This is the first of a two-part story on the tops stories of 2013. This week we will cover the first half of the year, from January through June.
City approves 24-7 beer sales
The Smithville city council approved a measure by a 3-2 margin in January that allowed beer to be sold for off-premises consumption 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and permit eligible dining establishments to serve beer on the property.
After a public hearing on the matter at a special meeting Thursday evening, Aldermen Danny Washer, Gayla Hendrix, and Jason Judd Murphy voted in favor of adopting the changes on second reading.
Alderman Tim Stribling and Shawn Jacobs voted against the measure.
 A large public turnout for the meeting brought a crowd of Smithvillians to city hall to either support or denounce the controversial measure.
The city previously allowed beer to be sold from 6 a.m. until midnight Monday-Saturday, with no sales offered on Sunday and Christmas Day.
Restaurants did not have the option of serving beer on their premises under the old regulations.
Review merges with Times
The staff at the Smithville Review and Morris Multimedia announced the merger of the Review and the DeKalb County Times in January.
The Times, originally founded by Chris and Lisa Tramel, began printing as a monthly 15 years ago as The Middle Tennessee Times.
The Times went to a weekly printing schedule 12 years ago, and name of the publication was changed after the paper was sold in  2010.
The Review began printing in 1892 under the ownership of brothers Frank and P.S. Wallace, and has been printed continuously since.
Thomas awarded scholarship on TV
An Alexandria man who lost most of the use of his arms and legs in a 2010 car accident was awarded a full scholarship and the means to fulfill his dream of getting a college degree on the “Ricki Lake Show” in January. As part of the show’s “Hidden Heroes” series, Kyle Thomas, 20, will study at Colorado Technical University on a full tuition-paid, four-year grant.
Repasy repeats as Firefighter of the Year
Steve Repasy of the Midway Fire Station was named the "2012 County Firefighter of the Year" for the second consecutive year at the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department's annual awards banquet in January.
Captain Brad Mullinax was presented  the "Officer of the Year" award for 2012 at the banquet.
The "Rookie" award for 2012 went to Kristie Johnson of the Main Station.
Thirteen firefighters were recognized and presented pins for their years of service.
Poss receives attendance award
Danny Poss received the "Highest Attendance Award at the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department’s  appreciation dinner in January.
Poss responded to the most incidents, attended the most training, and participated in more activities than any other city firefighter in 2012. He reportedly answered 124 out of 148 calls.
Deputy Chief Hoyte Hale attended 114 calls, and Lieutenant John Poss attended 105 calls.
Former Smithville mayor passes
Former Mayor Cecil Burger passed away in January.
Burger served the citizens of smithville in some capacity for more than  45 years, from 1966-2012. He served as city secretary/treasurer from 1966-1989, including two years as city judge. He retired from that position, but came out of retirement 15 fifteen months later after being elected mayor in 1990.
He served as mayor for 16 years, and as an alderman for six years. He ran in 22 elections without a loss. During his time with the city, as an employee and alderman, Burger served under or with 10 mayors and 52 aldermen.
Series of thefts solved
The sheriff's department arrested two men for a string of burglaries and thefts in Dowelltown and the Dry Creek community in January.
Allen R. Lester, Jr., 24, and 18-year-old Ronald Deshon Reeder were charged with nine burglaries and thefts occurring between Dec. 28 and Jan. 10.
Reeder was charged in connection with three of the incidents because he allegedly rode along with Lester and sat in the vehicle while crimes were committed.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said his department searched Lester’s home and found most of stolen items.
Belk wins spelling bee
Kayla Belk, a seventh grader at DeKalb Middle School and the 12-year-old daughter of ChrisAnne Belk and Andrew Fults of Smithville, took the top spot in the 10th annual DeKalb County Spelling Bee in February. Eleven-year-old Holly Evans, a fifth-grader at DeKalb West School and the daughter of Mike and Amy Evans of Alexandria, was the runner-up.
Judicial redistricting proposed
A group of local attorneys met with the media in February to express their disapproval of a proposed judicial redistricting plan.
Several local barristers spoke out against the plan, which would take DeKalb out of the present 13th Judicial District.
General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II, who is also president of the DeKalb County bar, said judicial redistricting is unnecessary, and noted that a recent study on judicial redistricting resulted in the same conclusion.
“We are unanimous in our opposition to this,” Cook said of himself and local attorneys.
