Eight people were sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday.
Judge David Patterson presided.
46 year old Linda Lawson Barrett West pleaded guilty to two counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a five year sentence in each case to run concurrently. The sentence was suspended with nine months to serve. She will then be on supervised probation for the balance of the sentence. She must make restitution of $100, perform 100 hours of community service work and pay a $2,000 fine.
33 year old Earnest P. Barnwell pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and theft over $1,000. The burglary charge was dismissed. He received a four year sentence committed to time served. He will be on TDOC probation. Barnwell must perform 100 hours of community service work and pay restitution. He was given credit for 255 days of jail time served.
33 year old Tabatha Shantell Murphy pleaded guilty to three charges of possession of a schedule II controlled substance for resale. All three cases are to run concurrently. She was granted judicial diversion for a period of three years . She will be on TDOC probation. Murphy must make restitution of $188 to the Sheriff’s Department, perform 100 hours of community service work, and pay a $2,000 fine. She was given jail credit of 25 days.
21 year old Kara L. Funk pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule VI controlled substance. She was granted judicial diversion for a period of one year. She will be on supervised probation by DOC and must perform 100 hours of community service work. Funk must also pay restitution of $120 to the sheriff’s department and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the prescribed treatments. This sentence is to run consecutive to a judicial diversion sentence in another case against her.
26 year old Christina Johnson pleaded guilty to possession of a schedule VI controlled substance for resale. She received a two year sentence, all suspended to time served. She was fined $2,000.
41 year old Barry Ford pleaded guilty to a second offense of driving on a revoked license. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation. He was fined $50.
41 year old William Ray “Tojo” Cantrell pleaded guilty to theft of property over $500 and two counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance. All the cases are to run concurrently. He received a total of five years in these cases to serve in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He must make restitution of $120 to the sheriff’s department and pay a $2,000 fine. He was given jail credit of 186 days. The five year sentence is to run consecutive to a violation of probation against him in which he must serve the balance of a six year sentence on a previous drug conviction. Cantrell will have to serve a total of eleven years.
25 year old Renee Fields pleaded by information to reckless driving and received a six month sentence, all suspended to probation and a $50 fine.

The Board of Directors of DTC Communications announced it is refunding $500,000 this month in capital credits to members.
DTC ranks among the highest in the state in member refunds.
The capital credit refunds are issued to current and former members who paid for service in 1998 from DTC Communications. DTC’s unique structure as a member-owned cooperative gives it the option, based on its financial strength, of offering these capital credit refunds.
“Given the current economic conditions, we are especially pleased to be able to continue our history of refunding capital credits for the fifteenth consecutive year, bringing the total refunds for this period to more than $19 million,” said Leslie Greer, CEO.
“Members who have moved or changed their names since 1998 should contact our customer service office with the updated information. We want to make sure everyone receives their refunds in a timely manner.”
Current and former members of DTC who paid for service during 1998 should receive checks by the end of August. Members’ checks will be based on what they paid that year. Therefore, the amounts will vary from member to member. For more information about capital credit refunds, please call 615-529-1999.

The DeKalb County Commission is expected to adopt the budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year this month.
Total expenditures in the proposed budget come to $33-million 452-thousand 127.
The current property tax rate is $1.70 per $100 of assessed value but the new certified property tax rate, following reappraisal or Current Value Update, is $1.4599, which is expected to generate about the same amount of local tax revenue as the $1.70 rate
County Mayor Mike Foster says the county commission may vote to round off the new tax rate to $1.46. “The assessed value of property, as a result of the CVU, went to $445-million 187-thousand 839. One cent of the property tax rate at $1.46 generates $44,518 or $42,181 after the county figures in a tax delinquency rate of 5.25%.”
The new proposed property tax rate would break down as follows:
County General- 55 cents
General Purpose Schools- 49 cents
Debt Service 20 cents
Highway Department- 3 cents
Solid Waste- 19 cents
Foster says no property tax increase is needed this year because of revenues generated by the local option sales tax increase, which was approved by the voters last year. Plus, he says all county departments concluded the 2007-08 fiscal year under budget by from 10 to 20%, which has saved the county some money.
The proposed county general budget includes funds for an employee pay raise of about $600 for the year. Foster says this would help offset a 17% increase in their insurance premiums.
He says more money is also included in the budget for gasoline and diesel fuel.
The county budget committee will meet again on August 11th to make some final revisions before making a formal recommendation for passage of the budget to the county commission.

