An early morning fire destroyed at least two condominiums in the Highland Cove Complex near Center Hill Lake early Monday morning.
The three story, six condo complex is located on Dale Ridge Road (Highway 96) in the area of Cove Hollow.
According to DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green, the fire started on the top floor of the “H” building and swept through both condos there. The two condos on each of the first and second floors were spared any fire damage because of the concrete floors in between each level of the building but there was some smoke and water damage there.
“We got the call at 5:22 a.m. A caller phoned 911 and reported that flames were already coming out of the roof and when we got there that is what we found. One condo unit on the third floor was fully involved with flames already coming out and the fire had moved into the adjoining condo unit. We also had exposure risk on the “G” building some 40 to 50 feet from the “H” building. Heat from the fire had melted the siding on the end of the “G” building so we deployed a large master stream of water to knock the flame and heat back off that building,” said Chief Green.
Although hydrants were available, Chief Green said water pressure issues forced firefighters to shuttle water from the lake to help get the blaze under control.
“We had a little issue with water supply. We had hydrants but there was not a lot of flow or pressure out there. We wound up having to set up a tanker shuttle operation, going down to Cove Hollow Marina and drafting water out of the lake and hauling it back up to the fire,” Chief Green continued.
DeKalb County firefighters received mutual aid back up from crews with the Smithville and Cookeville Fire Departments who brought in their ladder trucks and from the Putnam County Fire Department. “Smithville city got here with their ladder truck. We set it up, got water supply to it, and was able to get a pretty good knock down on the fire. We (county fire department) have a deck gun to get water up there but its more effective if you can spray down on it from a ladder truck. We didn’t have enough water to supply both the Cookeville and Smithville ladder trucks so we wound up using the City of Smithville’s ladder truck.
Although all the condos in the “H” building are occupied no one was home at the time of the fire except one occupant on the first floor and he got out safely.
“Sheriff’s Department officers went unit to unit and forced entry to make sure no one was in them. Because of the time of day it was, we were afraid somebody might still be in bed,” said Chief Green.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined although an occupant in the “G” building said he thought lightning from a passing thunderstorm might have struck the building overnight triggering the blaze.
“The State Fire Marshal has been here and its under investigation because of the high dollar value commercial loss. It’s a possibility (lightning) but we don’t know that,” Chief Green concluded.
Members of the Liberty, Temperance Hall, Cookeville Highway, Short Mountain Highway, and Main Stations of the DeKalb County Fire Department responded along with the tanker truck, DeKalb EMS, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

A Smithville man has been arrested in a rash of recent home burglaries, vandalism, and thefts.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 7/17/2017 Thru: 7/24/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_31.pdf (4.18 MB)
28 year old Cory Alan Bradford of Love Lane, Smithville is charged by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department with nine counts of aggravated burglary, eight counts of theft, six counts of vandalism, and possession of burglary tools. The Smithville Police Department has charged Bradford with one count of aggravated burglary.
His bond on the charges against him by the sheriff’s department totals $137,500. He is also under a $10,000 bond on the Smithville Police Department charge against him. Bradford will make a court appearance on August 3.
Bradford is accused of breaking into homes on Lakeside Drive, Oak Drive, Lakeview Drive (3 homes), Lakeside Place, Puckett’s Point Road (2 homes), Blackberry Hill Road, and Riley Avenue between June 2 and July 20. TVs and other items were taken from several of the homes.
After identifying Bradford as a suspect in the cases, the three detectives of the sheriff’s department sought out Bradford for questioning. “ Two of the detectives were off duty at a business in town early in the morning on July 20 when they saw Bradford pass by. They had been looking for Bradford to trail him to see if they could find him with any of these TVS. When they saw Bradford pass by they got in their own cars and followed him to Highway 56 south to a business where he got out to meet someone. Bradford then pulled a TV out of the back of his vehicle. The detectives jumped out of their cars and took Bradford in for questioning. Bradford admitted to breaking into these places,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray.
The cases against Bradford are as follows:
*On June 2, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Lakeside Drive and took a 60 inch Vizio TV, a Roku box, and a Dewalt Angle Grinder (valued at $820). He also allegedly vandalized a door and window ($2,000 in damage)
*On June 10, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Oak Drive and took a 50 inch Emerson TV, 60 inch TV, 43 inch Vizio soundbar, and Ryobi Miter Saw (valued at $4,300). He also allegedly vandalized a door and window ($4,500 in damage)
*On June 11, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Lakeview Drive and took a 42 inch Vizio TV (valued at $700) and vandalized a wall ($700 in damage)
* On June 11, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Lakeview Drive and took a 50 inch Samsung TV, wall mount and assorted tools (valued at $760). He was also charged with possession of burglary tools after admitting to using a pry bar to gain entry to this residence and several other homes.
