A 34 year old woman was injured Sunday evening after she lost control of her car on Jefferson Road.
Sergeant Eric McCormick of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Amy Craig was eastbound on Jefferson Road in a 2006 Buick when the car ran off the right shoulder and rolled over coming to rest on its side.
Craig was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital where she was treated and released. She is to be charged with driving under the influence, violation of the implied consent law, expired registration and failure to stay in her lane of travel.
The crash was reported to THP at 7:45 p.m.

The City of Smithville is taking its fight to keep the DeKalb Utility District from building its own water treatment plant to Chancery Court in Davidson County.
Following the recommendation of city attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. the aldermen voted 4-0 Monday night to hire Nashville attorneys Bill Purcell and Jason Holleman to file an appeal of the State Utility Management Review Board’s dismissal of a petition by a group of DUD ratepayers who were hoping to halt DUD plans to build the water plant.
After a hearing on Thursday, April 4 which lasted all day and into the night, the UMRB board found that the petitioners had failed to meet their burden of proof that DUD rates or services provided were unreasonable. The hearing was held in Smithville at the DeKalb County Complex auditorium.
“I do not believe that the petitioners presented a case for water rates,” said one member of the UMRB board. “They presented a case for not wanting Smithville to lose DeKalb Utility District as a customer. What the petitioner proved was that Smithville didn’t want to lose a customer, not that the rates were improper,” he said.
During Monday night’s meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, City Attorney Parsley said an appeal of the UMRB’s ruling must be filed within sixty days of the filing of the order from that hearing and the deadline is August 5. “Earlier this year (April 4) we had a hearing before the (UMRB) board regarding the application that DUD had made to build a new water treatment plant here outside the city to treat water,” said Parsley. ” Of course we (city) would lose a substantial part of our income that we receive from DUD if they continue on that way. We had 60 days (from the date the order was filed from the hearing) to file an appeal. That 60 days will be up on August 5,” said Parsley.
“I have been in communication with (Nashville attorneys) Bill Purcell and Jason Holleman who were involved with (representation at UMRB hearing) for the ratepayers of the City of Smithville and DUD customers. They need to know whether or not the board (aldermen) wants to make that appeal (to Chancery Court) because it has to be done within that deadline. If it isn’t, they (DUD) can go forward (build the water plant) and that’s the end of the case. The appeal process is very similar to what you see with the court of appeals. However, you’re going to appeal to a Chancellor that is in Davidson County, not a local Chancellor,” said Parsley. “The purpose of that appeal is to determine whether or not the (UMRB) board which came to Smithville and had the hearing made the right decision,” he said.
“I have also been in communication with Mr. Purcell and Mr. Holleman regarding the cost of that appeal to the City of Smithville. They have offered to prepare an appeal for the hearing. There will be no new proof. No new depositions submitted. The fee is not to exceed $10,000. It is my recommendation to the board that we go forward with that but that’s up to the board,” said City Attorney Parsley. ” As to the outcome of that, we’ll have to wait and see how the Chancellor rules. But I think it would be good for us to go forward with that and hopefully we would get a more favorable decision from a Chancellor than we did the (UMRB) board,” he said.
Alderman Tim Stribling made a motion to file the appeal. ” Mr. Mayor, I’d like to see that this go before the Chancellor. I think it would be more unbiased. I think we all saw that day the deck was stacked against us so I’d like to make a motion that we appeal the decision of the board which allowed DUD to continue with building their own water treatment plant and I’d also like to make a motion that we retain Bill Purcell and Jason Holleman to represent the city with an understanding that they shall be paid a fee not to exceed $10,000,” said Alderman Stribling.
Alderman Danny Washer offered a second to the motion. Alderman Jason Murphy and Shawn Jacobs joined Stribling and Washer in voting for it. Alderman Josh Miller was unable to attend the meeting.
In other business, the aldermen, following a public hearing, adopted on second and final reading an ordinance to change the regular meeting dates of city council meetings to once a month, on the first Monday at 6:00 p.m. at city hall. For many years, the meetings have been held twice a month on the first and third Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. at city hall.
If the first Monday should fall on a holiday, the aldermen will meet on the second Monday of that particular month at 6:00 p.m. at city hall. Special meetings may be called during the month as needed by the mayor or any two aldermen.
