The Smithville Municipal Election may have several contenders this summer.
The DeKalb County Election Commission reports that the three incumbent aldermen up for re-election, Shawn Jacobs, Aaron Meeks, and W.J. (Dub) White have already picked up and returned their petitions to become qualified to run while three others, local attorney Gayla Hendrix and businessmen Cordell Walker and Danny Washer have picked up a petition but have not yet turned them back in.
The election commission is accepting qualifying petitions for the city election until noon on Thursday, March 17th. The election is Tuesday, June 21st. The term of each alderman position up for election is for two years, beginning July 1st Meanwhile, the last day to register to vote in the Smithville election is May 23rd.

The DeKalb County Board of Education Thursday night, by a five of 5 to 2, offered Director of Schools Mark Willoughby a new three year employment contract during the regular monthly meeting which was held at DeKalb West School.
The agreement, which Willoughby will sign, takes effect July 1st, 2011 and runs through June 30th, 2014
Seventh district member Johnny Lattimore made the motion to offer the contract with essentially the same terms as the current contract. Willoughby’s base salary will remain at the current level of $93,067 per year except for any additional raises that the state or local government may approve for educators.
Third district member Kenny Rhody offered a second to Lattimore’s motion.
Fourth district member Billy Miller tried unsuccessfully to amend Lattimore’s motion saying that this contract does not specify what the board expects of Willoughby other than to run the school system. “I think we need to specify in his contract what we expect him to do,” said Miller.
According to the Tennessee School Board’s Association, Miller said the board should “specify in writing what it wants a superintendent to accomplish; identify when those accomplishments are to be completed, and identify what standards will be used in judging whether these accomplishments have been satisfied”.
“I’ve looked through this contract and I can’t find anything that specifies what we are requiring of him other than to maintain the school system. There’s nothing really specific in there. I’m looking at this contract and I’m trying to figure out what direction it is we’re trying to go as a board,” said Miller.
Miller also expressed concerns about the school system’s not having met No Child Left Behind benchmarks in certain areas within the last six years at the high school and at the elementary grade level. “I know we’re in a situation with No Child Left Behind. It appears we have been there since 2005 in one way or another. Other counties adjoining us are meeting these goals. I think it is to our benefit since he (Willoughby) is the highest paid official in this county, to not only expect something but to demand something from him as well”.
Seeking to hold Willoughby accountable if the school system continues failing to meet NCLB benchmarks, Miller made a motion to amend Lattimore’s motion. “The amendment should be written into the contract stating that the entire school system should meet all established benchmarks of No Child Left Behind. This goal shall be accomplished within a two year period. If any school in the system fails to meet such standards set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act within two years, the contract will be null and void with the remaining year of the contract to be re-negotiated between the board and the director of schools. The director of schools would be entitled to no further benefits or compensation for the third and final year until the contract is re-negotiated. However, if all schools in the DeKalb County School System are in full compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act, the contract shall run a full three year course with no need for re-negotiation of the contract for the third and final year,” said Miller.
Sixth district member Bruce Parsley seconded Miller’s motion.
In his defense, Director Willoughby said he believes progress has been made in the school system in recent years, citing that the graduation rate at the high school has improved from 67% a few years ago to 92.7% now. Willoughby added that except for the last two years when Northside and Smithville Elementary failed to meet NCLB benchmarks within certain subgroups, “all of our standards and attainability has gone up”.
Last year Northside and its feeder school, Smithville Elementary, were singled out by the state as “Target” schools because a sub-group of students with disabilities failed to meet the Average Yearly Progress benchmark in the reading and language arts category. This year, Northside and Smithville Elementary were listed as ” School Improvement 1″ schools because the sub-group of Hispanic students failed to meet the necessary AYP benchmark for the year in the subjects of reading and language arts.
Willoughby said that while the goal of the school system is to meet all benchmarks of NCLB at all levels every year there is no guarantee, especially since standards are changing and becoming more challenging for students. “Last year we were on the NCLB (Target) list because of students with disabilities. We made the accomplishments and the goals that we should have with the students with disabilities (this year). We met our goal. But because we did not meet the goal in another criteria (Hispanic subgroup) it goes to the next level (School Improvement 1). Once you’re on this list, you have to stay off (meet benchmarks) for two years in a row in order to get removed (from the list)”.
