As part of the effort to StopLitter™ in Tennessee, Governor Phil Bredesen and TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely today awarded Dekalb County with a litter grant in the amount of $29,237.
“Each year volunteers pick up nearly 25.5 million pounds of roadside litter,” said Bredesen. “Litter is an eye-sore, it’s costly to clean up and can be harmful to our environment, but it’s totally preventable. These funds will be used by counties across the state to organize their pick-up efforts and conduct educational campaigns to teach children and adults about the importance of keeping Tennessee beautiful.”
“It’s time people realize that the roadside is not a trash can,” said Representative Frank Buck. “I support all efforts to educate people on the consequences of littering in Tennessee and encourage citizens to report litter when they see it happening.”
Litter grant funds are distributed annually by TDOT to all 95 Tennessee counties.
“TDOT awards approximately $3 million each year to help local communities in their efforts to stop litter in Tennessee,” said Nicely. “These funds are obtained through the collection of a specialty tax on the malt beverage and soft drink industry through the Litter Grant Bill which was enacted by the General Assembly in 1981.”
The funds that each county receives are determined by county road miles and county population in order to ensure an equitable distribution statewide. Funds must be used for litter pick-up activities and litter prevention education. Education funding can be used in a variety of ways, such as sharing litter control awareness with schools, citizens and businesses.
Through the litter pickup program, approximately 25.5 million pounds of roadside litter was picked up on approximately 292,000 miles of county roads, and approximately 45,000 miles of state routes.
To find out more about Tennessee’s Litter Grant program, please visit: http://www.tennessee.gov/tdot/environment/beautification/littergrant.htm

The 12th annual Angel Tree Project is underway and your support is needed to help make this holiday season merrier for hundreds of less fortunate children.
Laura Stone, President of DeKalb County Angel Tree Incorporated, says this program has been reorganized. “This is our 12th annual Angel Tree Project. It’s basically the same program but we’ve come under a different organizational aspect of it. We are now a non-profit organization in the process of getting our 501c3 status. I am the president and Lisa Vaughn is the secretary-treasurer. We have a board of directors made up of Marie Blair, LaVaughnda Midgett, Charlie Parker, and Tim Woodward. We’re working together with the community this year as a group in order to provide presents, like we always have, for the needy and disadvantaged children of the community.”
Stone says DeKalb County Angel Tree Incorporated hopes to serve more than 600 children this holiday season. ” We’ve got, somewhere in the neighborhood of 630 children this year that we’re serving, and the deadline to shop and return your gifts to the banks is on Friday, December 7th. I know a lot of people are going to be off during the holiday and it’s a good time, when you’re going into the bank to cash your check for after Thanksgiving shopping, to go ahead and pick up an angel or two off the tree. If you can’t choose an angel, we’re happy to take money as well. We understand that some people don’t have the time to shop so we’d be happy to do the shopping for you. This is a good weekend to get everybody in the shopping mood, and hopefully we’ll have a lot of these angels taken this week.”
Angel Trees are located at all bank locations in DeKalb County. Each angel represents a child and his or her wish list for Christmas. Select an angel from the tree, buy a gift for the child, and return the gift to the bank where you picked up the angel.
Stone says Cash Express is also serving as a donation site for anyone who wants to drop off coats and toys.” We’ll be making up presents from the donations. If we have a child who doesn’t get as much (Angel Tree presents) as their sibling, or if a child’s name doesn’t get taken and we have something left over, we’re going to have some options of being able to make up some presents with these donations, so if you just want to buy, a couple of Barbie dolls or a coat or two you can drop those off at Cash Express because they’ve partnered with us.”
Stone says she knows of one family who benefited from the Angel Tree Project in the past and this year is able to support it themselves. “They were able to take four angels off the tree this year. I talked with this lady and her child and she said if it wasn’t for the angel tree in year’s past, her kids wouldn’t have gotten anything. Her child said I was able to get presents when I was growing up and it’s time for us to give back to the community. I thought that was such a touching story of how things can turn around for people. Here is a family who needed help, when times were tough for them, and are now in a position to buy for four angels themselves. That’s a wonderful example.”