The regular city council meetings for the remainder of the year will be on Monday, August 5; September 9; October 7; November 4; and December 2 at 6:00 p.m. at city hall.
Meanwhile, the aldermen adopted a resolution authorizing the city to participate in the Tennessee Municipal League Risk Management Pool “Safety Partners” Loss Control Matching Grant Program.
If approved the 50% matching grant may be used to assist with the purchase of safety related equipment. such as high visibility traffic vests, rain gear, boots, gloves, safety cones, etc. for city employees.
TML is the city’s liability insurance carrier. “They do all of our workers comp, property, and liability,” said Hunter Hendrixson, City Secretary-Treasurer. ” Once a year they authorize a “Safety Partners” Loss Control Matching Grant. It’s a 50% match. They haven’t sent me how much we’ll be eligible for but I think it’ll be around the $2,000 mark,” he said.
The resolution is as follows:
WHEREAS, the safety and well being of the employees of the City of Smithville is
of the greatest importance; and
WHEREAS, all efforts shall be made to provide a safe and hazard-free workplace for the City of Smithville employees; and
WHEREAS, the TML Risk Management Pool seeks to encourage the establishment of a safe workplace by offering a “Safety Partners” Loss Control Matching Grant Program; and
WHEREAS, the City of Smithville now seeks to participate in this important program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF Smithville, TENNESSEE the following:
SECTION 1. That the City of Smithville is hereby authorized to submit application for a “Safety Partners” Loss Control Matching Grant through the TML Risk Management Pool.
SECTION 2. That the City of Smithville is further authorized to provide a matching sum to serve as a match for any monies provided by this grant.

Many veterans are said to have little or no understanding of all the benefits due them.
In an effort to boost awareness locally, officials of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs will hold a meeting Thursday night, July 18 at 6:00 p.m. at the VFW Post 7623 on the Sparta Highway in Smithville. All military veterans and their spouses are urged to attend. Please bring with you a copy of your DD214 (retirement or discharge form) or other proper military service information if you are interested in learning more about benefits to which you may be entitled.
Among those planning to be present to answer questions are County Service officer Paul Cantrell along with Sarah Tinch of Putnam County and Jack Bussell and Matthew Elmore of White County.
Officials say veterans are eligible for a wide range of benefits, from access to the VA’s well-regarded medical system to lifetime payments for disabilities suffered during military service to access to education, life insurance and home loan programs, among others.
“DeKalb County veterans are lacking on a lot of benefits (due them). A lot of spouses or widows of veterans can still receive some benefits, ” said Ron Miller, VFW Post Commander. Benefits have changed within the last three to ten years and most veterans, spouses, and handicapped people who are 100% disabled have no idea what they are eligible for,” said Miller.
“For example, if they (veterans or spouses) are unable to use a shower or tub, they go up to about $7,500 (benefits) to improve their bathroom just to get it fixed,” said Miller. “Most of the residents of DeKalb County need to know about all of this and the only way they can be informed of it is to meet in a forum where they can discuss it,” he said.
“DeKalb County (veterans) received about $3.5 million in (benefits) during 2011-12. They could receive more,” said Miller. “We’ve only got 1,100 (veterans) in the county”. In one way or another, from compensation to the veterans or from subsidies, it could be from anything as long as it’s used for the veterans,” he said.
“I would appreciate it if everybody (veterans and spouses) would come if they need it. Even if you don’t understand what benefits you may be eligible for, come to the meeting and ask the questions,” said Miller.
For more information, call Ron Miller at 931-761-2307

All five DeKalb County Schools may soon have a School Resource Officer.
Funding for four new SRO positions is included in the county’s proposed consolidated budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year which will take effect upon passage by the county commission. The vote is set for the next regular county commission meeting, which has been rescheduled from Monday, July 22 to Tuesday, July 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse.
(CLICK PDF LINK BELOW TO VIEW THE PROPOSED 2013-14 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET FOR ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS)
DeKalb-2014 Consolidated Budget 7-13-13.pdf (206.35 KB)
The county budget committee met briefly Monday afternoon to act on the budget again after a few omissions were discovered in the spending plan following Friday night’s vote by the committee. The corrected document will now go to the full county commission for approval.
The county has been funding one School Resource Officer at the high school for several years. The other four schools in the county have never had an SRO.
