Smithville employees who have worked for the city twenty years or more will get a total of four weeks of paid vacation.
The aldermen last month, at the suggestion of Alderman Josh Miller, voted to amend the city’s personnel policy on first reading to provide for the extra vacation time. The aldermen approved the policy amendment on second and final reading Monday night.
Currently city employees with ten years get a total of three weeks of paid vacation.
City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson said five employees would benefit immediately from this action.
Under the ordinance, the employee handbook pertaining to annual leave (vacation) accrual for years of service is amended to read as follows:
Years of Service: 0-3 years
Vacation Days Per Year: 5 days per year (one week)
Years of Service: 4-9
Vacation Days Per Year: 10 days per year (two weeks)
Years of Service: 10-20
Vacation Days Per Year: 15 days per year (three weeks)
Years of Service: 20+
Vacation Days Per Year: 20 days per year (four weeks)

A 20 year old man has been arrested for having sex with an underage girl.
20 year old Dustin Michael Golden is charged with two counts of statutory rape and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bond is $55,000 and he will make a court appearance March 24.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said on Tuesday, March 1 a Sheriff’s Department Detective conducted an interview with Golden and discovered that he and a 15 year old girl had engaged in sexual acts and drug use. The girl said she and Golden had sex on Monday, February 29 and Tuesday, March 1. During questioning, Golden allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana with the girl.
44 year old Christopher Dale Cantrell of King Ridge Road, Dowelltown is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on March 24. According to Sheriff Ray, a deputy was dispatched to King Ridge Road due to a disturbance on Saturday, March 5. Upon arrival the officer found Cantrell in front of his residence. Cantrell was unsteady on his feet and he had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Cantrell was placed under arrest.
55 year old Timothy Allen Presley of Bethel Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000. His bond is $5,000 and he will make a court appearance on March 17. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, January 29 Presley pawned a stolen utility trailer at Cash 4 U Pawn in Warren County. The utility trailer was valued at $1,800. The case was investigated by a Sheriff’s Department Detective.
35 year old Timothy Harold Bates of Glen Drive, McMinnville is charged with aggravated assault. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court March 10. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, March 5 Bates allegedly assaulted his child’s mother grabbing her by the neck and throwing her against the wall while trying to choke her. Bates also allegedly hit the woman on the left side of her face causing redness to her cheek and nose.
49 year old Rhonda Fay Harmon of Nashville Highway, Woodbury is charged with DUI. She was also cited for roadways laned for traffic. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court March 17. According to Sheriff Ray, a deputy pulled over a tan Buick on Highway 70 near Potters Home Center for failure to maintain his lane of travel. The officer had observed the car cross over the center line of the highway several times. Harmon, the driver, submitted to field sobriety tasks but performed poorly. She was placed under arrest and transported to the hospital for a blood test.
21 year old Annieka Makay Norton of Blue Springs Road, Smithville is charged with DUI. She was also cited for no insurance and violation of the implied consent law for failing to submit to a blood test. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court March 24. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, March 6 a deputy was dispatched to Blue Springs Road in reference to a motor vehicle accident. Upon arrival the officer spoke with Norton who had a strong odor of alcohol on her person and slurred speech. She was also very unsteady on her feet. Norton performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest.
19 year old Leon Tyler Carter of Hopewell Road, Silver Point is cited for simple possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia. He will make a court appearance on March 24. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, March 4 a deputy responded to a call in reference to a suspicious vehicle parked across from Edgar Evins State Park. Upon arrival the officer spoke with Carter. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, the deputy found .3 grams of methamphetamine in a plastic baggie. The substance field tested positive for meth. A spoon containing residue and a hypodermic needle were also found in the automobile.

