Smithville stores licensed to sell beer are prohibited from displaying in-store advertisements promoting alcoholic beverages in a manner that can be seen from outside.
The regulation is specified in the city’s beer ordinance.
Due to public complaints that at least one or more stores may be in violation, Alderman Shawn Jacobs Monday night during the city council meeting requested that the ordinance be enforced. “Mr. Miller, Mr. Stribling, and I have all been contacted by several residents about a number of businesses that sell beer where you can see the advertisements of the beer signs from the road,” he said.
According to the beer ordinance, “It shall be unlawful for any beer permit holder to advertise within the business establishment in any manner visible from off the premises of said establishment the price or location of beer on the premises of the establishment”
“My interpretation of this and the way this has been explained to me is that you should not be able from the road to be able to see the sign advertising the beer. I know that is the way the city has enforced this in times past,” said Alderman Jacobs.
The ordinance goes on to state that “Whenever any permit holder shall be deemed by the Smithville Beer Board to have violated any of the provisions of this ordinance, that permit holder shall be notified by certified, return-receipt mail. This notice shall set forth the allegations against the permit holder and shall inform the permit holder of the date, time, and place of the meeting where said violations will be adjudicated by the Smithville Beer Board”.
Alderman Jacobs said it’s not fair to the businesses who comply with the law when others don’t. “I’ve had a number of people approach me about this. It is the law and I think it needs to be enforced. In addition to that, when one business violates it and another business is in compliance, you’re not being fair to all the businesses. I just wonder what action the city should take in enforcing this,” he said.
City attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. said the ordinance is vague as to enforcement provisions but he would do more research and have a better answer by next month’s meeting. ” The mayor and I talked a little bit about this recently. We would like to look at it from the angle of working with the police chief and City Building Codes Inspector Mr. (Eugene) O’Neil in how to properly enforce the ordinance. It’s a little vague as to how to enforce it properly. We will be working on that before the next meeting and maybe have a little better answer for you hopefully,” said Parsley.
Alderman Jason Murphy asked if more than one business is in violation. “Is this one business or is it several that are doing it,” he asked.
“I have only noticed one business but I have had calls from people who have said there are more than one in town in violation,” answered Alderman Jacobs. “This is not a horse I am riding. It’s just that it is the law and it should be enforced. My concern is that it is enforced equally. That all businesses are treated fairly. If we allow one business to violate it and another business is in compliance, that’s not fair. As long as it is on the books, it behooves the city to enforce its ordinance,” Alderman Jacobs concluded.

