Two men have been arrested by the Alexandria Police Department in separate burglary investigations.
19 year old Marv Richardson Cash of 109 Lavergn Street was picked up on Friday, January 20 and charged with breaking into a residence on Flemming Street in Alexandria while 21 year old Andrew Dalton West of DeKalb County was arrested on Thursday, January 26 and charged with burglary and theft at 137 Avant Circle in Alexandria.
In the case involving Cash, Alexandria Police Chief Mark Collins told WJLE Thursday that police were called to a residence on Flemming Street on Friday, January 20 to take a burglary report. “Someone had taken a brick and busted out a window to gain entry. While inside the home, they took a 55 inch LED TV valued at $1,300 and left through the back door. Later in the investigation, an eye witness stated they saw a black male around 6:30 a.m. identified as Marv Cash carrying a large object from the home covered in a blanket. The TV and blanket were later recovered in some nearby bushes.” said Chief Collins.
Cash was arrested and charged in the case. His bond is $16,000 and he will be in court on February 2.
Meanwhile, in the West case, Chief Collins told WJLE that police responded to a call at 137 Avant Circle on Thursday, January 26 to investigate a burglary. “The victim told police that someone had entered their home by cutting a screen and raising a window. While inside, they had taken two car speakers and other miscellaneous objects. While speaking with neighbors, one witness stated they had seen West inside the home going through personal belongings while another witness stated they had seen West around 6:30 a.m. loading the objects into a blue van. Later that morning, West was found and arrested in the case. Some of the items were recovered at the residence where West was staying,” said Chief Collins.
Bond for West is $20,000 and his court date is February 2.

Smithville Police apparently solved a Wilson County auto theft with the arrest of a 34 year old Woodbury man last Saturday.
Brady Gordon Cunningham is charged with possession of stolen property, a second offense of driving under the influence, and driving on a revoked license. His bond is $9,000. He also faces an auto theft charge in Lebanon. Cunningham is further charged with introduction of a controlled substance into a penal institution where prisoners are quartered. His bond on that offense is $1,500 and he will be in court on all local charges February 2.
Chief Randy Caplinger reports that police received a call on Saturday, January 21 to be on the lookout for someone driving toward Smithville in a 2007 Chevy Silverado that could have been stolen. Cunningham had stopped to get gas in Alexandria and when someone there had paid him a compliment about his truck, Cunningham reportedly replied that he had just stolen it. The incident was then reported to central dispatch.
Smithville Police spotted a truck fitting the description and pulled it over on West Broad Street. The driver, Cunningham, had slurred speech and appeared to be under the influence. He was asked to get out of the truck. He was unsteady on his feet. Cunningham submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. A computer check of his drivers license revealed them to be revoked for a previous DUI conviction. According to Chief Caplinger, the license tag on the truck belonged Cunningham but was registered to a Honda car. Cunningham told the officer that he had recently traded the car for the truck and had left his registration paper work at home. The pickup had not been reported as stolen. Police then conducted an Internet search using the serial number of the truck and found that it came from the Highway 231 auto dealership in Lebanon. The owner of the business was contacted. After checking, he discovered that the truck was missing from the car lot. After he reported it stolen, Cunningham was charged in the theft. Cunningham had in his possession the original key to the truck. Authorities are not sure how he obtained it.
Sheriff Ray said that after Cunningham was arrested by the Smithville Police Department he was brought to the sheriff’s department. While correctional officers were searching Cunningham, they found on him a prescription bottle that contained three yellow pills believed to be Hydrocodone with Ibuprofen. These pills were in a bottle that did not belong to Cunningham.

The DeKalb County unemployment rate for December dropped to 8%, down from 8.3% in November and 1.4% under the December, 2010 rate of 9.4%
The local labor force for December was 9,870. A total of 9,080 were employed and 790 were unemployed.
