DeKalb County’s affiliate chapter of Habitat for Humanity will soon begin taking applications for its second partner family. The application process will begin in coming weeks once its first partner family – the Perry family – is placed in their new home on Adams Street in Smithville. Dedication of the house is expected sometime in early October.
For the second home here, to be built the next year, Habitat seeks applications from qualifying families or individuals. To qualify, applicants must: (1) have lived in DeKalb County for at least one year; (2) be willing to partner with Habitat to realize dreams of home ownership; (3) currently occupy inadequate or substandard housing; (4) demonstrate the ability to pay a mortgage; and (5) fall within Habitat?s income guidelines. Examples of qualifying income levels range from $9,150 to $15,250 for an individual
and between $13,050 and $21,750 for a family of four.
All applications will be reviewed and considered by Habitat’s Family Selection Committee before a partner family is selected. The partner family will work with Habitat on construction of their home and to develop the skills necessary for successful home ownership. Construction labor is provided by Habitat volunteers, and some materials are donated by Habitat supporters, as well.
Once the home is completed, the partner family will be given a 20-year no interest mortgage for the purchase price, based solely on the cost of materials and related services. Under these terms, qualifying families can expect to pay from between $200 and $300 per month to be in their own home.
An application /information meeting will be held sometime in October, following the dedication of the Perry family’s Adams Street House. In the meantime, anyone interested in learning more or applying to become a partner family should call 215-8181 and leave a message with your contact information.

DeKalb County Volunteer Firefighters were called to the residence of Eric Vanatta at 400 Lee Homer Road Tuesday morning.
Assistant Fire Chief Roy Merriman says Vanatta told firefighters that he had placed a pot on the kitchen stove, poured some cooking oil in the pot, and while it was heating up, he went to the living room, sat down, and dosed off to sleep.
Vanatta says he awoke to a popping sound and discovered the kitchen was on fire. He called 911 and escaped from the house. He was not injured.
Merriman says firefighters contained the fire damage to the kitchen area but smoke spread to other parts of the house.
Members of the Blue Springs, Short Mountain Highway, Keltonburg, and Belk Fire Stations responded along with a tanker truck. EMS and law enforcement officers were also on the scene.

The Smithville Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday night accepted a bid from Highland Aviation of Crossville to become the new Fixed Based Operator of the Airport, subject to the new tenant’s approval after a review and inspection of the property.
John J. Keigans, Jr. is the owner and director of maintenance of Highland Aviation, a company which has been the Fixed Based operator of the Crossville Memorial Airport since 2001.
As the General Fixed Base Operator, Highland proposes to pay the City of Smithville $350 per month for rental fees in association with the FBO facilities. Highland will also market the facilities associated with the Smithville Municipal Airport.
Under terms of the agreement, Highland will provide sale and dispensation of aviation gasoline fuels and oils. Smithville will provide adequate and environmentally safe facilities for the storage and dispensation of these fuels.
Highland will provide tie-down space for a minimum of ten aircraft; provide adequate and efficient ramp service; provide one mechanic over a 40 hour work period per week for the maintenance of local and transient aircraft; insure that all necessary equipment and tools are available; and provide flight instruction
Highland will pay the city three cents for every gallon of fuel sold, work with the city to provide the necessary equipment to move and store aircraft, and provide oil as necessary to service all transient stored aircraft.
Highland will use leased hangar space to provide cover for any aircraft upon which maintenance is being performed; provide sufficient shop space and adequate equipment to perform top overhauls as required for FAA certification. Maintenance will be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on an as-call basis. Highland will use available space for the washing and cleaning of aircraft. No aircraft will be stored for salvage operation without notification of the city administrators.
Highland, through its flight school in Crossville, will provide one instructor for single engine land airplanes by appointment and meet and continue to uphold all requirements of the FAA for proposed flight training. Highland will also provide a ground instructor to provide instruction sufficient to enable students to pass the FAA written examinations.
In other business, the aldermen voted 3 to 2 to give city attorney Sarah Cripps a pay raise.
Cripps says her monthly retainer fee of $1,250 has not been increased since she was named city attorney eight years ago and that her workload for the city has increased within the last couple of years.
Alderman Paul Young made a motion that Cripps’ pay be increased to $1,500 per month. Alderman Aaron Meeks seconded the motion and Alderman Cecil Burger voted with Young and Meeks to approve the pay raise. Aldermen Steve White and W.J. (Dub) White voted against it because money for the pay raise was not budgeted this year.
The board also approved on first reading, an ordinance that authorizes fees to the public for the inspection and copying of public records.