“To me, one of the important factors is the tax dollars that this is going to cost. It will cost millions of dollars. The state of Tennessee is not flush with money, and it’s our money that they're talking about spending. In fact, just four years ago they (the state) spent some $250,000 to $300,000 and hired an independent company to make a study of redistricting the state. The summary of that study says we don't need it.”
Cook said he saw no reason to think that the state of the judicial system has changed drastically in the time since the study.
The final  for redistricting, announced in March, did not affect DeKalb County and the 13th District. Warren, Cannon, Van Buren and Coffee, however, formed the new 14th district, while Rutherford County will be alone in the new 16th District.
Post office announces end to Saturday letter delivery, then backs up
The cash-strapped United States Postal Service announced plans in February to discontinue regular mail service on Saturdays on Aug. 5. David Walton, a spokesman for the Tennessee District of the United States Postal Service, told the Review that the change should save the USPS, which reportedly lost $1.3 billion in the first quarter of 2013, as much as $2 billion a year.
The USPS backed down from the plan in April,  when a required vote from Congress did not go their way.
The governing board of USPS said it was not possible for the postal service to meet its goals for reduced spending without altering the delivery schedule.
According to the board, delaying “responsible changes” would only make it more likely that the postal service “may become a burden” to taxpayers. The board said it was disappointed by the action of Congress, but would follow the law.
The postal service was directed to delay putting the new delivery schedule in place until Congress passes legislation that gives the agency “the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule.”
An independent agency, USPS gets no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations, but is still subject to Congressional control. The postal service estimated it would save roughly $2 billion a year by moving to five-day delivery of some postal products.   
Man leads police on tri-county chase
A Smithville man who evaded police across three counties in February was captured at his home after an investigation by the sheriff’s department determined that authorities from other counties were looking for the wrong man.
Despite the case of mistaken identity, Howard Eugene Brown, 35, was taken into custody at home with his wife after he wrecked his truck and fled into the woods on foot on Bright Hill Road.
The chase when a K-9 unit in Van Buren County stopped to check on a black Dodge Dakota that was already stopped on the side of the road. Brown reportedly got out of the truck and approached the officer, and when asked if he was having trouble, Brown said that he had pulled over because he didn't want to text while driving.
A check of the license plate on the truck, which was registered to another person, reportedly revealed that the owner had no drivers license, at which point Brown leapt back into the truck and attempted to escape.
Van Buren and White County authorities pursued Brown into DeKalb County, and while local law enforcement officers were setting up a roadblock at the intersection of West Broad Street and Congress Boulevard, the Dakota turned onto Evins Mill Road, escaping the blockade. Officers from all three counties continued the chase on Evins Mill Road to Cripps Lane, and then onto Bright Hill Road.
Quick thinking from off-duty state trooper Dewaine Jennings aided in ending the chase. When Jennings, who was at his home on Bright Hill Road, heard about the approaching pursuit, he apparently retrieved a spike strip from his patrol car and placed it in front of his house.
The truck hit the spike strip and at least one of the tires deflated.
The truck then struck a guardrail, bringing the car chase to a halt.
Ray said Brown left the truck, jumped the guardrail and vanished into the woods on foot.
While Van Buren County authorities thought the suspect in the pursuit was another man, Ray Underwood, the sheriff said that he had reservations concerning the suspect after viewing the video from a camera in the Van Buren County vehicle.
The video shows the suspect getting out of the vehicle and escaping on foot after the collision, but Ray said while the video was somewhat blurred, it appeared to him that the man was not Underwood.
When the sheriff’s investigation pointed to Brown as a suspect, officers went to Brown's home to serve an existing violation of probation warrant on him. Brown was taken to the DeKalb County Jail, and allegedly admitted during questioning that he was the driver of the wrecked Dakota.
Brown allegedly told police that he had just finished shooting drugs before the Van Buren County officer stopped to check his welfare.
Willingham named Teacher of the Year
The “Teachers of the Year” from the five DeKalb County schools were announced in February.
The top teachers were Amanda Rhoady, a first-grade teacher at Smithville Elementary School; Sandy Willingham, a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary School; Tammy Payne, a fourth-grade teacher at DeKalb West School; Suzette Barnes, a seventh-grade teacher at DeKalb Middle School; and Joey Reeder, a history teacher at DeKalb County High School.
Willingham was named Teacher of the Year at the annual teachers’ banquet in May.