DeKalb County’s unemployment rate for December was the third lowest among the fourteen counties of the Upper Cumberland region as follows:
Pickett County- 14.9%
Jackson- 10.9%
Clay- 10.8%
White- 10.7%
Van Buren- 10.6%
Cumberland- 9.9%
Warren-9.6%
Fentress- 9.5%
Overton- 8.7%
Smith- 8.5%
Macon- 8.4%
DeKalb-8%
Putnam-7.5%
Cannon- 7.2%
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for December 2011, show that the rate decreased in 56 counties, increased in 27 counties, and remained the same in 12 counties.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate for December fell to 8.7 percent, down from the November revised rate of 9.1. The national unemployment rate for December 2011 was 8.5 percent, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the November rate.
Williamson and Lincoln counties registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 5.4 percent. Both counties had higher rates in November with Williamson at 5.8 percent and Lincoln at 5.6 percent. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 18.8 percent, up from 17.5 percent in the previous month, followed by Obion County at 15.3, which was unchanged from the November rate.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 5.9 percent, down from 6.3 percent in November. Davidson County was 6.9 percent, down from 7.3 percent in the previous month. Hamilton County was 7.2 percent, down from 7.4 percent, and Shelby County was 8.8 percent, down from the November unemployment rate of 9.3 percent.

Victoria Dawn Tatrow of DeKalb County, the reigning Miss Tennessee High School America, will be competing in the national pageant this March in San Antonio, Texas.
The 17 year old beauty, daughter of Corey and Vickie Funk and the late Shanna Tatrow, was crowned Miss Tennessee High School America at the state pageant held August 6, 2011 at the Buckman Performing Arts Center in Memphis.
Tatrow, a senior at DeKalb County High School, will represent the state of Tennessee at the 2012 Miss High School America & Miss Collegiate America Pageant March 7-10 . This year the pageant will be held at the BEAUTIFUL Lila Cockrell Theatre located on The Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.
Tatrow, who attended the county commission meeting Monday night, told WJLE afterwards that the national pageant is fun filled with many wonderful activities including a visit to Sea World, Dinner at the River Walk, River Walk Boat Tour, Photo Shoots, Alamo Tour, and so much more. ” It offers a scholarship of $10,000 to any college that I want, a $5,000 wardrobe, and a lot of other goodies”, said Tatrow.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me in this county and I hope to make you proud,” she said.

Elizabeth Sanders from DeKalb County is one of eight young people selected from across the nation to serve on the National 4-H Congress design team. Elizabeth, along with the Extension professionals and volunteer leaders comprising the team, with help give guidance to the planning and implementation of the 2012 event to be held in Atlanta. National 4-H Congress is the culminating event for high school members competing in one of the 4-H projects.
Elizabeth attended the 2011 Congress as Tennessee’s state winner in the goat project. She was initially selected as a nominee by the Tennessee delegation attending the 2011 Congress and after submitting an application and video tape, was chosen by the National 4-H Congress design team selection committee.
Congratulations to Elizabeth. She will attend the first planning meeting in February in Atlanta.

Forty two students will be competing in the ninth Annual County Wide Spelling Bee on Thursday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m. at DeKalb County High School.
The 2011 County Spelling Bee Champion is Chase Bryant
Earlier students from DeKalb Middle School, DeKalb West School and Northside Elementary School competed at the school level to become eligible for the county competition. WJLE will broadcast the Spelling Bee LIVE. Along with thirty-nine counties, the first and second place winners in the DeKalb County Spelling Bee will compete in the Middle Tennessee Regional Spelling Bee sponsored by Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz and Belmont University. The regional bee will take place on Friday, March 2, 2012 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The winner of the Regional Spelling Bee will compete in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
The purpose in sponsoring 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:
DeKalb West:
4th Grade: Lexy Gammons, Christian Trail, Kelsey Wade
5th Grade: Callie Mulloy, Harley Sloan, Thomas Tippin
6th Grade: Jacob Frazier, Mark Mace
7th Grade: Jayra Plattenburg, Brandy Rock, Casey Vickers
8th Grade: Madison Hayes, Mary Mofield, Kirkland Smallwood, Morgan Vickers
Northside Elementary:
4th Grade: Chantz Bowling, Anna Chew, Isaac Cross, Braxton Hutchings, Katherine Malone, Raiden Martin, Logan Speaks, Malia Stanley
5th Grade: Madi Cantrell, Malone Fletcher, Molly Hall, Dulce Marcel, Ashley Phillips, Christian Sisk, Isaac Walker, Derek Young
DeKalb Middle School:
6th Grade: Kayla Belk, Olivia Fuson, Haley Martin, Allison Maynard, Shauna Pedroza, Hunter Speaks, and Justin Stanick
7th Grade: Alexis Cantrell, Timothy Cassinera, Reagan Patton, Skylar Pease, Alyssa Sewell

A federal court lawsuit against DeKalb County over the death of an inmate while in custody of the Sheriff’s Department two years ago has been set for a jury trial in December.