Under this proposed spending plan, two of the new School Resource Officers will be funded (salaries and benefits) in the county general budget while the other two new SRO’s (salaries and benefits) will be paid for out of the school budget. Money to equip and train all four new SRO officers will be included in the county general budget and the four extra used patrol cars for the officers will be paid for out of the county general’s capital projects fund. The officers are to be hired by the sheriff and will work out of his department.
In addition to passage of the budget, the county commission will also keep the property tax rate status quo for the 2013-14 fiscal at $1.62 per $100 of assessed value.
According to County Mayor Mike Foster, plans are in the making this budget year for the development of a Solid Waste transfer station. “It will be in this budget year,” said Foster. ” We already have funding in place for it. We have saved money through the years to build it but we don’t have it in there (budget) yet because we don’t have an engineer report on it. We will do a budget amendment to the enterprise fund (when needed). If we don’t do a transfer station then we will have to develop a new landfill within the next year because the one we’re in will be full by this time next year,” said Foster.
Funds to offer health insurance to full time county general employees under the Affordable Health Care Act remains in the county general budget, even though the penalty provision of the federal law will not be enforced this year. The so-called employer mandate, which penalizes employers with more than 50 employees if they fail to provide a minimum standard of affordable health insurance, was set to kick in during 2014, but now will take effect in 2015.
The fire department plans to apply for grants to purchase a tanker truck and other equipment. The budget includes a total of $17,500 in local matching funds under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. If awarded, a $12,500 local match (5%) will be required for the purchase of a tanker truck and a $5,000 local match (5%) will be needed for equipment. The fire department budget also includes $6,000 to purchase new pagers to replace some old pagers; $8,000 for reimbursement of in-service training costs for the last half of the fiscal year (after grant funds are exhausted); $23,000 for annual replacement of nine sets of turnout gear and eight breathing cylinders) to avoid a major one-time purchase in the future; and a Capital Project funding request for a one-time expenditure of approximately $20,000 to place a new roof and doors on an existing building at the Main Station.
Two years ago, a step wage scale was adopted for full time employees of the sheriff’s department. Last year, a step plan was put in place for full time county general employees. According to County Mayor Foster, a wage scale will be developed later this year for full time employees of the ambulance service after passage of the budget. Apparently no other pay raises are budgeted.
Total budget appropriations for the fiscal year 2013-14 come to $42,208,422.
One cent of the tax rate generates $42,953 in local money with a 7.7% delinquency rate figured into the equation.
The proposed tax rate is broken down as follows:
County General: 82 cents
Highway/Public Works: 3 cents
General Capital Projects: 10 cents
Debt Service: 12 cents
General Purpose Schools: 55 cents.
The solid waste fund, under this budget, would not receive any property tax money but would continue to be supported by revenues derived from payment-in-lieu of taxes, local option sale taxes, hotel-motel tax, bank excise tax and wholesale beer tax, etc.
Capital projects fund expenses for the year include:
*Motor vehicles (Patrol Cars for Sheriff’s Department)- $131, 000 ($50,000 of this amount for 4 used patrol cars for new SRO officers)
*Other equipment (Fire Department Turnout Gear)- $23,000
* Building Improvements (Rescue Squad)- $1,700 (to purchase a roll up door)
*Building Construction (Veterans Building) $30,000 (repairs)
*Building Construction (Omega Building) $68,000 (repairs)
*Building Construction (Courthouse) $50,000 (repairs)
*Building Improvements (Fire Department) $20,000 (place a new roof and doors on an existing building at the Main Station)
*Building Improvements (Rescue Squad) $8,700 (adding shed to cover a boat)
The county commission is also expected to adopt a resolution July 30 making appropriations of $145,734 to the following non-profit organizations:
DeKalb Sparks Softball- $150
Upper Cumberland Development District- $3,411
Tennessee Division of Forestry-$1,500
DeKalb County Rescue Squad- $16,821
Plateau Mental Health-$7,180
Families First-$750
Senior Citizens Program-$26,934
DeKalb Soil Conservation District-$34,062
DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce-$15,000
Imagination Library- $7,200
Genesis House- $1,500
Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center- $1,780
DeKalb County Fair- $1,500
WCTE-TV- $5,000
Prospect Incorporated-$12,500
Upper Cumberland Human Resources-$1,200
UCHRA Assessment-Homemaker Aide, etc-$9,245
DeKalb-2014 Consolidated Budget 7-13-13.pdf (206.35 KB)