A 66 year old woman was seriously injured in a three vehicle traffic accident Friday afternoon on South Congress Boulevard in front of Jewel’s Market.
Darlene Summers of Midway Road, Smithville was airlifted from the scene by a Life Force helicopter ambulance and flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.
Another woman, 27 year old Tanya A. Wood of Joe Tittsworth Road, Smithville was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital where she was treated and released.
Thomas J. Stufano, Executive Officer for the Smithville Police Department, in a prepared news release, states that ” At approximately 3:39 p.m., officers from the Smithville Police and Fire Departments and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office responded to a three vehicle auto accident in the 1200 block of South Congress Boulevard (State Highway 56). Upon arrival, officers found that two vehicles had collided causing major damage with one vehicle then leaving the roadway and striking a third parked vehicle.”
“A followup investigation revealed that Summers was traveling north on Highway 56 in her 1994 Ford car, attempting to turn left into the parking lot of Dogwood Plaza, when she collided with Wood, who was driving a 1997 Mercury car southbound. Due to the severe impact, Wood’s vehicle left the roadway, going down a drainage embankment, crashing through a sign, and then colliding with a parked 1990 Chevy truck, owned by 56 Mini Storage.”
“Ms. Summers had received life threatening injuries but was immediately attended to by Nurse/EMT Gretchen E. Jones of McMinnville who had been driving northbound on State Highway 56 just after the accident occurred. Due to the extent of Ms. Summers serious injuries, she was flown by helicopter to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga and is listed in serious condition. Ms. Wood was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital and was treated and released.”
“Traffic was stopped in both directions for approximately 45 minutes so that emergency personnel could attend to the accident scene.”
“The case is still pending investigation by Sergeant Steven Leffew of the Smithville Police Department.”

School spirit was on display Friday afternoon as students from DeKalb County High School celebrated the last day of Homecoming Week with a parade from the school to downtown.
The Tiger football team’s homecoming opponent Friday night is the Upperman Bees and each float in the parade had a Tiger versus Bees theme.
The parade featured the Homecoming Queen and her court, the DCHS Fighting Tiger Band, county and city law enforcement officers and fire fighters, DeKalb EMS, and State Senator Mae Beavers, among others.
The Sophomore Class took first place with their float called “Tigers Exterminate the Bees” The float depicted a huge can of bee spray, a large Tiger paw pressing the spray button, and a large stuffed bee dying from the spray.
The Senior Class won second place with their float called “Tigers Hurl the Bees”. This float had a large stuffed Tiger throwing bees through the goal post, hitting a bee hive.
Third place went to the FCCLA Club for their float entry called “Tigers Smoke out the Bees”. This float had an old time black cook stove with smoke coming out, a bee hive, and a Tiger cooking the bees with dead bees lying around.
The Junior Class took fourth place with their float called “DeKalb Tigers Swat Down the Bees. The float depicted a large stuffed bee being swatted by a giant fly swatter, held by a Tiger standing near the bee hive.
The Freshman Class received fifth place with their float called “Rock on Tigers, Beat the Bees” The float featured a LIVE Rock Band with lots of balloons.
Winners of the best decorated vehicles in the parade were: First place- Keshia Byford; Second place- Kelsey Foutch; and Third place- Katie Herman.
Winners of the best decorated classroom doors at DCHS were: First place- Amanda Brown; Second place- Donna Emmons; and Third place- Marie Hill (library)
Winners of the best decorated business category were: First place- Shamrock; Second place- The law office of Sue Puckett-Jernigan; Third place- Region’s Bank; and Fourth place-Atnip Chiropractic Clinic.

A $101,015 U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant will enable the DeKalb County Fire Department to purchase personal protection equipment, U.S. Representative Bart Gordon announced today (Friday).
The grant is funded 95% federal, $95,965, and 5% local, $5,050.
“Many communites struggle to maintain fire-protection services,” said Gordon, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. “Even though demands on firefighters have increased tremendously over the years, the resources they depend on to provide their life-saving services have not.
“That’s why Congress initiated the Assistance to Firefighters Program, which is similar to the highly successful COPS program that put more than 100,000 new police officers on the nation’s streets.”
Chief Donny Green said the funds would be used to purchase personal protection equipment such as fire fighting protection clothing and spare air cylinders for breathing apparatuses, and laundry equipment to clean the clothing of blood-borne pathogens, keeping them maintained and allowing them to last longer.
“This is equipment we would not have been able to purchase without federal assistance,” Green said. We’re able to protect not only the community, but our firefighters, as well.”
Homeland Security awarded the grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, created by Congress to help underfunded fire departments better serve community residents. In addition to funding operations and firefighter safety programs, the grants can also be used to purchase firefighting vehicles.
“Countless lives and properties have been saved through the valiant efforts of firefighters and rescue squad members, “Gordon said. “This program is a much-needed opportunity for local fire departments to strengthen their resources and capabilities.”

