News

A man who allegedly pointed a handgun and then tried to strangle his daughter is facing charges of unlawful possession of a weapon and aggravated assault.

62-year-old Lorenzo Hernandez of Dowelltown is under a $40,000 bond and he will make a court appearance January 9.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on December 28 Hernandez allegedly tried to strangle his daughter and pointed a firearm at her. A handgun, believed to have been used in the incident, was recovered from the lint compartment of a dryer. A background check revealed that Hernandez is a convicted felon in Florida on burglary, 3rd degree felony and larceny charges. His conviction date was March 12, 1993.

41-year-old Amber Nicole Macleod of Springhill is charged with aggravated assault. Her bond is $10,000

Sheriff Ray said that on January 1 a deputy was summoned to Mullican Lane due to a burglary in progress. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a man who had been stabbed. The man said Macleod had stabbed him over an argument regarding a cell phone. The man had a cut to his upper right arm near his shoulder and a cut to his left-hand ring finger.

58-year-old Howard Robert Mayo, Jr. of Liberty is charged with simple possession of a schedule VI drug and possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver. His bond is $56,500 and he will be in court January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 21 a deputy pulled over a silver Ford F150, spoke with the driver, Mayo; and smelled marijuana in the vehicle. The officer asked Mayo to step out of the automobile and a search turned up from the driver door panel 3.76 grams of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana. Knowing that Mayo often kept narcotics in his wallet, the deputy asked to see the billfold and inside was 1.12 grams of a crystal-like substance thought to be methamphetamine. When asked for his driver license, Mayo only had an ID license. A background check through central dispatch revealed that Mayo’s driver license was revoked due to a Cannon County DUI on September 21, 2001.

55-year-old Jeffery Lee Bates of Old West Point Road is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 21 a deputy was dispatched to the intersection of Old West Point Road and Maynard Road where a man was reported to be lying in a ditch. Upon arrival the officer found the man, Bates passed out. Bates smelled of alcohol and when awakened became unsteady on his feet.

22-year-old Peyton Eugene Hollingsworth of Dowelltown is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court January 16.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 22 a deputy spotted a Toyota pickup fail to maintain its lane of travel. He conducted a traffic stop and spoke to the driver, Hollingsworth who smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet. His eyes were bloodshot and watery. Hollingsworth submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He admitted to having consumed a few beers.

27-year-old Brandon Ezequiel Cotuc of Cookeville is charged with driving under the influence and no driver license. His court date is January 16.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 22 at 3:32 a.m. a deputy was patrolling Sparta Highway when he spotted a gray Honda Accord fail to maintain its lane of travel. The officer pulled over the vehicle and spoke to the driver, Cotuc whose eyes were watery and bloodshot. Cotuc was asked to step out of the automobile. He submitted to a field sobriety task but after performing poorly, he refused to undergo any further tasks.

43-year-old Shane Curtis Gardner of Sparta Highway is charged with aggravated assault and interfering with an emergency call. He is under a $12,500 bond and his court date is January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 23 a deputy was summoned to Sparta Highway to investigate an aggravated assault complaint from the day before, December 22 in which a woman claimed that Gardner allegedly tried to strangle her. The woman was found to have red marks on her face and the side of her neck, bite marks on her body, and she had bruising to both of her eyes. Gardner had also allegedly taken the woman’s phone to keep her from calling 911.

41-year-old Thomas Jacob Sims is charged with being a fugitive from justice. He is under a $50,000 bond and his court date is January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 26 a deputy went to E.H. Haas Road to serve an active Georgia parole warrant on Sims. Georgia authorities confirmed they would extradite Sims.

21-year-old John Isaac Brinkley of Lewisburg is charged with aggravated assault. He is under a $5,000 bond and his court date is January 9.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 26 a deputy went to Toad Road due to a report of an assault involving a gun. The officer spoke with a man who said he and Brinkley had gotten into an argument and that Brinkley had spat in his face. Brinkley then allegedly picked up a chainsaw and came toward him with it.

48-year-old James Walter Stringer of Dowelltown is charged with aggravated assault. His bond is $20,000.
Sheriff Ray said that on December 28 a deputy was summoned to a residence on West Main Street in Dowelltown due to an unwanted guest. The officer spoke with a woman who said that Stringer had rammed his truck into the back of her car to keep her from leaving. There was damage to the driver side rear bumper. Before the officer arrived, Stringer had gone back to his house and later told the deputy that he had been there asleep the whole time.

