The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department has been denied FEMA grant funding to help pay for the purchase of an aerial truck and the necessary equipment to go on it.
Fire Chief Charlie Parker reported to the Mayor and Aldermen Monday night that he has been informed that the department’s applications for FEMA grant funds have been turned down.
Last June, the aldermen voted to hire a grant writer, Johnny Robertson, at the request of Chief Parker to assist the city in seeking federal funding. “The ladder truck is actually on one grant through FEMA and the equipment that goes on it (ladder truck) is on a second grant,” said Chief Parker at the meeting last June. Both can be applied for at the same time. He (Robertson) has agreed to do both of these grants for $3,000. Its $1,500 per grant. He’ll do all the narratives and get it in. If we are awarded the grant, the $3,000 cost is recoverable from the grant so the grant would actually pay for that money. In the event that we didn’t get the grant, we would still have to pay him the $3,000,” said Chief Parker.
Had the grants been funded, the city would have been responsible for a five percent local match for each.
Smithville firefighters have long wanted an aerial (ladder) truck, which they say the city needs to reach taller buildings and hard to get to structures and roof tops.
Last month, city firefighters had the opportunity to test run a 75 foot ladder demo truck from the EVS Mid South Company for a few days.
Alderman Shawn Jacobs, the city’s police and fire commissioner, is convinced that Smithville needs a ladder truck, saying Monday night during the council meeting that the city could have used one during an apartment fire at City Walk Apartments last month. Jacobs said he was concerned for the safety of the firefighters watching them have to use a bucket truck in battling that blaze.
No word yet on whether the fire fighters will ask the city to fund a ladder truck in next year’s budget.
Meanwhile, the aldermen Monday night approved the list of city volunteer firefighters and officers elected by the department for the calendar year.
Those officers include Chief Charlie Parker, Deputy Chief Hoyte Hale, Captain Jeff Wright, and Lieutenants Danny Poss, Jon Poss, Anthony Wright, and Donnie Cantrell.
Chief Parker also mentioned the number of years each city fighter has been a member of the department including the following:
Kevin Adcock ,one year
Corey Killian, in his first year
Ronald Whitaker, three years
Glenn Lattimore, four years
Stephanie Wright, six years
Gary Johnson and Randall Hunt, seven years
Wallace Caldwell, eight years
Charles Young, thirteen years,
Wink Brown, fourteen years
Greg Bess, seventeen years as photographer
Anthony Wright, twenty years
Jon Poss, twenty one years
Jeff Wright, twenty six years
Hoyte Hale, twenty seven years
Danny Poss, Donnie Cantrell, and Charlie Parker, thirty two years
Chief Parker reported that the city fire department responded to two fire calls in January and one hazmat call due to a gas spill.
The city has $10,000 budgeted this year under capital outlay to purchase a vehicle, possibly a pickup truck, to transport firefighters to training or to run errands for the department so that they don’t have to use the other emergency vehicles or their own automobiles. Chief Parker said Monday night the department has not had any success so far in finding a good used truck through government surplus. He asked if the department could buy a used truck from a dealership instead. City officials said such a purchase would have to be within 10% of market value and meet any other purchasing requirements. No action was taken.

Four more defendants were arrested over the weekend, charged in sealed indictments returned last week by the grand jury as a result of an undercover drug investigation by the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said the latest to be picked up and their charges include the following:
27 year old Anthony Joe Hamilton of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
43 year old Kimberly Ann Patterson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) ($60,000 bond)
30 year old David Glenn Sparks of Quebeck – Theft of property over $1,000 ($20,000 bond)
35 year old Bobby Wayne Pinegar, Jr.- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
Hamilton, Patterson, Sparks, and Pinegar along with the thirty nine others who were indicted and arrested last week will appear for arraignment in criminal court on Friday, February 24. Twelve more who were indicted in this investigation have yet to be arrested.
Meanwhile in his regular weekly crime report Sheriff Ray said that 50 year old Sabra Maurine Bussell of Halls Hollow Road, Smithville is charged with DUI and introduction of drugs into a penal institution. She was further issued a citation for failure to carry a drivers license and registration for her vehicle, hit and run, and failure of due care. Her bond totals $6,500 and she will be in court March 8.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday February 2, Bussell was involved in a hit and run accident. After stopping Bussell’s vehicle, the arresting officer noticed that she had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. Her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet. Bussell performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She submitted to a blood test.
Bussell could not provide a valid drivers license or registration. She also had a 1.75 liter open container of rum and failed to show due care.
Later, as correctional officers were removing her from the cell into the booking area of the jail, Bussell dropped a plastic bag containing marijuana, two pills believed to be soma, and three pills believed to be Valium.
