The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department arrested 36 year old Amanda Lynette Pedigo Davis Sunday after she allegedly threatened another woman and fired shots from a handgun into her vehicle.
Davis, a resident of Seven Springs Road, Smithville, is charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and vandalism. Her bond totals $20,000 and she will be in court on June 30.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that Davis pointed a handgun at another woman and warned that she would die if she didn’t leave the premises. Davis then allegedly fired several shots outside the residence including some which penetrated the victim’s 2016 Chevy Equinox and then exited in close proximity to neighbor’s homes. Damage to the Equinox from the gunshots was estimated at $10,000.
44 year old David Everette Phillips of South College Street, Smithville is charged with filing a false report. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on July 21. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, June 7 two deputies went to the residence of a woman to serve an arrest warrant on her. While knocking on the door, the officers noticed two persons inside the home moving toward a back room and one of them appeared to be the woman they were looking for. After Phillips answered the door and told them she was not there, the officers continued to monitor the house from outside and saw the woman through a window. Again they knocked on the door and Phillips answered. After the deputies told Phillips they knew she was there, the woman came out and was placed under arrest. When asked by the officers why he tried to keep her from being arrested, Phillips replied “I cannot give people up like that.” The woman said the reason she didn’t come to the door the first time when the officers knocked was because she was scared.
38 year old Jeremy Patrick Bandy of Lee Street, Sparta is charged with failure to appear. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on June 16. Sheriff Ray said that Bandy failed to appear at the sheriff’s office to serve his court ordered weekend sentence in July 2015.
24 year old Justin Glynn Vandergriff of Lee Braswell Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. He was further issued citations for violation of the implied consent law (not taking a blood test), violation of the light law, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a schedule VI drug. His bond is $1,500 and he will make a court appearance on July 21. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, June 11 a deputy stopped a white Chevrolet truck due to a passenger side brake light which was not operating. The officer found that Vandergriff, the driver, had slow motor skills and glossy bloodshot eyes. When asked if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Vandergriff said he had smoked marijuana. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. During an inventory search of Vandergriff’s truck, the deputy found a marijuana grinder, a pack of rolling papers, and a cigarette pack containing three marijuana roaches.
39 year old Wesley Lynn Chandler of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court June 23. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, June 11, Chandler allegedly assaulted his girlfriend by attacking and throwing her to the floor causing scratch marks to her arms. The woman said she also feared that Chandler was going to beat her.

An Arby’s Restaurant will be opening in Smithville possibly by Thanksgiving.
The future home of the business is at 276 South Congress Boulevard next to the Kwik-N-Ezy property across the street from McDonalds.
In an interview with WJLE Tuesday, Jewell M. Hale, the owner and developer of the property said site preparation is in progress for the 3,060 square foot building. According to Hale, a building permit and water and sewer taps have already been obtained and a retaining wall is being put in place on the back side of the property. Once the wall is finished, Hale said the lot will be graded. Framing should begin by mid July. Hale said he has 150 days from June 6 to have the facility ready for Arbys to start doing their interior décor work. Hale added that if all goes well, the restaurant should be ready to open by Thanksgiving.
The Smithville Arby’s will be a corporate operation rather than a franchise and Hale will continue to own the property and be Arby’s landlord.
Hale said he would like to express his appreciation to city officials who have been so good to work with during the project.
Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc is a chain of fast food restaurants in the United States of America and Canada. The company was founded in the year 1964 and has its headquarters situated in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. The company has more than 3,600 restaurants in United States, Canada, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The restaurant menu includes roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, chicken sandwiches, appetizers, salads, wraps, and submarine sandwiches. The company ranks third position in the largest sandwich chain while Subway and Quiznos topping the list.
The parent company of Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc is Roark Capital Group and Wendys Company.

DeKalb County High School has a new baseball coach.
Jon Adam Kefauver of Crossville has been named to replace former coach Tracy Slone. He comes to DeKalb County after serving three years as head baseball coach and as a Wellness and Physical Education teacher at Stone Memorial High School in Crossville.
“I’m extremely excited to have this opportunity. I knew about DeKalb County’s rich baseball tradition but being there for the interviews I could get a feel for the pride, passion, and excitement about sports. I think this will be a really great fit for me. The people I have met so far have been extremely great to me and I’m just excited to get started,” Coach Kefauver told WJLE.
After graduating from Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, Kefauver attended Carson Newman College at Jefferson City where he played collegiate baseball. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education there in 2007. In 2010, Kefauver earned a Master of Arts Degree in Instructional Leadership at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.
Kefauver became head baseball coach in 2007 at Sequoyah High School where he also served as a Wellness and Weight Training Teacher, Stand-In Principal, and Assistant Principal.
During the summer of 2008, Kefauver was Summer League Baseball Coach for the Chattanooga Cyclone program.
While at Sequoyah High School, the baseball program earned regular season and district tournament championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013 as well as a region championship in 2013. Kefauver was named District Coach of the Year all three years. His win/loss record there was 117-59.
“It was a program that was down when I went in there but over a three year period my assistant and I turned things around. We were blessed with some good players and we won some championships that had never really been done there in the history of the school,” said Coach Kefauver.
In his years at Stone Memorial, Kefauver oversaw facility improvements as well as the development of a feeder program from the middle school in Crossville.
Coach Kefauver said his objective is “to impact the lives of kids through teaching and coaching. I feel honored to have the opportunity and privilege to use teaching and coaching as a tool to help in the maturity and development of students and student athletes. In my program and classroom students and athletes will learn discipline, hard work, integrity, and perseverance”.
In addition to his coaching duties, Kefauver will be a wellness/PE teacher at DCHS.
Kefauver and his wife Ferran are the parents of two sons, 3 year old Jack, and Grover who is nine months old.

Burglary and theft investigations by the Sheriff’s Department last month on Cove Hollow Road has resulted in the arrest of a McMinnville man.
23 year old Dakota James Stith of Northgate Drive is charged with three counts of aggravated burglary, two counts of theft of property, and two counts of vandalism. His bond is $45,000 and he will make a court appearance June 16.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Wednesday, May 11 Stith either committed vandalism or burglary and theft at three separate homes.
In one case, Stith allegedly cut a back screen door, broke a Samsung surveillance camera system, and broke parts to a Rokon motorcycle causing $370 in damage.
At a second location, Stith allegedly entered the residence by force through the front door and broke a door frame valued at $250. He then allegedly stole $2,125 worth of items including a 20 gauge shotgun, 32 inch flat screen TV, Xbox 360, fishing tackle, jewelry, plastic storage container, food, jump box, and assorted power tools.
At a third residence, Stith allegedly entered through an unlocked door and took $8,310 worth of items including a 20 gauge shotgun, 22 caliber rifle, 38 caliber Derringer pistol, and assorted change. He also took from the property a 2013 Polaris Ranger.

A portion of the County Complex now bears the name of former County Mayor Mike Foster.
“The Mike Foster Multi-Purpose Center” lettering is now in place over the entrance at the north end of the building.
At the last meeting before Foster left office in August 2014, the county commission voted to rename the portion of the county complex in Foster’s honor which houses the exercise room, game room, gym and theater.
The motion, made by former sixth district commissioner Marshall Ferrell, was adopted unanimously.
At that meeting Ferrell said Foster was due much of the credit for the county acquiring the building and turning it into the facility it is today. “The new county complex would not exist if it were not for the efforts of the commission and Mike Foster. Mayor Foster’s experience in building was a great asset. He worked endless hours to see the project was completed properly. Therefore, I would like to make a motion to name the north end of the complex that houses the exercise room, game room, gym, and theater, the “Mike Foster Multi-Purpose Center”. I would also like to add to that motion that the appropriate signs to match the signs above the other entrances be in place,” said Ferrell.
Members of the county commission at that time were David McDowell, Bobby Joines, Jimmy Poss, Mason Carter, Elmer Ellis, Jerry Adcock, Jerry Scott, Rick Cantrell, Marshall Ferrell, Bradley Hendrix, Jeff Barnes, Wayne Cantrell, and Larry Summers.”

A 5th district member of the DeKalb County Commission has been charged with a first offense of driving under the influence.
65 year old Jerry David Adcock of Four Seasons Road, Smithville is under a $1,500 bond and he will make a court appearance on June 16. He was further issued a citation for driving on roadways laned for travel.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, June 9 a sheriff’s department deputy observed a Ford pickup truck failing to maintain its lane of travel on Sparta Highway. The officer stopped the truck and spoke with the driver, Adcock. While speaking with Adcock, the deputy noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. According to the warrant, Adcock admitted to having consumed four or five alcoholic beverages earlier in the evening. Adcock submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. Adcock’s eyes were bloodshot. He was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slow. Adcock also submitted to a blood alcohol test.
Adcock is in his second four year term as a county commissioner from the 5th district. He has served since September 2010.