Stringer was again arrested on December 30 for violation of the sex offender registry. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on this charge January 16. The warrant against Stringer was obtained on December 30.

Sheriff Ray said that on October 4 a detective was notified that Stringer had been operating a social media account that he had not listed in the sex offender registry. After reviewing the account, the detective was able to positively identify Stringer by the tattoos he had noted in the booking system at the jail and through prior law enforcement encounters with Stringer.

43-year-old Randy Mark Hawkins, Jr. of Cecil Hale Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court January 16.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 1 a deputy spotted a gray Ford F150 fail to maintain its lane of travel heading outbound on South Mountain Street, Smithville. The officer activated his blue lights but the vehicle continued a slow roll and swerved side to side in the lane. The deputy subsequently pulled over the automobile and spoke with the driver, Hawkins who smelled of alcohol and he had bloodshot watery eyes. His speech was also slow and slurred. Hawkins admitted to having been drinking. After getting out of the truck, Hawkins became unsteady on his feet. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.

37-year-old Landon Craig Wyatt, Jr. of Crestlawn Avenue Smithville is charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution. His bond is $7,500 and he will be in court January 16.

Sheriff Ray said that on December 31 Wyatt brought a pair of white thermals to the jail dropping them off for an inmate currently incarcerated. Correctional officer found inside the waistband of the thermals behind the tag what was believed to be buprenorphine strips.

The DCHS Tigers avenged a 61 to 60 loss a month ago at Carthage to the Smith County Owls with a 50 to 43 victory over the Owls Tuesday night in Smithville. The Owlettes completed a season sweep of the Lady Tigers winning 60 to 45 after knocking off DC 76 to 53 on December 2.

The Tigers are now 8-9 while the Lady Tigers drop to 5-12. DeKalb County will be in action at White County Thursday night, January 9 starting with the girls game at 6 p.m. followed by the boys contest. WJLE will have LIVE coverage. The games were originally scheduled for Friday night, January 10 but were moved up because of the threat of wintry weather on Friday.

In the girls game Tuesday night, Smith County opened up a 20 to 9 lead by the end of the 1st period and led 36 to 22 by halftime and 53 to 28 after the 3rd period enroute to a 60 to 45 win.

Chloe VanVranken scored 16 followed by Avery Agee with 12, Lillie Young 6, Allie Melton 5, Jordyn Agee 4, and Brooklyn Fuson with 2.

The Tigers and Owls played to a 13-13 tie by the end of the 1st period. Smith County led 22 to 19 at halftime but the game was tied at 28-28 at the close of the 3rd period. DC outscored the Owls in the 4th period and claimed a 50 to 43 victory.

Jordan Parker scored 19, Jon Hendrix 13, Dallas Kirby 10, Seth Fuson 5, Logan Duke 2, and Elliot Barnes 1.

Less than a month after being indicted, Warren County District Attorney General 43-year-old Christopher Robert Stanford of McMinnville was due in DeKalb County Criminal Court for arraignment Tuesday, January 7 but his attorney, Jeff Cherry of Lebanon entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Stanford himself did not make an appearance before Judge Wesley Bray. Cherry had filed and was granted a waiver of appearance and arraignment on behalf of his client.

Stanford’s next scheduled court date is April 7

The DeKalb County Grand Jury met Monday, December 16 in a special session and returned a sealed indictment against Stanford charging him with reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm into an occupied habitation stemming from a shots fired incident near Bell Street Apartments in Smithville during the apprehension of three suspects in a Warren County triple homicide in November.

In earlier media reports, Cherry said Stanford acted in the moment after witnessing a triple murder suspect injuring an officer with a vehicle while trying to evade arrest.

Prosecutors said there was no imminent threat, and that Stanford put other lives at risk.

Reconsider?

Four months ago the Smithville Aldermen narrowly defeated (3-2) a proposal to amend the city beer ordinance to eliminate the 400-foot distance requirement between a church or school and businesses seeking an on-premises consumption permit. Had it been approved the ordinance amendment would have only applied to the C-2 zone which is the downtown business district and none of the other existing regulations in the ordinance would have been changed.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Bert Driver, owner of the Harvester Event Center downtown, addressed the mayor and aldermen during the public comments period asking them to reconsider the issue. Driver, who already has a city issued beer permit, said changing the ordinance regarding the distance restrictions would not only level the playing field for downtown businesses who might otherwise qualify for a permit but it would bring in more tax revenue at a time when the county is needing more funding with plans to build a new school.

