Smithville Police have arrested two people in a theft case.
Chief Richard Jennings says 34 year old Melvin Leon Crips of 148 Winter Drive, Smithville and 39 year old Tracy Lynn Haynes of 529 Frazier Street, Smithville are charged with theft of property. Their bond is set at $3,500 each and their court date is September 3rd in General Sessions Court.
Chief Jennings says he spoke with Mrs. Luther Cantrell and Charles Cantrell on August 17th about some farm equipment that was stolen from her property on August 12th. A video from a neighbor’s surveillance camera showed two male subjects driving a red pickup truck and pulling a trailer removing what appeared to be the farm equipment. The case was referred to Detective Jerry Hutchins who arrested Crips and Haynes.
Meanwhile, 18 year old Ashley Marie Anderson of 760 Alton Davenport Road, McMinnville is charged with two counts of forgery. Her bond is $5,000 and her court date is September 3rd. 20 year old Michael Alexander Stock of Happy Hollows Road, Buffalo Valley is charged with two counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of criminal impersonation. His bond is set at $10,000 and his court date is September 3rd.
Officer Matt Holmes responded to the police department on August 20th where he met with the victim, Misty Gillis, who advised him that she noticed the night before that her debit card was missing. She then went to her bank to cancel her debit card and was notified that her debit card was being used. The case was referred to Detective Jerry Hutchins who arrested Anderson and Stock.
Officer Nathan Estes was dispatched to 425 Kendra Drive, Apartment B6 on a domestic assault complaint on August 16th. Upon arrival, Officer Estes contacted the victim, Mindy Evans who told him that 21 year old James Edward Gilles of 425 Kendra Drive had struck her with his fist multiple times and choked her. Officer Estes saw evidence of an assault. There were knots on her forehead, scrapes on her elbows, and a cut on her left cheek. Officer Estes placed Gilles under arrest for domestic violence assault. His bond is set at $3,500 and his court date is August 27th
Officer Travis Bryant stopped Kimberly Diane Stevens of Hutchings College Road, Sparta on August 17th for traveling 34 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour school zone on North Congress Boulevard. Officer Bryant checked her New York driver’s license and found they were suspended. She was arrested for driving on a suspended license and issued a citation for speeding. Her court date is September 16th and her bond is $1,000.
Officer Randy King arrested 48 year old Kenny Ray Herman of 215 West Main Street, Smithville on August 18th on an outstanding warrant for criminal trespassing. The warrant was taken out by Landon Mathis of 425 Dry Creek Road, Smithville. Herman’s court date is September 17th.

Republican candidate for State Senator Albert (A.J.) McCall met with local Republicans Thursday night at the city hall community room.
McCall, who describes himself as a conservative Republican, praised State Senator Mae Beavers and said he is the person best suited to succeed her in the state senate. “I think that Mae Beavers has done a great job as state senator. I also believe that being in business and having the business background that I do gives me an understanding of the economy and what it’s going to take to make things better and what a bad idea it is to increase taxes during a recession. I’m in business in a retail store and our customers out in the communities and the district, if they’re doing well we do well and if they’re not doing well, we don’t so I think we have a very good understanding of what it takes to make things better in this state and I just think it qualifies me to be a good candidate for this office.”
“I think the first thing that needs to go is all of the politicians getting their pictures in the paper with pork barrel projects. It’s too much of a temptation to use the taxpayers money to try and get re-elected and I think that’s what’s wrong with the budget. It’s why our budget is out of control because we have politicians giving money back to the taxpayers and taking credit for it. I think what we should be doing is what money we do spend, should be spent on things that help the people of the state like these bridges and I think we need a lot less of the pork barrel projects.”
McCall lost a close election to incumbent State Representative Stratton Bone of Wilson County last year. McCall, who is from Carthage, resides in eastern Wilson County.
State Senator Mae Beavers also attended the meeting Thursday night and gave an an update on legislative issues.

Mayor Taft Hendrixson, Secretary-Treasurer Hunter Hendrixson, and Public Works Director Kevin Robinson were in Nashville Monday to receive an official presentation of a $500,000 community development block grant from Governor Phil Bredesen and officials of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
The grant will be used to support the rehabilitation of the water treatment plant.
During Monday’s city council meeting, Mayor Hendrixson informed the council of the trip.
“I went to Nashville today and received from the Governor quite a nice check. It’s for the 2008 Community Development Block Grant that we applied for in 2008 but did not get. They have come back with stimulus money and we did get awarded the $500,000. There were several communities there for several different projects and I think we were one of only two that got the $500,000. We’re lucky that we got this. This is part of our water plant upgrade and we’re certainly glad to have it.”
The aldermen, in February, voted 5 to 0 to hire the J.R. Wauford & Company Consulting Engineers, Incorporated of Lebanon for the design phase of the rehabilitation of the water treatment plant and the raw water intake location at the lake.
The plans have been completed and forwarded to the state for approval.
The total project cost is estimated to be approximately 1.7 million dollars.
(Pictured left to right: Rick Meredith, assistant commissioner of the community development division of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Kevin Robinson, Smithville Public Works Director, Governor Bredesen, Mayor Taft Hendrixson, Hunter Hendrixson, Secretary-Treasurer, and Matt Kisber, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of changing the former Hidden Harbor Marina site in Dekalb County, Tenn. to a Habitat Restoration Area. This designation allows the Corps to restore this area while keeping public access to the water available.
In 2007, Hidden Harbor Marina relocated approximately one mile downstream to the former Holmes Creek Recreation Area, most of which was closed by the Corps in 2003. Earlier this year, the marina owners completed the demolition and removal of the marina’s facilities at the former site, and restored the area.
This new designation of this site as a Habitat Restoration Area will allow the Center Hill Lake staff to use a management strategy designed to improve wildlife habitat by returning the area to its most natural state, while allowing the launching ramp and paved parking lot to remain open for public use.
For information concerning this action, contact the Center Hill Lake Resource Manager’s office at (931) 858-3125 or (615) 548-4521.