The DeKalb County Democratic Party held its county Delegate Selection Convention Saturday for the district convention to be held in Cookeville on March 19th.
DeKalb County had the opportunity to send up to 8 people including 4 men and 4 women for each Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to the district convention.
Attending the district convention as Bernie Sanders delegates will be Jack Barton, Joyce Hendrixson, and Pamela Jordan.
Those to attend the district convention as Hillary Clinton delegates are Joyce Poss, Barbara Comfort, Pamela Anderson, Billie Ann Tubbs, Jordan Wilkins, Jimmy Poss, Jack Anderson, and Jerry Comfort. The Hillary delegates from each county at the district convention will elect 2 men, 1 Woman and 1 Woman alternate to attend the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this summer. The Bernie delegates will elect 1 Woman delegate to attend the Democratic National Convention. These numbers are based on the Democratic Primary results.
DeKalb County Democratic Party Chairman Jordan Wilkins has filed and is running as a Hillary Clinton delegate to the Democratic National Convention and that election will be March 19th.

A man pulled over in a recent traffic stop by Smithville Police was found to be wanted in Missouri.
28 year old Colby Dean Durst was arrested on Friday, February 19 for being a fugitive from justice and for violation of an order of protection. Police observed a vehicle at approximately 7:09 p.m. that night traveling on the roadway with no lights turned on. The officer initiated a traffic stop and spoke with Durst. Central Dispatch informed the officer that a check through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) revealed that Durst has an active violation of probation offense against him in Missouri and that the state is seeking extradition of Durst back to Missouri to appear in court. The person who had sought the order of protection against Durst was a passenger of the vehicle with him at the time of his arrest. Bond for Durst is $51,500.
38 year old Amy Jeanette Lawson was cited for theft of property on Saturday, February 20. According to police a purse was taken from a vehicle parked at Curtis Supply that night while the victim was at the Smithville Auction House. Upon investigation police learned that Lawson had been at the auction and may have taken the purse. Police went to Lawson’s home and spotted the purse lying in the living room floor as another resident there answered the door. The purse had been emptied. The contents were not found. Lawson’s court date is April 14.
34 year old Shawn Keith Buck was arrested on Monday, February 22 for aggravated assault. Police said that on Friday, February 19 officers were called to a residence where Buck had allegedly tried to choke his victim leaving a mark on that person’s neck. Buck had left the scene before the officers’ arrival. Upon questioning the witnesses police determined that Buck was responsible for the assault and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Buck later turned himself in on the warrant. His bond is $100,000 and his court date is August 8.
31 year old Brandy Nicole Daniel was arrested for domestic assault on Tuesday, February 23. Officers responded to a residence in reference to a physical domestic in progress. After an investigation it was determined that Daniel and the victim had been in an argument and that Daniel became aggressive and began pushing the victim in a back bedroom in an attempt to trap her. The victim, in fear of her safety, used pepper spray on Daniel. Police determined that Daniel had been the primary aggressor and she was arrested for domestic assault. Daniel’s bond is $5,000 and her court date is March 24.
Police cited 33 year old Corey Wade Thomas for simple possession of Schedule II & IV drugs on Tuesday, February 23. An officer picked up Thomas on warrants out of McMinnville and incident to arrest he found a blue round pill believed to a Diazepam and a small amount of a white substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine. Thomas’s court date is March 17.
21 year old James Dylan Matthews was arrested on Thursday, February 25 for theft of property. On May 5, 2015 police took a report of a stolen gun from an automobile. An investigation revealed that Matthews had taken the gun. Warrants were issued for theft of property and burglary. On Thursday, February 25 police located Matthews at a residence on East Bryant Street and arrested him on the active warrants. His bond is $5,000.
28 year old Brandon Corey Herndon was arrested Sunday, February 28 for public intoxication. Police were called to a residence where Herndon was found talking out of his head. Upon investigation officers learned that Herndon had taken some methamphetamine the night before. Because of his condition, Herndon was determined to be a danger to himself and the public at large. His bond was set at $1,500 and he will make a court appearance on March 31.
30 year old Bradley Dewayne Taylor was cited for simple possession on Sunday, February 28. While investigating an intoxicated driver complaint, police spoke with Taylor who was the driver of the vehicle. When Taylor opened the door, officers saw a baggie containing what they believed to be marijuana. Found in the baggie was approximately two grams of marijuana. Taylor will be in court March 31.
42 year old Rikkie Ankerso Patterson was arrested on Sunday, February 28 for driving under the influence and cited for violation of the implied consent law. Police observed a vehicle traveling east on West Broad Street swerving in and out of lanes of traffic in an unsafe manner. Officers initiated a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, Patterson. As Patterson got out of the vehicle the officer could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person and her speech was slurred. Patterson refused to perform field sobriety tasks and would not submit to a blood alcohol chemical test. Patterson was determined to be under the influence of intoxicants and she was placed under arrest for DUI. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on March 10
64 year old Mary Carolyn Miller and 40 year old Jason Allen Bates were arrested on Monday, February 29 accused of assaulting another person. Miller was charged with aggravated assault. A domestic assault charge was filed against Bates. According to the warrant, officers responded to a domestic assault in progress at a residence and determined that the victim had been in an argument with Miller and Bates. According to police it appeared that Miller had grabbed a metal Febreze bottle and began hitting the victim in the face with it. Bates then started punching the victim in the face. The victim had several lacerations and blood all over her face and neck. Bond for Miller and Bates is $2,500 each and they will make a court appearance on March 10.
28 year old Randi R. Atnip was arrested for fraudulent use of a credit/debit card on Monday, February 29. According to Police the victim filed a report on Friday, February 12 stating she lost her credit card at Wal-Mart but since that time the card had been used to make unauthorized purchases from Wal-Mart. Police investigated and discovered that Atnip was seen on Wal-Mart surveillance video using the card to purchase a cell phone and minutes. Her bond is $5,000.
25 year old Kayla Nicole Adams was recently arrested for vandalism and driving on revoked license. Police responded to a report of a vehicle which had gone through the Green Brook Park area damaging the grass and wooden posts. While enroute, officers spotted the vehicle traveling north on College Street. The automobile was stopped and officers spoke with Adams who said she went through the park looking for someone. A computer check revealed that her driver license was revoked for violation of financial responsibility. Bond for Adams is $1,500 and she will be in court on March 24.