The mayor and aldermen listened to Driver but took no action since it was not on the agenda, nor did they discuss it during the meeting.

Driver also provided budgeted city tax revenues from the sales of wholesale liquor, beer, and mixed drinks over a seven-year period from the fiscal year ending in 2018 to 2024 which showed a jump from total collections of $297,025 in 2018 to $363,996 in 2024. The seven-year total came to more than $2.3 million in tax revenue.

In 2014, Smithville voters approved a referendum allowing retail package stores to sell liquor within the city limits. Two years later in 2016, city voters said yes to a referendum for the legal sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in City of Smithville (Liquor By the Drink).

“I am here to request this board to reconsider the motion put forth on September 9, 2024 to amend the city beer ordinance and eliminate the 400 foot distance requirement between a church and businesses seeking an on-premises consumption permit for local beer sales, which would only apply to the C-2 Central Business District and none of the other existing regulations in the ordinance,” said Driver.

“That motion failed 3-2 but new information has emerged I would like to share. On October 15, 2024, the DeKalb County Budget Committee voted 5-0 to recommend the county commission approve a $55 million 30 year bond resolution for a new school”.

“Its contingent on Smithville, Liberty, Alexandria, and Dowelltown extending their existing sales tax agreements for the life of the bond. Smithville will provide 2/3 of its sales tax revenue for that school,” Driver explained.

“I have an issue with this council’s decision to shoot down the proposal to allow sales of beer by the drink in downtown; there are two establishments already serving beer and alcohol in the district”.

“Beer is an important source of sales tax. In 2024 alone, roughtly $364,000 was collected in Smithville from beer and alcohol sales”.

“That figure will grow if you do what the people want. You represent all of Smithville, not just those who are opposed to beer sales downtown. At present, the situation is unfair. Businesses on the west side of the square, Walnut, Market, and Main cannot sell beer while those on the east side can because of the location of churches”.

“All the business owners have invested time and money to revitalize downtown but they don’t all enjoy the same opportunity to prosper. Beer sales by the drink will help all businesses and it will even the playing field”.

“I am a man of faith and fully support our churches in all their efforts. I am also protective of our community and want to see it thrive. Beer is legal and there is a process and procedure to obtain a license,” Driver continued.

“Most establishments that sell beer are family friendly. In fact, I own two of them. We are all in business together and we want to see Smithville prosper. A thriving downtown with restaurants that attract people is important to downtown revitalization. Beer sales are one part of that and an important source of tax revenue”.

“I urge you to reconsider the ordinance you defeated in September and pass it so the community can move forward with commerce and success. When one boat rises, we’ll all rise together,” said Driver.

As family plan a memorial service yet to be scheduled for a man, James Brian Storie, believed to have perished in a fire last Thursday in DeKalb County, investigators are still officially withholding a name pending positive identification.

“This is still ongoing,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray. “We have not made a positive identification yet. There are steps that TBI and the sheriff’s department have to take to identify a body that is unrecognizable and that will be done by DNA testing. We have not got the results back so we are still not releasing a name with that fire death,” said Sheriff Ray.

The DeKalb County Fire Department was summoned to a mobile home fire at approximately 1:34 a.m. Thursday morning at 1419 Poss Road. The initial report to 911 dispatch was that the structure was fully involved. Upon arrival, firefighters did find the structure fully involved and collapsed.

Upon investigation, fire crews located a deceased victim inside the mobile home. The Four Seasons, Midway, Johnson’s Chapel, and Short Mountain stations responded along with DeKalb Emergency Medical Services, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) fire investigators.

Although the City of Smithville spent more than it took in due to onetime general fund expenditures for the year ended June 30, 2024, it remains on sound financial footing according to the latest audit report

John Poole, Hendersonville CPA, who performed the annual audit for the city, addressed the mayor and aldermen Monday night.

Poole said the audit showed no major deficiencies.

“In doing the state audit we are really trying to do three things,” said Poole. “One is to make sure we provide the state the financial information that they require in their oversight. Another thing we do that is most important to this board is to look to make sure the city is receiving the monies it should be getting whether that’s from the annual property tax, monthly utility billings, police fines, fees from the pool and golf course, etc. Also to make sure the city is getting the monies it is supposed to be getting from the state and from the county. Once we receive these monies, we are to make sure we are handling those monies in accordance with city policies and state guidelines,” explained Poole. “The city is also involved in several grant programs so we look to make sure that the grant monies we receive are handled correctly. I do believe the city is getting the money due it. Of course you will have some folks that are delinquent in payment of property taxes but the city does a good job of tracking that. It’s the same with utilities. We have some people who don’t pay from time to time but the utility department does a good job of monitoring them and making cutoffs when appropriate. As an auditor I really feel like the city is getting the monies it is supposed to be getting,” said Poole.

