Police Need Help Identifying Burglars Caught on Camera (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

January 30, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying 2 persons who broke into a vehicle in the area of the Golf Course on Sunday, January 14.

The crime was captured on a video camera.

According to police, one of the burglars broke the window of a parked car and took a bag with its contents along with a 9 millimeter handgun. After committing the crime, the burglars left but then returned a short time later to steal more items from the same car.

Police believe the suspects are African American males and were in a light blue or premiered grey Ford Crown Victoria bearing Kentucky Plates.

If you recognize this vehicle or either suspect please contact Detective Brad Tatrow with the Smithville Police Department or the Crime Tip Line at 615-464-6046.

January 29, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Students in the DCHS Construction Technology (building trades) program are hard at work these days during school hours building their first “Tiny House”.

The 8’ x 20’ “Tiny House” is being constructed on a modified trailer that can be anchored or moved from place to place.

The project began in the fall and should be completed by the end of the school year, hopefully as early as March.

“It seems to be going really well. We were able before Christmas break to get the Advantech flooring down. The floor, which is insulated, is screwed down with threaded self tapping screws. The wall plates are screwed down. We did all that before Christmas break but the snow days set us back. We started framing the walls after Christmas break and we have done quite well with that. We’re using two or three different plans and taking the best ideas from them. We have decided on the outward look and what we want it to look like and how we want the loft to be with shed dormers on each side to give more room in the loft. We should have it dried in and the siding on by March but this is new territory for us. We’ve never built one of these before. There’s a lot of specialty things that have to be taken into consideration especially the plumbing,” said Gary Caplinger, Construction Teacher at DCHS.

Because it is small, Caplinger said much of the construction is being done indoors. “We’re building it in the shop so we don’t have to take the trailer out until we get to the roof system. That’s when we’ll have to bring it outside. But the majority of it is being done in the shop. We will build the walls in here and do our plumbing and wiring rough ins here. We will be pulling it out of the shop after we get all that done and then we’ll put the roof system on and finish it up. It is made permanently to the trailer so when you buy the house you get the trailer. It is 8 feet, 4 inches wide and the trailer is 20 feet long. It cannot go over 13 feet, 6 inches in height otherwise a permit would be required to transport it on the highways,” said Caplinger.

Living accommodations in the Tiny House, although compact include adequate living room, kitchenette, bathroom, and sleeping space.

“We do (build) everything for space saving in a Tiny House so the bathroom door will be a pocket or sliding door that slides back into the wall. The kitchen will have a place for a stove, kitchen sink, and we’re hoping to work a stair case in the Tiny House,” Caplinger continued.

Caplinger said once the Tiny House is at or near completion he would like to take it on the road to show it off at venues including the Expo at the Hyder-Burks Pavilion in Cookeville this year.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in it. A lot of people have asked about it. We’re hoping this is something that catches on,” he concluded.

If you are interested or would like more information about the Tiny House contact Caplinger or Brad Leach, Career and Technical Education Director at DeKalb County High School.

January 29, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The body of a Murfreesboro woman was recovered from Center Hill Lake Sunday morning, the apparent victim of a drowning.

Dead is Jerilyn Massey Lamb of Somerset Drive Murfreesboro.

In a prepared statement, Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Sunday, January 28 at 7:49 a.m. a call was received by DeKalb Central Dispatch of an unresponsive female at Sligo Marina on the B pier. The woman was found by her husband in the water in an adjoining slip. Deputies arrived at 8:03 a.m. and DeKalb County Detectives were also summoned to the scene.

The DeKalb Sheriff’s Department was assisted in the investigation by members of the 13th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Mrs. Lamb’s body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

This marks the second suspected drowning on Center Hill Lake this month.

On Thursday, January 11, the body of 66 year old Scott Northrup of Silver Point was recovered at around 11:35 a.m. about 100 yards from where his fishing boat was found Wednesday night, January 10 in the Florida branch area of the lake about a mile across from Floating Mill Access,