A 24 year old man charged in the theft of a truck last November was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday after entering a plea in a negotiated settlement.
Auston Wood pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and Judge Leon Burns, Jr. sentenced him to 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to probation except for eight days to serve. He has already served the eight days and has been given jail credit for it.
Wood was arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on Monday, November 8th, 2010 after he obtained the services of a tow truck operator to haul off a truck for scrap from property on the Cookeville Highway. But what the tow truck operator did not know was that Wood was actually stealing the truck. The value of the truck is $450. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Wood told the tow truck operator that he had bought the truck and that he wanted to haul it off to a scrap yard on the Cookeville Highway. The truck was already loaded on the wrecker and ready to go when officers arrived. But again, Sheriff Ray stressed that the tow truck operator had no knowledge that Wood was trying to steal the truck.
Meanwhile, 31 year old Nieka (Nikki) Danielle Barrett Patton pleaded guilty to initiating the manufacture of meth. She received an eight year sentence in community corrections. Patton was fined $2,000.
She was arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on February 12, 2010 after complaints of illegal drug activity at her home. Sheriff Ray said when officers entered the home, they detected an odor of marijuana. After obtaining consent to search, authorities found drugs such as percocets, Xanaxs, marijuana, adderall, methadone, and methamphetamine in Patton’s bedroom along with drug paraphernalia such as razors, gravity and digital scales, a pill grinder and rolling papers. While searching an outbuilding, detectives also found a methamphetamine lab, a two liter bottle of a three layer liquid, a gallon of muratic acid, jars of unknown liquids, propane tanks with burners, turkey baster, coffee filters, Pyrex dishes, tubing, funnel, rubber gloves and a duffle bag containing butane fuel, lighter fuel, and a leatherman tool. Patton also had in her bedroom more components of the lab including 14 lithium batteries, coffee filters, and 168 cold tablets that contained pseudoephedrine.
The Sheriff’s Department also contacted the Department of Children Services after finding in the home Patton’s three children, ages 13, 10 and an infant. The Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force’s response truck and an Environmental Cleanup Service were summoned to assist detectives at the scene.
56 year old Susan Jenna Brown pleaded guilty to sale and delivery of a schedule III controlled substance and received a three year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of six years in community corrections. The sentences are to also run consecutively with a violation of probation against her. She was fined $2,000
34 year old Gary R. Ashford pleaded guilty to a first offense of driving under the influence. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days with 48 hours to serve. Ashford was fined $365 and he must make restitution. Ashford will lose his license for a period of time and he must also attend an alcohol safety program and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment. He was given credit for four hours served.

The Smithville Police Department’s Junior Police Program has received a donation of $150 from Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District’s Project Hometown Help.
Project Hometown Help began in April, 2005 and since that time has distributed more than $1,304,815 to the communities served by the MTUD district. It is funded by the customers of Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District who allow the District to round their monthly bill to the next dollar. Funds collected are allocated back to the areas from which they were contributed to the extent practical.
According to MTUD’s “Gaslight News”a total of 213 allocations were made to various agencies and organizations totaling $144,895 through Project Hometown Help from November, 2010 through May, 2011 including $11,929 allocations in DeKalb County
Pictured above: Front Row Left to Right:: Kaden Trapp, Jordan Parker, Ethan Trapp, Canaan Johnson, & Milas Driver
Back Row Left to Right: Detective Brandon Donnell, Officer Bradley Tatrow, Mike Corley, Police Chief Randy Caplinger, Captain Steven Leffew
(Note: misprint on check: Actual donation $150)

“Freedom to Soar”, a Women’s Seminar will be held Friday, August 5 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 6 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (lunch provided) at the Allen’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 1037 Coconut Ridge Road, Smithville.
Inspirational speaker Carrie Alston will be featured along with a Woman at the Well Dramatization and Testimony from Jackie Elliott.
Alston was born in Dothan Alabama to a very poor family. Though they were materially poor, they were rich in their love of God and the church. Her rich spiritual heritage explains her passion and how the Lord has carried her beyond where she was to where she is now. Alston has been in the ministry field for many years as a missionary and an evangelist. She has worked with the widows and orphans in Africa as well as at home teaching and preaching the love of God. She is no stranger to suffering, but it is through the suffering of life and circumstances that Alston has learned obedience. With the Holy Spirit being her teacher, she has found her way to the path of freedom.
The lesson she desires to bring to women is of freedom. There are times we all experience trouble and heartache as we carry burdens that are of our own making or at times of others. The message Alston brings is there is a way out and that is Jesus. In His Word we find His promise of healing and wholeness to body, soul, and spirit. Freedom comes as you give to Him what you have in exchange for what He gives. The call is to the sinner and the saint, whosoever will let him come.
For more information about the seminar, call 615-489-7247

The final slate of candidates is set for DTC Communications’ election of directors next month.
Directors will be elected in three exchanges, including the Milton (273), Norene (286), and Woodbury (563) exchanges.
Incumbents Charles Dwight Vinson, Terry McPeak, and Greg Rogers are running unopposed in the Milton, Norene, and Woodbury exchanges, respectively.
Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 17. Gates to the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria will open at 11:45 a.m., with voting from noon until 4 p.m. The business meeting will begin at 4 p.m. or once the last person in line at that time has voted.
Only DTC members may vote, and each member must present identification. For a single membership, only that individual may vote. Either member of a joint membership may vote, but not both. In the case of a business membership, a business affidavit is required.
Thursday, Sept. 8, will be the last day to make changes to your membership for the 2011 election.
For questions regarding membership and voting guidelines, refer to the by-laws section included in the current DTC phone directory, or call DTC at 615-529-2955.

