Reyes convicted for child rape
Jose Juan Reyes, 31, was convicted in DeKalb County Criminal Court on July 1 for raping an eight-year-old boy several times between November 2012 and March 2013.
A jury of six men and six women found Reyes guilty on the charge of rape of a child after only a half-hour of deliberation. Reyes received a 32-year prison term for rape of a child. The range of punishment for the charge was 25-40 years.
Reyes was a friend of the boy’s family before the incident, and was renting a room in the child's aunt’s home.
Off-duty paramedic saves life of camping THP Lieutenant
DeKalb EMS recognized one of its' own in July after an off-duty EMT saved the life of an off-duty THP Lieutenant when the trooper suffered a heart attack while on a camping trip at the Floating Mill recreation area on June 20.
According to EMS Director Hoyte Hale, THP Lieutenant David Allred and his family were camping when Allred began having a heart attack. Tyler Grandstaff, a DeKalb EMS paramedic who was camping with his family nearby, rushed to the rescue.
When DeKalb EMS Paramedic Tim Briggs and EMT Becky Atnip arrived on the scene with an ambulance, Grandstaff rode along on the 19-minute trip to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
"I’m glad I was there to help him out," Grandstaff said.
He presented Grandstaff with a certificate recognizing his accomplishment at the 911 center in Smithville.
Daughter wins Denton showdown at Jamboree
In a replay of the 2012 fiddle-off at the Jamboree, mother and daughter Marcia and Maddie Denton of Murfreesboro faced off for the Berry C. Williams Memorial award at the 2014 Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival. Daughter Maddie Denton took home the prize again in July.
The younger Denton won the Junior Fiddling title earlier that day, and mother Marcia took the Senior Fiddling title to set up the showdown around 11:30 p.m.
Annabelle Watts of Philpot, Kentucky was named the Grand Champion Fiddler in the National Championship for Country Musician Beginner, and took home the James G. "Bobo" Driver Memorial Award.
Kyle Ramey of North Vernon, Indiana won Entertainer of the Year, an award presented each year to the best overall entertainer in the dobro guitar, mandolin, five string banjo, and flat top guitar competition.
Darrin Vincent, a Smithville resident and member of bluegrass duo Dailey and Vincent, received the Jamboree’s Blue Blaze Award. The award is presented to recognize a musician who is keeping old-time bluegrass music in the spotlight.
Body recovered from lake
The body of a 57-year-old Collierville man was recovered from Center Hill Lake after he reportedly fell from a docked jet ski on July 9.
According to TWRA Officer Tony Cross, the body of Stephen R. Morris was recovered after a search of about three hours. While it is believed that a medical condition may be the cause of the incident, an autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
Cross told the Review that witnesses said Morris was sitting on a jet ski that was pulled up onto the back of a houseboat, which was at rest in a small cove about a mile from Holmes Creek, when he fell into the water. He did not resurface.
TWRA officers, DeKalb County Rescue Squad members, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began searching at around 4 p.m. The body was located with a sonar device, and Putnam County Rescue Squad divers recovered the victim.
Six-legged frog found
Jeffrey Redmon found a six-limbed amphibian in Muddy Hollow, in a pond below the old landfill, in July
Man charged with rape
A 29-year-old Dowelltown man was arrested by the sheriff’s department and charged with raping a woman at knifepoint on July 10. Joseph Stephen Audas of Circle Drive, Dowelltown faces charges of aggravated assault and aggravated rape in the case.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Audas tied the woman’s hands with a belt and held her down at knifepoint while hitting her in the face. He allegedly struck the woman’s left ear and cut her under the chin and throat with the knife.
He reportedly raped the woman by digital penetration while armed with the knife, allegedly threatening to kill her if she did not cooperate.
Three charged in kidnapping
The sheriff's department has arrested three Dowelltown men and charged them with kidnapping a man and woman and beating them with an axe handle in July.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said 42-year-old Jimmy Tolbert (J.J.) Hendrixson, Jr., 36-year-old Casey Joseph Jacobs, and 48-year-old Comas Brian Higgins all face two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping. The three allegedly met the victims at a New Bildad Road bridge the night of July 18 and attacked them with an axe handle, tied them up and taped their mouths.