March is Extension Month in Tennessee.
Extension is a national educational program supported by USDA through the nation’s land-grant universities and administered with funding from state and local governments in Tennessee through offices in each of the state’s 95 counties.
Extension is the outreach arm of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and the Tennessee State University College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences. An integral part of the land-grant mission, Extension programs are delivered in all 95 counties in the state by subject-matter specialists, county agents and volunteers.
“Extension means ‘reaching out,’ and University of Tennessee Extension extends the university’s teaching and research missions to deliver research-based information and education to all the state’s citizens through youth and adult programs in every county,” said Tim Cross, dean of UT Extension.
Example programs available through county offices include the state’s award-winning 4-H Youth Development Program including its summer youth camps; family and consumer educational programs; and healthy living courses. In keeping with the traditional view of Extension, information to assist the state’s agricultural producers and foresters is also available.
“TSU Extension encompasses hundreds of Extension faculty members, scientists, educators, administrative staff and volunteers, all working to provide solutions for Tennesseans,” said Latif Lighari, associate dean for Extension at Tennessee State University.
Here in DeKalb County, the UT-TSU Extension office will be hosting a Meet & Greet for the public on the sidewalk, directly in front of the Extension Office on Friday, March 11 from 11AM-1PM. The office is located at 722 South Congress Blvd, Smithville in the County Complex. There will be various displays and information about what the Extension program offers as well as free hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks.
Please stop by and meet the staff during this time to find out more about what your local Extension Office has to offer.

