The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting a seatbelt checkpoint on Friday, December 19 on State Route 56 north in DeKalb County.
Recognizing that an alarmingly high number of vehicle occupants killed in fatal crashes were unrestrained, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has elected to create an enforcement campaign aimed at drastically reducing the number of unrestrained drivers and occupants.
Officers will also be on active patrol observing for unrestrained drivers and occupants of motor vehicles.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has found seatbelt checkpoints to be an effective means of enforcing seatbelt and child restraint laws of Tennessee while ensuring the protection of all motorists.

The Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps is returning to DeKalb County on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 & 29 at DeKalb County High School providing free health care services to people of all ages regardless of income. A similar event took place in DeKalb County at the high school in August 2005 and November 2010.
The DeKalb County Board of Education Thursday night granted a request from County Mayor Tim Stribling for the high school to be the location for the visit, just as on the previous two occasions.
Remote Area Medical (RAM) is a non-profit, volunteer corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.
Founded in 1985, Remote Area Medical is a publicly supported all-volunteer charitable organization. Volunteer doctors, nurses, and support workers participate in expeditions (at their own expense). Medical supplies, medicines, facilities and vehicles are donated.
Meanwhile Director of Schools Mark Willoughby updated the school board on personnel moves since last month.
Those employed are:
Jessie Vanatta, Colton Rhody, and Todd Miller as substitute teachers
Melissa Peranteau, employed as a full time bus driver
Resignations/Retirements:
Vicki Jeffries, educational assistant at Smithville Elementary School, retired as of December 19
Kim Lawson, bus driver
Transfers:
Amy Lattimore, assistant manager at Northside Elementary School transferred to School Nutrition Supervisor
JoAnn Vanatta, transferred from part-time cafeteria position at Northside Elementary School to full time
Marie Martin, transferred from cafeteria worker to assistant manager at Northside Elementary School
Donna McManus, transferred from substitute cafeteria worker to a four hour part time position at Northside Elementary School.
The board postponed action on a proposal to implement a new pay date for personnel starting in the 2015-16 school year.

DeKalb County E-911 was recently awarded over $117,519 in grant reimbursements for radio system upgrades. The money has been used to replace analog radio equipment with new digital equipment.
“While we are not ready to transition to a digital radio network at this time, this equipment prepares the 911 center as well as the agencies we serve to transition to a fully digital radio system in the future. In addition, we have also purchased equipment that will improve paging of emergency responders in areas with poor radio reception. Obviously, the more responders we are able to notify in the event of an emergency, the better chance we have of getting an adequate response from our volunteer responders,” said Brad Mullinax, Director of the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District (911 center).
“We have also used the funds to build-out a microwave communications network that connects our radio sites together over a high-speed network. The addition of this technology will save the district thousands of dollars over the coming years in broadband charges. Additionally, this equipment has enabled us to monitor our equipment closely with video and alarm monitoring. Our operators are now immediately aware of any radio problem that is affecting our county,” he said.
This grant was secured through the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board at 100% funding with zero local dollars involved in this transaction.
“We would like to thank the DeKalb Utility District as well as the City of Smithville and the Town of Alexandria for allowing us to locate our radio equipment on their existing towers at no charge to the 911 district. Their cooperation will save our district thousands of dollars over the next several years. We are very proud of the inter-local agreements and cooperation that we have with our government partners. This is a great example of how cooperation can improve lives with little to no costs for our citizens,” said Mullinax.

The City of Smithville may soon implement a new schedule of fees and fines for building construction.
The Aldermen adopted the ordinance on first reading Monday, December 1 and are set to pass it on second and final reading during a special meeting on Monday, December 15 at 5:00 p.m.
Under the ordinance, the city may charge fees and fines for building construction, require plan reviews and permitting, and create a mechanism for periodic adjustment of fees.
For the purpose of determining construction costs for obtaining a building permit, a minimum square foot cost shall be established, determined by using the Building valuation Data printed semi-annually in the Building Safety Journal published by the International Code Council.
