A restaurant liquor by the drink referendum will be on the Smithville city election ballot June 19.
Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections, told WJLE Monday afternoon that Randy Paris has turned in over 100 valid signatures on petitions to the election commission office, more than the 90 signatures needed to get the referendum on the ballot.
The petition, as WJLE first reported on Thursday April 5, seeks to “authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in the City of Smithville.
Under the law, such a petition must be presented to the election commission office no later than 45 days before the Smithville Municipal Election.
Should the referendum be approved, eligible restaurants in the city of Smithville could apply to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission for an on premises license to sell liquor by the drink, but it would still be up to the Smithville Beer Board whether or not to grant a permit for those same businesses to sell beer, according to Keith Bell, assistant director of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, in an interview with WJLE.
“If Smithville passes liquor by the drink, if a restaurant is properly permitted to sell liquor by the drink, then they would be “authorized”, and I emphasize the word “authorized”. They would be authorized by the Tennessee Code to also sell beer, but they would have to be permitted through the appropriate jurisdiction, which in this case would be the Smithville Beer Board. Let me repeat this so its completely understood. If Smithville passes. If Smithville authorizes to conduct a referendum, pursuant to Tennessee Code 57-4-103 and your voters pass the referendum to allow liquor by the drink in their restaurants and then a restaurant applies for a license to sell liquor by the drink with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, essentially if they’re licensed or permitted to sell liquor or wine for on premises consumption, pursuant to Chapter 4 of Title 57, they’re also allowed to sell beer at the establishment if they are properly authorized to sell liquor or wine, provided that the establishment lawfully obtains a beer permit from the Smithville Beer Board,” said Bell
However, under the current City of Smithville Beer Ordinance, the sale of beer for consumption on the premises is prohibited. The ordinance states that “It shall be unlawful for any beer permit holder to allow the consumption on his premises of any beer whether sold from his premises or elsewhere; or to serve, sell, or allow the consumption on his or her premises of any alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of more than five percent by weight.”
If restaurants in the city were licensed to sell liquor by the drink, they would have to abide by the designated serving hours, but could sell on Sunday, according to Bell. “No licensee shall permit alcoholic or malt beverages to be consumed on the licensed premises between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Monday through Saturday or between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, unless the local jurisdiction has opted out of the expanded hours. If such is the case, then the consumption and or sale of alcoholic beverages may begin at 12:00 noon on Sunday,” said Bell.

Lakside Resort could be in the hands of another very soon.
A UCHRA committee is expected to meet this week in Cookeville for the purpose of awarding a bid to one of the groups who have submitted proposals to take over the operation of Lakeside Resort, which is located on Center Hill Lake off the Cookeville Highway in DeKalb County.

A sub-committee reviewed all the proposals last week which had been under consideration including a new one offered by Jim Himelrick and Bob Pierce of American Modus Partners, LLC, a Brentwood based company which was organized in 2010. Himelrick and Pierce were part of the Investors Equity Holdings group that put $1.5 million worth of improvements into Nashville Shores before its sale in 2011. The sub-committee voted to recommend that UCHRA enter into contract negotiations with American Modus, a recommendation that will go before the full board.
UCHRA’s Pat Callahan told WJLE last week that American Modus Partners, LLC wishes to initially enter into a management contract to operate Lakeside Resort with an eye toward taking over the facility before the end of the year, which would take it out of the hands of UCHRA. If UCHRA chooses American Modus, the deal is contingent on the company extending or renewing a long-term lease with the Army Corps of Engineers for the land, 139 acres, on which Lakeside is situated, as well as working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assume UCHRA’s existing loan, a note that totals nearly $1.6 million. If those conditions are met, the deal could close on or before January 1st. “As of this past Monday, a sub-committee of our board that was appointed by our board, after reviewing a number of different proposals, have decided to recommend that the board approve a management contract with an investment group out of Nashville that will immediately come in and start phasing in, as far as the management of the property,” said Callahan. “All the rentals would continue and be paid to us (UCHRA). We would pay all the bills and we would pay them a management fee ($5,000 a month, or $40,000 total through December 31) which is approximately equal to or maybe a little less than the pay in benefits that went to the previous managers. So it’s a pretty attractive deal for the board. Their long term goal is that by the first of the year they would assume the lease with the Corps and also assume the loan with Rural Development and the agency and the board would be completely out of the business,” said Callahan
“Their (American Modus’) long term goal is to create more of a Disney type landscape down there and create a year round operation that would be able to support itself year round and be a much nicer asset than what it is now for DeKalb County and the entire region,” he said.