Smithville Police arrested a Cookeville woman on drug charges Saturday after answering a shoplifting complaint.
37 year old Lois Ann McCloud of 627 Rice Circle, Cookeville was charged with simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance (xanax) and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond is $2,500 and she will appear in General Sessions Court on the charges December 6th.
The arrest warrant states that ” Officer Matt Holmes responded to a shoplifting call at Gordon’s Hardware and was advised that the subject had left. A description was given of the car and it was stopped at Wal-mart. Upon speaking to both subjects in the vehicle, they admitted to being at Gordon’s Hardware but denied shoplifting anything. They also consented to a search.”
Officer Holmes’ report states that “I found a plastic bag in the passenger front floor board that contained needles and straws. Upon a search of McCloud, a black flash light was found down the front of her pants in a black container. When asked what it was, she stated that it was paraphernalia. The subject admitted she used the needles for shooting up morphine. Also a small key chain was found in Ms McCloud’s left pocket containing two blue pills believed to be Xanax. Ms McCloud was arrested and transported to the Smithville Police Department. The male driver of the vehicle was arrested on an active warrant out of DeKalb County.” His name was unavailable. The vehicle was towed.
A motorcycle rider, stopped for speeding, was found with drugs on Sunday.
25 year old Chauncey Lee Eanes IV of Laurel Avenue, Knoxville, was charged with resisting a stop, frisk, halt, arrest, and search along with simple possession of a schedule IV and VI controlled substance. He will be in court on the charges December 6th.
Officer Matt Holmes report states that “I observed a motorcycle traveling east bound on Highway 70 going through the traffic light at a high rate of speed, 82 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. With lights and sirens activated, I followed the motorcycle for three miles before the stop. Upon speaking to Eanes, Holmes asked for a license, but Eanes did not have a motorcycle license endorsement. The cycle was to be towed due to no license. Before transporting, Holmes advised Eanes that he would have to search him before putting him in the police car but Eanes refused to a search of his person. At that point, Eanes was placed under arrest and transported to the Smithville Police Department. Upon inventory of Eanes personal belongings, the following items were discovered: a glass bottle that contained a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana and a small bag containing four and a half blue pills believed to be xanax.”.
33 year old Eric Trent Johnson of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville was charged with possession of a handgun while under the influence of alcohol and aggravated assault. His bond is set at $11,000 and his court date is December 6th.
The arrest warrant states that “Officer Craig Capps responded to a possible domestic involving a weapon at 318 Bell Street Apartments. Upon speaking to Curtis Lloyd, he states Johnson came to his residence intoxicated and pulled a gun on him and pointed it at him making him fear for his life. Johnson left the scene and officer Randy King stopped the subject, arrested him for DUI and found the weapon under the seat of the vehicle.”
A 31 year old woman went missing from a residence on South Mountain Street Saturday.
Smithville Police Officer Matt Holmes, in his report, states that “On Sunday, I responded to 508 South Mountain Street on a missing person report. I met with Lila Garrell who advised me that Brandy Braydon was last seen at Sundance where she was employed. She left around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Braydon was under a court order to stay at 508 South Mountain Street, which is a halfway house. Garrell advised me that on November 10th, Braydon failed a drug screen and thought she was going to jail.” She remains missing.
Meanwhile, Officer Travis Bryant took a theft report at a residence on Bright Hill Road on Saturday.
In the report, Officer Bryant states that ” Upon arrival, I spoke with Chris Braswell who advised me that his license plates had been stolen from his car and that a couple of months ago other items were taken including a yellow top post car battery valued at $150, a Silverado Craft car battery, valued at $70, a Rampage CD player, valued at $70, and an Aftermarket CD player, valued at $70. Braswell stated that he last observed his license plates on November 14th and noticed them missing on Saturday.”