A little more than thirteen months after being charged with felony theft in a previous case, a Smithville businessman is in trouble with the law again, this time accused of selling a stolen U.S. military issue laser sight .
Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger said that Mark Violet of K & M Jewelry has been named in a sealed indictment returned by the DeKalb County Grand Jury charging him with theft over $1,000. Violet is under a $10,000 bond on the charge and will appear for arraignment in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Monday, August 15.
The indictment alleges that on or about the 6th day of January, 2011, Violet knowingly obtained or exercised control over certain property, to wit: a military issue “inoculator” laser sight being over the value of $1,000, the property of the United States Government, constituting the offense of theft.
The case against Violet was presented to the Grand Jury on Monday and a sealed indictment was returned that afternoon. He was arrested on the charge Wednesday and has posted bond.
Violet was charged with two counts of theft over $1,000 in a separate investigation by the Smithville Police Department and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department in June, 2010. Violet was indicted on those charges last December. That case against him remains pending in court.

An undercover drug investigation by the Smithville Police Department has resulted in grand jury sealed indictments against five people.
Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger said four of the defendants have been arrested including 50 year old Terry Price, 45 year old Mark Goodson, 29 year old Travis Malone, and 50 year old Danny Ponder, each of them charged with sale and delivery of a schedule II controlled substance in a school zone.
According to Detective Matt Holmes, a confidential source purchased two dilaudid pills from Malone and Ponder on February 23 and from Goodson on March 4 at a location within one thousand feet of Smithville Elementary School.
Price allegedly sold two dilaudid pills to an undercover source on March 4 at the City Walk Apartments, where he lives which is also within one thousand feet of Smithville Elementary School.
Bond for each is $50,000 and they will appear for arraignment in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Monday, August 15.
The indictments allege that on or about February 23 with Malone and Ponder and March 4 with Goodson and Price, the defendants sold and delivered a schedule II controlled substance within 1,000 feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, secondary school, preschool, childcare agency, or public library, recreational center or park.
Meanwhile in a separate investigation, Smithville Police while checking out a suspicious camper where drug activity is alleged to have been occurring, arrested a 37 year old man Tuesday on drug charges and other offenses.
Chief Randy Caplinger reports that Jeff Sanders of Lincoln Street is charged with tampering with evidence, disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance (Xanax) and possession of a schedule II controlled substance (Morphine). His bond totals $18,000
Detective Brandon Donnell said that Smithville Police were called to investigate possible drug traffic coming from a camper on West Main near Lincoln Street. “As we pulled up to the camper, Jeff Sanders walked up. We told him that we were there on an investigation. Sanders said it was his camper and that he was fixing to move it. We told him not to move it until the investigation was complete,” said Detective Donnell.
“Sanders left and came back with a blue wrecker. He backed the wrecker up to the camper and moved the camper about ten yards until we got him to stop. We then took Sanders into custody. As I was searching Sanders prior to his arrest, I found a syringe in his pocket,” said Detective Donnell.
“K-9 officer James Cornelius deployed the K-9 around the camper and the dog hit on the camper. We made entry inside the camper and found a syringe, two small blue pills and a spoon with a melted pill believed to be morphine,” according to Detective Donnell.
The wrecker was seized after police identified it as a vehicle used in the commission of a felony stemming from a recent theft investigation.
In addition to K-9 officer Cornelius, Detective Donnell was assisted at the scene by Sergeant Andy Snow, Detective Matt Holmes, Chief Randy Caplinger, and Patrolman David Phillips.

Two school buses were involved in a minor accident Wednesday afternoon as they were lining up to board children at Smithville Elementary school. Neither the drivers nor the students already on the buses were injured.
Central dispatch received the call at 3:15 p.m.
One of the buses, #2 driven by Bobby Taylor, accidently bumped into the rear of another bus, #05-21 driven by Marshall Ferrell. Both buses received minor damage. Impact was at an angle with damage to Taylor’s bus to the left of the doors on the right side near the front. Damage to Ferrell’s bus consisted of dents to the left side rear bumper and on the black striping just below the left turn signal, along with a broken reflector.
Twenty four students were on Ferrell’s bus while Taylor’s bus had twenty three student passengers at the time of the mishap.
Some parents arrived at the school to pick up their children from the buses after learning of the accident. The other students remained aboard the buses as Trooper Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted his investigation.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby said neither bus was disabled because of the mishap and Ferrell completed the route, taking home the students on his bus. Students on Taylor’s bus were transferred to another bus at the school and then taken home. Although Taylor’s bus was not disabled, it was taken on to the school bus garage. Ferrell’s bus will also be taken in for repairs.

DeKalb County Schools have banned all after-school outdoor activities through Thursday at 7:00 pm due to heat advisory.