Fifth district member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III said while he understands Miller’s concerns, he doesn’t believe its fair to hold Willoughby accountable in this way. “This is not something that one man can accomplish. You can surround yourself with some good people and get these things accomplished but the people who work under his supervision have to put one foot forward and have the same kind of goals. I can understand this being a goal but I don’t feel comfortable making this a demand as a part of his contract because he can’t do this alone. I think that puts some undue pressure on him as well as his support staff and the teachers. In a lot of ways the director of school’s hands are tied as to what he can and cannot do.”
Third district member Kenny Rhody added that since NCLB could be re-evaluated soon at the federal level, it should not be a factor in Willoughby’s contract with the board. ” There’s extreme pressure to get NCLB re-authorized, get it rewritten by June. The Congress and Senate have had that on their agenda. They want to at least postpone the sanctions that are placed on it. I wouldn’t want to tie NCLB to his contract. Other than (subgroup of Hispanic students) our students are doing excellent and our faculty and teachers are doing excellent. They’re teaching and the students are learning.”
During a roll call vote, Miller’s motion to amend the proposed contract failed by a vote of 5 to 2. The board then voted on Lattimore’s motion to approve the contract without Miller’s amendment and it passed 5 to 2.
Again, the new contract is essentially the same as the current agreement in that Willoughby will be evaluated annually. He will be provided with an automobile and all expenses involved in the 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 board shall provide, during the term of this contract, such medical insurance for the director, spouse, and dependents as the school system provides for other licensed staff as long as the director maintains enrollment in the insurance program. As additional compensation, the board shall also pay the employee’s matching share of the insurance plan the director chooses. Should the director elect no coverage under the school system insurance plan, no other benefit or salary shall be paid in lieu thereof..
The director 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 for retirement credit in accordance with the policies of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System.
The Director’s work year shall consist of 240 duty days. Non-duty days include 10 holidays and 20 annual leave days. In accordance with state law, the director shall be allowed to transfer up to two days of any unused leave days to his accumulated sick leave at the end of the year; otherwise, unused annual leave days shall not accumulate from year to year.
The performance evaluation of the Director shall occur no later than January 31 each calendar year during the term of the contract. The board will review with the Director his performance, progress towards goals established by the board and the director; and the working relationship of the director with the board of education, the staff, the students, and the community at large; and any other matters relative to the employment of the director.
The board may extend the term of the contract at any time with concurrence of the director.
The contract may be terminated by mutual agreement of the parties or due to the retirement, disability, death of the director; for removal from office; or for willful cause upon sufficient proof of improper conduct, inefficient service (including but not limited to performance evaluation scores), neglect of duty or failure to follow board policies and directives. If the board terminates the contract for cause, he would be entitled to no further benefits or compensation.
The board may also terminate the contract without cause, at its option, provided that the board provides the director 60 days written notice of such termination.
The Board reserves the right to transfer the Director to any position within the system; however, the compensation and insurance benefits included within this agreement shall remain in full force and effect for the duration of the contract. In the event the director declines to accept transfer, this contract shall be terminated and the director would be entitled to no further benefits or compensation. Transferring the director shall require a majority vote of all members of the board of education.
The Director may also terminate the contract at any time, at his sole discretion, by giving the Board 30 days written notice of his resignation.
In other business, Director Willoughby gave his monthly personnel report to the board.
Kathy Bryant, teacher at Northside Elementary School was granted an extension of a leave of absence as per request.
Lynn Griffith was transferred to a bus assistant position and David Turner was transferred to a full time bus driver position
The board also adopted a resolution of appreciation honoring special services staff.
The resolution states that “Whereas, the DeKalb County School System is served by an admirable group of special services staff members including school nurses, guidance counselors, school resource officers, psychologists and speech and hearing specialists; and
Whereas, this group of professionals is made up of competent and dedicated individuals who play a large role in the success of the students in DeKalb County; and
Whereas, the special services staff members in the DeKalb County School District are responsible for providing a variety of special services to many students on a daily basis; and
Whereas, these professionals join the efforts of our teaching and administrative staff to help us meet the unique needs of each student from bandaging a wound to offering encouragement and hope for students in despair; and
Whereas, the DeKalb County Board of Education wishes to honor the commitment and service the special services staff provides.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that, the Board of Education hereby establishes March 17th, 2011 as Special Services Staff Appreciation Day in all DeKalb County Schools; and
Be it further resolved that the board expresses appreciation and thanks to all who provide special services in our school system and encourages each school and community to recognize these individuals for their role in the success of our school system.”

