In honor of National Recovery Month the DeKalb County Recovery Court has partnered with Sober Living Services and Lifeline of TN to bring a FREE concert to Smithville, TN! This Friday, September 22 at 6:00pm at the DeKalb County Complex (712 S Congress Blvd.) in the Auditorium, all aboard the Matt Butler #recoverymonth tour train for a recovery month celebration! It was just announced by NAMI that Matt will be honored as a Leader In Mental Health Awareness for his album Reckless Son at this year’s annual conference in Albany, NY!
Matt Butler is a folk artist, a rock’n roller, and a storyteller. Weaving personal experience with a timeless style, Butler brings honesty and openness to his classic approach to songwriting.
Matt Butler first gained notoriety as the lead singer of the New York based band Reckless Sons, who released two EPs, the latter with legendary record producer David Kahne (Lana Del Ray, The Strokes, Sublime, Paul McCartney). The turning point in Butler’s career came, however, when he confronted his lifelong struggle with alcoholism and substance abuse. After getting sober, Butler recorded his debut solo album Reckless Son, a poignant confession of his battle with addiction and his inspiring path to recovery. Right from the start, Butler was able to pull together a community around his message and crowd fund the entire project through a successful Pledge Music Campaign. Released to critical acclaim in September of 2016, Reckless Son drew comparisons to heroes of Butler’s like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan as well as contemporary Americana icons Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson.
Immediately following the release, Butler wrote and performed ‘Just One’, the original song for the feature length and nationally distributed documentary Generation Found. The film portrays the devastating effect the current drug and opiate epidemic has had on adolescents in and around Houston, TX, and the unprecedented way in which the community has rallied to support them.
With the simultaneous release of both Generation Found and Reckless Son, Butler found himself center stage in America’s recovery community. Butler has since performed at rallies, conferences and fundraisers across the country including The Caron Foundation’s annual gala in New York City and the Facing Addiction In America Summit in Los Angeles where the Surgeon General gave his historic address on the current addiction epidemic. Butler has performed alongside senators, congressmen and judges at state capitals across the country, including a performance on the steps of the Columbus State House alongside Senator Rob Portman. A sought after public speaker as well as performer, Butler has spoken at numerous high profile events including The David Lynch Foundation’s ‘Recovery, Meditation, and The Brain’ Summit at New York’s Paley Center. Dedicated to service, Butler has performed for incarcerated populations in jails and prisons in numerous states, most recently completing his first ever ‘Behind The Walls Tour’, where he performed exclusively in state prisons across Ohio. In November of 2017, Butler will be honored in Albany by the National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) alongside Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Powers and Super Bowl Champion Keith O’Neil as a Leader In Mental Health Awareness.
During his relatively short professional career, Butler signed a development deal with Mercury Records (Island Def Jam), toured the United Kingdom (including main stage appearance at the Brighton Beachdown Festival), was a featured performer for TEDx San Francisco, recorded a single with Jeff Saltzman (The Killers), appeared in The LA Times, Nylon, Vanity Fair, Spin Magazine, and New York Times, as well as being the face of John Varvatos STAR USA ad campaign with Converse. As a solo artist, he has shared bills with the likes of Neil Young, Norah Jones, and Willie Nile.
A gifted singer/songwriter on the rise, he has co-writes with Angelo Petraglia (Kings Of Leon), Bobby Huff (Shinedown), Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly), Scott Stevens (The Exies), Mike Viola (Candy Butchers) and Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace).
Songs of Butler’s have been licensed to numerous films and television shows including American Pickers (Main theme song), NBC’s The Voice, A&E’s Biography of Bruce Springsteen, Pawn Stars, NY Ink, STARZ Network series Crash, Ax Men and Burn Notice.

Six minors made an appearance in Juvenile Court last Thursday after recently taking golf carts from a local nursery for the purpose of joy riding.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that detectives at the Sheriff’s Department received reports on July 15 and July 17 that two golf carts had been taken from a nursery off Four Seasons. Another golf cart was taken from there on September 4.
Through an investigation, a detective learned that five of the juveniles were involved in taking two of the carts on July 15. Four participated in taking two carts on July 17, and three of the kids took one of the golf carts from the nursery on September 4.
Sheriff’s Department Detectives took petitions against all six of the kids on Wednesday, September 6 charging them with the delinquent act of joyriding
All six juveniles entered a plea to the offenses. Each is required to perform hours of community service, send an apology note to the victim and is under a restraining order to keep away from the victim’s nursery.