Doris Hullett filed the lawsuit a year ago in the death of her son, Jackie Lee Snider, who was arrested December 31, 2009 and died on January 30, 2010 after being taken from the jail to DeKalb Community Hospital. According to the lawsuit, “the medical examiner reported that Snider died of pancreatitis, which is an extremely painful and serious medical condition. If Snider’s pancreatitis had been treated on or before the morning of January 30, 2010, Snider would have survived without permanent, long term consequences”.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants violated Snider’s constitutional rights when they denied him reasonable medical care for his serious medical condition, thereby causing him extensive pain and suffering and ultimately death.
In response to the lawsuit, Sheriff Patrick Ray released the following statement to WJLE. “I have been advised by the County Attorney to decline discussions or comments on any pending litigation; however, I have confidence in my employees and in the manner of the operations of the DeKalb County Jail,” said Sheriff Ray.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include DeKalb County; Patrick Ray, individually and in his official capacity as Sheriff; Kenneth Ray, Rick Smith, Jim Hendrix, Mark Nichols, Ernie Hargis, Kyle Casper, individually and in their official capacities; John Does 1-4; Renee Riddle, LPN; Robert Alan Stultz, PA; and Southern Health Partners, Inc.
Hullett is seeking compensatory damages against all defendants, jointly and severally in the amount of $750,000; an award, including loss of consortium in the amount of $750,000; punitive damages in the amount of $1,250,000; attorney fees and litigation expenses in an amount to be determined at trial; and treble damages; plus such other and further legal and or equitable relief to which she may be entitled or the court deems proper.
The lawsuit was brought against DeKalb County because it is “responsible for the funding for the operation of the Sheriff’s Department and the DeKalb County Jail and that the county was the employer” of the other defendants.
Sheriff Ray is named in the lawsuit because he was “the policymaker and most senior decision maker with respect to establishing, implementing and training of employees on the rules, regulations and policies and practices of the DeKalb County Jail applicable to the delivery of Jail detainee health care”.
Kenneth Ray is named because he was employed “as jail administrator with supervisory authority over the jail employees and detainees, including Snider. Ray was further responsible for the training of the jail employees on the jail policies and practices applicable to the delivery of Jail detainee health care”.
Defendants Rick Smith, Jim Hendrix, Mark Nichols, Ernie Hargis, and Kyle Casper “were correction officers working at the jail, who were responsible for implementing the Jail’s policy and procedures applicable to the delivery of Jail detainee health care,” according to the lawsuit.
Defendants John Does 1-4 “are other unidentified employees at the jail, who upon belief and information were correction officers working at the Jail and who were responsible for implementing the Jail’s policy and procedures applicable to the delivery of Jail detainee health care”.
Southern Health Partners, Inc (SHP) is a company doing business in the state and performing the traditional state government function of providing health care to Jail detainees through a contractual relationship with the county, and as such, all actions and inaction of SHP and its employees in the health care evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of Snider were acting under color of state law. Accordingly, SHP and its employees are state actors for the purposes of liability.”
“Renee Riddle is a licensed practical nurse, who is employed by SHP and working at the Jail at all times mentioned” in the lawsuit.