A fire early Thursday morning gutted an abandoned house belonging to Rocky Menix at 641 New Home Road.
Central dispatch received the call at 1:37 a.m.
County Fire Chief Donny Green said that a neighbor spotted the fire and reported it. Members of the Main Station, Cookeville Highway, Short Mountain Highway, and Liberty Stations responded but were unable to save the structure.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.

DeKalb County landline telephone subscribers have been paying the same rates for 911 services since 1994, but that may change this summer.
Facing ever increasing costs and declining revenues due to fewer landline telephones, the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District (911 board of directors) is seeking an 85 cent per month increase for residential lines and a $1.00 increase per month for business lines. The proposed increase is expected to generate more than $88,000 per year.
In a meeting Tuesday evening at the courthouse, the local 911 board adopted a resolution seeking approval from the Tennessee Emergency Communications District (state 911 board) to increase the rate for residential lines from the current rate of 65 cents per line to $1.50 per line per month. The rate for business lines would go from $2.00 to $3.00 per month. The effective date of the proposed increase would be 60 days after the state 911 board gives its approval, should it do so.
Brad Mullinax, Director of the DeKalb County 911 Center, said the rate increase is needed “We have seen a decrease in the number of landlines over the years. That’s not cell phones but the telephones you have in your house. It is and has been the basis of our funding since 1994 when 911 was first set up in DeKalb County. But over the last several years, people have been dropping their landlines and going exclusively with cell phones because its cheaper for them. The problem is it affects 911 services because that’s where our funding comes from. For at least the past three years we’ve seen about a seven percent decrease in our funding from our landline 911 rates. Our revenue is going down but our costs keep going up.”
Mullinax adds that while the local 911 operation does receive funds from cell phones, it has no control over those rates. ” We do get money from cell phones and there’s often times a misconception about that. You are paying a dollar surcharge on each cell phone you have. If you have three cell phones then you’re paying a $3.00 911 surcharge. The problem is that the State of Tennessee keeps 75% of that money and we are allocated only 25% of that wireless money based on our population. Even though just about everybody has a cell phone, we don’t get anywhere close to receiving the amount of money we need from cell phones to support us. From my understanding, it would take a change of state law to change the way the money is allocated or the fee that is charged on a cell phone.”
As for budget cuts, Mullinax said 911 really can’t cut anywhere without affecting services. ” We staff two full time dispatchers all the time on each shift. We run twelve hour shifts. It would be a major safety concern to decrease that number to one dispatcher per shift. If someone gets sick or has to go to the restroom or something like that, we could have a major problem if we didn’t have someone to answer the phones so we don’t want to go below that two person minimum. We’ve got a few part timers that we use to fill in shifts but there’s really no waste in our agency. We need two folks (dispatchers) to answer the calls all the time.”
The local 911 board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 22nd at 6:00 p.m. in the basement courtroom of the courthouse to give the public a chance to comment or learn more about the proposal.
Members of the board are Chairman Ron Rogers, Billy Adcock , County Commissioners Wayne Cantrell, Marshall Ferrell, Elmer Ellis, Jr., and Jerry Scott, Smithville Alderman Steve White, and County Mayor Mike Foster.