*On June 14, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Lakeview Drive and took a 24 inch HD TV flat screen, a TV with a DVR player, several CDs, and an air compressor (valued at $500). He also allegedly vandalized a window ($200 in damage).
* On June 24, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Lakeside Place and took a Sears Miter Saw, RCA DVD player, Polaroid DVD player, Play Station and socket set (valued at $440) and allegedly vandalized a door and frame ($800 in damage)
* On July 1, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Puckett’s Point Road and took a 30 inch Phillips TV and a piggy bank (valued at $305)
*On July 16, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Puckett’s Point Road and caused $200 damage.
*On July 19, Bradford allegedly entered a residence on Blackberry Hill Road and took a 50 inch Samsung TV
Bradford was arrested on Friday, July 21 in the case brought by the Smithville Police Department. He is charged with aggravated burglary due to his making a forced entry into the home of his victim on Thursday, July 20 on Riley Avenue. Upon investigation police discovered that Bradford entered the home with the intent to commit a felony theft but the victim was at home, heard the alarm going off, and called 911. Bradford had left the scene without taking anything before police arrived.
Sheriff Ray said the investigation continues and more charges are pending.

DeKalb County School students who miss 18 school days per year-regardless of the cause-will be considered chronically absent under a new regulation from the State Department of Education. The number of chronically absent students will also reflect on the overall performance score given to the school system.
Joey Reeder, the school system’s Attendance Supervisor, reports that beginning with the 2017-18 school year the state will be using a new accountability measure called the Chronically Out-of-School Indicator. “Students that miss more than 10 percent of the school year, for any reason, are considered chronically out of school. This would typically be students that miss 18 or more school days out of our 180-day school year calendar,” reported Reeder.
DeKalb County Supervisors of Instruction Mrs. Michelle Burklow, Pre-K-5 and Dr. Kathy Bryant, 6-12 also report that there is strong evidence that absenteeism has a profound influence on student academic outcomes. Absenteeism reduces academic achievement, increases the risk for future attendance problems, and diminishes the probability of receiving a high school diploma. Bryant and Burklow added, “The Chronically Out-of-School Indicator is one out of six of our district accountability indicators and one out of eight at the school level. This will be a factor in determining the overall rating of both the district and school.”
Director of Schools Patrick Cripps said, “During the 2017-18 school year we will increase our efforts at the district, school and classroom levels to improve the attendance of all students. However, this will not be an overnight process. We have to keep in mind that while we can help many students with chronic absenteeism issues, there are other matters beyond the control of the students or their families.” Cripps added, “We are fortunate the DeKalb County Commission and the DeKalb County Board of Education realize the importance of having a nurse in each school to assist primary care physicians to properly care for our students with chronic conditions.”
Reeder agrees, “The key to improving school attendance and avoiding truancy issues begins with clear communication between parents and schools.” He said, “We understand that family emergencies arise and things happen that are beyond the control of our students or their families. When situations such as this occur, we ask that parents communicate with the school. Through this communication, the school can often help manage the family’s situation without adding the stress of missing school and falling behind in school work.” If you have any questions concerning school attendance, please call 615-215-2102.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director Donny Green reminds farmers and ranchers that they have until August 1 to enroll in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and/or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2017 crop year. These programs trigger financial protections for participating agricultural producers when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues.
Producers who have ARC/PLC contracts must annually enroll for the current crop year by signing a contract before the Aug. 1 deadline. Please contact or visit your FSA office to schedule if you have not yet enrolled.
Covered commodities under the programs include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
For more program information, contact your local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

Nashville based eye surgeon, Dr. Ming Wang, will visit Smithville to present an interesting informative and educational “Vision Care” talk for members and guests of the DeKalb County Senior Center. This important medical talk is scheduled for Thursday, July 27 at 11:15 a.m.
The doctor will offer suggestions on how to take care of your vision. He will also discuss individual vision care concerns from the audience. Further, he will explain the most updated state-of-the art LASIK technology available should vision corrective procedures become necessary. Additionally, attendees will receive a special gift certificate good for discounts toward the enhancement procedures that he performs.