A vacant house at 234 Keltonburg Road was destroyed by fire Sunday morning.
County Fire Chief Donny Green says the house, which had been vacant for about two years, belonged to Robert Patton.
A Warren County deputy, who lives in DeKalb County and was going to work, spotted the fire and reported it.
Green says the house was destroyed but firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to a barn behind the home.
Members of the Keltonburg, Belk, Blue Springs, Short Mountain Highway, and a tanker truck responded along with DeKalb EMS
The cause of the fire is undetermined.

District Attorney General Bill Gibson is vowing not to resign in the face of criticism and an investigation into whether he was criminally or ethically wrong in corresponding with a man convicted of murder, that his office prosecuted.
In letters, sent by Gibson to 34 year old Christopher Barrett Adams of Cookeville, The D.A. reportedly gave the man legal advice, encouragement, and religious counsel, both while the murder case was pending in court, and after the man was sentenced, without the knowledge of Adams’ attorney.
Adams is currently in the penitentiary serving a 35 year sentence for robbing and killing an elderly Buffalo Valley woman. He was initially charged with first degree murder, but under a negotiated settlement, Adams pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Adams has also sought post-conviction relief in order to get either a shorter sentence or a new trial.
Reports say attorney’s ethical rules prevent lawyers from secretly talking to other attorney’s clients.
Gibson could lose his law license and possibly be charged with a crime. He is currently under investigation by the TBI and is facing action by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility.
Gibson contends while he may not have exercised good judgement he was morally right and doesn’t plan to resign.
Gibson says he started writing to Adams in response to correspondence he received from Adams and claims his motive was to make sure that Adams fully understood all his legal options.
Gibson claims he has done nothing wrong and believes he was morally obligated to help Adams, who Gibson claims has become a Christian. Adams apparently has shared his religious experiences with Gibson through some of the letters.

The Smithville Police Department is investigating an apparent arson at South Fork Apartments at 524 Miller Road Friday afternoon.
Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker says city firefighters were summoned to the apartment complex around 2:15 p.m. Friday. Upon arrival, they found that someone had apparently set fire to a small pile of debris in a crawl space underneath an apartment.
Parker says the fire was quickly extinguished but the blaze burned a small hole in the floor of one of the apartments, damaged floor joist, and melted some wiring.
The residents of the damaged apartment were not present when the fire started and no one was injured.
The case remains under investigation.

25 year old Garth Cantrell, charged with shooting 21 year old Joseph Givens in the face with a 22 caliber rifle Thursday night, is now seeking assault charges against Givens and another man, claiming they beat him up prior to the shooting.
Charges are currently pending against the two men.
Smithville Police were summoned to 303 White Street at 11:35 p.m. Thursday and found that Givens had been shot in the face by a 22 caliber rifle. Cantrell was identified as the man who did the shooting, but he had apparently left the scene in a pick-up truck with another person.
During radio communications with Smithville Police Officer Steve Deffendoll, Sheriff Patrick Ray says he spotted a gray Toyota pick-up truck traveling on Mountain Street with it’s headlights off and he stopped the vehicle near the intersection of East Main Street and Bright Hill Road. Inside the truck was a 22 caliber rifle.
Sheriff Ray says Cantrell, a passenger of the truck, had a bloody nose and mouth and he was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital for treatment. Cantrell was then transported to the DeKalb County Jail where he was booked for attempted first degree murder by Smithville Police.
Investigators have not confirmed it, but sources say Cantrell had been out with a friend that night and that after they stopped at the White Street location, Givens and the other man approached the vehicle, where Cantrell was sleeping, and started beating him. Cantrell awoke to the attack and after the incident, he left, got a 22 caliber rifle, returned to the scene, confronted Givens, and then shot him.
The arrest warrant against Cantrell states that “Garth Wayne Cantrell did shoot Joseph Givens in the face area with a .22 caliber rifle at 303 White Street. Mr. Cantrell got into a fight with Givens and another subject and left and returned with the rifle and shot Mr. Givens, causing serious bodily injury. Mr Cantrell admits to doing this shooting.”
Givens was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital and has since been released. He reportedly suffered a serious eye injury.
Cantrell remains in jail under a $125,000 bond. Since his arrest, Cantrell has also been charged with violation of probation. He appeared in General Sessions Court on August 31st and was granted probation after being sentenced on charges of possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He received two sentences of 11 months and 29 days to run concurrently.
He is scheduled to appear in court on the attempted murder charge October 5th.
Vester Parsley, Jr., attorney for Cantrell, declined to make any statement in Cantrell’s defense at this time.