Proposed New Names for County Complex Meeting Rooms
by: Dwayne PageMar 16, 2025
New names!
During Tuesday night’s meeting, the public works committee of the county commission voted to rename the history room, arcade room, and art room at the county complex to give them a more distinguishable identity subject to final approval by the full county commission.
The committee is recommending that the history room be renamed “The Tennessee Room”, that the arcade room be given the name “The DeKalb Room” and that the art room be called “The Classroom”.
Since the county complex was opened in 2012 the rooms had names for their intended purposes. Arcade games were originally placed in the arcade room for youth to gather but over time they were removed. Although the history room was meant to have been used to display county historical artifacts it was never developed for that purpose. Both rooms remain vacant but are often used by senior citizens and other groups. The art room is located near the main auditorium of the complex and its purpose is also primarily for the public to meet or gather.
Meanwhile, the committee also voted to recommend that any historical displays be placed in the county offices end of the county complex down the hallway by the offices of the county clerk, register of deeds, trustee, etc. provided it meets with the approval of the full county commission and state fire marshal. The idea is to make the displays more highly visible to the public while keeping them in a more secure environment. If approved it may take some time to organize such an effort in that the county currently has no panels, cabinets, or display cases for historical artifacts.
McKenzie Indicted on Second Degree Murder Charge
by: Dwayne PageMar 16, 2025
A fatal shooting in August 2024 has resulted in a second-degree murder indictment against one man.
66-year-old William Anthony McKenzie of Streamer Drive, Smithville was indicted by the new term of the DeKalb County Grand Jury Tuesday, March 11 in the death of 39-year-old Earl Craig Asbury, Jr. at McKenzie’s residence.
Chief Deputy Brian Williams of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department issued the following prepared statement at the time of the incident. “On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 6:54 p.m. Central Dispatch received a call of a possible shooting at 163 Streamer Drive. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department arrived on the scene at 7:05 p.m. and made contact with William McKenzie and then with a deceased male laying in the yard. The deceased male was 39-year-old Earl Craig Asberry Jr. of Smithville”.
“McKenzie, the suspect, was booked into the DeKalb County Jail and charged with TCA 39-13-210 Second Degree Murder.
Upon the request of Sheriff Patrick Ray, the 13th Judicial District Attorney’ Generals Office summoned the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to the scene.
On scene were Sheriff Patrick Ray, Chief Deputy Williams, DeKalb County Sheriff Deputies, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Detectives, the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office and Assistant District Attorney General Greg Strong.
The arrest warrant stated at the time that “The investigation revealed that McKenzie, by his own admission, did intentionally and knowingly discharge a firearm striking the victim, Earl Craig Asberry, Jr. multiple times in the Turso area resulting in his death. Prior to the arrival of law enforcement, the investigation revealed that McKenzie made several attempts to conceal the body and made comments of intentions to remove the body from the scene”.
McKenzie was among 20 people indicted by the grand jury Tuesday, March 11
All those indicted and their charges are as follows:
Shane Curtis Gardner: aggravated assault
Matthew Dewayne Griffith: false reports
Jill Henderson: disrupting a meeting and/or procession
Markus Jay Majka: evading arrest and resisting arrest
Howard Robert Mayo, Jr.: possession of a schedule II drug (meth) over 0.5 grams with intent to sell or deliver
William Anthony McKenzie: second degree murder
Martha Renee Kirby Norris: possession of a schedule II drug (meth) over 0.5 grams with intent to sell or deliver and possession of a schedule I drug (heroin) with intent to sell or deliver
Hani Mohammad Sirhan Ittayem: possession of a schedule II drug (meth) over 0.5 grams with intent to sell or deliver; possession of a schedule II drug cocaine over 0.5 grams with intent to sell/deliver; and evading arrest
Jay Lee Mullican: possession of a schedule II drug (amphetamine) with intent to sell or deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia
Willie Ray Murphy: possession of a schedule II drug ( meth) over 0.5 grams with intent to sell or deliver
Amanda Lanette Knowles: filing a false report
Keith Clifford Lafreniere: violation community supervision of life (3 counts) and violation of the sex offender registry
Timothy Ryan Lawson: especially aggravated kidnapping; aggravated rape (2 counts); rape (2 counts); aggravated assault; and interference with emergency calls
Jeremy Trent Sanders: DUI and DUI per se
William Joseph Scott: DUI; DUI per se; possession of a handgun while under the influence
Jason Richard Skaroupka: sale and delivery of a schedule II drug (meth) over 0.5 grams (2 counts); felony possession of a handgun; and possession of drug paraphernalia
Carlos Edward Lopez Stiff: aggravated assault
Michael Lynn Vance: simple possession of a schedule II drug (meth) and possession of drug paraphernalia
Destry Jordan Wiggins: DUI and DUI per se
John Brent Williams: especially aggravated kidnapping; aggravated robbery; and aggravated assault (2 counts)
City to Consider Annexation of SRM property on Highway 70 East
by: Dwayne PageMar 16, 2025
Annexation!
The owners of Hollingshead Materials, LLC (Smyrna Ready Mix) concrete batching company at 746 East Broad Street bordering the city limits of Smithville are seeking annexation of two parcels including one where the SRM company now operates (Map 065, Parcel 073.04) and the adjoining vacant property (Parcel 073.05). The land is situated between East Broad Street, Midway Road, and Terrell Road.
During Monday night’s meeting, the Smithville Planning Commission recommended approval of a plan of services for the proposed annexation. The recommendation will now go the Smithville Mayor and Board of Aldermen for consideration in the form of a resolution at its monthly meeting Monday, April 7. Public hearings would then be scheduled after another review by the planning commission and before final action by the city council.
According to City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson and Public Works Director Kevin Robinson, the city already has most services accessible to the proposed site.
“We have to do a plan of services to show that we can provide everything (services) the city provides. Of course, providing police service is not a problem and city fire services would be available. The closest city fire hydrants are located across the street. They (SRM) already have city water. It (property) does not have sewer service. They are currently on a septic system,” said Hendrixson.
Should the adjoining property be developed in the future after annexation, city officials said the plan of services would require the developer to put in the sewer.
“If its zoned industrial and they do something in the future like housing then that would go before the Board of Zoning Appeals to get approval for a variance exception to put that (housing) in there but that could be years down the road if they even consider it but he (owner) has mentioned it but not as of right now,” said Hendrixson.
In other action, the planning commission voted to approve a preliminary plat for a proposed 36 lot subdivision in an R-1 (low density) residential zone located near Morgan Drive and O’Connor Street (Sullivan Walter Homes Division).