A member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol from DeKalb County has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the THP Nashville District.
Charlie Caplinger of Smithville is among six members of the THP who were recognized for promotions by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security in a special ceremony Tuesday at the Tennessee Highway Patrol Training Center in Nashville. Commissioner Bill Gibbons, Deputy Commissioner Larry Godwin, Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Tracy Trott, and Assistant Commissioner David Purkey were on-hand to congratulate the recipients.
Caplinger has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the THP’s Nashville District, serving as a Road Sergeant in Robertson County. He has served as a Trooper in this district since he was commissioned in 2002. The Smithville native started his THP career in Robertson County as a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer. He was transferred to Wilson County as a road trooper in 2004. Caplinger remained in Wilson County until 2008 when he was transferred to the ACES (Alternative Commercial Enforcement Strategies) program under the Special Programs section. Caplinger serves on the Nashville district STRIKE team and has numerous commercial motor vehicle certifications including Level 1, Haz-Mat, Cargo Tanker, and Compliance Review. He has attended Northwestern University School of Police Personnel and was named Trooper of the year in 2010.

Early Voting for the August 2nd elections begins next Friday, July 13 at the courthouse.
Voters will find it even more convenient to vote early for the upcoming August DeKalb County General and State Primary elections.
(CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO VIEW PDF FILE OF SAMPLE BALLOT)
DekalbTN-PG12-NEWSPAPER.pdf (33.05 KB)
The DeKalb County Election Commission voted recently to modify the early voting hours to give voters another afternoon voting period.
The early voting hours for the August election will be as follows:
Mondays from NOON until 5:00 p.m.; Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.; Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until NOON.
“Usually, the afternoon numbers are among the largest of the early voting period,” said Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. “And based on that history, the commission wanted to give another afternoon voting period to make it easier for those who like voting early or cannot make it to the polls on election day.”.
Local voters will be electing a new Assessor of Property in August. The candidates are Scott Cantrell and Mason Carter. Two school board seats will be filled along with five constable seats.
In the state primary, local voters will help select the party nominees for State Representative in the 40th district, the 46th district, Congressman in the 6th District and one U.S. Senator.

DeKalb Telephone Cooperative (d/b/a DTC Communications) will host its annual meeting on Saturday, September 15, 2012, at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria.
Directors will be elected in the Alexandria, Liberty, and Smithville exchanges.
Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, September 15. The last day to make changes to your membership or to be eligible to vote in the 2012 election will be Thursday, September 6.
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.
Individuals interested in becoming a candidate for a director’s position must meet the qualifications as defined in the bylaws and will be placed on the ballot either through the petition process or by the nominating committee in accordance with the bylaws. Any such petition must be delivered to DTC no later than 5 p.m. on August 1, 2012, as per the bylaws.
DTC Communications is a member-owned telephone cooperative established in 1951. The cooperative supplies communication, entertainment, and security products and services to residential and business customers primarily throughout Middle Tennessee.

Fifty one people were fined and sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Tuesday, June 26. The following persons appeared before Judge Leon Burns, Jr.
24 year old Richard Spencer Raby pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and received a three year suspended sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other and with cases against him in Smith County. He will be on probation.
26 year old Jennifer D. Johnson pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and received a three year sentence on probation. She must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment and follow recommendations
40 year old Tonya Silcox pleaded guilty to theft over $1,000 and received a two year sentence to run concurrently with a violation of probation case against her. She was given jail credit of 143 days.
44 year old Mark Randall Robinson pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a four year sentence and was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrently with other cases against him.
23 year old Travis Patterson pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III controlled substance. He received a four year sentence on probation. He must pay a $2,000 fine and make restitution of $80 to the sheriff’s department.
47 year old Marla Turner, charged with sale of a schedule III controlled substance, was granted judicial diversion. She will be on supervised probation for four years and must pay a $2,000 fine. Turner must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment and follow any recommended treatments.