Officer Matt Holmes also took a report of a burglary and theft on Saturday at the residence of Ricky Turner on Foster Avenue.
The report states that ” I met with Ricky Turner who advised me that someone had been in his residence while he was gone. He advised me that he left his residence at 7:00 a.m. on Friday and arrived home that evening at 4:50 p.m.. He first noticed a bowl containing loose change relocated in his house. The bowl was empty. Upon further investigation, he found that his 22 Marlin automatic rifle and digital camera were gone. Mr. Turner left the garage door open in the back but the door inside the residence was locked and looked to have been jimmied, opened by a screwdriver. The property was valued at $260.”
28 year old Nelda J. Bandy of Potts Camp Road, Smithville was charged with a third offense of driving on a revoked license on Saturday. Her bond is $3,000 and her court date is December 6th.
41 year old Kimberly A. McIntyre of Dry Creek Road , Smithville was charged with public intoxication on Friday. Her bond is $1,000 and her court date is December 13th.
54 year old Lamar Theodore Redman was charged with domestic assault and three other counts of assault on Saturday.
According to Officer Joey Jones’ report, “I arrested Redman for domestic assault on his wife at 713 Snow Street. While being processed at city hall by officer Tyler Wix and Jones, Redman stated he was having chest pains. Officer Wix called for an EMT to check him out. The EMT began asking him questions and he became beligerant and violent and knocked the EMT up against the wall, and grabbed officer Jones by the shirt trying to hit him. When he was placed up against the wall by Officers Jones and Wix, Redman got an arm free and hit officer Wix with his fist in the left eye causing redness and poked him in the right eye with his finger. Redman was taken to the floor, still unruly, and the officer was going to use mace, when Redman began cooperating with the officer.”
Redman will be in court on the charge November 29th

Smithville Police Officer Travis K. Bryant has received a commendation for his efforts to obtain equipment for the department.
The commendation, signed by Mayor Taft Hendrixson, Police Commissioner Cecil Burger, Chief Richard Jennings, and Lieutenant Steven Leffew states that “On behalf of the Smithville Police Department, I would like to commend you for your recent efforts in your capacity in the Traffic Division”
“Due to your determination, the police department has received vital equipment and training at no cost, through financial grants.”
“As a result of your patience and determination, the Smithville Police Department has been equipped with two in-car video systems, two lap top computers, an EC IR Intoximeter and a hand held Intoximeter. Our officers also have received specialized training at no cost to the City of Smithville.”
” It’s initiatives like this that will separate our officers from the rest and will take our police department to a higher level of excellence.”
“For your outstanding performance, you are hereby formally recognized and commended with a copy of this commendation becoming a part of your permanent personnel record. Congratulations and keep up the great work.”

The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen did not meet Monday night due to the lack of a quorum.
Three members of the five member board must be in attendance for the meeting to be held.
Aldermen Tonya Sullivan, Jerry Hutchins Sr., and Willie Thomas were all absent.
Aldermen Cecil Burger and Steve White were present as was Mayor Taft Hendrixson.
The business scheduled for Monday night will apparently be back on the agenda at the next meeting on Monday, December 3rd, however, according to Mayor Hendrixson, since there could be no action on ordinances up for passage on second reading Monday night, the process for adopting them will have to be started over again, beginning with first reading action on December 3rd followed by second and final reading passage after public hearings on December 17th.
Those include proposed ordinance #396 to change the zoning classification of certain property from B-1 to B-2. The property is approximately 1.2 acres belonging to James E. Cantrell and is located at 1100 South College Street; proposed ordinance #397 amending the official zoning ordinance by adding a section which establishes conditions for the parking of recreational vehicles in mobile home parks; proposed ordinance #398 adopting the International Residential Code; and proposed ordinance #399 adopting the International Plumbing Code.