Kidman Puckett Plans Return to Haiti for Teaching and Mission Work (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

February 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A DeKalb County woman who began teaching and missionary work in Haiti two years ago plans to return there soon perhaps for a much longer stay.

Kidman Puckett, daughter of Jimmy and Anita Puckett of Smithville and a member of the Outreach Baptist Church in Smithville said she felt the call to do missionary work shortly after graduating from college.

“After I graduated high school I went to UT-Chattanooga and when I completed my education there I worked at Pates Ford Marina and started going to church at Outreach Baptist Church and that’s where I felt called to do missionary work and began thinking about moving to Haiti,” said Puckett.

IMG_4373 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“When I was in high school I went on youth trips with my church and one time went to Mobile, Alabama and we did mission type work and I loved it so much I knew it was something I was really going to be passionate about although I had never really thought about doing it full time. Over time missions became heavier on my heart so I began to pray for reassurance in the calling and then on the last weekend we were open at Pates Ford Marina I had an elderly couple come in and they asked me what my plans were after the season was over. I told them missionary work was heavy on my heart. They asked where do you want to go. I said that was something I was still praying about but for some reason Haiti has been on my mind. They said that’s really funny and after talking to them for about ten minutes the man pulled out his card and said he does mission work in Haiti. Once that happened I realized it was an answer to my prayer. After making connections through him and I was able to go with them to Haiti for a week in 2017 and ended up staying nearly a full year from January to October. I went back and visited for a week in July 2018 and moved back on December 28. Although I am home right now I plan to return to Haiti in two weeks with no time limit. It could be for two years or forever,” said Puckett.

As part of her mission work, Puckett teaches English at an orphanage compound and university and also leads Bible studies.

“In Haiti their main religion is voodoo and that is very strong throughout the country but at the same time the people who worship and believe in voodoo know that God is more powerful so usually when it comes to witnessing to the people in Haiti they are very open to hearing what you have to say about it. I teach second and third graders through a state academic program. It is an English speaking school so all of these kids are learning English and they will graduate with an American high school degree. I also teach English at a university in Haiti and do Bible studies with girls age 15 and older who can understand English,” Puckett said.

“Haiti is a third world and very impoverished country with no electricity and it is hard to get clean water but there are lots of wells. Although the people are very poor they are generally very happy,” said Puckett.

“I want to thank Outreach Baptist Church for supporting me every month while I am there. They have gotten really involved and been able to take trips down there with me sometimes so that’s really exciting,” added Puckett.

February 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin has announced the launch of a new website for her office at http://www.dekalbtennessee.com/circuit-court-clerk.html.

M2U02892 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“We’re excited to announce it. There are four different ways to access it. Google DeKalb County Tennessee Circuit Court Clerk and that will bring it up or go to DeKalb Tennessee.com. Another way is DeKalb Tennessee.com/circuit court clerk which goes directly to the site and WJLE will have a link to the site,” said Martin.

“Once you get to the website, look in the top right corner at Circuit Court Clerk On-Line services and click it. That will take you to the new page.

The site, designed by Lisa Cripps of Main Street Studio, offers information for the DeKalb County Circuit, General Sessions, Juvenile and Criminal Courts including dockets of upcoming court dates, general court procedures, information for prospective jurors, as well as various court costs and fines, courtroom conduct, court forms for divorces, the office holiday schedule, and contact information.

Online Payments are now accepted on the site. Visit the Online Payments page and follow the instructions. Please contact the appropriate court if you encounter any problems.

Martin said the courts and dockets link will be useful to many. “We receive a lot of calls about the court dockets. People want to know if they are on the docket for a certain date. Now they can go to the court and dockets link and find all the court dates. Right now all the court dates for the month of February are listed. If you want to check today’s court docket go to February 21 and click the docket and see what is on there. It will bring up the link and you will see the names of those listed on the docket for today. We don’t list juvenile court cases because those are confidential,” said Martin.

