Teachers and Support Staff of the DeKalb County School System are a step closer to getting a local pay raise.

The county budget committee Tuesday night approved the Board of Education’s revised 2018-19 spending plan for schools and will send it on to the entire county commission for final approval in July. Director of Schools Patrick Cripps formally presented the proposal to the committee.

Under the plan, all certified personnel including teachers would be given a $600 local pay raise in addition to the $600 increase they are getting from the state for a total of $1,200. Support staff would also get a local $600 pay hike under the board’s new request.

The School Board initially wanted to give teachers and other certified personnel a $2,400 local pay raise along with the $600 state increase and $1,500 for support staff.

In addition to the reduced proposed pay raises, the board has revised its requests in other areas.

Funding to implement a Dyslexia Program for children at the elementary school grade level has been eliminated. The board cut its requests for $215,000 in new money to buy science textbooks down to $65,000. One new school bus will be purchased instead of two buses, a savings of $100,000.

Money to purchase Chrome Books for the 3rd through 5th grades at a cost of $240,000 will be carried over since it was budgeted this past year and not spent. Students from the 6th grade through high school already have Chrome Books. Extra funds ($20,000) is still included to repair and replace existing Chrome Books.

The proposed budget still includes $10,000 in new spending for meeting mandates of state evaluation and testing.

Due to the increasing demands of technology, the board still plans to make a current half time computer tech position full time ($13,150 in new money) which would give the school system three techs.

Extra funds are included for employee matching benefits and $2,500 to help schools cover their phone bills.

The proposed general purpose school budget now totals $23,322,099 for the 2018-19 fiscal year, an increase in spending of $849,816 from this past year. If the school expenditures exceed revenues in the coming year, the budget committee wants the Board of Education to understand that the overage will be taken from the school system’s fund balance (reserves) to balance the budget.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Donny Green in DeKalb and Cannon counties reminds producers to report planted, prevented planted, and failed acres to establish or retain FSA program eligibility.

For planted crops, the following acreage reporting dates are applicable for DeKalb and Cannon counties:

July 15:corn, cucumbers, okra, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelons, and cantaloupes
August 15:green beans
November 15: perennial forage (hay and pasture)
December 15: fall-seeded small grains (wheat)

The following exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting dates:

•If the crop has not been planted by the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed.

•If a producer acquires additional acreage after the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendars days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office.

•If a perennial forage crop is reported with the intended use of “cover only,” “green manure,” “left standing” or “seed,” then the acreage must be reported by July 15, 2018.

Producers must report crop acreage they intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, they were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form FSA-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and the Risk Management Agency. According to Green, the final planting date for soybeans is June 15, 2018.

Producers with failed acres should also use form FSA-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres.
For losses on crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program and crop insurance, producers must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent. Producers must timely file a Notice of Loss for failed acres on all crops including grasses.

Please contact the DeKalb/Cannon County FSA office at 615-597-8225 to schedule an appointment to file a Notice of Loss. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lend

A Patterson Road man has been arrested for stealing a pickup truck.

38 year old Brian Edward Clark is charged with burglary and theft of property over $1,000 . His bond is $10,000 and his court date is June 28.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Wednesday, June 6 Clark allegedly broke into and stole a 2000 Chevy Silverado on Patterson Road valued at $4,000.

The case was investigated by a detective.

37 year old Christie Dawn Bouldin of Belk Road, Rock Island is charged with aggravated criminal trespassing. Her bond is $1,500 and her court date is July 7.

Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, June 16 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Sims Street in Dowelltown in reference to an unwanted guest. Upon arrival the officer spoke with the resident who said that a woman (Bouldin) entered her home without consent. The intruder was wearing a pair of black shorts. After speaking with the victim, the deputy later encountered the suspect (Bouldin) on Vandergriff Street in Dowelltown. Bouldin admitted to having entered the victim’s home.

64 year old Larry Henry of Snow Hill Road, Dowelltown is charged with two counts of domestic assault. His bond totals $8,000 and his court date is July 5.

Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, June 16 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Snow Hill Road due to a domestic complaint. Upon arrival the officer observed Henry on the ground pushing against his wife who was trying to hold Henry down to keep him from hitting her. Henry struggled with the officer trying to arrest him. Henry’s wife said he kicked her in the stomach causing her to fall on her back.

Other witnesses at the scene informed the officer that Henry had also assaulted another woman there by hitting her on the head causing her to fall and suffer a cut to the knees.

Both women were treated at Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital.