One Airlifted in Two Car Crash Monday

Three people were injured in a two car crash Monday afternoon on Allen Ferry Road near the intersection of Highway 56 north by Village Market.
Corporal Travis Bryant of the Smithville Police Department told WJLE that 27 year old Kimberly Blanchfield of Dowelltown was driving east on Allen Ferry Road in a Hyundai Sonata when she crossed the center line into the path of a Honda Fit, driven by 22 year old Miguel Campos-Leal of Smithville, who was going west. The vehicles hit head-on. The Honda Fit came to rest in a ditch by the road.
A four year old boy was a passenger with Blanchfield. Corporal Bryant said the child was restrained in the back seat.
All were taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital. Miguel Campos-Leal was airlifted from the hospital by helicopter and flown to Vanderbilt Hospital.
Corporal Bryant said Miguel Campos-Leal is cited for driving without a license and failure to show proof of insurance.
Other officers of the Smithville Police Department assisted Corporal Bryant at the scene. Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department were also there to help.

Rayleigh Violet Scruggs

21 month old Rayleigh Violet Scruggs of Smithville died Monday at home. The funeral will be Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until the service at 2:00 p.m. The child was preceded in death by great grandparents, Ray and Violet Cantrell, Betty Hudson, and G.L. and Betty Harrison. Survivors include parents, Chris and Jessica Scruggs; two brothers, Landon Kade and Leland Brice Scruggs. Grandparents, Scott and Anita Adams and Ricky and Debbie Scruggs all of Smithville. Great grandmother, Mary Young of Smithville. Great grandfather, Getties Hudson of South Carolina. One aunt, Michelle and husband Don Greer of Smithville. Four uncles, Jordan and wife Kayla Adams, Zachary Adams, and Jeremy and Andy Scruggs. A great aunt, Becky Cantrell. Two great uncles. William and wife Sonya Cantrell and Andy Cantrell. Several cousins also survive. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. The family has asked that all donations please be made to the funeral home in lieu of flowers.

Issac Wins VIP Pass to Auditon for “The Voice”

Thanks to on-line voters, local singing sensation Josh Issac has secured a special VIP audition for the hit NBC show “The Voice”.
Issac was among a number of singers who recently recorded a performance of the National Anthem in an audition in Nashville at the Music City Center. Through November 17, viewers were able to go on-line and vote for their favorite audition. Issac received the most votes.
The VIP pass guarantees Issac goes straight to the producers, bypassing the first few rounds of the auditioning process. “Basically, it’s just a chance to win a ticket to skip the initial rounds of having to wait in long lines. This gives you a chance to sit down and actually talk to a producer and tell them, not only your ability of singing but also your story of how you got there,” said Issac in a recent interview with WJLE.
Issac is also scheduled to appear during a commercial break of the season five finale of “The Voice” Tuesday night, December 17 on NBC.

Ona Adine Pitts Prater

90 year old Ona Adine Pitts Prater died Sunday at Woodbury Health Care Center. She was born in Cannon County, a member of the Church of Christ, a housewife, and she was retired from the Colonial Corporation. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home. Jerry Gilley will officiate and burial will be in the Leoni Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. She was preceded in death by her parents, Shelah and Justice Elkins Pitts; her husband, Joe L. Prater; her children, Lavada Duggin, Kathy Crouch, and Lannie Prater; sisters, Eva Reed and Donzie Greer; and brothers, David Pitts and Paul Pitts. She is survived by three sons, Dwaine and wife Reba Prater of Woodbury, Jerry and wife Joyce Prater of Beech Grove, and Dale and wife Alice Prater of Woodbury. Two brothers, Sterling Pitts of Woodbury and Flavil Pitts of McMinnville. One sister, Una Ray of Tullahoma. Seven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild survive. Woodbury Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Lee Grandstaff

Mrs. Lee Grandstaff, age 79 of Alexandria, TN, passed away Sunday, December 15, 2013 at the NHC Healthcare in Smithville, TN.
Mrs. Grandstaff was born February 15, 1934 in Smith County, TN, to the late Buelah Pitman Midgett and Grady Midgett. She married Carl Nathaniel “Nat” Grandstaff and he preceded her in death on March 27, 1984. She was also preceded by Daughter; Joyce Grandstaff Bailiff. Mrs. Grandstaff was a member of the Malone’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. She worked for the Work Wear Garment Factory for over 40 years.
Mrs. Grandstaff is survived by her Daughter; Barbara (Dwayne) Cantrell of Alexandria, TN. Two Grandchildren; Nancy (Sammy) Malone and Susan Cantrell Coats. Four Great-Grandchildren; Justin Coats, Phillip Coats, Kacie Malone, and Abby Malone. One Sister; Louise Oakley of Lebanon, TN, Step-Brother; Alex (Roselle) Driver of Chestnut Mound, TN, and several nieces and nephews also survive.
Funeral Services for Mrs. Grandstaff are scheduled to be conducted on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 1PM at Avant Funeral Home with Bro. Thurman Seber and Bro. Bill Shaw officiating. Interment will follow in the New Hope Cemetery.
Visitation with the Grandstaff family will be held on Monday from 10AM until 8PM and again on Tuesday after 10AM until the service time at 1PM.