“This is about new construction. The ICC, the International Code Council produce a building evaluation report twice a year, every six months. On this evaluation report, it’s got your types of buildings. For example, an R-3 is a commercial building with one and two family dwellings. What they do is take a national average and say this is what it cost per square foot to build this type of building and based on the type of materials being used to build this building with. That doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what it’s going to cost to build that building. It’s just something that is an average for you to charge a permit fee on to make this an asset to the city instead of a liability. You don’t want your code’s department to be a liability,” said City Building Codes Inspector Lionel Williams
“What I am trying to do is plan ahead because someday you are going to need a full time code’s officer here instead of going through a contractor (as codes inspector) like I am. This (new ordinance) will help you get into that groove where you’ve already got things in place. We’re already required by the state to do plumbing and mechanical inspections, whether it be residential or commercial and since we’re already having to do it, you need to charge a fee for it to be compensated for going out and doing the work,” said Williams
“This is a step toward making the city get to where it can actually someday put in place its own code’s office and have its own code officials out here working with the (police) chief to make sure the city is well kept and well maintained. Some of the things in there (ordinance) clarifies the fines for failing to do something. You guys have great zoning regulations now but you have no enforcement on it. What this does is attach enforcement even on your zoning regulations. It doesn’t need to be abused but it does need to be used from time to time. One day every building in your city will be a code compliant building but it will take several years for that to happen,” said Williams.
For Residential/ Commercial Construction fees shall be determined by a Fee Schedule as follows:
For construction with a total valuation of $1,000 or less, no fee would be assessed unless an inspection is required. If required, a fee of $15 per inspection will be charged.
For construction valued at $1,001 to $50,000, a $15 charge will be assessed for the first $1,000 plus $5.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $50,000.
The fee for construction valued at $50,001 to $100,000 would be $260 for the first $50,000, plus $4.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $100,000.
For construction valued at $100,001 to $500,000, the fee would be $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $500,000.
The fee for construction valued at $500,001 and up would be $1,660 for the first $500,000 plus $2.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof.
For all Non-Residential/Commercial Construction such as storage buildings, fences, decks, and wheelchair ramps, etc. the fees shall be determined by a separate fee schedule. The permit fees will be based on building size in square footage.
For example, for buildings 10,000 square feet or less, the permit fee would be 30 cents per square foot.
When the evaluation of the proposed construction exceeds $1,000 and a plan is required to be submitted, a plan review fee would be required at the time of submitting plans and specification for review equal to one half of the building permit fee as determined from the fee schedules. The Plan Review fee would be in addition to the building permit fee but no such fee would be charged for the review of plans for one and two family dwellings.
The ordinance also establishes permit fees for demolition, moving structures, swimming pool construction, plumbing, mechanical, fire code system, etc.
Penalties would be assessed for those found in violation of the ordinance.
In addition to this ordinance, the aldermen Monday night are scheduled to act on second and final reading on ordinances adopting the 2012 edition of the International Existing Building Code and the 2012 International Fire Code.
If approved the ordinances will take effect January 1.

A Smithville man has been sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty in criminal court to the sexual exploitation of a minor.
24 year old Andrew Justin Anderson appeared before Judge David Patterson Wednesday in DeKalb County Criminal Court. Although it is intended that Anderson serve 100% of the sentence, he could possibly qualify for a 15% reduction. He will also be classified as a sex offender and will be registered on the state’s Sex Offender Registry. Anderson will receive credit for any jail time already served. He is to report to jail by noon on January 12.
The indictment against Anderson alleged that “on or about the 9th day of June, 2010, Anderson did knowingly promote, sell, distribute, transport, or exchange material that included over 100 images of a minor engaging in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive, constituting the offense of sexual exploitation and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor”.
In a separate case, 52 year old David Ray Johnson pled guilty to two counts of theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in each case at 75% and then be on supervised probation. The two cases are to run concurrently. He was given jail credit of 134 days. Johnson must also make restitution.

