DeKalb County Volunteer Firefighters kept a kitchen fire from spreading Thursday at the home of Jimmy Midgett on Vandergriff Hollow Road.
David Agee, Assistant County Fire Chief told WJLE that firefighters were called to the home at around 11 a.m. that morning and found a fire in the kitchen. Although heat and smoke spread to other parts of the home, firefighters were able to contain the blaze primarily to the kitchen area. Flames also burned through the kitchen ceiling into the attic.
Members of the Liberty, Main Station, and Temperance Hall stations responded along with the tanker and equipment truck.
No one was home at the time and no one was hurt.

A man sought by Smithville Police in a Monday night hit-and-run that left another person injured was later taken into custody. Officers also found a meth lab in his car during the investigation.
35 year old Marlin Ray Pinkard of McMinnville is charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest, and a 5th offense of driving on a revoked license after hitting Johnny Murphy with his automobile following an altercation between the two in front of Murphy’s residence at 420 Hayes Street. Pinkard and a passenger of his car, 32 year old Shana Nicole Smiley of Smithville, were each charged with initiation of methamphetamine.
“Last night Smithville Police responded to a call at 420 Hayes Street. Upon arrival we learned that there had been a hit and run. A vehicle driven by Pinkard had run over Mr. Murphy causing a serious leg injury and had left the scene. Murphy was transported to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital by EMS where he was treated and released,” Police Chief Mark Collins told WJLE.
After obtaining a description of the car involved in the hit-and-run, officers tracked it down at Mapco Express. “After officers arrived at Mapco, they spotted Mr. Pinkard coming out of the store. When Pinkard saw them, he went back in the store and tried to empty his pockets. Officers confronted Pinkard and found pills in his possession believed to be Suboxone. Pinkard was then placed under arrest,” Chief Collins continued.
Upon checking out Pinkard’s car at Mapco, Chief Collins said police found a meth lab. “When we went to his car we found Shana Nicole Smiley sitting in the passenger seat. After she was asked to get out of the car we saw in plain view a plastic bottle containing a sludge like material consistent with the manufacture of meth. The substance was later identified as a one pot meth lab by the Tennessee Meth Task Force who came to the scene to assist in the investigation. Also found in the car was an opened cold pack, lithium batteries, and a glass pipe with residue. Smiley was then placed under arrest,” he said.
Bond for Pinkard totals $58,500. Smiley’s bond is $35,000. They will make an appearance in General Sessions Court on April 28