The Nashville Kiwanis Club recently named Dr. Wang “Nashvillian of the Year” in recognition of his special work with children from all over the world. Likewise, the Middle Tennessee FiftyForward organization has selected him to receive their 2017 “Crowning Achievement Award” for his work with the senior citizen population.
The doctor’s remarkable real life story inspired a character in the nationally acclaimed book, “God’s Not Dead”. In 2014 the book became a blockbuster movie and Dr. Wang’s character was also included in the film version. An autobiography about his interesting life has also just been released and he will have a supply of the books on hand to autograph for attendees of this seminar.
The community is invited to come out, meet Dr. Wang and take a tour of the center. To obtain additional information or to RSVP please contact the DeKalb County Senior Center, 718 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville 37166 or call 615-597-7575.

Sissy Johnson of DeKalb County repeated as winner of the Lip Sync Battle Friday night at the DeKalb County Fair.
Johnson, who lipsynced to Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” took home the grand prize of $250 and a trophy. She also won last year.
In the contest, participants appeared on stage at the Lions Club Pavilion to do a lipsync performance to a song by a popular artist. Audience response determined the winner.

Taking second place and a $150 prize was Heaven Farris who lipsynced to the song “Concrete Angel” by Martina McBride.
Danielle Anderson received third place and a $100 award for her lipsync performance.

Winners of the annual Toddler Show were announced Friday evening at the DeKalb County Fair.
First place winners received a blue ribbon. Red ribbons went to those receiving second place.
This year’s recipients are as follows:
Boys (13 to 18 months)
Winner: Knox Bowen, the 14 month old son of Jacob and Kayla Bowen of Dowelltown
Runner-up: Dyllan Bates, the 15 month old son of Ada and Tom Bates of Liberty
Other participants: Xavier Billings, the 16 month old son of Adriana Billings of Smithville; Anthony Estes Patterson, the 19 month old son of Stephen Patterson and Billie Grace Estes of Smithville; Colton Graham Duke, the 18 month old son of John and Whitney Duke of Smithville; and Carson Blayne Turbeville, the 18 month old son of Andy and Emily Turbeville of Alexandria.
Girls (13 to 18 months)
Winner: Tillie Kate Stanley, 13 month old daughter of Matt and Jessica Stanley of Alexandria
Runner-up: Peyton Elizabeth Knowles, 18 month old daughter of Justin and Mary Knowles of Smithville
Other participants: Reagan MaKay Smith, 13 month old daughter of Justin and Nioka Smith of Smithville; Clara Ann Tramel, daughter of Charlie and Brenda Tramel of Liberty; Kinley Brielle Melton, 15 month old daughter of Dillon and Rachel Melton of Liberty; Jaedyn Claire Dunaway, 13 month old daughter of Justin and Jessica Dunaway of Smithville; Jazlin Elizah Cantrell, 18 month old daughter of Joey and Victoria Cantrell of Smithville; and Cecilynn J. Cooprider, 13 month old daughter of Rebecca and Heath Cooprider of Liberty
Boys (19 to 24 months)
Winner: Cooper Knox Jennings, 21 month old son of Dewaine and Tonya Jennings of Smithville
Runner-up: Zayden Lee, 20 month old son of Sierra Lee and Noah Jones of Smithville
Other participant: Naziah Martinez, 19 month old son of Michelle Martinez and Charles Clark of Smithville.
Girls (19 to 24 months)
Winner: Neely Brooke France, 19 month old daughter of Justin and Haley France of Smithville
Runner-up: Addlee Jane Evans, 19 month old daughter of Ashley and Johnny Evans of Smithville
Other participants: Kallen Avarie Curtis, 22 month old daughter of Heather Page and John Curtis of Smithville; Aubree Mae Orcutt, 22 month old daughter of Melissa and Matthew Orcutt of Smithville; Nevaeh Anderson, 24 month old daughter of David Anderson and Tori Tate of Liberty; and Cecilia Lynn Lopez, 19 month old daughter of Joan and Alissya Lopez of Smithville.
