Smithville police have charged a 27-year old man with nine counts of burglary, six counts of theft, evading arrest, and escape after a chase on foot Thursday led to the subject?s arrest.
Police chief, Gus Clemente, says Chistopher D. Bilbrey, believed to be homeless, but originally from Davidson County, was arrested Thursday, after being found with some stolen property, and is believed to be responsible for several vehicle and building break-ins.
Smithville Police received a call around 8:14 a.m. Thursday morning, about a suspicious male allegedly going through cars at 114 South Bright Hill Road.
Officer Lonnie DeFore responded to the scene, and was met by the victim, James Young, who said he had seen the subject take items from his vehicle and go behind a column across the street. Bilbrey was at the scene upon DeFore?s arrival, and the officer escorted Bilbrey to the column, where the items that were reported stolen were found.
Upon making the discovery, DeFore attempted to place Bilbrey under arrest, but the suspect fled the scene. A pursuit on foot ensued, as Bilbrey fled onto Congress Boulevard toward the Family Medical Center, were he was apprehended.
Around the same time, Smithville Police Lieutenant Richard Jennings was working two burglary reports, one at Model City Auto Sales and one at Tennessee Credit. It was learned Bilbrey was the one allegedly responsible for those break-ins, as well.
Bilbrey is believed to have taken a Shop Vac, a gas grill, a weed eater and a battery at Model City Auto Sales, in addition to breaking into three vehicles. He is also charged with breaking into two vehicles owned by Tennessee Credit.
Bilbrey was able to start one of the vehicles he broke into and was planning
to leave the scene with the items in his possession. However, a flat tire on the truck thwarted Bilbrey?s plan, and he had to resume his getaway on foot.
After he was arrested and taken in for processing, Bilbrey was handcuffed to an eye-bolt on a bench at the Smithville Police Department while authorities continued their investigation and completed the paperwork.
Around 1:30 p.m., while police continued their work, Bilbrey managed to take the eye-bolt out of the bench and escaped from custody out a side door. He again fled onto Congress Boulevard, and was apprehended a short time later, near where he was first confronted by Officer DeFore.
?It was a joint effort and very impressive team work?, Smithville Police Chief Gus Clemente said of Bilbrey?s apprehension on both occasions.

Mr. Jim McCormick was honored for his many years of service to the DeKalb County School system at Thursday night?s meeting of the Board of Education. McCormick, who is retiring at the end of the month, has worked with the DeKalb County School system for nearly 40 years. The board presented him with several gifts, including a plaque and a rocking chair. Board chairman Johnny Lattimore made the presentation.
McCormick thanked all of the board members, and all the people he has worked with over the years in the school system.
In other business, the board approved consent items, including the application for Local Consolidation plan, Title I, Parts A, C, & D; Title II, Parts A & D; Title III, Part A; Title IV, Part A; Title V, Part A; and Title VI, Part B for fiscal year 2007 and the federal budget. The board approved a partnership agreement with L,B,J, & C Head Start, and approved all fundraisers and school budgets for the 2006-07 school year. The board also approved the pay calendar for the upcoming year.
Meanwhile, a wage and labor issue, regarding Teresa Miller and Jennifer Nixon was tabled until the board can look further into the issue. The board was to schedule a workshop for later in the month to discuss the issue. Also tabled was a claim by the law office of Sue Puckett-Jernigan, seeking some $17,000 for services rendered prior to McCormick?s tenure as Director of Schools. Board member, Keith Garrett, made a motion to table this issue, so the board can get more specific details on the claim. The issue will also be discussed at the workshop later this month.
DCHS Principal, Kathy Hendrix, gave the board a report on the Gateway Test results for the school.
Director McCormick gave his monthly personnel report. Those who have been employed for the 2006-07 school year include: Michelle Fontanez, teacher at DeKalb County High School; Larry Steffee, teacher at DeKalb County High School; Christine Rivers, teacher at DeKalb County High School; Kyle Rivers, teacher at Northside Elementary School; and Rolando Navarro, teacher at DeKalb County High School.
The board also approved an overnight trip request for the DeKalb County High School Band to attend a band camp at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, July 23rd through the 28th.

