Jonathan Birmingham won first place, “Best of Show”, and took the “People’s Choice Award” in the 9th through 12th grade division of the DeKalb Art Exhibit held Saturday at the County Complex. The annual event was sponsored by the Smithville Study Club. Susan Hinton is the President of the club.
This years art exhibit featured 211 entries from winners named at each school.
*Division 1- Pre-Kindergarten to 1st Grade:
1st Place-Camille Barton
2nd Place- Sophie Desimone
3rd Place-Elliot Barnes
4th Place-Maggie Hendrixson
Honorable Mention: Lance Duke and Kloe Parsley
*Division 2- 2nd & 3rd grades
1st Place-Larissa Mooneyham
2nd Place-Izzy Hendrixson
3rd Place-Sklar Chausse
4th Place-Ben Barton
Honorable Mentions- Cadence Reynolds and Pierce Moreno
*Division 3- 4th & 5th grades
1st Place-Bryce Stembridge
2nd Place-Laina Winfree
3rd Place-Tess Barton
4th Place-Madelyn Johnson
Honorable Mentions-Chloe Lawson, Landon Purdue, and Sarah White
*Division 4- 6th – 8th grades
1st Place-Madison Peregoy
2nd Place-Shanti Liu
3rd Place-Presley Agee
4th Place-Katherine Gassaway
Honorable Mentions: Gabby Wheatley, Reyna Edmonds, and Jacob Johnson
*Division 5- 9th-12th grades
1st Place- Jonathan Birmingham
2nd Place-Savannah Anderson Howell
3rd Place-Dulce Maciel
4th Place-Danny Guzman Viel
Honorable Mentions-Brooke Gannon, Ashley Phillips, Braya Murphy, and Damion Estes

Members of a grateful community gathered Memorial Day at the county complex to honor and thank all who have served our nation and given their all for the freedoms we enjoy.
DeKalb County Historian Tommy Webb, the guest speaker, told the story of the late Burnace Hill of Dowelltown, a World War II POW who was taken prisoner in Japan. He was liberated in 1945 and returned home after the war, four years after he had joined the military. (VIEW VIDEO OF SPEECH BELOW)
The annual ceremony was sponsored by the American Legion Post #122 and moderated by Commander William Edmonds.
M2U02452 from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Members of the Boy Scout Troop #347 presented the flags and led the audience in the pledge to the flag. Local minister Larry Green offered a prayer and Erica Birmingham performed the National Anthem. Susan Hinton performed a song “Til They Come Home” as a special Memorial Day tribute.
Judy Redmon of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary recognized Gold Star Mothers and called for a moment of silence in memory of all service men and women who have paid the ultimate price for their country.
After Mr. Webb’s speech, Ronnie Redmon, Post Adjutant of the American Legion Post #122, adjourned the program at the complex after which attendees were asked to gather at the veteran’s memorial monument at the courthouse for the laying of a wreath and taps by DCHS band student Josh Moon.