Another popular feature will be the payment online option. “By clicking that link it will take you to BIS (Business Information Systems) which handles the payments for us. You may click the link to the court in which you want to pay and follow the steps. We currently have a lot of people who call in to make credit card payments. Now they can do it online,” added Martin.

Those needing to know about jury duty can access a link on the site as well as persons wanting to attend driver safety school.

“The big one we receive calls on daily is driver safety school and traffic citations. If you click on that link it will tell you all your charges whether it be for a seatbelt violation, cell phone usage, No driver license, financial responsibility, etc and you can see exactly what it is going to cost you. If you get a ticket in DeKalb County you can pay the ticket and it will go on your record or you can attend driver safety school if you have not been within the past year. All the information you need about driver safety school is on our website”.

“We’re also getting a new phone system giving you the option of speaking with the clerk of your choice, whether it be for General Sessions, Juvenile, or Circuit and our scanners are coming in this week. We’re moving right along with our upgrades and we’re excited about it,” said Martin.

February 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Sheriff’s Association along with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office is joining forces in promoting Tennessee SAVIN (Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification) system.

IMG_4366 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray and State Coordinator for the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association Gary Cordell appeared on WJLE today (Thursday) to discuss a number of effective tools that aid crime victims in their rights to receive real time information regarding the status of offenders along with methods to promote awareness and assist crime victims in their communities.

One of the primary rights for crime victims is the right to be notified when the offender who harmed them is released from jail or prison. SAVIN provides free, confidential access to offender custody information by phone and online. Registers users can be notified by phone, email or text when an offender is released from a Tennessee County Jail. Individuals may register for SAVIN by calling toll-free 1-800-501-0367 or visiting www.vinelink.com

“SAVIN is a vital tool for crime victims,” said Sheriff Ray. “Being able to check on the custody status of an offender anytime, day or night, and being able to easily register for free and anonymously and to be notified if that status changes gives them tremendous peace of mind and helps keep them safe.”

This 24-hour/365 day Statewide Automated Victim Information Notification System has been operated by the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association since July 1, 2010.

TN SAVIN provides an optional process and timelier access to offender information from all of the 95 Tennessee County Jails. What makes it special is the automatic notification feature. As long as you have a telephone or a computer, you can receive an automated alert anytime of the day or night anywhere-at home or your workplace and up to five contact numbers can be entered. That kind of information could provide protection that is critically important to anyone who is concerned about the whereabouts of any offender. However, victims should not rely solely on this system for all notification purposes.

Citizens calling 1-888-868-4631 are asked to provide an offender’s name and/or booking number which they can obtain from their local county jail or correctional facility. After the system has provided the relevant offender custody information, it asks the caller of they would like to register to be automatically notified when that offender is released or transferred and what manner of notification they prefer. Those choosing to register provide a phone number, and a four-digit personal identification (PIN) number, which they will later use to confirm the notification calls or to cancel any future calls if needed. Live operator assistance is available round-the-clock for callers who have questions or require additional help. General information is in both Spanish and English and interpreters are available in many languages.

“We’re very pleased to be able to promote this free service and are looking forward to spreading the word about this very useful program that can help so many,” said Cordell.

“SAVIN registrations across the state have continued to increase and are on a path to set new records for victim notification usage of the system,” added Cordell.

SAVIN is available at www.vinelink.com or by calling 1-888-868-4631.

“The Sheriffs in Tennessee are concerned about the safety of our victims and their continued support of the program has made it successful,” said Cordell. Victim registration is also accessible through the MobilePatrol App for both Android and iPhone devices. The MobilePatrol App has links and access to victim’s services, resources, and emergency numbers along with public safety announcements.

Cordell also said that many sheriffs’ offices in the state are on the MobilePatrol App, which allows sheriffs to more efficiently and effectively share public safety information with their communities. Users of the free app are able to see who is in jail, access lists of the most wanted persons and child custody offenders, receive emergency notifications, provide crime tips, access SAVIN from the app, and more. Cordell said there have already been more than 60,000 SAVIN registrations via MobilePatrol in 2018

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