Smithville Police Chief Gus Clemente wants the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to adopt a vehicle take-home policy for officers of the police department.
Under the proposal, each officer, who is already assigned a patrol car to drive while on duty, would get to take that cruiser home after work.
Some members of the city council have reservations about that proposal since most of the city police officers reside outside the city.
Under the proposed policy, only officers living within a 25 mile radius of the corporate city limits of the City of Smithville would be allowed to drive the police vehicles home. All other officers would park the vehicles at the police department headquarters.
Chief Clemente says the goals of this policy would be to promote the security of the citizens of Smithville by greater visibility and presence of vehicles on the streets and highways; provide quicker response time to certain types of calls and therefore increase the opportunity to apprehend criminals; reduce the yearly mileage on each vehicle, therefore increasing vehicle life; reduce maintenance cost on each vehicle in the fleet; provide quicker response of off-duty personnel when called back to duty because of an emergency; provide increased incentive and morale of officers participating in the program; and maintain vehicles in top condition through preventive maintenance and personalized assignment.
Members of the council agree that the policy could provide for quicker response time by some officers in the event of an emergency, but others argue that it will add to the city’s fuel cost and potentially increase liability.
Some also question how that there could be greater visibility and presence of patrol cars on city streets, when most of the city patrol cars would be outside the city, when driven home by officers who live outside the city.
The city board voted unanimously Monday night to defer action on the proposed policy until the next meeting on Monday, July 17th at 7:00 p.m. at city hall.
In other business Monday night, Mayor Taft Hendrixson appointed himself as the city’s representative and re-appointed Clay Farler as a citizen member to the City Planning Commission.
Steve Hays was reappointed to the City Beer Board and Lloyd Black was named as a new member of the board. Beer Board terms are for five years.
Wade Smith and Jimmy Ervin were reappointed as members of the Smithville Board of Zoning Appeals.
Mayor Hendrixson appointed himself as the city representative on the Industrial Development Board. Hendrixson, who was already on the board as a citizen member, appointed Richard Judkins to fill that position. Alan Webb was also named to the Industrial Board to fill the vacancy created by the death of his father Norval Webb.

A 25 year old man was injured in a one car crash Monday night on Blue Springs Road.
Trooper Brian Raymond of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says Terry Reeder of Bethel Road, Smithville was driving a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire when he failed to negotiate a curve, went off the road, and hit a guardrail near a bridge.
Reeder was ejected from the car.
He was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital.
Officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the Blue Springs Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene.

A three year old girl, Autumn Hendrixson, is recovering at Vanderbilt Hospital after being bitten by a copperhead snake Saturday evening.
A call was placed to 911 from a Sparta Highway residence around 8:00 p.m. Saturday. The child, who had been bitten on her foot, was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital by EMS and later flown from the hospital to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The child is the daughter of Jayme Billotto.

Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson and Aldermen Stephen White and Cecil Burger, elected on June 20th, were sworn into office to begin their new two year terms Saturday morning during a special meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at city hall.
City Attorney Sarah Cripps administered the oath of office.
After the swearing in ceremony, Mayor Hendrixson appointed each of the alderman to oversee a city department.
The appointments are as follows: Steve White-Vice Mayor and Commissioner of Finance and Taxation; W.J. (Dub) White- Commissioner of Streets and Safety; Paul Young- Commissioner of the Water and Sewer Departments; Cecil Burger-Commissioner of Sanitation; and Aaron Meeks – Commissioner of the Police and Fire Departments.

