92 year old Ruth Conger Green of Smithville died Saturday at DeKalb Community Hospital. She was a homemaker, a member of the Pisgah Methodist Church, a former Farm Bureau director, and a member of the Home Demonstration Club. The funeral will be Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from noon until 9:00 p.m. and Monday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 1:00 p.m. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nicholas and Minnie Corley Reynolds; two husbands, James Robert Conger and Howard C. Green. Survivors include one son, Danny Conger of Liberty. First cousins, Sue Willoughby, Roy Burton, Jack, Roger, and Albert Corley, Ann Windle, Floyd Corley, Martha Banks, and Mildred Bass. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Tag Archives: 2008
Smithville Police Arrest Man for DUI and Simple Possession
Smithville Police recently arrested a man for impaired driving and found him with an unlabeled prescription bottle containing pills believed to be Xanax.
Lieutenant Steven Leffew says Officer Matt Holmes arrested Steve Hale and charged him with a second offense of driving under the influence and simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance.
According to Lieutenant Leffew, Officer Holmes responded to Mapco Express to investigate a complaint of a possible impaired driver. Upon arrival, he found a vehicle matching the description and saw the man slumped over the steering wheel. As the officer approached the vehicle, the man sat up and began attempting to place the keys into the ignition, but was unable to do so. Upon speaking to Hale, the officer observed that the man’s speech was very slurred and he appeared to be disoriented.
The officer asked Hale to step out of the vehicle and he was asked to perform sobriety tasks. He performed very poorly on all tasks and was arrested for DUI. Upon a pat down of his person, the officer found a pill bottle on Hale containing seventeen and a half small blue pills believed to be Xanax.
Forty One Students to Compete in County Spelling Bee
A total of forty one students will be competing during the Fifth Annual DeKalb County Spelling Bee Friday night, February 15th at 6:30 p.m. at DeKalb County High School.
WJLE plans LIVE coverage
Students from DeKalb Middle School, DeKalb West School, and Northside Elementary School recently competed at the school level to become eligible for the county competition.
Along with students from thirty nine other counties, the first and second place winners in the DeKalb County Spelling Bee will compete in the Tennessean Regional Spelling Bee on March 7th at the Massey Performing Arts Center at Belmont University in Nashville.
The winner of the Regional Spelling Bee will compete in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. May 25th through May 31st with all expenses paid by the Tennessean Newspaper.
The purpose of the County Wide Spelling Bee is to help students improve spelling skills, increase vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.
Participants in this year’s County Wide Spelling Bee are:
Northside Elementary School:
Fourth Grade- Chase Bryant, Ashli Chew, Andrew Cooper, and Caitlin Turner
Fifth Grade- Issac Beck, Brandon Chapman, Haley Davis, Lenzi Dickens, Ashland Dillon, Corey Ferrell, Kelsey Hedge, Justin Johnson, Brandon Leiser, Jeffery Rigsby, Makalee Ruch, Emilee Stephens, and Jacob Washer
DeKalb Middle School:
Sixth Grade- Emily Snow
Seventh Grade- Jessica Acuna, Jacob Parsley, and Martilia Tallent
Eighth Grade- Jesse James, Kallie Mitchell, Kayla Matthews, Destiny Thomas, and Riley Young
DeKalb West School:
Fourth Grade- Morgan Vickers
Fifth Grade- Leah Burchfield, Cason Oakley, Zachary Roberts, and Lydia Trail
Sixth Grade- Courtney Avera, Sarah Hunt, Paige Lohorn, McKenzie Poteete, and Crystal Vickers
Seventh Grade- Casey Alderman, Taylor Leach, and Ashley O’Conner
Eighth Grade-Dylan Freeney and Rachel Goodman
Smithville Police Confiscate $600 Brick of Marijuana and Make One Arrest
Smithville Police Officers, acting on a complaint after midnight Thursday morning, arrested a 21 year old man on a drug charge after finding a brick of marijuana on him, with an estimated street value of more than $600.
Lieutenant Steven Leffew says Officers Brad Tatrow and Randy King charged Timmy Wayne Tomlinson with sale and delivery of a schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana) for resale. His bond is set at $5,000 and he will be in General Sessions Court on February 28th.
According to Lieutenant Leffew, the officers stopped a vehicle on Short Mountain Highway for excessive speed and unnecessary noise. Inside the vehicle were two females who told the officers that the reason they were speeding was to get away from two men who tried to force them into their vehicle at Mapco Express. The officers checked out their story and confirmed with the manager of Mapco that two men had been causing trouble there, but that they had gone across the street to the Hardees parking lot.
Officers Tatrow and King found both Tomlinson and Joshua Gammons in a truck at Hardees. According to Lieutenant Leffew, Tomlinson got out of the vehicle and tried to throw something away. The officers advised Tomlinson of the complaints that had been made and later reported that he seemed very nervous and had bloodshot eyes.