Ray said the male escaped, ran to a nearby home and called for help. The three suspects reportedly left the scene and drove the female to their Old Snow Hill Road residence.
The sheriff, along with deputies and detectives, investigated the incident and located the woman at the residence of her alleged abductors.
The male victim was transported by DeKalb EMS to the DeKalb Community Hospital, where he was treated and released. Neither victim was seriously injured.
County tax rate remains unchanged
The DeKalb County Commission voted unanimously to pass a final spending plan on July 28, approving a $43,847,750 budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The plan called for no tax increase, and the county property tax rate remained at $1.62 per $1,000 of assessed value.
"This is pretty much the same budget we had last year," said County Mayor Mike Foster. "There is very little in the way of changes."
While appropriations for the 2014-15 county budget totaled $42,208,422, one cent of the tax rate generates $42,953 in local money with a 7.7 percent delinquency rate figured into the equation.
The County General fund receives 82 cents of the $1.62 collected; the Highway/Public Works Department gets three cents; General Capital Projects accounts for 10 cents; 12 cents goes to debt service; and the General Purpose School Budget takes 55 cents.
Local sales tax increased last year, with the 2013-14 number coming in at $3,729,940.15, up from $3,556,607.65 the previous year.
One dead after cornfield crash
One man is dead after rolling his car rolled hundreds of feet across a cornfield on Short Mountain Highway on July 26. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Roberto Cruz, 19, was traveling east on in a 2003 Nissan when he left the roadway on the right side and overturned numerous times, ejecting Cruz. The THP said he was not wearing a seat belt. Witnesses at the scene claimed a passenger escaped the vehicle and fled on foot. The incident took place just before 11:30 p.m. near New Home Road, and was investigated by Troopers Jeremy Wilhite and Chris Delong. The Short Mountain Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, and DeKalb EMS assisted at the scene.
Bar association backs state justices
Members of the DeKalb County Bar Association presented State Supreme Court Justice Cornelia "Connie" Clark a resolution declaring the association’s support in the existing justice’s bid to be retained on the court in July. Voters statewide will have a choice to retain or replace Clark, as well as Sharon Lee and Gary Wade, as justices on the Aug. 7 ballot.
The justices paid a visit to the DeKalb County Courthouse on July 25. Local Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. told the assembly that he had been contacted by former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell about setting up a meeting between the justices and members of the DeKalb bar association.
One shot on Juniper Lane
A gunshot victim, said by witnesses at the scene to be Jamie Murphy, was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital by DeKalb EMS on Aug. 5. According to witnesses, Murphy was shot one time in the upper left arm with a small-caliber pistol. Multiple suspects were taken into custody by the Smithville Police Department, and the incident is under investigation.
An eyewitness at the scene told the Review that the incident began with an argument a few days before between Murphy and the suspected shooter. The men then apparently had a physical altercation.
Stribling wins mayor’s race
Tim Stribling was elected the new mayor of DeKalb County in August. Stribling, a Democrat, received 2,575 votes, defeating Republican Chris Smithson (1,580 votes) and Independent Chris Bratcher (428 votes). Stribling carried 10 precincts to clinch the win.
Incumbent General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten H. (Butch) Cook, II, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Mingy Colwell Bryant for his third eight-year term in the office. Cook received 2,531 votes, while 2,089 cast ballots for Bryant. Cook carried eight precincts.
Sheriff Patrick Ray, a Republican, was elected to a third term in the sheriff's office. Ray bested Democratic challenger Larry Flair 3,304 votes to 1,475. The sheriff carried all 16 precincts.
Republican Wallace (Butch) Agee squeezed by Democrat James D. (Jimmy) Sprague for the county road supervisor's seat. Agee received 2,403 votes while Sprague took 2,215. Agee carried 10 precincts.
Among the unopposed candidates, Incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack took 3,828 votes; Incumbent Trustee Sean Driver received 3,698; County Clerk-elect James L. (Jimmy) Poss had 3,646; and Register of Deeds Jeff McMillen got 3,647 votes.
Six new members elected to the county commission
Six new members were elected to the county commission in August, with first district incumbents Mason Carter and Elmer Ellis, Jr. returning to the commission.
In the second district, two new members, Independent James (Jimmy) E. Midgett, and Democrat Joe N. Johnson were elected.
