The DeKalb County Democratic Party held a re-organization convention Saturday at the courthouse to elect party leaders for the next two years.
Jim Judkins was returned as Chairman. Jordan Wilkins, Larry Bain, and Kim Ambrose were re-elected Co Vice Chairmen. Joyce Hendrixson remains as Secretary and Myra Johnson Miller is the new Treasurer, replacing Katherine Pack who declined to accept another term, citing a conflict, since she is planning to seek re-election as Circuit Court Clerk.
Members of the DeKalb County Democratic Executive Committee were named for the next two years including Judy Slager from the First District, Frank Buck in the Second District, Faye Fuqua from the Third District, David McDowell in the Fourth District, James Hale from the Fifth District, Flint Gilley in the Sixth District, and Tommy Webb in the Seventh District.
The party also voted to call a Democratic Primary for May 6th, 2014 to nominate candidates for county offices and district judicial positions.
Chairman Judkins gave potential candidates in attendance a chance to announce their intentions for 2014.
Michael Agee announced that he would be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Sheriff. Though he was unable to attend Saturday’s meeting, it was announced that Jimmy Sprague plans to seek the office of Road Supervisor. James L “Jimmy” Poss said he would be a candidate for County Clerk. Incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack and General Sessions/Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II also announced they would be seeking re-election. Although the office is non-partisan, Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss announced that he would be running for another term next year.
Sarah Marie Smith of Smith County said she is considering another run for State Representative of the 40th district next year.
The DeKalb County Democratic Party is expected to hold a Mass Meeting soon where Democrats planning to seek office can make their formal announcements.

Outstanding DCHS Senior Golfer Mallory Sullivan has signed with Belmont University to play golf next season.
Mallory’s parents, James and Tonya Sullivan appeared with her during the signing at DCHS Thursday evening.
Sullivan said she is looking forward to playing golf at Belmont, where her sister Shay signed to play after her high school career. “It’s a great school. I’m going into business and I love the golf team. My sister (Shay) is already there. It just felt like a perfect fit for me”.
Mallory finished tied for fifth at the Class A/AA state golf tournament held recently at the Willowbrook Golf Club.
Sullivan, the only female from DCHS to compete in the state golf tournament all four years, carded a 3-over 75 to tie for a fifth place finish at 82-75—157, just a stroke away from a medal. She had the second lowest score on the second day of the tournament.
Mallory placed 11th in the state tournament as a freshman, second as a sophomore and tied for 14th as a junior.
“It’s been a blessing for me to coach an athlete of that caliber,” said DCHS Golf Coach Joe Pat Cope. “Her work ethic is so good. She is going to be a success at the college level because every day, if she is not playing, she is hitting balls, chipping, or working on her putting and that’s what it takes. She is willing to put in three or four hours every day and it shows in her game,” said Coach Cope.
“Mallory has worked really hard and we’re very excited that she has the opportunity to attend Belmont and get a great education and to continue to play the game she loves,” said Tonya Sullivan, Mallory’s mother.
Mallory’s father, James Sullivan said she began playing golf at a young age. “She started when she was in sixth grade. At first she didn’t want to follow in her sister’s footsteps but she saw what Shay was able to do and was very excited about that and decided to pick this up,” he said.
“We’re very excited and appreciate all the support shown Mallory from the school system and the community,” said Tonya Sullivan.
Sullivan’s head coach at Belmont will be Lissa Bradford.

