DCHS Awards Final Teacher, Student, and Guardian of the Month Honors for 2022-23 School Year

May 7, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School on Tuesday presented its final monthly awards of the 2022-23 year for teacher, student, and guardian of the month. These honors were for the month of April.

Each received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal from El Rancho Mexican Restaurant in Smithville.

Coaches Joey Agee and Cody Randolph were chosen by the administration as Co-Teachers of the Month while Junior Evelyn Mitchell is Student of the Month, voted on by the teachers. The guardian of the month is Kelley Hollingsworth, and this honor was based on a winning essay written by her granddaughter, Matty Hollingsworth, a 16-year-old 11th grader at DCHS.

Mitchell, daughter of Steve and Sara Mitchell of Smithville, said she was quite surprised when told she had been selected “Student of the Month”.

“I am really excited. I wasn’t expecting it. This is my first year here. I just moved here from Louisiana last summer and I really like it. All of my family is from here. I have really enjoyed being in school here and I am happy the teachers chose me for this honor,” said Mitchell.

A member of the DCHS Beta Club, Mitchell said her future ambition is to have a career in the healthcare field.

“Evelyn’s name is heard quite a bit around the school. All the teachers who have Evelyn in school, love her being in their classes. Not only does she actively participate in class, but teachers see her as a future leader. She works incredibly hard and is respectful of the school and others around her. We couldn’t be prouder to present her with the award as “Student of the Month”, said Thomas Cagle, Assistant Principal at DCHS.

Finding it difficult to settle on just one honoree for “Teacher of the Month” for April, Cagle said the administration decided to award two staff members.

Although DCHS head boys’ basketball coach Agee and Coach Randolph, his assistant are veteran educators, they are completing their first year at DCHS. Prior to this year, Agee served as Assistant DeKalb West School Principal and is a former DeKalb Middle School boys coach. Randolph came over to DCHS from DeKalb Middle School where he had served as the Saints boys basketball coach for the previous eight years. Both Coaches Agee and Randolph teach wellness and physical education at DCHS.

“Its truly an honor to be recognized as “Co-Teacher of the Month”, said Agee. “I know what these guys (principal and assistants) go through having been in administration for 8 years. There are times you need help and when you have staff willing to help you in any way, it makes your job a lot easier,” he added. “This is my 20th year in the school system but my first year here at DCHS and I have enjoyed it. It’s been a good year and its gone by quick. I’s already May and doesn’t seem like it should be,” said Coach Agee.

“I am grateful for this honor as “Co-Teacher of the Month” by the administration, said Randolph. “Being able to help in any way possible is what we want to do with the kids as well as the staff and administration. Any way we can help, we want to pitch in,” he said.

“Coaches Agee and Randolph are our boys basketball coaching staff as well as our PE and wellness teachers and these guys go through a lot,” said Cagle. “Unfortunately we don’t always have the amount of subs we probably need all the time, so many times the gym gets full with some extra classes and these guys are always more than willing to help us out anyway they can, whether its helping with giving tests during testing time, helping watch additional classes, lending me some strong students to help move things around, whatever it is, these two guys have been exceptional this year and its been an honor to have them as part of our staff here and to be able to work with them this year and get to know them better and we could not be happier that they are here and part of our staff and we hope they want to stay for a long time,” said Cagle.

For “Guardian of the Month, Cagle said Matty Hollingsworth wrote a moving essay in tribute to her grandmother, Kelley.

“Much like our other essays this year, Matty’s was just one that reached out to me. She really talks about some of the things she has had to overcome as far as with school and life and things outside of school. Reading these essays gives me a chance to know kids like Matty a lot better as well as their families and to learn of the amazing things their families are doing for them and the things they have to go through each and every day. Matty and Kelly are an example of that and them overcoming some of those difficulties. Its wonderful to see them and so many other supportive families, parents, and guardians out there willing to do what it takes to get these kids through school and through life. Kelley does a great job helping Matty and helping her see the importance of what she can become and what she can be when she leaves school,” said Cagle.

“My grandmother is a really kind person, and she is nice to everybody she talks to or comes to our house,” said Matty. “She hands out blankets and food to homeless people in the community. She is really sweet, so I just wrote in my essay all the things I thought make her a special person”.

Matty, who has a twin sister Mallory, is a member of the FFA and Spanish Club at DCHS and her future goal is to become a lawyer.

“I was really shocked but I am blessed and honored,” said Matty’s grandmother Kelley about receiving the “Guardian of the Month” award. “I had no idea Matty was doing this (essay). Matty is awesome. She wants to be a lawyer and I know she will get to do it,” she said.

In addition to Matty and her twin sister Mallory, Hollingsworth said she and her husband of 43 years have raised two other grandchildren. “We enjoy our grandkids. They keep us young. I just want them to do the best in life. None of my kids ever graduated from high school but I plan to see two granddaughters graduate and walk the line next year and I am proud of that and them,” said Hollingsworth.

May 6, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Another Circuit Court judge position is being added to the 13th Judicial District this fall.

According to State Representative Michael Hale, the Tennessee General Assembly has adopted and sent to the Governor legislation creating an additional trial court in the 13th, 22nd and 23rd judicial districts and two additional trial court judges in the 19th judicial district.