The DeKalb County Tiger Football Team will open the season Friday night at Warren County against the Pioneers at Nunley Stadium.
Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
WJLE’s John Pryor will have LIVE play by play coverage of the game. Our broadcast begins with a recorded segment called “Tiger Talk” starting at 6:30 p.m. featuring comments from Tiger Coach Steve Trapp and Tiger Quarterback and Safety Hunter Poteete and Wide Receiver and Defensive Back Abram Edwards.
Listen LIVE on WJLE FM 101.7/AM1480 or via audio streaming at www.wjle.com.
Click here to listen to this week’s Tiger Talk program.

The DeKalb County Commission may have an alternative to giving property tax relief to eligible senior citizen property owners and others without having to adopt the property tax freeze which was overwhelmingly approved by voters at the polls in November 2006.
The commission, Monday night, may consider an alternative, as offered by Trustee Sean Driver, to give tax relief of $50 for those who meet the requirements for the state approved tax relief. This would apply to property owners 65 years of age and older and those who are deemed to be 100% disabled with income not exceeding $25,360 and disabled veterans who have qualified as being 100% disabled by the veterans administration. This would apply to 2009 taxes paid within the current year guidelines. In addition to the $50 tax relief by the county, the state will be giving a $91 tax relief to those who qualify.
Counties and cities in Tennessee can now freeze the property tax rates for eligible homeowners 65 and over. State lawmakers gave local governments the authority to enact the tax freeze
The adoption of a property tax freeze by local governments is the final step in an effort to limit the impact of rising assessments and property taxes on seniors with fixed incomes. The process began with Constitutional Amendment No. 2 which received an 83 percent “yes” vote statewide in the 2006 general election.
In DeKalb County, the vote was 4,125 (83%) to 805(16%) in favor of the Constitutional amendment
County commissions and city councils are now authorized to freeze the property tax rates at their current levels for homeowners with combined incomes at or below a certain level.
The freeze would mean eligible homeowners would not have to pay higher taxes the next time a local government increases property tax rates.
County Mayor Mike Foster and Steve Bates, the county’s financial advisor, say only a few counties in the state have adopted the property tax freeze measure, because of the complexities of the program and the cost of administration. Foster has said another employee would have to be hired in the Trustee’s Office if the property tax freeze were adopted, to handle the extra workload.
Meanwhile, the county commission Monday night may also consider another proposal, offered by Trustee Driver, to give a discount for early payment of 2009 property taxes. Two alternatives will be discussed. Under the first alternative, a 2% discount on current taxes is provided if paid by October 31st. Under the second alternative, a 1% discount is granted if current taxes are paid more than 30 days but less than 60 days after October 1st between November 1st and November 30th, 2009 as provided for under state law.
In other business, the county commission agenda for Monday night’s meeting includes action on a budget amendment and year end reports; discussion of a health care contract for inmate care; discussion of a three way stop at Trammel Branch/Dismal to Alexandria Road for safety issues; dicussion of a problem with the Jones Mill/Old Jones Mill-Luna Mill Road name and to consider the status on being a public or county road; approval of notaries; discussion of increasing the county litigation fee on civil cases in General Sessions and civil cases in Circuit Court to fund a court officer. Plus, any other business properly submitted. WJLE plans LIVE coverage

Blood Assurance is in critical need of type O negative blood and type B negative blood. Anyone who is able to give blood is asked to donate to replenish the local blood supply.
Blood Assurance will be in Smithville on Tuesday, August 25th. You may donate blood at the Family Medical Center from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and DeKalb Community Hospital from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
All blood donated in DeKalb County stays in DeKalb County.
This is the third time this summer that the blood supply has dropped to a critically low level this summer.
“We take every appropriate measure to ensure that our hospitals have enough blood to treat their patients. Part of that approach is to evaluate the amount of blood donations coming in versus the daily demand,” said President and CEO Rick Youngblood.
“Without issuing a critical appeal for more donors, we won’t be able to adequately supply our hospitals this week, which is why we’re trying to get the word out before that happens,” said Youngblood.
As the only regional blood center in the area, Blood Assurance is responsible for providing blood products to all hospitals and healthcare facilities in the region.
Blood Assurance locations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 pm. on Saturdays. Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. There is no maximum age restriction for donating blood. For a location near you or to locate a bloodmobile in your area, please call 1-800-962-0628 or visit www.bloodassurance.org

DeKalb County’s affiliate chapter of Habitat for Humanity is accepting applications for its third partner family.
Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, September 15th.
An informational meeting is set for Thursday night, August 27th starting at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the courthouse. Families may attend this meeting to pick up an application and receive assistance in completing the form.
If interested partner families cannot attend the meeting, you may call the local Habitat chapter at 215-8111 and leave a message with your name, address, and phone number. One of the Habitat volunteers will mail an application to you.
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.
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.
The local Habitat chapter has constructed homes for two partner families in DeKalb County, Denise Perry and her children and Felicia Gibbs and her children. Both homes are located on Adams Street