Sheriff and Alexandria Police Chief Attend School Violence and Safety Summit

August 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association and the Tennessee Association of Police Chiefs conducted a School Violence and Safety Summit in Franklin TN. Thursday.

Sheriff Patrick Ray and Alexandria Police Chief Chris Russell attended the Summit.

Keynote speakers included Ms. Michele Gay, a parent whose child was killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting and founder of Safe and Sound Schools, Mr. Mo Canady who is the Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers NASRO, and Mr. Rob Chapman of the Department of Justice COPS Office.

This Summit was aimed at different ways to define school crime, safety assessments, campus, building and classroom security, anonymous child reporting systems, coordination with first responders, behavior threat assessments and management, school base law enforcement, mental health resources, school drills, and social media monitoring among other things.

The Summit also had a round table discussion for Sheriffs and Police Chiefs where security problems at schools, possible new school crime laws, extra funding for safer schools and other topics were addressed to carry to the Tennessee General Assembly for help.

There are five schools located in DeKalb County. Four are located in the city limits of Smithville and one is located in Liberty.

The Alexandria Police Department assists the Sheriff’s Department with mutual aid at DeKalb West School in Liberty for a possible quicker response time.

August 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The new fiscal year has started off strong in terms of local option sales tax collections in DeKalb County.

According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, DeKalb County took in $196,757 in local option sales taxes for July 2022 which is up from $194,418 for July, 2021 and an increase from $150,968 for July, 2020.
Collections were also up in two of the four towns in July.

In Smithville, July, 2022 local option sales taxes totaled $395,674 compared to $335,950 in July 2021 and $329,016 for July 2020. Collections for Liberty increased from $6,110 in July 2020 and $8,492 in July, 2021 to $13,878 in July 2022. Dowelltown took in $2,745 in July 2022, down from $2,968 in July, 2021 but up from $1,913 in July, 2020. Alexandria saw a decrease from $28,437 in July, 2020 and $27,498 in July, 2021 to $25,218 in July 2022

Net Collections with the county and cities combined showed a jump in local option sales tax collections in July 2022 to $634,274, up from $569,329 in July 2021 and an increase from $516,447 in July, 2020.

July sales tax collections reflect previous month activity.

August 27, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Another nail biter!

With the game tied at 14 and only four seconds left, DeKalb County’s kicker Juan Ortega split the uprights on a 31-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 17-14 victory over the Smith County Owls at Carthage Friday night.

In the season opener the previous week, DeKalb County came from behind with just over a minute left in the game to defeat the Warren County Pioneers 35-34 in Smithville.

DeKalb County (2-0) will host Macon County (2-0) in a rare Thursday night game (September 1) in Smithville which will be the season region opener for both teams. Macon County has defeated East Robertson 43-33 and Westmoreland 20-15.

Smith County scored its first touchdown of the night on a 14-yard run by Jamison Keeley with 9:23 left in the 1st period completing a 74-yard drive. Johnny Lyda converted the PAT and the Owls led 7-0.

DeKalb County answered with 5:15 left in the 1st period on a 3-yard touchdown run by Colby Barnes completing a 73-yard drive. Juan Ortega added the extra point, and the game was tied at 7-7.

Early in the 2nd period Smith County took the lead on a 21-yard pass play from Kaden Powell to Riley Lollar capping an 80-yard drive. Lyda tacked on the extra point and the Owls led 14-7.

Colby Barnes caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Briz Trapp with 6:27 left in the 3rd period completing a 70-yard drive. Ortega converted the PAT to tie it up at 14-14.

With 1:40 left in the game, the Tiger defense stiffened and stopped the Owls on a 4th & 2 play from the Smith County 40-yard line. DeKalb County took over on downs and moved the ball down to the 14-yard line before Juan Ortega was called upon to deliver the game winning field goal as time expired.

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