While most of the attention has been focused on the May primary elections, petitions for the non-partisan school board seats will be available beginning Friday, January 3rd.
Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley said Friday is the first day petitions can be issued for the school board seats that will be up for election August 7th. Those seats are in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7.
“School Board seats are considered non-partisan positions and thus are not on the ballot until August,” Stanley said. “As a result, the petition and qualifying dates were different from the May primary election cycle.”
Again, petitions for school board seats will be available beginning Friday and the qualifying deadline is NOON April 3.
Also, Stanley said the City of Smithville Municipal Election will be held in August and petitions for the Mayor and two Aldermen seats will also be available beginning Friday, January 3rd. The qualifying deadline will also be NOON April 3rd.
Meanwhile, petitions are still available for all the races that will be on the ballot for the DeKalb County Democratic Primary and the 13th Judicial District Democratic and Republican Primary elections. The qualifying deadline for those candidates is NOON February 20th.

An 18 year old Murfreesboro man is charged with theft of property under $500 for trying to steal scrap metal from a property owner on Antioch Road.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said Justin Keith Manley is under a $1,500 bond and he will be in court on February 6.
According to Sheriff Ray, a deputy was called to Antioch Road on Wednesday, December 18 to a possible theft in progress. When the officer arrived, he saw two men and a woman loading a large pile of scrap metal onto a trailer. One of the men took off running through the woods when he saw the officer. The other man, Manley, and the woman stayed and spoke with the officer. The woman said that their landlord had given them permission to gather up the scrap metal. But a further investigation revealed that all the metal had actually been taken from the adjoining property of a neighbor. The officer found that a fence between the two properties had been cut.
Manley was placed under arrest for the crime. He was also issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia after the officer found a marijuana pipe in Manley’s pocket.
20 year old Killian Blake Ellis of New Hope Road, Alexandria and 36 year old Martha Cheyenne Silcox of Hartsville Pike, Carthage were arrested on December 23 after a joint investigation by the Alexandria Police Department and Sheriff’s Department detectives into the vandalism and theft from drink machines at Prichard’s Foods on Brush Creek Highway.
Sheriff Ray said that on December 23, Ellis did vandalize a drink machine by using a pry bar to the door of the machine causing damage to the front and to the side of the machine. The damage cost over $1,000. Ellis was arrested and brought to the jail for booking.
Meanwhile through an investigation, a detective learned that Silcox was the driver of a vehicle who dropped off and picked up Ellis. She was arrested and brought to the jail for booking.
Sheriff Ray said more arrests are expected in the case.
Bond for Ellis and Silcox is $5,000 each and they will be in court on January 16.
A woman arrested recently on a failure to appear warrant is now facing more charges after she tried to conceal drugs and paraphernalia when brought to the jail.
26 year old Lydia Renee Judkins of Jefferson Road, Smithville is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of drugs in a penal institution. Her bond is $6,500 and she will be in court on January 9.
Sheriff Ray said that it is customary that when prisoners are brought to the jail, they are searched before being locked up. In this case officers asked Judkins if she had any contraband on her. She did not answer. As officers began to search her, Judkins produced two empty syringes, a small container of marijuana, and a bag of marijuana and three more empty syringes. She had tried to conceal these items in her body cavity.
43 year old John Thomas Bailey of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with assault and resisting arrest. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on January 23. Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, December 30, the sheriff’s department was summoned to Bailey’s home in answer to a domestic call. Upon arrival, officers spoke with Bailey. But during the conversation, Bailey became very irate with the officers. He approached the deputies and then pushed them. When placed under arrest for assault, Bailey refused to be handcuffed and had to be taken to the floor. While on the floor, he continued to struggle with the officers to keep them from handcuffing him. Bailey was subsequently handcuffed, placed under arrest for assault, and brought to the jail for booking.
53 year old Timothy Donald Bates of Williams Road, Alexandria is charged with a fourth offense of driving under the influence, and a sixth offense of driving while revoked. His bond is $17,500 and he will be in court January 16.
Sheriff Ray said that on December 21, a deputy was dispatched to Highway 70 in Liberty in response to reports of a reckless driver. The officer noticed a gold van traveling in the wrong lane and on the wrong side of the road. After stopping the vehicle, the officer made contact with the driver, Bates. His speech was slurred and he had a smell of alcohol on his person. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. Bates was arrested and brought to the jail for booking. A computer check revealed his license were revoked for a DUI. He was further issued a citation for failure to maintain his lane of travel.