“They started the Nashville Shores project and recently sold that so the two partners here (Himelrick and Pierce) have been in the business for about fifteen years and they have developed a number of different investment projects including some retail mall areas and those kinds of things. I think the board feels like they are the most viable prospect that we have at this point. If they enter the management contract they’re going to help deal with the advertising and promoting the property, trying to increase the rentals between now and the time that they would assume the lease,” said Callahan.
“I think what they want to do is try and create a facility, a property that will attract parents and children, entire families. There would be things for everybody there. There would be some types of things that would be going on year round,” he said.
“The management fee is about $5,000 per month. I believe it was eight months for $40,000. That’s a flat fee. There’s no fringe or no travel or no expenses that are added to that as far as my understanding of what their proposal is for. They are going to also take care of some of the advertising, booking, and all that. We are going to continue with limited part time people we have down there that will do some of the grounds maintenance and those kinds of things. I think we’re in the process of actually hiring a couple of people for that and a couple for clerical. Those will be temporary until they decide what they want to do when they assume the lease,” said Callahan.
“They (American Modus) would assume the lease that we have with the Corps. That is our understanding. That would get us completely out of it. The remainder of that note is approximately $1.6 million dollars. This (offer by American Modus) will be presented to the full board on April 18 and they will vote on the recommendation. (If approved) it will actually get us out of that business where we would have no connection with the property any longer,” said Callahan.
Proposals have also been presented by Robin Driver, owner of Center Hill Chalets, who has submitted a three-year management contract, and Deanna Pierson, current owner of Mills of Gold in Jamestown and founder of PeopleBuilders, a faith-based 501(c)3, who wants to lease the property for one to three years before making the purchase, at $1.8 million. Bob Sotis, who served as the resort, food and hospitality management teacher at Lakeside for a number of years, also made an earlier lease proposal, but reportedly notified the committee last week that he was withdrawing his offer in order to join with Driver.
“The second most attractive offer was a longer term management contract but we (UCHRA) would still have responsibility for seeing that the mortgage is paid every year and that all the bills are paid,” said Callahan.

A Smithville man has been charged in a recent burglary and theft investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.
31 year old Jason Allen Moseley of Jennings Lane, Smithville is charged with theft of property over $1,000 and burglary. He was arrested on Wednesday, April 11. Moseley’s bond is $23,000 and he will be in court on April 26
Sheriff Patrick Ray reports that on Wednesday, March 28, Moseley broke into a shed on New Bildad Road and took a riding mower, a weedeater, a leaf blower, a power washer, two propane fish fryers, two propane tanks, a black plastic tool box, and a battery charger. The total value is $3,047.
Meanwhile, 29 year old Brandon Ross Bogle of Kendra Drive, Smithville is charged with three counts of violation of probation and one count of driving on a revoked license. He was arrested on Tuesday, April 10. Bogle’s total bond is $2,250 and he will be in court April 19.
Sheriff Ray reports that on April 10, a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department drug detective observed Bogle operating a motor vehicle on Short Mountain Highway. Having prior knowledge his license were revoked, the detective stopped the vehicle. Bogle gave the detective his identification. A computer check through central dispatch found that Bogle’s license were revoked for driving under the influence on July 14, 2011 in Wilson County.
36 year old Lonnie Lynn Wheeler of Lincoln Street, Smithville was arrested on Wednesday, April 11 for leaving the scene of an accident. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court May 3.
Sheriff Ray reports that on April 11 Wheeler was driving a red Toyota pickup truck on the Sparta Highway when he crashed into a driveway causing property damage. Wheeler’s truck was found at the intersection of Brent Taylor Road and Sparta Highway. A passenger of the truck told the investigating officer that Wheeler was the driver and that he had fled the scene. Later that night, 911 received a call from Wheeler stating that he was lost in the woods in the area of Midway Road. The Rescue Squad and TWRA were called out to help locate Wheeler and he was later found in the woods.

