The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has made several arrests since last Tuesday. In his weekly crime update to the local media, Sheriff Patrick Ray says the charges range from various drug offenses to DUI, aggravated assault, illegal possession of a weapon, domestic assault, and reckless endangerment, among others
Sheriff Ray says 21 year old Justin Allen Hale of King Ridge Road, Dowelltown was stopped on Highway 56 South for a traffic violation on Tuesday, December 29th. After obtaining consent to search, deputies found a wooden box that contained a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana and a pipe containing marijuana residue. Hale was arrested for simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $2,000 and he will appear in court on January 28th.
47 year old Jeffery O. Smithson of Viola Road McMinnville was charged Thursday, December 31st with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon in a penal institution. Smithson, who is incarcerated in the DeKalb County Jail, was charged after he assaulted an inmate with an unknown object. Bond for Smithson was set at $50,000 and he will appear in court on January 21st.
Also on New Year’s Eve, deputies went to the home of 34 year old Jackie Lee Snider on Hurricane Ridge Road to serve a state warrant on him. After making contact with Snider and cuffing him, officers saw a bottle fall from Snider’s pocket onto the ground. Upon inspection of the bottle, deputies found a half of a pill believed to be Suboxone. Another person at the home, 32 year old Heath W. Braswell of North Oaks Drive, Nashville was also arrested after a Tylenol bottle fell out of his pants onto the floor. Upon inspection of that bottle, officers found three pills believed to be Soma, one pill believed to be Xanax, and one pill believed to be diazepam. Officers obtained consent to search Braswell’s vehicle and found a one hitter marijuana pipe containing marijuana residue. Marijuana was also found in Braswell’s jacket. Snider was charged with simple possession of a schedule III drug and his bond was set at $1,000. Snider will appear in court on January 21st. Braswell was charged with simple possession of a schedule IV drug, possession of a schedule VI drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond for Braswell was set at $3,000 and he will appear in court on January 28th.
27 year old Jonathon Dustin Goff of East Main Street, Smithville was charged New Year’s Day with possession of drug paraphernalia, introduction of drugs into a penal institution, and assault. Deputies, while responding to a call concerning a suspicious vehicle in the Ragland Bottom area, met the vehicle on Highway 70 East. Officers stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation and discovered that Goff was the driver. After obtaining consent to search, deputies found a hypodermic needle in the headliner of the vehicle. Goff was arrested and brought into the jail, where correctional officer’s found 3 ½ blue pills believed to be Valium and a crushed pill believed to be Suboxone in Goff’s sock. He also had a Fentanyl patch on his arm and a small amount of marijuana in his shoe. After correctional officers booked Goff and placed him into a cell, he and 31 year old Jason Richard Skaroupka of Midway Road, who is also being housed in the jail, got into a fight. Skaroupka was charged with assault and his bond was set at $2,500. Bond for Goff was set at $14,000 on his charges and will appear in court on January 7th.
29 year old John Adrian Williams of Adamson Branch Road Liberty was charged New Year’s Day with driving on a revoked license after a deputy witnessed him driving. The officer had prior knowledge that Williams’ driver’s license was revoked. Bond for Williams was set at $1,500.00 and he will appear in court on January 28th.
On Saturday, January 2nd, deputies saw a vehicle in the roadway on Highway 56 South. Upon inspection, they found 61 year old David Richard Driver of Arrowhead Drive Smithville in the driver’s seat, the vehicle’s engine was still running and the automobile was still in gear. Officers secured the vehicle and asked Driver to perform field sobriety tasks. Driver said that he was too intoxicated to do the tests. Driver had a smell of an alcoholic beverage on his person. He was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and his bond was set at $1,000. Driver will appear in court on January 28th.
Also on Saturday, deputies stopped a vehicle on Highway 70 for a traffic violation and noticed a smell of an intoxicant on the driver, 46 year old Thomas Daniel Easterwood of Holmes Creek Road Smithville. Easterwood submitted to field sobriety tasks which he failed. He was also very unsteady on his feet. Easterwood was arrested for driving under the influence and his bond was set at $1,000. He will appear in court on January 28th.
Deputies responded to a domestic call on Poplar Place Road in Smithville Saturday and arrested 51 year old Thomas David Hullett for domestic assault and reckless endangerment. 24 year old Nicholas Cody Walls of Coconut Ridge Smithville was also arrested for domestic assault. Through an investigation, officers discovered that the two men got into an argument which escalated into a fight. Hullett also fired shots from a 12 gage shotgun, which went through the wall of his home and hit a neighbor’s home about 50 yards away. Both men received minor injuries from the assault. Bond for Hullett was set at $12,500 and $2,500 for Walls. Both men will appear in court on January 28th.
