Special Election on Sales Tax Referendum set for May 17th

The DeKalb County Legislative Body has called a special election to let the voters decide whether to increase the local option sales tax rate in DeKalb County from 1.5% to 2.75%
The DeKalb County Election Commission has set the date of the election for Thursday, May 17th.
This will be a county wide election. Early voting will begin Friday, April 27th and end Saturday, May 12th.
On election day, May 17th, the polling places will open at 8 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
The DeKalb County Commission will have a public hearing on the proposed sales tax refendum Monday, March 26th at 5:00 p.m. in the basement courtroom of the courthouse. Everyone is invited to attend to ask questions or make comments. The public hearing will be followed by the regular monthly meeting of the county commission at 6:30 p.m.
The wording on the ballot will read:
“SHALL RESOLUTION 21-2-2007-1 PASSED BY THE DEKALB COUNTY COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 26, 2007 PROVIDING FOR AN INCREASE IN THE LOCAL SALES TAX FROM 1.5% TO 2.75% WITH ONE-HALF (1/2) REQUIRED BY LAW AND THE REMAINDER AS PER AGREEMENT CONTRACTS, BE APPROVED?”

Louise Medlen Jacobs

90 year old Louise Medlen Jacobs of Smithville died Thursday at NHC of Smithville. She was a homemaker and a member of the Smithville Church of Christ. The funeral will be Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will be in Whorton Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 1:00 p.m. She was preceded in death by her parents, Warren C. and Leatha Jones Medlen; her husband, Bill Leon Jacobs; two brothers, Fred and Howard Medlen; and a sister Irene Medley. Survivors include a son Shawn and his wife Karen Jacobs; a granddaughter, Caitlin Jacobs; and a step-grandson, Justin Nokes all of Smithville along with several nieces and nephews. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. The family requests that donations be made to the Byrd L. Jones Cemetery Fund, in lieu of flowers.

Joan Faye Fitts

72 year old Joan Faye Fitts of Smithville died Friday at DeKalb Community Hospital. She was a retired factory worker and a member of the Church of Christ. The funeral will be Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Donald Owens will officiate and burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Friday from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.; Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until the service at 1:00 p.m. She was preceded in death by her husband, Billy Byron Fitts; her parents, Haskel and Loretta Slatton Young; two brothers, Morris and Gene Young and a sister, Joy Leighty. Survivors include a daughter, Cindy Knopp of Smithville. Two sons, Ricky Fitts of Smithville and Jeremy Fitts of Nashville. Three grandchildren, Carrie Talley of Alexandria and Kayla Edwards and Derrick Fitts both of Smithville. Two sisters, Betty Sue Herndon of Smithville and Patricia Ann Sain of Hermitage. Many nieces and nephews also survive. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Roger Lee Cantrell

45 year old Roger Lee Cantrell of Smithville died Friday at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro. He was a boilermaker and welder and a Baptist. The funeral will be Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. B.J. Thomason and Bransford England will officiate and burial will be in the New Union Cemetery. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lee Harmon and Ruby Walker Cantrell. Survivors include a daughter, Hannah Grace Creasey of Lascassas. Three sisters, Lena Mullican of Smithville, Rose Ann and Jack Kile of Gatlinburg, and Linda and Hillary Suddarth of Castalian Springs. Local aunts and uncles, Helen and Herman Roller of Rock Island, Atwood and Eula Cantrell of Smithville, and Velma Walker of Smithville. Several nieces, nephews, and friends also survive. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will be Sunday from 1:30 p.m. until the service at 3:30 p.m. The family requests that donations be made to the Calvary Baptist Church or Hospice of Murfreesboro in lieu of flowers

Vinnie Vaylene Lindsey Roberts

The funeral for 87 year old Vinnie Vaylene Lindsey Roberts will be Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Burial will be in the New Home Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. at the Baxter Funeral Home and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. Survivors include a step-daughter, Loraine Roberts and three sisters, Veda Dew and Rebecca Wallace. Baxter Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Search Underway On Center Hill Lake For Missing Cookeville Man

A search effort has been underway since Tuesday on Center Hill Lake for a man believed to have jumped off Hurricane Bridge and drowned.
43 year old Bobby Joe Cosgrove of Cook Street, Cookeville is missing.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says Cosgrove’s vehicle was found parked by the side of the road at Hurricane Bridge on Highway 56 north early Tuesday morning and the car contained some of his personal belongings. Based on what was found in the car, Sheriff Ray says authorities believe Cosgrove may have jumped off the bridge.
Cosgrove is a white male with brown hair, brown eyes, and a brown beard. He was last seen wearing a jogging outfit. He is six feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds.
Sheriff Ray says members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the TWRA, the DeKalb County Rescue Squad, and the Putnam County K-9 Tracking Unit have all been involved in the search for Cosgrove by land and water, but the depth of the lake as well as the huge rocks, metal, and parts of the old bridge at the bottom of the lake make dragging operations difficult.
He says if Cosgrove isn’t found by the weekend, rescue squads from other counties will be called upon to aid in the search, and underwater cameras may be used.

