State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver announces financial meal assistance for Tennessee students

August 3, 2020
By:

​State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, R-Lancaster, announced financial assistance is available to help families provide food for their children through the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer or P-EBT aims to provide financial assistance for school meals missed during the months of March, April, and May due to COVID-19 school closures. The P-EBT money can be used at grocery stores and other retailers that accept EBT cards to buy food for children.

The P-EBT was created through the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act as a way to reimburse families whose children are on a free or reduced lunch program, but could not receive those meals when school closed in the spring.

“There are still many more families who are eligible for this benefit and I would encourage them to apply so they can continue to provide meals during this challenging time,” Weaver said. “No child should ever have to experience hunger.”

Families must meet the following criteria to qualify: receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program or attends a Community Eligibility Provision school that provides free meals to all students. Families already receiving SNAP or TANF benefits do not need to apply as the funds have already been distributed. Families can apply at tn.gov/humanservices or call 1-866-311-4287 by Aug. 14, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

August 3, 2020
By:

Although the annual DCHS Basketball Banquet was cancelled this spring, the 2019-2020 Basketball Cheerleaders were recently able to hold an impromptu casual dinner to finish out their season and say goodbye to their senior members. Unfortunately, not all were able to be there. The DCHS Basketball Cheer Club & Cloverleaf Restaurant graciously provided the team with a venue and fantastic dinner. Coach Kelly Agee presented the girls with the individual awards that were voted on prior to the end of the school year.

The 2019-2020 DCHS Basketball Cheerleaders: Holly Evans, Grace King, Presley Agee, Allie Lasser, Megan Price, Makayla Cook, Evie Day, Kyleigh Hill, McKenzie Pack, Keirstine Robinson, Katie Patterson, Kortnee Skeen, Katherine Gassaway, Carlee West, Coach Kelly Agee, Assistant Coach Taylor Chapman.

Individual Awards:

MVC- Grace King and Presley Agee (absent)

Leadership award- Holly Evans

DEAR (Dedication, Enthusiasm, Attitude, and Responsibility)- Kortnee Skeen

Most Spirited- Megan Price

Best Cheer- Evie Day

Best Stunts- Katie Patterson

Best Dance- Makayla Cook

Best Jumps- Carlee West (not pictured)

Best Attitude- Katherine Gassaway (not pictured)

August 3, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Budget Committee will be expanded from five to seven members in October under a set of policies and procedures adopted last Monday night by the County Commission.

Under Rule 17, the Budget Committee shall be made up of one Commissioner from each of the seven districts to be appointed each October by the County Mayor and approved by a majority of the County Commission. The officers of the Budget Committee shall consist of a Chairman and Vice Chairman to be appointed by the County Mayor.

The commission voted 9 to 5 to adopt Rule 17 Budget Committee procedures along with separate provisions of the new policies and procedures manual. Commissioners voting in favor were Janice Fish Stewart, Myron Rhody, Beth Pafford, Dennis Slager, Bobby Johnson, Jenny Trapp, Julie Young, Scott Little, and Bruce Malone. Those voting against were Commissioners Anita Puckett, Jeff Barnes, Sabrina Farler, Jerry Adcock, and Matt Adcock.

The initial proposal under Rule 17 was for the Chairman of the County Commission to make the appointments to the Budget Committee but 1st District Commissioner Dennis Slager offered an amendment to assign that responsibility to the County Mayor. Currently the County Mayor and Chairman of the Commission are one and the same, Tim Stribling. Each September, the County Commission names a Chairman to serve for the ensuing year. Historically the Chairman has been the County Mayor but it can be a member of the County Commission.

“We don’t know who the next Chairman is going to be. It may be Tim (Stribling) or it may not be. I don’t know if he wants to continue to serve (as Chairman). My point is the County Mayor should make the appointments because he is elected from all over the county and he should have the vision to represent all the citizens of every district. If you put one of these people sitting here (County Commissioners) as chairman you are going to put politics in that chairmanship like you have never seen before,” said Slager.

The Commission voted 11 to 3 to approve Slager’s amendment to Rule 17 giving the County Mayor rather than the Chairman of the Commission the budget committee appointment authority.

Commissioners voting in favor of the amendment were Bobby Johnson, Julie Young, Jeff Barnes, Sabrina Farler, Janice Fish Stewart, Myron Rhody, Beth Pafford, Anita Puckett, Jenny Trapp, Dennis Slager, and Bruce Malone. Commissioners Scott Little, Matt Adcock, and Jerry Adcock voted against the amendment.

Meanwhile, Fifth District Commissioner and longest serving member of the Budget Committee Jerry Adcock spoke out against expanding its membership from five to seven commissioners saying it could tend to make the members think more in terms of representing their own districts rather than the county’s overall interest and it would cost the county more money.

“If we put one member (on the budget committee) from every district, every district is going to be competing. If you put five members on the committee like the law says it’s going to say you are working for the whole county and not for your district. A case in point if there was an industry that came in here and wanted to set up either in Alexandria or Smithville and the budget committee voted with five people on top of the hill and only two under the hill, where do you think it would go? It would also increase the price of budget committee meetings to the county by $150 per meeting with seven rather than five members,” said Adcock.

Each budget committee member is paid $75.00 per meeting. Because of its importance, the budget committee meets several times during the spring and summer and probably more than any other committee. With five members, the county pays a total of $375 per meeting. That would increase to $525 total per meeting with the budget committee’s expansion to seven members.

Second District Commissioner Myron Rhody took issue with Adcock’s comments saying that seven budget committee members could represent the county just as well as five. Rhody also pointed out that two of the five members on the budget committee right now are from the same district (5th District).

“This is the most important committee we have and every district needs to be represented. Yes, we are a DeKalb County Commission but we are also elected by our districts and if five can do that (represent county on budget committee) seven can also. On the money issue, with this being the most important committee I feel like, if you are talking about (small amount of money paid to budget committee members) versus millions in the budget, I don’t think we need to be squabbling over that,” added Rhody.

The budget committee currently consists of five members appointed by the County Mayor including Commissioners Sabrina Farler from the 2nd district, Dr. Scott Little from the 4th district, Jerry Adcock and Anita Puckett both from the 5th district, and Jeff Barnes from the 6th district.

Under Rule 17, one of the 5th district commissioners will be forced off the budget committee in October since only one commissioner from each district may serve.

Rule 17 further spells out the duties of the Budget Committee.

“The purpose of the Budget Committee shall be the study of all fiscal matters concerning DeKalb County government and make recommendations to the County Commission concerning the annual budget. (TCA 5-9-402, TCA 5-9-404)”

“Items under the jurisdiction of this committee may include but are not limited to”

*A review of DeKalb County budget with the Chairman of the Commission, the County Mayor, and other county officials.

*Holding necessary public hearings prior to establishment of the budget

*A study of the ways and means of financing the county program

*A study of the recommendation on the DeKalb County tax rate

*A review of the investment of available county funds

*To study and make recommendations on any other fiscal matters with which the citizens and the government of DeKalb County should be concerned.”

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