“The third thing we look at is making sure the monies this board authorizes the department heads to spend is done for city business and that they are following purchasing guidelines, procedures, and the way grant funds are spent. We didn’t find anything to cause a concern as to how the monies are being spent. In our opinion as auditors, we didn’t see anything that gave us any concern,” said Poole.

According to Poole, the water and sewer fund showed a surplus for the year which meets the state’s requirement that the utility be financially self-supporting.

“The change in net position for the year is $536,142 related to water and sewer (not counting grants) so we had a surplus and you certainly met the state’s threshold. When it comes to the utility fund (water & sewer) we are required by state law to show a profit. The city can’t lose money two years in a row. That is not a concern in Smithville. From a financial standpoint your utility system is in good shape,” said Poole.

As for the general fund, Poole said the net change in position showed expenditures exceeding revenues by $722,264 for the year due primarily to large one time capital outlay investments including new emergency communication radio systems for the police and fire departments along with installation of a new irrigation system at the golf course, major swimming pool repairs, as well as replacement of the Dry Creek Bridge and paving projects. Unlike the water and sewer fund, Poole said the general fund does not have to show a profit at year’s end but in this case, the city had ample funds to cover the overage. “If you hadn’t had those significant expenditures, there would have been a huge surplus but those are things we will not be doing every year,” said Poole.

As for the financial strength of the city, Poole explained that in the checking and savings accounts the city has in the general fund $5 million and CDs of over $528,000 which totals more than $5.5 million,” he said.

In the water and sewer fund, Poole said the city has a total of $6.5 million including almost $700,000 in certificates of deposit.

A man wielding a knife in a threatening manner was recently arrested by Smithville Police

64-year-old Bobby Moore of Smithville is charged with aggravated assault.

Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins said that on December 27 police were called to Holmes Creek Road due to a disturbance involving a man armed with a weapon. Upon arrival, officers spoke with family members and neighbors and learned that Moore had been drinking before getting into a verbal argument that turned physical. During the episode, Moore allegedly produced a knife and used it to make a slashing motion toward the victim, slicing through two layers of clothing near the stomach. Moore, who allegedly admitted to using the knife during the incident, was placed in custody. His bond was set at $17,500 and he will be in court January 9.

52-year-old Jason Holder of Murfreesboro was arrested December 18 on out of county warrants and cited for speeding, driving on a revoked license, violation of financial responsibility, and an unregistered vehicle.

Chief Collins said that an officer stopped a vehicle on Allens Ferry Road for speeding and upon conducting a warrants check, he learned that the driver, Holder had active warrants against him from Rutherford County. Holder was placed in custody and issued several traffic citations.

44-year-old Nathan Wilbert of Smithville is charged with vandalism. Chief Collins said that on December 18 police were summoned to Smithville Laundromat due to vandalism. Upon arrival officers found a glass door shattered and after reviewing a video surveillance recording identified Wilbert as a suspect. The owner of the property reported nothing missing. Wilbert had already left the premises by the time police arrived, but he was taken into custody a short time later. Bond for Wilbert is $8,500 and his court date is January 16.

57-year-old Roger Weiker of Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. Chief Collins said that on December 19 police were called to Miller Road due to a single car accident. After arrival officers spoke with the driver, Weiker and found him very unsteady on his feet and he smelled of alcohol. Weiker admitted to having consumed alcohol, but he refused to submit to field sobriety tasks. He was placed in custody. Weiker’s bond was set $1,500 and his court date is January 9.

39-year-old Crystal Bashaw of Smithville is charged with domestic assault. According to Chief Collins, police responded to a domestic in progress complaint on East Broad Street December 19 and spoke with two people including Bashaw. Officers found physical evidence of an assault and determined that Bashaw had been the primary aggressor. She was placed in custody. Bond was set at $3,500 and her court date is January 9.

26-year-old Dakota Vance of Smithville is charged with domestic assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule II drug, and driving on a suspended license. Chief Collins said that on December 30 police were summoned to Mapco Express due to a domestic. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the complainant and reviewed video from a camera, finding evidence of an assault. Police determined that Vance was the primary aggressor, but he had already left by the time they had arrived. Vance later returned to Mapco Express and was placed in custody. His bond is $16,000 and he will be in court January 9.

