WJLE Radio

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

DeKalb County Mayor Patrick Ray will hold a public meeting regarding the ongoing DeKalb County Jail project tonight (Thursday, September 10, 2026) at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Main Auditorium at the DeKalb County Complex located at 712 South Congress Blvd Smithville.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide the DeKalb County Commission and the public with an update on the jail project and an opportunity to better understand the project’s history, current status, and potential direction moving forward.

County Mayor Ray is encouraging members of the public to attend the meeting and become informed about the jail project.

“This meeting will give the public an opportunity to understand where the jail project began, where the project stands today, and what the County Commission may want to consider as their decision-making options moving forward,” Ray said. “I encourage everyone who has an interest in the future of the DeKalb County Jail to attend, listen and become informed on the jail issues.”

Speakers expected to participate in the meeting include representatives from:

Treanor (Project Architect)

Bell Construction (Project Builder)

Tennessee Correctional Institute (TCI)

County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS)

DeKalb County Fiscal Agent

DeKalb County Attorney

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the County Commission and the public to hear directly from professionals and county officials involved in various aspects of the jail project.

This is a public meeting, and all members of the community are encouraged to attend.

How the county should address the jail issue has been controversial almost from the beginning and was an issue in this year’s local elections.

For at least seven years the county has been advised by the Tennessee Corrections Institute, the entity that has the authority to certify or decertify jails in Tennessee, about deficiencies at the DeKalb County Jail which might result in state decertification unless the county followed a plan of action to address them.

More than three years ago, in August 2023 TCI, following a jail inspection, determined that the jail’s certifiable beds at 102 had to be reduced to no more than 52 immediately and that the basement portion of the older jail facility, which housed 23 inmates, could no longer be used for that purpose. Since that time, in order to comply with TCI and keep the number of prisoners housed here down, the sheriff’s department has sent many prisoners off to other county jails that would agree to take them which has come at a substantial cost to DeKalb County.

After months of study on options for solving the jail issues, a majority of the former county commission in June 2024 voted in favor of an initial bond resolution for up to $65 million to build a judicial center/jail and a 51 cent property tax increase for debt service to fund it over 30 years. But the bond resolution was defeated after a successful citizen petition drive forced a referendum in November 2024. A referendum proposal for a $50 wheel tax was also shot down by the voters. Had the wheel tax been approved, the commission had committed at that time to roll back the property tax hike from 51 cents to 33 cents which would have been an equal amount to what the wheel tax would have generated to service the debt on jail construction.

In the meantime, the county continued reviewing options, as to whether it would be more feasible and economical to renovate or expand the jail at the existing site downtown or to look elsewhere.

In June 2025 a majority of the county commission voted to purchase 71.5 acres on Smith Road not to exceed $1.8 million for the future home of a new jail subject to favorable core drill testing and to issue a 12-year capital outlay note not to exceed $35 million to build the jail. The property tax rate remained the same.

Residents of the neighborhood and others including some county commissioners protested the plan but the county moved forward.

Treanor Architect and Bell Construction and Bell Construction were brought on as the project architect and builder and unveiled plans for a 182-bed jail and sheriff’s department complex on Smith Road.

Although plans have been in the development stage for months, no bids have apparently been let with no announced date for groundbreaking on the project.

09/05/2026

The Tigers got it done again!

In a game in which precious points were hard to come by Friday night, the Tigers found a way to win beating the visiting Watertown Purple Tigers 13-7 in overtime to keep their perfect record intact now at 3-0 on the season.

Trailing 7-0 with 2:31 left in the 4th period, the DC Tigers completed a seven play 72 yard game tying scoring drive as quarterback Jesse Foutch found Keegan Taylor on an 18 yard touchdown pass sending the contest into overtime tied 7-7 after kicker Adrian Prater knocked home the extra point. The drive started with 4:11 to go in regulation.

Watertown’s only score of the game had come with 7:29 left in the 1st period on a 95 yard touchdown run by QB Garrett Davis after DeKalb County had the purple Tigers initially backed up to their own 2 yard line to start the two play drive. Kicker Brody Osborne converted the PAT.

