One person was injured in a single vehicle traffic accident Christmas Day on Braswell Lane.
Smithville Police Chief Thomas J. Stufano says 47 year old Jeffery Allen Scheffler of 911 Short Mountain Highway, Smithville was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital where he was treated and released.
The accident occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. in the 200 block of Braswell Lane. Chief Stufano says Scheffler was traveling too fast for conditions and he over-corrected and fishtailed, which resulted in the vehicle leaving the roadway and ending up in a drainage ditch. The front end of the vehicle had extensive damage after hitting a drainage pipe at the bottom of the ditch.
Rescue workers at the scene rendered first aid to Scheffler who had facial lacerations. Scheffler was wearing his seatbelt which may have prevented him from receiving more serious injuries.
Chief Stufano says the Smithville Police Department would like to remind drivers that this is the time of year when they need to be vigilant about poor driving conditions. Motorists should use caution when driving. Some of the hazards include black ice, standing water, high winds, and driving rain, sleet, and snow.
You are reminded to give yourself plenty of time during inclement weather, and wear your seatbelts, and when making longer trips always let someone know when you are leaving, your route of travel, and your estimated time of arrival.

Robert M. Luther of Franklin Tennessee has been appointed by the Cannon
County Hospital, LLC Board, as the new Administrator/Chief Executive Officer
for DeKalb Community Hospital in Smithville and Stones River
Hospital in Woodbury.
Luther is formerly the Senior Vice President for Regional Operations
for Attentus Healthcare, Franklin, Tennessee. He has served as Chief
Executive Officer at hospitals in New Mexico, Arizona, California, and South
Carolina. In addition to healthcare operations, Mr. Luther has extensive
experience in quality improvement, business development and physician
recruitment.
Luther has a master?s in healthcare administration from the Graduate
School of Business at the University of Colorado. He served in the United
States Navy.
He and his wife Patricia have three children and three grandchildren. He
enjoys reading, travel and golf.
Luther assumed duties with both hospitals on December 18th.
The principles in Cannon County Hospital, LLC own DeKalb Community Hospital
and Stones River Hospital in Woodbury.

Smithville Police have charged three people stemming from a domestic assault investigation on Wednesday.
Police Chief Thomas Stufano says those charged in the case are 34 year old Patsy Estes – McCoy, 40 year old Mark McCoy, and 71 year old Melvin McCormick.
In a prepared news release, Chief Stufano says “On Wednesday, police responded to a reported domestic assault at 860 Cooper Street. Upon arrival, officers found that a female juvenile had been assaulted by her mother, Patsy Estes – McCoy and her step-father, Mark McCoy leaving numerous bruises and marks on the child’s body. The child was also covered in dog food that the step-father had thrown all over the child. After the incident, the parents drove away together from the scene prior to the police response. During the investigation, the grandmother advised the officers that the child suffers from a diminished mental capacity and cerebral palsy.”
“On Friday, police detectives were able to track the mother to 701 Fisher Street at a residence owned by Melvin McCormick. Police contacted McCormick there and were advised by him that Ms. McCoy had just left.”
Chief Stufano says “during the questioning, it was apparent that McCormick was concealing the truth so officers set up a surveillance of the residence. Approximately 20 minutes passed when McCormick and Ms. McCoy came out of the front door and left in McCormick’s truck. Officers followed the vehicle in an attempt to find the husband but due to the erratic driving of the driver, the vehicle was stopped.”
Ms. McCoy was immediately taken into custody and McCormick was processed for driving under the influence of alcohol. Both were transported to the DeKalb County Jail.
Charges on Ms. McCoy include child abuse and neglect and theft of city water services. It was found that Ms. McCoy and her husband had broken and reconnected a city water meter at their residence when it was shut off for non-payment. Bond was set at $3,500.
McCormick was charged with accessory after the fact and driving under the influence. His bond was set at $6,000.
Meanwhile, Chief Stufano says police arrested Mark McCoy Thursday night when he returned to his residence and was attempting to move his belongings out.
He was subsequently charged with domestic assault, child abuse and neglect, and destruction and theft of city property and services. His bond was set at $6,000.
Chief Stufano says Smithville Police are committed to actively investigating these types of crimes and encourages all residents to report suspicious incidents to the police.

The DeKalb County Commission Monday night unanimously selected County Mayor Mike Foster as the Chairman of the Commission for the year.
Seventh District Commissioner Larry Summers was named Chairman Pro Temp.
The chairman presides over all county commission meetings. The chairman pro temp fills in for the chairman in his absence.
In other business, the commission adopted two proposed amendments to the Subdivision Regulations on second and final reading upon the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
County Mayor Mike Foster says one of the proposed amendments pertains to the design and construction of new roads in subdivision developments and the other regulates flag lots ” Roads must have a thickness of asphalt binder of two inches. This new regulation would require a wearing surface of another one and a half inches at the final completion for a total of three and a half inches of blacktop.”
“Under the flag lot regulations, there must be a minimum of 50 feet road frontage and it cannot exceed 300 feet. Flag lots must not encompass 10% of the total development. This is to prevent someone from having so many flag lots to keep from building a road.”
Another proposed amendment would revise the “Hillside Development Standards”.
Foster says the proposed change is primarily meant to stop some lot developments on the lake that are actually too steep for development.
However no action was taken on that amendment Monday night. Foster says the Planning Commission wants to make some changes in the proposal. “We had a meeting of the planning commission last Monday night and I think we have agreed there are ways to work out the problems we need solved. We will have a work session on that (issue) and we’ll invite you (county commissioners) and the planning commission to that meeting to address it.”
“The problem of the real steep lots is that they don’t provide adequate parking or sewer/septic system capacity. The planning commission will likely recommend that the homeowner be required to have a licensed engineer to lay out the foundation on lots with a 30% or greater slope.”