Boys (25 to 30 months)
No entries
Girls (25 to 30 months)
Winner: Makenlee Faith Collier, 25 month old daughter of Matthew and Brooke Collier of Smithville
Runner-up: Paisley Marie Hale, 30 month old daughter of Andrea Cantrell of Smithville
Other participant: Sage Nycole Adkins, 29 month old daughter of Destiny Adkins of Smithville
Boys (31-36 months)
Winner: Jackson Denton Duke, 36 month old son of John and Whitney Duke of Smithville
Runner-up: Haven Mykhal Waggoner, 34 month old son of Phillip and Natasha Waggoner of Liberty
Girls (31 to 36 months)
Winner: Clara Ruth Cox, 36 month old daughter of Brandon and Whitney Cox of Smithville
Runner-up: Jacqlin Ila Rose Prichard, 33 month old daughter of Mark and Amanda Prichard of Smithville
Other participants: Lakelynn Taylor Rushing, 36 month old daughter of Allison Taylor of Smithville; and Ariana Rayne Herrin, 32 month old daughter of Mitchell and Amanda Herrin of Smithville.
Boys (37 to 47 months)
No entries
Girls (37 to 47 months)
Winner: Brinley Hale, 38 month old daughter of Leslie Hale and Austin Maxwell of Alexandria
Runner-up: Shaniya Bates, 44 month old daughter of Ada and Tom Bates of Liberty
Other participants: Sydney Daveia Turner, 45 month old daughter of Melissa Andrews and stepdad Stephen Miller of Smithville; Abigail Hale, 39 month old granddaughter of Candy Hale of Smithville; Alexis Brooke Shepherd, 34 month old daughter of Misty Myers and Donald Shepherd of Dowelltown; Katy Jo Bowen, 44 month old daughter of Joseph and Kimberly Bowen of Smithville; and Aydalyn Elizabeth Cook, 43 month old daughter of Cora Beth Rhody and Dustin Cook of Smithville.
The DeKalb County Fair will feature the following events tonight (Saturday):
*Horseshoe Tournament Barn 12 noon
•Gospel Singing Lions Pavilion 6:00 p.m.
•Super Truck/Tractor Pull TC McMillen Arena 7:00 p.m.
•(2) $500 Cash Drawing Lions Pavilion 9:30 p.m.
Memory Lane Stage sponsored by Wilson Bank and Trust:
*6:30 – 7:30 pm – Mid State Cloggers
•7:45-8:45 pm – Evermean Evergreen Cloggers
Rides on the Midway by the Family Attractions Amusement Company. Unlimited rides will be available for $18.00 Saturday.
Admission to the fair is $4.00 per person. Children age four and younger will be admitted free! Gates open at 4:00 p.m.. The exhibit building is open from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Parking is Free!
For more information, call 615-529-FAIR or visit on-line at www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com.

Smithville Police recently arrested a man suspected of vandalism at two businesses while under the influence.
46 year old Charles Christi Bates is charged with public intoxication and cited for two counts of vandalism.
On Saturday, July 15 Police were called to the area of Wal-Mart where a man was observed walking in and out of traffic. While police were enroute, a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department spotted a man fitting the description near K&M Jewelry. As the officer pulled into the parking lot of the business he noticed that the man, Bates, had a rock in his hand and that the door to “Gateway To Beauty” was busted out. A concrete bench belonging to K&M Jewelry was also broken. During the investigation police discovered that Bates had taken Hydrocodone prior to the offenses. For his safety and that of the public, Bates was taken into custody without incident. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is July 27.
48 year old Lou Ann Sanders was arrested on Saturday, July 8 for a violation of an order of protection. Police went to Sanders’ residence to serve the warrant and noticed the victim standing behind Sanders in the home. After checking with Central Dispatch it was determined that Sanders has an order granting bail against her protecting the victim. Bond for Sanders is $2,500 and her court date is July 27.
19 year old Alex Chase Upchurch was arrested on Saturday, July 8 for disorderly conduct and for resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest or search. Police responded to Wal-Mart concerning a verbal domestic. Upon arrival the officer observed a man (Upchurch), woman, and infant child sitting in the grass in front of the Wal-Mart parking lot. The man stood up, grabbed the child, and began to walk away. The officer gave verbal commands several times for Upchurch to stop but he continued to walk away with the infant and replied in a raised voice that he didn’t have to stop and talk to the police. Concerned for the child’s safety, the officer followed Upchurch inside the store and requested backup from other officers. When Upchurch came out of the store still holding the child, he was met by police. Officers grabbed Upchurch’s hand and got the infant out of his arms. Upchurch then tensed up, pulled away and resisted being placed into custody. It was determined that Upchurch had been the primary aggressor in the verbal domestic and had engaged in a violent or threatening manner toward the woman and the public. His bond is $5,000 and his court date is July 27.