DTC CEO named in lawsuit
The Review learned in February that James A. Vaden and Kevin C. Young, both former employees of DeKalb Telephone Cooperative (DTC), had  filed suit against the co-op and Ceo Craig Gates for allegedly denying them employee benefits.
The suits both claimed authorities were exploring criminal charges of extortion against Gates based on his actions leading up to the termination of Young, Vaden and their co-workers.
According to the District Attorney General Randy York, however, an investigation into extortion charges against Gates was not being pursued. “An attorney for one of the plaintiff's brought in some material concerning the case and asked that we open an investigation. I reviewed the material and  did not find a violation of our criminal statutes and did not authorize an investigation,” York said.
Hattaway, Jennings honored by  THP
Tonya Hattaway of Smithville was named the THP 2012 Dispatcher of the Year at a special award ceremony held in Murfreesboro. Hattaway, who is assigned to the THP’s Cookeville District, earned the honor for her help in finding a woman who was suspected to be intent on harming herself, and dispatching a trooper to help her. Hattaway also  assisted in the capture of a child predator in DeKalb County. Hattaway and the trooper she was assisting looked beyond a “normal traffic stop” and determined the driver, who had a teenage girl with him, was wanted for child molestation in another county.
Trooper Dewaine Jennings was named Trooper of the Year for the Cookeville District.for the second time in four years. Jennings was among 12 members of the THP who were honored as Troopers of the Year for their individual districts during a special ceremony in Murfreesboro. Trooper Jennings was involved in the same child predator case that Hattaway was commended for.
Former scoutmaster caught in sting
A former local assistant scoutmaster was caught in an Florida underage sex  sting in March.
The operation netted 15 men, including 47-year-old Richard Charles Holubek of Orange Park, Florida, a former assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America Troop 347 in DeKalb County.
Authorities said Holubek was trying to meet a 13-year-old male online. He was charged with one count of use of computer service to solicit a child, one count of obscene communication, travel to meet after use of a computer to lure a child, and one count of utilizing a two way device to facilitate a felony.
Company store catches fire
Quick work by the DeKalb County Volunteer Firefighters kept the Company Store on Highway 96 from being destroyed by fire in March. Members of the Liberty, Temperance Hall, and main stations extinguished the blaze before it left the kitchen area of the building.
Orlando denied parole
Christopher Nicholas Orlando, 40, serving a 45-year sentence for facilitation of first-degree murder in the 2002 shooting of 20-year-old Joshua Murphy was denied parole in March. Three members of the Tennessee Board of Parole voted to refuse parole, and to reconsider the case in March, 2016.
Murphy was found in a wooded area of  the Laurel Hill Community on September 18, 2002. Orlando and a co-defendant, Melvin Turnbill, were convicted in connection with the murder.
Orlando was tried and convicted in April, 2004. Turnbill entered a guilty plea to in September, 2003 and was given a 25-year sentence, of which he must serve at least 30 percent. Turnbill’s parole hearing is set for April, 2014. While Orlando said apologized for the death of Murphy, he denied pulling the trigger, laying the blame on Turnbill.
Reyes charged with exposure to HIV
Jose Juan Reyes, 30, already under indictment for the  rape of an eight-year-old boy, was served with a sealed indictment charging him with the rape of another child, a nine year old boy in April.
Reyes was charged with  a total of three counts of rape of a child and two counts of criminal exposure to HIV.
According to one indictment, Reyes allegedly engaged in unlawful sexual penetration of a nine-year-old boy knowing that he was infected with HIV. The other indictment alleges that Reyes engaged in unlawful sexual penetration of an eight-year-old boy on two occasions knowing that he was infected with HIV.
The offenses allegedly occurred at Reyes' residence on Blue Springs Road.
UMRB rules against city
The state's Utility Management Review Board (UMRB) dismissed a petition filed by a group of DeKalb Utility District ratepayers seeking to stop a planned water treatment plant in April.
Beta Group wins talent show
A sold-out house greeted contestants at the county complex when they took the stage for “DeKalb’s Got Talent” in May.
Singing duo Ashlee Medlin and Elizabeth Koegler came away with $132 in their vote jar to take the People’s Choice Award.
The vocal stylings of “The Beta Group” earned them the overall award, and the $250 cash prize from DeKalb Community Hospital.
Woman drives Blazer into lake.
A Putnam County woman died after allegedly driving her Chevy Blazer down a boat ramp at Johnson Chapel and into the lake in May. Nancy Randolph, 40 reportedly drove into the water with her daughter Sara and her daughter's boyfriend Houston Bussell in the vehicle.
