Candidate petitions for the August 3 Liberty City Election are now available, according to the DeKalb County Election Commission office.
A Mayor and two Aldermen are scheduled to be elected, and Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections, said petitions can be picked up now.
“The qualifying deadline for those offices is Noon May 18, and petitions can be picked up now, or up until the qualifying deadline” Stanley said. “The candidates just need to remember the petitions must be returned before the deadline in order to be processed.”
The Mayor’s post is currently held by Dwight Mathis. Alderman up for office are the positions currently held by Howard Reynolds, Jr. and J.D. Bratten.
Bratten was just elected last year to fill the remainder of an unexpired term. That slot and the others on this year’s ballot will be for a four-year term.

The liquor referendum that passed in Smithville a few months ago has impacted beer sale times in the county, thanks to a state law.
Stores and restaurants in DeKalb County that have an ON or OFF premises beer permit may now sell or serve alcohol on Sundays and extended hours during the week.
The authorization for these businesses to extend their hours to sell or serve beer came when voters in the City of Smithville adopted a referendum permitting liquor by the drink in November.
“Since the city has passed by referendum liquor by the drink then the hours for county beer sales now conform to the hours for sale of alcoholic beverages set by the state which are 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. (the following morning) and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m.(the following morning),” County Attorney Hilton Conger told WJLE Thursday.
Previously, these county business establishments were prohibited from selling beer all day on Sundays and from midnight until 6:00 a.m. all other days of the week.
In response to questions from County Attorney Conger, Joshua Stepp, Commission Counsel for the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission said that based on his reading of state attorney general’s opinions, extended beer sales are now permitted in DeKalb County.
“One (AG opinion) basically says that when a county hasn’t passed an LBD (Liquor by the Drink) referendum, but a city in the county has, then the state LBD hours apply to the county with regards to beer. It then says that the county can extend those hours if they want, but they can only extend them, they can’t be more prohibitive then what the state hours are. The state hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. except the Sunday hours are 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. except where the local jurisdiction passes an ordinance opting out of the 10:00 a.m. start time, in which case it would be noon,” said Stepp.
“Another (AG opinion) basically says that since the county beer hours of sale are tied to the state hours of sale for LBD and since the Sunday start time is typically 10:00 a.m. unless the city opts out making it noon, then the county has to follow whatever the city does, so if the city opts out, then the start time is noon, but if they don’t then it’s 10:00 a.m.,” Stepp said.
“How I read the opinions is that as soon as the referendum passed, the county became bound by the state hours, so that the hours for beer in the county are now 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. except on Sunday, it starts at 10:00 a.m. On Sunday, since the city hasn’t opted out of the 10:00 a.m. start time to make it noon, then the 10:00 a.m. start time applies (both in the city and the county) until such time as the city may so opt out,” said Stepp.
In December 2012, the City of Smithville authorized stores in the city with off premises permits to sell packaged beer twenty four hours a day, seven days a week including Sundays and to allow eligible restaurants to obtain an on-premises permit to serve beer with meals in their establishments..

Aiden Whitman is the recipient of this week’s “Classroom Champion” award presented by Smithville Attorney Jim Judkins and WJLE.
Whitman, son of Joy and Trent Whitman of Smithville, is a 7th grader at DeKalb Middle School. Aiden recently received the honor and a special gift card from Judkins.
He is a member of the DeKalb Middle School Junior BETA Club and is a manager for the Saints basketball team. Whitman is also a member of the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church.
“Aiden is one of the most polite students I have ever had. He is always willing to do anything asked of him without hesitation,” said Nancy Cowan, Aiden’s 7th grade teacher.
In an effort to recognize achievements of students in the DeKalb County School System, WJLE has partnered with attorney Judkins in featuring a “Classroom Champion” each week for the next several months.
The name of the student selected each week will be announced on WJLE and will be featured on the WJLE website. Each student winning will receive a plaque and a gift certificate.
“This is our way of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of the future citizens and leaders of the community. It can benefit their learning and overall school atmosphere and climate. The students’ selection is based on academic performance, responsibility and work ethic, leadership abilities, and citizenship

DeKalb County Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell reminds you that March 1 is an important date for business owners and applicants of the Greenbelt Program.
“March 1 is the deadline for two different things coming out of the Assessor’s Office. One is the Greenbelt application. If you don’t have your form turned in by March 1 then you won’t be able to qualify for the savings for the 2017 tax year,” said Cantrell.
“Basic requirements for the Greenbelt application are that you must own a minimum of fifteen acres and are able to produce some kind of agriculture product to the gross amount of $1,500 per year. Also if you own fifteen acres and you don’t have an agriculture product and its all forestry you can get a forestry plan and qualify that way”.
“March 1 is also the deadline for personal property schedules. Anyone who owns a business needs to have those turned in by March 1. If you don’t turn one in at all or its not turned in by March 1 there are penalties after March 1. We want you to avoid those penalties if possible,” said Assessor Cantrell.