One man who had publicly announced hopes of becoming the next DeKalb County Road Supervisor may not get that opportunity this year.
The Tennessee Highway Officials Certification Board has denied the application of Adam Shane Walker, who had planned to run for the Democratic nomination in the May 6th primary. Walker recently picked up a petition from the election commission office but has not yet returned it.
Meanwhile, Eddie Wayne Cook has also been denied certification by the state. Cook has not formally announced plans to run for Road Supervisor and has not picked up a petition from the election commission. Both Walker and Cook submitted their applications in January. Betty Jean Atnip submitted an application in October but later decided instead that she would make a run for the county commission in the sixth district. The state board did not deny Atnip certification but said they needed more information from her.
The Tennessee Highway Officials Certification Board has approved the applications of James Douglas “Jimmy” Sprague and Wallace Mitchell “Butch” Agee to run for Road Supervisor this year.
Blake Fontenay, Director of Communications for the State Comptroller’s Office, told WJLE Friday that “Neither Walker nor Cook clearly demonstrated in their applications that they met the statutory requirements”.
Walker and Cook have until Thursday, February 6th to submit any additional facts if they want the board to take another look at their applications. “At this point I want it to work out and I’ve made some calls to see if there is any way I can send in an addendum for them to look at. I feel like I have the qualifications and I have had so many people that really want me to fight it but at this point I don’t know what I can do,” said Walker in an interview with WJLE Monday.
In announcing his candidacy at the local Democratic Mass Meeting on January 25, Walker mentioned his experience in the construction industry, his education in the study of engineering, and his certification as a bridge inspector. “Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked my way up through the ranks from laborer to the position of foreman. I have supervised numerous people in various jobs over the years. In 2009, I was laid off. I decided to further my education at Nashville State Community College, where I studied engineering. In 2010, I went to work with OCCI on the Hurricane Bridge project. I wanted to get more knowledge of bridge work. I took classes recommended by TDOT and obtained various certifications which opened the door for me to become an inspector for our state roads and bridges. I am currently a bridge inspector for an engineering consulting firm hired by the state to engineer bridges in Tennessee,” he said.
In denying his application, Walker said the Tennessee Highway Officials Board found his qualifications lacking. “They tell me my four years experience as a supervisor is not there. I don’t have the four years in highway maintenance. My supervisory skills was from a previous career I had in commercial and industry construction and heating and cooling but they said that wasn’t enough for them. I also didn’t know that Nashville State Community College was not an accredited engineering college for the year that I went there so they don’t recognize it. The engineering I did was in electrical engineering for the job I was doing in my previous career. It was just a beginning of engineering. It wasn’t a degree, it was just the first beginning year of college,” he said.
With his background and experience, Walker contends that he is more than capable of carrying out the responsibilities of Road Supervisor. ” I can lead people. As far as doing the maintenance job on these county roads and bridges, I have no problem with keeping the people (employees) busy and making sure that the money is being directed where it needs to be spent,” he said.
In order to be certified, a candidate for county road supervisor must:
(1) Be a graduate of an accredited school of engineering, with at least 2 years’ experience in highway construction or maintenance; or
(2) Be licensed to practice engineering in Tennessee; or
(3) Have at least 4 years’ experience in a supervisory capacity in highway construction or maintenance; or
(4) Have a combination of education and experience equivalent to either (1) or (2).
The qualifying deadline with the election commission is February 20. For Road Supervisor candidates, the statutory deadline for filing with the Tennessee Highways Officials Certification Board is February 6th.

A woman and an infant escaped serious injury Sunday in a rollover crash on Smith Fork Road.
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 22 year old Ada Martinez was driving a Chevy Impala north on Smith Fork Road when she ran off the left side of the road while negotiating a curve. The car struck a utility pole and overturned down a steep embankment. An eleven week old child was in the car with Martinez.
They were taken by DeKalb EMS to the hospital. They were not believed to have been seriously hurt. Martinez is a resident of Florida who is visiting family here.