26 year old Stephen Hunter Pugh of Woodbury Highway, Liberty is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license. He was issued citations for not wearing a seatbelt, violation of the registration law, violation of the financial responsibility law, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of the open container law. Pugh will be in court on February 9 and his bond totals $4,500.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Thursday, February 2 a deputy stopped to perform a welfare check on a vehicle parked in the roadway on L. Hendrixson Road. The driver, Pugh had apparently passed out. The deputy awoke Pugh, who had very slurred speech and an alcoholic beverage in his hand. Pugh was very unsteady on his feet and had trouble staying awake. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test. A computer check revealed his license to be revoked for driving under the influence on May 14, 2009 in DeKalb County. Pugh could not show proof of insurance or registration and he was not wearing a seatbelt. He also had a small amount of marijuana on his person. Two syringes were found in the floorboard of the vehicle, which Pugh admitted belonged to him.
26 year old Melinda Beth Murphy is charged with theft of property under $500. Her bond totals $2,500 and she will be in court on February 16. According to Sheriff Ray, Murphy allegedly took three blank checks valued at less than $500 from a residence on Evergreen Circle. She was arrested on Friday, February 3.
21 year old Craig Randall Whitaker of Lost Creek Lane, Carthage is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 16.
Sheriff Ray reports that on Saturday, February 4 a deputy stopped to do a welfare check on a vehicle parked on the side of the road on Highway 70. The door on the driver’s side was open. Whitaker, the driver, was passed out under the steering wheel. The arresting officer initially could not wake him up. DeKalb EMS was called to the scene to check on him. Whitaker had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He submitted to a blood test and admitted to the deputy that he had consumed too much alcohol. Whitaker was believed to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.
44 year old Andy Butch May of Midway Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 16. Sheriff Ray reports that on Sunday, February 5 the sheriff’s office received a call about someone walking in the roadway on Highway 70. Upon arrival, the deputy found May beside the road. May had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. May admitted to the officer that he had too much to drink. For his safety, May was arrested to get him off the roadway.
Meanwhile, two DUI arrests were made last week by Trooper Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
63 year old Jerry Hutchings, Sr. is charged with driving under the influence, and possession of a schedule III and IV drug. His bond totals $4,500 and he will be in court on April 19.
According to the warrant, Trooper England stopped Hutchings on Wednesday, February 1 on Highway 56 south near South College Street for failure to maintain lanes. “Upon contact with the driver, Mr. Hutchings stated he had taken a xanax at lunch. He had drank a 24 ounce Coors lite on the drive home. He also stated that he took a hydrocodone at bedtime last night (Tuesday) with a restoril sleeping pill. Mr Hutchings failed field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest”, according to the warrant. Investigator Jeremy Taylor and Deputy Houston Cantrell of the Sheriff’s Department were called to the scene by Trooper England to witness the field sobriety tasks.
The arrest warrants on the drug charges state that “Mr Hutchings was in possession of three and a half hydrocodone pills in an unmarked pill bottle and does not have his prescription in possession and that he was in possession of three blue xanax pills in an unmarked pill bottle and did not have his prescription in possession.”
Meanwhile on Thursday February 2, Trooper England stopped 66 year old Willie J. Thomas on Highway 56 near Jewel’s Market for no seatbelt. Thomas was charged with driving under the influence and possession of a schedule IV drug. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on April 19.
According to the arrest warrant, “Upon contact with the driver, Mr. Thomas admitted that he had taken a 10 milligram diazepam earlier in the day. Mr. Thomas failed all field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest for DUI. The city police department witnessed the test. Officer (James) Cornelius.”
The arrest warrant on the drug charge states that “On February 2, Thomas was in possession of one yellow pill identified as a five milligram diazepam. He did not have it in a proper prescription bottle. It was mixed with other pills.”

Four people were involved in a one car wreck Saturday morning on the Cookeville Highway.
Central dispatch received the call at 9:48 a.m.
Trooper Dewaine Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 45 year old Clay Allan Binkley of Smithville was driving south on Highway 56 in a 2003 Chevy Cavalier when he failed to properly negotiate a curve to the right. The car crossed the center line. Binkley overcorrected and the vehicle spun around, left the roadway to the right, and entered a ditchline, making an angle impact with an earthen embankment and metal culvert.
Others in the car with Binkley were his wife, 43 year old Georgetta Lynn Binkley; a son, 15 year old Troy Allan Binkley; and another relative, 35 year old Rebecca Faye Ross.
Ross was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital. Mrs. Binkley, who suffered minor scrapes and cuts, rode in the ambulance with Ross to the hospital, but Binkley was not seriously injured. No one else was hurt.