The 13th judicial district is made up of Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties. Judges currently serving in the district are Republicans Chancellor-Ronald Thurman , Circuit Court Judge Part I- William T. “Will” Ridley, Circuit Court Judge Part II- Caroline E. Knight, Criminal Court Judge Part I- Gary S. McKenzie, and Criminal Court Judge Part II-Wesley Bray.

The legislation (HB 0905 and companion SB1420) concerning the 13th judicial district states as follows:

“Effective September 1, 2023, there is created in the thirteenth judicial district one (1) additional circuit court to be designated as part III. The governor shall appoint a person to serve as judge of part III of the circuit court, and the person so appointed shall serve in that capacity until September 1, 2024, or until the person’s successor is elected and qualified. At the August 2024 general election, the qualified voters of the thirteenth judicial district shall elect, in accordance with § 16-2-505, one (1) person to serve as judge of part III of the circuit court created by this section. The person so elected at the August 2024 election shall hold office until September 1, 2030, or until the person’s successor is elected and qualified. Thereafter, the judge of part III of the circuit court shall be elected for a full eight-year term”.

According to the fiscal impact of the legislation, the salary and benefits for each new judge position is estimated to be $251,881 ($204,600 salary plus $47,281 benefits). Additionally, each of these positions will require recurring funding for supplies, legal subscriptions, rent, etc, estimated to be $33,800 per position.

Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 16-2-505 (c), upon the election of a judicial district judge, a secretary position is created for that judge. This analysis assumes the secretary will be hired upon the appointment of the judge by the Governor. The salary and benefits for each secretary position is estimated to be $63,185 ($47,900 salary plus $15,285 benefits).

Additionally, each judge position will require recurring funding for travel estimated to be $4,500 per position.

The one time increase in state expenditures in the FY 23-24 budget associated with each of these created judge positions is $28,000 ($18,000 furniture and office set up plus $10,000 for computer and online software.

May 5, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A man charged in a local kidnapping case almost three years ago was sentenced Monday, May 1 in Putnam County Criminal Court where he was making an appearance for a separate offense there.

22-year-old Anthony Emmanuel Hernandez, originally charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and theft over $2,500, entered a plea to a charge of aggravated kidnapping and received a 12-year prison sentence to serve at 100%. He was given jail credit from October 29, 2020 to May 1, 2023.

According to Lieutenant Detective James Cornelius of the Smithville Police Department, Hernandez and another man, 42-year-old Larry Payne, Jr. allegedly participated in the robbery, beating, and kidnapping of Terrance Martin on July 9, 2020 in Smithville. Payne was charged with the same offenses as Hernandez along with the charge of aggravated assault and violation of probation. The cases against Payne apparently remain pending.

Lt. Detective Cornelius explained Friday how the case unfolded.

“We (SPD) were called to a residence at 402 South Mountain Street on the night of July 9, 2020, by Christina Mayo who said she was asked by her boyfriend, Payne to go clean up the house but when we (police) arrived no one was there. We later learned that the renters of the home were in jail at the time but that their friends, including Payne and Mayo had access and used the residence as a hangout place.”

“The next day, July 10 I started an investigation and obtained a search warrant to enter the house. Inside the living room, we found a puddle of blood in the floor, blood on a couch, and observed blood on a door post outside. I then called TBI for assistance”.

“Before I finished at the house, Terrance Martin showed up at police department to report his vehicle had been stolen from that location (402 South Mountain Street). Although we later learned from him that he had been the victim of the attack, Martin initially didn’t want to talk about anything but the theft of his car, a white 2015 Buick Lacrosse. I later spoke with him in my vehicle and as we drove around, he gave me more details saying that he had met Hernandez and Payne the night of July 9 at Colonial Properties (formerly Short Mountain Villages) and that they attacked him as he approached them in the driveway. Martin said his assailants then forced him into the trunk of his car and drove to 402 South Mountain Street, where they got Martin out of the trunk and brought him into the living room of the residence. They then took his money and phone, pistol whipped him in the head, put a bag over his head and tied him up by the wrists before again putting him in the trunk of the car and driving outbound on West Broad Street. Around midnight and somewhere near the Wilson Bank and Trust location, Martin was able to free himself from his restraints, popped open the trunk, and escaped from the moving car. He walked to the hospital where he called for his girlfriend to come pick him up. Martin later returned to the hospital for treatment and then went to the police department,” said Lt. Detective Cornelius.

Martin’s car was later found abandoned on Holmes Creek Road.

“During the investigation, Mayo said she had been at the residence at 402 South Mountain Street earlier that night (July 9 and prior to the attack on Martin) but that she had been contacted by Payne and told to leave. Sometime after she left, Mayo said Payne called for her to return to the home to clean it up.”

“We (police) later contacted Hernandez and he gave a statement after which he was released. When we got more information, we took warrants on both Hernandez and Payne”.

“While trying to serve the warrants, we learned that Hernandez had left the state. We put out the information and found that he was at the home of his grandfather in Seguin, Texas. I reached out to the police department there and they picked him up. Sergeant Will Judkins and I later went there to bring Hernandez back here,” said Lt. Detective Cornelius.

Payne was subsequently served with the warrants against him and at the time was housed in Putnam County where he was wanted for probation violation. He is now in prison in the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex for felony offenses committed in Putnam and Shelby Counties.

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