48-year-old Tiffany Hendrixson of Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. Chief Collins said that on January 2 police were called to DeKalb Middle School due to a suspicious vehicle. Upon arrival officers found a white Impala with the engine running and the gear in the reverse position. Hendrixson was allegedly inside the vehicle passed out with her foot on the brake. Police put the car in park and woke Hendrixson. They observed several indicators of impairment such as confusion, slurred speech, and erratic behavior. Hendrixson submitted to but performed poorly on all sobriety tasks. She was placed in custody. Her bond was set at 2,500 and she will be in court January 16.

Its been two months since the jail committee of the county commission met and it may be a little while longer before they meet again.

A scheduled meeting for tonight (Monday, January 6) has been postponed due to an illness that prevents Bob Bass, Deputy Director of the Tennessee Corrections Institute from being present.

On December 4, the TCI Board of Control met and voted to keep the DeKalb County Jail certified (52 male beds) under a plan of action to address deficiencies at the jail. At the last meeting, the jail committee voted to pursue a plan to build a new jail, rather than a judicial center, but the location has not yet been identified, whether on the existing site or some other property.

In November, DeKalb County voters soundly rejected a referendum to issue bonds for up to $65 million to build a 190-bed jail/ judicial center.

State Representative Michael Hale has introduced a bill which would allow local schools and public charter schools to display the Ten Commandments on school property.

Hale is the sponsor of HB0047 which was filed last month. Under the bill, schools will be able to display the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of Tennessee, the Bill of Rights, or other “historically significant documents.”

The bill allows schools to place the display in a “prominent location” in each school building to “educate students on the historical significance and common cultural heritage the documents have on the principles of the LEA or public charter school, this state, or the United States of America.”

Schools will have access to printed versions to be made available -if not already available- to them free of charge and each school will decide the size and placement of the display.

Representative Hale’s bill states as follows:

Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 20, is amended by adding the following as a new section:

(a) Local boards of education and governing bodies of public charter schools, as defined in § 49-13-104, may allow schools in the LEA and public charter schools to display the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Constitution of Tennessee, the Bill of Rights, a resolution honoring the history of a school in the LEA or the public charter school, or other historically significant documents in a prominent location in each school building in order to educate students on the historical significance and common cultural heritage the documents have on the principles of the LEA or public charter school, this state, or the United States of America.

(b) LEAs and public charter schools are encouraged to display the historical documents using wall posters or other hard copy, printed versions that are made available to the LEAs or public charter schools free of charge.

(c) Each local board of education and each governing body of a public charter school shall determine the size and placement of the display authorized in subsection (a).

(d) As used in subsection (a), “prominent location” means a school entryway, cafeteria, or common area where students are likely to see the display. SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night recognized Smithville Police Officer Nik Agee for having received an Impaired Driving Enforcement award from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO).

Officer Agee, who earned the honor for his dedication in keeping impaired drivers off the roadways, was presented the THSO award on December 12 at the Cumberland Law Enforcement Liaisons Holiday Network Meeting in Cookeville.

During Monday night’s meeting, Mayor Josh Miller commended Officer Agee.

“On behalf of the City of Smithville, mayor and board of aldermen we would like to recognize and congratulate you on receiving the Tennessee Highway Safety Office Impaired Driving Enforcement Award for District VI December 12, 2024. The commitment and dedication you have displayed exemplifies your exceptional work ethics. You have strived to make a difference for the citizens of Smithville and on this day, January 6 2025 you are hereby formally recognized and commended for distinguished service,” said Mayor Miller.

“He is a fine officer and a compliment to our department. Ever since he got here he has gone to work and done a good job,” said Police Chief Mark Collins.

THSO recognizes law enforcement from different agencies who may have saved a life through their extraordinary efforts to reduce alcohol and drug-impaired driving.

The Smithville Police Department is proud of Officer Agee for demonstrating proactive policing and his dedication to traffic safety.

Meanwhile, the aldermen approved Fire Chief Charlie Parker’s request to promote Assistant Chief Jeff Wright to the rank of Deputy Chief.

“Jeff is currently serving as assistant chief on the department. He has been a member for 39 years and is well qualified for this deputy chief position. The main reason for this is that it gives him full authority in my absence.” said Chief Parker.

The aldermen also approved the current roster of firefighters, most of them volunteer, who are serving the city fire department in 2025.

“Each year in January we get an approved roster from the city council as to our current membership. We are at an all-time high right now of members including several new firefighters this past year. I hope we continue to grow,” said Chief Parker