Mr. Binkley was issued a citation for failure to maintain his lane of travel and for not wearing a seatbelt.
In addition to Trooper Jennings and DeKalb EMS, deputies from the Sheriff’s Department and members of the Cookeville Highway station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department were also on the scene.

Sheriff Patrick Ray has released the names of forty three people arrested in a round up Friday and over the weekend. The charges are the result of an undercover investigation in 2010-11 by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.
(CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE PHOTOS OF ALL 39 DEFENDANTS ARRESTED TO DATE)http://www.wjle.com/image-gallery/fifty-five-indicted-undercover-investi…
Forty nine of the fifty five people named in sealed indictments handed down by the grand jury last Monday are charged with selling drugs ranging from dilaudid, suboxone, hydrocodone, methamphetamine, roxycodone, morphine, cocaine, oxycodone, xanax, heroin, and marijuana. Three of the people indicted were found with meth labs and three others were indicted on theft charges. All will appear in criminal court for arraignment on February 24.
Those indicted who have been arrested so far and their charges include the following:
27 year old Anthony Joe Hamilton of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
43 year old Kimberly Ann Patterson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts) ($60,000 bond)
30 year old David Glenn Sparks of Quebeck – Theft of property over $1,000 ($20,000 bond)
35 year old Bobby Wayne Pinegar, Jr.- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
40 year old Tonya Gay Silcox of Nashville- Theft over $1,000 (Bond $20,000)
42 year old Wendy Youngblood Whittemore- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) (Bond $40,000)
24 year old Alexandra Christina Teachout of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) (Bond $60,000)
37 year old Brian Matthew Lasser of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (Bond $30,000). He was also issued a citation for simple possession of a schedule IV drug after officers found six blue pills believed to be Valium in an oxycodone pill bottle while serving the indictment on him. He will be in court on the citation February 9.
50 year old Terry Lee Price of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) (Bond $80,000)
49 year old Linda Carol Barrett of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (3 counts) ($90,000 bond)
31 year old Misty Dawn Barnes of Watertown- Initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine ($40,000 bond)
43 year old James Lee Adcock of Smithville- Fraudulent use of a credit card ($20,000 bond)
28 year old Warren Brandon Glasby of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug and sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($70,000 bond)
41 year old Randy Allan Caldwell of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug and sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($70,000 bond)
29 year old Terry Raybon Collins of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts); sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($110,000 bond)
30 year old Amanda Mae Hicks of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($60,000 bond)
63 year old Curtis Charles Jones of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($30,000 bond)
21 year old Jacob Terry Maynard of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($30,000 bond)
46 year old Marla Adele Turner of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) ($40,000 bond)
20 year old Eric Dewayne Judkins of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a counterfeit controlled substance; sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone.
26 year old Joshua Joel Bain of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule VI drug in a drug free zone ($20,000 bond)
41 year old Terry Eugene Dyer of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)
34 year old Lisa Michelle Porterfield of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (2 counts); sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($100,000 bond)
23 year old Travis Eric Patterson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; sale and delivery of a schedule III drug ($50,000 bond)
30 year old Kenneth “Kenny” Bain of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($30,000 bond)
29 year old Mary Diane Roller of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($30,000 bond)
37 year old Billy Wayne Crook of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts)
56 year old Susan Jeana Brown of Smithville- Sale and delivery of schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($80,000 bond)
Steven Andrew Cantrell of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) ($40,000 Bond). While serving the indictment, officers issued a citation against Cantrell for possession of drug paraphernalia after observing a glass pipe, 2 glass bongs, and a marijuana crusher in the residence. Officers also discovered pills in a container believed to be Xanax. Cantrell’s mother, 50 year old Darice Cantrell who was at the residence with her son, admitted that those pills belonged to her. She was cited for possession of a schedule IV drug. They will appear in court on the citations on February 23.
37 year old Micah Daniel Murphy of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone (2 counts) ($110,000 bond)
22 year old LaTroya Lanay Bain of Sparta- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($30,000 bond)
26 year old Melinda Beth Murphy of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule III drug in a drug free zone ($50,000 bond). While at the jail, she was observed trying to conceal something in a body cavity. She later produced a container from her body cavity which contained three hydrocodone pills, a schedule III drug. As a result of the discovery, Murphy was further charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution. Her bond on that charge is $1,500 and she will be in court on February 16
31 year old William Wayne Graham of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (cocaine) over .5 grams. ($70,000 bond)
24 year old Gary Christopher Ponder of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug; sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($70,000 bond)
32 year Hani Mohamad (B.J.) Ittayem of Smithville- Initiation of the manufacture of methamphetamine ( $40,000 bond)
48 year old Lou Ann Self Cantrell of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug (2 counts) ($40,000 bond)
47 year old Jeffery Scott Ponder of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)
26 year old Antonio Cezar Wilford of Cookeville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ( 2 counts); sale and delivery of a schedule I drug (black tar heroin) in a drug free zone. ($130,000 bond)
43 year old Stephen Kirk Estes of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug ($30,000 bond)
26 year old David Franklin Turner of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule III drug in a drug free zone; sale and delivery of a schedule III drug ( $50,000 bond)
30 year old Michael Chad Owens of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)
44 year old Mark Randall (Truck) Robinson of Smithville- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ($40,000 bond)
34 year old Aron Dewayne Ponder of Dowelltown- Sale and delivery of a schedule II drug in a drug free zone ( 2 counts) ( $80,000 bond).

Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department spent the better part of the day Friday rounding up defendants charged in a 2010-11 undercover drug investigation.
Forty nine of the fifty five people named in sealed indictments handed down by the grand jury Monday are charged with selling drugs ranging from dilaudid, suboxone, hydrocodone, methamphetamine, roxycodone, morphine, cocaine, oxycodone, xanax, heroin, and marijuana. Three of the people indicted were found with meth labs and three others were indicted on theft charges.
Many of those arrested Friday were brought to the county fire department’s main station on King Ridge Road which served as the sheriff’s department’s outlet for booking the defendants during the day.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, a total of seventy seven drug buys were made through this investigation. “This is our 2010-11 drug round up that we’re doing today (Friday),” said Sheriff Ray. “These are undercover buys that we’ve made during that time span. We tried (in December) to do our indictments through the grand jury but for some reason something came up and we had to put it off,” he said.
“We have made seventy seven total drug buys in this roundup. There have been thirty two buys of dilaudid, fourteen of suboxone, nine of hydrocodone, five of methamphetamine, five of roxycodone, three of morphine, three of cocaine, two of oxycodone, two buys of xanax, one heroin buy, and one buy of marijuana,” he said.
“There were a total of forty nine drug defendants along with the three meth lab defendants, and three people charged with the thefts which makes a total of fifty five defendants in this roundup. The three defendants with meth labs, we couldn’t charge them at the time that we found the meth labs for various reasons,” said Sheriff Ray.
“On the drug buys, we made them in different areas of the county including east of Smithville from Ragland Bottom to the western part of the county around Alexandria and both the northern and southern parts of the county. We also conducted undercover drug buys around the Short Mountain Road area and in the city limits of Smithville,” he said.
“Some of these buys were in the drug free zone or school zones which are drug free. What that actually means is that when we charge somebody with that (violation of the drug free zone) it ups it (felony charge) a class. So if somebody gets charged with a C felony, it ups it to a B felony. Its also (must serve) 100% of the jail time (upon conviction). The drug free zone is 1,000 feet of any public or private school, preschool, child care agency, public library, recreational center, or recreational parks such as a ballpark or something like that,” said Sheriff Ray.
“I want to thank my department for the job that they are doing in our county. I am very proud to employ people with the professionalism and the desire to work at their jobs so that a difference can be made for the citizens of the county to enjoy their quality of life. Undercover drug operations such as this one today, our day to day drug arrests and burglary and theft arrests are the work that I have promised the citizens of DeKalb County and I am very proud of what we have accomplished thus far,” he said.
I encourage anyone who knows anybody that is selling drugs to call our drug tip line at 464-6400. We’re also on the web at www.dekalbsherifftn.com. which has places (links)on the left hand side of the web page where you see “crime stoppers” and “stop drug dealers”. You can get on there and share your information. We can gather it off of there. You can contact me at the jail and tell anything that you know. Everything is confidential,” said Sheriff Ray.
WJLE will release the names of the defendants once they are made available from the sheriff’s department.

Two persons have picked up qualifying petitions from the DeKalb County Election Commission Office to run for offices in the Smithville Municipal Election this summer.
Jimmy W. Poss, who currently serves as a county commissioner in the seventh district, plans to seek the office of mayor.
Scott Davis, a former Smithville Police Officer, has picked up a petition to run
for alderman in Smithville.
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected on Tuesday, June 19. The qualifying deadline is Noon, March 15.
Meanwhile, Dowelltown Mayor Gerald Bailiff has picked up a petition from the election commission office to seek re-election while Dowelltown Alderman Joe Bogle has also obtained a petition and plans to seek another term.
The Dowelltown Municipal Election will be held on August 2. The qualifying deadline is April 5
In Dowelltown, a mayor and two aldermen will be elected. The seats are currently held by Mayor Gerald Bailiff and Aldermen Joe Bogle and Elizabeth Redmon.