Bankruptcy Trustee John C. Mclemore has filed a motion to amend Cumberland Insurance Group’s minimum purchase price of the B. Don James Insurance “book of business” from $200,000 to $175,000.
Under terms of the original agreement, Cumberland Insurance Group committed to pay 45% of its gross renewal commissions or a minimum of $200,000 for the Smithville, Woodbury, and Sparta businesses of B. Don James & Sons Insurance Agency.
McClemore now wants the original order amended because “from the date of the sale, Cumberland Insurance Group, LLC and the Trustee had problems securing the book of business controlled by the Sparta branch. According to Mclemore, the manager there was determined to keep that business for himself. He left the employ of the Debtor and joined another insurance agency, taking with him sufficient records from the Sparta office to allow him to solicit from the customers assignments of the administrative rights to their policies. This was done despite the best efforts of Cumberland Insurance Group, LLC and the Trustee.”
According to Mclemore’s motion, ” it is the opinion of the Trustee that he was unable to deliver to Cumberland Insurance Group, LLC the book of business maintained by the Sparta branch and there should be an adjustment in the minimum purchase price required of Cumberland Insurance Group, LLC.
Mclemore, in the motion, states that Cumberland Insurance was able to generate gross commissions of $364,405 with $9,305 of that coming out of the Sparta branch. As a result, 45% of the gross renewal commissions generated $163,982 for the bankruptcy court.
Mclemore further stated, “It is the opinion of the Trustee that given the circumstances, the minimum purchase price should be reduced from $200,000 to $175,000.
Some say the motion should not be granted because it is unfair to the other companies that bid on the business and that it could potentially reduce the money available to the creditors.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for June 24th at 9:00 a.m. in Nashville.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department found about two ounces of crack cocaine Friday night after executing three search warrants at three separate locations, and while no arrests have yet been made, Sheriff Lloyd Emmons says the investigation continues and evidence will probably be presented to the August term of the Grand Jury.
The search warrants were drawn up after officers learned that crack cocaine was being sold in DeKalb County. Upon executing the search warrants, Emmons says two ounces of the drug were found at one of the homes along with a small amount of money, but no drugs were found at either of the other two locations.
Sheriff Emmons says the crack cocaine that officers found had an estimated street value of six to ten thousand dollars.
According to Emmons, the drug may be coming out of Wilson County and being transported here. “The TBI is aware of the investigation and the players in this case may very well be some of the same people the TBI arrested in a major sting a few years ago in another county and were given probation.”
Emmons says crack cocaine, a highly addictive drug which is as dangerous as methamphetamine, could make a comeback here unless it is dealt with by law enforcement.

The Smithville Board of Mayor and Aldermen has denied a request by Jimmy Lewis, operator of the Smithville Golf and Swim Club, to reduce his rent from $2,500 to $1,250 per month in consideration for his making major improvements to the irrigation system at the golf course.
Alderman Jackie Rigsby, during Monday night’s regular meeting, made a motion to grant Lewis’ request but it died for the lack of a second.
Lewis, with his former partner Darryl Counts, was granted a five year extension of his lease agreement along with a five year renewal option only a few months ago as a consideration for his commitment ” to expend the sum of one hundred thousand dollars in order to dig a second well, to install a sprinkler system for the fairways, and to purchase golf carts”.
Under the previous agreement with the city, Lewis had the golf course and swimming pool leased until 2012 at a rate of $2,500 per month. Under the amended agreement, Lewis was granted an extension of his lease through 2017 at the same rate of $2,500 per month, with a five year renewal option. The monthly rate can be renegotiated in 2017.
Lewis says he has already spent more than $84,000 on the golf course and swimming pool and he now needs some help from the city.
Lewis says the volume of water needed to supply water to all the fairways cannot be supplied by the well that now exists and that two new wells are required. He says the holding pond that the golf course now has does not have the capacity to hold the volume of water needed so it will need to be enlarged or a new pond will have to be dug.
Lewis, three weeks ago, requested a reduction of $1,500 per month in his rent for sixty eight months until the irrigation improvement project is paid off, starting in June, 2006 through January 2013, which would have been a loss of revenue to the city of $102,000.
City aldermen, during the last meeting on May 15th, asked Lewis to obtain more bids on the proposed project and they would consider his request.
Lewis presented eight sealed bids to the city board during it’s regular meeting Monday night and the Mayor and Aldermen reviewed them during a recess. Lewis also revised his request from three weeks ago, asking that the rent be reduced by half, to $1,250 per month.
City officials told Lewis that by taking the lowest bids on each project (digging the pond, well, and installing the irrigation system), the cost to him would be between $93,000 and $94,000, well under the $100,000 he had committed to spend himself under the extended lease agreement.
Alderman Rigsby, in making the motion to cut Lewis’ rent in half, said he thought the city should help him since he had made so many improvements to the golf course. ” I can see the advantages. The golf course means so much to the industries coming in here. It brings more people into town. They spend money when they come into town. It’s (golf course) picking up all the time, membership is picking up.”
However Alderman Aaron Meeks countered that the city should not help a for profit entity at the expense of the city taxpayers. ” We just passed a budget in which we are going to take almost $715,000 out of the surplus to balance the general fund budget. Plus another $395,000 for sanitation services that are not funded. And now we’re talking about giving $100,000 to a for profit operation that will be coming out of the taxpayer’s pockets. Whether you take it out at $1,250 a month or $100,000 at a time, it’s still coming from the taxpayers.”
Rigsby responded, ” We’re not talking about taking it all out at once, we’re talking about taking $15,000 a year.”
Meeks replied, ” That’s okay, it’s still coming out of the taxpayer’s pockets.”
Rigsby answered, “That’s absolutely right”.