The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen met in a workshop Monday night to begin discussions on offering a new water purchase agreement to the DeKalb Utility District.
The existing ten year agreement is set to expire as of December 31.
J.R. Wauford, the City’s Utility Engineer since 1962, met with the mayor and aldermen to make a suggestion. If the DUD will sell the city the water lines and customers connected at four of its metering points, the city may be willing to negotiate on the price it charges the DUD. Without an agreement or new water contract of some kind, the city may charge the DUD as much $7.50 per thousand gallons, the same as it charges other customers outside the city. DUD currently pays $2.05 per thousand gallons.
Wauford said those metering points at Evins Mill Road, Midway on the Old Sparta Road, Hobson Street, and Highway 56 North would allow for expansion of the Smithville Water System into areas most difficult for DUD to serve and provide the city a water service area which in some places also has city sewer service.
According to Wauford, the percentage of water sales to the DUD from the city to serve these metering points for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012 were as follows:
Evins Mill Road: 7.81%
Old Sparta Highway: 1.06%
Highway 56 North: 17.39%
Hobson Street: 4.82%
If the city loses DUD as a water customer with the construction of a new DUD water plant, Wauford said “our calculations indicate that water rates would have to be increased to city customers by a minimum of 20%”.
By expanding the city’s service area with these DUD metering points, Wauford said the city could possibly set an “incremental” water rate to DUD at a level so that rates for city customers would not have to rise. “We could look at what the incremental rate would be. In other words, what would it take if they (DUD) would sell you (city) those customers? What would your rate to them need to be to avoid having to raise rates on Smithville’s customers,”asked Wauford?
A recent study by Warren and Associates, paid for by the city, revealed that the actual cost for Smithville to produce water is $2.67 per thousand gallons. In April city officials discussed offering DUD a new ten year deal which would include selling them water at $2.20 per thousand gallons for the first five years of the contract and raising it to $2.40 per thousand gallons for the last five years. No official vote was taken but city officials sent the offer in writing to DUD officials a couple of days prior to the Tennessee Utility Management Review Board hearing which was held in Smithville to review DUD’s water rates. DUD officials later responded agreeing to accept the offer but without the minimum volume purchase requirement the city wanted as part of the proposal.
“The last contract that you submitted, we sent back a letter saying we would agree to it with certain modifications that didn’t impact on the price. From our standpoint, we’re waiting to hear back from you,” said Nashville attorney Dewey Branstetter, Jr. who represents the DeKalb Utility District.
“We certainly want to enter into negotiations and enter into something that works for everyone,” said Branstetter, who spoke during the workshop on behalf of the DUD.
In response, City attorney Vester Parsley said the city and DUD could have had a deal on a new water contract earlier, had the DUD not opposed a minimum purchase provision. “When we got the letter back, they (DUD) did say they liked our rate structure. However they didn’t like the quantity that we were requiring. That was the big sticking point. There was no quantity listed that they would accept. That sort of left us high and dry. They liked the rates we proposed but they weren’t willing to buy a certain quantity,” said Parsley.
Branstetter defended the DUD’s position on that point. “I think that is reasonable to expect. If we’re going to enter into a long term contract with the anticipation of building our own water treatment plant, it would not be realistic for us or in the best interest of our customers to enter into a minimum purchase amount. We might be able to do that while the plant was being constructed. We will anticipate needing to continue to buy water even once our water treatment plant is completed. Its anticipated we would want to buy some water from the city of Smithville and there may be points where its smart for you to buy some water from us somewhere down the road. We want to work together for something that is in the best interest of everyone, recognizing that DUD’s first obligation is to its own customers,” said Branstetter.
“Of course we’ve got an obligation to our customers too and we’re already charging them higher rates ($5.00 per thousand gallons) than we’re charging DUD ($2.05 per thousand gallons) and have been for years,” added City Attorney Parsley.
Plans for a new DUD water treatment plant are currently on hold because of a legal challenge in Davidson County Chancery Court by the City of Smithville and DUD ratepayers. No word yet on when the hearing will be held.
Since it was only a workshop, the aldermen could not act Monday night. City officials may forward a proposal based on Wauford’s recommendation to DUD and then vote on any accepted agreement at a regular or special city council meeting.
DUD Chairman Roger Turney and board members Joe Foutch and Hugh Washer attended the workshop along with DUD manager Jon Foutch.

A school bus with twenty students on board was involved a minor traffic accident Friday afternoon on Student’s Home Road near Magness Road.
No one was injured.
Central dispatch was notified at 3:38 p.m.
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that Faye Pollard, driving bus #08-25, was traveling south on Student’s Home Road as 45 year old Jose Tierranegra was going north on a John Deere tractor with a nursery tree digger attachment. According to Trooper Johnson the tractor and bus sideswiped on the narrow road as both vehicles were trying to negotiate a curve. Tierranegra works for the BFN Operations nursery company.
The bus was only dented at the point of impact. While the bus was still driveable, students were loaded onto another bus and taken home.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby, Transportation Supervisor Jimmy Sprague, and Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder were on the scene along with a sheriff’s deputy.

