DeKalb School District Names Teachers of the Year at School Level

January 12, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has announced the 2024-25 Teachers of the Year at the building level of the five schools in the county.

This year’s honorees chosen by their peers are 4th grade math and science teacher, Cathleen Humphrey at DeKalb West School, 1st grade teacher Allyson Trapp at Smithville Elementary School; Amanda Goodwin, special education teacher at Northside Elementary School, Kristen Lynch, special education teacher at DeKalb Middle School, and Dylan Kleparek (Coach K), science/chemistry teacher at DeKalb County High School.

“Our district’s Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in DeKalb County. We applaud teachers who care about our children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of DeKalb students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement. We are not just exceptionally proud of our Teachers of the Year, but we are also grateful for all of our educators in DeKalb County,” said Director Cripps.

According to Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction, “Competition for the district-wide John Isabell Teacher of the Year award continues through January and will be announced this spring. Additionally, a DeKalb County teacher will be chosen by a committee to compete at the regional level in March, and if selected the teacher will represent DeKalb County at the state level competition.”

Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: Building, System, Field Service Core Center Region, Grand Division and State; and from three categories (levels of teaching); Grades Pre-K-4, 5-8, 9-12.

Teachers selected at each cycle receive local recognition and awards underwritten by local sources. State recognition/awards include a banquet honoring the nine State Teacher of the Year finalists and certificates of appreciation from the governor. In addition, the State Finalists and the State Teacher of the Year receive cash awards.

The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote effective teaching practices by recognizing and rewarding outstanding teachers while encouraging others to join the teaching profession.

January 11, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

Local and state law enforcement agencies converged near Man Hill Road, Dowelltown Saturday afternoon where a body was found.

In a prepared statement, Sheriff Patrick Ray said “On January 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM a call came into Dispatch about a body that had been found off of Man Hill Road in Dowelltown. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 13th District Attorney General ‘s Office were summoned to the scene. The body has been sent to Nashville for identification by the Medical Examiner. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department are investigating. No more details are available at this time,” said Sheriff Ray.

January 11, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

An elderly man charged with solicitation of a minor for indecent exposure appeared in DeKalb County Criminal Court Tuesday.

78-year-old William Lloyd Woolridge entered a plea to solicitation and received a two-year suspended sentence. His name will be on the sex offender registry as a nonviolent offender.

61-year-old Shelia Zaruba entered a plea to aggravated assault and received a three-year sentence with 64 days of time served suspended to supervised probation. No fine was imposed but she must have no contact with the victim.

37-year-old Randi Dossett entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. Dossett was fined $2,000. She was given 45 days jail credit.

32-year-old Amber Merlo entered a plea to possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams for sale and theft over $2,500. She received a total sentence of eight years. That’s eight years in the drug case and two years for the theft to run concurrently and all suspended to supervised probation. Merlo must make restitution to the victim. She was fined $2,000 and given jail credit of 139 days.

47-year-old Barry Ohl II entered a plea to two counts of sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation in each case to run concurrently. He was fined $2,000 and given 48 days jail credit.

42-year-old Matthew Baker entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and given 47 days jail credit.

29-year-old Eric Lane Petty entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) under 0.5 grams. He received a total sentence of eleven years including eight years in one case and three years in the other to run concurrently and all suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000. Petty was given 144 days jail credit.

25-year-old Robert Stephen Derrick entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) and received an eight-year sentence suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and given 52 days jail credit.

37-year-old Kerry Parker entered a plea to possession of methamphetamine under 0.5 grams. He will be on supervised probation for four years. Parker was also fined $2,000.

30-year-old Ronald Glen Ragan entered a plea by criminal information to possession with intent to sell a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams. He received an eight-year sentence suspended to supervised probation and was fined $2,000. Ragan was given 44 days jail credit.

48-year-old Lynda Neville entered a plea by criminal information to possession of a schedule II drug over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. She was fined $2,000- and 214-days jail credit.

39-year-old Brandon Keith Thomas entered a plea by criminal information to possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) under 0.5 grams (2 counts) and received a six-year sentence in each case to serve at least 30% before his release eligibility date. The two cases are to run concurrently. He was fined $2,000 and given jail credit of 154 days.

28-year-old Rodnesha Daniels entered a plea by criminal information to theft of property over $2,500 and received a two year sentence on supervised probation subject to judicial diversion.

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