37 year old Brian Matthew Lasser pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance (oxycodone) and received a four year sentence on judicial diversion supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and must pay restitution.
23 year old Brandon Byford pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II and III controlled substance. He received a four year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of eight years. The sentence has been suspended to TDOC probation. He was fined $2,000. Byford was given jail credit of 132 days.
55 year old Fred Dowell, Jr. pleaded guilty to filing a false report. He received a four year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. He must forfeit his weapon.
24 year old Joshua Lynne Batey pleaded guilty to two counts of theft over $1,000 and received a four year sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other and with a violation of probation against him. Batey was ordered to make restitution of $13,500.
Terry Collins pleaded guilty to two counts of sale and one count of delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a four year sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other. He must serve 180 days and pay a $4,000 drug fine. Collins must also make restitution of $180 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. He was given jail credit from February 3 to June 26.
42 year old Anna Faye Colburn pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance and driving under the influence. She received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in each case to run concurrently with each other and all suspended to CPS probation except for 48 hours. She was fined a total of $1,115.
47 year old Jeff Ponder pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a three year sentence, suspended to 60 days of time served with the balance on supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and must make restitution of ninety dollars. Ponder must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment and follow all recommendations. He was given jail credit of 60 days.
36 year old Bobby Pinegar, Jr. pleaded guilty to two counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a four year suspended sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other. He must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment, pay a $2,000 fine, and make restitution of $125 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.
24 year old Chris Ponder pleaded guilty to two counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a four year suspended sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other. He was submit to an alcohol and drug assessment, pay a $2,000 fine, and make restitution of $180 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. He was given credit for any pre-trial jail credit due him.
38 year old Lynn J. Jones pleaded guilty to attempted initiation of a process intended to result in the production of methamphetamine. He received a six year sentence, suspended to community corrections. He must may a $2,000 fine. Jones was given jail credit of 244 days served.
49 year old Timothy L. Caldwell pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days to serve 48 hours in jail and then be on probation.. He must pay a fine of $360 and he will lose his drivers license for one year. Caldwell must attend an Alcohol Safety Education Program and submit to an alcohol and drug assessment.
51 year old Terry Price pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a three year sentence under house arrest. He must pay a $2,000 fine and make restitution of $130 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. The case is to run concurrently with a sentence he is already serving.
63 year old Curtis C. Jones pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a three year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. The case is to run concurrently with a violation of probation and a second offense of driving on a revoked license case against him in General Sessions Court. Jones must pay a $2,000 fine and make restitution of eighty dollars. He must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment and follow all recommendations.
21 year old Eric Judkins pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III controlled substance and received a four year sentence to serve 60 days. He must pay a $2,000 drug fine.
38 year old David Taylor pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to supervised probation except for 48 hours to serve. He must pay a fine of $365 and he will lose his drivers license for one year.
28 year old Anthony Hamilton pleaded guilty to delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a four year sentence to serve 180 days. He must pay a $2,000 fine and make restitution of $100. The case is to run concurrently with a case against him in Putnam County.
23 year old Latroya Bain, charged with sale of a schedule III controlled substance, received a two year suspended sentence on judicial diversion probation. She was fined $2,000.
35 year old Teddy Snipes, charged with sale of a schedule IV controlled substance, received a two year suspended sentence on judicial diversion probation. He was fined $2,000. In the last year of his probation, Snipes will be unsupervised if he pays court costs and poses no further problems.
David Glen Sparks pleaded guilty to theft over $1,000 and received a two year sentence to serve. The term is to run concurrently with a six year sentence against him in White County. He is to make restitution of $3,600.
28 year old Scotty Knowles pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to six months supervised and six months of good behavior probation. He was fined $150.
34 year old Sam Walker pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a four year sentence and must pay a $2,000 drug fine and sixty dollars restitution to the sheriff’s department. The case is to run concurrent with another case against him. Walker was given jail credit from February 6 to June 26.
