Should Church Groups Be Allowed to Rent Community Centers for Months at a Time for Weekend Worship Services? (View video here)

January 24, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Should a church group or anyone be allowed to rent a community center in DeKalb County every Saturday or Sunday for months at a time?

That’s an issue the county mayor and county commission are to address.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Wanda Redmon, a resident of the Keltonburg/Pates Ford Community addressed the county commission concerned that she cannot rent the Keltonburg Community Center until at least July for an event she had planned in March because a church group has booked the facility every Saturday for the next several months to hold worship services. Another church rents the same facility on Sundays.

Redmon said she doesn’t oppose anyone wanting to worship anywhere because she too goes to church, but she doesn’t believe any group should be permitted to tie up a community center for months at a time when the facility is intended for use by the entire community who may want to make use of it for other activities.

“My understanding is the charter (governing use of the community center) does not allow that to happen,” said Redmon. “I am requesting that the charter be reviewed because the community is supposed to have access to the center and members of that community are being told they can’t use it because it has been rented. Maybe we could share half days, but something has to be done because its not fair for people of the community to be forced to come here (county complex). The event we are planning is called “Meet Your Neighbor”. We have a lot of neighbors moving here from out of state and we don’t know them. We want to have this event to get acquainted with them but unfortunately, we can’t have it. We had planned to have it in March but now we can’t do it until probably in the fall,” said Redmon.

County Mayor Matt Adcock said the community centers are owned by the county and no longer governed by charters but there are no specific policies in place for how long anyone can rent them.

In this case, the church group is apparently renting the community center for $50 a day. Some rooms at the county complex apparently rent for four hours at $50.

“Right now, there is just a calendar, and anyone can come in and reserve it for any amount of time they want. That is the current policy we have. Its not to say we can’t change the policy. Ms. Wanda spoke with me earlier today (Monday) and addressed her concerns,” said County Mayor Adcock.

The issue had already been discussed in a recent workshop.

“Commissioner Beth Pafford talked about it because if one person hogs (use of a community center) on a certain day it eliminates other people getting to use that resource. It is something we were going to take to a policies and procedures committee meeting anyway to determine what might be the best avenue to solve the problem,” added County Mayor Adcock.

Adcock said the matter will be taken up by the committee in an effort to reach a happy medium whereby groups wanting to rent a community center long term could share the time and perhaps split the costs with others wanting to use the facility on the same days.

The committee will study the issue and make a recommendation to the full county commission.

January 24, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Electric System has honored its second longest tenured employee for her service to the utility.

Vicky Snow was recently presented a 35-year service award from Smithville Electric System Manager Richie Knowles.

“Vicky started her career with Smithville Electric System in 1987. She has been an excellent employee all of her career. Vicky started out reading meters and has served in several different roles throughout her tenure. She currently serves as the office manager for the electric system. Vicky is the second longest tenured employee of Smithville Electric. We appreciate her dedication and continued willingness to serve,” said SES Manager Knowles.

January 24, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A former cafeteria employee at DeKalb County High School has been charged with theft for allegedly stealing money from the wallet of a fellow worker there.

60-year-old Teena Cone Mooney of Rolling Acres Road, Smithville is under a $1,000 bond for theft of property under $1,000 and she will appear in General Sessions Court on February 2.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on January 12 Mooney, a cook, entered the DCHS cafeteria locker room, accessed a locker belonging to a fellow employee, and took a wallet from the victim’s purse. Mooney then left the locker room out of the surveillance camera view and removed $500 in cash from the wallet before placing the wallet back inside the locker.

Mooney has been terminated from her job.

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