The body of a woman was found Monday morning outdoors in the area of a trailer park on South Judkins Lane in the Jefferson Community.
Although Sheriff Patrick Ray would not confirm it, sources said the woman is believed to be Vickey Judkins.
The body has been sent to Nashville for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death but Sheriff Ray said it doesn’t appear that the woman met with any foul play.
“The sheriff’s department received the call at 9:24 a.m. to go to South Judkins Lane where a female was found unresponsive. We got there and did an investigation. We called for TBI to assist us. They have assisted us today. We are sending the body to Nashville for an autopsy but pending an answer from the medical examiner, there appears to be no foul play at this time,” said Sheriff Ray.
Meanwhile, three more persons have been arrested on grand jury sealed indictments from the sheriff’s department’s recent undercover drug investigation. They were all arrested on Saturday, February 1.
21 year old Brandon Lee Atnip of Dennis McGuiness Road, Smithville is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule II and III drug (Opana) and (Hydrocodone). His bond is $50,000 and he will be arraigned in court February 21.
19 year old Bianca Lynn Tollison of Dennis McGuiness Road, Smithville is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (Hydrocodone). Her bond is $20,000 and she will be arraigned in court on February 21.
48 year old Sandra Lee Atnip of Capshaw Road, Smithville is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Opana) and sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Roxycodone). Her bond is $60,000 and she will be arraigned in court on February 21.
57 year old Neil Bernard Keenan of West Main Street Dowelltown is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of probation. His bond is $2,500. He will be in court February 6 on the drug charge and February 21 for the violation of probation. Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, January 27 a deputy went to Keenan’s residence on West Main Street in Dowelltown to serve a violation of probation warrant on him for a DUI. Upon speaking with Keenan at the front door of the residence, the officer noticed a marijuana pipe and several empty beer cans on a table inside the home which was accessible to children. While the officer was walking him to the patrol car, Keenan received a phone call reminding him that his three year old grandson that he was babysitting was still in the house. Keenan said he had forgotten the child was there. Keenan was arrested and brought to the jail for booking.
26 year old Amanda Brooke Washer of McMinnville Highway, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. She was also issued a citation for a violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance), failure to maintain her lane of travel, and violation of the implied consent law. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on February 12. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, January 28 a deputy spotted Washer operating a motor vehicle on Nashville Highway weaving from her lane of travel into the oncoming lane, heading east bound. The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke with Washer. He noticed that her speech was slurred. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had a white powdery substance under her nose. Washer submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. Washer could not produce a valid license and she refused to submit to a blood test. She was placed under arrest and brought to the jail for booking.
29 year old Jonathan Dewayne Barnes of Judkins Lane, Smithville is charged with a fifth offense of driving on a suspended license. His bond is $7,500 and he will be in court February 19. Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, January 30 a deputy saw Barnes operating a motor vehicle on North Congress Boulevard. The officer had prior knowledge that Barnes’ license are suspended. After stopping the vehicle, the deputy asked for a computer check which confirmed that Barnes has three previous driving on suspended license offenses against him. The county court system further confirmed that Barnes pled guilty on January 23 to a fourth offense of driving on a suspended license. Barnes was arrested and brought to the jail for booking.
29 year old Scotty Randall Hendrixson of Cecil Hale Road, Smithville is charged with violation of probation, failure to appear, and resisting stop or arrest. He was arrested on Friday, January 31. Sheriff Ray said that on July 30, 2012, Hendrixson was supposed to have reported to the DeKalb County Jail to serve the balance of two-eleven month and twenty nine day sentences. Hendrixson failed to report. On January 31, a deputy saw Hendrixson enter a local market. The officer had prior knowledge of active warrants against Hendrixson. As the officer approached, Hendrixson backed himself into a closet. When the door was opened, Hendrixson had to be forcibly removed from the closet. Hendrixson is under a $4,000 bond on the failure to appear and the resisting stop or arrest charges. He is being held without bond for the violation of probation. Hendrixson will be in court on February 13.

Smoke alarms, recently installed by the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department in the home of a Dowelltown woman, may have helped save the residence this morning (Monday).
County Fire Chief Donny Green told WJLE that firefighters were called to the home of Donna Willoughby on West Main Street in Dowelltown. It’s a rent home belonging to Jenelle Pugh.
According to Chief Green, Willoughby was cooking when a grease fire ignited from a skillet on the stove. Willoughby got out of the residence unharmed and thanks to county firefighters, the home received only minor fire and smoke damage. “We were called to West Main Street in Dowelltown this morning to a structure fire. When we got there and upon speaking with the occupant (Willoughby), she advised us that she had been in the kitchen cooking some breakfast and apparently had left the stove eye on and it had caught fire in her kitchen. She safely evacuated out of the house. At the time of her discovering the fire, she (Willoughby) was in another room when the smoke alarms activated in the home and alerted her. When she opened the door into the kitchen, she noticed that the back wall was on fire behind the stove and the curtains were on fire. She (Willoughby) evacuated the house and called 911,” said Chief Green.
This is a prime example of how working smoke alarms can help save property and lives, said Chief Green. “This is a success story we’re proud of. We’re glad that she got alerted in time and got out with no injuries or smoke inhalation. The alarms that alerted her (Willoughby) this morning, were those we (county fire department) put in recently under our “Get Alarmed Tennessee Smoke Alarm Program” where we’re putting in free smoke alarms for people who need them in their house. It probably resulted in us being able to get there and save her home with very minimal damage to her kitchen.,” said Chief Green.
Members of the Liberty Station, Main Station, and the Temperance Hall Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with DeKalb EMS and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