42 year old Danny L. Smithson, Jr. pleaded guilty to attempted sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a four year sentence, suspended to 132 days of time served with the balance on supervised probation. He must pay a $2,000 fine and fifty dollars restitution to the sheriff’s department. Smithson must also complete an alcohol and drug assessment . He was given jail credit of 132 days.
32 year old Hani Mohamad Ittayem pleaded guilty to attempted initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine. He received a six year sentence to be served at 30% with the balance on supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment. He was given jail credit of 144 days.
27 year old Melinda Murphy pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III controlled substance and conspiracy to sell a schedule III drug. She received a three year sentence in the sale case and two years on the conspiracy charge to be served consecutively for a total of five years. The term is also to run concurrently with a violation of probation case against her. Murphy was fined $2,000. She was given jail credit from February 16 to June 26.
31 year old Brandon Caldwell pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and a violation of probation. He received a four year suspended sentence on the drug charge and his probation was revoked to serve one year. The sentences are to run concurrently with each other. Caldwell must submit to an alcohol and drug assessment, make restitution of $180 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and pay a fine of $2,000. He was given jail credit from February 14 to June 26.
33 year old Ricky Ashford pleaded guilty to theft over $1,000 and received a two year sentence to serve at least 30%.
37 year old Jill Jones pleaded guilty to pleaded guilty to prescription fraud and received a two year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. She is to surrender her TennCare benefits. The case is to run concurrently with a Warren County drug court case against her.
30 year old Amber Johnson pleaded guilty to attempted sale of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a three year sentence, all suspended to probation supervised by community corrections. She was fined $2,000. The case is to run concurrently with her probation.
25 year old James Robert Fuson pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, to serve 48 hours at the Swaim Center and then be on supervised probation. He was fined $365. He may be eligible for a restricted driver’s license. Fuson was given credit for time served.
41 year old Terry Dyer pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a four year suspended sentence to judicial diversion supervised probation. He was fined $2,000.
49 year old Lou Ann Self Cantrell pleaded guilty to two counts of sale of a schedule III controlled substance. She received a three year sentence in each case, suspended to 144 days of time served, and then be on supervised probation. The sentences are to run concurrently with each other and concurrently with a violation of probation against her in Warren County. Cantrell must complete an alcohol and drug assessment and follow all recommendations, pay $90 restitution and a $2,000 fine.
29 year old Diane Roller Hale pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III controlled substance. She received a three year sentence, all suspended to probation. She was fined $2,000. The case is to run concurrently with any other sentence against her.
26 year old Stephen Pugh pleaded guilty to a second offense of driving under the influence. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days with 45 days to serve and then be on probation. He was fined $615 and he will lose his license for two years. The sentence is to run concurrently with other sentences he is now serving. Pugh was given jail credit from February 9 to June 26.
24 year old Alexandria Zimmerman Teachout pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III controlled substance. She was granted three years probation and must pay a fine of $2,000 and $120 restitution to the sheriff’s department. Teachout was given thirty one days jail credit.
46 year old Daniel Lee Taylor pleaded guilty to theft of property over $1,000. He was granted two years supervised judicial diversion probation and must pay restitution.
22 year old Josh Tate pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to good behavior probation.
44 year old James Adcock pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of a credit card and received a two year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. He must make restitution in the amount of $8,769. He was given two days jail credit.
26 year old Joshua Joel Bain pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule VI controlled substance and a second offense of driving under the influence. He received a two year suspended sentence on probation in the drug case and 11 months and 29 days in the DUI case suspended to serve 45 days. The two sentences are to run concurrently with each other. Bain must pay a fine of $2,610 and his drivers license will be suspended for two years.
40 year old Linda Barrett pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a sentence of four years to serve at least 30%. She must pay a $2,000 fine and make restitution in the amount of $150. She was given jail credit from February 3 to June 26.
57 year old Susan Brown pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a three year sentence on probation. She must undergo an alcohol and drug assessment, make $60 restitution to the sheriff’s department and pay a $2,000 fine. The sentence is to run concurrently with her current probated sentence.
