The U.S. Census Bureau will be sending a form to you soon.
Cameron Parish, Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, urges you to fill out the survey and send it back in. Otherwise, you will get a personal visit from a Census representative. “The Census Bureau conducts a survey every ten years to count the population. This Census is going to occur on April 1st, 2010.”
“In previous years, it has been mainly a door to door operation but this year we’re sending out a form to households. It’s a ten question survey that folks will be expected to send in immediately once received.. It is a simple short form and we believe this will encourage participation. The only instance in which you should receive a visit from someone with the Census Bureau is if that form is not returned within the following month after receiving the form.”
“On this year’s form, we have just ten questions. Among those questions is ‘how many people are living in the household’. That is the most important question you can answer on that form. They ask questions with regard to race and ethnicity. They also ask for the sexes and ages of the folks who are living with you as well as things pertaining to whether or not that person stays somewhere else frequently or whether that person is a full time resident of the home.”
“Forms will begin arriving in mid-March and everyone in the nation should have a copy of this ten question survey in their hands by April 1st, either delivered to their mail box or directly to their front door. If you don’t fill out the forms someone will probably come and visit your house beginning in May to gather that information from you personally. So if you don’t want a knock on the door go ahead and fill out the form and send it to us.”
Our goal is to increase participation here and raise awareness of it’s importance because the Census determines how much money DeKalb County can receive for the construction and improvement of schools, roads, health care, and other services. The eligibility for the money is not based solely on demand but it’s based on the official numbers of the people living in the area, which are counted only every ten years by the U.S. Census Bureau. If those numbers are inaccurate, the county isn’t going to get it’s share of dollars that it needs to make improvements and attract desirable employers, such as manufacturing and retail so we want everyone to fill out the ten question survey and return it as quickly as possible so the county will receive the funds it is due.”
“We’ve identified certain groups that have historically been less likely to fill out those surveys. Among those groups are newly arriving immigrants, the Hispanic population, senior citizens, the disabled, and the African-American population, so we’re making special outreach efforts to contact those folks and encourage them to fill out the form. If it’s a challenge for them to fill it out, we’re offering assistance to help them understand the importance of why they need to be counted..”
The information gathered on the survey is confidential. Personal information is confidential for seventy two years. There are no questions on the form with regard to legal status. Since 1790, everyone in the country has been counted whether they were citizens nor not, free or slave. So it’s really not of any importance where that person comes from or what their legal status is. No information will be shared with any law enforcement agency.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau is now looking for applicants to fill thousands of jobs this spring in neighborhoods across the state.
If you are interested in working in the 2010 Census, call toll free at 1-866-861-2010 or go online to www.2010censusjobs.gov
For a temporary job with flexible hours, on-the-job training and good pay, remember: 1-866-861-2010 or www.2010censusjobs.gov.

Smithville Police have made two more arrests this week on theft charges and one for driving under the influence.
24 year old Tracy Ann Thomason of 439 Morgan Drive was arrested on Monday, January 4th for theft of property. Officer Matt Holmes, in his report, states that he responded to the emergency room of DeKalb Community Hospital where he met with the complainant, Tia Young who told him that a female had been in the ER that morning and had stolen multiple items from the hospital. Young said that the suspect had just left the ER and was somewhere in the hospital. Officer Holmes located the suspect, Thomason, outside of the hospital in the parking lot and brought her inside the lobby where he noticed that she had a blanket inside her jacket. The woman, Thomason, said that someone in the ER told her she could have it. After further investigation, Officer Holmes learned that nobody in the ER told her she could take anything. Multiple office supplies were found under a trash bag inside a trash can in the bathroom. When Officer Holmes asked Thomason if she took the property found inside the bathroom, she stated she did not remember taking them. All the stolen property was returned to the owners. Bond for Thomason was set at $2,500 and her court date is January 21st.
23 year old Ashley Dawn Golden of 225 Big Hurricane Road was arrested on Wednesday, January 6th for theft under $500.00. K-9 Officer Bradley Tatrow, in his report, states that he received a call of a shoplifter at Wal Mart who was being detained in the office. Upon arrival, Officer Tatrow made contact with Golden. He asked her what was going on and Golden stated that she had stolen some stuff and she was stopped at the door. Golden said that she was asked by someone to steal the stuff from Wal Mart. The total amount of merchandise came to $443.40. Items taken were computer software & DVD’s. Bond for Golden was set at $2,500 and her court date is February 11th.
26 year old Nicolas Reyes of 532 Carter Street was arrested last Saturday, January 2nd for a first offense of driving under the influence. According to the report, Corporal Travis K Bryant and Officer Matt Holmes stopped a vehicle traveling west on East Broad Street for driving 55 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone. Officer Bryant then made contact with the driver and identified him as Reyes. He had a strong odor of alcohol on his person, had slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Reyes submitted to a portable breath test which indicated “FAIL”. Due to a language barrier, no other field sobriety tests could be performed. Reyes was then arrested and transported to the Smithville Police Department where he submitted to a breathalyzer test which indicated his blood/alcohol level to be .147. Bond for Reyes was set at $1,500.
Meanwhile, anyone having any information on the following offenses is asked to please contact the Smithville Police Department at 597-8210 or the Tip Line at 464-6046.
On Christmas Eve, jewelry, camcorder, DVD player & a 32 inch flat screen TV were taken from Mindy Evans & Mandy Sullivan’s residences at 425 Kendra Drive.
On December 5th, Headers for a Camaro were taken from Dakota Nokes’ residence at 481 West Broad Street. Also on January 3rd,a Stanley tool set and a trailer ball hitch were taken from this address.
Any information received that will help Smithville Police solve any criminal offense will be greatly appreciated. All information is confidential.

