State Representative Mark Pody will soon be moving to the upper chamber to fill the unexpired term of former State Senator Mae Beavers after beating Democrat Mary Alice Carfi in the Special Election Tuesday.
Pody will be resigning his State House seat in District 46 this week. His unexpired term is expected to be filled by the Wilson County Commission. District 46 includes a portion of DeKalb and Wilson Counties and all of Cannon County.
In the six counties that make up Senatorial District 17, Pody won in a close race 5, 990 (51.32%) to 5,682 (48.68%).
Pody carried Cannon County 467 to 353, Macon 428 to 238, and Wilson 3,641 to 3,561. Carfi carried DeKalb County 579 to 548, Smith County 733 to 716, and Clay 218 to 190.
A total of 1,128 DeKalb County voters cast ballots in the election including 661 on election day and 467 early votes/absentees.
Carfi carried seven precincts including Alexandria, Courthouse, Dowelltown, Keltonburg, Smithville Church of Christ, Smithville Church of God, Snow Hill, and she had a majority of the early votes/absentees.
Pody carried seven precincts including Belk, Blue Springs, County Complex, Johnsons Chapel, Liberty, Rock Castle, and Temperance Hall.
Pody and Carfi each had 1 vote at the Edgar Evins State Park precinct.
(CLICK LINK BELOW FOR DISTRICT RESULTS)
http://elections.tn.gov/results.php
Absentee/Early Voting:
Pody-216
Carfi-251
Alexandria:
Pody-39
Carfi-43
Belk:
Pody-24
Carfi-9
Blue Springs:
Pody-20
Carfi-10
County Complex:
Pody-34
Carfi-33
Courthouse:
Pody-23
Carfi-53
Dowelltown:
Pody-19
Carfi-20
Edgar Evins State Park:
Pody-1
Carfi-1
Johnsons Chapel:
Pody-24
Carfi-8
Keltonburg:
Pody-13
Carfi-18
Liberty:
Pody-37
Carfi-16
Rock Castle:
Pody-12
Carfi-6
Smithville Church of Christ:
Pody-26
Carfi-38
Smithville Church of God:
Pody-33
Carfi-39
Snow Hill:
Pody-14
Carfi-23
Temperance Hall:
Pody-13
Carfi-11
TOTAL:
PODY-548
CARFI-579

The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency would like to remind those who receive assistance through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as Commodities; it is time for recertification of their commodities card. With 2018 deliveries right around the corner, it is very important for recipients to recertify their commodity card with their local county offices prior to the first pick-up date.
Recertification date starts January 8th. First Distribution is February 8th.
If you think you or someone you know qualifies for this program, please contact the UCHRA office in your county for more information.
The UCHRA County telephone: DeKalb County 615-597-4504
The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin, religion, or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities.
“This project is funding under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.”

The Smithville Rite Aid store is now a Walgreens Pharmacy.
The pharmacy is apparently among nearly 2,000 Rite Aid stores across the country which have been purchased by Walgreens, the second-largest pharmacy chain in the U.S.
Walgreens and Rite Aid recently announced that federal regulators had approved Walgreens’ purchase of 1,932 Rite Aid stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia, about 250 fewer stores than they had first planned.
According to a report on www.time.com, Walgreens currently has roughly 8,175 locations in the U.S., second only to CVS (9,709) in terms of pharmacy chains. For two years, Walgreens had waged a campaign to boost its footprint by scooping up Rite Aid locations. Over the summer Walgreens scrapped its original plan to purchase 2,186 Rite Aids—but it came to an agreement more recently to buy 1,932 of the stores, at a cost of $4.375 billion in cash and other considerations, according to the Walgreens fourth-quarter earnings report.
The purchase would theoretically give Walgreens over 10,000 store locations, vaulting it into the top spot over CVS as America’s biggest pharmacy chain. But Walgreens isn’t just adding stores; it plans on subtracting hundreds too, the report on www.time.com stated.
After receiving regulatory clearance for the Rite Aid purchase, Walgreens “has been able to carry out a complete review of its expected combined U.S. store portfolio to determine the scope of a program to optimize locations,” a company release stated.
Some stores will be closed. The company anticipates that it will shutter roughly 600 retail locations in that “optimizing” process, starting next spring, USA Today reported. Walgreens hasn’t said which locations will be closed, but it’s expected that most of them will be among the ranks of the Rite Aid stores it’s buying, and that the vast majority of closures will be within one mile of another Walgreens-owned store.
All the store closures should be complete within 18 months, Walgreens says. The company plans on spending $500 million over the next three years to convert Rite Aid stores it isn’t closing into Walgreens.
Meanwhile, Rite Aid will still be in the pharmacy business. After the sale to Walgreens is complete, Rite Aid will still have roughly 2,600 stores in the U.S., according to CNN.
According to a report on coupons in the news.com. “Several states that were to retain just a small handful of Rite Aid stores, will now have none. Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia now join Indiana, South Carolina, Utah and Washington DC as locations where there will be no Rite Aids whatsoever after the deal goes through. All existing Rite Aid stores there will be sold to Walgreens in the revised deal.
Meanwhile, several Northeastern states will hold onto more Rite Aids than originally planned. The bulk of the roughly 250 Rite Aid stores that are no longer part of the deal with Walgreens, are located in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. In addition, Idaho, which was to sell off several Rite Aid stores, will now keep them all.

