of a relevant code of professional medical responsibility. The suspension shall be for period of 90 days. At the end of the 90-day period, the suspension shall terminate, unless the county mayor has recommended to the county legislative body in writing that they remove the county medical examiner from office. If the county mayor recommends removal of the county medical examiner, then the county legislative body shall vote on whether to remove the county medical examiner from office within 90 days of the date of the written recommendation by a majority vote. If there is not a majority vote, the county medical examiner’s suspension shall terminate immediately”.

County Commissioner Greg Matthews asked County Mayor Adcock Monday night what the cause for suspension would be in this case.

“Dr. Dingle, Sheriff Patrick Ray and I have discussed issues about people showing up (late) at scenes. I have had to go out and do a medical call myself,” said County Mayor Adcock. “I was also told at one time over the phone “to cram it’. There has been a lot of inappropriate and negligent action on the part of Dr. Dingle’s office as far as her medical examiner role,” he added.

Commissioner Matthews then asked about the difference in duties and pay between Dr. Dingle and Dr. Cantrell if she is replaced.

“The duties would be the same, but the finances would be different,” said County Mayor Adcock.

Unlike Dr Dingle, who is paid per call, Dr. Cantrell would apparently be hired as a county employee with a yearly salary and benefits.

Off duty ambulance service staff, trained and willing, will be on a call list to perform deputy medical examiner investigation duties working under the medical examiner when there is an ambulance call involving a death. EMS Director Hoyte Hale will serve as the backup if no staff member is available at the time.

The new EMS operating budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year includes provisions for payment to EMS staff for these extra duties: The budget includes a total of $5,000 including $2,000 (for payment) in the medical personnel salary line item and $3,000 for overtime. Director Hale is to make quarterly reports to the county’s Health, Education, and Public Welfare Committee on how this new plan is working.

According to the 2024 county budget, the line items for the County Medical Examiner office are currently as follows:

*Evaluation & Testing: $50,000

*Medical & Dental Services: $10,000

*Other Contracted Services: $14,000

*Other Supplies & Materials: $1,000

Total Coroner/Medical Examiner Budget: $75,000

July 23, 2024
By:

The DeKalb County Fire Department sprang into action early this morning (Tuesday) due to a residential structure fire off Cookeville Highway at Silver Point.

Firefighters were dispatched at 2:25 a.m.

The occupants reported that they awoke and discovered heavy fire in a bathroom. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy fire showing from the structure and coming through the roof. Crews worked to gain control of the blaze and prevented it from spreading to an adjacent detached garage.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

Members of the Cookeville Highway, Liberty, Main, and Midway stations responded, along with county-wide personnel, the Rehab unit, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, and DeKalb County Emergency Medical Services.

July 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Mason Taylor and Wesley Kent, representing the DeKalb Fishing Team, have showcased their exceptional angling skills, securing their seats to the Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship.

The Tournament will be held Aug. 1-3 on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. This remarkable achievement came as a result of their dedication and consistent performance across multiple fishing trails and tournaments held throughout Tennessee. Their journey was not a simple feat; it demanded skill, strategy, and an unwavering commitment to the sport. By competing against some of the best anglers in the State, Taylor and Kent managed to distinguish themselves, earning a prestigious 10th ranking in Tennessee. This ranking is a testament to their prowess and understanding of the sport, marking them as formidable competitors on the national stage. Taylor & Kent won a State open on Percy Priest in the fall.

The boys started fishing in their eighth-grade year of school and later became fishing partners in their freshman year of High School. They also have fished some High School Bassmaster Tournaments at Clarks Hill Lake and Douglas Lake earlier this year. Mason’s brother Casey Taylor will be their boat captain at Nationals.

Mr. Taylor is no stranger to tournaments. He himself competed in the Yeti FLW College fishing National Championship Tournament on the Potomac River in 2019. Both boys excel at school and just completed dual enrollment courses this semester. Mason has also completed T-Cat training and courses through the school year as well. This will be the second time these boys will represent DeKalb County & the State of Tennessee in the Nationals. They would like to thank all of their sponsors.

This is a community-based team and receives no funds from the school. A team informational meeting & signup will be August 20th at 6pm at the DeKalb County Complex. For more information, please call Coach Jeff Taylor 615- 428-6107.

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