Two Murfreesboro men are charged with stealing a wooden box filled with firewood from a residence on Old Casey Cove Road last week.
25 year old John Robert Savko and 25 year old Cory Nethaniel Nelson are each charged with theft of property. Bond for each is $1,500 and they will be in court on June 15.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 5/22/2017 Thru: 5/029/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_25.pdf (2.46 MB)
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, May 25 a deputy responded to a residence on Casey Cove Road where a theft had been reported. Savko and Nelson allegedly admitted to having taken a wooden box full of firewood from an address on Old Casey Cove Road. The value of the box and wood was $200.
33 year old Roxanna Landis of Old West Pointe Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. Her bond is $1,500 and her court date is June 8. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, May 26 a deputy found Landis in the middle of the roadway on Midway Road. She was very unsteady on her feet. Her speech was slurred and her eyes glazed. Landis told the officer that she had taken Subutex, Klonopin, and Neurontin earlier in the day. Landis submitted to but performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. Due to her level of intoxication Landis was taken into custody for her safety and that of the public.
47 year old Clarence Edward Sexton of Cookeville Highway, Smithville is charged with a second offense of driving on a revoked license. He was also cited for running a stop sign. His bond is $2,000 and his court date is June 15. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, May 27 a deputy witnessed a blue car running a stop sign at Duncan Street and West Broad Street in Smithville. The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver, Sexton. A driver license check through central dispatch revealed that Sexton’s license had been revoked in Putnam County. He was placed under arrest for a second offense of driving on a revoked license.
22 year old Samuel Dylan Giles of Judkins Lane Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,000 and his court date is June 15. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, May 27 a deputy responded to a residence on South Judkins Lane due to a physical domestic call. After arrival the officer spoke to a woman who said that she and Giles had gotten into an argument over his being loud. She was concerned that Giles might wake up her five week old baby. The woman claims that Giles pushed her and then slapped her on the face. Marks were observed on the woman’s face and ear. Giles was determined to have been the primary aggressor and was placed under arrest.
23 year old Nicholas Carter of Smyrna is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is June 8. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, May 28 a deputy was dispatched to Cove Hollow Road due to a man who was intoxicated. Upon arrival the officer spoke with Carter who was very belligerent. He had an odor of alcohol on him. Carter was unsteady on his feet. His eyes were glazed over and his speech was slurred. He was placed under arrest for his safety and that of the public.

Strong storms downed trees and utility lines across DeKalb County Saturday night causing power outages and some property damage.
Members of the DeKalb County Highway Department, Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, TDOT and city public works department employees, emergency management, and other volunteers sprung into action with chainsaws and other cutting tools and equipment to remove the debris blocking county roads and state highways. The work continued through the night and part of early Sunday morning.
In Alexandria, at least one home was damaged when a tree fell on it. No injuries were reported.
The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad was called out again on Sunday. They responded to the Riverwatch community where trees had blown across roads in the development. Chain saws were used to cut the trees and Joe Johnson, a Rescue Squad member, brought in his personal track hoe to help remove the debris from the roadways.
Some of the hardest hit roads and communities were Riverwatch, Four Seasons, Temperance Hall, Dale Ridge, Hurricane Ridge, Pine Orchard Road, Alexandria, Big Hurricane Road, Holmes Creek, Bright Hill Road, Back Bone Ridge, Love Colony, Jefferson, Midway, Pates Ford, Smith Fork, among others.

A Memorial Day weekend observance was held Saturday in Alexandria to honor the nation’s fallen heroes including a soldier buried at Eastview Cemetery who fought in the American Revolution.
George Thomason was a member of the 3rd Virginia Militia Continental Line and fought in the Revolutionary War.
Lee Plummer spoke of Thomason during Saturday’s remembrance held at the cemetery where the soldier and his wife, Catherine are buried. (VIEW VIDEO BELOW)
State Senator Mae Beavers and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Mark Pody were also featured speakers and each talked about the significance of Memorial Day.
Mac Willoughby briefly spoke of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan who was in Alexandria for a short time during the civil war years. (VIEW VIDEO BELOW)

The program also featured opening remarks by Alexandria Mayor Bennett Armstrong, an opening prayer by local minister Jackie Gaddes, the pledge of allegiance led by Boy Scout Troop 757, Terri Lynn Weaver performing the Star Spangled Banner, and brief remarks from other Alexandria area veterans and a member of the Tennessee Defense Force. Members of the Alexandria Police and Fire Departments were also in attendance.

Flags were planted by the grave of Soldier Thomason and others at the East View Cemetery in Alexandria.