A Murfreesboro girl took home this year’s top Jamboree award as the best fiddler in the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners.
Maddie Denton was crowned the Grand Champion fiddler Saturday and won the coveted James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Award, named for the man who started the children’s competition during the 1980’s as part of the annual Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival.
Denton also received the “Entertainer of the Year” Award, which is presented to the best overall instrumental entertainer among winners in the dobro guitar, mandolin, five string banjo, and flat top guitar competition.
The National Championship for Country Musician Beginners showcases the talents of children up to age twelve in seven categories of competition.
This year’s winners are as follows:
Fiddle: First Place-Maddie Denton of Murfreesboro. Second Place- Danielle Bishop of Fairview, North Carolina. Third Place- Alex Thomlinson of Suches, Georgia.
Buck Dancing: First Place- Emily Dean of Springfield. Second Place- Ty Jackson of Cedar Hill. Third Place- Tanner Dunn of Cookeville.
Clogging: First Place-Emily Dean of Springfield. Second Place- Ty Jackson of Cedar Hill. Third Place- Lindsay Batts of Ashland City..
Dobro Guitar: First Place-Seth Taylor of Bryson City, North Carolina. Second Place- Maddie Denton of Murfreesboro. These were the only two contestants in this category.
Mandolin: First Place-Sarah Jones of Smithville. Second Place- Grant Rigney of Normandy, Tennessee. Third Place- Emma DeJarnette of Snellville, Georgia.
Five String Banjo: First Place- Seth Taylor of Bryson City, North Carolina. Second Place- Maddie Denton of Murfreesboro. Third Place- Aaron Thompson of Benton, Kentucky.
Flat Top Guitar: First Place- Maddie Denton of Murfreesboro. Second Place- Tyler Sellers of Ashland City. Third Place- Andrew Rigney of Normandy, Tennessee.

The Grand Champion Fiddler of the 35th annual Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival is Jeremy Stephens of Danville, Virginia.
Stephens won the Berry C. Williams Memorial Award Saturday night after the Grand Finale Fiddle-Off between the best Junior and Senior Fiddler.
Stephens made it to the fiddle off by winning the Junior Fiddling competition and he won the Grand Championship by beating Carl Franklin of Hendersonville, the winner of the Senior Fiddling contest.
Other winners in the Saturday session of the Fiddler’s Jamboree are as follows:
Junior Fiddlers (Ages 13-39): First Place- Jeremy Stephens of Danville, Virginia. Second Place- Greg Hallums of Lebanon. Third Place- Ashley Sullivan of Mount Juliet.
Junior Old-Time Appalachian Flatfoot Dance (Ages up to 39): First Place- Jacob Campbell of Murfreesboro. Second Place- Justin Frazor of Smyrna. Third Place- Chris Gray of Saint Joseph, Tennessee.
Senior Old-Time Appalachian Flatfoot Dance (Ages 40 & Over): First Place- Danny Campbell of Murfreesboro. Second Place- Thomas Maupin of Murfreesboro. Third Place- Tommy Scruggs of Hartsville.
Senior Buck Dancing (Ages 40 & Over): First Place- Stanley Reece of Whitleyville, Tennessee. Second Place- Darrin Stryker of Crossville. Third Place- Danny Campbell of Murfreesboro.
Senior Clogging (Ages 40 & Over): First Place- Tammy Scruggs of Hartsville. Second Place- Michael Oliver of Hartsville. Third Place- Tommy Jackson of Franklin.
Bluegrass Banjo: First Place- Kurt Stephenson of Dyersburg. Second Place- Jeremy Stephens of Danville, Virginia. Third Place- Tyler Collins of Allons, Tennessee.
Bluegrass Band: First Place- Tennessee Bluegrass of Jackson, Tennessee. Second Place- Crosswind of Olive Hill, Tennessee. Third Place- Stoney Lonesome of Cookeville..
Senior Fiddlers ( Ages 40 & Over): First Place- Carl Franklin of Hendersonville. Second Place- Delmer Holland of Waverly. Third Place- R.B. Scruggs of Hartsville.
Square Dancing: First Place- Rhythm-N-Motion of Cookeville. Second Place- Rocky Top Revue of Franklin, Tennessee. Third Place- Rhythm-N-Motion Xplosion of Cookeville.