Frank Gibson, Executive Director of Tennessee’s Coalition for Open Government, received Smithville first ever “Citizens Appreciation Award” during Monday night’s city council meeting.
The award was presented to Gibson by Alderman Tonya Sullivan.
In making the presentation, Alderman Sullivan stated that “Smithville is honored this evening by the presence of Frank Gibson, a distinguished state leader who has devoted his career to opening government action to the inspection of every citizen”
“The executive director of Tennessee’s Coalition for Open Government, Mr. Gibson, perhaps more than any other single State leader, has been the driving force behind the formation and implementation of Tennessee’s current Sunshine Law.”
“Following a forty year career as a reporter and editor of The Tennessean, including a 12 year stint in Washington D.C. as the paper’s political editor, our guest chaired the Tennessee Press Association’s Freedom of Information Committee, and is it’s first and only receipient of the TPA Presidents Award.”
“A graduate of the University of Tennessee and an Army vet, Mr. Gibson is a past national president of the Society of Professional Journalists and chaired the group’s First Amendment Education campaign. As a humanities Fellow at the University of Michigan, he studied First Amendment law and southern history.”
“He retired in 2005 to run TCOG, an influential leadership organization that works to improve and preserve public records and sunshine laws. His most recent appointment was to represent the Tennessee Press Association to the Advisory Committee on Open Government. Thanks to his courageous leadership, the sun shines with increasing brightness on Smithville’s municipal government.”
‘In recognition of your dynamic leadership and consistently courageous commitment to the rule of law and open government, it is my honor to present you with this plaque commemorating your service and to present you with Smithville’s first ever Citizens Appreciation Award.’
“I would like to thank you for the encouragement that you have offered the city of Smithville. You have led by example! Open government is important to every citizen.”

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has announced plans to make repairs to the College Street Bridge (Veteran’s Memorial Bridge) in Smithville apparently due primarily to collision damage caused by large trucks that have hit the bridge.
Plans are to replace Beam “C” in Span “3” and to repair damaged beams in Spans “2” & “3”.
Construction work could begin as early as mid-October. It should take about a month to complete the project.
TDOT officials say there is an eight inch water main attached to the underside of the bridge along side Beam “C”. Since Beam “C” in Span “3” is being replaced, the state is requesting that the water main be relocated. There are also telephone, cable, and electric lines running parallel with the bridge on the right side and also perpendicular to both the abutments. TDOT does not anticipate the utility lines being involved in any way.

Democratic and Republican voters in DeKalb, Macon, and Smith will be selecting nominees for State Representative on Thursday.
The winners of the primaries will face off in the November General Election.
The turnout for early voting has been significantly higher in both Macon and Smith Counties than in DeKalb County.
Macon County reported early voting totals of 1,813 including 788 in the State Democratic Primary and 838 in the State Republican Primary.
In Smith County, 1,268 voted early including 873 in the State Democratic Primary and 352 in the State Republican Primary.
A total of 795 voted early in DeKalb County including 586 in the Democratic Primary and 151 in the Republican Primary.
Like DeKalb County, Macon and Smith have other races on their ballots that could be contributing to greater voter interest there, in addition to the State Representative races.

A 29 year old man, apparently trying to break into a home Saturday, was later arrested after the owner of the residence saw him coming in the house and called authorities.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says Antonio Cruz of West Broad Street Apartments is charged with aggravated burglary and no driver’s license.
According to Sheriff Ray, Cruz allegedly went to a residence on Whorton Springs Road, apparently thinking the owner of the house was not at home. Cruz cut a screen out of a door to gain entry and was partially through the door when the owner saw him. Cruz immediately left the residence and the home owner called authorities. Cruz was later spotted by county deputies in a vehicle on Whorton Springs Road and they stopped him. Cruz was identified and he had no driver’s license. Bond for Cruz was set at $12,500 and will appear in court on August 21st.
Meanwhile, in other cases 27 year old Brian Randell Pack of West Main Street Smithville was charged Tuesday, July 29th with six counts of forgery. Sheriff Ray says through an investigation, county detectives discovered that Pack allegedly passed six checks at a Smithville business between the dates of June 29th through July 25th 2008 totaling $550.00. Bond for Pack was set at $30,000 and he will appear in court on August 14th.
38 year old Royce Avon Foster of Jacobs Pillar Road Smithville, and 43 year old Ricky Estes and 39 year old Tony Edge, both of Whorton Springs Road Smithville, were charged Thursday, July 31st with burglary and theft of property over $1,000. Sheriff Ray says the three were arrested after they allegedly entered a barn on Jacob’s Pillar Road in Smithville and took a 1959 Ford car without the owner’s consent on July 25th. County detectives recovered the stolen vehicle in Cannon County at Pelham’s Scrap Yard before it was crushed. Bond for each was set at $50,000 and they will appear in court on August 14th.
44 year old Darrell Ray Ramsey of Jack Hudson Road Sparta was stopped Friday, August 1st by county deputies on Highway 70 for a traffic violation. Sheriff Ray says upon speaking with Ramsey, officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his person and he had bloodshot eyes. Deputies administered field sobriety tasks but Ramsey failed them. He was charged with a 2nd offense of driving under the influence. Ramsey has a previous DUI offense in DeKalb County, in October, 1997. Bond for Ramsey was set at $2,000 and he will appear in court on September 4th.