The DeKalb County Fire Department has compiled its 2009 Incident Response Summary.
DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green says overall, 2009 fire incident responses in the county were up by 64 calls from 2008. In 2008, the department responded to a total of 410 fire incidents. The department responded to 474 fire incident responses in 2009. This count does not include the 391 rural medical first responder calls that county fire department personnel answered.
Green says with DeKalb County’s rural population growing at rates higher than the cities’ population growth in DeKalb County, the department continues to experience annual increases in its rural call volume. Even though 2009 was an extremely wet year, the department responded to the same number of grass fires as it did in 2008.
The following is a breakdown of each type of fire incident response call that the department answered in 2009:
Incident Type:
Structure-76 (2008) 64 (2009)
Wildland/Grass/Debris-73 (2008) 73 (2009)
Auto Wrecks- 126 (2008) 151 (2009)
Vehicle Fires- 25 (2008) 36 (2009)
Landing Zones- 18 (2008) 20 (2009)
Extrication/Entrapment- 31(2008) 25 (2009)
Hazmat- 0 (2008) 0 (2009)
Alarms- 54 (2008) 64 (2009)
Misc.- 7 (2008) 41 (2009)
TOTAL- 410 (2008) 474 (2009)

Smithville Police have charged 28 year old Garth Cantrell and 32 year old Jason Cripps with theft of a utility trailer taken from Whaley Street on November 29th belonging to Jayson Johnson. Officer Matt Holmes made the arrests on January 6th.
Lieutenant Steven Leffew, Officer in Charge, reports that on January 5th the police department recovered the stolen utility trailer in Westmoreland.
Lieutenant Leffew, in a brief statement, said “I would like to commend Officer Holmes for the many man hours dedicated to this case. I would also like to thank Sheriff Patrick Ray and Detective Mike Billings for their assistance.
Both Cantrell and Cripps are charged with theft over $1000. Bond for each is $2,500 and they will be in General Sessions Court on January 21st.

