A fire destroyed a home today (Tuesday morning) at 151 Clearview Drive in the Johnson’s Chapel Community.
County Fire Chief Donny Green says Dean Lyons, who lived alone at the residence, was away when the fire started and returned home around 1:30 a.m. to find that the house had already collapsed from the blaze. The home belonged to Lyons’ brother Richard Lyons.
Members of the Short Mountain Highway, Johnson’s Chapel, and Midway Stations responded along with the county fire department’s brush truck and tanker truck. Firefighters were unable to save the home or it’s contents.
Chief Green says a total of seven vehicles on the property, two inside the garage, and five parked nearby were also destroyed.
The cause of the fire is apparently undetermined.

Two people were charged last Tuesday after authorities of the Sheriff’s Department found drugs in the home while serving a state warrant.
31 year old Bridgett Nicole Cantrell of Piney Woods Road, Dowelltown and 36 year old Franklin Allan Knowles of Young-Green Road, Smithville are charged with simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond for both is set at $2,500 each and they will appear in court February 19th.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, deputies and detectives from the department served a state warrant at Knowles’ residence and noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from inside the home. Detectives obtained consent to search and found drugs and drug paraphernalia in two of the bedrooms.
Sheriff Ray says marijuana, marijuana seeds, rolling papers, and a marijuana cigarette roller were found in a bedroom occupied by Cantrell. In Knowles’ room, officers found marijuana, several bags of marijuana seeds, a marijuana pipe, rolling papers, hemostats, and a marijuana cigarette roller.
Meanwhile, 33 year old Chadwick L Buchanon of West Main Street in Alexandria was arrested Monday (February 16th) for theft of property over $1,000.. Buchanon was charged after detectives discovered that on June 1st 2007, he had gone to a residence on Lower Helton Road and took a 2001 Yamaha ATV, valued at over $1,000 without the owner’s consent. The ATV has since been recovered. Buchanon’s bond was set at $5,000 and he will appear in court on February 26th.
In another case, deputies received a call Thursday to go to Short Mountain Highway where a strange man was seen walking down the road.
Officers found 47 year old James Donald Hale of Big Hill Road, Liberty kneeling beside of the roadway on Short Mountain Road and they detected a strong odor of alcohol on Hale’s person. After being placed under arrest, a search of Hale revealed marijuana in his wallet and two half smoked marijuana joints in Hale’s shirt pocket. He was charged with public intoxication and simple possession of marijuana. Hale’s bond was set at $2,500 and he will appear in court on February 19th.
On Saturday, deputies stopped 39 year old Paul E. Stanley of Campbell Road, Smithville for a traffic violation on Highway 70 West. Upon speaking with Stanley, officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his person. Stanley submitted to field sobriety tasks which he failed. Stanley was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. His bond was set at $1,500 and he will appear in court on February 26th.
On Sunday, deputies stopped 34 year old Sonya Kaye Edge of Davis Road, Dowelltown for weaving from the center line to the shoulder of the roadway several times. Upon talking to Edge, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from within the vehicle. Edge had red watery eyes and a smell of alcohol on her person. She submitted to field sobriety tasks which she failed. Sheriff Ray says Edge admitted to drinking alcohol. She was charged with driving under the influence and her bond was set at $1,500. She will appear in court on March 19th.
Sheriff Ray asks that if you have any information on any thefts or any information on any drug activities, to call him at 597-4935 or call the crime tip line at 464-6400. All calls are kept confidential.

DeKalb Farm Bureau & local 4-H’ers are observing Food Check-Out week through February 21st.
It’s the 11th year of this observance.
DeKalb County 4-H’ers will be at Food Lion in Smithville and Prichard’s in Alexandria, on Thursday to hand out information on healthy snacks such as apples (healthy food) and comparing their cost (.18 cents) with candy bars (85 cents or two for $1), Twinkies ($1), Animal Crackers ($1.39), Lunchables ($2.89), and chips ($1).
The cost of most things increases on an annual basis. It is frequently necessity items, such as food, clothing and shelter, that draw the attention of most shoppers in regards to the monetary cost and the devaluation of the dollar.
The Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service charts food expenditures by Americans.
According to their recent findings, the average U.S. consumer spends 10 percent of their disposable income on food each year. That equates to each household working five weeks out of 52 to provide necessary food staples annually.
In comparison, it takes Americans a considerably longer period of time to earn enough disposable income to pay for health and medical care. The average household must work nearly two months (52 days) annually in order to provide health and medical care, 62 days to pay for household operation, and 77 days annually to pay federal taxes.
Americans enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply on earth. As a comparison, residents of Japan spend 14 percent of their income on food; China, 26 percent; and Indonesia, 55 percent.
The fist national commemoration of Food Check Out Day was held 11 years ago and was born from an idea through Farm Bureau Woman’s Leadership Committee.
The annual program provides a means for shoppers to celebrate the bounty from America’s farms and is shared by consumers through affordable food prices.
The average American’s annual consumption of food includes 118.4 pounds of red meat, 31.25 pounds of cheese, 84.5 pounds of poultry, 204.6 pounds of fresh vegetables, 21 gallons of milk and 127.1 pounds of fresh fruit.
The majority of food produced in the United States comes from family owned and operated operations with 98 percent of all farms owned by individuals and families, while just 2 percent are non-family owned or operated.
Knowing your food budget and planning balanced meals by making a grocery list and sticking to it is a good way to provide for a healthy diet.

A pickup truck crash Friday night claimed the life of a 28 year old Liberty man and DeKalb County Volunteer Firefighter.
Dead is Gary Wayne Cantrell
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that Cantrell was traveling on Highway 53 in a 1995 GMC pickup truck when he came around a curve, lost control, struck a bridge abutment, and overturned, coming to rest in a creek bed. The truck caught fire and burned.
Cantrell died at the scene.
The accident, investigated by Sergeant Mark Dial of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, occurred around 6:40 p.m. in DeKalb County but only two tenths of a mile from the Cannon County Line.
Members of the Liberty Station of the DeKalb County Fire Department responded along with the department’s rescue and extrication unit, DeKalb EMS, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, and the Rescue Squad, Sheriff’s Department, and fire departments from Cannon County.
Chief Donny Green says Cantrell had been a member of the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Liberty Station for three and a half years.