The DeKalb County Prevention Coalition encourages all DeKalb County residents to join the effort to reduce the risk of prescription drug abuse by participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. This event will be held on the public square in front of the Smithville City Hall on Saturday, April 30 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The DeKalb County Prevention Coalition urges DeKalb County residents to come out to this event and drop off any unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription medication for safe disposal. This is confidential and no names or information will be collected.
The DeKalb County Prevention Coalition is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, in association with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Office of Diversion Control in providing this service.
On Saturday, April 30, in communities across the state, Tennesseans have the opportunity to take part in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs from homes and offices.
“This is a chance for everyone to contribute, and become part of the solution to our state’s prescription drug abuse epidemic that has hurt so many of our loved ones, friends, and neighbors,” said E. Douglas Varney, Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. “Every person in our state has been touched by this epidemic, in one form or another. We have lost too many to this disease of addiction. If you have unused medications, do your part and join in Take-Back Day. Ask others to do the same.”
In 2015, the Tennessee Department of Health released some very sobering statistics on the impact of substance use in Tennessee revealing: The number of Tennesseans who die each year due to drug overdoses increased again in 2014. The total number of overdose deaths rose by nearly 100, from 1,166 in 2013 to a record-setting 1,263 in 2014. If those numbers are hard to comprehend, consider this: more people died from drug overdoses in Tennessee last year than were killed in motor vehicle accidents.
“For most of this decade we have witnessed the fall-out from prescription drug abuse,” said Commissioner Varney. “In addition to unintended deaths and overdoses, as access to prescription pain medications has become more difficult, many people are feeding their addiction by others means, switching to heroin and other drugs. They’re putting themselves and their loved ones at great risk.”
“Once again this year we are pleased to be partnering with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), which provides the drop-off boxes,” said Commissioner Varney. “And what’s especially helpful is the online interactive map TDEC has created, which pinpoints the exact location of every drop-box in Tennessee, accessible to everyone.”
TDEC began the Pharmaceutical Take-Back initiative as a pilot program with the City of Knoxville in 2011. Today the project has a total of 155 Take-Back Box locations in 85 counties. In partnership with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Department of Homeland Security, Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse and local law enforcement agencies, the collection program offers a safe and easy way to dispose of unwanted medication, and creates opportunities for Tennesseans to promote environmental protection and safer communities.
“In addition to being a health hazard, throwing medication away with household garbage or flushing it is harmful to our environment,” said Lori Munkeboe, director of the TDEC’s Office of Sustainable Practices. “We hope National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will create awareness of the viable disposal options across the state to keep drugs out of our water and off the streets.”
With that in mind, participating in Drug Take-Back Day becomes an opportunity for all Tennesseans to fight back, to keep our bodies and environment free of harmful substances and to become part of the solution, rather than contributing to the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse.
The response to the September 2015 Take-Back event resulted in more than 350 tons (the equivalent of more than 702,000 pounds) of prescription drugs collected nationwide at more than 5,000 sites operated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and another 3,800 locations managed by state and local authorities.
“This is a terrific partnership with law enforcement. It’s free, anonymous and no questions asked,” said Commissioner Varney. “We need to do all we can to encourage people to participate, as the rate of prescription drug abuse in Tennessee keeps rising, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses.”
Take These Steps to Remove Prescription Drugs From Your Home or Office
•Check for unused prescriptions in medicine cabinets, bathroom, closets, bedside tables and kitchen drawers, under the sink, and in closets, purses, handbags, and containers.
•Remove all labeling and packaging on bottles and containers before disposing to ensure the protection of your privacy and personal information.
Keep in mind: the majority of Tennessee’s Take-Back Boxes are in locations that are accessible seven days a week, 24 hours a day. While there is special focus on take-back events each year in April and October, most boxes are located in law enforcement buildings and offices, where they are available for safe disposal anytime you need them.
“It is so important to properly discard unused prescription medications from your home to ensure they are not obtained, misused, or abused by family and friends,” said Commissioner Varney. “By joining in Drug Take-Back Day, you will be taking the best approach in removing unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs.”
“Every pill that’s not properly disposed of is a chance it will result in an unintended overdose or death or addiction,” said Commissioner Varney. “I urge all Tennesseans to take part in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, so these unused drugs don’t harm those we love and care for the most.”
If you or someone you care for is in need of substance use treatment, call the Tennessee REDLINE anytime at 1-800-889-9789 for help now. Resources are available across the state.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has picked up two more people named in sealed indictments returned by the Grand Jury last Monday, April 4.
26 year old Christopher Brock Tatrow of Sparta is indicted for possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over .5 grams for sale and delivery in a drug free zone and for possession of a schedule VI drug for sale and delivery in a drug free zone. He was arrested on Friday, April 8. His bond is $50,000. He was arraigned Monday, April 11 in DeKalb County Criminal Court.
WJLE obtained copies of the indictments.
Count 1 of the indictment against Tatrow alleges that on or about July 20, 2015 he knowingly possessed a schedule II controlled substance, to wit: Methamphetamine, in the amount of 0.5 grams or more with intent to sell or deliver such controlled substance on the grounds or facilities of any school, or within 1,000 feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, or secondary school, preschool, child care agency, public library, recreational center or park, constituting the offense of possession of a schedule II drug, methamphetamine, over .5 grams for sale and delivery in a drug free zone.
Count 2 of the indictment alleges that on or about the 20th day of July, 2015, Tatrow knowingly possessed with intent to sell not less than one half ounce (14.175 grams) nor more than 10 pounds (4,535 grams) of marijuana, a Schedule VI controlled substance on the grounds or facilities of any school, or within 1,000 feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, or secondary school, preschool, child care agency, public library, recreational center or park, constituting the offense of possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, to wit: marijuana, with intent to sell or deliver in a drug free zone.
40 year old Tyrone Dewayne Owens of Shady Drive, Smithville is indicted for possession of a schedule VI drug with intent to sell and deliver. He was arrested on Sunday, April 10. His bond is $10,000. He was arraigned Monday, April 11 in DeKalb County Criminal Court.
The indictment against Owens states that on or about May 22, 2015, Owens knowingly possessed with intent to sell and or deliver not less than one half ounce (14.175 grams) nor more than 10 pounds (4,535 grams) of marijuana, a schedule VI controlled substance, constituting the offense of possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, to wit: marijuana with intent to sell or deliver.
22 year old Cheyenne Shaney Walker of Davis Street, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on April 21.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Wednesday, April 6 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Old Bildad Road for a possible domestic incident. Upon arrival he spoke with Walker and her husband and learned that they had been in an altercation. The man said his wife pushed and hit him which caused him to fear for his safety. He then called 911. The officer observed red marks and scratches on the man’s face.
21 year old Steven Riley Haas of Dearman Street, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. He was also issued a citation for driving on roadways laned for travel. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on April 21.
Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, April 4 a deputy, while on routine patrol, spotted a white car traveling east on Sparta Highway but failing to maintain its lane of travel. The officer stopped the car and spoke with the driver, Haas. His eyes were bloodshot and he had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person. Haas admitted to having consumed several alcoholic beverages. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He also submitted to a blood test.
19 year old Olivia Hope Barber and 39 year old Andy Joe Certain of Forrest Avenue Smithville are each cited into court on April 28.
Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, April 8 a sheriff’s department detective issued citations to Barber and Certain after a probation search was conducted at their home which turned up 10 hypodermic needles, 9 cut straws, and 5 burnt spoons all containing residue.