Three more incumbent members of the county commission have picked up qualifying petitions from the DeKalb County Election Commission for the May 1, 2018 DeKalb County Democratic Primary.
The latest to get their petitions are Joe Johnson, 2nd District County Commissioner; Larry Summers, 7th District County Commissioner; and Wayne Cantrell, 4th District County Commissioner.
Those who have obtained petitions to date are as follows:
*Wayne Cantrell-County Commissioner, 4th District, Incumbent
*Joe Johnson-County Commissioner, 2nd District, Incumbent
*Larry Summers-County Commissioner, 7th District, Incumbent
*Mike Foster-County Mayor
*Tim Stribling-County Mayor, Incumbent
*Bradley Hendrix-County Mayor
*Kevin Robinson-County Commissioner 7th District, Incumbent
*Nora Harvey-County Commissioner 2nd District
*Jack Barton-County Commissioner 3rd District, Incumbent
*Scott Little-County Commissioner 4th District
*Jeff Barnes-County Commissioner 6th District, Incumbent
*Betty Atnip-County Commissioner 6th District, Incumbent
*James L. (Jimmy) Poss-County Clerk, Incumbent
*Jimmy Sprague-Road Supervisor
*Jeff McMillen-Register of Deeds, Incumbent
*Nicole Wright-Circuit Court Clerk
*Mark Milam-Circuit Court Clerk
*Julie Young-County Commissioner 1st District, Incumbent
*Bobby R. Taylor-County Commissioner 4th District
Poss’ petition has been returned and (enough signatures) verified
In addition to County Clerk James L. “Jimmy” Poss, Road Supervisor candidate Jimmy Sprague, and Circuit Court Clerk candidates Nicole Wright and Mark Milam, others who have made public announcements on WJLE of their intentions to run for election or re-election in 2018 as Republicans are:
*Trustee Sean Driver, Incumbent
*Sheriff Patrick Ray, Incumbent
*Danny Hale for Road Supervisor
*Reed Edge for Road Supervisor
*Susan Martin for Circuit Court Clerk
The following county offices are up for election in 2018: Road Supervisor, County Mayor, Circuit Court Clerk, Sheriff, Register of Deeds, County Clerk, and Trustee and for the county commission in each of the seven districts (two per district for a total of 14).
DeKalb County Democrats will be nominating candidates for county offices in a primary set for May 1, 2018.
Democratic nominees will face any Republican and or Independent challengers in the August, 2018 general election. The DeKalb County Republican Party will be choosing its nominees by caucus. The qualifying deadline for all candidates will be the same, NOON February 15, 2018.

A man who got into trouble last week for kicking his ex-wife has been arrested again.
48 year old Jimmy Dwight Underhill, Jr. of Rolling Acres Road, Smithville is charged with violation of an order of protection. Underhill’s bond is $3,000 and his court date is January 4.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, December 14 a deputy went to a residence on Rolling Acres Road to do a welfare check on a woman. While at the home, the officer found Underhill there in violation of active bond conditions which prohibit him from having any contact with this woman. Those bond conditions became effective December 11, 2017.
Underhill was arrested for domestic assault last week after allegedly kicking his ex-wife during an argument. He is under a $2,000 bond in that case and his court date is January 4.
33 year old Andrew Allen Dillon of Dry Creek Road, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $3,000 and his court date is January 11.
Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, December 15 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on McMinnville Highway to do a welfare check on a man but after checking further learned that he was at a home on Cedar Drive. Upon arrival the officer learned from the man that his mother’s boyfriend, Dillon had struck him in the abdomen with his knee. There were several visual marks of the assault.

A woman arrested for identity theft and fraudulent use of a credit card almost a year ago and earlier for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud has been granted probation.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 12/11/2017 Thru: 12/18/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_52.pdf (3.69 MB)
33 year old Stephanie Sue Summers entered a plea in DeKalb County Criminal Court Tuesday, December 12 to two counts of identity theft and two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and received a four year sentence in each case. She is to serve a total of eight years on these charges to run concurrently with a Putnam County case against her. The sentence has been suspended to supervised probation and she has been granted judicial diversion. Summers must also make restitution of $6,817 and she is under a restraining order to keep away from Walmart.
According to Smithville police, the victim in the case filed a report of credit card fraud on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 after receiving mail from a bank informing him of a past due amount on a credit card. The victim contacted the bank and received an account summary of the credit card with purchases having been made three times at the local Wal-Mart. Upon investigation it was discovered that Summers had obtained the victim’s credit card without his knowledge or consent and proceeded to make purchases. The drug offenses occurred in May, 2016
41 year old Rachel Lucille Sprague entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug and received a three year sentence suspended to probation. She was fined $2,000 and must make restitution of $90 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. Sprague was charged in an undercover investigation earlier this year.
39 year old Stephen Anthony Patterson entered a plea to charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell and a second offense of driving under the influence. He received a six year sentence for the meth charge and 11 months and 29 days in the DUI case. The terms are to run concurrently with each other but they have been suspended to supervised probation except for 45 days to serve. He was fined $2,600. Patterson was given 38 days jail credit.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Sunday, February 19 a deputy responded to the intersection of Curtis Road and Sparta Highway due to a vehicle which was found setting at a stop sign for a long period of time. The deputy came upon the scene and saw the driver pulling out on Sparta Highway heading east before crossing over into the oncoming lane of travel. The vehicle eventually stopped at a residence on Sparta Highway. The officer approached the vehicle and made contact with the driver, Patterson who was slumped over in the vehicle . His eyes were bloodshot and he appeared to be under the influence. Patterson performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest. While conducting a search of Patterson, the deputy found in his right front pocket a baggie in a metal container that held 0.93 grams of methamphetamine which field tested positive. The container also held 43 ½ xanax pills. The officer further recovered $467 in cash on Patterson’s person. After Patterson was transported to the jail for booking, a correctional officer found a black baggie in Patterson’s hoodie pocket which held 99 whole plus two halves more of xanax pills.
30 year old Phillip Andrew Martin entered a plea to a second offense of driving while license revoked and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days suspended to supervised probation.