Three female prisoners were sent to the hospital Friday night and two of them were admitted after swallowing drugs that had been smuggled into the jail. One of the two inmates hospitalized had to be airlifted. All are now back in jail.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 2/13/2017 Thru: 2/20/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_11.pdf (3.73 MB)
The women, who had apparently hidden the narcotics in their body cavities, consumed the drugs fearing they would be caught with them.
As a result of the investigation, a total of four prisoners have been charged with possession of contraband in a penal institution including 25 year old Trinity Kystrina Wildbur of Vine Street, Chattanooga; 39 year old Amy Jeannette Lawson of Haley Road, Smithville; 24 year old Natalie Gail Barrett of Miller Road, Smithville; and 20 year old Olivia Hope Barber of Forrest Avenue, Smithville.
Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE that the story began Friday night when the sheriff’s department received a tip that a female prisoner had drugs concealed in her when she entered the jail.
Acting on that information, Sheriff Ray said he ordered a surprise shakedown of the women’s main cell and the side cell where all the female inmates are kept. Their bunks and personal belongings were searched. Some drugs were found there. All the female prisoners were then removed from the main and side cells for women one at a time and taken to a bathroom where they were individually strip searched by a female correctional officer before being taken to a holding cell.
Apparently fearing they would be subject to a warrant for a body cavity search, three of the female inmates swallowed the drugs they had hidden in their bodies. All three were taken to the hospital after one of them began showing signs of intoxication. Two were hospitalized through Monday and the other was examined and sent back to the jail Friday night.
Sheriff Ray said that Wildbur was found to have meth in personal belongings on her jail cell bunk.
A glass looking substance believed to be meth was found in Lawson’s personal belongings along with a blue pill thought to be morphine and other unidentified pills.
In addition to the contraband offense, Barrett and Barber were charged with simple possession of a schedule II and V drug. According to Sheriff Ray, Barrett and Barber had on them a blue pill believed to be morphine and a white capsule pill thought to be Lyrica.
Bond for Wildbur and Lawson is $3,000 each and $4,500 for Barrett and Barber. All will appear in court on the charges March 2.
27 year old Kimberly Dawn Hunter of Short Mountain Highway is charged with filing a false report. Her bond is $5,000 and her court date is March 9. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, February 18 a deputy and other sheriff’s department officers and the Tennessee Highway Patrol went to the residence to serve an arrest warrant on Bobby J. Wilson but no one came to the door. Knowing that Wilson was there, officers forced their way in and found Hunter hiding in the bathroom. The officers asked Hunter several times where Wilson was hiding. She replied that he was not there. Wilson was subsequently found in the bathroom hiding under the sink in a cabinet. Hunter was placed under arrest for filing a false report.
26 year old Bobby Jewell Wilson of Evins Mill Road, Smithville is charged with failure to appear in General Sessions Court; illegal possession or carrying or possession of a weapon by a felon; and resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search. His bond on the charges totals $58,000 except for the failure to appear which is $40,000. His court date is March 9. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, February 18 officers went to a residence on Short Mountain Highway and took Wilson into custody on active failure to appear warrants. He was found hiding in a bathroom under a cabinet sink. While placing him under arrest, Wilson resisted by pulling his hands away from the deputy. As officers were conducting a protective sweep of the home, they found a Savage Sun City 12 gauge semi automatic shotgun under the bathtub in the space of a bedroom where Wilson was known to be staying. Wilson is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a weapon.
38 year old Stephen Anthony Patterson of Sparta Highway, Smithville is charged with a third offense of driving under the influence, driving while in possession of methamphetamine, sale or process of methamphetamine, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, and possession of contraband in a penal institution. He was further cited for failure to maintain his lane of travel and for stopping, standing or parking in a prohibited place. His bond is $21,000 and his court date is March 9. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, February 19 a deputy responded to the intersection of Curtis Road and Sparta Highway due to a vehicle which was found setting at a stop sign for a long period of time. The deputy came upon the scene and saw the driver pulling out on Sparta Highway heading east before crossing over into the oncoming lane of travel. The vehicle eventually stopped at a residence on Sparta Highway. The officer approached the vehicle and made contact with the driver, Patterson who was slumped over in the vehicle . His eyes were bloodshot and he appeared to be under the influence. Patterson performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest. While conducting a search of Patterson, the deputy found in his right front pocket a baggie in a metal container which held 0.93 grams of methamphetamine which field tested positive. The container also held 43 ½ xanax pills. The officer also found and recovered $467 in cash on Patterson’s person. After Patterson was transported to the jail for booking, a correctional officer found a black baggie in Patterson’s hoodie pocket which held 99 plus two halves more of xanax pills.

One man was injured after a roll over crash just after midnight this morning (Tuesday) on Juniper Lane in Smithville.
Central dispatch received the call at 12:34 a.m.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed overturning and coming to rest in the street on Juniper Lane. The accident was investigated by the Smithville Police Department.
Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department and DeKalb EMS were also on the scene.
The name of the driver was unavailable

The driver of a UCHRA van was injured in a rear end collision today (Tuesday) on Highway 56 south (McMinnville Highway).
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said that 61 year old Jay Young of Smithville was driving the Ford van traveling north when he slowed for another automobile in front of him which was preparing to make a left turn onto Whorton Springs Road. The van was rear ended by a Chevy Silverado pickup truck, driven by 54 year old Jeffery Cantrell of Smithville who was following behind and failed to stop in time.
According to Trooper Johnson, Young was taken by DeKalb EMS to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. Cantrell was not injured. There were no passengers aboard the van at the time of the accident. Cantrell was cited for failure to exercise due care.