Local Boy Places First in International Ventriloquist Convention (View Video Here)

July 22, 2024
By: Bill Conger

Many a middle school student might face some teasing from their peers for playing with dolls, but Jaxson Murphy doesn’t have that problem. The DeKalb County boy’s love for puppets has garnered respect and praise from the ventriloquist community. So much so that this past week, 11-year-old Jaxson won first place in the Junior Open Mic at the 2024 International Ventriloquist Convention. He performed July 18 at the Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport in Erlanger, KY, located at the Ohio/Kentucky border.

“I liked it, but I was a little nervous [before the performance],” Murphy said. Jaxson, an upcoming 6th grader at DeKalb West School, is the son of Heath and Rachel Murphy and Lindsay and Daniel Greer. He competed against youth up to age 18. Last year, he took home second place in the event.

“We were so tickled for him,” said Jaxson’s grandfather, David Turner [wife Roenia], a well-known local ventriloquist. “It was just a joy to hear the laughter. One of the judges called him the next [professional ventriloquist] Jeff Dunham.”

“He’s always been my little shadow,” Turner adds. “To see the whole community of ventriloquists that I’ve known for the last 30 years embrace him was just great.”

“I’ve been around it all my life,” Jaxson says of the talent he’s learned. “I saw my grandpa do it, and I wanted to do it.”

Jaxson stood on stage for his performance with two wooden puppets, Egore and Dwayne, that his grandfather made. He practiced the 5-minute skit over and over again in front of a mirror prior to the big day.

“Nobody hardly ever does two wooden puppets at the same time,” Turner said in advising his grandson before the competition. “It would be awesome, and he perfected it. As many times as I’ve performed there, I’ve never enjoyed it more than when he performed.”

A chip-off-the-old-block, Jaxson was enamored with his grandfather’s hobby practically from birth, and his interest never waned.

“I’ve got pictures of him as a little bitty kid holding puppets,” Turner said. “He’s always hung around me, and we videoed him with puppets. I never did think he would do it. You know how kids pick up stuff, and it’s just a phase they go through. So far Jaxson still likes it. I hope he stays with it.”

Turner started ventriloquism in the 5th grade, but by the end of 7th grade he gave it up until after high school. “I quit because kids made fun of me, but I never did know about the convention when I was younger. But he’s got so many friends, kids and adults, that encourage him. I didn’t have that when I was growing up.”

Jaxson is already excited about next year and even had one person had him a business card to book him for a show in the near future.

July 22, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Two men were arrested Sunday after a large amount of drugs including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, Xanax, and buprenorphine were found during a traffic stop by the sheriff’s department.

41-year-old Jonathan Kyle McCormick of Old West Point Road, Smithville and 40-year-old Matthew Randall Sullivan of Old Snow Hill Road, Dowelltown will be in court on their charges August 15. Bond for McCormick is $200,000 and $195,000 for Sullivan.

McCormick is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule I drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule II drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule IV drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule III drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; driving while in possession of methamphetamine; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sullivan’s charges include possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule II drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule II drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule IV drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule III drug with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on July 21 a deputy was patrolling Sparta Highway when he spotted a blue Jeep with the driver’s side taillight out. He conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver/ owner of the vehicle, McCormick and a passenger, Sullivan. The officer searched the vehicle and found two baggies that contained a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. One of the bags weighed 451 grams and the other weighed 225 grams with a combined weight of 676 grams. Also found were several baggies and a scale in addition to the following: a baggie that contained a white powdery substance believed to be heroin that weighed 32.01 grams; a baggie that contained a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine that weighed 4.51 grams; a baggie that contained 10 yellow pills believed to be Xanax; a straw with residue; a scale with residue; a glass with a red liquid inside; a pill bottle that contained two orange pills believed to be Buprenorphine; and several burnt pieces of aluminum foil.

July 22, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Will the county commission now call for a public referendum on the bond resolution?

During a special called meeting today (Monday) the DeKalb County Election Commission certified a petition, signed by more than 10% of registered voters protesting and seeking a public referendum on the issuance of General Obligation Bonds in DeKalb County to borrow up to $65 million for a jail/ judicial center.

Administrator of Elections Dustin Estes said of the 2,500 signatures on the petition, 1,500 were checked and verified which exceeded the 1,361 needed to trigger a referendum subject to action by the county commission calling for a public vote. The notice of certification now goes to the county clerk, as required by law, who is to notify the county mayor and commission and it will be up to them whether or not to honor the petitioners’ wishes and request a public referendum in time for the November General Election.