Democrat Jack E. Barton was elected to a third district commission seat. Barton served in the second district before resigning his seat due to a change of address. Democratic Incumbent Bradley Scott Hendrix was re-elected.
In the fourth district, Democratic Incumbent Wayne Cantrell was re-elected, while Democrat Jonathon Norris was elected to his first term.
The fifth district incumbent, Rick Cantrell, a Democrat, lost his bid to Democrat Anita Puckett and Incumbent Republican Jerry D. Adcock. Cantrell was appointed last year to fill the unexpired term of John Green, who moved from the county.
Democratic incumbent Jeff Barnes was re-elected in the sixth district, and Betty Jean Atnip, also a Democrat, won a seat as well.
Democrat Larry Summers was re-elected in the seventh district, while Democrat Kevin Robinson took a seat on the commission.
Two new judges elected in 13th Judicial District
The 13th Judicial District saw two new judges, a new district attorney general, and a new public defender elected in August, while three incumbent judges were returned to the bench.
Republican Craig Fickling took down Democratic incumbent David Brady in the public defender's race.
Republican Bryant Dunaway won the attorney general's race, defeating Democrat Tony Craighead.
The Circuit Court Judge, Part II contest saw Republican Jonathan Young defeat Democrat Randall York in DeKalb County.
Republican Gary McKenzie won the Criminal Court Judge, Part I race, defeating Democratic opponent William Fred Roberson, Jr.
Democratic Incumbent Chancellor Ronald Thurman was re-elected, defeating Republican J. Lee Burgess.
Two incumbent judges were without opposition, Republican Criminal Court Judge Part II, David A. Patterson and Democratic Circuit Court Judge Part I Amy Hollars.
The district includes Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White counties.
Concerns raised over custodial service’s hiring practices
Several cases of workers who committed sex and drug offenses while employed by GCA Services, a company seeking the local school system's custodial contract, caused concerns among some parents and members of the school board in August.
Published reports on incidents occurring over the past few years in which custodians employed by GCA committed sex crimes against students, were caught selling drugs, or committed other offenses, revealed that many of the offenders apparently slipped through the cracks during background checks.
A janitor employed by GCA at a Williamson County elementary school, Victor Alvarado, 48, was charged with hiding in the ceiling and spying on a girl's restroom.
Danny J. Hawkins, who was 20 at the time of the 2011 incident, was indicted by a Putnam County Grand Jury after being accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl. He was employed by GCA at Northeast Elementary School in Cookeville.
Also in 2011, a woman working as a janitor for GCA in Maury County was extradited to Texas after being charged with being a fugitive from justice. Suspected of being in the country illegally, She was charged with a probation violation in connection with a felony drug arrest.
A janitor at Cookeville High School was arrested for selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer in 2009. Walter Savage was employed by GCA Services as a school custodian at the time.
In 2008, a church pastor employed by GCA as a custodian at Huntingdon High School in Madison County was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in a closet. Christopher Johnson reportedly had several charges on his record, including theft, vandalism, and an aggravated battery conviction, which was reduced from a rape charge. Johnson.
In a statement to the Review, GCA's Corporate Vice-President of Marketing Neil Guliano defended the company’s hiring practices, saying that when hiring thousands of people per year, bad apples are bound to be found.
Fifth District School Board Member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III told the Review that he felt that even one such incident is too many.
"I feel very uncomfortable even considering such a change given the numerous incidents and the magnitude of the charges. We do not need to take the potential risk of exposing our children to such things. I feel if the other Board Members have knowledge of this, they will be able to come to a logical conclusion," Evins said.
Consideration of a contract with the company was subsequently dropped.
Poss elected Smithville city mayor
Smithville voters reelected Mayor Jimmy Poss to a second term in the August municipal election. Challenger Wallace Caldwell took 388 votes, while 583 voters chose Poss.
Jason Judd Murphy was re-elected to his second term as alderman, and Gayla Hendrix also took back a seat on the council. Both were unopposed.
The alderman's race in Dowelltown saw Brad Driver receive 80 complimentary votes, Keith Farler took 66, and Ron Griffith 65. The three candidates were all unopposed.