The DeKalb Animal Coalition presents “Churches in DeKalb County Then and Now” by Thomas G. Webb, DeKalb County Historian on Saturday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the DeKalb County Complex Auditorium. Admission is $10 per person. Proceeds from the evening’s entertainment will go to the DeKalb Animal Coalition, a tax deductible organization dedicated to building a new animal shelter for our community.
Learn about:
*The first churches in DeKalb County
*The difference in doctrine
*Camp meetings and where they were held
*The shouting Methodists and the Footwashing Baptists
*Churches that have died out
*Church changes through the years
*Churches with the largest memberships today
*Spanish language congregations

DeKalb Farm Bureau has announced the 2016 4th grade Poster Contest and 7th grade Essay Winners.
Poster Contest Winners for local 4th graders in the event titled “Farm to Fork”. (Pictured from left) Dan Hancock, Farm Bureau President, Madelyn Johnson-1st place winner of $50.00, Caley Taylor-2nd place winner of $25.00, Melanie Bogle-3rd place winner of $15.00, and Cathy Officer, Farm Bureau Women’s Chair. Mrs. Shelly Jennings, teacher with the most posters submitted was also awarded $50.00. Madelyn’s poster has been submitted to the state contest to be judged in June.
Essay Contest Winners for local 7th graders. The subject for the essay was “Why is Agriculture Important?”. (Pictured from left), Dan Hancock, Farm Bureau President, Skylar Fuson-1st place winner of $50.00, Garrett Claiborne-2nd place winner of $25.00, and Cathy Officer, Farm Bureau Women’s Chair. Mrs. Jenny Elrod, teacher with the most essays was also awarded $50.00. Skylar’s essay has been sent to the state contest to be judged in June.

Smithville Police have made arrests and issued citations in recent days for offenses ranging from shoplifting and theft, to DUI, public intoxication, driving on suspended license and domestic assault.
30 year old Justin Lynn Murphy was arrested for public intoxication on Friday, March 25. Police responded to the area of White Street and Highland Avenue on three different occasions that afternoon due to Murphy causing a disturbance and trying to start a fight. After informing Murphy on the second call to stay inside his home, police arrested him after the third incident. He was found to have a strong odor of a fermented beverage on his person. He was also unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech. Murphy was determined to have been annoying others in the area. Officers also found his demeanor to be uncooperative and he was combative with them. Murphy was arrested for his safety and that of the public. His bond is $1,500.
29 year old Katelyn McDuffie Scott was cited for shoplifting on Sunday, March 27. Police were called to the Dollar General Store where an item was found in Scott’s purse that she had not purchased.
48 year old Krista L West was cited for theft of property under $500 on Monday, March 28. West was issued a citation with a General Sessions court date of May 5 when a pack of hypodermic needles was found inside her makeup bag.
35 year old Brian Joseph Christensen was arrested for domestic assault on Wednesday, March 30. Police responded to a residence concerning a domestic situation. Upon speaking to the parties involved it was determined that Christensen and the victim became involved in an argument which turned physical when Christensen struck the victim on the left side of the face causing an injury. His bond is $5,000 and his court date is April 14.
41 year old Sharon Caldwell Malone was arrested for shoplifting on Thursday, March 31. Malone was observed by a Wal-Mart employee ripping tags off clothing, placing the tags in the makeup aisle, and then stuffing various items of clothing and makeup valued at $676.66 in a pink tote bag in an attempt to conceal them. Her bond is $5,000.
51 year old Rodney Lynn Kirby was arrested for DUI on Friday, April 1. According to the warrant Kirby was found to be passed out at the steering wheel of his vehicle in the parking lot of O’Reilly Auto Parts. Kirby was sitting in the driver seat and the keys to the automobile were in the ignition. The officer awoke Kirby and found that his speech was slurred. When asked to exit the vehicle, Kirby became unsteady on his feet. Kirby also submitted to but performed poorly on several field sobriety tasks. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is May 5.
55 year old Kenneth R. Adams was arrested for DUI on Saturday, April 2. Police spotted a truck swerving all over the road and upon conducting a traffic stop spoke with the driver, Adams. His driver’s license were found to be suspended and he was asked to exit the vehicle. Adams, who was unsteady on his feet, fell to the ground. Adams also submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. Adams was then taken into custody and cited for suspended license and failure to maintain his lane of travel. Bond for Adams is $1,500 and his court date is May 5.
44 year old Stanley William Morris Jr. was arrested for a 4th offense of driving on a suspended license on Wednesday, April 6. Police were dispatched to an accident where Morris was found to be the driver of one of the vehicles involved. He could not provide a valid driver’s license. A computer check with Central Dispatch showed the license to be suspended. Morris has three prior driving on suspended offenses. His bond is $1,500 and he will make a court appearance on May 19.