“The letter of official certification from the county election commission has been turned over to County Clerk Jimmy Poss who will then give it to the county mayor and the county commissioners and anyone else required to have it,” explained Estes. “Then it is up to the county commission to decide if they want this referendum pertaining to the petition to be on the election ballot. If they decide not to push forward with an election resolution, then essentially the bond dies. It is to no effect. If they (county commission) pass an election resolution instructing the election commission to place the referendum on the ballot, they have up through the August monthly (county commission) meeting to put that on the November ballot. Anything after August would take some clarification to determine whether it could be on the November ballot or if it would have to be on a special election ballot later which would cost the county around $20,000,” said Estes.

Last month a successful grassroots petition drive was launched seeking to file a protest and request a public referendum after the county commission and county mayor approved an initial resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds to borrow up to $65 million for the development and construction of a judicial center/jail and a 51-cent property tax increase to pay for it through the county’s debt service fund putting the overall tax levy at $2.51 per $100 of assessed value. While a referendum would gauge the public’s approval or disapproval of the issuance of bonds, it would not force a repeal of the 51-cent tax increase. The petition bearing over 2,500 names was submitted to County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss as required by law who then turned the signatures over to the election commission last week for the 15-day signature verification process, which was completed in four days

The notice as adopted by the election commission states as follows:

“In accordance with TCA 9-21-207, on July 15, 2024, the DeKalb County Election Commission received from the county clerk, as required by law, a petition protesting the issuance of General Obligation Bonds in the county”.

“To call for a referendum on the issuance of general obligation bonds, TCA 9-21-207 requires a petition to be signed by ten percent (10%) or more of the registered voters of DeKalb County on the date DeKalb County published in the newspaper of general circulation the notice of the initial resolution adopted by the DeKalb County Commission. On June 26, 2024, the initial resolution appeared in the newspaper, and on that date, there were 13,607 registered voters in DeKalb County ten percent (10%) of such number is 1,361”.

“Upon examination of the petition, the election commission staff has verified 1,500 valid signatures, a number which exceeds the minimum number of signatures needed to call for a county referendum on the question of whether general obligation bonds may be issued in DeKalb County”.

“Therefore, on the 22nd day of July 2024, we the undersigned members of the DeKalb County Election Commission  (Chairman Brandon Gay and Commissioners Kim Luton, Yvette Carver, Loree Hall, and Ron Sifford) certify to the DeKalb County Commission that the petition filed on July 15, 2024 contains a sufficient number of valid signatures of registered voters to authorize the DeKalb County Commission to call for referendum on the question of whether the general obligation bonds may be issued in DeKalb County”.

“Before calling and setting an election date on the question of approving the issuance of the general obligations bond, the DeKalb County Election Commission will await the adoption of an election resolution under TCA 9-21-209 by the DeKalb County Commission,” the letter concluded.

Taking questions from WJLE after the election commission meeting today (Monday), Administrator of Elections Estes explained how the petition process was handled.

“We certified the petition today (Monday) protesting the issuance of general obligation bonds for DeKalb County”

“On June 26 the initial bond resolution (adopted by the county commission) appeared in the newspaper and on that date, there were 13,607 registered voters in DeKalb County and 10% of that number was required to validate the petition. That’s what we did today (Monday). We received the petition last Monday, July 15 from County Clerk Jimmy Poss. Basically from that date we had 15 calendar days to certify the petition which is what we did today (Monday) and we did it in half the time,” explained Estes.

“As of Thursday, last week, we reached the required number of 1,361 signatures verified”.

“I would like to explain our verification process. First, we checked to make sure that the person who signed the petition was a registered voter. Secondly, we made sure that their address matched or if it was different that they remained (resided) within the same precinct. Thirdly was the signature verification. Being able to match the signature we have on file and the signature that was placed on the petition itself. Lastly, we also recognized if there were any duplicates so anyone who signed the petition multiple times, those were caught and not counted”.

“We had roughly 2,500 signatures and we checked 1,500 which was well more than what was required. There were plenty more signatures and honestly at the rate we were going we could probably have passed 2,000. We just didn’t find it necessary. We have other things to tend to and we had what was required of us,” said Estes.

“I want to give special thanks to my deputy administrator Tina Gee and election worker Gloria Pinegar for helping support this activity in verifying signatures. It was an enormous task to do especially during early voting. The time allotted was 15 days for us to verify the signatures on the petition and we were able to do it in four days minus the certification process,” added Estes.

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