29 year old Karri Margaret Jewell was cited on Saturday, July 8 for theft of property. At approximately 11:38 a.m. that day the victim contacted police to report that someone had gotten into her vehicle in the parking lot of Star Manufacturing and taken her purse. During the investigation, an officer viewed video surveillance of the parking lot and observed a car park beside the victim’s vehicle. Someone got out and entered the victim’s automobile, removed an object, then got back in their car and left the area. At approximately 12:27 p.m. as the officer pulled out of the parking lot of Star Manufacturing, he saw a car that matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle. The officer got behind the automobile and turned on his blue lights. The vehicle pulled over and Jewell was identified as the driver. The officer explained why he pulled her over and was given consent to search the automobile. The stolen purse was found in the floor board behind the driver’s seat. The victim was contacted and she identified the purse which was returned to her. Jewell’s court date is July 27.
27 year old Kevin Casey Adams was arrested Wednesday, July 12 for a second offense of driving while license revoked. Police initiated a routine traffic stop and spoke with Adams. Upon checking through Central Dispatch it was revealed that Adams’ license are revoked. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is August 3.
32 year old Michael Redmon was arrested Monday, July 17 for simple possession. Police responded to a call of a suspicious person and found Redmon walking in the area of Center Hill Village Apartments. Police asked Redmon if he was on probation and he replied no. However a check through CPS revealed that he is on probation. Approximately 1/2 gram of a white crystal substance believed to be meth was found in a small baggie. The baggie was in Redmon’s front right pocket. His bond is $2,500 and his court date is July 27.
48 year old Michael James Lynn Culver was arrested on Monday, July 17 for DUI and he was cited for implied consent. Police were called to check on a man who was believed to be passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle in the parking lot of the Dollar General Store. Upon arrival, an officer tried several times to wake him. When the man awoke, police identified him as Culver. Culver’s pupils were small, his speech slurred, and he was unsteady on his feet. Culver submitted to field sobriety tasks but he performed poorly and refused to give blood for a test. His bond is $5,000 and his court date is August 3.
26 year old Eric Dwayne Judkins was arrested on Tuesday, July 18 for driving while license suspended. He had been issued a citation the day before for the same offense. An officer, knowing that Judkins’ license are suspended, saw him operating a motor vehicle on West Broad Street and made a traffic stop. A computer check revealed that Judkins’ license has been suspended for truancy since April 27, 2007. He was arrested due to the reasonable likelihood that he would continue to drive. Bond for Judkins is $3,500 and his court date is August 3.
28 year old Cory Alan Bradford was arrested on Friday, July 21 for aggravated burglary due to his making a forced entry into the home of his victim on Thursday, July 20. Upon investigation police discovered that Bradford entered the home with the intent to commit a felony theft but the victim was at home, heard the alarm going off, and called 911. Bradford had left the scene without taking anything before police arrived. His bond is $10,000 and his court date is August 3.

A new scoreboard and play clocks have been installed at the DeKalb County High School football field.
The play clocks on either end of the field and the new 24’ x 8’ scoreboard at the north end zone were funded thanks to the support of Wilson Bank & Trust, Dr. Timothy Tobitt of the Good Health Family Clinic, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, Liberty State Bank, and the Board of Education.
DCHS Tiger Football Coach Steve Trapp said the new scoreboard and play clocks are very much appreciated.
“Its an upgrade that has been needed and I think visually its going to be an impact on our crowd. It’s a 24’ x 8’ scoreboard. Its a lot bigger than the size of our old scoreboard. It has some extra features on it. It’s wireless so we won’t be tripping on wires and it has LED’s so we won’t be using light bulbs. Typically that scoreboard is used for fields that have a track because it sets way off the field but this scoreboard sets right by the fence. It will be right in our face. Hopefully we can light up that home side all year long,” said Coach Trapp.
“We want to thank this group of local business leaders and our school system for helping the DeKalb County Football program make this purchase. This really all started with our boosters getting some prices on what it would cost to replace our existing scoreboard. Through that process they figured out some ways and opportunities to get some help. Through the contributions of these businesses, Wilson Bank & Trust, Dr. Timothy Tobitt of the Good Health Family Clinic, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, Liberty State Bank, and the school board helping us out as well, we were able to get all this done without any booster funds so they (booster club) can use their monies for other things for our football program,” added Coach Trapp.