The DeKalb County Fair begins its annual weeklong run Monday through Saturday, July 18-23
With the theme “Grandpa Fair of the South Celebrates 160 years of Burlap & Bling in 2016”, this year’s fair will feature another fun filled week of activities along with rides by the Family Attractions Amusement Company and new events, Championship Wrestling and “ Lip Sync Battle”. Contestants will lip sync to their favorite song on Monday night for a chance to place in Friday night’s finale where the winner will take home the Lip Sync Battle trophy and $250 cash. First runner-up will receive $150 cash and the second runner up will get a $50 cash prize.
The catalog of premium rules for exhibit entries at the Kenneth Sandlin Center is now available. (Click Link Below)http://www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/images/2016_Fair_Book_web.pdf
Entry Dates and Times
*Non-Perishable Items Only will be accepted on Saturday, July 9 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Kenneth Sandlin Center
*Perishable Items ONLY will be taken in on Saturday, July 16 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Kenneth Sandlin Center
Entries are also being sought for the DeKalb County Fair’s Decorated Hay Contest featuring three categories:
Decorated Round Bale
Decorated Square Bale
Decorated Display
Open to any youth or adult resident of DeKalb County
Hay can be entered Saturday July 16th – From 10:00 am till 2:00 pm
Meanwhile, the DeKalb County Fair 5K and Fun Run will be July 16. Registration begins at 6:00 pm at the Fairgrounds. The Run will start at 6:30 PM. Pre-registration available through July 9 at Liberty State Bank and the Smithville Review or by contacting Matt Boss at 615-464-8627. Pre-registration guarantees a DeKalb County Fair 5K T-Shirt. The entry fee is $15 for youth and $20 for adults. Parking available behind Fair Office. For more info. contact Matt Boss at number above. Proceeds will go to Run Down, a local non-profit organization in DeKalb County supporting people with Down Syndrome.
Fair pageant applications are available for ages one day through 20. You may download applications from www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com. or CLICK THE LINK BELOW
http://www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/pageants.htm
Fair events each night are as follows:
Monday, July 18: Cattle Show at the Grandstand at 6:00 p.m.; Open Rodeo at the T.C. McMillen Arena at 7:30 p.m.; Junior Fair Princess Pageant for contestants ages 13-16 at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Fairest of the Fair Pageant for contestants ages 17 to 20 at the Lions Club Pavilion; Lip Sync Battle Round 1; and (2- $500 cash drawings) at 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 19: Little Mr. and Miss Pageant for contestants ages 4-6 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lions Club Pavilion; Corn hole Contest at 7:00 p.m. at the Grandstand; Championship Wrestling at 7:00 p.m. at the T.C. McMillen Arena and (2- $500 cash drawings) at 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 20: Little Miss Princess Pageant for contestants ages 7-9 at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Miss Sweetheart Pageant for those ages 10-12 at the Lions Club Pavilion; Go Cart Racing at 7:00 p.m. at the T.C. McMillen Arena; Kiddie Tractor Pull at the Grandstand at 6:00 p.m. ; and (2- $500 cash drawings) at 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 21: Junior Goat Show at 6:00 p.m. at the Tot Kelly Barn; Baby Show at 6:00 p.m. at the Lions Club Pavilion followed by a Vintage Variety Show; ATV/Motorcycle Racing at 7:00 p.m. at the T.C. McMillen Arena; and (2- $500 cash drawings) at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, July 22: Toddler Show for contestants 13 months to 48 months at 6:00 p.m. followed by Lip Sync Battle Finale at the Lions Club Pavilion: Mini-Rod/Outlaw Pull at 7:00 p.m. at the T.C. McMillen Arena; and (2- $500 cash drawings) at 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 23: Horseshoe Tournament at the Tot Kelly barn at Noon.; Gospel Singing at the Lions Club Pavilion at 6:00 p.m.; Super Tractor and Truck Pull at 7:00 p.m. at the T.C. McMillen Arena: and (2- $500 cash drawings) at 9:30 p.m.
Take a stroll down Memory Lane and enjoy nightly entertainment at the Memory Lane Stage in Memory Village.
Rides on the Midway will be provided by the Family Attractions Amusement Company. Unlimited rides will be available for $15.00 on Monday night; $16.00 on Tuesday night; $14.00 on Wednesday and $18.00 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Admission to the fair is $4.00 per person. Children age four and younger will be admitted free! Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The exhibit building is open from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Parking is Free!
For more information, call 615-529-FAIR or visit on-line at www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com.