Another incumbent school board member has qualified for the August Board of Education Election
Kate Miller of the 4th district will be in the race to fill the remaining two years of her husband Billy Miller’s unexpired term. Her qualifying petition has been returned to the election commission and verified.
Billy Miller was re-elected to the school board in August 2014 but he resigned September 30, 2014 due to his having accepted a new job with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation which does not allow him to hold public office. The county commission appointed Kate Miller in October 2014 to fill the position until the August 2016 election. She was sworn into office in November 2014.
Three school board members will be elected on August 4 including one from the 4th, 5th, & 6th districts. The terms are for four years except in the 4th district. The 4th district winner will fill an unexpired two year term.
Others who have obtained qualifying petitions to date are:
Barry Mabe in the 5th district (Mabe’s petition has been returned and verified)
Incumbent W.J. (Dub) Evins, III in the 5th district (Evins’ petition has been returned and verified)
Incumbent Doug Stephens in the 6th district (Stephens’ petition has been returned and verified)
The qualifying deadline is Noon April 7
Meanwhile, the list of potential candidates for Smithville Alderman keeps growing.
Richard Steinbach of Bell Street is the latest person to be issued a qualifying petition to seek an alderman position in the August 4 Municipal Election. That brings to seven the number of possible candidates to fill three seats this year.
Others who have obtained petitions include:
Danny Washer( incumbent). His petition has been returned and verified
Josh Miller (incumbent). Miller’s petition has been returned and verified
Shawn Jacobs (incumbent)
Wesley Nokes
Ronald D. Stanley
Gary Durham
Three aldermen will be elected on August 4th. The terms are for four years.
The qualifying deadline is Noon April 7
William A. Davis has picked up a petition for Dowelltown Alderman. Pam Redman also recently obtained qualifying papers for the office of Dowelltown Mayor.
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected in Dowelltown on August 4. The qualifying deadline is Noon April 7
Persons who have obtained qualifying petitions for the Liberty City Election on August 4 are Jason Ray for a four year term as Alderman, J.D. Bratten for a one year position as Alderman, and Eddie Dwayne Blair for a four year term as Alderman.
Four alderman seats will be filled in Liberty on August 4. The qualifying deadline is Noon April 7.

DCHS students chose Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders for President in a Mock Election held Super Tuesday at school.
According to the DCHS Tiger Media, a total of 619 students cast ballots in the mock election including 181 who voted in the Democratic Primary and 438 in the Republican Primary.
DCHS students chose Sanders over Hillary Clinton 141 to 40. Trump won with 225 votes over 115 for Marco Rubio, 56 for Ted Cruz, 36 for Ben Carson, and 6 for John Kasich.
Students were also asked to participate in Exit Polling. A total of 377 participated. Two questions were asked.
1) Who did you vote for?
Democrat (99 participated)
Bernie Sanders 81.8%
Hillary Clinton 18.2%
Republican (278 participated)
Donald Trump 55.0%
Marco Rubio 27.0%
Ted Cruz 9.0%
Ben Carson 8.3%
John Kasich 0.7%
2) What influenced your vote the most? (324 participated)
No reason/ I don’t know – 50.9%
Education/ Free College – 18.5%
Terrorism/ Homeland Security – 10.8%
Religious Beliefs/ Morals – 8.0%
Economy/ Jobs – 7.1%
Other – 4.6%
“I am extremely proud of the participation of the students in our DCHS Super Tuesday mock election,” said Social Sciences Teacher Nate Kennard whose students helped him facilitate the mock election. ” We had an amazing 619 that voted and also had 377 that answered questions in our exit polls. It was an incredible day and it gave me an opportunity to answer many questions concerning the procedures of voting, the differences between primaries and general elections, and what candidate was in each party. The students in my classes that helped me facilitate the election did a great job and learned how instrumental exit polls are for the media when calling elections or understanding what influenced the voters the most. I was very happy with the turnout and the stories from students that went home after school Tuesday and paid attention to the actual Super Tuesday and its results,” said Kennard.