In the overtime, Watertown got the ball first and were stopped on a 4th and goal from the DC 2 yard line by Reed Midgett.

DeKalb County then got the ball in overtime and drove to the Watertown 2-yard line on an 8-yard run by Reed Midgett before QB Jesse Foutch took it in from there on a keeper for the game winning touchdown. The final: 13-7 DeKalb County wins!

Next week the Tigers (3-0) will visit Friendship Christian (2-1) Friday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m. WJLE will have LIVE coverage.

09/04/2026

Local and state officials gathered for a ribbon cutting of the new DeKalb County Health Department Thursday, September 3 at 286 Tiger Drive.

The facility opened in a limited capacity Monday, August 10 until the transition was complete.

Ground breaking for the new 9,860 square foot building was held on July 30, 2025. AEI of Cookeville was the architect of record and Sain Construction of Manchester served as the contractor for the project.

The new health department was constructed using state and local allocations of federal ARP funds (American Rescue Plan Funds) which included the earmarking of State support of $4,300,500 (previously committed federal ARP funds coming through the state) and the remaining $398,000 in local matching funds (previously committed ARP funds).

At the ground breaking ceremony, Director Michael Railling said the new complex, which is larger than the old 8,470 square foot building, will offer 10 clinic rooms as opposed to six at the former facility and continue offering primary care services as a federally designated site which includes treatment of acute illness and chronic disease management provided by a nurse practitioner or physician. Services can also include telehealth, wellness exams, laboratory tests, and health education.

“We couldn’t ask for any better location for our new complex,” Railing said. “Its ideal right next door to where we were and we won’t have a problem with people knowing where to find us. We are established here and have been since 1971 right next to the high school and middle school. We do a lot of programs in the school system so that also makes our location convenient”.

Unlike other states, Tennessee provides primary care at its local health departments according to Dave Harrell, Director of Special Projects for the Tennessee Department of Health.

“Tennessee is the only state in the union that provides primary care in our health departments. That’s unusual but it’s a great blessing and part of what this new building will do is allow us to do that more efficiently and more safely if God forbid there is another pandemic. The whole purpose of these (ARP) funds (used to build the new health department) is to make sure we are better prepared for the next pandemic than we were for Covid. This staff worked very hard during Covid and they will have to work hard during the next pandemic also but hopefully they will be able to work smarter and safer. That’s what these funds are for and what the new building will accomplish here,” said Harrell.

As a federally designated site in a medically underserved community, Director Railling said the DeKalb County Health Department will be poised to increase access to affordable primary care services for patients who are uninsured, underinsured and privately insured.

At the ground breaking Director Railing said “We wouldn’t have been able to do this without help from a lot of individuals and I want to recognize them including (former) County MayorMatt Adcock. He has been with us the whole way and supported us during the whole project. Also thanks to his predecessor Tim Stribling. He was the one who pushed this along from the get go and helped us with the county commission to get everything passed with the (ARP grant) match. He was very important to this project. We had support from all the county commissioners. From the beginning of the project they were willing to be able to put up the (grant) match to get this funded. We thank them (county commissioners) for supporting us. I want to thank my boss Angel Troxell, our regional director and her office and the Tennessee Department of Health staff helping for us with the accounting aspects of it and getting our grants and everything pushed through so we could get this started. Thanks to AEI Architect who designed the plans. This building is going to be a great asset to the community. It’s a beautiful building. It different. Its not cookie cutter. I want to thank the staff as well. This is being built with American Recovery Plan Covid Relief funds. The staff of 13 here literally sat here for about two years underneath a canopy testing individuals or doing vaccines. There were over 11,000 tests and more than 8,000 vaccines done in heat like this today as well as in 20 and 30 degree temperatures. We’re doing this in part for them and they are super excited about this new space” said Railling.

09/03/2026

WJLE

09/03/2026

Farmers Market downtown Smithville's West Walnut and West Main Friday, September 4 from 4-7 p.m.