“Robert Alan Stults, PA is a licensed physician’s assistant, who is employed by SHP and working at the Jail at all times mentioned” in the lawsuit.
The underlying facts alleged in the lawsuit are as follows:
“On or about December 31, 2009, Snider was arrested and taken to the Jail. He was under the continuous exclusive custody and control of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and its employees and officials during his incarceration until he died on January 30, 2010. During his incarceration, the only health care evaluation and or treatment made available to him was through SHP, Riddle and Stults”.
“On or about January 3, 2010 Snider began vomiting 6-7 times a day which continued in such an amount nearly every day until his death. From January 3-30, 2010, Snider complained every day to correction officers of severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting”, according to the lawsuit.
“Between January 15-26, Hullett repeatedly called the Jail and complained about Snider being sick and needing to be “seen by a medical doctor”. On each occasion, Hullett was told by defendants Ray, Smith, and Hendrix that “we will watch him.”
“On January 4, Snider complained of abdominal pain to Riddle, who was the nurse on duty at the Jail. Riddle did not evaluate Snider’s complaints nor did she report such to a physician or physician assistant. Riddle did not follow up with Snider on his complaints,” according to the lawsuit.
“On January 12, Snider was seen by Riddle. During this examination, Snider complained of stomach pain, nausea, dizziness, headaches, nervousness, vomiting, and muscle and joint problems”. Significant weight loss was not addressed by Riddle, nor did she consult with a physician or assistant regarding Snider’s physical change.”
“On January 16, Snider complained to Smith of chest pain, tightness of the chest, heart burn, heart racing and headache. Snider asked to be transported to the emergency room. Snider’s request was ignored by Smith, and Snider was not examined by a health care provider that day.”
“On January 16, Smith made notes in the Jail computer regarding Snider needing to be seen by a health care provider, but these were erased from the computer.”
“On January 17, Smith instructed Casper to give Snider a sick call slip to see the doctor the next day. Smith told Casper that Snider was sick, but Casper failed and refused to do so. Snider was not allowed to see the doctor.”
“On January 18, Hullet called the Sheriff at home. She told him that Snider was sick and she asked him if Snider saw the “doctor” who had visited the Jail that day. The Sheriff told Hullett that only one inmate had seen the doctor that day and it was not Snider. Hullett, again, insisted to the Sheriff that Snider needed to see a doctor.”
“On January 18, Smith called Riddle and stated, that Snider was complaining of anxiety. Snider was not seen by the nurse or doctor, and he was not provided any health care in response to his complaint.”
“On January 19, Riddle saw Snider because as she told him,”your mom kept calling”, and he needed to tell her to “quit worrying me to death”. Riddle documented that Snider “doesn’t feel well. During the approximate 3rd and 4th weeks of January, 2010, Hullett spoke with Riddle on approximately three separate occasions. During each of these occasions Hullett told Riddle that Snider was hurting and needed to be seen by a doctor. Riddle replied to Hullett, “we will take care of him.”
“On January 25, Snider completed an Inmate Sick Call Slip and writes, “..Almost 2 weeks hurting bad..” The assessment of Snider by Riddle on January 25 does not reflect that there was a detailed history taken to evaluate such pain, nor was Snider’s abdomen examined. Riddle did not make a referral to a physician or assistant for evaluation of Snider’s complaint of “two weeks’ of abdominal pain.”
According to the lawsuit, “On January 30, Snider was carried out of the general detainee population and placed in the floor of the holding cell. Snider laid in the holding cell, vomiting on himself for 30 minutes before an ambulance was dispatched by county officials. When the paramedics arrived, they found Snider with vomitus around his head. He was pulseless, No one had begun chest compressions prior to the paramedics arriving. Snider was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital. He could not be resuscitated. He was pronounced dead in less than an hour after arrival to the hospital.”