The owners of Cookeville Boat Dock, Inc. are delinquent no more in their property tax debt to DeKalb County.
Rather than appeal a recent court order forcing them to pay their back taxes from 2004 to 2013, the marina owners today (Friday) paid off the delinquency to the DeKalb County Chancery Court in the amount of $139,815.33 which includes taxes for the years 2004 to 2013 along with all accrued interest, penalties, court costs and attorneys fees through March 4, 2016. Today (Friday) marked the last day the marina could file an appeal.
Cookeville Boat Dock also paid its 2014 and 2015 property taxes to the DeKalb County Trustee’s Office on Monday, February 29. The marina paid $9,691 including interest and penalty for 2014 and $9,417 for 2015.
The written order, signed by Judge Amy Hollars, was filed Wednesday, February 3 in DeKalb County Chancery Court. The judge gave the same ruling orally on Tuesday, November 24.
The court further ordered that “DeKalb County is entitled to additional penalty of 10% on all delinquent taxes” finding that T.C.A. 67-5-2410 (a)(1)(A) is the controlling statute as to additional penalty.
“It is ordered that DeKalb County is entitled to charge a 10% additional penalty on the base amount of delinquent taxes.”
“It is further ordered that Cookeville Boat Dock, Inc. shall continue to accrue on any unpaid taxes, interest and penalty as set out in T.C.A. 67-5-2410 (a)(1)(A)” the order stated.
In November, Judge Hollars again found as she had earlier in the year that Cookeville Boat Dock must pay delinquent DeKalb County property taxes, but in a new ruling she granted a motion by the marina’s attorney to bar the county from collecting more than 10 years in back taxes with 10 years being a statute of limitations.
Judge Hollars announced her decision via a telephone conference call on November 24 with Vester Parsley, Jr., the county’s tax attorney, and Jon Jones of Cookeville, the lawyer representing Cookeville Boat Dock. Clerk and Master Deborah Malone and County Mayor Tim Stribling were also present.
The boat dock owners had refused to pay their taxes since 1998.
Jones initially argued for the marina that Tennessee law violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by discriminating against a lessee of the United States in favor of lessees of the State of Tennessee. It was argued since the boat dock pays fees to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which are used, in part, to pay DeKalb County a sum of “in lieu of taxes,” that having to pay property tax to the county was, in effect, double taxation.
In April, 2015 Judge Hollers ruled that the boat dock’s challenge to the tax was invalid in part because the Supremacy Clause “does not prevent a state or local government from imposing a tax on an individual or a corporation ‘using government property in connection with a business conducted for its own private gain.”
The attorney for the marina later filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider her ruling. Jones argued that the county cannot collect taxes beyond 10 years; that the judge’s ruling on the “Supremacy Clause” of the U.S. Constitution was incorrect; and that the amount of interest the county wants to charge is above what is allowed by law.
In November, Judge Hollars sustained Jones’ motion on the 10 year bar based on TCA 67-5-1806 but she denied the request to prohibit the county from assessing the current rate of interest and penalty. She also affirmed her earlier ruling on the constitutionality of the tax.

Preliminary construction plans have been forwarded to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for a new bridge on Holmes Creek Road over Fall Creek in Smithville.
In an email to city officials, the engineer for the project, Kyle Hazel of Professional Engineering Services of Sparta wrote that final construction plans for the bridge will be prepared and sent to TDOT for final review and approval once TDOT approves the preliminary plans. “Once all necessary approvals, permits, right-of-way, and utility coordination has been accomplished we will advertise and the project will be bid,” wrote Hazel.
The bridge, at the bottom of town hill behind Love-Cantrell Funeral Home, has been closed since October 30.
The state forced the City of Smithville to close the bridge due to a Tennessee Department of Transportation Evaluation Report which detailed various bridge deficiencies making it potentially unsafe.
The project is being funded under the state’s 1990 Bridge Grant Program. The Tennessee Department of Transportation was to pay for 98% of the costs to replace the bridge. The local matching portion was to be 2%. However, according to Hazel the matching cost to the city could be 8%
“At this time the bridge grant funds available for this project are approximately $500,000 and we anticipate that an additional $168,000.00 will be added this July 2016. This will not be enough to cover the bridge’s maximum percentage of 98%, but closer to 92% according to my overall project cost based on the estimate. Therefore the City of Smithville will need to be prepared to fund approximately 8% +- of the total project cost at this time,” wrote Hazel.
City officials have said it may be next fall before the new bridge is completed.
Until then residents in the area and other motorists will have to continue making a detour by way of Riley Avenue or Allen’s Ferry Road.

Thanks to a grant the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office recently purchased a new fingerprint machine.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said the grant covered the $15,000 cost of the machine with no local funds required for the purchase. The new machine replaces an older one the department had been using.
“We fingerprint every inmate who is booked including those arrested by the Sheriff’s Department, Smithville and Alexandria Police Departments, Tennessee Highway Patrol, or any other agency or officer who makes state arrests.
“As soon as the correctional officer books them in and does the fingerprints, it (machine) automatically sends them to TBI and FBI to see if they match fingerprints on file taken in other crimes or from outstanding warrants entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC),” said Sheriff Ray.
“We are proud and very fortunate to have been able to get that grant to purchase this fingerprint machine,” he added.