Jacobs facing host of charges

September 17, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A woman is facing several charges including drug offenses after recent encounters with county law enforcement officers.

27 year old Keely Breanna Jacobs of Blue Springs Road, Smithville is charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution; possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver (2 counts); identity theft (3 counts); driving on a revoked or suspended license (3 counts); possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; criminal impersonation; prescription drug fraud; and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond for Jacobs totals $151,500 and her court date is September 26.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on August 27 a deputy pulled over a 2001 Ford F150 driven by Jacobs. During the traffic stop Jacobs identified herself as Leah Jacobs and gave a false date of her birth. Not knowing, the officer issued her citations in the name of Leah Jacobs. Later, a detective reviewed the officer’s body camera from the traffic stop and determined that the woman was actually Keely Jacobs. Officers learned that Jacobs’ driver license was suspended on August 15, 2023 in Cannon County for failure to appear.

Jacobs was pulled over again by a separate officer August 31 on Evins Mill Road when he saw a 2001 Ford F150 leave its lane of travel several times. Jacobs, the driver, gave her name as Leah Jacobs and a birth date which was not her own. The officer issued her citations in the name of Leah Jacobs but during the investigation, a detective reviewed this officer’s body cam from this traffic stop and found that Leah Jacobs was actually Keely Jacobs.

Four days later Jacobs was caught for the same offense. Sheriff Ray said that on September 4 a different deputy was patrolling Blue Springs Road when he spotted a 2001 Ford F150 leave its lane of travel several times. He pulled it over and spoke with the driver, Jacobs who again said she was Leah Jacobs. A background check on the license revealed it to be valid but later the deputy learned from a detective that her real name was Keely Jacobs and the license under that name came back suspended.

Five days after that incident, on September 9 a deputy went to Jacobs’ residence on Blue Springs Road to serve a warrant on her. Jacobs again stated that she was Leah Jacobs but after observing a picture of Jacobs with the warrant and knowing that she was not Leah Jacobs, the officer placed Keely under arrest. While placing Jacobs in custody on outstanding warrants, the officer noticed in plain view several items of drug paraphernalia. After advising Jacobs of her Miranda rights, she gave consent for him to search the residence and he found a small baggie containing a single white pill believed to be Buprenorphine along with three scales bearing a crystal-like residue, several pipes with residue, and several baggies. She admitted to having been selling narcotics. Also found during the search were two baggies with a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. One of the baggies weighed 7.78 grams and the other 10.59 grams (18.37 grams total). The search also turned up several pill bottles containing different types of pills in each with either the labels torn off or different names on the bottles.

At the jail on September 12, a female correctional officer conducted a strip search of Jacobs and found in the waistband of her shorts a baggie that held a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine which weighed six grams.

September 16, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Will the county commission uphold the 90-day suspension of medical examiner Dr. Denise Dingle resulting in her termination?

During a meeting Monday night, the county’s health, education, and public welfare committee discussed the issue and voted to recommend that the full county commission uphold County Mayor Matt Adcock’s 90-day suspension of Dr. Dingle due to alleged “uncooperative and unprofessional” conduct. The committee also voted to recommend that the county commission hire Dr. Caleb Cantrell at $2,000 per month  total as he (Dr. Cantrell) has requested to fill both positions, medical examiner and medical director and for him to take over from Dingle at the end of her suspension on October 30. When he suspended Dr. Dingle as medical examiner in July, County Mayor Adcock also terminated her as medical director, a separate position, and named Dr. Cantrell to succeed her in that role.

Dr. Dingle’s attorney Jon Slager attended the committee meeting Monday night but did not address it. However, he did make a statement to WJLE after the meeting in response to the committee’s recommendation.

“Its very unfortunate what the committee has done tonight but of course it has to go before the full county commission on Monday and we look forward to that,” said Slager. “I certainly hope that we can reach out to some of those commissioners between now and then and get them some information about Dr. Dingle. She has been a doctor longer than I have been alive. She has done a good job in her position as medical director and medical examiner. Our hope is the county commissioners will look at this and not just follow County Mayor Adcock who is the only one who has verbally said anything pushing this. My hope is that they would examine her record and the fact that there are zero disciplinary actions or write-ups and make an independent decision. If they do that I think she will keep her position with the county,” said Slager

According to Committee Chairman Larry Green, if approved by the county commission, Dr. Cantrell has offered to serve in the combined positions of medical director/medical examiner for a total of $2,000 per month as a contracted service instead of being hired as a county employee. Originally, Dr. Cantrell had only asked the county to provide him health insurance coverage but in order to do that, Dr. Cantrell had to be a county employee and draw at least a minimum salary which with benefits in the 2024-25 budget would be $41,000. The county has been paying Dr. Dingle, as a contracted service, $5,000 a year as medical director and $100 per body as medical examiner. According to statistics, the county averages 50-60 bodies per year in which a medical examiner/coroner’s report is needed.

