Children found living in unsanitary conditions at two separate homes has resulted in child neglect charges against three people.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says 34 year old Michael Eugene Evans is charged with two counts of child neglect. Bond for him is set at $15,000 and he will be in court February 19th.
According to Sheriff Ray, deputies responded to a residence on Colvert Lake Road Thursday to do a welfare check on children living at the residence. There, officers found Evans passed out on a couch leaving two children unattended. Upon entering the home, deputies found the children, a 10 year old and a 9 month old, living amidst dog feces. Cockroaches could be seen throughout the residence including the baby’s play pen. Strong fumes from a kerosene heater were also detected in the home. Deputies contacted authorities at Children Services who investigated and found the baby’s bottom to be red and raw because the child’s diaper had not been changed regularly.
The next day, Friday, 43 year old Steven Scott Wheeler and 37 year old Kimberly Diane Wheeler were charged with two counts of child neglect after deputies responded to a call on The Loop Road in Smithville
According to the complaint, an intoxicated man was trying to administer medication to children.
Upon arrival, officers found Steven Scott Wheeler passed out on the couch. They also found four small children in the home. In a bedroom where a four year old and a five year old were staying, officers found a full beer that was open and a pill bottle of Xanax. In addition, a bag of marijuana was recovered from a child’s bedroom closet.
According to Sheriff Ray, the home was unsanitary with cigarette butts on the floor and trash thrown all over the residence. While there, deputies interviewed Kimberly Diane Wheeler who also lives at the residence. She allegedly admitted that the home was unsanitary.
In addition to the child neglect charges, Steven Scott Wheeler was also charged with simple possession. Bond for Kimberly Diane Wheeler was set at $10,000 and $11,500 for Steven Scott Wheeler. Both will appear in court on February 19th.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has apparently solved a December 2nd robbery at the Sonic Drive-In with the arrest of a 42 year old Smithville man.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says Eddie Leroy Taylor of A.B. Frazier Road is charged with aggravated robbery.
According to detectives, Taylor who was dressed in camouflage and wearing a mask, attacked a 17 year old car hop who was serving a customer. Taylor allegedly grabbed the employee’s money belt and threw the car hop to the ground. Taylor then dragged the employee across the concrete parking lot until the money belt broke lose causing bodily injury to the car hop. Taylor then fled with the money belt which contained approximately $75 in cash.
In addition to the aggravated robbery, Sheriff Ray says Taylor is also charged in two other recent theft cases.
According to detectives, Taylor took a drill belonging to a work crew doing electrical work on the First Baptist Church building on Church Street in Smithville. The drill has not been recovered.
Meanwhile, Taylor and another man, 37 year old Craig Anthony Hill of Holmes Creek Road, Smithville, have been charged with burglary and theft of property over $1,000..
Sheriff Ray says detectives charged Taylor and Hill after an investigation into a break in on Floyd Drive in Smithville where over $2,800 worth of power tools were stolen. The two men allegedly cut a pad lock off of a utility trailer to gain access. Hill allegedly pawned some of the tools in McMinnville. Many of them have been recovered.
Bond for Hill was set at $125,000. Taylor’s total bond is $240,000. Both will appear in court on February 12th.
Meanwhile, deputies arrested 35 year old Jimmy B. Martin of Hurricane Ridge Road, Smithville last Wednesday for a 3rd offense of driving under the influence. Deputies spotted Martin’s vehicle on Highway 70 East and observed him swerving from the yellow line to the white line. After stopping the vehicle, officers noticed that Martin had slurred speech and he was unsteady on his feet. Martin also failed field sobriety tasks. Martin has two other DUI convictions in DeKalb County. His bond was set at $4,500 and he will appear in court on February 12th.
37 year old Mary June Wright of Keltonburg Road, Smithville turned herself in at the DeKalb County Jail Thursday to serve 10 days as ordered by the courts. Upon searching Wright, a female correctional officer found that she had a package that was wrapped in cellophane containing tobacco, a lighter, 5 pills believed to be Hydocodone, 15 Klonopin pills, and numerous particles and powder believed to be Klonopin. Wright was charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution. Wright’s bond was set at $7,500 and her court date is February 26th.
On Friday, 42 year old Fowler Stoney Ramsey of Rolling Acres Road, Smithville was charged with theft of property under $500. Detectives say Ramsey stole a leaf blower at a residence on Rolling Acres Road in Smithville on January 23rd. The leaf blower has since been recovered. Ramsey’s bond was set at $5,000 and he will appear in court on March 19th.
On Saturday, deputies responded to a domestic call at a business on Highway 53 in Alexandria. Through an investigation, officers learned that 23 year old Ronald L. Haller of Hickory Hill Lane, Hermitage had assaulted a female after they had run out of gas on Nashville Highway. Deputies say Haller pulled the female out of the vehicle by her legs and beat her head against the top of the vehicle. Officers saw signs of the assault on the victim’s legs and elbows. They also detected a strong odor of alcohol on Haller’s person and he had red watery eyes.
Haller was charged with domestic assault and public intoxication. His bond was set at $4,500 and he will appear in court on February 26th.
Two other people who were with Haller and the female, 19 year old Richard A. Ellithorpe and 20 year old Jaquice E. Carr both of Sports Road, Mt Juliet were charged with under age consumption after deputies detected an odor of alcohol on their persons. Bond for both was set at $1,000 each and they will appear in court on February 26th.

The Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County, Inc. has announced its new officers for the 2009-2010 year.
Tom Janney is the new president. Sharon Evans, vice president; Lisa Garrison, secretary; and Glenda Davis, treasurer.
Meanwhile, new members of the local Board of Directors of Habitat are Adela McGeehin, Michael Carpenter, Lisa Garrison, Hearon Puckett, Kim Wheeler and Larry Green.
Retiring after serving six years on the Board of Directors are Marie Blair, Nolan Turner, Nancy Lewis and Gary Johnson. Other retiring directors are Jason Lohorn and Steve Osment.
Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian housing ministry, providing families in need with the opportunity for affordable home ownership.
Volunteers and donors assist in building the homes and Habitat for Humanity sells the homes to the Partner Families at cost with no-interest mortgages.

To prevent more than 6 million U.S. households from having their television service cut off on February 17th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation today to extend the nationwide digital television (DTV) transition to June 12, 2009.
“Without this extension, close to 40,000 Tennessee households would not been able to watch TV after February 17th,” said Congressman Bart Gordon. “While most people won’t be affected by the DTV transition, the 115-day extension will give people who have rabbit ears on their TV sets time to get converter coupons and purchase equipment they need to ensure their TV continues to work.”
Television stations were scheduled stop broadcasting analog signals and exclusively broadcast in digital on February 17, 2009. After that date, analog televisions that rely on antennas would have gone black unless they were connected to a digital-to-analog converter box.
“It is important for everyone to figure out if they are going to be affected by the transition,” said Gordon. “If you have already made the transition, this delay will not affect you at all. Also, if you have a digital television or a television connected to cable, satellite, or other pay TV service, you do not need to do anything.”
For viewers who are using an antenna and have an analog TV they purchased before 2004, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue to watch broadcast television on that set after June 12th. If you have not gotten a converter box yet or applied for a converter box coupon, call 1-888-388-2009 or go online to www.dtv2009.gov.
Currently, there is a waiting list of over 3 million households nationwide for converter box coupons from the federal government, which includes 39,593 Tennessee households according to the Department of Commerce. In addition, there is converter box shortage of at least 2 million units. For these reasons, the transition deadline was extended to June 12th.
For people who are on the waiting list, you should receive a coupon soon. The Economic Recovery bill currently being debated includes provisions that will increase the number of coupons the federal government is able to give to consumers. Converter boxes cost $40-70, and the government is offering two $40 coupons per household to purchase boxes.
The House-passed bill, which the Senate approved last week, now goes to the President, who is expected to sign it into law. For more information about the DTV transition, go to www.bart.house.gov/dtv.

DeKalb County High School has released the names of this year’s Honor Students including the 2009 Valedictorian Kesha Staley and the Salutatorian Kelly Merriman.
Staley is the daughter of Tim and Debbie Staley. She is in the DCHS Band, French Club, Literature Club, FBLA, HOSA, and Beta Club.
Merriman is the daughter of Ronald and Denise Merriman. She is in the Literature Club, French Club, FBLA, Yearbook Staff, Science Club, and Beta Club.
Students among the top twenty senior academic ranking from numbers one to twenty are as follows:
Kesha Staley, Kelly Merriman, Brooke Pack, Jordan Howe, Anderson Webb, Megan Pack, Rebecca Lawrence, Victoria Bennett, Thomas West, Amanda Reed, Kara Young, Megan Merriman, Jessica Strickland, Krysta Ferrell, Shay Sullivan, Ryan Leiser, Avarie Maynard, Carrie Herrin, Amanda Price, and Tiffany Winchester.
Students earning “Highest Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.8 to 4.0 in alphabetical order are:
Rosemary Apple, Victoria Bennett, Nicole Burger, Allison Curtis, Justin Dunaway, Josh Emerton, Macy Felts, Krysta Ferrell, Caleb Gash, Carrie Herrin, Jordan Howe, Matthew Lawrence, Rebecca Lawrence, Ryan Leiser, Avarie Maynard, Kelly Merriman, Megan Merriman, Jeff Miller, Megan Osborne, Brooke Pack, Megan Pack, Amanda Price, Amanda Reed, Kesha Staley, Jessica Strickland, Shay Sullivan, Anderson Webb, Thomas West, Tiffany Winchester, and Kara Young.
Students earning “High Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.6 to 3.79 include Russell Ambrose, Adam Arnold, Corey Dodd, Cody Hawkins, Dustin Lattimore, Josh Lester, Anna Little, Malinda Mofield, Nathan Neal, Brandon Owen, Corey Poss, and Nikita Young..
Those earning “Distinction” with a grade point average of 3.2 to 3.59 include Preston Adcock, Emilee Anderson, Kirt Bandy, Carolyn Bass, Brian Bates, Chynna Cade, Courtney DeHoet, Kayla Hale, John Herriott, Shane Hickman, Turner Hobby, Amber Judkins, Lauren Kemp, Alisha Majors, Kimberly Majors, Whitney Moss, Justin Poteete, Jessica Richards, Francisco Rodriguez, Stephen Rogers, Logan Roller, Sonny Stults, Allyson Trapp, and Luke Willoughby.
The Class of 2009 at DeKalb County High School will graduate in May.