The two passengers escaped safely, but Randolph reportedly pushed the boyfriend away when he returned to help her.
It was alleged that Randolph intentionally drove into the water with her two passengers.
The woman was pulled from 10-15 feet of water and transported by EMS to  DeKalb Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Moore found guilty of sexual battery
A jury of eight women and four men found a local man guilty of the lesser crime of aggravated sexual battery in a May rape trial.
Judge Leon Burns, Jr. presided over the trial in DeKalb County Criminal Court, in which Kenneth Lee Moore, 44, charged with rape of a child and facing a possible 25-year sentence, was sentenced to eight years, six months in prison.
It was alleged that Moore had raped his 12-year-old niece in November 2010.
More than $1million in DCHS scholarships awarded
DCHS seniors received more than $1 million in scholarships during the annual Senior Awards Day program in May.
Erin Cantrell-Pryor topped the list with more than $212,500 in scholarships.
Boy killed in bike crash
A Casey’s Cove bike wreck claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy in May.
Jacob Billings reportedly first collided with a Honda CR-V, and was then struck by an F150 pickup truck when he apparently crossed the double-yellow line while negotiating a curve.
Billings, who was reportedly not wearing a helmet,  suffered severe head trauma and was transported by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead. None of the other parties involved were injured.
Man shot by police
Randy Gerald Petty, 54, was shot by police officers after he allegedly drew a gun on them in May.
A deputy and detective of the sheriff’s department were investigating reports of someone shouting and firing a gun on Petty Road.
When the officers arrived, the detective was reportedly told by one of Petty’s family members that Petty had said that if officers pulled up in his driveway, he would shoot them. When the deputy and detective stopped near Petty's house and got out of their vehicles, Petty allegedly came from behind some trees and drew a gun on the officers. The lawmen drew their weapons and fired several shots, wounding him.
The officers involved were uninjured.
While the sheriff Sheriff Patrick Ray did not release the names of the deputy and detective involved in the altercation, he said they were placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation in accordance with sheriff's department policy.
Liberty mourns mayor
The town of Liberty mourned the loss of its mayor, 95-year-old John Edward Hale, Jr. in May.
Hale passed away at DeKalb Community Hospital at the age of 95, after serving as mayor of Liberty for 42 years.
The son of John Hale and Sadie Bratten Hale, the mayor was born in Liberty in the old Bratten House near Salem Baptist Church.
He graduated from Liberty High School, then earned an education degree from Cumberland College and a Masters Degree at MTSU.
Hale joined the U.S. Air Force in April 1942, and was  honorably discharged in December 1945. He was a retired teacher, principal, attendance supervisor, basketball coach, nurseryman, and mail carrier.
Hale was also a deacon at Salem Baptist Church. He was first elected mayor of Liberty in 1971.
Dale ridge crash claims man
A June motorcycle crash on Dale Ridge claimed a Mount Juliet man’s life.
Joshua Jernigan, 29, was killed when his motorcycle crashed into a guardrail on Dale Ridge Road.
According to the THP, Jernigan, who was wearing a helmet, was traveling north on when he left the roadway on the right side and struck a guardrail post. He was transported by EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Man drowns near Sligo
Ricardo Duenas, 19, of McMinnville drowned while swimming in Center Hill Lake in June.
Duenas apparently drowned while swimming near Sligo Bridge with a friend. He was reportedly trying to swim across the lake, and made it about halfway before going under the water.
The body was recovered after a more than three hours search by members of the TWRA and DeKalb, White, Warren, and Putnam County Rescue Squads.
New city charter ratified
The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen ratified a new charter in June.
The charter extends the terms of the mayor and aldermen from two years to four years. A resolution to change the charter was passed in February and sent to the Tennessee General Assembly, which passed the measure in June.
Aldermen elected
Josh Miller took a Smithville Alderman’s  leading the candidates with 311 votes.
Incumbent aldermen Shawn Jacobs was reelected with 278 votes, and Incumbent Danny Washer kept his seat with 261 votes.
The city council now consists of Mayor Jimmy Poss, Miller, Jacobs, Washer, Tim Stribling, and Jason Murphy.
Stanley named TACEO VP
DeKalb County Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley was elected Tennessee Association of County Election officials (TACEO) Middle Tennessee Vice President in june.
The organization consists of election administrators and election commission members from all of the state's 95 counties.