Many people turned out to honor Smithville Mayor Cecil Burger during a reception Friday at city hall.
City officials also dedicated the new town clock to the mayor.
A plaque, to be placed at the base of the clock on the grounds of city hall, reads “Town Clock, dedicated to the honorable Cecil Burger for his loyal and devoted service to the City of Smithville serving as Secretary/Treasurer for many years and as Smithville City Mayor from July 1, 1990 to June 30, 2006, representing 40 years of committed service to his community. Presented this 23rd day of June, 2006.
Mayor Burger expressed his appreciation to all those who attended the reception and he reflected on his years of service as city employee, mayor, and his future service as alderman. “I appreciate this very much. It makes me believe that I have done something that’s pleasing to the City of Smithville, the citizens, and especially the employees of the City of Smithville. Everything has been nice.”
“I started the 15th of September, 1966 as city judge and city recorder. I stayed judge for two or three years and then stayed as city recorder/secretary”.
“I’ve served under nine mayors and forty six aldermen. Some had more than one term”.
“I’ve tried to do my best to do what I could with whatever I’ve had to do with for everybody for the good of the people of Smithville.”
“I think I’ve done about everything in the city but be a policeman and councilman. I don’t want to be a policeman so I’ll stick to being alderman.”
Mayor Burger, after serving eight terms and sixteen years as mayor, decided not to seek re-election this year. However he did run for and was elected alderman.

Smithville Police have arrested a second person in connection with burglaries of vehicles on Luttrell and Anthony Avenue after midnight early Wednesday morning.
Detective Sergeant Chris Russell says 20 year old Curtis Allen Lloyd of Warren County was arrested on Friday, June 23 and charged with Theft over $500, Theft under $500, and Burglary.
Russell says the arrest was the result of further investigation into the auto burglaries that occurred during the morning of June 21st in which two vehicles were broken into on Anthony Avenue and Luttrell Avenue.
Another man, 21 year old Joshua McCowan of Morgan Drive was taken into custody near the scene of the crimes Wednesday morning and charged in the cases on Thursday.
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Bond for both Lloyd and McCowan is set at $50,000. McCowan will appear in General Sessions Court July 20th. Lloyd will be in court on the charges July 27th.

Thousands will be flocking to Smithville for the 35th annual Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival this weekend.
The musical competition is now underway.
Preliminaries are being held in the following categories:
Old Time Appalachian Folksinging (solos and duets); Flat Top Guitar; Junior Clogging (ages 13-39); Junior Buck Dancing (ages 13-39); Doboro Guitar; Mountain Dulcimer; Hammer Dulcimer; Novelty Event; Old Time Fiddle Band; Autoharp; Gospel Singing (solos); Country Harmonica; Old Time Banjo; Gospel Singing (duets, trios, and quartets); and Mandolin.
The top three acts in each category will be called back for the finals tonight and a first, second, and third place will be awarded.
In addition to the on-stage musical entertainment, the Fiddlers Jamboree will feature hundreds of crafts, plenty of delicious food; and lots of shade tree picking around the public square.
The DeKalb County Community Chorus is expected to perform sometime between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. featuring a patriotic program. The late Staff Sergeant Shannon Taylor of DeKalb County, who was killed in Iraq nearly a year ago, will be honored and remembered during the performance of the community chorus.
WJLE will broadcast most of the on-stage entertainment LIVE.
Meanwhile, the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce has presented awards to participating businesses in Project Welcome Mat.
Meigs Family Eye Care at 107 North Congress Boulevard, Smithville received the “Best Worded” sign award which reads, “Don’t Just Fiddle Around Enjoy Crafts Too”
Liberty State Bank on South Congress Boulevard, Smithville was presented the “People’s Choice” award for their two sided sign. On one side, the sign reads “Pick A Shade Tree and a Glass of Tea and Join us at the 35th Fiddler’s Jamboree”. The other side of the sign reads “A Little Ditty about the 35th Jamboree, Fiddling & Crafts and the Fun is Free”.
The “Most Original” sign award went to Smithville Food Store on South Congress Boulevard for their sign that reads “Don’t Clog By Come Fiddle in Smithville”