Come one, come all to downtown Smithville for the 45th Annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival! This milestone event will be held Friday, July 1st and Saturday, July 2nd. The Festival begins at 9:00 am each day, and continues until the final competition has been awarded. With over 35 music and dance categories, streets full of hand-made crafts, and over a dozen food booths, there is something for everyone at the Jamboree. You have to experience it in person…come and see the Jamboree!
In 1975, a PBS film crew did a documentary on the Fiddlers Jamboree called “Showdown at the Hoedown”. View the program by clicking the link below
http://folkstreams.net/film/267
Preliminaries will be held in the following categories on Friday, July 1:
Old Time Appalachian Folksinging (Solo); Junior Clogging (ages 13-39); Junior Buck Dancing (ages 13-39); Old-Time Appalachian Folksinging (Duet, Trio, Quartet); Dobro Guitar; Mountain Dulcimer; Hammer Dulcimer; Novelty Event (Spoon Clacking, Jug Blowing, Washboard, Tub, Saws-Appalachian Related Only); Autoharp, Gospel Singing (Solo); Country Harmonica; Old Time Banjo; Youth Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers); Gospel Singing (Duet,Trio, and Quartet); Mandolin; and Old Time Fiddle Band.
The top three acts in each category will be called back for the finals on Friday night and a first, second, and third place will be awarded.
All first place winners get $125, except the Old Time Fiddle Band, which gets $525 for first place and Youth Square Dancing which is awarded $300.
Second place winners get $100 and third place winners receive $75. The Old Time Fiddle Band second place winner gets $425 and $325 for third place. The Youth Square Dance second place team is awarded $200 and $100 goes for third place.
A United States flag and a Tennessee State flag will be presented on Friday evening. The flags, which have flown over the state capitol, go to the persons who travel the greatest distances, both from inside and outside the country, to get here. The flags will be presented by State Senator Mae Beavers and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Mark Pody.
Fiddler’s Jamboree Craft Awards will be presented during the weekend for “Best of Show”, “Best Appalachian Craft”, “Best Newcomer”, and “Best Craft Display”
On Saturday, July 2, preliminaries will be held in the following categories:
Junior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages up to 39); Senior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance ( ages 40 and over); Senior Buckdancing (ages 40 and over); Senior Clogging (ages 40 and over); Bluegrass Banjo; Junior Fiddlers (ages 13-39); Flat Top Guitar; Contest Fiddle for the Neil Dudney Award; Bluegrass Band; Senior Fiddlers (ages 40 and over); and Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers).
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be called back Saturday night to compete for first, second, and third place.
Prize money in most categories is $125 for first place; $100 for second place; and $75 for third place. Awards for Junior Fiddlers and Senior Fiddlers are $225 for first place; $175 for second place; and $150 for third place. Prizes for Bluegrass Band are $525 for first place; $425 for second place; and $325 for third place. Awards for Square Dancing are $400 for first place; $300 for second place; and $200 for third place.
The winners of the Junior and Senior Fiddling competition will square off for the Grand Champion Award, the Berry C. Williams Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the festival. The winner gets $300.
Meanwhile, the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners will be held Saturday afternoon, July 4 during the Jamboree featuring competitions for children, up to age twelve, in the categories of Buck Dancing, Clogging, Dobro Guitar, Mandolin, Five String Banjo, Flat Top Guitar, and Fiddle.
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be brought back to compete for first, second, and third place.
Prizes are $100 for first place, $75 for second place; and $50 for third place. One child will receive the Best Overall Instrumental Entertainer Trophy Award and $125 and the top fiddler will get the James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Trophy and $175.
In addition to the on-stage musical entertainment, the Fiddlers Jamboree will feature many crafts, plenty of delicious food; and lots of shade tree picking around the public square.
WJLE will broadcast most of the on-stage entertainment LIVE on AM 1480/ FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com.
To learn more visit http://smithvillejamboree.com/

Ten high performing teachers in the school system will be getting a one time bonus award for coaching and mentoring other teachers under a 2016-17 differentiated pay plan adopted by the Board of Education Thursday night.
Each eligible high performing teacher who agrees to take on this assignment and meets expectations will receive up to $2,500 for a total cost to the system of $25,000 to be paid out as a one time bonus in the spring so as to not affect the teacher’s base salary. Teachers were selected on the basis of their effectiveness scores and will be coaching and mentoring level 1 teachers. The current salary schedule will be maintained with steps for experience and degree. The funding for this plan requires no additional local monies. All bonuses are pending program funding and may not occur annually.
“This is the plan we have had for two or three years and it puts the part time coaches, the academic coaches in to our schools to work with teachers that may need some assistance with classroom management or different areas on their observation. It is just a teacher to teacher mentor program. We have had it in place and I think the principals are really excited to have this in place. They (coaches) are making an impact with the other teachers,” said Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction for Pre-K to 6th grade.
State legislation passed in 2007 and was updated in 2013 which mandates that school districts offer differentiated pay, which can include rewarding teachers differently based on their roles and ability to improve student outcomes. In Tennessee, “differentiated pay” means more than “pay for test scores”—it can include anything from teaching in high-need areas, to taking on new leadership roles or bonuses for increased student performance. Now, every district must decide what differentiated pay looks like for them.