A man and woman have been arrested for passing six forged checks at two local businesses.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 9/11/2017 Thru: 9/18/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_39.pdf (3.07 MB)
23 year old Blake Lydell Brown-Nichols of Piney Woods Road, Smithville and Courtney Danielle Decker of South Tittsworth Road, Smithville are each charged with six counts of forgery. Bond for each is $15,000 and their court date is September 28.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that Nichols and Decker passed forged checks on the same victim six times at the following places:
*Forgery: On April 17, Nichols and Decker passed a forged check at Walmart in the amount of $282.56
*Forgery: On April 17, Nichols and Decker passed a forged check at Wilson Bank & Trust in the amount of $200
*Forgery: On April 17, Nichols and Decker passed a forged check at Wilson & Bank & Trust in the amount of $100.
*Forgery: On June 8, Nichols and Decker passed a forged check at Wilson Bank & Trust in the amount of $100
*Forgery: On June 9, Nichols and Decker passed a forged check at Wilson Bank & Trust in the amount of $200.
*Forgery: On June 13, Nichols and Decker passed a forged check at Wilson Bank & Trust in the amount of $150
The cases were investigated by a Sheriff’s Department Detective.
33 year old Shannon Ray Herman of McMinnville Highway, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000 (having possession). His bond is $5,000 and his court date is October 5. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, September 16 Herman was found to be in possession of a stolen 1987 Dodge pickup truck, which was reported stolen in Smith County on Sunday, September 10. When questioned about the vehicle, Herman admitted to the deputy to having possession of the truck but he wouldn’t say where he got it.
47 year old Gregory Eugene Neal of Andrew Street, Smithville is charged with vandalism. His bond is $2,500 and his court date is September 28.
Sheriff Ray said that on August 24, Neal cut wires, headliner, and other parts of a vehicle on Adcock Cemetery Road with the intent to damage and destroy the automobile causing $725.69 worth of damages.
The case was investigated by a Sheriff’s Department Detective.
31 year old Christopher Tyler Young of Old Smithville Highway, McMinnville was arrested on Tuesday, September 12 and charged with driving while licensed revoked. He was also cited for no insurance, violation of the light law, leaving the scene of an accident, and failing to give immediate notification of an accident. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is September 28. Sheriff Ray said that on July 25 a deputy was patrolling on McMinnville Highway when he passed a green Honda Accord traveling northbound committing a traffic violation. The officer tried to make a traffic stop but he lost sight of the automobile after it turned onto South Tittsworth Road in Smithville. He later found it wrecked at the intersection of South Tittsworth and Cantrell Cemetery Road but the driver had left the scene. After an investigation it was discovered that Young was the driver and that his license are revoked for driving under the influence on November 3, 2011.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department as well as the Smithville and Alexandria Police Departments are each getting a $5,000 federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support local highway safety initiatives.
The announcement was made today (Monday) by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security (TDOSHS) in partnership with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO). Approximately 400 grants exceeding $18 million will be distributed statewide from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the THSO for the 2017-2018 Federal Fiscal Year (FFY).
“Highway safety enforcement and education initiatives are critical components to preventing highway fatalities,” said Commissioner David W. Purkey of the TDOSHS. “We cannot lower statewide fatality numbers without strong partnerships within our local communities. That is why these funds are so important.”
Every year, traffic safety advocates, non-profit organizations, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, District Attorneys’ offices, and other state agencies across Tennessee seek funding through grant applications offered by the THSO. Applicants who meet the required data-driven criteria and highway safety standards are awarded grant funds to support the THSO’s mission to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities.
“Our highway safety partners are dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to protect Tennessee roadways every day,” said THSO Director Vic Donoho. “The THSO grant funding provides essential highway safety training and equipment for law enforcement agencies, sophisticated crash data collection analysis technology, specialized DUI prosecutors, resources for emergency response personnel, and educational tools to help improve driver behavior.”

The 2017 deer archery-only hunting season opens statewide in Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 23. The archery season dates in all five of the state’s deer hunting units are the same. The dates are Sept. 23-Oct. 27 and Oct. 30-Nov. 3.
Tennessee is divided into five deer units for better management, A, B, C, D, and L. The antlerless deer bag limits are four in Units A-D management areas and three per day in Unit L areas. The antlered deer bag limit is a total of two for the entire deer season. DeKalb County is in Unit B.
In addition to deer, archers may harvest wild turkeys of either sex during the archery-only deer season in counties that have a fall turkey hunt. Turkeys harvested during the archery-only deer season count toward the fall turkey county bag limits.
The TWRA makes the recommendation that all archery hunters obtain a 2017-18 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide lists the counties and bag limits for each of the different deer management units. The guides are available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.
Hunters are reminded that they must possess the appropriate licenses and permits. Any hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to carry proof of satisfactory completion of a hunter education class or be in possession of the Apprentice Hunting License (along with other required licenses), while hunting any species in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating a two vehicle crash Saturday night involving five people in which the driver of one automobile fled the scene on foot.
Names have not yet been released.
According to the THP, the crash occurred at 9:20 p.m. on Highway 70 east near Howard Redmon Road as the driver of a 1994 Nissan pickup truck, traveling east on U.S. 70, was passing another vehicle in a no passing zone. A 1998 Toyota Tacoma was approaching traveling west on U.S. 70. The left front of the Nissan pickup struck the left front of the Toyota Tacoma.
The driver of the Nissan pickup fled the scene on foot. He had three passengers, two of whom were transported to St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital. One was flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.
The driver of the Toyota Tacoma, the lone occupant of that vehicle, was not injured.
This accident remains under investigation. Additional information will be released when the investigation is complete.