The Smithville Aldermen Monday night voted to hire a Nashville public relations company, the Calvert Street Group, to better educate the public, from the city’s perspective, on the impact of a plan by the DeKalb Utility District to build its own water treatment plant.
During Monday night’s city council meeting, the mayor and aldermen were told by the city’s utility engineer, J.R. Wauford, that if the DUD builds its own water plant and stops purchasing water from the city, it could mean rate increases of ten to twenty five percent for Smithville customers and up to fifty percent rate hikes for customers of the DeKalb Utility District. (SEE NEXT STORY BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS)
Wauford and Mayor Taft Hendrixson proposed hiring the Calvert Street Group to get the city’s message out to the public. The cost to the city will be $5,000 per month on a month to month basis.
The Calvert Street Group specializes in managing corporate campaigns. The group navigates clients through the political processes where business, public relations, and public policy intersect. Whether it is grassroots advocacy, land-use and development, or non-partisan electoral campaigns, Calvert Street Group manages the politics designed to shape the outcome.
Darden Copeland of Calvert Street Group addressed the mayor and aldermen Monday night, saying that his firm will launch an aggressive grassroots public awareness campaign, a program that will educate the broader public within the DUD service area, and mobilize broad local opposition, . “Since 2003, I have worked personally in probably over forty small towns across Tennessee running political campaigns but also doing a fair amount of public education, land use, public relations, and education campaigns. We work in tandem with citizen groups in communities trying to educate them on whatever the policy issue may be. We’ve literally worked from Memphis up to Bristol and everywhere in between on such issues as charter schools, rock quarries, landfills, the fairgrounds and race track in Nashville, and convention center issues. We come in and meet with community members, try and understand the issues, educate the community on what is at stake here, and then organize a coalition of folks to take action. If everybody is happy with DUD’s proposal then we won’t get any traction. But I think once you educate the public, I think they will see how this really will affect not only Smithville but DeKalb County and the other counties and I think those folks will then try to take action to affect the outcome. We gather information and enable people to make their voices heard,” said Copeland.
In his written proposal, Copeland explains that in order to construct a winning campaign on this issue, Calvert Street Group recommends three major components for success:
1. Educate the Public- We will sound the alarm.
2. Mobilize Opponents-. We will build a coalition of opponents and engage them to carry the fight on our behalf.
3. Apply Pressure- Once we create our database of opponents and likely opponents, we will encourage their participation in upcoming meetings of the DUD and DeKalb County Commission meetings. We will also start a letter writing campaign to state and local officials who oversee the process.
In his proposal, Copeland recommends the following activities, in order of importance:
Newspaper and radio advertisements-Get the word out quickly
Media Relations- Get the evening news on Channels 2, 4, 5, & 17 to tell the story as well as the local media and reporters with the Tennessean
Coalition Building- Form a citizen group to broaden opposition
Direct Mail- to households within the utility districts
Home District Pressure-. Apply public pressure to DUD members
Website- publish all the facts and include an on-line petition drive
Database- build a database of known opponents, polls and letters of support.
Phone ID Program- A LIVE identification call to all DUD service area residents to identify opponents, ask them for their email address, and give them instructions on how to get involved, as well as ask them to attend public hearings and voice their support in various ways.
Letter Campaign- Encourage persons to write letters to DUD members, and others
The Calvert Street Group’s proposal is for work to be done on behalf of the city from the start of the engagement through withdrawal of the plan for the DUD Treatment Plant project, or until acknowledgement that the project will not succeed. The group will serve on a month-to-month basis until the project is deemed “dead” or until either party terminates the relationship.

The DeKalb Utility District is proceeding with plans to build its own water treatment plant off Holmes Creek Road in the Yolanda Hills Drive area and Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson and members of the city council are not happy about it.
In order to try and stop it, the aldermen Monday night voted to hire the Calvert Street Group of Nashville, a public relations firm, to launch a campaign to let the public know that, according to city officials, water rates for both Smithville and DeKalb Utility District customers will increase dramatically if this proposed water treatment plant is built and the DUD stops purchasing water from the City of Smithville.
