Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)

November 12, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County needs community volunteers to become part of an effort to advocate for and promote the best interests of abused and neglected children in DeKalb County working with the juvenile court system.

Through the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, volunteers, just like you, stand up for and speak out to help children who have been abused and neglected. Advocates work to ensure that the court recognizes these children’s right to a safe, loving, and permanent home.

The mission of CASA is to recruit and train volunteers to give a voice to abused children within the juvenile court system and become the local leader in advocacy by educating the public as to the scope and availability of the services for the protection of children.

DeKalb County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Cox has announced a community meeting to introduce the program on Tuesday, November 19 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the county complex. All interested are urged to attend.

Tennessee currently has 20,000 vulnerable children waiting for CASA volunteers to support them in their search for a safe, loving and permanent home. CASA is part of a network of 951 CASA programs across the country.

Volunteer advocates—empowered directly by the courts—offer judges the critical information they need to ensure that each child’s rights and needs are being attended to while in foster care.

Volunteers help children until they are placed in loving permanent homes. For many abused children, a CASA volunteer is the only constant adult presence in their lives.

Judge Cox said a DeKalb County CASA program will be an extension of Cannon County CASA.

“We are trying to bring Court appointed special advocates into DeKalb County,” said Judge Cox. “CASA is in several counties around us including Rutherford, Cannon, and Warren County and this one in DeKalb County would be expanded out of Cannon County. Its grant funded with community partners.

“CASA is basically a volunteer program in which members of the community can become trained and involved in the juvenile court system mainly with children who are dependent and neglected or abused. Volunteers are trained to be advocates for the kids and help get involved in their lives while assisting the court system as best we can to reunify or get the children some permanency. It’s a really helpful program. We have not had it here before but it’s a way of getting our community involved in these cases with vulnerable kids,” explained Judge Cox.

“We are having an initial meeting on November 19 at the county complex. Its an introductory meeting as to what the program is all about as well as the training expected of volunteers. It will take six to eight months to get everybody trained and everything up and running. I’m excited because we have more and more kids involved with DCS and the foster care system with few available resources. This is another tool we can use in our court system to hopefully help these kids,” said Judge Cox.

To RSVP for the community meeting on November 19 scan the QR code shown here. For further information visit www.beforthechild.org

November 12, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A Sparta woman lost her life in a two-vehicle crash Monday afternoon on Highway 70 east in the Hillcrest area.

Dead is 57-year-old Rhonda Wilson.

According to Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Wilson was traveling east in a 2005 silver Buick LeSabre as 32-year-old Jason Ervin of Smithville was heading west in a 2013 red Toyota Tacoma.

Ervin’s vehicle came across the double yellow line into the eastbound lane and struck Wilson’s car. Ervin told Trooper Delong that he had fallen asleep. Wilson tried unsuccessfully to avoid the collision. Upon impact Wilson’s car went off the right side of the road onto the grass and came to rest facing north. Ervin’s truck overturned on the passenger side in the eastbound lane. Wilson died at the scene. Ervin was apparently uninjured. Both were wearing their seatbelts.

Members of the DeKalb Fire Department Rescue Team used extrication tools to better access the body for removal from the wreckage.

Trooper Delong said Ervin was cited for failing to maintain lane of travel and for no insurance. DeKalb EMS and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene along with other THP officers.

Meanwhile, a woman’s hand was reportedly severed in a separate crash late Saturday night on Highway 146 near Tabernacle Road.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that 29-year-old Laura P. Palomo Morales was traveling North on Short Mountain Highway in a 2016 Jeep Cherokee when the vehicle went off the right side of the roadway and then came back onto the highway. The Jeep then traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree head-on where it came to a final rest in a yard.

November 11, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Members of a grateful community gathered Monday morning at the county complex to pay tribute to the extraordinary individuals who have worn the uniform of our nation’s armed forces.

Veterans’ Day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a solemn promise to remember.

The observance was coordinated by the American Legion Post #122 and began with patriotic music by Susan Hinton on the keyboard and performances by the DCHS Chorus under the direction of Josh Gulley and the DCHS Band directed by Max Patterson with the presentation of colors and a prayer by local minister Larry Green. A music video of the song “Unsung Heroes” by Dailey and Vincent was also shown.

Danny Pan, 4th District Commander and member of the American Legion Upper Cumberland Post#135 was the featured speaker. Pan spoke of his military background and then gave a history of Veteran’s Day with the support of the American Legion.

“World War I was so horrific that many referred to it as the war to end all wars. Unfortunately, that optimism was short lived. A generation later the second world war would follow which was even deadlier than the first. Even so the American Legion never wavered on the significance of the 1918 armistice. The nation’s largest veterans’ organization had been advocating for Armistice Day to be observed since 1920”, said Pan

“In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War the American Legion led an all-Veterans Day celebration which was seen as the spark that led the movement for November 11 to be a date to honor every American since the Revolutionary War. The advocacy paid off. On October 8, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation officially changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day,” Pan continued.

“The love for this country is a common thread and bonds veterans from the earliest day of our nation’s founding to those serving today. All Americans should remember those who have made our freedom possible. It is up to us to ensure that every veteran believes that his or her service in this country is respected by their fellow Americans. The easiest and simplest way is to say thank you for your service to our country”

“Winston Churchill spoke at the Royal Air Force when he delivered the famous line “never so much owed by so many to so few”. The same could be said of American veterans in 2024. In 1980 about 18% of US adults were veterans. Today it is approximately 5%. Active-duty service members comprise less than one half of one percent of the US population. All Americans benefit from this small and distinguished group of volunteers who currently comprise the US Armed Forces. On this Veterans Day we honor not an Armistice but the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the greatest military the world has ever known. Our message to American veterans past and present is simple. We will never forget you,” said Pan.

Pan served in the Navy from 1987 to 1992 and was deployed to Panama during Operation Just Cause and Desert Shield/Storm. After being discharged from the Navy, Pan benefited from the GI Bill and received a degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San Diego State University. Upon graduation, Pan embarked on a 24-year career in law enforcement where he served in a variety of positions including the Gang Unit, Violent Crime Unit, Anti-Terrorism, Rapid Response Team, among other assignments. He retired in 2018.

Ronnie Redmon, Adjutant of the American Legion Post #122 presided over the program and welcomed the guests while Judy Redmon of the Ladies Auxiliary introduced Pan, the guest speaker.

Melissa Crouch of Gentiva Hospice paid tribute to veterans in attendance and issued pins to them which were presented by members of the DCHS band and Chorus. Crouch also honored Gold Star Mothers.

After the program veterans boarded a school bus which was escorted from the county complex to the courthouse by local law enforcement and fire departments. At the site of the veteran’s memorial monument on the south side of the courthouse, local veterans and others placed a wreath in tribute. A luncheon followed back at the county complex for veterans, their spouses, and program participants.

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