Life was going along as usual for Karen Blair Jacobs last year. Happily married to Smithville City Councilman and longtime radio broadcaster Shawn Jacobs, she had recently experienced the mixture of joy and sadness as their daughter, Caitlin, graduated from DeKalb County High School. A veteran teacher at Northside Elementary School, Jacobs also enjoyed watching her son, Justin Nokes, as he continued excelling in the education profession as a teacher and soccer coach.