The Alexandria Police Department arrested three people Saturday after allegedly catching them red handed at the site of a meth lab in a wooded area on Shady Lane.
Chief Mark Collins said that 40 year old Christopher B. Pack of Evins Mill Road, Smithville; 25 year old Kara L. Funk of Gentry Avenue, Smithville; and 26 year old Jessica R. Bogle of Page Drive, Smithville are each charged with Initiation of a process resulting in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
According to Chief Collins, while investigating reported suspicious activity in the area of Shady Lane, officers found Pack, Funk, and Bogle in the woods along with components used to manufacture methamphetamine.
The Tennessee Methamphetamine and Pharmaceutical Task Force responded to the scene to assist with the disposal of the components .
Bond for each defendant is $25,000 and they will appear in court on June 28. More arrests are expected .

An arrest has been made in a theft, which occurred fifteen months ago, on Tramel Branch Road.
37 year old Kevin G. Richardson is charged with theft of property over $1,000. His bond is $5,000. He is currently being held in the Jackson County jail. Richardson was arrested on Thursday, June 21.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on March 12, 2011, Richardson went to a farm on Tramel Branch Road and allegedly stole welders, a tiller, electric drills, electric wire, and several other items belonging to Danny Hale without his consent. These items were valued at over $1,000.
The case was investigated by criminal detectives of the sheriff’s department.
20 year old Amber Nicole Winnett of Snow Hill Road, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court July 26. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, June 22, Winnett and her boyfriend got into an argument and that she hit him in the side of the head with her fist, cutting his ear, causing him to bleed. The incident occurred at a residence on Snow Hill Road.
45 year old Richard Lynn Judkins of Cathcart Road, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $15,000 and he will be in court June 25. Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, June 25, a deputy was sent to check out a domestic complaint at a residence on Cathcart Road, involving a knife and shots fired. The officer arrived and found Judkins locked in a bathroom. A woman had fled into the woods. A family member reported having heard yelling during the incident and saw Judkins with a gun and the woman with a knife. The family member tried to retrieve the weapons. The gun fired but no one was seriously injured. It was determined that Judkins was the primary aggressor.
Two people were arrested at Maggie’s Landing on Highway 70 for public intoxication on Friday, June 22 after a deputy went there to check out a report of a fight.
27 year old Wallace “Wally” Marlon Rackley of North Congress Boulevard, Smithville and 23 year old Derrick Byron Fitts of Meadowbrook Drive, Smithville are each charged with public intoxication. Bond for each is $1,000 and they will be in court August 2.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Friday, June 22, the sheriff’s department received a report of a fight at Maggie’s Landing. Upon arrival, the deputy spoke with the owner of the business, who said he refused to serve Rackley and Fitts any alcohol because they were already intoxicated when they got there. Both Rackley and Fitts were passed out when the officer arrived. Rackley and Fitts were awakened. They had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on them and they were unsteady on their feet. They could not walk to the patrol car without assistance. Rackley and Fitts were arrested and charged with public intoxication for the safety of themselves and the public.

Members of the Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers of Nashville, in association with Project Healing Waters, treated some thirty disabled active military service personnel and veterans to a weekend of fishing on the Caney Fork River Saturday and Sunday.
Tommy Hogan, Vice President of the Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers, told WJLE that the event began last year and has grown. “We are one of the sponsors for Project Healing Waters in the Tennessee and Kentucky area. Our main objective is to work with soldiers in rehabilitation through fly fishing, camping, and teaching them how to do things that they would not ordinarily get in the rehab through the military. We have brought thirty veterans down here from Fort Campbell, Fort Knox, the V.A. hospitals in Murfreesboro and Nashville, and Operation Stand Down. We give them a complete weekend, an all expense paid trip. All they have to do is bring themselves and their clothing for the weekend. We had campsites set up for them. We had food for them. We had professional guides who took them down the river for fishing Saturday and Sunday. We started this project two years ago. We have increased from ten soldiers last year to thirty this year. We hope to serve more veterans next year. We want to do a bigger and better job and let the veterans know there are people out here who care about them. We have a website at www.mtff.org. and there is a specific area for Project Healing Waters where you can find out anything you want to know as far as participating in our activities and the rehabilitation program. We accept donations. Our time is not paid. We are strictly volunteer through our club. Its all for the soldiers. Its not for us,” said Hogan.
A special observance was held Saturday evening at the Longbranch Campsite on the banks of the Caney Fork River below Center Hill Dam to recognize the veterans.
The program featured remarks by Many-Bears Grinder, Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs, State Senator Mae Beavers, State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and members of the Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers and Project Healing Waters. Each veteran received special gifts including pins and certificates of appreciation.
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.. For more information visit www.projecthealingwaters.org.