Cold winter weather is gripping Tennessee this week, with more bitter cold temperatures and snow predicted for much of the state in the coming days. The Department of Health is reminding
Tennesseans to take precautions to stay safe during extreme cold weather.
“Winter weather with temperatures below freezing can be deadly, and we want Tennesseans to take the needed precautions to protect themselves from extreme cold very seriously,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “Families should also review their plans now for
transportation and child care if schools and daycares are dismissed for snow.”
When exposed to cold temperatures, the human body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up the body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Hypothermia affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. Hypothermia is particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and may not be able to do anything about it. Hypothermia is most likely to occur at very cold temperatures, but can occur even at temperatures above 40° F if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat or submersion in cold water.
Frostbite is an injury to the body caused by freezing, and results in a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures.
Cold weather also puts an extra strain on the heart. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s advice about shoveling snow, chopping wood or performing other hard work in the cold. Otherwise, if you have to do tiring outdoor chores, dress warmly and
work slowly. Remember your body is already working hard just to stay warm, so don’t overdo it.
The following tips will help keep you and your family safe and healthy during extremely cold weather:
Try to stay indoors when weather is extremely cold, especially if winds are high. If you must go outdoors, make trips outside as brief as possible.
When going outside during very cold weather, adults and children
should wear:
*a hat
*a scarf or knit mask to cover face and mouth
*sleeves that are snug at the wrist
*mittens (they’re warmer than gloves)
*a water-resistant coat and boots
*several layers of loose-fitting clothing
Be sure the outer layer of your clothing is tightly woven to reduce body heat loss caused by wind. Wind-resistant fabrics are best. Wool, silk or polypropylene inner layers of clothing will hold more body heat than cotton.
Stay dry, as wet clothing chills the body rapidly. Excess perspiration will increase heat loss, so remove extra layers of clothing whenever you feel too warm.
Avoid getting gasoline or alcohol on your skin while fueling and deicing your car or using a snow blower. These substances in contact with the skin greatly increase heat loss from the body.
Do not ignore shivering. It’s an important first sign that the body is losing heat. Persistent shivering is a signal to return indoors.
Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which cause your body to lose heat more rapidly. Alcohol can also impair judgment and lead to ignoring signs of cold stress on the body.
Walking on ice is also extremely dangerous. Many cold weather injuries result from falls on ice-covered sidewalks, steps, driveways and porches. Keep your steps and walkways as free of
ice as possible by using rock salt or another chemical deicing compound. Sand may also be
used on walkways to reduce the risk of slipping.

The Annual Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet is set for Tuesday, February 16th at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church. The special evening begins with a “Silent Auction” at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program start at 6:00 p.m.
Chamber Director Suzanne Williams says the keynote speaker will be Coach Watson Brown, head football coach of the Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles. Coach Brown returned to his hometown of Cookeville as the 10th head football coach in Tech history. A proven veteran in the coaching profession, Brown is known as one of the best offensive minds in football. The 2010 season will be Coach Brown’s 38th year of coaching collegiate football, and his 26th year as a collegiate head coach. Brown’s many achievements as a student-athlete and later as a coach in the state of Tennessee have not gone unnoticed. In 2003, he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
In addition, the Leadership DeKalb Alumni group will present their winners for “Community Leader of the Year” and “Legacy” awards. The newly-elected Chamber Board Members will be introduced and the retiring directors will be honored.
Along with the wonderful entertainment by local singer, Mercedes Luna, an excellent meal will be served. Each chamber member is asked to donate an item for the Silent Auction. Please contact the Chamber office at 597-4163 as soon as possible and let them know what you will offer. They will be glad to pick it up.
Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased from any of the board members. The office is located at 301 N. Public Square, Smithville. Tickets will be available by January 22nd.

Businesses in DeKalb County and across Tennessee who don’t have a business license and have not been paying taxes could receive amnesty under a plan meant to get them onto the state’s books.
The Department of Revenue says it will waive penalties for businesses that have been avoiding Tennessee’s business tax if they voluntarily register and agree to pay three years’ back taxes.
DeKalb County Clerk Mike Clayborn says the program, which started last month, comes after state officials discovered thousands of businesses not on the books when they took over collections from local clerks last summer. “We have been telling the folks that the business tax (administration) is being taken over by the state department of revenue. They have been checking each (county) clerk’s records against IRS records. They have already found some six thousand businesses (in the state) that are operating without a license.”