Concerns about the medical examiner position were first raised several months ago during county commission workshops after complaints that the office, in some cases, was not providing a timely response to on scene deaths causing delays in investigations before the removal of a body.

In July Dr. Dingle was terminated by County Mayor Adcock in her role as medical director over county emergency medical services and he also suspended her for 90 days as the county medical examiner alleging Dingle to have been “uncooperative and unprofessional”.

Dr. Dingle retained Slager to represent her in this matter and last month he emailed letters to each of the 14 county commissioners asking them to take into consideration Dr. Dingle’s spotless record before making a determination. In his defense of Dr. Dingle, Slager pointed out in his letter to the county commission that her personnel file contains no write-ups.

Committee Chairman Green said County Attorney Hilton Conger was asked to offer some advice on the matter.

“I went through Hilton to get an opinion because I did not know exactly where we stood legally. In a nutshell (according to Conger) the medical examiner and medical director are not county employees, therefore there is no personnel file,” said Green. “They serve just like Hilton does, just like Steve Bates (fiscal agent) does. They give professional advice and services to the county commission therefore there is no personnel file,” explained Green.

“The main argument that I have heard is that nothing was documented (as cause for suspension/termination) but there really doesn’t have to be anything documented,” Green continued. “For example, if the county mayor decided today he wanted to terminate Hilton (county attorney) he could with the county commission then supporting him. That in a nutshell is where we are at,” he said.

The issue of whether the medical examiner can charge a fee to a family for a cremation certificate was also discussed. A practice allegedly conducted by Dr. Dingle.

“There is no statute that gives them (a medical examiner) permission to charge for a cremation certificate according to information provided by the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS),” Green said.

According to Green, Dr. Cantrell has said he would not charge for cremation certificates.

“All we can do tonight is make a motion back to the county commission on what this committee recommends,” said Green. “There are only two choices. Either recommend upholding the suspension of Dr. Dingle which would result in her termination on October 30 or recommend lifting the suspension and then she would go back to being the medical examiner effective immediately”.

Committee member Glynn Merriman made a motion to recommend to the county commission that the suspension be upheld. Member Jeff Barnes offered a second to the motion which was approved. Members Mathias Anderson and Daniel Cripps also voted in favor. Members Tom Chandler and Myron Rhody were absent.

In a separate motion, the committee voted to recommend to the county commission that Dr. Cantrell be named as the county’s medical director and medical examiner for a total of $2,000 per month. Committee member Barnes made the motion and member Anderson offered a second to the motion. Members Merriman and Cripps also voted in favor.

The county commission will meet in regular monthly session Monday night, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mike Foster Multipurpose Center.

September 16, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County High School has named its “Teacher of the Month” for August.

Jon Jones, a three-year Spanish teacher at DCHS, was awarded Thursday by Principal Bruce Curtis and Assistant Principals Jenny Norris, and Seth Willoughby. The “Teacher of the Month” is voted on by the administration.

“It was really touching that I would receive this honor. It was a real surprise,” said Jones. The administration here has been really supportive of me and the work I enjoy doing. They make it a really great place to work,” he said.

Jones and his family came here from Wisconsin where he spent a couple of years doing non-profit work in community building. He is a veteran teacher of 15 years including his time here and a previous tenure teaching in west Tennessee.

“I teach Spanish here and work with students that are learning English that come from Spanish speaking countries,” said Jones.

He and his wife have six children ranging in ages from 10 months to 15 years old.

In his spare time, Jones serves as a coach for his son’s archery team and he is involved in other activities. “I read a lot and enjoy doing remodeling and minor carpentry projects. I like listening to music with my kids and watching movies. My family and I help out at our church in McMinnville and my wife plays the piano there,” said Jones.

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