Danny Grecco was the winner of an ice blue Yeti Tundra 45 in a Habitat for Humanity raffle drawing on WJLE Saturday morning.
Gary Johnson of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County said money was raised through the raffle ticket sales and all the proceeds will go toward construction of the next partner family home by Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County.
Eleven year old Jaxon Humphrey drew the name during the on-air giveaway Saturday
Jamie Nokes and her family were recently selected to be Habitat’s sixth partner family in DeKalb County. The home is to be located on Hayes Street and groundbreaking will be held in February or March.
Habitat for Humanity wishes to express its appreciation to DeKalb County Ace Hardware for their partnership in helping obtain the cooler for the raffle.

A 16 year old boy was taken into custody Friday at the county complex after a Sheriff’s Department Deputy found a pistol and marijuana on him.
The officer was called to the complex around 11 a.m. Friday after the boy, who has a violation of probation offense against him, was spotted in the weight room.
The deputy confronted the boy and asked him if he had anything on him. As the officer conducted a pat down search, the boy reached into his own waistband where he had a 9 millimeter pistol. The officer quickly took the boy to the ground, placed handcuffs on him, and found the gun and a bag of marijuana.
Other officers from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and Smithville Police Department quickly responded to provide support.
Sheriff Patrick Ray explained how the incident unfolded.
“I received information that the juvenile was at the County complex in the weight room. He had a violation of probation out of juvenile court to pickup and hold him. I had a deputy respond to the complex and he saw a young boy in the gym area and asked the boy his name. It was the juvenile. The deputy asked the juvenile several times if he had anything on him. The juvenile stated no. The deputy began a pat down search on the juvenile and the juvenile reached into his own waistband. The deputy then grabbed the juvenile and took him to the ground. After placing cuffs on the juvenile the deputy found a 9mm pistol with a loaded clip in the juvenile’s waistband. There was not one chambered. Also found on him was a bag of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana weighing 0.25 ounces in a pair of shorts the juvenile was wearing under his pants,” said Sheriff Ray.
The officer has taken juvenile petitions on the boy for simple possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana) and unlawful possession of a weapon. He will be in Juvenile Court on Wednesday, December 20th.

The DeKalb County Health Department and Community Health Center is pleased to announce the upcoming adoption of a technology based electronic medical record system or EMR beginning mid-January.
What should you expect at your next visit?
“While technology and clinical specialist across the state are helping with this transition, there is no question that we will experience a learning curve during this implementation. We ask for everyone’s patience as we learn this new technology,” said Michael Railling, DeKalb County Director. “If you need medication refills or an appointment for other services, please call today.”
DCHD/CHC staff are completing numerous hours of training as they ready for the transition. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the DeKalb County Health Department and Community Health Center today, 615-597-7599.

Children at the Smithville Head Start Center were treated to bags of gifts today (Friday) thanks to the Smithville Police Department’s “Cops4Kids” program.
Police Chief Mark Collins, Mayor Jimmy Poss, and other members of the police department presented the children with the gifts. Other guests included Sean and Brad Driver and Danny Hale of “Right on Time” and local minister Donnie Kelly, who were on hand to sing Christmas songs. Dwayne Cornelius, another local minister and Chaplain of the Smithville Police Department shared the Christmas story with the children. Santa also stopped by for a visit with the kids.
Members of the Police Department participated in “No Shave November to help raise money to purchase gifts; Woodmen Life Lodge 1077 made a cash donation; and Cash Express recently held a “Fill the Police Car” event to collect gifts in support of the “Cops4Kids” program. Other local businesses also contributed.
“Each year the Smithville Police Department tries to do something around this special holiday. This year we again chose the Head Start. What we do is we collect donations and presents and we give them to the kids. They get to interact with us. Its really enjoyable for all of us to interact with the kids. This is a good event for us. Its a way we can give back to the community and these kids really appreciate it and seem to enjoy it,” said Police Chief Mark Collins.