(The following story and photo were provided to WJLE by the Smith County Insider)
A Carthage man was arrested after leading the sheriff and other officers on a high speed pursuit that ended in DeKalb County the evening of Thursday, May 18.
While investigating a vehicle pursuit, Sgt. Junior Fields of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office learned through dispatch that the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and the Smithville Police Department had made contact with a motorcycle and driver matching the description of one who had fled from Sheriff Steve Hopper.
According to the police report, Hopper was attempting to stop the motorcycle at 9:04 p.m. for reckless driving, at which time the motorcycle had come by him at an excessive speed.
Hopper attempted to stop the motorcycle on the Highway 25 bypass near Cumberland Mine Road, at which time the motorcycle fled from Hopper at a high rate of speed over 100 mph toward Gordonsville on Gordonsville Highway, according to the police report.
According to the police report, the motorcycle failed to stop at the intersection of Gordonsville Highway and New Middleton Highway and continued down Hickman Highway, traveling into DeKalb County.
Other officers joined Hopper in an attempt to stop the fleeing suspect.
Hopper described the rider as wearing a white t-shirt and jeans.
After the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and Smithville Police Department made contact with the motorcycle, a gray 2003 Honda CBR sports bike and rider, at DeKalb market, the driver was identified as Nicholas Bratcher (19, Carthage) and detained for Sheriff Hopper.
According to the police report, Bratcher allegedly admitted to having run from Hopper in an attempt to get away and to avoid arrest.
The police report notes that the pursuit “passed numerous vehicles and placed numerous citizens in danger of serious bodily injury or death.”
Bratcher was placed under arrest and transported to the Smith County Jail Facility for booking.
He is charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving and evading arrest. He was also issued state citations of no license, violation of financial responsibility, stop sign violation and improper display of registration plate.

Although no one was seriously hurt, seven people, including three juveniles went by private vehicle to the hospital Friday evening after a two vehicle crash at the intersection of New Home and Dry Creek Road.
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 23 year old Cole Hawker, operating a 1999 Chevy S-10 was south on Dry Creek Road toward Old Mill Road Road when he crossed the path of a 2005 Dodge Caravan, driven by 71 year old Rodney Higham who was southwest on New Home Road. In addition to the three children, 59 year old Janice Higham was a passenger with Rodney and 23 year old Brandi Kirby was with Hawker.
Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, DeKalb EMS, and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene.

State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) has decided to run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee in 2018, and her top priority will be repeal of the recently enacted 6 cents per gallon gas tax increase pushed by Gov. Haslam.
Beavers released a statement late Saturday that says she “intends to formally announce a campaign for Governor of Tennessee at Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet at 1 pm on Saturday June 3.”
She will become the third candidate officially in the race for the GOP nomination. Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd and Williamson County businessman Bill Lee have already announced their candidacies.
Congresswoman Diane Black, State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville), and Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) are all potential candidates.
With her announcement, Beavers becomes the only clearly conservative announced candidate in the race, and is the only candidate, announced or expected, to come out in support of repealing Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase.
“Over the past several weeks, it has become increasingly clear that conservatives in Tennessee are looking for bold leadership that will not shrink from standing up and speaking up on the key issues facing our state,” Beavers said in her statement released on Saturday.
“President Donald J. Trump is taking the lead in Washington to ‘drain the swamp there; but we have our own swamp in Tennessee and I intend to do the same thing in the Volunteer State,” Beavers added.
Beavers focused on two hot political issues as major priorities for her campaign: repealing the gas tax and protecting girls in public bathrooms.
“As Governor, I will make sure that Tennessee focuses on protecting children before they are born and then providing them a safe and secure environment to grow up in after they are born. That safety and security extends to making sure that men don’t go into the bathrooms and locker rooms of little girls,” Beavers said.
“I will also devote my effort and attention to insure that Tennessee taxpayers will get the biggest bang possible for their tax dollars, with spending focused on results rather than catering to special interest cronies and big corporate donors,” Beavers added.
“And that means a full effort to repeal the gas tax increase that the legislature just passed and Governor Haslam just signed into law.”
Beavers also mentioned the role she played as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly during the 1999 to 2002 period when Gov. Don Sundquist unsuccessfully attempted to force a state income tax on the residents of Tennessee.
“I didn’t lead the fight against a state income tax and spend the last several decades in public office working against tax increases in order to have a Republican majority legislature impose a tax
increase on fuel while we have a $2 billion dollar surplus,” Beavers said.
“Punishing working men and women in Tennessee with a big increase at the gas pumps when we have other revenue available to build and repair our roads is completely unacceptable and we should make repeal of that tax a priority,” she concluded.
First elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1994, Beavers has served in the State Senate since 2002. She lives in Mt. Juliet with her husband Jerry.