Several years after first announcing plans to widen and improve Highway 56, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has a new proposal that is expected to save the state money.
Instead of building a four lane divided and five lane road from south of the Warren County line (in Warren County) to near Magness Road in DeKalb County, TDOT now proposes to build a new two lane road (typical section) with twelve foot lanes and ten foot paved shoulders and passing lanes along the 3.30 mile existing alignment. The plans also include adding extra safety features on the new road, such as guardrails, better road signage, pavement markings, and center line rumble stripes. The total projected cost is $7,611,000. That would be a savings to the state of $12,800,000 from TDOT’s original plans for this portion of Highway 56, which would have cost $20,411,000.
The highway from near Magness Road to just south of the Warren County line is currently a two lane road with eleven to twelve foot lanes and two to eleven foot shoulder widths.
According to TDOT officials, the rate of severe crashes on this portion of Highway 56 is (0.250) double the state average (0.128) for rural two lane routes but that the decision to scale back the project was out of financial necessity.
“Because of our tenuous and unpredictable financial situation relating to the federally funded Highway Trust Fund, the department took a look at our projects in development that would not have received funding any time soon to see if there was something we could do instead that would address some of the transportation issues in a less expensive, but more easily and quickly funded manner,” Jennifer Flynn, TDOT Regional Community Relations Officer recently told the Southern Standard.
The process to make some improvements rather than risk nothing being done is called expedited project delivery and focuses on safety measures. “In the case of this project, our planners came up with recommendations that would include safety improvements to the corridor at an estimated $857,000 and reconstruction of the roadway with two lanes and a total of 1.5 miles of passing lanes at a cost estimate of $6.754 million for a total estimate cost of $7.611 million,” said Flynn.
The smaller project has not yet received funding approval for construction but could be let for bids by the fall of 2015.
TDOT has not yet announced a timetable for construction of the proposed project to four lane Highway 56 from Magness Road to the city limits of Smithville.

A convicted felon has been busted again after he was found with drugs and weapons at his Smithville home last week.
27 year old Joshua Lynne Batey of Juniper Lane, Smithville is charged with possession of schedule IV & VI drugs for resale and possession of a weapon by a felon. His bond is $25,000 and he will be in court December 18.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Friday, December 5 a drug detective and deputy of the sheriff’s department went to 415 Juniper Lane to do a probation search (visit) on Batey, who is on probation for previous offenses. Batey was convicted in 2010 for sale and delivery of a schedule II drug, a class C felony and for the sale and delivery of a schedule II drug, a class D felony. Upon arrival, the officers announced the intention of their visit and searched Batey. Found in Batey’s pocket were three plastic baggies. One of the baggies held 25 yellow diazepam pills. The other two baggies contained marijuana, totaling .51 ounces. Batey also had $859 in cash on his person, including 31 -twenty dollar bills, 2- one hundred dollar bills, a ten dollar bill, a five dollar bill, and 4-one dollar bills. After making this discovery, the detective left the premises to obtain a search warrant of Batey’s home. The other officer remained at the residence until the detective’s return. During a search of the dwelling a Weatherby 12 gauge shotgun was found upstairs under a piece of insulation. Batey also had a muzzleloader. He was taken into custody.
Later in the day, another person was arrested at the same residence after the drug detective drove by and found the man acting suspiciously around a vehicle parked there. 25 year old Ralph Edward McIntyre, Jr. of Adams Street, Smithville is charged with resisting stop, frisk, halt, or arrest. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on December 18. According to Sheriff Ray, the drug detective saw the man behind a vehicle at Batey’s residence, 415 Juniper Lane. When he pulled into the driveway, the man started to run. The detective called for him to stop but he kept running. After a foot pursuit, the man (McIntyre) was stopped and placed under arrest.

Over 250 projects were on display at the annual DeKalb West School Social Studies Fair on Dec. 4 and 5. 7th grade teacher Vicki Wilson coordinated the event.