Except for about an hour and a half delay because of threatening weather, the first day of the 35th annual Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival ran non-stop from about 9:00 a.m. to 11:10 p.m. Friday.
Preliminaries were held in fifteen categories of music and dance competition followed by the finals featuring the top three acts in each event.
The following are the winners in each category:
Old Time Appalachian Folk Singing (Solo/Duet): First Place- The Greens of Ripley Mississippi. Second Place- Emily Dean of Springfield, Tennessee. Third Place- Jack Horner of Nashville..
Flat Top Guitar: First Place-Will McMeans of Lester, Alabama. Second Place- Brian Blaylock of Hixson, Tennessee. Third Place- Dr. Rob Pearcy of Smyrna, Tennessee.
Junior Clogging (Ages 13-39): First Place- Amanda Herron of Cookeville. Second Place- Lauryn Boss of Bloomington Springs. Third Place- Chris Stewart of Lebanon.
Junior Buck Dancing (Ages 13-39): First Place- Jacob Campbell of Murfreesboro. Second Place- Chris Stewart of Lebanon. Third Place- Amanda Herron of Cookeville.
Dobro Guitar: First Place-Earl Grubbs of Murfreesboro. Second Place- Tyler Collins of Allons, Tennessee. Third Place- Brian Blaylock of Hixson.
Mountain Dulcimer: First Place-Bobby Nobley of LaGrange, Georgia. Second Place- Rob Pearcy of Smyrna. Third Place- Lisa Patton of Murfreesboro.
Hammer Dulcimer: First Place- Amber Burks of Greenbrier. Second Place- Howard Friedman of Knoxville. Third Place- Beth James of Newport.
Novelty Event: First Place-Pa Fields and the Wham Bangers of Crossville. Second Place- Lucille Graham of Bryant, Alabama. Third Place- Backwards Bluegrass of Dyersburg.
Old Time Fiddle Band: First Place-DeKalb County Hilltoppers of Danville, Virginia. Second Place- Blue Creek Ramblers of Murfreesboro. Third Place- Slim Chance of Allover Tennessee.
Autoharp: First Place-Bobby Nobley of LaGrange, Georgia. Second Place- Jeremy Stephens of Danville, Virginia. Third Place- Bill Rothe of Estill Springs.
Gospel Singing (Solo): First Place- Molly Green of Ripley, Mississippi. Second Place- Amber Burks of Greenbrier. Third Place- Anna Noe of Nashville.
Country Harmonica: First Place-Isaac Vick of Lyles, Tennessee. Second Place- Ken Tenpenny of Murfreesboro. Third Place- Lewis Taylor of Ringgold, Georgia.
Old Time Banjo: First Place-Jeremy Stephens of Danville, Virginia. Second Place- Eric Vick of Lyles, Tennessee. Third Place- Rob Pearcy of Smyrna.
Gospel Singing (Duet, Trio, & Quartet): First Place- The Greens of Ripley, Mississippi. Second Place- Tomlin & Chunn of Greenbrier. Third Place- Emily & Ty of Springfield.
Mandolin: First Place- Solly Burton of Sullivan, Indiana; Second Place-Jesse Daniel of Fort Payne, Alabama. Third Place- Will McMeans of Lester, Alabama.
State Senator Mae Beavers presented a United States flag to a member of the audience from Australia and a Tennessee State flag to a visitor from Alaska.
The flags go to the persons who travel the greatest distances, both from inside and outside the country, to get here.

Cannon County Hospital, LLC and Saint Thomas Health Services have jointly announced that the sale of DeKalb Hospital, Smithville has been finalized.
Cannon County Hospital, LLC assumed ownership of the hospital at the close of business on Friday.
The sale of DeKalb Hospital to Cannon County Hospital, LLC was announced in April. The transaction was reviewed by the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General and both Saint Thomas Health Services and Cannon County, LLC were notified that the Attorney General would take no action in the proceeding clearing the way for the immediate closure of the sale.
DeKalb Hospital has been a part of Saint Thomas Health Services since 2002 when Saint Thomas Hospital acquired the Baptist Health Care System. The criteria for considering organizations interested in purchasing DeKalb Hospital included commitments to continuing health care services in DeKalb County and to the continued employment and well being of associates employed there.
The principals in Cannon County Hospital, LLC, also own Stones River Hospital,a 65 bed hospital in Woodbury. Stones River Hospital was acquired in 1999 and has grown through the addition of new physicians and services.
Saint Thomas Health Services is a faith based ministry serving Middle Tennessee. Saint Thomas Health Services consists of four hospitals: Baptist and Saint Thomas Hospitals in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville. It is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic Organization, that is the largest not-for profit health system in the United States.