On Sunday, January 3rd, deputies received a domestic complaint call on Short Street in Liberty. Upon arrival officers learned that 37 year old Brian D. Graham of Short Street Liberty had assaulted his girlfriend by grabbing her arm and swinging her around. The victim also had red marks and scratches. After deputies told him he was under arrest, Graham began resisting and trying to jerk away. He was then placed into custody. Graham was charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest. His bond was set at $5,000 and he will appear in court on January 28th.

A ground breaking celebration was held Sunday afternoon for the third Habitat for Humanity home in DeKalb County.
Committee and Board members of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County and the new partner family, Kim McCowan and her three grandchildren gathered for the brief ceremony at the future site of the home on Hayes Street in Smithville.
McCowan says she and the children look forward to one day calling this location their home. “We’re just proud to be here today. We’re thankful and feel really blessed to be picked as the Habitat Partner family. Me and the girls are very grateful. McCowan’s grandchildren, who will be living there with her are eight year old Haley, eleven year old Carrie, and thirteen year old Katelyn”
Tom Janney, President of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County, says construction will soon begin..”Our next step is to get our construction plans together and make sure Kim has all her choices in place as to what she would like to have in the house. Then we’ve just got to get our construction schedule going and line up all the volunteers that we need to get everything constructed. I believe the house is about 1200 square feet, something along those lines. It’s three bedrooms and one and a half baths. We hope to be done by early summer or late spring. We may be sending out an appeal for volunteers and or the usual funding stuff but we’re really excited to get it going. This is a very deserving family. They’re in the process of working all their sweat equity. They have to put in their own time on this and get all their requirements in place before we can start construction. We do have sufficient funds to get it underway. We may need a little bit more to cap it off. We may have a fund drive later this spring, but for the most part, we should have what we need in place. We are moving our Restore (from Miller Road) out on Highway 70 near DeKalb Market. We’re hoping to get that up and running again to get more money flowing in. We have as many as five lots so over the next several years we’d like to do as many as five homes. We’re just trying to keep our momentum going and keep moving forward.”
During Sunday’s ground breaking ceremony, Janney made welcoming remarks and introduced the partner family. McCowan and her grandchildren read scripture from Psalm 145: 3-7; Matthew 5:13-14, and Matthew 7:24-29.
Minister Larry Green offered the Prayers of Blessings; Minister Michael Carpenter, the Responsive Reading based on Psalm 118:19-29; and Minister Larry Steffee, the Lord’s prayer and closing prayer.
This is the third Habitat home in DeKalb County. The other two, completed within the last three years, are located on Adams Street.
To qualify, applicants must: (1) have lived in DeKalb County for at least one year; (2) be willing to partner with Habitat to realize dreams of home ownership; (3) currently occupy inadequate or substandard housing; (4) demonstrate the ability to pay a mortgage; and (5) fall within Habitat’s income guidelines.
All applications will be reviewed and considered by Habitat’s Family Selection Committee before a partner family is selected. The partner family will work with Habitat on construction of their home and to develop the skills necessary for successful home ownership. Construction labor is provided by Habitat volunteers, and some materials are donated by Habitat supporters, as well.

DeKalb County students will return to the classrooms on Monday, January 4th to begin the third nine week session.
Schools will be closed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 18th and for President’s Day, Monday, February 15th.
Schools will be closed for spring break March 29th to April 2nd
Students will not attend on Friday, May 21. That will be an administrative day and all teachers must attend.. The last day of school will be Saturday, May 22nd. That will be an abbreviated school day and report cards will be sent home.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, March 11 at DeKalb County High School from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will also be held from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 28th at DeKalb Middle School, Northside Elementary, Smithville Elementary, and DeKalb West School.
Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, January 7th and Tuesday, March 9th.
Competency testing at DCHS will be February 9-11.
Gateway testing at DCHS will be May 4-6. Gateway test makeup will be May 7th.
Writing Assessment for the 5th, 8th, and 11th grades will be February 2nd. Writing Assessment make-up will be February 3rd.
TCAP testing of elementary students will be April 15th-22nd
(Stockpile Days) Professional Development/Instructional Days will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 5th