Students explored topics from the history of DeKalb to the history of the Civil War. Sixth graders recreated part of Egyptian history with mummies, a sarcophagus, and other pieces of the past in Egypt. While there were many well-done projects, judges selected the following students for prizes.
First Grader Caitlin Shoemake won first place with her project, “A Village from Long Ago. 2nd Grader Grant Buterbaugh received a first place ribbon for his “Civil War Flags of Tennessee.” In the third grade: Zoi Hale was tops with “Georgia,” Marshall Farler was second with “Pennsylvania,” and Kolten Slager finished third with “Louisiana.” Jackson Vantrease received an Honorable Mention.
From the fourth grade: Bralin Moss was first with “Southwestern Indians,” Noah Evans made second place with “Titantic,” and Bonnie Hale placed third with “The Boston Tea Party. Ellis Vaughn, Luke Driver, Aniston Farler, and Jake Christian received an Honorable Mention. From the fifth grade: Lucas Hale won first with “Alcatraz the Rock,” Kenzie Hayes placed second with “History of Music,” and William Buterbaugh’s “Trail of Tears” earned a third place ribbon. The sixth grade class devoted its projects to the history of Egypt. Trevonte’ Alexander and Garrett Hayes tied for first, Jaya Tramel was second and Jason Richards placed third. Katie Bain, Emma Damron, and Michael Martin were Honorable Mention. In the 7th grade, Christine Bowman had the top award for “The Quran,” Braedon Jett placed second with “Joan of Arc,” and Trenton Shores earned a third place finish with “English Knight Helmet.” Receiving Honorable Mention were Mariah Mofield, Taylor Foutch, Christian Trail, and Holly Evans. From the 8th grade: Addison Oakley’s “The Rights of Women” tied for first with Shelby Clayborn’s “Amelia Earhart, Callie Mulloy won second place for “The Life of Abraham Lincoln,” and Emily Roehner was third with “The Boston Massacre.” Receiving Honorable Mention were Grayson Redmon, Tesa Hall, and Alanna Woodham.
Congratulations to all of our students for the fine job they did for the Social Studies Fair.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, as the holiday standard goes. In many homes, this means a log on the fire, a trimmed tree or a menorah glowing brightly. All these signs of the season bring feelings of comfort and joy to families. But what you may not realize is that they also bring an increased risk of fire in the home. That’s why Lt. Brian Williams, DeKalb County Fire Department’s Fire Prevention and Safety Officer, wants everyone to be aware of some simple things we can all do around our homes to prevent fires.
The winter months are the peak times for home heating, candle, decoration and Christmas tree fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Statistics show that two of every five home decoration fires are started by candles. Fireplaces or chimneys are involved in almost two out of five home heating fires. Portable or fixed space heaters are involved in four out of five home heating fire deaths. Over the years, DeKalb County has had its share of all these unfortunate and unnecessary fires.
DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s holiday wish is for all DeKalb County residents to have a merry, bright and SAFE holiday season. By recognizing holiday fire hazards and using a little extra caution, you can help keep your home full of comfort and joy while celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Day.
When decking the halls, choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant and keep them away from candles or any other heat source. Not all holiday lights are made equal so be sure that you know whether yours are for indoor or outdoor use and be sure to replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.
Lighting candles, whether for decorating or religious rituals, should always be done with caution. Candles should be in a sturdy holder and placed on an uncluttered surface. Lit candles should not be placed in windows where a blind or curtain could catch fire. Never leave a lit candle unattended. Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Additionally, candles placed on or near tables, altars, or shrines must be monitored by an adult.
Lastly, roasting anything on an open fire in the fireplace is not a good idea! Make sure that your fireplace has a sturdy screen and keep kids and pets three feet away. Have your chimney inspected, cleaned regularly and dispose of ashes in a metal container far away from the home.
We know that the holidays are a hectic time of year for all DeKalb County residents. Please help DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department prevent unnecessary fires in our community by slowing down a little and taking time to pay attention to these few suggestions that we have recommended.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has apparently solved a rash of recent automobile break-ins on Midway and Redman Roads with the arrest of a man who lives in that community.