The lawsuit claims that “with full knowledge that Jail detainees would suffer inadequate health care for their serious medical conditions, the county inadequately provided the Sheriff with funds to operate the Jail. Because of this and rising health care costs of the Jail detainees, the Sheriff had a policy and practice that allowed the release of Jail detainees to obtain their own health care for their non-serious and serious medical problems. At the conclusion of such health care treatment, the released detainees were arrested and re-incarcerated. This custom, policy and practice existed prior to and after Snider’s death. Defendants never provided this option to Snider”, according to the lawsuit.
“Additionally, the Sheriff had a custom, policy and practice of minimizing Jail detainee’s access to health care outside of the Jail, for which the Sheriff and not SHP, was financially responsible. This action was taken to control the rising Jail detainee health cost with the Sheriff’s full knowledge of the risk that such actions were life-threatening to Jail detainees and would cause a deprivation of Jail detainees’ federally protected rights.”
“By virtue of the facts pled herein, defendants acted objectively and subjectively with deliberate indifference to the health care needs of Snider for treatment of his serious medical condition, which were the proximate and direct cause of Hullett’s emotional pain and suffering and Snider’s emotional and physical pain and suffering and death.” according to the lawsuit.
Hullett is represented by Cynthia A. Wilson and Kenneth S. Williams of Cookeville while the County, Sheriff, Kenneth Ray, Rick Smith, Jim Hendrix, Mark Nichols, Ernie Hargis, and Kyle Casper are all represented by Jennifer Orr Locklin of Nashville. Riddle, Stultz, and Southern Health Partners, Inc. are represented by Daniel F. Beasley of Huntsville, Alabama.

A 47 year old man accused of providing beer to two fourteen year old girls and engaging in sexual activity with them almost a year ago pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday, January 23
Judge Leon Burns, Jr. sentenced Walter Hartman to an eight year term in each case to serve. The sentences will run consecutively or back to back for a total of sixteen years. Hartman must register as a sex offender and he will be under supervision for life. He was given jail credit from February 26, 2011 to January 23, 2012.
According to Detective Matt Holmes of the Smithville Police Department, who investigated the case, the incident occurred around 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning, February 26 at Hartman’s home where a birthday party had been held Friday night for one of the girls, who is related to Hartman. The other girl is a friend who had come over for the party and had planned to stay the night.
Detective Holmes said that Hartman had given the girls three beers each for the birthday party and the girls told police that they had drank some of the beer. Later, as the girls were lying on a pallet in the floor watching TV, Hartman approached them complaining of back pain. He asked the girls to give him a back massage. After one of the girls fell asleep on the pallet, Hartman allegedly began massaging the other girl’s back, before removing nearly all of her clothes, and then engaging in sexual activity with her. He also allegedly made sexual contact with the girl who had fallen asleep.
Detective Holmes said the girls later contacted police to report that they had been raped.
Meanwhile, a Dowelltown woman, accused of breaking into the home of a neighbor on four separate occasions last July while the victim was in the nursing home, has been convicted of four counts of aggravated burglary
40 year old Tammy Denise Currie pleaded guilty to all four counts in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Monday.
She received a six year sentence in each case to run concurrently. The sentences have been suspended to supervised probation by community corrections. She has been ordered to stay away from the victim and family and make restitution totaling $8,250, paying $250 monthly. She was given jail credit from July 26, 2011 to January 23, 2012
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Currie took advantage of her neighbor being in a nursing home, going to the residence on East Main Street, Dowelltown four times in July to remove items from the home.
On each occasion, Currie entered the residence through a back door
On July 5, Currie allegedly stole several dishes, antique plate sets, China sets, and other glass items valued at $200.
Three days later on July 8, Currie allegedly took more dishware from the home, valued at $150 including China cups, matching some of the dishes taken on July 5.
Currie returned to the home on July 12 and allegedly stole a box of China dolls, two bb guns, and two lamps, valued at $475.
On July 14, Currie entered the home again and allegedly took a suitcase, jewelry, and a VCR, valued at $390.
39 year old Melisha Cantrell pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on probation, including six months supervised and six months unsupervised. Cantrell must also pay a fine of $750.