Wilma Jean McElroy

62 year old Wilma Jean McElroy of Smithville died Friday night at her residence. She was the daughter of the late John Robert Ford and Stella Marie Ford Wireman. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by 3 Sisters, Wand Sue Cole, Margie Marie Williams and Helen Lauren Perkins. Mrs. Wilma was a homemaker. She is survived by her husband, Thomas A. McElroy of Smithville; 2 daughters, Melissa (Steve) Rohrer of Columbia City, Indiana and Lisa (Lonnie) Albright of Kendalville, Indiana; 1 son, Kevin (Sherry) McElroy of Columbia City, Indiana; 8 grandchildren, Derek Rohrer, Brittany Rohrer, Miranda Rohrer, Cassandra McElroy, Kevin West, Emily Albright, Kayla Albright and Payton McElroy; 1 great-granddaughter, Skyelynn Bodkin; 1 great-grandson, Ryker West; 1 brother, Robert Ford of Lima, Ohio; 1 sister, Judy Campbell of Lima, Ohio. Funeral services will be conducted 11:AM Monday at Dekalb Funeral Chapel with Michael Hale officiating and interment to follow in Dekalb Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday 1:PM until 5:PM and Monday 10:AM until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made the American Cancer Society in memory of Mrs. Wilma. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements

Election Commission Issues Nineteen Petitions

The DeKalb County Election Commission has issued qualifying petitions to ninteen persons for next year’s elections.
Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley said petitions have been provided to the following persons:
Michael Clayborn for County Clerk (Incumbent)
Jeffrey McMillen for Register of Deeds (Incumbent)
James L. Poss for County Clerk
James Sprague for Road Supervisor
Katherine Pack for Circuit Court Clerk (Incumbent)
Bratten H. Cook, II for General Sessions Judge (Incumbent)
Jonathan Low for Constable in the Second District
Michael Agee for Sheriff
Bobby Taylor for County Commissioner in the Fourth District
Travis Bryant for Constable in the Third District
Tony Lawson for Constable in the Second District
Wayne Cantrell for County Commissioner in the Fourth District (Incumbent)
Jeff Barnes for County Commissioner in the Sixth District (Incumbent)
Bennett Armstrong for County Commissioner in the First District
Elmer Ellis, Jr. for County Commissioner in the First District (Incumbent)
Rick Cantrell for County Commissioner in the Fifth District (Incumbent)
Kevin Robinson for County Commissioner in the Seventh District
David McDowell for County Commissioner in the Fourth District (Incumbent)
Margie Rigsby Miller for General Sessions Judge
All are expected to be candidates for the nomination of their party in the DeKalb County Democratic Primary May 6 except for Low, Bryant, and Lawson who will be running as Independents in the DeKalb County General Election in August to fill unexpired Constable positions
Stanley said Clayborn, Poss, Sprague, Agee, Taylor, and McMillen have already returned their completed petitions to the election commission office.
The qualifying deadline is noon February 20, 2014.

Doris Voss Lannom

84 year old Doris Voss Lannom of Bellevue died Saturday of a prolonged illness.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, William Douglas Lannom; daughter, Donna (Dennis) Stanley of Smithville, three grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
A graduate of Bellevue High School 1947, she was a talented artist and lover of animals.
Special appreciation to Teresa McFarlin for being a good friend and tremendous help.
Special thanks to Gentiva Hospice caregivers for six months of intensive in-home care.
Visitation will be today, Monday the 16th of December 2013 from four o’clock until seven o’clock this evening at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home in Nashville.
A graveside service will be held on Tuesday the 17th of December 2013 at one o’clock in the afternoon at Woodlawn Memorial Park. Interment will be adjacent to her parents and grandparents in Terrace Garden on the south side of Thompson Lane.
Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Kathy Elaine Pedigo

60 year old Kathy Elaine Pedigo of McMinnville died Thursday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after an extended illness. She was born in McMinnville, was a chemical engineer with DuPont, and of the Protestant Faith. Ms. Pedigo was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents J. T. (Thomas) Roller and Gracie Cope Roller and paternal grandparents Moses and Effie Reeder Pedigo.
Survivors include her parents Norvan and Wilma Pedigo, brother Donny Pedigo, sister Renee Hawkins, niece Keisha Myers and husband David, and nephew Adam Hawkins.
The funeral service will be 2 PM Sunday in the McMinnville Funeral Home Chapel. Jerry E. Womack will officiate. Burial will follow in Fuston Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday from 11 AM until 2 PM at McMinnville Funeral Home.
Memorial donations may be made to Meals on Wheels, to the Lupus Foundation, or to the American Diabetes Association.
McMinnville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Regions Bank Branch in Alexandria to Close in March

As part of an effort to consolidate its banking network, officials of Regions Financial Corporation have announced plans to close the Alexandria Branch Office of Regions Bank as of March 14.
Customers of the Alexandria branch will be consolidated into the Smithville branch. Regions will be working with the affected associates (employees) to find other opportunities in the company, where possible.
WJLE contacted a spokesperson for the company Friday and he issued the following statement on the consolidation. “As a normal course of business, Regions reviews the effectiveness of all our businesses, locations and policies so we can use our resources as efficiently as possible. A careful review of our branch network identified opportunities to consolidate our network – based on traffic, volume, location of other branches, profitability and other factors”.
“While customers of the Alexandria branch will be consolidated into the Smithville branch, they may also bank at any Regions branch, just as they have in the past. Regions has some 1,700 branches and 2,000 ATMs, as well as a host of other alternative ways of banking — from online, to mobile banking, and more,” the statement concluded.
Regions is one of three banks in Alexandria. Wilson Bank and Trust/DeKalb Community Bank and Liberty State Bank also have branches there.