Upon further investigation, the officers asked for and received consent to search and found several marijuana shakings (crumbs) in the vehicle. Both Tomlinson and Gammons denied having any drugs on them, but after the Smithville K-9 unit was brought to the scene, Tomlinson produced a large brick of marijuana from one of the boots he was wearing. The marijuana was wrapped in a sandwich bag. The officers also found a large box of sandwich bags in the glove box of the truck.
Lieutenant Leffew says the brick of marijuana weighed 4.3 ounces and the estimated street value is approximately $150 per ounce, which would make this brick worth more than $600.
Tomlinson was taken into custody and charged in the case. No drugs were found on Gammons and he was not charged.
Clarence Aurbon Saylors
57 year old Clarence Aurbon Saylors of Smithville died Tuesday at Riverview Regional Medical Center. He was a nursery worker. The funeral will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at DeKalb Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Whorton Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from noon until 9:00 p.m. and Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 2:00 p.m. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Nellie Braswell Saylors; a brother, James “Red” Saylors; and a sister, Ruby Nell Ferrell. Survivors include his children, Timothy and his wife Christen Saylors of McMinnville; Lisa and her husband Buddy Lynch of Shelbyville; Tresa and her husband Barry Estes of McMinnville;and Michael and his wife Ashley Saylors of Smithville. Sisters, Glema and her husband Eddie King of Beersheba Springs and Joyce Farless of McMinnville. Fourteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren survive. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Carolyn Maynard
58 year old Carolyn Maynard of Smithville died Tuesday at her residence. She was a retired teacher at Smithville Elementary School where she taught for 35 years. She was also a member of the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church, the American Cancer Society, and the Tennessee Education Association. The funeral will be Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Bill Robertson will officiate and burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.; Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.; and Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Evelyn Smith Keith; two sons, Keith and Lee Tracy Maynard; and a brother, Ralph Keith. Survivors include her husband, L.T. Maynard; one daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Greg Heffner; and a sister, Helen Redmon all of Smithville. Two nieces, Jeanette Youngblood of Liberty and Tavia Keith of Smithville. One nephew, Chad Keith of Dowelltown. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. The family has requested that donations please be made to the American Cancer Society or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, in lieu of flowers.
Nina Myrle Chapman
58 year old Nina Myrle Chapman of Smithville died Tuesday at her residence. She was a member of Salem Baptist Church. A memorial service will be held Friday at 11:00 a.m. at DeKalb Funeral Chapel. Michael Hale will officiate and burial will be in Salem Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the memorial service at 11:00 a.m. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Ora Bramlett Shelton; a son, Kyle Melton; a grandchild, Jacob Bunch and brothers, Eugene Shelton, Hubble Shelton, and Michael Shelton. She is survived by her children, Lisa and her husband Eddie Anderson of Smithville, Tony Vanatta of Smithville, Eric Vanatta of McMinnville, and Krissy and her husband Bobby Morgan of Smithville. Grandchildren, Emilee and Elisha Anderson, Justin Vanatta, Logan and Devin Vanatta, and Kane and Austin Morgan. Sisters, Louise Clark of Benton, Aundra Hale of Alexandria, Elizabeth Frazier of Alexandria, and Angelia Claubough of Cleveland. Brothers, Poley Shelton of Smithville, Curtis Shelton of Temperance Hall, and Jeff Shelton of Smithville. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Banks Wins Democratic Nomination for Property Assessor
Incumbent DeKalb County Property Assessor, Timothy “Fud” Banks, won the Democratic nomination Tuesday easily beating both challengers, Roy Merriman and Willie Thomas.
Banks received a total of 1,922 votes (66.2%) and won 15 out of 16 precincts along with a majority of the early votes and absentees. Merriman carried only one precinct (Rock Castle) and finished second with 625 votes (21.5%) while Thomas placed third with 356 votes(12.2%).
A total of 4,507 people voted in the Primaries for a turnout of 35.04% including 3,206 on election day, 1,294 early voters and absentees, and seven provisional voters.
The following is a break down of the votes by precinct:
Alexandria: Banks- 86, Merriman 47, and Thomas 35
Belk: Banks- 64, Merriman 26, Thomas 14
Blue Springs: Banks- 78, Merriman 25, and Thomas 9
Cherry Hill: Banks- 12, Merriman 7, Thomas 2
Church of Christ Annex: Banks- 155, Merriman 60, Thomas 25
Courthouse: Banks- 156, Merriman 48, Thomas 28
Dowelltown: Banks- 52, Merriman 22, Thomas 9
Edgar Evins State Park: Banks- 6, Merriman 2, Thomas 1
Elementary School: Banks- 163, Merriman 59, Thomas 16
Johnson’s Chapel: Banks- 39, Merriman 10, Thomas 8
Keltonburg: Banks- 90, Merriman 31, Thomas 9
Liberty: Banks- 53, Merriman 25, Thomas 15
Middle School: Banks- 155, Merriman 41, Thomas 33
Rock Castle: Merriman- 18, Banks 8, Thomas 5
Snow Hill: Banks- 72, Merriman 20, Thomas 10
Temperance Hall: Banks- 45, Thomas 19, Merriman 13
Absentee (paper ballots): Banks- 30, Thomas 12, Merriman 2
Early Voting: Banks- 658, Merriman 169, Thomas 106
Banks will face Republican nominee, John David Foutch, and Independent, Sandy C. Brown, in the August General Election.