Three school board members unseated
Robert D. (Danny) Parkerson, Jr. was elected to the school boards first district seat in august. Parkerson bested Matthew Boss 351 votes to 181 to replace John David Foutch, who did not seek another term.
The second district race saw Jerry Wayne Johnson defeat incumbent Charles Robinson 345 votes to 283.
In the third district, incumbent Kenny Rhody's seat was taken by challenger James W. (Jim) Beshearse, II 273 votes to 205
Fourth district incumbent Billy Miller was re-elected to a second term on the school board without opposition. Miller received 596 complimentary votes.
Emitt Shaun Tubbs upset seventh district incumbent Johnny Lattimore 293 votes to 108.
Fifth district board member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III and sixth district member Doug Stephens were not up for reelection last year.
Soccer team makes plea to keep coach
The decision to hire an assistant soccer coach at DCHS was met with some concern after word spread that the long-time unpaid assistant coach, Rhonda Merriman, might not be hired for the position that some school board members felt they were creating for her. While the 2014-15 school budget contained $5,570 in new funding for an assistant soccer coach for both the girls team and boys teams, Merriman was apparently not being considered for the job.
Many members of the DCHS girl’s soccer team attended the board of education's August meeting in support of Merriman, and one player read a prepared statement asking that Merriman remain as assistant coach.
DCHS senior and soccer team member Brooke Roller addressed the board, telling them that team members felt that Merriman is an important part of the team, and should be allowed to take the paid position.
While Willoughby, whose responsibility it is to hire all personnel in the school system, had not named her for the position, he stressed that it is not because Merriman is in any way unfit to work with students.
School board member W.J. (Dub) Evins told the Review that he felt Merriman had earned the job, and that an effort should be made to allow her to take the position. "If we can aggressively pursue a legal way that we can hire Rhonda Merriman without getting into wage and hour concerns, I think she deserves the job," he said.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby informed the school board at the September meeting that he had found a way to allow Merriman to assume the position.
Willoughby said his main concern was that the system might have to pay overtime for the coaching job since Merriman is an hourly employee. The director said he contacted the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor after last month's meeting in an attempt to ensure that Merriman would not be due overtime for her assistant coaching duties.
The director stressed that the matter of overtime was the only concern he had in naming Merriman to the position.
The board voted unanimously to follow Willoughby's recommendation.
Theater to be named for Foster
The county commission voted in August to name the north end of the county complex for outgoing County Mayor Mike Foster.
As his last order of business on the commission, retiring Sixth District Commissioner Marshall Ferrell made a motion to name the section of the complex which contains the exercise room, gym, theater and game room the "Mike Foster Multi-Purpose Center." The commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the measure.
Fire destroys boats, fuel island at Edgar Evins Park
A house boat, a pontoon, and the fuel island at Edgar Evins State Park Marina were destroyed by fire in August. The fire reportedly started during the refueling of the houseboat, with eight people on board.
The occupants escaped without injury other than minor smoke inhalation. The fire, however, quickly spread to an empty pontoon boat that was tied to the dock, and engulfed the fuel island.
Teacher of the Year award named for Isabell
The DeKalb County Teacher of the Year Award was named in honor of the late John Isabell in August. The school board voted to name the award for Isabell a long-time educator and former president of the DeKalb County Education Association, who succumbed to cancer earlier in the year.
Crash claims Alexandria woman
Wet road conditions were a contributing factor in an accident that claimed the life of 36-year-old Sarah Clark of Alexandria on Aug. 19. According to witnesses, Clark was traveling east on Highway 70 when her Toyota Camry hydroplaned and crossed into the path of a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by 41-year-old Jeanne McMillan of Walling.
Storms damage county
Severe thunderstorms in August caused damaged property across the county, uprooting trees and damaging buildings. While no injuries were reported, central dispatch received more than one hundred calls of damage from the storms.
Man busted with 14 lbs. of pot
A 74-year-old Dowelltown man was arrested and charged with sale of a controlled substance after an investigation allegedly revealed that he had received a package at the Liberty Post Office containing 14 pounds of marijuana in August.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, John Harris was taken into custody by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department after an investigation by sheriff's department detectives and United States Postal Service Inspectors.