A domestic complaint led to more serious charges against an Alexandria man Wednesday after law enforcement officers tailed him in a pursuit from Alexandria to Liberty.
Alexandria Police Chief Jim Baker says Paul Comer is charged with reckless endangerment, evading arrest, and a first offense of driving under the influence.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has also charged Comer with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment
Chief Baker says Alexandria Police Officer Josh King and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Nathan Miller responded to a domestic call at 309 High Street Wednesday at 7:49 p.m.
While Officer King was trying to keep Comer and a female from arguing, Officer Miller had to leave after receiving another domestic complaint.
King says he instructed Comer to stand at the garage on the property while he talked to the woman, but Comer got in a Pontiac Grand Prix and drove away.
Officer King got in his patrol car and followed Comer from Hall Street to Highway 53, and then to Highway 70 east.
Deputy Miller later joined the pursuit and when the officers tried to get Comer stopped, he began swerving on the highway.
According to Officer King, ” We were still on Highway 70 and approaching Highway 96 when the subject went over on the emergency lane and tried to hit Deputy Miller. Near Tater Knob Road, the subject started driving in the westbound lane head-on at traffic.”
County Deputy Jon Slager joined the pursuit and Comer apparently stopped after the officers were able to get him boxed-in.
Officer King reports that ” Deputy Slager was on the subject’s driver side, Deputy Miller was in front of him, and I was behind him. The guardrail was on the right side of the subject.”
“As we exited our patrol cars, the subject turned his head, looked at me (King), and then punched the throttle and drove toward Deputy Miller. He (Miller) then fired several shots and the subject started driving toward Deputy Slager. I (King) then fired shots toward the driver’s side back tire causing it to go flat. The subject then drove east on Highway 70 and in the westbound lane of traffic with the back left tire blown out.”
“Deputy Slager was able to get in front of the subject in the city limits of Liberty. The subject tried to rear end Slager’s car and then swerved back to try to hit Miller. The subject turned left onto Highway 53 in Liberty.”
“Deputy Chris McMillen joined the pursuit and the subject made several attempts to run him and me (King) off the road. I was able to gain control and pass the subject on Cave Springs Road. The subject then stopped.”
The officers on the scene got the subject (Comer)out of his vehicle and placed him in custody. He was taken to the DeKalb County Jail.
No one was injured.

A 23 year old man has been charged by the Smithville Police Department in connection with several recent theft and burglary investigations.
Christopher Adam Hale of Smithville was arrested on Wednesday.
Detective Sergeant Chris Russell says that on June 21st at approximately 8:45 p.m.. Officer Marcus Caldwell and Sergeant Steve Deffendoll responded to 1024 West Main Street to take a theft and burglary report.
According to the victim, someone had burst a hole in the rear wall of his shed and stole several power tools.
Officer Caldwell reported while at the scene that Hale, who lived next door, ran off into the woods . He was apprehended a short time later.
During a police interview, Detective Sergeant Russell says Hale confessed to committing the burglary at his neighbor’s property.
He also accepted responsibility for another burglary that was committed about a month earlier at the same house where a shotgun was stolen.
According to Detective Sergeant Russell, Hale gave a third confession, claiming he committed a burglary at a house on West Main Street about a week ago, where several guns were taken.
Hale further confessed to committing at least two other burglaries out of the city limits , one on Game Ridge Road and one on Short Mountain Highway. The information in those two cases have been turned over to Detective Charles Griffith of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for prosecution.
Hale is charged with theft over $1,000, Theft over $500, Theft under $500, two counts of Aggravated Burglary, and one count of Burglary. Total bond is $110,000 and he is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on July 27th.