Teresa Fuson Johnson was the winner of an 11 foot Jackson Riviera Kayak in a Habitat for Humanity raffle drawing on WJLE Saturday morning.
Alex Woodward of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County said $1,800 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.
Woodward, Chad Driver, and Caroline Driver participated in the on-air giveaway Saturday
Habitat Board Members pictured in bottom photo with Kayak: Michael Martin, Gary Johnson, Dick Kinsey, Jordan Atnip, Alex Woodward, Marie Blair, Diane Lynch, and James L. (Jimmy) Poss. Not Pictured: Chad Driver, Gina Denman, John Carpenter, Glenda Davis, and Rhonda Harpole

The legal battle between the City of Smithville and the DeKalb Utility District is finally over.
Chancellor Ronald Thurman has dismissed both a DUD complaint against the city and the city’s counter claim against the DUD. The order of dismissal was signed on Monday, May 22. Both sides agreed to the dismissal
The DeKalb Utility District took the City of Smithville to court in February, 2014 after the aldermen decided to raise the water rate it charged the DUD at the time from $2.67 to $5.00 per thousand gallons, the same rate that all other city water customers paid. DUD claimed the rate was excessive and would force the utility to pass along massive rate increases to its customers.
Following a two hour hearing later that month in Cookeville, Chancellor Thurman granted a DUD motion for a temporary injunction barring the city from continuing to impose its $5.00 rate until the city gave proper notice to DUD and justification for raising the rate above $2.67 per thousand gallons. The ruling was only on the motion for a temporary injunction. The lawsuit brought against the city by the DUD had yet to be litigated. The case has lingered in court since.
The city then filed a counter claim in Chancery Court in March, 2014 claiming the DUD had underpaid for water purchases from July 1, 2008 to December 31, 2013 and owed the city more than one million dollars. Even though the city had a water purchase contract with the DUD from March 15, 2004 through December 31, 2013 establishing the amount the DUD would pay for water each year, city attorneys claimed a 2013 water cost study found that the municipality had not charged the DUD enough to cover all of the actual costs of producing and distributing water to the DUD, and the City did not recover any of its capital costs from DUD during the period between July 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013. In the answer, DUD attorneys contended that the water purchase contract governed the rate to be charged over the ten year period. The counter claim was also never resolved by the court.
In the Order of Dismissal, Chancellor Thurman wrote that “It appearing to the Court from statements of counsel for the parties and a review of this matter that a dismissal of both the Complaint of the plaintiff (DUD) and Counterclaim of the defendant (City of Smithville) is warranted and proper, the Court finds that all causes of action pursued by both parties in this matter shall be dismissed with prejudice”.
“Therefore, the Complaint (by DUD) and the Counterclaim (by City), and all causes of action asserted in this cause by both parties, are hereby DISMISSED with prejudice and this case is closed. Concurrent with the dismissal of the Complaint and Counterclaim, the temporary injunction entered on May 12, 2014 is hereby dissolved and the injunction bond posted by the Plaintiff shall be released and returned to the plaintiff. Any unpaid court costs shall be assessed equally between the parties,” the order of dismissal concluded.
After DUD initiated plans to build its own water treatment plant, the City of Smithville hired a public relations firm in April 2012 to launch a grassroots campaign to try to stop the project. A petition drive was started and at least ten percent of DUD customers signed it, triggering a review by the state’s Utility Management Review Board (UMRB).
A year later, the UMRB held an all day hearing in Smithville and dismissed the petition filed by a group of DeKalb Utility District ratepayers and the city who were hoping to halt DUD plans to build the water plant. UMRB Board members said the petitioners had failed to meet their burden of proof that DUD rates or services provided were unreasonable.
The DUD petitioners and city then requested a judicial review asking Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle to overturn the decision by the UMRB board. Instead, the Chancellor, in February 2014, ruled against the DUD petitioners and city and affirmed the UMRB’s action clearing the way for DUD to begin building the water plant.
The new DUD water treatment plant is now completed and operational.