Several persons facing drug charges and other offenses appeared in DeKalb County Criminal Court Wednesday.
Judge David Patterson presided.
25 year old Brittney Barnes pleaded guilty to one count of sale and delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a three year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of six years. However the sentence will be suspended to supervised probation after serving 180 days. She was fined $2,000. Barnes is also to pay restitution in theft cases against her. She was given jail credit of 83 days.
Barnes was indicted in a recent undercover drug investigation by the sheriff’s department. The indictments allege that on March 7th she sold and delivered Dilaudid and that on March 18 she sold Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school or public place.
28 year old Michael Snyders pleaded guilty to sale and delivery of a controlled substance. He received a two year sentence, suspended to TDOC probation supervised by community corrections. He was given jail credit of 84 days. The sentence is to run consecutive to a prior case against him.
Snyders was indicted in a recent undercover investigation by the sheriff’s department. The indictment alleges that he sold and delivered Dihydrocodeinone on May 10, 2012.
32 year old Halton Wayne Hicks pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and 32 year old Amanda May Hicks pleaded guilty to two counts of sale and delivery of a schedule II drug.
Halton Wayne Hicks received a three year sentence in the Tennessee Department of Corrections to run consecutive to three other cases against him and concurrently with a Warren County case.
Amanda May Hicks got a six year sentence in each case to run concurrently with each other to serve at 30%. The term is to also run concurrently with two other cases against her, a violation of probation sentence, and a Warren County case. She was given jail credit of 78 days.
Both were indicted in a recent undercover drug investigation by the sheriff’s department. The indictments allege that on March 18th, both Halton and Amanda Hicks sold and delivered Hydromorphone; and that on March 7 Amanda Hicks sold and delivered Dilaudid.
38 year old James S. Leduc pleaded guilty to possession of a schedule IV and II drug for resale. He received a four year sentence in each case to run consecutive for a total of eight years at 30% before his release eligibility date. He was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrently with a violation of probation against him. Leduc was given jail credit of 155 days.
20 year old James D. Mitchell pleaded guilty to attempted initiation of methamphetamine. He received a six year sentence and fined $2,000. He was granted judicial diversion probation.
45 year old Therese D. Tittle pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance and received a three year sentence, all suspended to probation. She was fined $2,000.
49 year old Aubrey L. Kilgore pleaded guilty by information to reckless endangerment and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, suspended to unsupervised probation except for six days to serve on consecutive weekends. He received a fine of $365 and a $50 statutory fine.
53 year old Tracy Veach pleaded guilty to a third offense of driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, suspended to 120 days to serve. He will lose his driving privileges for six years and be fined $1,100.

Donny Green, County Executive Director of the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency (FSA), says that a printing/mailing contractor, hired to print and mail ballots nationwide for the Farm Service Agency, erroneously formatted the 2013 Farm Service Agency County Committee Election Ballots that were mailed out last week. As a result, the following notice was issued by the Farm Service Agency National Office:
“Recently you should have received a ballot for FSA County Committee election. As you may have noticed, your ballot was incorrectly printed with your name and address shown on the back of the actual ballot. This was a misprint, and these ballots cannot be used. Please destroy or recycle the ballot dated 07-03-13. If you have already voted, your ballot will be destroyed unopened. You will be receiving a new one by mid-December with a corrected election date. Please watch your mail for the new ballot and vote for the COC candidate of your choice. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Green wants all of DeKalb and Cannon counties eligible voters to be aware of this printing mistake and that they should not purchase postage or travel to the county office to return these invalid ballots that were erroneously printed by the private contractor. “We want our eligible voters to have confidence in our County Committee Election process that has been the model of integrity allowing local farmers and ranchers to have a voice in local FSA program delivery and office administration. FSA’s County Committee is uniquely designed to allow farmers and ranchers to elect their peers who make decisions at the grassroots level,” says Green.
The DeKalb and Cannon County FSA Committees want to encourage voters in the Local Administrative Areas (LAA’s) up for election this year to be watching for the corrected ballots that will be mailed out by mid-December. It is vitally important that voters take the time to vote when these corrected ballots are received. As the Farm Service Agency gets more information on this matter and the corrective actions, additional news releases will be publicized.

The Motlow College McMinnville Center recently named Mr. and Miss Motlow for the 2013-14 academic year.
Miss Motlow is Katie Haggard, an elementary education major from Smithville.
Mr. Motlow is J.T. Morgan from McMinnville, who is majoring in history.
Mr. and Miss Motlow are chosen for each of Motlow’s four campuses, with those selected representing the college at social and educational functions throughout the academic year.