Drug Investigation Nets Two Arrests Including Alabama Fugitive Found with Stolen Car

October 16, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Two women, one of them an Alabama fugitive, were nabbed in a drug investigation two weeks ago by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department in which investigators found methamphetamine and a stolen car from Davidson County.

30-year-old Amber Leigh Merlo of Shelbyville is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and being a fugitive from justice. Her bond totals $82,500.

31-year-old Lisa Michelle Huard of 145 Cleveland Way, Smithville is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and she was released on an own recognizance (OR) bond.

Both will make their first court appearance on October 19.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on October 2 a drug detective along with other members of the sheriff’s office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at 145 Cleveland Way, Smithville where Merlo was found to be in possession of 7.52 grams of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine and various items of drug paraphernalia and digital scales. Merlo was also in possession of a 2011 Hyundai Sonata confirmed stolen out of Davidson County. Huard was found in possession of 0.68 grams of a crystal-like substance believed to be meth and various items of drug paraphernalia and digital scales. Two days later, DeKalb County investigators learned that the Huntsville, Alabama Police Department would be extraditing Merlo back there where she is wanted on other charges.

October 16, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

It appears the DeKalb County Republican Primary will be contested next March at least in the Assessor of Property race.

Incumbent Assessor Shannon Cantrell and Amy Clare Lockhart both obtained qualifying petitions from the DeKalb County Election Commission Office Monday, October 16, which was the first day petitions could be picked up for the March 5th, 2024 primaries.

Cantrell will be seeking the GOP nomination for re-election as Assessor. Lockhart plans to challenge Cantrell for the Republican nomination.

Meanwhile longtime 5th District Constable Mark Milam also picked up a qualifying petition Monday to seek the GOP nomination for re-election to the office of Constable.

Both the DeKalb County Republican and Democratic Parties will be holding primaries simultaneously on Tuesday, March 5th for the offices of Property Assessor, Constable (districts 1-7), and Board of Education (5th & 6th) districts along with the newly created position of criminal court judge-Part III in the 13th judicial district. The primaries will be held in conjunction with the Tennessee Presidential Preference Primary.

The qualifying deadline is Thursday, December 14 at 12 noon. The voter registration deadline for the March 5th primaries is February 5 and the early voting period will be Wednesday, February 14 through Tuesday, February 27. The Absentee ballot request deadline is Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

Independents wishing to run for Assessor of Property or Constable (districts 1-7), Board of Education (5th & 6th) districts, or for criminal court judge-Part III in the August 2024 County General Elections must also qualify by noon on Thursday, December 14 at 12 noon.

Party nominees and independents for these offices will run in the DeKalb County General Election on Thursday, August 1, 2024 and those elected will take office September 1, 2024.

The incumbents in these offices are Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell and Constables- 1st District: Waylon Kyle, 2nd District: Darrell Johnson, 3rd District: Travis Bryant, 4th District: Lane Ball, 5th District: Mark Milam, 6th District: Jason Brown, and 7th District: Johnny King.

The school board seats up for election in 2024 are currently held by Jamie Cripps in the 5th district and Jason Miller in the 6th district.

October 16, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School Friday recognized its teacher, student, and parents of the month for September.

Each received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal from Twisted Oaks. A different restaurant offers a meal gift card to each month’s honorees.

Katherine Blaylock, Vocational Cosmetology teacher, was selected by the administration as Teacher of the Month while Senior Lucian Mcjunkins is Student of the Month, voted on by the teachers. Parents of the month are Karie and Daniel Tucker and this honor was based on a winning essay written by their son, Shon Tucker, a Junior at DCHS.

“I feel honored but I can’t believe this is happening,” said Student of the Month honoree Lucian Mcjunkins.” This all started when a teacher came up to me and told me that I was probably going to have to go to adult school and I guess that gave me a boost of some motivation to get my grades up and my credit recovery finished,” he said.

Lucian is a 17-year-old Senior at DCHS and a member of the Spanish Club. He has a half-brother but his parents are deceased. His goal after high school is to become an electrician.

“Lucian came to us his sophomore year at DCHS,” explained  Assistant Principal Jenny Norris. “He has been active in the choir in the past. He has performed in some of our theater performances, and he sings with our school choir. He has worked super hard to get his grades up and to get all his work done so that he is on track to graduate. We are so proud of the hard work he has put in. At the time we were voting for Student of the Month he had brought all his grades up to A’s and B’s. He has done a super good job this year and has really turned himself around. In presenting this award, we want him to know we are proud of him,” said Norris.

The Teacher of the Month is Katherine Blaylock, who is in her second year at DCHS in the vocational cosmetology classroom.

“I’m very shocked and so grateful to receive his honor,” said Blaylock. A resident of Cookeville, Blaylock has been an educator since 2001 but in 1995 her focus was on cosmetology instruction. Before coming to DCHS, Blaylock taught at Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville and at Georgia Career Institute also in McMinnville.

She explained how she found her way to DCHS.

“TCAT let me know that DCHS was going to start a cosmetology program and asked me if I would be interested and I said absolutely,” said Blaylock.

“I love this school (DCHS) and everybody here. They are all very supportive and help each other. I love what I do,” she added.

Blaylock and her husband have two children, a son and daughter.

“This is Katherine’s second year with us,” said Assistant Principal Thomas Cagle. “She came here when we expanded with our cosmetology program. In the two years she has been here, Katherine has probably quadrupled her class sizes with kids wanting to be part of this program and learning this trade, We can’t thank her enough for what she is doing with those kids. They love her. They love being in class. They are learning so much and they are very passionate about the things they are doing down there in the field of cosmetology. Katherine really has a passion for this vocation, and she has imparted that to a lot of our students, so we are very blessed and lucky we were able to get her to come in and be the teacher for that classroom. Its really going well and growing,” added Cagle.

Karie Tucker was also shocked and surprised to learn that she and her husband Daniel were selected as “Parents of the Month.”

“This was a nice surprise. Parenting is difficult to say the least and some children require more attention, structure, and guidance than others. Sometimes it’s a thankless job and sometimes we don’t think they (children) are absorbing what we are trying to show. This means a lot knowing that he knows we are doing the best we can as parents,” said Karie.

Daniel added that he too was surprised by the recognition but proud to receive it.

Shon explained why he chose to write this essay in tribute to his parents.

“I noticed over the years I had really been a headache to my parents, and I never really gave them a break from the rough times and trouble I got in. This year I have decided to try to straighten up my act the best I can and to surprise them,” he said.

Shon said his goal is to join the US Marines after he graduates. He has four sisters and one brother.

Cagle said Shon’s essay was a great show of admiration to his parents.

“Each month we have the opportunity for all our students to write an essay and talk to us about the things that we don’t see that their parents are doing for them outside of the school. We read through those essays and choose one we feel like best shows those attributes we are looking for of parents and guardians that are supporting their students and the things they are having to go through to do that, and Shon did a great job. I thought it was really awesome for him to do this for his parents and to show some gratitude. I couldn’t help but feel like this was the essay for this month,” added Cagle.

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