The resolution states as follows:
“Whereas (state law) authorizes the State 911 Board to raise the landline 911 rates for the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District; and
Whereas, said statute has as its general purpose that any 911 district must meet financial and operational criteria established by the State 911 board to justify any increase in the landline 911 rates; and
Whereas, the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District desires to increase its landline 911 rates from the rate of .65 cents for residential lines to $1.50 and the rate of $2.00 for Business landlines to $3.00 and
Whereas, the rate of increase proposed above would generate additional revenue in the amount of $88,160 per year. The annual increase in revenue is based upon the current number of landlines and a forecast of a 7-9% decrease in landlines for the next three years respectively; and
Whereas, the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District desires the effective date for the rate increase to be 60 days after the State Emergency Communications Board approval; and
Whereas, the revenue generated by the landline 911 rates have historically increased in DeKalb County 1% to 2% annually, but during the 2003-2010 fiscal years landlines have declined by 19% and it is projected that landlines will continue to decrease at a level of 7-9% per year for the foreseeable future; and
Whereas, the appropriations made by DeKalb County, the City of Smithville, and the City of Alexandria to the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District have increased for the last three years, but due to budgetary constraints for the County and Cities they will not be able to increase funding to the level needed to fully fund operations of the District; and
Whereas, the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District desires to provide the ability to respond to any potential terrorist act by having the ability to receive, process, and disseminate information and to coordinate a unified response by all emergency agencies in DeKalb County, and
Whereas, by reason of the foregoing, it is the considered opinion of the Board of Directors of the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District that a resolution be passed requesting the State 911 Board to approve an increase in landline rates for DeKalb County.
Now therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Directors of the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District, in regular session duly assembled, a quorum being present, as follows:
1. That as of the date of this resolution that it is hereby requested that the State 911 Board increase the landline 911 rates from .65 cents to $1.50 for residential lines and to increase the rate of $2.00 to $3.00 for Business landlines. The effective date for said increase to be 60 days after State Emergency Communications Board approval.
2. The Board of Directors hereby recommend this increase for the purpose of improving the district’s ability to provide enhanced 911 service to the citizens of DeKalb County.
3. All resolutions in conflict herewith be, and the same are hereby rescinded insofar, as such conflict exists and this resolution shall become effective upon its passage.”

School board members from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. February 6th-8th for a meeting of the National School Boards Association.
Kenny Rhody, DeKalb County School Board member, attended as the Tennessee School Board Association’s Federal Relations Network Upper Cumberland District Coordinator.
Members of the Tennessee FRN help school board members gain direct access to their members of Congress and federal officials to lobby for issues that are directly impacting their districts.
Rhody said it is an honor for him to have been chosen for this position. “Before the Fall TSBA meeting of the Upper Cumberland, the President of TSBA wanted me to submit my name to run for the Upper Cumberland Federal Resource Director position. I spoke of the position with our Director of Schools, Mark Willoughby and after a lengthy discussion, he urged me to apply as it could help DeKalb County by giving us a voice.”
“At the TSBA Fall District Meeting of the Upper Cumberland, I was elected FRN Director of which I and other directors from across the state were schooled and brought up to speed on the laws and mandates, Race to the Top stats, and other issues that may affect the schools of Tennessee.”
“The Tennessee delegation met with U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, U.S. Representatives Diane Black, Steve Cohen, Scott Desjarlais, Marsha Blackburn, and others to work hard for the education bills and funding issues that affect us locally. We are concerned about (1) the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), funding of Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to federal levels of 40% of the extra costs to meet the requirements of IDEA instead of 17 1/2% as is the funding level for this year, 2010-11; (2) changing the underfunded or no funded mandates imposed on the schools; (3) providing temporary relief of sanctions from ESEA; (4) expanding support for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education (STEM) and (5) funding the new Federal Child Nutrition Act.”
Rhody said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke to the delegations about the nation’s challenges and importance of our work. “Tennessee is improving in our nation from 45th place to number two behind Massachusetts, according to the latest reports. All the nation’s eyes are on us in Tennessee and several million dollars are on the table for passage. We must work hard to bring those dollars home to Tennessee to work for our children. Now , according to Secretary Duncan, is the time to work hardest for them.”
The NSBA is asking the Congress to make significant changes to the mandates and sanctions of the No Child Left Behind Act and restore maximum flexibility to local school boards in the delivery of Federal Education Programs; to increase Federal Funding for Title I grants and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help disadvantaged students and school districts close achievement gaps; and to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) or provide temporary relief from sanctions. The ESEA was last reauthorized on January 8, 2002 as the No Child Left Behind Act and serves as the major federal law supporting K-12 public education in America. The law, first enacted in 1965, established federal policy and authorized federal funding to assist states and local school districts to improve the academic performance of all students enrolled in public schools regardless of economic status, race, ethnicity, proficiency in English or disability. However, officials say NCLB is flawed in that it bases its assessment of school quality on a student’s performance only on a single assessment and mandates a series of overbroad sanctions that have not proven to have significant impact on improving student of school performance compared to other options.