Based on overall high marks given by the Board of Education in a recent performance evaluation, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has been awarded a two year contract extension.
Cripps, who was signed to a two year contract by the Board of Education last summer, is now scheduled to serve as director for a total of three more years through June 30, 2019
The board approved Cripps’ new deal during Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting.
The results of Cripps’ evaluation shows that he is meeting “most” of the board’s expectations with an average score of 4.48 out of a possible 6.00 score.
“It means he’s met expectations. The grand total of all the categories came up to 4.48. That’s pretty impressive for someone taking on this challenge for their first year,” said Board Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III.
During a work session prior to the board meeting Thursday evening, several board members expressed an interest in giving Cripps a pay raise along with the contract extension but Cripps said he did not want more money. Cripps’ annual salary will remain at $85,000 paid in twelve equal monthly installments in accordance with the policy. All other terms of the original contract will still apply during the extension period except that Cripps’ annual evaluation will have to occur by no later than March 31 each year rather than January 31.
“We discussed his new contract during the workshop. Two things we discussed. One was the extension of a contract. We talked about a two year extension on his contract. He has asked for no increase in pay. I think that is admirable of him. I also think its an obligation we have to give him a two year extension for a total of a little bit less than three years,” added Chairman Evins.
Board member Jerry Wayne Johnson moved to make Cripps’ contract extension for two years. Board member Doug Stephens seconded the motion. Board members Danny Parkerson, Kate Miller, Shaun Tubbs, and W.J. (Dub) Evins, III all voted in favor. Board member Jim Beshearse was absent.
The contract, as adopted last summer, states that the Board shall evaluate the Director annually and shall review the Director’s salary annually. In no event shall the Director’s salary be reduced except as provided by law. If any adjustment in salary is made during the term of this Contract, all of the other provisions of the Contract, including its termination date, shall remain as stated herein.
Under terms of the agreement, the Board will provide a medical insurance plan for Cripps on the same terms that it is made available to other employees. The Director will be able to participate in any other insurance program offered by the Board on the same terms as any other employee of the Board.
Cripps will also be provided with an automobile and all expenses involved in said automobile for him to carry out his official duties. He may use the automobile for personal purposes not interfering with school purposes, provided he shall pay or reimburse the cost of all fuel during such use.
The Director’s year shall consist of 240 duty days of normal office hours. Vacation time should be avoided at the beginning and end of the school year. The Director serves and is on duty during regular school session. Non duty days include 10 holidays and 12 annual leave days.
Cripps shall be granted one day of sick leave for each month of contractual employment. Sick leave days shall be cumulative and unused sick leave days may be used for retirement credit in accordance with the policies of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System.
The evaluation of the Director shall occur no later than March 31 each calendar year (changed from January 31) during the term of the contract. The board shall review with the Director his performance, progress toward established goals, and the working relationships between the Director and Board, the staff, students, and community at large; and any other matters relative to the employment of the Director.
As part of the evaluation process, by July 30 of each year, the Director will present a Strategic Plan to the Board for the upcoming school year. The plan will incorporate the results of the Director’s most recent evaluation, will identify the strengths and needs of DeKalb County Schools, and will describe the Director’s Plan of Action to reach the goals adopted by the Board.
The contract may be terminated by mutual agreement of the parties or due to the retirement, disability, or death of the director. It may also be terminated by the Board for cause pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in TCA, the Teacher’s Tenure Act. If the Board terminates the contract for cause, the Director would be entitled to no further benefits of compensation.
The Board reserves the right to transfer the Director to any position within the system; however compensation and insurance benefits included in this agreement shall remain in full force and effect for the duration of the contract as specified in Article 1. In the event the Director declines to accept the transfer, this contract shall be terminated and the Director would be entitled to no further benefits or compensation.
The Director retains any rights to tenure as a teacher that he has already acquired in the DeKalb County Schools. Even so, the Director understands and agrees that, upon the termination of his duties as Director, he will be placed in a position for which he is licensed and qualified by the Board or any subsequent director of schools. No rights to a particular position are retained by seniority or any other means, and the Board or any subsequent director of schools, as appropriate, has the sole right to determine placement. However after placement, he will return to the pay scale prior to his appointment as Director.
The Director will not hire immediate family members in new administrative roles. Prior job assignments are grandfathered.