Meanwhile, Johnny King defeated Mary Ann Thomason in the seventh district constable race King received 178 votes (58.9%) to Thomason’s 124 votes (41.1%). King had 102 votes at the Church of Christ Annex and 70 early votes and 6 absentees. Thomason collected 66 votes at the Annex and 54 early votes and 4 absentees.
The other four constable candidates were unopposed. Their complimentary vote totals are as follows:Third District Incumbent Wayne Vanderpool- 230 votes; Fourth District Nominee Paul Cantrell- 268; Fifth District Incumbent Mark Milam- 289; and Sixth District Nominee Cantrell Jones- 310
In the Presidential Preference Primary, Hillary Clinton carried DeKalb County by a wide margin over Barack Obama on the Democratic side, while Mike Huckabee edged out fellow candidates, John McCain and Mitt Romney, among DeKalb County Republican voters. Clinton received 2,410 votes in DeKalb County to Obama’s 347. Other Democratic candidates on the ballot and their totals include John Edwards 272, Bill Richardson 10, Joe Biden 7, Dennis Kucinich 6, Mike Gravel 4, Chris Dodd 1 and 31 Uncommitted.
Clinton easily carried all sixteen precincts in DeKalb County and had a majority of the early votes and absentees.
Huckabee garnered 573 votes in the Republican primary, McCain had 399, while Romney received 267 DeKalb County votes. Other GOP candidates and their vote totals include Ron Paul 63, Fred Thompson 30, Rudy Giuliani 7, Duncan Hunter 4, Alan Keyes 1, and 4 Uncommitted.
Huckabee carried 13 of 16 precincts and tied Romney with 10 votes each at Cherry Hill. Romney and McCain tied with 7 votes each to carry Edgar Evins State Park and they tied with 21 votes each to carry Rock Castle. Huckabee also had more early votes than his opponents.
Be sure to check out precinct-by-precinct numbers on our special election page. Find the “Election Night Results” link on the left side of our homepage for the breakdown.
Potter Young
65 year old Potter Young of Smithville died Monday evening at his residence. He was a member of the Tabernacle Baptist Church and a retired truck driver for Knowles and Sons Nursery. A graveside service will be held Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at DeKalb Cemetery. Bransford England will officiate. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.; and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. He was preceded in death by his father, Magness Young and a sister, Peggy Maples. Survivors include a son, Richard and his wife Kim Young of Smithville. A daughter, Donna and her husband Brent Turner of Smithville. His mother, Annie Laura Young of Smithville. Grandchildren, Derek Young and Sydney Turner both of Smithville. Brothers, Kenneth and his wife Susan Young, Paul and his wife Pam Young, and Phillip and his wife Tammy Young all of Smithville. A niece, Laura and her husband Brian Hall of Smithville and a host of relatives and friends also survive. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Chester Earl Sewell
84 year old Chester Earl Sewell of Sparta died Saturday at Erlanger North Hospital in Chattanooga. Sewell was born in Willow Grove, Tennessee, the son of the late Roy A. Sewell, Sr. and Dovie Ann (Watson) Sewell. He was a member of the Findlay Church of Christ in Sparta, a lifelong farmer, and a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army. The funeral will be Thursday at 1:00 p.m. at the Findlay Church of Christ in Sparta. Dwight Fuqua will officiate and burial will be in Highland Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Oak Lawn Funeral Home and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the church. Donations may be made, in lieu of flowers, to the Short Mountain Bible Camp at the Findlay Church of Christ or at the Oak Lawn Funeral Home. Survivors include a daughter, Lois Grizzell and her husband Gary of Cookeville. A son. Charles Sewell and his wife Laurie of Cookeville. His former wife, Marie Sewell of Sparta. Five step-daughters, Janie Foster and her husband Jerry of Smithville, Ellen Gibbs and her husband Bobby of Sparta, Helen Hensley of Sparta, Bonita Marcom and her husband Lyndon of Sparta, and Brenda Johnson of Sparta. Two brothers, Roy Sewell and his wife June of Sparta and C.C. (Cap) Sewell and his wife Alice of Algood. Two sisters, Frances Gillen and her husband Charles of Sparta and Ruth Payne of Algood. Six grandchildren, Mickey Sewell, Cory Sewell, Jana Sewell, Tyler Grizzell, Jalon Foster, and Loren Foster. Five great grandchildren also survive. Oak Lawn Funeral Home in Sparta is in charge of the arrangements.