Three people were involved in a Sunday traffic accident at the intersection of Highways 146 and 83 (New Home Road).
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 58 year old Linda Fite of Smithville was north on Highway 146 in a 2011 Ford Fiesta, turning left onto Highway 83 when she pulled into the path of a southbound Ford Focus, driven by 35 year old Amanda Arnold of McMinnville. The impact of the crash forced the Fiesta into a Kia Sorento, driven by 22 year old Emilee Anderson of Smithville, who was stopped on Highway 83 at the intersection. A 17 year old passenger was with Anderson.
According to Trooper Johnson, Fite was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital by private vehicle. Arnold was transported to the hospital by DeKalb EMS. The others were apparently uninjured.
Fite was cited for failure to yield and for misuse of registration for having a tag on her car not registered to that vehicle.

At least two business customers of Smithville Electric System were recently targeted in a scam in which callers demanded payment of their bills under threat of having their power turned off.
Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger cautions customers not to be taken in by the scam.
“A couple of customers have said they were called from a company saying that their electric bill had not been paid.,” said Chief Caplinger. ” When Smithville Electric learned of the scam, a representative of SES called this company and acted like she was with the business (victim). The girl (SES representative ) said the man told her that he was an employee of Smithville Electric and he said if the bill wasn’t sent in immediately to the address ( he provided), her electricity was going to be cut off,” he said.
Chief Caplinger said both the Smithville Police Department and Smithville Electric System want you to know this is a scam and that if you should be targeted, please don’t send any money to this company and notify police.

DeKalb County’s unemployment rate for December was 6.8%, down from 7.1% in November and below the 7.2% rate for December 2012.
The local labor force for December was 9,430. A total of 8,780 were employed and 650 were without work
County unemployment rates for December 2013 show the rate decreased in 51 counties, increased in 29 counties, and remained the same in 15.
DeKalb County’s jobless rate for December was fifth lowest in the Upper Cumberland Region. Here is how the fourteen counties ranked from highest to lowest:
Pickett: 12.1%
Clay: 9.8%
Van Buren: 9.7%
White: 9.6%
Jackson: 8.9%
Cumberland:8.8%
Fentress: 8%
Overton: 7.9%
Warren: 7.6%
DeKalb: 6.8%
Putnam: 6.6%
Smith: 6.2%
Macon: 6.1%
Cannon: 5.6%
Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 5.7 percent, down from 5.8 percent in November. Knox County’s December rate was also 5.7 percent, down from 5.8 percent the previous month. Hamilton County was unchanged at 7.3 percent. Shelby County was 9.1 percent, down from 9.4 percent in November. Tennessee’s unemployment rate for December is 7.8 percent, which is three tenths of one percentage point lower than the November revised rate. The national unemployment rate for December 2013 was 6.7 percent, down three tenths of one percentage point from November.

