Smithville Police have made several arrests within the past few days.
31 year old Amy J. Lawson of Smithville is charged with aggravated burglary and theft of property over $500. Her bond is $35,000 and she will be in court April 30th.
Investigator Jerry Hutchins, Jr. reports that “on or about December 12th, 2008, Lawson did enter the residence of Will Cantrell at 1315 South College Street with intent to commit a theft. Entry was gained without consent. She allegedly took an antique lamp valued at about $650.
Lawson was arrested on Thursday, April 2nd.
27 year old Andrea Nicole Bass of Smithville is charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond is $1,000 and she will be in court April 9th
Officer Bradley Tatrow reports that “on March 27th, he stopped a vehicle on Jennings Lane for window tint. Upon making contact with the driver, Christopher Walls and the passenger Andrea Nicole Bass, Officer Tatrow received consent to search the vehicle. While searching the vehicle he saw Ms. Bass digging in her purse at the rear of the vehicle. Fearing what Ms. Bass was retrieving, the officer went to the rear of the vehicle and saw Ms Bass’ open purse in her hands with a hypodermic needle laying inside a makeup pouch. Upon a further search of Ms. Bass’ purse, Officer Tatrow recovered two cigarette lighters, a blue straw with a white residue, four alcohol swabs, and a white pill container. Ms. Bass was placed under arrest and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. The driver of the vehicle was released with a verbal warning for window tint.
Meanwhile 22 year old Rebecca Marie Biggs of Smithville is charged with child neglect. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on April 9th
Officer Randy King reports that “on March 23rd, he responded to Royal Oak Apartments in Smithville to a small child that was lost from his parents. Upon arrival, he was advised that the child had been out for about fifteen minutes and could not show anyone where he lived. After another twenty minutes someone could be heard calling for the child. Upon further investigation, Officer King learned that the mother and child had laid down to take a nap and the child woke up and got out while the mother was still asleep. The wind was gusty and the temperature was 54 outside at the time.
In another case, 39 year old Miguel Sagahon of Smithville is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and violation of the implied consent law. He will be in court April 9th
Officer Randy King reports the he observed a vehicle on West Broad Street traveling from one side of the roadway to the other. The vehicle stopped for the red light and while the light was still red, the vehicle then proceeded to turn left on South Mountain Street. Officer King activated his blue lights and the vehicle traveled onto White Street. Upon speaking to the driver, Officer King noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. He was asked to perform several field sobriety tasks in which he performed poorly. He also refused a blood alcohol test.
29 year old Nina Jean Mayfield of Woodbury is charged with public intoxication. Her bond is $1,000 and her court date is April 9th.
Officer Nathan Estes reports that on Wednesday, April 1st he responded to DeKalb Community Hospital to an intoxicated person. Upon arrival and speaking to someone at the nurses station, Officer Estes was taken to a hospital room where he found Mayfield. While speaking to her, the officer saw that she had very slurred speech and was very unsteady on her feet. She also had a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. She was placed under arrest for her own safety and the welfare of the public at large.
21 year old Tiffany A. Satterfield of Smithville is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Her bond is $2.500 and she will be in court April 9th.
Officer Matt Farmer reports that Satterfield turned herself in at the police department Wednesday, April 1st where she was charged on a warrant issued previously for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The minor was a runaway that went with Ms. Satterfield to Florida without the consent of the child’s parents. According to Officer Farmer, Satterfield did have knowledge of the child’s intent to runaway and assisted her in the plan.
31 year old Pamela Jo Kelley of Livingston is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and violation of the open container law. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court on April 16th.
Officer Matt Holmes reports that on March 25th, he responded to a possible intoxicated driver on West Broad Street in front of the high school. The vehicle was parked on the sidewalk and hanging out in the roadway. Upon arrival, he found Kelley sitting behind the wheel. The car keys were in the ignition but the engine was not running. Upon speaking with her Officer Holmes noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. She performed poorly on several field sobriety tasks. She did not submit to a blood alcohol test. A six pack of beer was found in the back seat of the car with one open container of beer between the passenger side seat and the console.
30 year old Samuel M. Muniz of Smithville is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on April 9th.
Officer Bradley Tatrow reports that on March 29th he observed a vehicle on South Congress Boulevard failing to maintain the proper lane of travel. He attempted to stop the vehicle but it continued 1.5 miles before stopping at Jewel’s Market. Upon speaking to the driver, Officer Tatrow noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. Due to the language barrier, no field sobriety tasks were given. He did submit to a breathalyzer and the result was .228.
18 year old Jaymie K. Zimmerman of Red Boiling Springs is charged with vandalism. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court April 9th.
Officer Steven Leffew reports that on March 24th he responded to Short Mountain Trailer #2 in Smithville to a vandalism. Upon arrival, he spoke to Jaymie Zimmerman who stated she was mad and threw a block through a windshield of a vehicle at this residence.
26 year old Valentino Antonio Suarez of Smithville is charged with a third offense of driving under the influence, a second offense of driving on a revoked license, and criminal impersonation. He was arrested on March 29th and he will be in court April 9th. His bond totals $10,000.
Officer Randy King reports that on March 29th, he was advised of a reckless driver coming into the Smithville city limits on Highway 56 and that the vehicle was traveling from one side of the road to the other. Officer King followed the vehicle for about one fourth of a mile and saw that it was swerving very erratically from one side to the other causing a hazard to approaching traffic. According to Officer King’s report, “I stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Highway 56 & 70. I approached the vehicle and immediately noticed a strong odor of a fermented beverage coming from the car. I asked the driver for identification and proof of insurance. Antonio Galeva could not provide any of these. There were three open containers in the floor of the vehicle and the floor of the vehicle was soaked. Antonio admitted that he been drinking. An interpreter aided in administering field sobriety tests and the man performed poorly. He was placed under arrest for DUI and violation of the implied consent law. At the time of the arrest, he stated on numerous occasions that his name was Antonio Galeva. Upon being taken to the Sheriff’s Department, he was identified as Valentin Antonio Suarez. A computer check also found that his license was revoked for DUI on August 1st, 2008 in DeKalb County.”
48 year old Gregory Dewayne Martin of Smithville was charged with disorderly conduct on March 24th. His court date is April 9th. He is under a $1,000 bond. The arresting officer was Matt Farmer.

Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson will have to try again if he wants to appoint Tim Stribling to the city industrial development board and Walter Burton to the Smithville Electric System Board.
The aldermen voted 4-0 Monday night to set aside those appointments after City Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. issued an opinion that the mayor should have first notified the aldermen in writing of his intentions before making the appointments, according to the city charter
During the March 16th city council meeting, Mayor Hendrixson appointed Burton to fill the unexpired term of the late John Bill Evins on the Smithville Electric System Board. He also appointed Stribling as a member of the Smithville Industrial Development Board, to serve out the remaining term of his brother Leon Stribling, who recently resigned.
The aldermen, at the March 16th meeting, voted 4 to 0 to approve the appointment of Stribling. However the board was split 2 to 2 on Burton’s appointment. Mayor Hendrixson cast the tie breaking vote in favor of Burton. Aldermen Steve White and Cecil Burger voted for Burton but Aldermen Tonya Sullivan and Jerry Hutchins, Sr. voted no. Alderman Willie Thomas was absent.
Alderman Sullivan, during the March 16th meeting, complained that the appointments of Stribling and Burton were not included on the agenda and that the mayor may have violated the city charter by not presenting his request in writing to the aldermen.
Both Sullivan and Mayor Hendrixson later asked City Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. to render a legal opinion on whether the appointments were made properly.
Parsley, during Monday night’s meeting (April 6th), said be believed the mayor should have given written notice to the board and recommended that the appointments of Stribling and Burton be set aside until written notice is given. Based on Parsley’s opinion, the board voted 4-0 to set aside the appointments. Alderman Steve White was absent.
In a letter to the mayor and aldermen, Parley wrote that “After the regular March 16th, 2009 meeting with the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, I was asked to give an opinion regarding the appointment of Mr. Tim Stribling to the City of Smithville Industrial Board and Mr. Walter Burton to the Smithville Electric System Board without written notification to the board.”
“The Charter for the City of Smithville under Section 6 provides as follows: It shall be the duty of the Mayor, by written communications, to lay before the Board any information coming to his attention which, in his judgment, demands the consideration of said Board. It is my opinion that although the charter does not specify how that written communication should be given, the charter does require some type of written communication, be it by placing same in the minutes or a letter to the Board of Alderman. Therefore, these appointments would require some type of written notification to the board before passage.”
So, the positions which would have been filled by Stribling and Burton will remain vacant for now until Mayor Hendrixson formally gives written notice to the aldermen of his appointments.
In other business, Mayor Hendrixson reported to the aldermen Monday night that the city water and sewer operation is currently operating at a deficit, mainly due to higher electricity costs, and that rate adjustments may be needed in the near future.
Mayor Hendrixson provided a monthly break down of water and sewer electric expenses from September, 2007 to February, 2009. “These are for the water intake, water plant, and sewer plant. In September 2007, the total bill for the three was $19,883. In January, 2009 it was $33,422 and in February it was $32,875. That is an increase of approximately 59% from a year and a half ago. That is causing the water and sewer operation to operate at a deficit. We have covered the deficit and have no problem doing that but the state will not let us continue operating the water system at a deficit. If we do they’ll come in and set the rates for us. The water rates have not been increased since 1998. That’s eleven years that the water rates have been the same. But the cost of chemicals, electricity, and everything has gone up tremendously in the last eleven years. The last time the sewer rates were increased was in 2005 and I think the state mandated that be done. I just want to make you aware that the water and sewer operation, mainly because of the electricity costs, is operating at a deficit this year. It will have to be addressed in the near future.”
Under the current rate structure, City water customers pay $3.50 for the first one thousand gallons of water usage plus $3.50 for each additional one thousand gallons of usage. Rates for customers outside the city limits are 50% higher.
The rate the city charges the DeKalb Utility District is $1.85 per thousand gallons. Those rates (DUD) are evaluated annually based on cost.
City sewer customers pay the flat usage rate of $3.62 plus $3.25 per thousand gallons thereafter.
The City of Smithville has 2,344 water and 1,877 sewer customers.