If the DUD goes through with it’s plans, the City of Smithville stands to eventually lose it’s largest water customer and over a half million dollars in sales each year.
J.R. Wauford, the city’s utility engineer since 1962, who spoke during Monday night’s meeting, said a DUD water plant is unnecessary since the city’s newly renovated water treatment plant has more than the capacity to meet current and future needs of the City of Smithville and the DeKalb Utility District. “You(Smithville) have a four million gallon a day water treatment plant. You’re producing about 1.8 million gallons per day. About 700,000 to 800,000 gallons is going to the DeKalb Utility District. Your contract with DUD now gives them the right to buy two million gallons a day which is well within your capability of doing so. They’re (DUD) proposing to build a three million gallon a day treatment plant at Holmes Creek,” said Wauford.
“About ten years ago, we (Wauford Engineers) were asked to assist in negotiating with the DeKalb Utility District a water contract which we did. Last October, Mr. Hendrixson advised me that the DUD was planning on building a water treatment plant and asked me to look into the matter and see what their proposal was and give him an assessment of what it would mean to Smithville. Pursuant to a Freedom of Information request I examined the files of Rural Development in Cookeville and determined from their files that the DUD was indeed proposing to build a water treatment plant by presumably using their own water and stop buying it from Smithville. Their proposal was similar to the one they made ten years ago. The reason the one ten years ago didn’t fly was when they took bids on it, they ran some two or three million dollars over their estimate and they weren’t going to fund it. So they negotiated a contract with Smithville,” said Wauford.
“This proposal proposes to increase the water rates to their (DUD) customers by fifty percent. If they disconnect from your system, my preliminary assessment is that your (Smithville) customers will have to absorb a ten, fifteen, twenty percent increase. Somewhere in the range of ten to twenty percent. Ten percent being the lowest. You (Smithville) are selling water to DUD at what is a reasonable rate, less than other utilities around you, namely Sparta, Lebanon, Cookeville, and Livingston. So it seems to me that it’s a matter of whether or not you want to advise the people of DeKalb County of what is going on and how much their water rates are likely to increase,’ said Wauford.
“They (DUD) are projecting that this fifty percent increase goes along with a three percent compounded growth rate. When I say a three percent compounded growth rate, I mean for forty years. I mean 1.03 times 1.03 forty times which means that their customer count will be 3.26 times what it is now. DeKalb County, which is their main service area grew three tenths of one percent the last ten years. They (DUD) serve most of DeKalb County except for Smithville and Alexandria. They also serve a good bit of Cannon County. They serve a little sliver of Smith County and a small sliver of Wilson County. If you assume a growth rate of two percent, that would be 2.20. So you can see that this three percent growth rate is higher than anybody around including Murfreesboro, Franklin, and places like that. It appears to me that their customers are more than likely are going to see some terrific rate increases over a period of time,” said Wauford.
“Smithville has just modernized their water plant and put in standby generators at both the water plant and the raw water intake. You have modernized the equipment in the plant. It needed to be done whether you continue to have DeKalb Utility District as a customer or not,” he said.
“Mayor Hendrixson and I met with Bobby Goode, the state director of Rural Development and were not treated really courteously. We objected to what he was proposing to do. What the Rural Development is proposing to do is to give them (DUD) a million dollars, loan them five million dollars, and then they propose to borrow through the Tennessee Utility District Association to fund the other five million dollars. Our opinion is in estimating this project at $10.5 million, that they (DUD) have underestimated again which would be in keeping with the previous estimates of the same engineers ten years ago. Our experience in raw water intakes is quite extensive. We have done sixteen raw water intakes, three on the Caney Fork River so we believe our estimates are pretty good, but they are arguable. But what is not arguable is the fact that they (DUD) are going to raise their water rates fifty percent based on a three percent growth rate and that’s going to adversely affect your (Smithville) revenue stream,” said Wauford.
“Mayor Hendrixson and I talked about it and he asked me to locate a professional (Calvert Street Group of Nashville) to perhaps lead a program to inform the public,” said Wauford
After Waufords’ remarks, Mayor Hendrixson said if DUD proceeds with its plan it could also mean layoff of city water department employees.”If they do this, we will have to lay off one or two at the water plant because we definitely will not make half the water we’re making and we won’t need all those folks. We’ve spent three million dollars(water plant renovation) and that means depreciation is going up starting this year so expenses will be more and there are fixed costs, depreciation, and insurance that you can’t do anything about whether you sell two gallons or two million gallons a day,” said Mayor Hendrixson.