The U.S. Department of Education has released a “Blueprint for Reauthorization of ESEA” which provides a comprehensive set of initiatives by which the federal government intends to support local school districts to raise student performance and close the achievement gap for academically-struggling students in public schools. Additionally, the “Blueprint” would shift the emphasis from being more punitive to more supportive of local school districts with a renewed emphasis on students graduating from high school being college and or career-ready.

The Smithville Aldermen Monday night, at the request of Fire Chief Charlie Parker, voted to seek bids on the purchase of a new or demo model aerial ladder truck for the city fire department.
Last summer, the aldermen set aside $400,000 in capital outlay funds in this years budget to go toward the purchase of a used ladder truck, if a suitable one could be found. But during a workshop with the mayor and aldermen on Monday, February 28th, Chief Parker, proposed purchasing a new or demo model.
Parker said Monday night that the bid specs would be for a new truck but the city could settle for a demo model depending upon the age of the truck, as long as it meets or comes close to meeting the bid specs.
The cost of a new ladder truck is likely to be significantly more than the $400,000 the city has allocated and Mayor Taft Hendrixson expressed reservations about advertising for bids when the city does not have enough money set aside for a truck that may cost as much as $675,000. Any additional funding for a new truck would most likely have to come from the city’s general fund surplus reserves.
Still, the aldermen felt like it was okay to take bids but they did not allocate any additional funding for a ladder truck at this time.
Chief Parker said if the city were to buy a new truck, it could use all or part of the $400,000 allocation as a down payment and finance the rest of the cost possibly over a three to five year period through a lease purchase arrangement.
After the vote to accept bids, Mayor Hendrixson cautioned the aldermen to be careful how they’re spending the city’s reserve funds. “In this year’s budget, we’ve either spent or allocated, pushing half of our reserve funds. We have either spent, allocated, or obligated over three million dollars of our reserve funds. Gentlemen, one more year of this and we’ll be out of money like most places around us. I know you are aware of this but it has been worrying me. It bothers me really bad.”
In other business, the aldermen voted 4-0-1 to make a few amendments to the golf course lease, which was approved two weeks ago with Tony Poss.
At the February 21st meeting, the aldermen voted 5 to 0 to enter into a ten year lease agreement with Poss to operate the Smithville Municipal Golf and Swim Club. Poss will pay the city $100 per year in rent. After the first ten years, Poss will have an option to extend the term of the lease agreement for an additional ten years.
During a workshop Monday night, February 28th, Poss and his attorney Hilton Conger requested a few amendments to the lease.
Mayor Hendrixson, during Monday night’s meeting, explained what those proposed changes would be. “Two or three things he wanted to change on it. He (Poss) wanted the lease to be for him and his wife. On the irrigation system, he (Poss) has agreed to pay the first $500 during the year (on repairs) and after that we (city) will pay the rest of the cost to keep it (irrigation system) in operation. We(city) will pay the first six months of utilities at the golf course.”
Termination of the lease must be for cause with a ninety day written notice given.
All Aldermen voted for the changes to the lease except for Aaron Meeks who passed.
In other business, Alderman Steve White said he wanted “No alcoholic beverage” signs placed at all city parks including the golf course prohibiting open containers or the consumption of alcohol there. City Attorney Vester Parsley said he needed to check first to see if the city should adopt an ordinance.
Airport manager Wesley Nokes asked for the city’s approval to accept a grant for the airport. ” We’ve been awarded a grant for $55,000 for a new airport layout plan. An airport layout plan is a five year plan that outlines the development of the airport for the next five years as it’s perceived by the state and by our contract engineering firm. The state and federal government wants you to keep this plan undated in order to continue to receive your grants and funding from the FAA and from the State of Tennessee Aeronautics. The grant is a 90/10 (matching grant). It’s a $5,500 cost to the city. The rest will be paid by the state.”
The aldermen voted to accept the grant.
Meanwhile, Mayor Hendrixson gave a report on the city’s property tax collections. “On our 2010 property taxes, we have a total of $773,413 including public utility taxes and property taxes. As of last Friday, March 4th we have collected $728,117. This is 94% collections as of last Friday. I think that’s wonderful.”