Ray said the illegal weed seized in the bust was not typical of the pot his department usually recovers. “This marijuana is not the kind we regularly see here. These bags of marijuana were packaged in Ziploc bags and then were vacuumed packed. This was to hide the distinct smell that marijuana gives off. The bags weighed anywhere from 10 ounces to just over a pound. Written on each of the bags were different strains of marijuana. Purple Diesel, Blue Dream and Buddha Cheese were just a few of the strains listed. Street value for the marijuana is anywhere from $375 to $454 an ounce or $5,712.00 to $7,264 a pound.”
Ray said his department also seized cash and a 2009 Dodge Avenger from Harris.
Man arrested after threatening to blow up DeKalb Community Hospital
City police arrested a 46-year-old Rutherford County man for allegedly threatening to "blow up" DeKalb Community Hospital in September.
According to Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger, Keith Nations of Murfreesboro was charged with making false reports after he allegedly contacted the hospital by phone several times on Aug. 30, and made threats, including one to "blow up" the facility. Caplinger said the hospital was placed on lock down while an investigation was conducted.
Caplinger said Nations was apparently perturbed about a bill, but the hospital staff had no record of him ever having been treated there.
Jay charged with rape of a child
A 20-year-old Dowelltown man was charged with two counts of child rape in September after he allegedly forced his eight-year-old niece to participate in a sexual activities on two separate occasions.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Jonathan Everett Jay of Snow Hill Road was arrested on Sept. 11 when a detective was dispatched to a residence on Snow Hill Road to look into reports of the sexual assault of an-eight-year old girl. The child's mother reportedly told the investigator that the girl had informed her that Jay had forced her into sexual contact.
When the detective and a member of the Department of Children's Services spoke with the girl, she allegedly told them that Jay had forced her to perform oral sex on two occasions. After reading the suspect his rights and taking him into custody, the detective said Jay admitted to having had sexual contact with the child on Aug. 27 and Sept.11.
Mother, son busted with meth lab
The sheriff’s department arrested three people, including a mother and son, in connection with the manufacture of meth in September.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Brandon Keith Thomas, 29, his mother 54-year-old Sharon Thomas, and 40-year-old Shawn Rene Gibson of McMinnville were all taken into custody on Sept. 20 after a deputy received a tip of a possible meth lab at a home on Sparta Highway. Upon arrival, the deputy saw that the back door was open and allegedly observed Brandon Thomas shaking a bottle in the doorway. The officer reportedly watched for several minutes until the door was closed.
He then knocked on the door and heard a male subject say “It's the cops.” The door was opened in time for the deputy to see Brandon run out the front door. The sheriff said the lawman ordered Thomas to stop, but he reportedly had to be chased down and apprehended on the front lawn of the home.
Thomas allegedly then admitted that everything in the house was his, and belonged to no one else. Consent to search was reportedly given by Thomas to search his room, where the deputy reportedly found Drano, cold packs, Coleman fuel, muriatic acid, tubing, coffee filters, an electric grinder, empty Claritin D blister packs, a plastic bottle containing muriatic acid, pliers, wire cutters, and digital scales.
He allegedly told the deputy all the items belonged to him, and that he was manufacturing methamphetamine. He reportedly showed the officer a one-pot cook bottle, and explained where he was in the process. Thomas was charged with initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine.
Gibson was taken to the jail and questioned, and she reportedly told authorities that she knew that meth was being cooked, and said that she did participate by shaking the bottle. She was also written citations for simple possession and drug paraphernalia. Ray said the deputy found two Valium tablets, hypodermic needles and a half ounce of marijuana in her possession.
Sharon Thomas was charged with promotion of methamphetamine after being questioned at the sheriff’s department and allegedly admitting to buying pseudoephedrine on three different occasions for her son to manufacture methamphetamine.
Mooney indicted in father's death
A Wilson County Grand Jury indicted 38-year-old Alan Mooney Jr. in connection with the death of his father, Alan Mooney, Sr., 62 in September.
Mooney, Sr.'s body was found in his burned home on Armstrong Road in Statesville on August 29. Mooney Jr. faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated arson, two counts of arson, and abuse of a corpse.
Mooney Jr. was living at a home on Old Snow Hill Road in DeKalb County at the time of his arrest.
Mooney Jr. was arrested in Rutherford County after a police pursuit on Aug. 30, and was transported to Wilson County to be arraigned on the murder and arson charges.