Stranded Motorist Arrested By Sheriff’s Department For Possession of Drugs

A woman who ran out of gas in her vehicle on Ferrell Road Wednesday was arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department after an officer found pills and drug paraphernalia in her vehicle.
Roxanne Hendrixson of McMinnville Highway is charged with possession of a schedule II controlled substance (methodone) for sale and delivery and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says a concerned citizen called the department on Wednesday stating that a vehicle was parked on Ferrell Road. After the officer arrived at the scene to check on the vehicle, he noticed that Hendrixson had a white powdery substance on her nose. He requested and received consent to search the vehicle and found a bottle containing 77 methodone pills. Sheriff Ray says the label on the prescription bottle was partially torn off so the officer couldn’t determine to whom the pills were prescribed, but the remaining portion of the label on the bottle revealed that the prescription was filled Tuesday for 160 pills. In addition to the pills, the officer found a pill crusher and a straw containing a white powdery residue .
Hendrixson will be in General Sessions Court on the charges March 29th.

Beulah Greer Evans

89 year old Beulah Greer Evans of Smithville died Wednesday at NHC Healthcare Center. She was a retired nurse and a member of the Memorial Baptist Church at Dowelltown. The funeral will be Friday at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Bill Robertson and Elmer Ellis, Jr. will officiate and burial will be in Whorton Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the service time at 1:00 p.m. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Beulah Tramel Williams and two husbands, Jesse E. Greer and W.T. Evans. Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Don and Carroll Greer of Goodlettsville. Two daughters and a son-in-law, Sue and Elmer Ellis, Jr. of Temperance Hall and Becky Hobbs of Smithville. Eight grandchildren, Donnie, Ronnie, and Connie Greer, Tammy Herrington, Jeff and Jamie Ellis, Amanda Goodwin, and Marla Beshearse. Seven great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Roy D. Williams

69 year old Roy D. Williams of Christiana, Tennessee and a native of Liberty died Thursday at his residence. He was a member of the United Pentecostal Church in Smyrna and a retired employee of Trinidad-Benham, Inc. The funeral will be Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Jennings and Ayers Chapel in Murfreesboro. Carl Saddler will officiate and burial will be in the Roselawn Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Friday from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar and Ola Mai Dedman Williams and a daughter, Venus Williams. Survivors include his wife Joann Waggoner Williams of Christiana. Two daughters, Annette and her husband Kenneth Warrick and Janette and her husband Steve Dykes all of Murfreesboro. Two brothers, John Edward and his wife Doris Williams of Smithville and James Williams of Smith County. Two sisters, Marie Rucker of Alexandria and Louise Swinea of Hartsville. Grandchildren, Ray Warrick, Nathan Warrick, Kyle Dykes, and Hanna Warrick. The Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home in Murfreesboro is in charge of the arrangements. This information provided as a courtesy of DeKalb Funeral Chapel.

Fire Destroys Home In Temperance Hall Area

A fire Wednesday morning destroyed the home of Jimmy Sprague at 310 Jackson Hollow Road in the Temperance Hall community.
County Fire Chief Donny Green says a neighbor coming home from work first saw the smoke and then discovered the fire at around 8:20 a.m. He says by that time, the roof had already collapsed.
Members of the Temperance Hall, Liberty, and Short Mountain Highway Stations responded along with a tanker truck but firefighters were unable to save the home and contents.
Sprague, who works for the county road department, was not at home at the time but saw the smoke and returned home. Sprague told firefighters he left home around 6:20 a.m. to take his children to school.
Sprague’s 1996 Chevy Tahoe, parked in the driveway only a few feet away from the garage, was damaged but not destroyed. Sprague arrived in time to move the vehicle further away from the fire.
No one was injured.
Firefighters and members of the Tennessee Division of Forestry were later recalled to the scene after the fire rekindled and spread to the woods.