The aldermen voted to purchase a used pick-up to replace an animal control truck which was damaged in a traffic accident last week. Mayor Hendrixson said the city has $5,000 in capital outlay funds which would be put toward this purchase although he does not want to spend all that on a truck. He said the city could probably get a good price on a used truck through state surplus.
The aldermen voted to hire Darrell Adkins and Joseph Parsley now that they have completed their sixty day probation period. Adkins was hired December 29th to work in the sanitation department at $9.65 per hour. His pay will increase to $11.03 per hour.
Parsley was hired on December 29th as a sanitation truck driver at $10.35 per hour. His pay will increase to $11.03 per hour.
Meanwhile, Mayor Hendrixson asked for and received permission from the aldermen to make the following transfers: Darrell Adkins from sanitation to sewer rehab; R.J. Bain from water maintenance to sewer rehab; and Riley Bullard from sanitation to water maintenance. Mayor Hendrixson said that some employees have retired and he wanted to make these transfers so that the city could make the best use of their services.
Alderman Steve White said he would like the city to look into adopting a policy to require that all new city employees hired in the public works department and other areas where they have to operate city vehicles to obtain a Commercial Drivers License, possibly before they become full time or get a pay raise. This would not apply to the city police or fire departments or city hall employees. No action was taken Monday night
Alderman Shawn Jacobs asked again if anyone had checked with a local bank, with whom the city does business, which had cleared checks with only one city official’s signature. City Attorney Parsley said “we found out that the accounts were set up requiring one signature.” Parsley added that the bank manager “gave us the signature cards which said only one signature required.”
Parsley said the bank manager added that while the city could require two signatures, if a check comes through with only one signature, the bank may not catch it because these types of transactions are mostly done electronically. “Electronically, they’re only looking at numbers. They only check to see if the numbers are right.”
Mayor Hendrixson concluded “we’re in the process of getting that changed (to require two signatures on checks). Checks will be printed that state “must have two authorized signatures”.

A fire Monday destroyed a lake home on Askin Lane off Austin Bottom Road belonging to Martin McGill of Brentwood
Central dispatch received the call at 11:32 a.m.
Members of the Short Mountain Highway, Cookeville Highway, Austin Bottom, and Main Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with mutual aid assistance from the Baxter and Putnam County Fire Departments.
Lieutenant Brad Mullinax said no one was at home when firefighters arrived but the owner, McGill showed up a short time later.
The two story structure, which also had a basement, became fully engulfed in flames by the time the fire was reported so firefighters could not save it, nor any of the home’s contents. McGill told firefighters that the home had an appraised value of $850,000.
Firefighters worked to keep the blaze from spreading to four other structures in the area but radiating heat caused some minor damage to the porch of the nearest neighbor home only a few feet away.
The cause of the fire is undetermined but remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, another fire was reported at 3:48 p.m. Monday at a trailer home in the Midway community near Page Drive reportedly belonging to Johnny Cantrell. The fire destroyed the trailer. The cause is apparently undetermined. The trailer had reportedly been occupied recently by a relative of Cantrell but was apparently vacant at the time of the fire.
Members of the Midway, Blue Springs, and Keltonburg Stations of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has arrested a 42 year old man for the theft of farm equipment from a location on McMinnville Highway last Friday, March 4th
Sheriff Patrick Ray said Roger Matthew Sutton of Cookeville Highway is charged with theft of property. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on March 17th.
According to Sheriff Ray, Sutton allegedly took two sets of cultivator arms, two sets of cultivators, two sets of cultivator bars, a three point hitch, a fertilizer distributor, ten hard land plows, and a gooseneck plate, all valued at over $1,000.
Meanwhile, 49 year old Danny Ray Ponder of Old Mill Hill Road, Dowelltown is charged with driving under the influence, possession of a schedule II drug (dilaudid) and a schedule IV controlled substance (xanax) for resale. His bond totals $52,500 and his court date is April 7th
Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, March 4th a deputy stopped to check out a vehicle which was parked in the roadway at a stop sign on Game Ridge Road. The motor was running and Ponder, who was passed out behind the steering wheel, still had his foot on the brake pedal. The deputy awoke Ponder and got him out of the vehicle. Ponder was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred. He submitted to and performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and he had trouble staying awake. Ponder also submitted to a blood test.