24 year old Courtney Barrett pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and aggravated assault. She received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in the false imprisonment case and three years to serve in the assault case to run concurrently with each other. She must make restitution of $4,881.
36 year old Michael Stewart Brown pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule III controlled substance. He received a four year suspended sentence. He must submit to an alcohol and dug assessment, pay a $2,000 fine, and make restitution of forty dollars to the sheriff’s department.
21 year old Latasha Cantrell pleaded guilty to attempted initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine. She received a six year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. She must pay a $2,000 fine. She was given jail credit of thirty six days.
28 year old Chad Carrier pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on probation. He must make restitution in the amount of $1,800 jointly and severally with the co-defendants in the case.
45 year old Tammy L. Jones pleaded guilty to promotion of methamphetamine and received a two year sentence, all suspended to judicial diversion probation. She was fined $2,000.

An 18 year old Smithville man, on his way to work at Nissan, lost his life in a pickup truck crash around 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning on Highway 96 near Lascassas in Rutherford County.
Dead is Zack Ferrell.
Trooper Michael Cummins of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE Monday morning that Ferrell was driving a 1986 Chevy pickup truck, heading toward Murfreesboro, when he ran off the right side of the highway and struck a guardrail. Ferrell apparently overcorrected and came back across the highway, crossing the center line and oncoming lane. The truck then went off an embankment and into a line of trees. The truck ran head on into a tree. Ferrell was partially ejected. Trooper Cummins said Ferrell died at the scene.
His body was taken to Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro.
Ferrell graduated from DeKalb County High School only a little more than a month ago.

A Smithville man, already in trouble with Smithville Police for recent burglary and thefts at Chad’s Auto Sales, has now been arrested by the Sheriff’s Department in another burglary case.
18 year old Ryan Austin Felts of Wade Street, Smithville is charged with burglary. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court July 19.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Friday, June 22, Felts broke into a vehicle at Jason’s Auto Sales at 3365 Nashville Highway with the intent to commit a theft. Entry was made by busting out the window and busting the steering column to try and take the vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Felts was also charged last week by Smithville Police with vandalism, burglary, two counts of theft of a vehicle, and theft of property over $10,000 as a result of burglary and thefts at Chad’s Auto Sales on Saturday and Sunday, June 23 & 24.
29 year old Charles M. Blanchfield of Nashville Highway, Dowelltown is charged with theft of property over $500. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on July 19.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Saturday, June 2, Blanchfield took from the property of Joanie Summers at 655 Jones Mill Road, about forty pounds of copper wire, a well pump, and miscellaneous scrap metal without the owner’s consent, all valued at more than $500.
Both the Felts and Blanchfield cases were investigated by criminal detectives of the sheriff’s department.
33 year old Robert Anthony Goff of Arnold Road, Smithville is charged with violation of probation, evading arrest, and simple assault. His bond totals $17,000. He will be in court July 12. He is being held without bond on the violation of probation and he will be in court on that offense July 23.
Sheriff Ray said that Wednesday, June 27 a sheriff’s department drug detective saw Goff operating a vehicle on West Broad Street in Smithville. Having prior knowledge the Goff had two warrants against him, the officer turned around and followed Goff’s vehicle into the Walmart parking lot. After Goff stopped, a female got out of the passenger side of the automobile, and Goff drove off. The officer activated his siren. Goff drove onto Anthony Avenue, then onto Miller Road, and then to Robinson Road and Game Ridge Road. Goff refused to stop, knowing that the detective was behind him. Goff slid into a ditch on Game Ridge Road, jumped out of the driver side window, and fled on foot but the officer caught him. DeKalb EMS came to the scene but no one was injured.
Goff was taken to the emergency room of the hospital to make sure he was okay. After he was checked out, a deputy escorted Goff from the emergency room to the patrol car. Goff became irate and punched the deputy in the right eye with his fist. The officer sustained a small bruise and redness around and under his eye. At the time of the assault, Goff had already been under arrest for evading along with the violation of probation .