In 2004, officials of the DeKalb Utility District entered into a ten year agreement with the City of Smithville to purchase water at $1.60 per thousand gallons with a five cent escalator increase per thousand gallons each year of the ten year contract. The DUD currently pays $2.00 per thousand gallons. The contract is scheduled to expire in 2014. By law, the city must sell the DUD water at no less than cost. According to this year’s budget, actual sales to “other districts” (DUD) for the year ending June 30th, 2010 was $539,455.
In order to build this proposed $10.5 million water plant, the DUD needs financial assistance and is seeking help through USDA Rural Development’s loan/grant program. The plan is to construct a three million gallon a day plant, intake, and transmission lines. In an effort to derail DUD’s funding for this project, Mayor Hendrixson recently sent letters in opposition to Bobby M. Goode, State Director of the USDA Rural Development and Justin P. Wilson, Comptroller of the Treasury.
In the letter sent last month to Bobby M. Goode, State Director of USDA Rural Development, Mayor Hendrixson wrote, “we respectfully request that your agency NOT participate in the funding of this project for the following reasons:
1. Smithville has adequate high quality water to meet the foreseeable needs of DUD. We currently pump 1.7 to 2.0 million gallons per day (MGD) of which we sell 0.7 to 0.8 MGD to DUD. We have offered to make 2.0 MGD available to DUD on a 10 or 20 year contract. Our water rates to DUD are reasonable, currently at $2.00 per thousand gallons.
2. Most important is the financial effect on DUD’s customers, who will see their water rates increase 50% or more, and on our customers, whose rates will also have to be increased due to the loss of this big customer.
3. DUD’s projected growth rate is 3% annually for 40 years. This would amount to their customers more than tripling (3 percent compounded for 40 years is 3.26). This is unreasonable when one considers that the population increased only 0.3% for the past ten years (0.3 percent compounded for 40 years is 1.13). If this growth rate proves too optimistic, it appears DUD’s rates could easily triple.
The more prudent action for DUD appears to be to negotiate a new 10 year contract with Smithville, allowing DUD to sell water to Alexandria or Watertown and expand their service within a 2.0 million gallon a day allocation (60 million gallons per month). State regulation requires planning begin for expansion when a water plant is at 80% of capacity; therefore, we have 3.2 MGD available, and DUD would have 2.4 MGD available with their 3.0 MGD plant. If we continue to furnish water, NOBODY would be required to pay a higher water rate due to construction of an unneeded water treatment plant.
For these reasons, we respectfully request that your agency reject this application. I am sure there are plenty of needed projects where these funds can be put to better use”.
In a letter sent last month to State Comptroller Wilson, Mayor Hendrixson wrote, “I am appealing to you to prevent an unneeded project which will immediately raise the water rates for the customers of the DeKalb Utility District by 50% according to their calculations, and raise the water rates for the customers of the City of Smithville by 15 to 25%. The Utility District’s customer rates will be raised considerably more than 50% when the projected 3% exponential growth rate for the District fails to materialize”.
“The short story is that Smithville sells DUD all of its water, which amounts to about 24 million gallons per month. This represents about half of the water which we produce. DUD has an allocation of 60 million gallons per month from us and we are willing to renew our contract which expires in 2014. Our position is that this project is not needed and is not financially feasiable due to the unreasonable assumed growth rate”.
“I am writing to you because I understand a private bond sale through TAUD/Wiley Brothers is under consideration for either all or part of this $11 million project, and I understand that you have authority to approve or disapprove this bond issue.”
“I respectfully request your careful consideration of this matter”.
Mayor Hendrixson also sent a letter last month to Roger Turney, Chairman of the DeKalb Utility District, which states” As you may recall, I wrote to you last October about negotiating a new contract or an extension of our existing contract with DeKalb Utility District. We have determined that you propose to build a 3.0 million gallon a day water treatment plant. According to state regulation, you can load your proposed plant up to 2.4 million gallons per day (80% of rated capacity) before TDEC will require that you commence plans to expand. Our renovated water treatment plant has a capacity of 4.0 million gallons per day. We have installed standby generators at both our raw water intake on the main channel of Center Hill Lake and at our treatment plant; thereby, as nearly as possible, assuring power and reliability.