During the DUI arrest of Ponder, the officer received consent to search his vehicle and found two bottles under the seat, one containing 83 xanax pills and another containing nine pills, believed to be dilaudid.
40 year old Royce Virgel Ashford, Jr. of Warren Road, Woodbury was recently issued a citation for driving on a suspended license and for failure to maintain his lane of travel. Ashford will appear in General Sessions Court on April 6th.
Sheriff Ray said that Ashford was operating a vehicle on Highway 56 north, heading south when he failed to maintain his lane of travel. After pulling over the automobile, the officer asked Ashford for his drivers license. Ashford produced it and a computer check revealed that the license was suspended for failure to satisfy a citation in Putnam County.

Local telecommunications providers including DTC Communications are protesting a proposal that would cut intrastate access fees collected from long-distance carriers that connect to their networks, a move they say could increase costs for rural customers.
Known as the “Uniform Access, Competition, and Consumer Fairness Act of 2011,” the legislation is backed by a broad group of telecommunications providers including AT&T, which called the bill a “compromise” that would “modernize telecommunications policy and keep Tennessee moving forward.”
Nashville attorney John Harris, III, who represents an association on behalf of seven rural Tennessee telephone cooperatives, including DTC, told WJLE Wednesday that if the proposed legislation is adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly, it could result in higher rates and or cuts in services offered by local telephone companies. “Their (phone cooperatives) concern is that this legislation that primarily AT&T is behind, because they are doing this in a number of other states, is going to be very bad for local government and for local communities that they serve for several reasons.”
“The AT&T legislation really deals with a very narrow issue that has to do with how much AT&T, as a long distance carrier, has to pay a local phone cooperative, like DTC to connect an incoming long distance call to a DTC customer,” said Harris. “For example, if a call originates out of Memphis, comes to Smithville and gets sent up some hollow somewhere to a rural customer, DTC wants to be paid a portion of the long distance charge because it owns the lines and has to pay for the electricity, the property taxes and it has to pay its employees to go out there and maintain the lines when a storm comes through. It has costs associated with its share of delivering that phone call. Presently, the rural phone cooperatives are charging anywhere from about four cents a minute to about ten cents a minute to connect that call statewide, depending upon the phone company. AT&T is charging its customers, in Memphis for example, as much as forty cents a minute to business customers to place those calls. AT&T is making plenty of profit on the calls,” said Harris.
“What AT&T wants to do is to force the local phone cooperatives to accept approximately two cents a minute to place those calls across its network. AT&T’s legislation would allow AT&T to benefit to the tune of about $16 million dollars a year in keeping those profits, those cost reductions, because the law that is proposed doesn’t require AT&T to pass those cost savings on to its customers,” according to Harris.
“From the perspective of the phone cooperatives, their response is that its actually costing them (cooperatives) anywhere from about five cents a minute to as much as nine cents a minute to provide that service and if the legislature is going to force them(cooperatives) to provide a service that costs nine cents a minute to provide and force them to only accept two cents a minute in compensation for that service then they (cooperatives) have to do something on their end to absorb that theft of services,” said Harris. ” Potentially, what they will have to do is either cut services, raise rates, or reduce the number of employees. It could mean as much as an eight dollar a month increase in cooperative customer basic monthly phone service rates to make up that loss which is really going into the pockets of AT&T,” according to Harris.
“All the rural cooperatives are saying concerning this legislation is that we don’t mind connecting and delivering the long distance calls. All we’re (cooperatives) asking is that if it cost us, based on our calculations seven to nine cents a minute to do that (connect the calls) by the time you add in maintenance, employee salaries, and all the overhead, just pay us a reasonable amount of money to provide the service. AT&T doesn’t want to do that,” said Harris.