09/02/2026

A changing of the guard!

The newly elected mayor and aldermen of Smithville were sworn into office Tuesday evening in a brief ceremony prior to the start of the September meeting.

Smithville’s first female mayor, Beth Chandler took her oath of office from the city’s first female city judge, Gayla Hendrix. The two new additions to the town council, Meshia Johnson and Todd Cantrell were also sworn into office by Judge Hendrix.

After an opening prayer by Mayor Chandler’s father Richard Williams and the pledge of allegiance, the mayor gaveled the meeting to order.

The agenda was light with only the announcement of mayoral appointments to city boards and aldermen approval

Each alderman was appointed to be commissioner of a different city department as follows:

https://youtu.be/nZL619MBmM8?si=ybaAxbz_ARGDlk1r

Streets and Safety- Jessica Higgins

Water and Sewer-Danny Washer

Sanitation-Todd Cantrell

Finance and Taxation-Meshia Johnson

Police and Fire-Shawn Jacobs

Mayor Chandler appointed herself as city representative and former Mayor Josh Miller as a citizen member to the Smithville Electric System Board

Airport Board- Roth Terrell, Debbie Hitchcock, Josh Williams, and Alderman Shawn Jacobs

B**r Board- Alderman Danny Washer, Farron Hendrix, Brandon Keith, David Terrell, and Chase Collins

Board of Zoning Appeals- Alderman Jessica Higgins, Dwayne Snow, Caleb Gash, Eddie Hobson, and Josh Miller

911 Board- Mayor Chandler

City Judge Gayla Hendrix.

09/01/2026

The DeKalb County Public Officials were sworn into office Monday evening by General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Cox to begin their new terms effective September 1.

Those officials include County Mayor Patrick Ray, Sheriff Brian Williams, County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss, Road Supervisor Danny Hale, Register of Deeds Daniel Seber, Trustee Sean Driver and Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin. All terms are 4 years. Judge Cox is in the midst of an 8 year term. He was elected in 2022 and will be up for re-election in 2030.

The DeKalb County Commissioners were also sworn into office Monday evening by Judge Cox to begin their new 4-year terms effective September 1.

Those commissioners are Randy Slager and Daniel Cripps (1st District), Danny Adamson and Myron Rhody (2nd District), Don Rigsby and Bradley Hendrix (3rd District), Tony “Cully” Culwell and Greg Matthews (4th District), Judith Hale and Steven Cantrell (5th District), Bruce Parsley and Andy Pack (6th District), and Mathias Anderson and Anthony Fuller (7th District).

Five members of the DeKalb County Board of Education were sworn into office by Judge Cox Monday evening to begin their new 4-year terms effective September 1.

Those school board members are Danny Parkerson (1st District), Alan Hayes (2nd District), Jim Beshearse (3rd District), Jesse Sutton (4th District), and Shaun Tubbs (7th District). These five were elected August 6th. The other two members of the School Board (Not Pictured) Megan Moore (5th District) and Jason Miller (6th District) were elected in 2024 and their terms will expire in 2028.

DeKalb County Public Officials pictured left to right- Sheriff Brian Williams, County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss, Road Supervisor Danny Hale, County Mayor Patrick Ray, General Sessions/Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Cox, Register of Deeds Daniel Seber, Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin, and Trustee Sean Driver.

New DeKalb County Commissioners pictured left to right- seated Myron Rhody, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Don Rigsby, Judith Hale, Randy Slager, and Steven Cantrell. Standing left to right- Daniel Cripps, Andy Pack, Greg Matthews, Anthony Fuller, Bradley Hendrix, Bruce Parsley, Mathias Anderson, Danny Adamson, and County Mayor Patrick Ray.

Board of Education members take oath of office: Pictured left to right- Jesse Sutton, Jim Beshearse, Alan Hayes, Judge Brandon Cox who administered the oath, Shaun Tubbs, and Danny Parkerson. Members not pictured are Megan Moore and Jason Miller who are not up for election until 2028.