“I am advised that your engineers have projected your water system to grow 3% per year. Under that assumption, DeKalb County would more than triple in 40 years. I hope they are correct; however, past history and the coverage you have of your potential service area cast doubts upon that projection. If it does not occur, the 50% increase in water rates proposed by your engineers will prove inadequate.
We can furnish DUD up to 2.0 million gallons per day for 20 years. We are willing and indeed anxious to negotiate a water purchase contract for the next 10 or 20 years, and believe it is in the best interest of both your ratepayers and those of the City of Smithville. We will be glad to continue to share the Best Tasting Water in the Upper Cumberland as judged by TAUD”.
The proposed DUD project consists of the construction of a new water treatment plant on approximately 30 acres of land, which the DUD owns, near Holmes Creek Road. The project also consists of a raw water intake near the location of the former Holmes Creek Marina on Center Hill Lake, three new pump stations, and necessary transmission lines to accommodate water distribution throughout the DeKalb Utility District’s service area.”
Jon Foutch, DUD manager, told WJLE last May that the DeKalb Utility District is growing, adding more customers, and the utility wants its own water treatment plant in order to better control its future water supply expansion issues. Currently, the DUD purchases almost all of its water supply from the City of Smithville except for the Silver Point Community of DeKalb County. DUD buys water to serve that area from the City of Baxter.
According to Foutch, another plant would increase the area’s water capacity which could be used as a selling point for possible industrial expansion and recruitment. Plus, he said the city and DUD could work together in times of crisis. “If something were to happen to the Smithville treatment plant or DUD’s plant we could lean on each other. All we would have to do is turn on a few valves since we’re already connected to each other. We could support each other,” said Foutch.
The DUD already has settled with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a storage volume fee arrangement to draw up to two million gallons a day, once the plant is completed and in operation, according to Foutch. And should the DUD be unsuccessful in it’s efforts to secure USDA Rural Development Loan/Grant funds, the utility is prepared to proceed with the plans through other funding sources. “We have had an outside firm come in and look at our books and they have said this is feasible for us. So even if we don’t get the grant money, we can proceed with financing through another avenue,” said Foutch.
DUD officials are hoping that the plant would be completed and ready for operation by 2014.
This is not the first time the DUD has seriously considered building its own water treatment plant. In January, 1999 the DUD was awarded a $1 million Rural Development Grant and a $2,380,000 loan. In addition to the money for the water plant, another $500,000 was made available to the project from a Community Development Block Grant for an elevated water storage tank which now stands at the top of Snow Hill. The tank was built to solve the problem of water pressure in some areas.
However when it came time to build the water plant, the DUD apparently discovered that the costs were much more than the available grant/loan funds. While DUD had sufficient local reserves to make up the difference and assurances from Rural Development for extra financial help if needed, the DUD decided instead to enter into negotiations with the City of Smithville for a new water rate. Some of the loan/grant funds were later used to make other improvements to the existing infrastructure.

Fourteen year old Liz Abigail Qualls of Smithville is the new Junior Miss of the Spring Blossom Pageant, which was held Saturday night at the high school and sponsored by the Smithville Women’s Club.
Qualls, daughter of Brad and Kim Trapp and Jason and Stormy Qualls, succeeds the 2011 Junior Miss Kelsey Sueanna Hedge of Smithville, the fourteen year old daughter of David and Trina Hedge
First runner-up in the pageant was Morgan Faith Green of Smithville, the twelve year old daughter of Suzanne and Jon Harrison.
Thirteen year old Rachel Olivia Fuson of Smithville was second runner-up. She was also named Miss Photogenic. Fuson is the daughter of Missy and Joe Fuson.
Tyra Grace Graham of Smithville, the thirteen year old daughter of Doris and Kyle Graham was named third runner-up.
Twelve year old Destiny Danielle Franklin of Smithville, daughter of Jennifer Ware and Christopher Franklin was the fourth runner-up.