22 year old Nathaniel Dylan Tippens of Redman Road, Smithville is charged with six counts of burglary, six counts of theft under $500, and one count of vandalism. His bond is $47,500 and he will be in court on January 15.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that Tippens allegedly broke into and stole items from two vehicles on Midway Road and four automobiles on Redman Road on Monday, November 24. The vandalism charge is for Tippens’ allegedly trying to break into another vehicle on Redman Road the same day by prying open the back sliding window, causing damage to the weather stripping.
Items taken in all the thefts combined include a JVC stereo, two TomTom GPS units, a Cobra radar detector, a bone handled knife and a brown sheath, a black air compressor, prescription eyeglasses, a class ring, a multi-colored handbag, an mp3 player, and a total of twenty dollars in change. The total value of the stolen goods amounts to $790.
The cases were investigated by criminal detectives of the Sheriff’s Department.
Meanwhile, two more persons have been picked up on grand jury sealed indictments in recent undercover drug operations.
40 year old Jimmy Brown Martin of Bethel Road Smithville is indicted for the manufacture of a schedule VI drug. His bond is $20,000.
30 year old Brandon Lynn Tallent of West Broad Street, Smithville is indicted for the sale and delivery of a schedule III drug. His bond is $20,000.
51 year old Marshann Hensley of Jefferson Road, Smithville is charged with criminal impersonation and being a fugitive from justice. She was further issued citations for driving on a suspended license and roadways laned for travel. Her bond is $55,000 and she will be in court on January 15. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, December 2 a deputy stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver, Hensley, identified herself to the officer as Sherry Lynn Young and said her birthday was March 6, 1962. After an investigation, officers learned her true identity and that her birthday is actually June 6, 1963. Hensley was arrested and brought to the jail for booking. It was also discovered that Hensley had a warrant for her arrest in Michigan for retail fraud, a first degree felony.
33 year old Garth Cantrell of Pine Grove Road, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court December 18. Sheriff Ray said that on November 11 Cantrell allegedly took several items from a residence on Bethel Road including a 105 gallon fuel tank, Kawasaki 4-wheeler frame, a go-cart frame, a Briggs and Stratton motor, three bottle jacks, and several other tools. The total value of the items amounts to $4,951. Cantrell allegedly sold the fuel tank and other items to a local recycling business. The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the sheriff’s department.
49 year old Brian Eugene Farmer of Jefferson Road, Smithville is charged with driving on a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident. He was further issued a citation for violation of the financial responsibility law for no insurance. Farmer’s bond is $3,000 and he will be in court January 15. Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, December 3 a deputy was dispatched to Jefferson Road due to a wreck in which the driver had left the scene. During an investigation, the officer located Farmer who admitted to driving the vehicle. Farmer told the deputy that he had left the scene because he did not have a drivers license. A computer check confirmed that Farmers’ license were suspended on August 8, 2011 for failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility in Roane County.
38 year old Roxie Elaine Martin of Academy Avenue, Alexandria is charged with driving under the influence. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court December 18. Sheriff Ray said that while on patrol, a deputy noticed a silver Dodge swerving in and out of its lane heading west on Highway 70. Upon stopping the vehicle, the officer found that the driver, Martin had a strong odor of alcohol on her person. She was unsteady on her feet and her speech was slurred. Martin performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.
55 year old Timothy Wade Cantrell of Old Snow Hill Road, Dowelltown is charged with driving under the influence. He was further issued a citation for roadways laned for traffic. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on January 15. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, December 7 a deputy spotted a red vehicle leave its lane of travel and go into the grass. The officer made a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, Cantrell. His eyes were bloodshot and he had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person. Cantrell’s speech was also slurred. He told the officer that he had taken prescription medicine and then began drinking during the day. Cantrell submitted to and performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. Cantrell also took a blood test. He was placed under arrest for the safety of himself and the public.