“What they propose to do is offer amnesty to any business owner (in violation) who will come forward. They will go back three years. You (violators) will have to pay based on what you’ve made during those three years. Of course, you’ll also have to get a business license. If you don’t do this (come forward) and they have to audit you, they’ll go back from six to ten years and you’ll have to pay penalty and interest for each one of those years. This will be offered for several months. So I would advise anyone who is operating without a business license to come forward because it is beneficial to you.”
” The two things they are looking for are people who are operating without a business license and people who are delinquent on the taxes they already owe. Those who are delinquent will not be offered amnesty. That’s only for those who do not have a business license. So again, if you’re operating without a business license, you need to contact the state department of revenue or come up by my office (in the courthouse) and we’ll give you the information and help you take care of that.”
“We (county clerks) will be out of the business tax business, where we used to could help people and advise people. Now it will all be handled through the Tennessee Department of Revenue. You will file your return to them, they’ll send out the paperwork to you. You will complete your return, turn it into them, and if everything adds up then they will email us to issue you a new license. If there’s any questions, they will take care of it. ”
This past legislative session, the 106th General Assembly enacted Public Chapter 530, shifting the administration and collection of business tax from local municipalities and counties to the Department of Revenue. With this change, the Department of Revenue will use its resources and experience in tax administration to collect the business tax, resulting in greater efficiency in the collection process and increased revenue for the State and for local governments.
“This undertaking is a true partnership between state and the local governments,” said Commissioner Reagan Farr. “While increasing revenue through improved tax compliance, we also plan on simplifying the tax process for business owners including developing a new, simplified tax return and initiating major education programs.”
Beginning with Classification 1 taxpayers, due Feb. 28, 2010, all business tax returns will now be filed with the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Businesses will continue to obtain business licenses from the county clerks and/or municipal officials.
The Department of Revenue is working closely with local municipalities and counties to make this transition a smooth process. The department is currently gathering registration data from the counties and cities to register the business owners and mail out tax returns by the end of 2009. More information is available at the Department of Revenue’s Web site www.TN.gov/revenue.
The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the legislature and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department of Revenue collects approximately 92 percent of total state tax revenue. During the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the department collected $10.2 billion in state taxes and fees. In addition to collecting state taxes, $1.9 billion of local sales tax was collected by the department for local governments during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to www.TN.gov/revenue.

The Smithville Aldermen Monday night established monthly rental fees for five tenants of the existing T-hangars at the airport and set the fees for the lease of the other four original T-hangars now vacant and the nine new ones under construction.
Ten years ago, the city entered into the original agreement with a group of aircraft owners, under which they would put up their own funds to build nine T-hangars at the airport and the city would not assess them a rental fee for ten years. That agreement ended December 31st. Five of the original tenants are still using the facilities. The other four T-hangars are now vacant.

At the last meeting on December 21st, the aldermen, at the request of Airport Board Chairman Roth Terrell, voted to extend the leases of the five T-hangar tenants by five years, and to give them a five year renewal option, rent free. In addition, the aldermen voted, at Terrell’s request, to set the monthly rental fees for eight of the new individual T-hangars at $115 per month and at $225 per month for a larger one being built, which could house a corporate sized aircraft. The aldermen further voted to make those new fees apply to the four original T-hangars that currently remain vacant.
Since then the aldermen apparently have had a change of heart and decided that the original tenants should begin paying rent, now that their ten year rent-free leases have expired, so during Monday night’s meeting (January 4th) they rescinded the action taken two week ago.
Alderman Steve White suggested that the tenants be assessed the new fees of $115 per month. Alderman W.J. “Dub” White indicated that maybe their rent should be $100 per month, a slight concession from the new rates.
Alderman Aaron Meeks said he felt the city should give the original five tenants a little more consideration and made a motion that their monthly fees be seventy five dollars per month for the next five years and that the city renegotiate the terms of the contract at the end of the five year period. “In our workshop, there was discussion that these gentlemen have made several improvements to the properties. They had put up cash with the city a year in advance of getting the hangars built. The hangars have certainly added value to the airport and probably have allowed the airport to grow. That might not have happened had these hangars not been there. So I feel like we should perhaps give some consideration to that as far as setting the rates for these five hangars.”
Alderman Shawn Jacobs seconded Meeks motion and Aldermen Steve White, W.J. “Dub” White, and Cecil Burger all voted in favor.
The aldermen also voted that anyone who rents any of the other T-hangars will be subject to a one year lease with a four year renewal option, and will have to pay the higher fees, $115 for an individual T-hangar or $225 for the larger ones. The terms would be subject to renegotiation after five years.
In other business, Mayor Taft Hendrixson appointed Alderman Shawn Jacobs as the city’s representative on the Airport Board. Others on the board include Chairman Roth Terrell and John Daniel, both citizen members. Mayor Hendrixson says there are two other citizen member appointments to make to the airport board, but he does not yet have anyone to recommend.
Mayor Hendrixson also informed that alderman that bids on the water plant rehab project will be opened on Tuesday, January 26th.