Cash Express Hosting “Fill a Police Car” Event Today (Friday) (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

November 23, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Cash Express in conjunction with the Smithville Police Department is hosting its 3rd annual “Fill A Police Car” event today on Black Friday, November 23 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the business location 126 E. Bryant Street.

The police department has provided a vehicle to be fill up with food, toys, and coats. This event also includes a bake sale, soup sale, and jewelry sale.

(VIEW VIDEO BELOW OF SMITHVILLE POLICE SERGEANT TRAVIS BRYANT AND JAMIE DAWSON OF CASH EXPRESS)

IMG_2918 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

The public is asked to bring new toys, canned food, and winter coats for this collection effort. All the donations will remain in DeKalb County for families in need. Monetary donations will also be accepted along with soups and bake sale items. You may also make monetary donations on Facebook.

Money and toys will go to the Smithville Police Department to be distributed; food will go to a local pantry; and coats and clothes will be donated to the clothes closet. The toy and coat drive will run through December 7 with more than 100 drop box locations in DeKalb County. For questions concerning this event, you may call 615-597-3427

November 23, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

When DeKalb County Jail inmates are scheduled for arraignment they have to be escorted by deputies from the jail to the courthouse for their first appearance in court. That will soon change thanks to a grant the county has received to purchase and install a video arraignment system.

During Tuesday night’s all committees meeting of the county commission, County Mayor Tim Stribling said the total cost of purchasing and installing the camera equipment for LIVE video chat between the jail and in the general sessions and criminal courtrooms comes to $39, 391 but the county applied for a grant through the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts and was funded at $35, 407 dollars with a 10% local match of $3,984. Stribling said former Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack and he wrote the grant and submitted the application several months ago.

(VIEW VIDEO BELOW OF ANDERSON COUNTY’S SYSTEM)

With the video arraignment system, a judge can have the formal reading of criminal charges to a defendant without them being in the room. The inmates will be beamed into the courtroom through video chat rather than physically being transported to the courthouse.

Stribling said the video arraignment system still preserves the rights of due process for inmates without incurring the risks and expense of inmate transportation back and forth between the jailhouse and courtroom. It can also enhance safety and security in the courthouse.

“This video arraignment system is something Katherine Pack and I talked about getting for a couple of years. Last year we applied for a grant for bullet proof benches and panic buttons in both courtrooms. We received $17,000 for this upgrade and also courtroom security training. This brought our courtrooms up to minimum courtroom security standards thus allowing us to apply for the video arraignment system. The judges and Sheriff Patrick Ray were in favor of us applying for this grant. We are pleased and very fortunate to have received funds for this system. With only a 10% match, it lessens the financial burden on the county of installing a $39,000 system like this,” said County Mayor Stribling.

“I am very thankful for the video arraignment grant. Transporting inmates from the jail to the courthouse is very dangerous. It is a time that inmates may try to escape or try to pick up contraband and bring back into the jail. There are also safety concerns for the inmate. Someone may try to take out their anger on an inmate for the crime he or she has committed during this time. This is a safety concern for the jail staff also, “ said Sheriff Ray.

“We transport around 25 to 30 inmates on General Sessions court days and around 35 to 49 inmates on Criminal Court days. The video arraignment will cut down on transporting inmates for first time court arraignments also. We have to do inmate transports from other jails to the courts here in DeKalb County. We are hoping this system can be used instead of doing the transports. If a jail has a system like this, the inmate will remain in the county they are incarcerated at and the judge will be able to see them in the courtroom here in DeKalb and do their arraignment over the video system. This will save a lot of time and money and also free up sitting space in the courtrooms and bed space at the jail,” added Sheriff Ray.

Since defendants have a right to face their accusers, the video system cannot be used in every stage of the judicial process.

November 22, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Local emergency service providers and other volunteers found another way to serve their community Thursday morning by making sure a few of the most needy and underserved among us had a hot delicious meal for Thanksgiving.

More than 400 food trays were prepared and delivered by dozens of volunteers. Recipients received a meal of  smoked turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce and rolls along with a homemade dessert.

The project was organized by members of the DeKalb Emergency Services Association in partnership with local businesses and volunteers.

Cooking and food preparation started early Thursday morning at the county complex kitchen and went faster than expected with so many volunteers showing up to help resulting in home deliveries starting sooner.

IMG_2875 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“Last year was our first year doing this and we served 270 food trays. This year we are right at 400 food trays which were delivered on 170 routes so we’re moving up. This community has come out and supported this. We have had so much help this morning and we really appreciate everybody who has had a hand in this. The outpouring has been great,” said Blake Cantrell, DESA President.

Those wanting to be served had to call to get their name on the food delivery list.

Cantrell said another round of meal deliveries will be made on Christmas Eve and volunteers will be needed for that effort. “If you are interested in coming and helping, bringing desserts, delivering a route, etc we encourage you to come out and help us,” he said.

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