A man from the Johnson Chapel Community died in a one car crash just after midnight Saturday, December 28 in White County.
Dead is 25 year old Joshua Tyler Davis of Young Ridge Road.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that Davis was in a 2006 Chrysler Sebring traveling south on Indian Mound Road near the intersection of Pin Hook Road when he lost control while attempting to negotiate a curve and left the roadway, striking a tree.
Davis was not wearing his seatbelt.
The Sparta-White County Rescue Squad was dispatched to the scene to extricate Davis from the car.
The accident was investigated by Trooper Kevin Ballew and Sergeant Jeff Cook of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Davis was a member of the Johnson Chapel Freewill Baptist Church. The funeral was held Monday at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Elmore Judd and Tim Judd officiated and burial followed in the Peeled Chestnut Cemetery.
Davis was preceded in death by his brother, Scott Lee Davis; an uncle, Bobby Rice; and his paternal grandparents, Leonna and Norman Davis.
Survivors include his parents, Jimmy “Hammer” and Connie Davis; maternal grandparents, Bob and Ruth Rice; four uncles, Jack and wife Mary Davis, Kenneth and wife Shawn Rice, Terry Rice, and Les and wife Regina Davis; and one aunt, Tootsie Taylor all of Sparta. Two nieces, Kylee Davis and Kyra Agee both of Smithville.
Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements

Some of the hottest races in the 2014 elections may be in the 13th Judicial District where three open seats are to be filled including two judgeships and the District Attorney General office. The Incumbent District Public Defender, David Brady will also be challenged for re-election.
Incumbent Criminal Court Judge Leon Burns, Jr. and Circuit Court Judge John Maddux will be retiring from the bench when their terms expire on August 31, 2014 and Incumbent District Attorney General Randall York has announced that he will not be running for re-election as D.A. but instead will be seeking Judge Maddux’s seat in the 2014 elections.
Criminal Court Judge David Patterson, Circuit Court Judge Amy Hollars, and Chancellor Ronald Thurman plan to seek re-election.
WJLE contacted each county election commission in the 13th Judicial District Monday morning for a list of persons who have picked up petitions.
Of the seven counties in the district, only Putnam, Cumberland, White, and Overton have had candidates from those counties to pick up petitions. Some candidates have already completed and returned the petitions.
Candidates who have picked up qualifying petitions to run for offices in the 13th Judicial District in the May 6th Democratic Primary are as follows:
Ronald Thurman of Putnam County for Chancellor (Incumbent)
William F. Roberson of Putnam County for Criminal Court Judge, Part I (now held by Judge Burns) Petition picked up and returned.
Anthony Craighead of Putnam County for District Attorney General
David N. Brady of Putnam County for District Public Defender (Incumbent)
Amy Hollars of Overton County for Circuit Court Judge, Part I (Incumbent)
Randall York of Cumberland County for Circuit Court Judge, Part II (now held by Judge Maddux) Petition picked up and returned.
Candidates who have picked up qualifying petitions to run for offices in the 13th Judicial District in the May 6th Republican Primary are as follows:
Johnathan Young of Putnam County for Circuit Court Judge, Part II (now held by Judge Maddux) Petition picked up and returned.
Wesley Bray of Putnam County for Criminal Court Judge, Part I (now held by Judge Burns) Petition picked up and returned.
Gary McKenzie of Putnam County for Criminal Court Judge, Part I (now held by Judge Burns)
David A. Patterson of Putnam County for Criminal Court Judge, Part II. (Incumbent) Petition picked up and returned.
Bryant C. Dunaway of Putnam County for District Attorney General
Shawn C. Fry of Putnam County for District Attorney General. Petition picked up and returned.
Craig P. Fickling of Putnam County for District Public Defender. Petition picked up and returned.
John M. Meadows of White County for District Public Defender. Petition picked up and returned.
The qualifying deadline is noon February 20, 2014. Candidates running for judicial offices in the 13th district must file qualifying petitions with their home county election commission office. Copies of their qualifying petitions must be filed with the other counties in the district to get their names on the May 6th primary ballots in those counties.
Winners of the primaries will run in the August General Election.