Three people have been charged by the Sheriff’s Department with the theft of $250 in change from a Belk Road residence.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says 28 year old Aaron D. Ponder and 19 year old Gary Ponder both of 7851 Old Mill Hill Road, Dowelltown; and 18 year old Britney D. Barnes of 9850 Belk Road have each been charged in the case.
Bond for each is set at $1,000 and they will appear in General Sessions Court October 19th.

Natural gas customers could see lower home heating costs this winter
Les Enoch, CEO of Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, says circumstances that drove prices up this time last year have changed this year. ” Natural gas prices have dropped drastically and we’ve lowered our rates as well. If the weather this winter is the same as last year, gas bills should be about 20% lower.”
“We didn’t have the hurricanes that were predicted like we had last year and that has made a big difference and the gas supply in underground storage has also been pretty significant and that’s had a big impact on it. This time last year was a different situation. We were focusing on devastation to the Gulf Coast region during a very active hurricane season and we were also confronted with high energy prices on a nationwide basis.”
Enoch urges consumers to conserve as much energy as possible to save even more money this winter. “It’s fall light up season. We provide free safety inspections and pilot lighting in preparation for the winter season. It’s also a good time top consider winterizing your homes, take a look at your insulation, and weatherstripping, change the filters, and keep your thermostats as low as comfortable because that’s another good way to save on your gas bill.”

Four members of the Smithville Fire Department recently graduated from the Tennessee Fire Service Academy in Bell Buckle.
Gary Johnson, Stephanie Brown, Randall Hunt, and Kevin Adcock, completed the three day “Live Burn” weekend learning the techniques of extinguishing Liquid Propane, Natural Gas, and other fuel enriched fires. They also practiced basic survival skills including search and rescue of victims from burning buildings in zero visibility.
With the recent graduates, the Smithville Fire Department has had 90% of it’s members complete Fire School and 80% obtain State Licensure as either a Paramedic, EMT, or First Responder. For more information on the Smithville Fire Department you can visit their website at www. smithvillefire.com.

Two people were injured in a traffic accident around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday night on old Highway 96 at Liberty.
Trooper Shannon Brinkley of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says Flint W. Gilley II of 1745 Bethel Road, Smithville was traveling south on Highway 96 in a 1994 Saturn when his vehicle impacted an oncoming 1998 Ford Escort driven by Jeffery M. Stone of 576 Prater Road, Smithville in the northbound lane.
Trooper Brinkley says after the collision, Stone’s car came to rest in the northbound lane and Gilley’s vehicle veered across the northbound lane and struck a guardrail.
Stone was transported by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital. Gilley, who was cited for driving left of center, suffered a slight ankle injury but refused treatment.

Governor Phil Bredesen today announced the state is providing $3.6 million in disaster assistance funding to many Tennessee communities that suffered damages due to thunderstorms, flooding, and high winds and tornadoes in 2003. Under the plan, the state will provide retroactive matching funds to eligible agencies and local governments in 70 counties that were declared federal disaster areas in 2003. These payments will restore a portion ? 6.25 percent ? of the total eligible damages in these counties that were not provided when the previous administration suspended state payments for disasters during a period of budget crisis.
?Responding to a disaster can impose immense financial costs on a community if they are forced to shoulder that burden alone,? said Bredesen. ?It is only proper Tennessee continue to place a priority on assisting those communities and the public agencies that have been hardest hit during a disaster. Now that we have regained control of our state?s budget and restored fiscal discipline, it?s time to restore these funds to the communities that need them.?
DeKalb County will receive $17,167.66 for damages that occurred during the disaster which was declared on May 8, 2003. This figure is the combined total from among the eligible parties in this community.
Governor Bredesen has already restored the state?s policy of paying half of the 25 percent of local matching funds required to receive federal public assistance disaster funding for future emergencies. That announcement was made following the deadly tornadoes in April of this year.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency will provide budget oversight for issuance of the funds.
The federal public assistance program provides funding for debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings, public utilities and public recreational facilities.