Donny Green, County Executive Director of the DeKalb County Farm Service Agency, announces that annual payments for the Tobacco Transition Payment Program, for the 2007 payment year, were released Thursday, January 25. DeKalb County quota holders and producers will receive $496,726 in 2007 program year payments. Green says that direct deposit transactions should arrive in bank accounts within 3 business days while mailed checks should arrive within 10 business days for quota holders and producers who have enrolled in the program.
The Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP), also called the “tobacco buy-out,” helps tobacco quota holders and producers transition to the free market.
The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-357), signed by President Bush on Oct. 22, 2004, ended the Depression-era tobacco quota program and established the TTPP. The program provides annual transitional payments for 10 years to eligible tobacco quota holders and producers. Payments began in 2005 and continue through 2014. Payments are funded through assessments of approximately $10 billion on tobacco product manufacturers and importers. The remaining payments will be made in 7 annual installments that are issued in January of each year.
For more information on the Tobacco Transition Payment Program, please contact the DeKalb County Farm Service Agency at 615-597-8225, extension 2.

Tennessee taxpayers will have until Tuesday, April 17, 2007, to file state taxes due April 15, the Tennessee Department of Revenue announced today. The revenue department’s decision to extend the filing time follows an announcement earlier this year by the Internal Revenue Service that it was changing its federal income tax deadline nationwide to April 17 for this year only.
The April 17, 2007, deadline will apply to the following: Hall income tax and franchise and excise taxes.
?We will follow the IRS?s lead in regard to the April 17 filing deadline. As always, we encourage taxpayers to utilize our online tax filing applications,? said Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr.
The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the legislature and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department of Revenue collects approximately 92 percent of total state tax revenue. During the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the department collected $10.3 billion in state taxes and fees. In addition to collecting state taxes, $1.8 billion of local sales tax was collected by the department for local governments during the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to www.Tennessee.gov/revenue.

Two alleged marijuana dealers in Warren and Cannon County are on trial in Federal Court in Chattanooga.
48 year old Jeffory Carl Young of Short Mountain Road, Woodbury and 53 year old Morris Edward Roller of Lance Road, McMinnville were each indicted in May by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to distribute over 2,200 pounds of marijuana and a multi-count indictment for distribution of marijuana.
The men, business partners, operated farmland on the Warren-Cannon County line.
The case stems from a two and a half year old undercover investigation by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the Southeastern Drug Enforcement Agency, the Middle Tennessee Drug Enforcement Agency, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Officers say they made many undercover buys leading up to the raids in May.
DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray worked for the Warren County Sheriff’s Department at the time and was involved in the investigation.
A state witness testified this week that Young and Roller trafficked over 100 pounds of marijuana every two weeks for several years.
During the arrest in May, authorities seized 31 parcels of land, equaling 1900 acres with a tax appraisal of $2.5 million; more than $10,000 in cash; and over ten pounds of marijuana.
Investigators also confiscated two farm tractors, a round hay baler, semi-truck, a ton truck, and a bob cat loader, all believed to have been purchased with proceeds from the sale of drugs.
The Tennessee Department of Revenue has also levied a $60,000 tax against the two men
The trial is set to resume Tuesday. If convicted, Young could be in prison for the rest of his life and Roller could get a 25 to 30 year federal prison sentence
Sheriff Ray says more arrests may be forthcoming as a result of this investigation, including some from DeKalb County.

Tennesseans who are tired of trash along state roadways now have a new tool to report litter bugs. The Tennessee Department of Transportation announced today a new toll-free litter hotline, 1-877-8-LITTER (877-854-8837). The litter hotline is part of the new statewide anti-litter campaign, StopLitter?. The hotline provides a way for Tennesseans to report people they witness littering along the state?s roadways, such as a person throwing a paper cup or cigarette butt out of a window, or an item falling from an unsecured load.
?The new toll-free litter hotline gives citizens the ability to Stop It,? said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. ?Now anyone who witnesses a person littering can report it and trigger action to improve the quality of the environment and the cleanliness of our roadways. Tennessee has some of the best roads in the nation. With everyone?s help, we can have some of the cleanest, too.?
Citizens who witness a litter bug in action can call 1-877-8-LITTER (877-854-8837). Callers will reach a recording that asks them to provide information about the vehicle. The information that will be requested includes:
license plate number (Tennessee plates only)
type and make of the vehicle
day and time the incident occurred
location where the incident occurred
the type of item tossed or blown from the vehicle
TDOT will mail a letter to the registered owner of the vehicle along with a StopLitter? car trash bag or portable ashtray and other anti-litter information. The letter is a gentle reprimand reminding the recipient that littering is against the law and punishable by a fine of up to $1500.
The addition of the statewide hotline signals a new strategy in the effort to stop litter in Tennessee.
?Littering is not only an eyesore, it costs taxpayers money,? said TDOT Chief of Environment and Planning Ed Cole. ?Last year, more than $11 million was spent on litter clean-up and prevention efforts in Tennessee. Thousands of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers also contribute their time and energy picking up litter from the state?s highways each year. The litter hotline allows people to address this problem but still remain anonymous.?
?The answer to the littering problem involves more than just cleaning up trash. Prevention is the key solution,? added Edith Heller, Keep Tennessee Beautiful State Leader. ?We hope everyone will join us in this effort by calling the hotline when they witness someone littering from a vehicle.?

DeKalb County Schools Closed Thursday