Several people were involved in a two vehicle accident Saturday night at the intersection of Blue Springs Road and the Old Blue Springs Road.
Trooper Darrell Knowles of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says 16 year old Michael Barnes of McMinnville was driving a 1990 Ford Bronco south on the Old Blue Springs Road when he crossed the path of a 2003 Honda driven by 24 year old Jennifer Caldwell of Smithville, who was westbound on Blue Springs Road.
According to Trooper Knowles, Barnes claims he initially didn’t see the stop sign at the intersection and when he tried to apply his brakes when he saw the approaching car, he accidentally accelerated instead. and went through the intersection which caused the Caldwell car to crash into the driver’s side of Barnes’ Bronco.
Passengers in the car with Jennifer Caldwell were her husband, 26 year old Chris Caldwell, and their 4 year old daughter Gracie. Jennifer Caldwell was airlifted from the scene by a Life Force helicopter ambulance to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Mr. Caldwell was apparently not injured but the child was transported by EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital.
Passengers in the Bronco with Barnes were 16 year old Hector LaBrada and Zack Wanamaker both of McMinnville. Barnes was taken by private vehicle to Riverpark Hospital in McMinnville. LaBrada and Wanamaker were apparently not transported to the hospital

With the unemployment rate at 11.5% in DeKalb County, creating jobs immediately is imperative. Congressman Bart Gordon announced that the Smithville Housing Authority has been awarded a $355,594 grant for the express purpose of modernizing public housing units and in turn creating construction jobs.
“When we passed the Economic Recovery package in February, we designed it to create jobs in the short term,” said Congressman Gordon. “This grant will do that – the Smithville Housing Authority is required to give priority to projects that are ‘ready to begin construction rapidly’.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the grant to the Smithville Housing Authority through the Public Housing Capital Fund – a HUD program that provides annual funding to public housing authorities to develop, finance, and modernize public housing facilities. The Public Housing Capital Fund received additional grant money when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law on February 17, 2009, which enabled it to provide the Smithville Housing Authority with the $355,594 grant.
“This grant will not only create jobs in Smithville area,” added Gordon, “it will also help keep the energy bills of public housing residents as low as possible.”
In allocating the HUD grant, the Smithville Housing Authority is required to prioritize ready-to-go projects and give special consideration to projects that will increase energy efficiency and lower the long term operating costs of public housing facilities.
For more information on the HUD grant, contact the Smithville Housing Authority at (931) 684-1341

Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Timothy Webb today announced $6,000 in dropout prevention funding for DeKalb County Schools to improve public awareness and combat student dropouts through the Model Dropout Prevention grant.
Nine school districts, including DeKalb County, will receive $6,000 for improvement or expansion of dropout prevention services, outreach or program evaluation. Each district submitted a detailed grant proposal and plan for use of these funds.
“If children are not in school, it’s impossible for them to learn the skills they will need to be successful college students and members of the workforce,” Commissioner Webb said. “These grants allow districts to customize a program that works for their community, in turn supporting students who need a boost to stay in school.”
The Tennessee Model Dropout Prevention program was created by state statute to encourage and support locally-based, interdisciplinary initiatives to combat the many complex problems that lead Tennessee children and youth to drop out of school. Examples of initiatives encouraged under the Model Dropout Prevention program are after-school tutoring programs and school/community partnerships focused on student academic success.

Director of Schools Mark Willoughby, concerned about two recent traffic accidents involving school buses, is urging motorists to be extra cautious.
Willoughby says about two weeks ago, a motorist ran into the rear of a school bus near the intersection of Broad Street and Congress Boulevard and in the other accident, on Wednesday of this week, another vehicle pulled from a side street and struck a bus near the intersection of Broad Street and LeFever Street in Smithville.
Children were apparently on board the buses at the time of the accidents but no one was injured.

The THP and other local law enforcement officers often monitor school zones and watch for violators of speeding laws, as well as aggressive drivers and anyone who passes a stopped school bus.
Officials say it’s important that children learn school bus safety tips. They include:
Arrive at the bus stop five minutes early.
Stand at least five giant steps (10 feet) away from the edge of the road.
Wait until the bus stops, the door opens and the driver says it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.
Be careful that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps or dangling objects do not get caught in the handrail or door when exiting the bus.
Check both ways before stepping off the bus. Walk in front of the bus-never behind it.
Be alert to traffic. When you get on or off the bus, look left, right, then left again before exiting the bus or crossing the street.
The bus driver and others cannot see you if you are standing closer than 10 feet to the bus. Stay out of the danger zone
There are also important safety tips for drivers to remember, including:
Always stop for a stopped school bus.
Never pass a school bus.
Never speed in school zones, or in residential areas where children may be present.
The “Danger Zone” is the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of not being seen by drivers.
Pedestrian fatalities (while loading and unloading school buses) account for approximately three times as many school bus-related fatalities when compared to school bus occupant fatalities.
The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the bus.