Morgan Marie Vickers was selected as Miss Congeniality. She is the fourteen year old daughter of Wanda and Joe Vickers of Liberty.
Others making up the top eleven in no particular order were Morgan Marie Vickers, the fourteen year old daughter of Wanda and Joe Vickers of Liberty; Madison Butler, the thirteen year old daughter of Ronda Butler and Dennis Butler of Smithville; Bailey Redmon, the thirteen year old daughter of Elizabeth and Mike Redmon of Dowelltown; Miranda Davis, the twelve year old daughter of Nicole and step father Robert Bruhn of Smithville; Katie Roehner, the fifteen year old daughter of Christina and William Roehner of Smithville; and Chasity Garrett, the fourteen year old daughter of Jamie Garrett of Liberty.
A total of sixteen young ladies participated in the pageant. Other participants were Madison Hope Hayes, the fourteen year old daughter of Gracie Nicholson and Timothy Hayes of Smithville; Maegan Harris of Liberty, the twelve year old daughter of Ronda Johnson and Shannon Harris and Donnie Johnson; Baylie Ann Davis, the eleven year old daughter of Shara Davis Cowan and Jason Davis of Smithville; Casey Elizabeth Vickers, the thirteen year old daughter of Wanda Sue and Joseph Vickers of Liberty; and Izabella Perez, the eleven year old daughter of Michelle Brawley and Louis Perez of Smithville.
(Top Photo: Junior Miss Liz Abigail Qualls)
(Middle Photo: Left to Right: Destiny Danielle Franklin (4th runner-up), Rachel Olivia Fuson (2nd), Junior Miss Liz Abigail Qualls, Morgan Faith Green (1st), and Tyra Grace Graham (3rd)
(Bottom Photo: Junior Miss Photogenic Rachel Olivia Fuson (left) and Junior Miss Congeniality Morgan Marie Vickers)

A fourteen year old Smithville boy was critically injured Sunday afternoon when he pulled out in front of a car on a four wheeler at Dowelltown.
Central dispatch received the call at 12:36 p.m.
Trooper Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol would not release the name of the boy because he is a juvenile, but WJLE has been told by other sources that he is Caleb Gingerich.
According to Trooper England, 62 year old Joe Johnson of New Home Road, Smithville was traveling east on East Main Street in Dowelltown in a 2005 Lincoln LS when the Manco 90 cc four wheeler pulled out in front of him from a field of tall grass on the south side of the road. The ATV made impact with the right front corner of the car. Trooper England said Johnson could not see the ATV in time because of the tall weeds and he was unable to avoid the collision.
Neither Johnson nor his wife Marie, who was a passenger with him, were injured. The boy was critically injured. According to Trooper England, the boy was thrown from the ATV. Both he and the four wheeler were knocked back into the grassy field.
DeKalb EMS transported the boy from the scene to a helicopter landing zone at the intersection of Highway 70 and Dry Creek Road. The boy was airlifted and flown to Vanderbilt Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care where at last report he was in critical condition.
Others on the scene were members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

Four year old Isabella Faith Rackley of Smithville is the 2012 Little Miss of the annual spring pageant sponsored by the Smithville Women’s Club.
She was crowned Saturday night at DCHS.
Rackley, daughter of Jessica and Gordon Rackley, succeeds the retiring Little Miss Addison Jean Puckett, the seven year old daughter of Jimmy and Anita Puckett of Smithville.
Rackley was also named Little Miss Photogenic.
Five year old Ansley Faith Cantrell of Smithville, daughter of Amee and Tony Cantrell, was named first runner-up. She was also chosen Little Miss Personality.
Second runner-up went to Ally Roxanne Fuller, the six year old daughter of Amanda and Anthony Fuller of Smithville.
Third runner-up was Avery Nicole Agee of Dowelltown, the five year old daughter of Casey and Joey Agee
Five year old Addison Isabella Kyle of Smithville was fourth runner-up. She is the daughter of Kimberly and Jamie Kyle of Liberty.