A Brush Creek man was seriously injured Saturday evening when his pickup truck overturned, pinning him inside, on the Old Temperance Hall Road.
Albert Silcox was airlifted and flown to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.
The wreck occurred around 6:40 p.m.
According to officials, Silcox, driving a 1998 GMC Sierra pickup truck, failed to negotiate a curve on Temperance Hall Road and went across Old Temperance Hall Road. The truck came to rest on a steep embankment with Silcox trapped and pinned inside the vehicle. Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Extrication Team stabilized the vehicle, freed the driver, and turned the patient care over to DeKalb EMS and Erlanger Life Force’s crew.
Members of the Temperance Hall Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department set up the landing zone for the helicopter ambulance at the Temperance Hall Fire Station. Others assisting on the scene were officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Dept, Campbell Wrecker Service (called in by the rescue team to help stabilize the vehicle), and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Two men are reportedly in critical condition at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga after a two vehicle crash Saturday morning on Highway 70 near the intersection of Highway 96 (Dale Ridge Road) on Snow Hill.
30 year old Chris Gammons and Troy Bruno, both of Smithville were airlifted from near the scene of the crash by Life Force and Air Evac helicopter ambulances. Two other people were involved in the wreck, 32 year old Cleva Elaine Gammons of Smithville, wife of Chris Gammons, and 52 year old Johnny Hickey of Liberty. Hickey was not injured but has been charged with three counts of vehicular assault as a result of the crash investigation.
Central dispatch received the call at 3:28 a.m
According to Trooper Darrell Knowles of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Hickey was traveling west on Highway 70 in a 2004 F350 full size flat bed truck when he crossed the turning lane and into the path of an eastbound 2002 Nissan Altima, driven by Cleva Elaine Gammons. Chris Gammons was a front seat passenger and Troy Bruno was a back seat passenger of the Altima. Chris Gammons was ejected and landed on the highway, in front of the Altima. Bruno was trapped in the backseat and had to be extricated by members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Extrication and Rescue Team.
Bruno and Chris Gammons were transported by DeKalb EMS to a helicopter landing zone on Highway 70 at the intersection of Toad Road. One of them was airlifted by a Life Force helicopter and the other was flown out by an Air Evac helicopter. Mrs. Gammons was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital, where she was treated and released.
On the scene were Trooper Knowles of the THP, DeKalb EMS, Sheriff’s Department deputies, DeKalb Fire Extrication and Rescue, and members of the Short Mountain Highway, Main Station, Liberty, and Cookeville Highway stations of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department.
The complaint against Hickey states that he admitted to consuming four beers. Several field sobriety tasks were given. Hickey did not perform as demonstrated. Hickey was transported to the emergency room of the hospital for a blood alcohol test and then to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for booking.

The DeKalb County Election Commission has released a sample ballot for the Tennessee Democratic and Republican Primaries, the DeKalb County General Election, and the Dowelltown and Liberty Municipal Elections set for Thursday, August 2.
Early Voting is set for July 13-28.
(CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO VIEW PDF FILE OF SAMPLE BALLOT)
DekalbTN-PG12-NEWSPAPER.pdf (33.05 KB)
The ballot appears as follows;
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
United States Senate:
Fred R. Anderson
Mark Twain Clemens
Bob Corker
Brenda S. Lenard
Zach Poskevich
United States House of Representatives 6th Congressional District:
Diane Black
Lou Ann Zelenik
Tennessee House of Representatives 40th Representative District:
Terri Lynn Weaver
Tennessee House of Representatives 46th Representative District:
Mark A. Pody
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
United States Senate:
Mark E. Clayton
Larry Crim
Gary Gene Davis
Dave Hancock
Park Overall
T.K. Owens
Benjamin Roberts
United States House of Representatives 6th Congressional District:
No candidate
Tennessee House of Representatives 40th Representative District:
Wesley Duane Hodges
Sarah Marie Smith
Tennessee House of Representative 46th Representative District:
No candidate
DEKALB COUNTY GENERAL BALLOT
Assessor of Property
Mason Carter- Republican Nominee
Scott E. Cantrell-Democratic Nominee
School Board Member 5th District
W.J. (Dub) Evins, III- Independent
Kevin Hale-Independent
School Board Member 6th District
Doug Stephens-Independent
Constable 1st District
No candidate
Constable 2nd District
No candidate
Constable 3rd District
Wayne Vanderpool- Democratic Nominee
Constable 4th District
Paul Cantrell- Democratic Nominee
Constable 5th District
Mark Milam-Democratic Nominee
Constable 6th District
Carl Lee Webb-Democratic Nominee
Constable 7th District
Johnny King-Democratic Nominee
Mayor-Town of Dowelltown
Gerald Bailiff
Aldermen-Town of Dowelltown
Joe L. Bogle
Aldermen-Town of Liberty (Vote for Three)
Dwight Mathis
Paul M. Neal
Jason H. Ray
Judicial Retention Question
Court of Criminal Appeals
Shall Jeffrey S. Bivins be retained or replaced in office as a Judge of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, Middle Division? (Vote Retain or Replace)
Judicial Retention Question
Court of Criminal Appeals
Shall Roger A. Page be retained or replaced in office as a Judge of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, Western Division? (Vote Retain or Replace)
DekalbTN-PG12-NEWSPAPER.pdf (33.05 KB)

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce is encouraging all local businesses to help welcome visitors to the 41st annual Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival by participating in the 11th annual “Project Welcome Mat”
Businesses having changeable signs or marquees are asked to post welcome greetings for our Jamboree visitors. The wording may be only a simple “Welcome to the Jamboree” or as elaborate as you choose. Executive Director of the Chamber, Suzanne Williams, says, “With thousands of visitors coming into town, every effort should be made by the local merchants to show our guests that we appreciate them and welcome their business. The program has been successful over the past years with many businesses participating. Let’s keep on showing folks how friendly the DeKalb County / Smithville area can be!”
All businesses may participate in “Project Welcome Mat.” There will be recognition awards in 3 categories: “Best Worded,” “Most Original” and the “People’s Choice Award.” Plaques will be presented to winners along with media recognition.
If your business would like to participate in the contest, email the Chamber at dekalbtn@dtccom.net or call 597-4163. Wording should be in place no later than Monday, June 25th.