Harris added that the AT&T bill is getting a great deal of support from Republicans in the State House and Senate, except for a few including State Senator Mae Beavers and State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver who are standing with the rural telephone cooperatives in opposition to the legislation. “A real troubling thing about this is there is a perception, and I think it’s a valid one, that a lot of the rural communities in Tennessee are part of the reason why the Republicans have now taken control of state government. We saw a shift in 2008 and 2010 in how rural communities are voting and that has given the Republicans the majority in the state house, state senate, and the Governor’s office. But it’s primarily the Republicans who are carrying AT&T’s water at this point and turning on rural Tennessee with no apparent reason or concern for what it’s going to do to rural Tennessee,” said Harris. “We do have State Senator Mae Beavers and State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver and a lot of good Republicans and Democrats who are trying to look out for rural Tennessee. The problem is the Republican leadership like Mark Norris, who is out of Collierville near Memphis, doesn’t have any rural coops in his area so he is not really concerned about rural Tennessee and he is the Senate sponsor of this bill,” said Harris.
“AT&T is using it’s power, it’s size, and influence politically to take advantage of rural Tennessee communities and its critical that people in these rural communities contact their telephone coops and phone companies and ask what can we do to help fight this? Who do we need to call? Who do we need to email? How do we get the attention of Governor Bill Haslam and the State Senate and State House of Representatives to make sure that AT&T doesn’t succeed in stealing phone services from rural cooperatives,” Harris concluded.
In a prepared statement, DTC Officials have said ” If AT&T and the telecom giants are successful, we estimate lost revenue to DTC will be $700,000 per year”.

Members of the DeKalb County Board of Education and Director of Schools Mark Willoughby gathered with their counterparts from across the state in Nashville on February 22nd for a day of legislative networking at TSBA’s annual “Day on the Hill” event. This year, featured program speakers included Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, House Speaker Beth Harwell, Senate Education Committee Chair Dolores Gresham, and House Education Committee Chair Richard Montgomery.
“Day on the Hill” is designed for school board members and directors of schools to study pending education legislation and discuss priorities with local legislators. The event began with a breakfast at the Downtown Sheraton Hotel and was followed by visits to legislators’ offices and committee hearings.
“Day on the Hill” provides a unique opportunity for school board members throughout the state to promote public education and seek assistance from the General Assembly with one collective voice”, said TSBA President and Oneida Special school board member Nancy Williamson. “A quality public education system is essential to the future economic development of our state, and every citizen has a vested interest in its success. We look forward to partnering with the General Assembly to continue improving the quality of schools in Tennessee.”
In addition to Director Willoughby, Charles Robinson, chairman of the DeKalb County Board of Education attended along with Kenny Rhody, vice-chair, and John David Foutch, first district member.
Rhody said the “Day on the Hill” provides a great opportunity for local board members to exchange ideas with state legislators. “To sit down with your elected representatives and discuss our needs with them in detail is so important”, said Rhody. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease theme is still important when dealing with funding or the lack thereof. If we don’t stand up for what is right for our children, who will?. We must provide what they need for their future, and ours. To bring back federal and state dollars to our county and state is what has worked well for DeKalb County for 40 plus years and we must keep bringing our money back to work for us. The local tax base should not and cannot fund everything our kids need. That’s why working with our elected representatives and senators is so important now.”
In addition to serving as Chairman of the DeKalb County Board of Education, Robinson is a member of the Tennessee School Board Association Board of Directors, serving as the board’s TLN representative. Robinson is also a Master School Board member.
During the recent 2010 TSBA Annual Convention, Robinson was named to the All Tennessee School Board.
Each year, TSBA recognizes five to seven outstanding school board members as members of the annual All Tennessee School Board. These individuals demonstrate the dedication, professionalism, and vision needed to take public education to the highest level.
Rhody, meanwhile, recently earned the designation of Master Board Member, having reached the fifth and highest level in TSBA’s Boardsmanship Program. The program is designed to recognize school board members for participation in board activities beyond the local level through a commitment to training, willingness to participate in workshops and conferences and a volunteer spirit.
To obtain Level V, board members must earn at least 250 credits in three areas, including attendance at school board academies; participation in activities such as the TSBA Annual Convention, leadership conferences and workshops; and completion of activities such as speaking to civic clubs or meeting with legislators. Candidates must complete a portfolio detailing their accomplishments.
Rhody was also recently elected to serve as the Upper Cumberland Federal Relations Network district coordinator at the TSBA Fall District Meeting. The FRN promotes communication with the Tennessee Congressional delegation to explain the impact of federal education policy on local school districts.