DeKalb EMS Director Hoyte Hale recently presented each of the County’s Senior Centers with their own Portable Defibrillator. County Mayor Tim Stribling facilitated procuring the units.
“We’re so grateful for these defibrillator units. We had all tried to get grants to be able to afford them but with no success. The units usually cost between $1,500-$3,500. Hoyte presented these to us at the end of our CPR/First Aid certification class after we had already filled out our evaluation of the class. He also had them insured and is taking care of the consumable supplies. These are excellent units that literally “talk” the user through the entire process,” said Sandy Brown, Director of the Alexandria Senior Citizens Center.
(Pictured from left to right; Senior Director Pam Redmon, Smithville; Director Sandy Brown, Alexandria, EMS Director Hoyte Hale, County Mayor Tim Stribling, and Director Nancy Goad, Liberty)

Sixth District Congressman Diane Black of Gallatin is seeking re-election to a new two year term but she is facing opposition in the Tennessee Republican Primary on Thursday, August 4th.
Noon Thursday, April 7th was the qualifying deadline for the race.
Her opponents in the Republican Primary are Joe S. Carr of Lascassas, Tommy N. Hay of Monterey, and Donald Strong of Crossville.
Two candidates, David W. Kent of Cottontown and Flo Matheson of Crossville, are running in the Tennessee Democratic Primary.
The Republican and Democratic nominees will be on the November 8th General Election ballot along with Independent David Ross of White House.
Black was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010.
The 6th Congressional District includes Pickett, Fentress, Cumberland, White, DeKalb, Cannon, Coffee, Wilson, Smith, Jackson, Overton, Clay, Putnam, Trousdale, Macon, Sumner and Robertson Counties and small portions of Van Buren and Cheatham counties.

DeKalb Middle School Science students and others now have an opportunity to take their studies outdoors.
A new pavilion, complete with six picnic tables, and access to running water and electricity, has been completed which will serve as an “outdoor classroom” for occasional use by DMS science classes and others
“The outdoor classroom was built in order to facilitate hands-on science projects which will better meet the needs of our students as we forge ahead with the S.T.E.M.-type curriculum in mind. Of course, S.T.EM. is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” said DMS Assistant Principal Amanda Dakas.
Members of the student council began collecting aluminum cans about a year and half ago to raise money for the project. ” We didn’t start the project until we knew we had the funds to complete it. We had to do all the fundraising. We wrote grants and we had fund raising dances after school at night and things like that. All the money raised has been spent on the outdoor classroom and it was finished just last week during spring break,” said Suzette Barnes, DMS seventh grade science teacher.
While the pavilion is mainly for science classes, Dakas said other teachers can make use of it as well. “Building this facility offers not only our science teachers an opportunity for hands-on learning , but ALL teachers will be able to use the facility as well for any student-based hands-on activity that ties the math, engineering, and sciences together. So we are really excited about this and so are the students,” said Dakas.
“It’s mostly for science. If science teachers are doing experiments that could get messy, they can do it in the outdoor classroom. But we’re not limiting it to science. Any teacher in the building has the opportunity to hold a class out there at any time. There are six picnic tables which will accommodate a full classroom of 30 students,” said Barnes.
Although the pavilion is completed, the fundraising continues to add a sidewalk from the school to the pavilion. “We will continue to raise funds. My plan for the next phase is to be able to build a sidewalk from the building to the outdoor classroom. We will continue to raise funds and take donations to accomplish that portion of the project. We also still have the recycle bin for aluminum cans in front of the school near the highway. That money goes to the outdoor classroom as well. We have been successful with that effort. Since we started we have emptied it (recycle bin) three different times and that money goes straight to the outdoor classroom,” said Barnes.
“I want to thank the community and especially the student council members who have worked to raise the money for this. Without the fundraising and these grants this would not have been possible but it is something that will be used for many years to come,” Barnes said.
“We are so proud of our student council for playing a vital role in making this come to fruition,” Dakas concluded.