Smithville Aldermen Monday night took the final step toward authorizing liquor sales with the passage of an ordinance on second reading to amend the Municipal Code by establishing regulations for package stores in the city.
The vote was 3-0. Aldermen Danny Washer, Gayla Hendrix, and Jason Murphy all voted in favor. Aldermen Shawn Jacobs and Josh Miller were unable to attend the meeting.
Before the vote, Mayor Jimmy Poss opened a hearing for public comments but no one spoke either for or against.
As adopted on second and final reading, regulations are established for persons to make application for a certificate of compliance. Applicants could be required to appear before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to provide information as to their application.
Applications would be referred to the police chief for investigation and to the city attorney for a review (background check), who then would submit their findings to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen within thirty days. Once an applicant receives a certificate of compliance from the city, he or she must then send it to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission as part of the state requirements in making application for a liquor license.
Other conditions set forth in the proposed ordinance before a certificate of compliance could be issued are as follows:
An applicant must have been a resident of the city for the previous two years or a citizen of the county for three years. Anyone in a partnership must also meet the residency requirements.
No applicant convicted of a felony within ten years of filing an application could be issued a certificate.
There would be no limit as to the number of stores that may operate but no retailer shall operate, directly or indirectly, more than one liquor store in the city.
Liquor stores could only be operated in locations zoned for that purpose.
No store could be located in a space of less than 1,500 square feet and the store buildings must be of a permanent type construction.
Liquor stores would be required to keep in stock a minimum $150,000 inventory
Entrances must be on the ground floor, with only one main entrance. If a store is on the corner of two streets, a door opening may be maintained on each such street.
No liquor sales would be permitted for consumption on the premises.
No radios, amusement devices, or seating facilities would be allowed
.
In no event would a liquor store be permitted within 400 feet of any hospital, school, church, or other place of public gathering. The distances are to be measured in a straight line from front door to front door. If there is no building on the place of public gathering, the distance would be measured from front door of the liquor store to the nearest property line of the public gathering location.
The ordinance authorizes inspection fees and civil penalties for violations.

The DCHS FBLA chapter competed in regional competition recently. The following were the winners at Regional Conference who are eligible to compete at state conference in April.
1st place
Nicole Atkins: Securities and Investments
Reagan Taylor: Database Design and Applications
Kelsey Hedge: Health Care Administration
2nd place:
Katie Willoughby and Taylor Ellis: Global Business Team
3rd place:
Destiny Franklin: Computer Applications
Luke Green: Personal Finance
Hannah James: Public Speaking II
Sahara Lafever: Health Care Administration
Max Pafford, Braxton Pugh, and Kirkland Smallwood: Management Decision Making Team
Susan Webb: Public Speaking I
4th place:
Eli Cross and Katie Parker: Hospitality Management Team
Christian Ellis: Spreadsheet Applications
Bailey Redmon: Introduction To Business Communication
Heather Scott: Job Interview
Kamien Sparks: Cyber Security
5th place:
Julia Little: Public Speaking II
Anna Malone, Keely McKay, and Hailey Walker: Marketing Team
And, Braxton Pugh was elected as the 2015-2016 Regional Treasurer for Region 5. He will serve in this role for the entire region.

A 39 year old McMinnville man indicted on child sex charges was sentenced to fifteen years in prison Friday in DeKalb County Criminal Court.
Judge David Patterson presided.
Jared Norrod entered a no contest (best interest) plea to charges of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual battery by an authority figure, especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, and incest. He received a nine year sentence for especially aggravated sexual exploitation and six years for aggravated sexual exploitation to serve consecutively for a total of fifteen years. Norrod also received a three year sentence for incest and a three year term for sexual battery by an authority figure to run concurrently with each other and concurrently with the other two sentences. Again, Norod’s total sentence is fifteen years. After serving his term, Norrod will be under lifetime supervision.
Norrod was named in a sealed indictment in April 2014 by the DeKalb County Grand Jury charging him with two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, and incest.
Norrod was charged with having sexual contact with two juveniles between the ages of 13 and 18, one of them being a relative, taking pictures of juveniles engaging in sexual activity, having such photographs in his possession, and uploading them to a computer.
Norrod was represented by attorney Brad Hornsby of Murfreesboro.

A combination of ice, freezing rain, snow and wind from winter storms last week caused a metal roof over a portion of the dock at Edgar Evins Marina to collapse.
Although the roof fell on top of several boats docked there, marina owner Kaye Tuggle said none of them sank and she is hopeful that once the metal is removed, all they will find is cosmetic damage.
After an insurance inspection, Tuggle said she will be hiring contractors to begin repairs.

Telephone customers are reminded that ten digit local dialing will be required to complete a call beginning Saturday, February 28.
Because the existing supply of 615 area code numbers is running out, the Tennessee Regulatory Authority last year announced plans to implement the new (629) area code. Known as an ‘Area Code Overlay,’ this change ensures availability of an ongoing supply of telephone numbers.
According to rules of the Federal Communications Commission, when two area codes serve the same region, callers are required to change the way they dial local calls. While customers do not have to change their existing area code or phone number, they will be required to ten-digit dial all local calls (area code and seven-digit telephone number).
In addition to landlines, ten digit dialing will also apply to cell phones, fax machines, and other communication systems .
Beginning February 28, 2015, everyone in the 615 area code will be required to dial ten digits (area code + telephone number) and starting March 28, 2015, new telephone lines or services may be issued numbers using the 629 area code, if 615 numbers are no longer available. Currently, DTC Communications still has an ample supply of 615 area code numbers.
Craig Gates, Chief Executive Officer of DTC Communications urges DTC customers to be prepared for ten digit dialing. “It will be a change. It’s going to take some education, especially once that mandatory time hits because people are not going to be ready for it. A lot of people are going to continue to dial seven digits and not think about it. When that day comes, I imagine we’re going to start getting some calls from those people who haven’t heard or forgotten about it,” he said.