35 year old Wesley Lynn Chandler of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with violation of probation and public intoxication. His bond is $2,000 and he is being held without bond on the violation of probation. He will be in court July 12.
Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, June 27, a deputy responded to the Ragland Bottom swimming area where two males and a female were drinking alcoholic beverages and being disorderly by using profane language. Upon arrival and speaking to the three individuals, the officer found Chandler to be very unsteady on his feet. His speech was very slurred and he had a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Chandler had a cooler filled with beer. Due to his level of intoxication and being among the public where children were present, Chandler was placed under arrest. A computer check revealed that Chandler also has a violation of probation against him.
Meanwhile, if you are planning to come to the Fiddler’s Jamboree this Friday and Saturday, Sheriff Ray said his department will be dispensing free ice water to anyone who wants to stop by in front of the jail building on the public square.

The 2012 Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival will be held on the square in downtown Smithville on Friday, July 6th and Saturday, July 7th commencing at 9:00 a.m. both days.
This well-respected bluegrass festival, celebrating its 41st year, is committed to preserving Appalachian music, dance and craft – a mission that is apparently being accomplished judging from the thousands of spectators that come to the event from every state in the U.S. as well as many visitors from abroad. Over 150 craft booths filled with handmade creations, plus a variety of food vendors, will fill the streets surrounding the courthouse this year.
Featured entertainment will come in the form of bluegrass and Appalachian music and dance competitions on the stage situated on the east side of the square. These performances are broadcast live on WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7 and LIVE streaming both days all day at www.wjle.com
The Grand Champion Fiddler of last year’s festival was Will McMeans of Lester, Alabama.
Will McMeans from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Folding chairs are provided for the audience, yet those who plan on staying a while often bring softer seating in the form of lawn or camp chairs.
For those just looking to “jam” rather than perform, “shade-tree picking” can be found all around the courthouse lawn. These impromptu sessions are just as much fun as the onstage show and often provide a cooler setting to take in the old-time music.
Recent additions to the Jamboree competition categories are Youth Square Dancing and Bluegrass Fiddle.
These new categories will enhance the already comprehensive line-up of events including Old-Time Appalachian Folksinging, Flat Top Guitar, Clogging (Junior and Senior), Buckdancing (Junior and Senior), Dobro Guitar, Mountain and Hammer Dulcimer, Novelty Event, Old-Time Fiddle Band, Autoharp, Gospel Singing (Solo and Group), Country Harmonica, Old-Time Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle (Junior and Senior), Old-Time Appalachian Flatfoot Dance (Junior and Senior), Bluegrass Banjo, Bluegrass Band, Square Dancing, and the culmination of the festival – the Fiddle-Off.
This festival also features a special set of events just for beginners. On Saturday, children aged 0-12 compete in Buckdancing, Clogging, Dobro Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Flat Top Guitar, and Fiddle.
Since its beginning in 1972, the old-time Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival has grown into a major event, drawing hundreds of musicians and crafts people, plus the many thousands of spectators from throughout the world. The festival began as a small town event, as a way to celebrate the Independence Holiday just as generations before had done on the Court Square.
It continues that tradition today – a throwback to days gone by – paying homage to the music and art of our ancestors, reminding us of the simple pleasures to be had from gathering together and enjoying the pure, unadulterated sound of live Appalachian music.
The energy of these timeless bluegrass tunes can’t be denied as they ring through the streets and bounce off the downtown buildings of Smithville, pop. 4,305. This small southern town is as friendly as it gets and proudly welcomes the visitors that swell its population many times over each July. Everyone is invited to come and experience this unforgettable event.
Peruse the wide selection of arts and crafts, grab a barbecue sandwich or a corn dog and an ice cold lemonade, find a seat near the stage, and sit back and enjoy one of the best free shows around…your toes are guaranteed to be tappin’ in no time!
For more information, visit www.smithvillejamboree.com, or call (615) 597-8500