Sparks named Homecoming Queen
Kamien Leshay Sparks was been named the 2014 Homecoming Queen at DeKalb County High School in October.
Her Senior Attendants were 18-year-old Loren Jane Cripps and 17-year-old Brooke Danielle Roller. The Junior Attendant was 16-year-old Kaylene Marie Ferguson, the Sophomore Attendant was Alexis Kay Bates, 16, and Amelia Patterson, 15, was the Freshman Attendant.
Fults accused of child rape
Smithville Police have arrested a 52-year old-Smithville man and charged him with the rape of a child in October.
Jacky Lynn Fults was accused of anally penetrating a seven-year-old girl with his finger at his Foster Road residence on Sept. 28. According to the arrest warrant, doctors at Our Kids in Davidson County reportedly examined the girl on Sept. 29 and found evidence consistent with abuse.
The child allegedly also disclosed the facts of the case to staff members at the Child Advocacy Center in Cookeville on Sept. 30. The case was investigated by Lieutenant Matt Holmes of the Smithville Police Department.
Seniors win homecoming float competition
The senior class- took first place in the float competition with their "DeKalb Rises Above Macon" entry at the 2014 DCHS homecoming parade. The Tiger Media float took second, third went to the freshman class entry, fourth to the juniors and fifth to the sophomore float.
McKenzie Gann took first place for best decorated vehicle, second went to Austin Tittle, and Caroline Caplinger took third.
The FCCLA club also chose three local businesses for the best decorated business contest. First place went to Cantrell's the home of Fluty’s, second went to Savy's Scrubs and PTS, and The Flower Box took third.
Tippin signs guitars for charity
Aaron Tippin signed several guitars to benefit Help the Good Guys in October. The guitars were donated by Epiphone Guitars and Kidde Safety Equipment to be signed by Tippin and auctioned to benefit the charity, which helps injured police officers and emergency workers.
Commission appoints new school board member
The county commission chose a new school board member to replace resigning member Billy Miller in October.
Kate Miller, the wife of Billy Miller, was the sole applicant for the vacant fourth-district seat, despite notices being placed with local media requesting applicants and the public being given the opportunity to submit names for consideration.
Citing a new job that forbids him from holding public office, Billy Miller announced his resignation from the board effective Sept. 30. Miller works for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). His first four-year term on the board had just been completed, and he was re-elected to a second term in August.
City says yes to liquor
City voters decided on two referendums concerning the sale of alcohol in the city of Smithville in a close ballot in November.
One referendum asked voters to choose "to permit retail package stores to sell alcoholic beverages in Smithville" or "not to permit retail package stores to sell alcoholic beverages in Smithville." Voters chose to allow package liquor sales, with 406 votes in favor of the measure, and 401 against.
The second referendum asked city voters to cast ballots "for legal sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in Smithville" or "against legal sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in Smithville." Voters cast 397 votes in favor of the measure, and 412 votes against.
The package liquor referendum passed in two city precincts, failed in two, and took one less vote in early votes and absentees. Early and absentee voters cast 259 ballots against the measure and 258 in favor, while voters at the Church of Christ Annex cast 74 votes against and 69 for the proposition. Voters at the County Complex opposed the measure 9 votes to 8, and the referendum was passed 16-12 at the Courthouse and 55-47 at the Church of God.
The on-premises consumption referendum passed in two precincts and failed in two as well, and was also voted down in early and absentees voting. The measure lost 268-250 during early and absentee voting. Voters at the Church of Christ Annex voted it down 76-69, and County Complex voters opposed it 10-7. The referendum passed 15-13 at the Courthouse, and 56-45 at the Church of God.
Weaver, Pody retain seats
Republican State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver in the 40th district and Mark Pody in the 46th district retained their seats in the November election.
Weaver defeated Democrat Sarah Marie Smith, and carried all four counties in the 40th district. Pody defeated Democrat Candace Reed.
Republican State Senator Mae Beavers ran unopposed, receiving 35,431 complimentary votes.
Republican Incumbent Bill Haslam won the Governor's race with 951,215 votes to 308,803 for Democrat Charles V. "Charlie" Brown statewide.