Donny Green, County Executive Director of the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency, says the DeKalb FSA and Cannon FSA County Committees met in regular session on Tuesday, January 21 to canvass and tabulate the ballots received in the 2013 Local Administrative Area (LAA) # 3, # 4, and # 5 County Committee Elections. The deadline to return ballots was January 17.
In DeKalb County’s LAA-3 election, R.V. Billings, Jr. was elected to serve as Committee Member and Carl Douglas Cantrell was elected to serve as 1st. Alternate. In Cannon County’s LAA-4 election, Javin Fann was elected to serve as Committee Member, James Joyner was elected to serve as 1st. Alternate, and David George was elected to serve as 2nd. Alternate. In Cannon County’s LAA-5 election, Charles Brown was elected to serve as Committee Member and Robert Barton was elected to serve as 1st. Alternate. All elected members will begin their terms on February 18, 2014. Alternates elected by write-in ballots will not officially be elected until they have submitted their written agreements to serve.
The 2013 election was a transitional election resulting from the October 2012 closing of the Cannon County FSA Office. Beginning on February 18, 2014, DeKalb and Cannon counties’ farmers will be represented by one 5-member committee (two LAA’s in Cannon County and three LAA’s in DeKalb County), instead of two 3-member committees. The DeKalb/Cannon FSA County Committee will meet on February 18, 2014 for its Organizational Meeting. The Committee will select a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson from among the members. The Committee meets quarterly at the DeKalb/Cannon County USDA Service Center located at 647 Bright Hill Rd.
Green says that the DeKalb/Cannon FSA County Committee and office staff wishes to express their appreciation to voters in LAA’s # 3, # 4, and # 5 who participated in the elections by voting and returning their ballots. “The local County Committees are a very important part of Farm Service Agency’s program delivery and administrative processes,” added Green.
For more information about FSA’s County Committees or other program inquiries, call 597-8225 (extension 2) or come by the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency office at 647 Bright Hill Street in Smithville. You can also visit the agency’s web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov.

Welcome to the new WJLE website.
(NOTE: Most are having no problem viewing the new website but if you are experiencing difficulties with our new site not displaying correctly on your computer in Internet Explorer, please click the link below and follow the directions for turning the COMPATIBILITY MODE OFF for the WJLE website. Our site like most sites will look and perform better if using Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Try looking at the site using another browser.)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1196-internet-explorer-compatibilit….
As WJLE begins its 50th year of broadcasting, serving the people of Smithville-DeKalb County, we have also updated our website with a number of significant improvements.
To keep up to date with technological advances in a mobile society, the most significant change to the site is the responsive design: The new WJLE Radio website will automatically adjust itself to display properly whether you are visiting from a desktop or laptop computer, a tablet device like an iPad, or a browser on a smartphone. The page layout will adjust depending on your device to provide the ideal interactive experience, yet all devices will share the same content.
Viewers will no longer find local news stories at the bottom of the home page. The new site allows viewers to click the link for “News Headlines”
located in the top center of the homepage for a specific local news story or to read ALL local news, click the “News” link located directly below the “WJLE” banner in the upper left hand corner. Local news and sports stories will also continue to include occasional pictures and videos to help enhance our coverage.
To further enhance viewership and provide a service to the business community, the new WJLE website will feature videos of community events on the right side of the page near the top, while on the left side advertisers will have an opportunity to promote their businesses through commercial videos. The new website also offers more space for placement of advertisements, both along the left and right sides of each page as well as at the top of each page.
On the left side of the page near the top, viewers will see links under “Community” where announcements can be found for “Church News”, “Classifieds”, and “Community Calendar”, along with audio links to the “Old Time Country Community Radio Show” and other programs as well as video links
“Obituaries” are on the top right side of the homepage.
As with the old site, the new WJLE.com offers a pictorial slideshow on the home page as well as a weekly web poll, a program guide and audio archives (in drop down box under WJLE Home) and a “Search” box near the top right side of the page where viewers can perform a word search to find older news, sports, or obituary announcements.
“LIVE Streaming” of talk programming on WJLE AM-FM such as local news, high school sports, Election return coverage, Smithville City Council, DeKalb County Commission, and School Board meetings, Chamber Chat, Sunday religious programs, and other events may be accessed next to the “Weather” link near the top center of the homepage.
“We appreciate the fact the WJLE web site is so popular, as evidenced by the over 40,000 unique or unduplicated (counted only once) visitors it receives per month,” said General Manager Dwayne Page. “The timing was right to do an upgrade to meet the needs of the public. As with any major change like this, we expect to be making adjustments over the weeks ahead, and look forward to your feedback during that process.”
Send your comments to wjle@dtccom.net or call 615-597-4265.
We hope you enjoy this new look and continue to visit wjle.com and listen at WJLE AM 1480 or FM 101.7 as we celebrate our golden anniversary of service to this community.