Rounding out the top sixteen in no particular order are KerriAnn VanDyne, the five year old daughter of Yvonne and Timothy VanDyne of Smithville; Presley Finocchiaro, the six year old daughter of Sinead and Joseph Finocchiaro of Alexandria; Lilliana Grace Vickers, the four year old daughter of Brandi and Kevin Vickers of Smithville; Addison Grace Miller, the five year old daughter of Amy and Josh Miller of Smithville; Araya Hope Ittayem, the five year old daughter of Sarah South and Hani Ittayem of Smithville; Peyton Elizabeth Norris, the six year old daughter of Jenny and Jonathan Norris of Smithville; Kara Wright, the four year old daughter of Amanda and Brandyn Wright of Smithville; Carlee Elizabeth West, the six year old daughter of Megan and D.J. Stewart of Smithville; Katherine Irene Knowles, the five year old daughter of Jared and Karen Knowles of Smithville;Emma Grace Martin, the six year old daughter of Kim and Curtis Martin of Liberty; and Olivia Daryl Taylor, the four year old daughter of Stephanie Harness and Ronnie Taylor of Smithville.
The pageant featured twenty seven contestants. Other participants were Addison Rena Hale, the five year old daughter of Cayla and Chris Hale of Smithville; Katherine Ann Vickers, the five year old daughter of Crystal and Jonathan Vickers of Smithville; Elizabeth Carlene Gaines, the six year old daughter of Beverly Anderson of Smithville; Shauna Jade Kempf of Liberty, the six year old daughter of Monja Kempf and her grandparents are Debbie and Roger Riser; Raylie Danielle Cowan, the four year old daughter of Shara and Ryan Cowan of Smithville; Brooklyn Ann Ponder, the five year old great granddaughter of Peggy and Brownie Barnes of Smithville; AutumnBelle Grace Redmon, the four year old daughter of Brittney and Joseph Redmon of Dowelltown; Kora Lin Kilgore, the five year old daughter of Ginda and John Kilgore of Smithville; Macy Lynn Anderson, the five year old daughter of Tabitha and Bobby Joe Anderson of Smithville; Cayalyn Turner, the six year old daughter of Glenda and John Turner of Smithville; and Kyra Michelle Baker, the six year old daughter of Crystal and Matthew Baker of Smithville.
(Top Photo: Little Miss Isabella Faith Rackley)
(Middle Photo: Left to Right-Addison Isabella Kyle (4th runner-up), Ally Roxanne Fuller (2nd), Little Miss Isabella Faith Rackley, Ansley Faith Cantrell (1st), and Avery Nicole Agee (3rd)
(Bottom Photo: Little Miss Photogenic Isabella Faith Rackley (left) and Little Miss Personality Ansley Faith Cantrell)

Five year old Carter Matthew-Mikel Benson of Smithville was crowned Little Mister of the annual spring pageant held Saturday at DeKalb County High School sponsored by the Smithville Women’s Club.
Benson, the son of Karey and Chris Benson, succeeds the 2011 Little Mister, Trevor Matthew Kirby of Smithville, the six year old son of Cindy and Clent Shehane.
Five year old Landon Orien Speaks was named first runner-up in the pageant. He is the son of Justin and Donna Speaks of Smithville.
Adan Ramirez of Smithville was the second runner-up. He is the six year old son of Cardelly and Hector Garcia.
Third runner-up went to Gabe Austin Creech of Smithville, the four year old son of Misty Creech.
Jackson Wayne Graham of Smithville was fourth runner-up. He is the five year old son of Rebecca Graham and Wayne and Kim Graham.
Meanwhile five year old Aydan Slade Bean was chosen as Mister Photogenic. He is the son of Heather and William Arnold Bean of Dowelltown.
The title of Mister Personality went to four year old Chase Sullivan of Smithville, son of Charity Sullivan and the late Jamie Sullivan.
The pageant featured eight little boys. The other contestant was Caleb Finocchiaro of Alexandria, the four year old son of Sinead and Joseph Finocchiaro.
(Top Photo: Little Mister Carter Matthew-Mikel Benson)
(Middle Photo: Left to Right- Jackson Wayne Graham (4th runner-up), Adan Ramirez (2nd), Little Mister Carter Matthew-Mikel Benson, Landon Orien Speaks (1st), Gabe Austin Creech (3rd)
(Bottom Photo: Mister Photogenic Aydan Slade Bean (left) and Mister Personality Chase Sullivan)