Republican U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander was re-elected with 849,629 votes statewide. Democrat Gordon Ball had 437,251 votes.
Sixth District Republican U.S. Representative Diane Black retained her seat with 115,190 votes. Democrat Amos Scott Powers had 37,215 votes, and Independent Mike Winton took 9,630 votes. Black carried all nineteen counties in the district.
A total of 4,009 voters cast ballots in DeKalb County, with 2,349 voting on election day and 1,660 during early voting or by absentee ballot.
MTNG announces merger
Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District has announced that Middle Tennessee Utility District (MTUD) merged with the Upper Cumberland Gas Utility District of Cumberland County (UCGUD) in November. Under the merger agreement, Middle Tennessee Utility District will remain as the surviving utility, and has modified its legal name slightly to Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District (MTNG). MTNG will now serve a 22 county area.
The move was approved by the commissioners of both utilities in separate meetings in June. A petition seeking approval was filed on Oct. 1 with each county mayor in the counties served by MTUD and the UCGUD. A public hearing was held in Crossville on Oct. 23. The county mayors who attended that meeting voted to approve the request.
The Middle Tennessee Utility District of Cannon, Cumberland, DeKalb, Putnam, Rhea, Rutherford, Smith, Warren, White and Wilson Counties, Tennessee (Middle Tennessee Natural Gas or MTNG) was created in July, 1955 as a municipal corporation pursuant to the Utility District Act of 1937, to provide natural gas service to residents, businesses and industries within its boundaries. More than 57,000 customers will now be supplied by Middle Tennessee Natural Gas in 126 communities in all or portions of 22 counties. MTNG has more than 125 employees.
Child used to smuggle pill into jail
An inmate at the DeKalb County Jail and his wife were both charged with introducing contraband into a penal institution and child abuse and neglect after they allegedly attempted to use their eight-year-old child to smuggle a single pill into the facility on Nov. 6.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Justin Dale Estes, 24, and 30-year-old Ashley Nicole Estes were charged after his family visited him while he was incarcerated, and a detective found a pill in the coat pocket of the Estes' eight-year-old daughter. Ray said Justin Estes admitted that he had instructed his wife to put the pill, believed to be an eight milligram Suboxone, in the girl’s pocket.
One man reportedly dead, another injured in shooting
A former Tennessee State Trooper lost his life, and another man is injured after a shooting on Steeplechase Drive in November.
City Police said that Darrell Knowles died at the scene of the incident from a gunshot wound, and Josh Hawkins was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital by DeKalb EMS, then taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center to be treated for a gunshot wound to the arm. The shooting apparently stemmed from a domestic disturbance.
Knowles allegedly forced his way into the home, and the two men got into a fight. Knowles reportedly drew a handgun and shot Hawkins once in the arm. Sources say it is believed that Knowles then turned the gun on himself, and died at the scene from a self-inflicted wound to the head.
Two plead guilty in home invasion
Two DCHS students arrested at school after a city police investigation determined that they forced their way into a Smithville woman’s home and robbed and assaulted her in September 2013 pled guilty in DeKalb County Criminal Court in November.
Tony Starks, Jr., 17, and Robert Brian Callahan both pled guilty to robbery and kidnapping Monday, receiving a four-year sentence to serve on each charge. The sentences are set to run consecutively, for a total of eight years for each young man.
According to Lieutenant Matt Holmes of the Smithville Police Department, the two teenage boys entered a woman’s residence around 11:30 p.m. in September 2013. Holmes said that the victim, who lived alone, heard a noise behind her home, and when she cracked open the door to investigate the two teenagers, who were wearing hockey masks and brandishing razor knives, forced their way into the house.
One of the young men allegedly tackled the woman, pepper sprayed her multiple times, and tried to insert a wash cloth into her mouth to keep her quiet. The other invader reportedly ransacked the home, stealing a .38 caliber revolver and other items with a total value of approximately $600.
The juveniles were remanded into state custody at the Cookeville Juvenile Detention Center, and were named in petitions accusing them of committing delinquent acts. They faced charges of especially aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and felony theft.
The victim of the attack reportedly suffered cuts, scrapes, and bruises, but was not seriously injured, and declined medical attention. Police said she was traumatized, and suffered from the effects of the pepper spray for some time after the incident.
The young men apparently did not use the razor knives in the attack. Holmes said the investigation traced the hockey masks worn by the duo to Walmart, where they had been purchased.
The two boys, who apparently lived together but are not related, were taken out of class and arrested the next day, and the hockey masks and stolen revolver were allegedly found hidden in the attic of their home. Holmes said pepper spray was also found at the home.
Three indicted for kidnapping
Grand jury indictments were handed down on three men accused of the July kidnapping and beating of a man and woman in November.
The DeKalb County Grand Jury met on Nov. 24 and indicted 77 people, including 42-year-old Jimmy Tolbert (J.J.) Hendrixson, Jr., 36-year-old Casey Joseph Jacobs, and 48-year-old Comas Brian Higgins, charging all three men with two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping each.
While the jury returned indictments on 77 people, 26 of the indictments sealed, many of those the result of a drug sting conducted by the sheriff’s department, Smithville and Alexandria police. The names of persons charged in sealed indictments will not be released until they have been taken into custody.
Drug Sting nets 30+
In a tri-agency drug sting spanning more than a year, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department, Smithville Police, and Alexandria Police rounded up more than 30 people in December.
The sheriff said there were indictments for theft as well as drugs. “There were 24 drug indictments and a few theft indictments,” he said. “We bought marijuana, cocaine, Hydrocodone, Xanax, Suboxone strips, Percocet, Roxicodone, Subutex, and Valium.
The joint operation between the sheriff's department and the Alexandria Police Department resulted in 12 indictments for illegal drugs, two for theft, and three for either manufacturing or possession of marijuana for resale.
The Smithville Police Department's investigation included indictments for the sale of drugs including Hydrocodone, Suboxone, Xanax, Dilaudid, and Morphine. Eleven persons were indicted in the Smithville Police Department's investigation. One of those indictments on two counts of TennCare Fraud.
Felon charged with guns, drugs
The sheriff’s department arrested a Smithville man with previous felony convictions on drug-and-weapon related charges on Dec. 5. Joshua Lynne Batey, 27, was charged with possession of Schedule IV and VI drugs for resale and possession of a weapon by a felon.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, a drug detective and a deputy performing a probation visit at Batey’s, Juniper Lane home searched Batey and found three plastic baggies in his pockets. One of the baggies reportedly contained 25 yellow diazepam pills, and the other two held a substance believed to be marijuana. The weight of those bags allegedly totaled .51 ounces.
Batey was also found to have $859 in hundred, twenty, ten, five, and one-dollar bills. Ray said the detective then obtained a search warrant for the home, which revealed a Weatherby 12-gauge shotgun under a piece of insulation upstairs and a muzzleloader.
Three arrested in connection with meth lab, pipe bombs
The sheriff’s department arrested three people on Dec. 8 in connection with the discovery of an active meth lab and illegal explosives.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, deputies found a meth lab and two live pipe bombs at a Jefferson Road home after arriving to serve a violation of probation warrant. James Lee Adcock, 43, Don Diamond Groshon, 42, and 36-year-old April Lee Hollingsworth were charged with initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine.
Adcock was also charged with having prohibited weapons (pipe bombs); resisting stop, frisk, halt, or arrest, and was served for violation of probation. Groshon was charged with resisting stop, frisk, halt, or arrest and served for violation of probation as well. Hollingsworth has an attachment for child support, as well as warrants for failure to appear and violation of probation.
The sheriff said deputies went to Adcock's home to serve a violation of probation warrant on him, and upon arrival saw two men running from a barn. Adcock and Groshon were allegedly found hiding in the woods, while Hollingsworth remained in the barn.
After receiving consent from the property owner to search the premises, deputies reportedly found a live pipe bomb made of PVC pipe, a one-liter one pot, a Toastmaster burner, 18 ounces of crystal Drano, 16 ounces of Kingsford charcoal lighter fluid, digital scales, a turkey baster, an empty ice compress box, an ice compress pack that had been cut open, 10 hypodermic needles, a funnel, a 16.4-ounce propane bottle, an empty lithium battery pack, four stripped lithium batteries, and three cut straws. A search of Adcock's home turned up another live pipe bomb made of galvanized steel. Due to the discovery of the pipe bombs, members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit were called to the scene.
