DESA to prepare and deliver Christmas Eve Meals

December 12, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb Emergency Services Association will once again be delivering Christmas Eve meals in the community.

If you are in need of a meal visit https://www.dekalbesa.com/meal-deliveries/ or call 615-464-0575 to sign up. If you received a meal at Thanksgiving, you are already on the list. If you received a meal on Thanksgiving and do not need a meal or need to change the number, please fill out the form and enter 0 if you no longer need a meal.

If you would like to volunteer to plate or deliver be at the County Complex by 9:30am on Christmas Eve.

As always DESA needs desserts and/or MONEY! You can bring desserts to Adoration Home Health and Hospice in front of the hospital the week before, the night before between 5pm and 7pm, or the morning of. You can donate to the purchase of 400 pounds of ham with all the sides by following the link or at Wilson Bank & Trust.

December 12, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A Sparta woman has been sentenced on an aggravated assault charge two months after she allegedly stabbed a man during an argument at a residence in Dowelltown.

44-year-old Christie Dawn Bouldin entered a plea by criminal information Monday to aggravated assault and received a 5-year sentence suspended to supervised probation. She is also under a restraining order from the victim. The case is to run consecutive to any other case she may have. Restitution in the case is to be determined by probation if any. Bouldin was given 58 days jail credit.

Chief Deputy Brian Williams of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said that on October 11 deputies responded to South Mill Street for a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the victim (a man) who had numerous stab wounds on his upper body and head. According to the victim, Bouldin had stabbed him several times with a tire punch. The man suffered severe injuries and he was life flighted. Bouldin then fled the scene but was taken into custody the following morning.

According to the report, the deputies made contact with the victim who had an abundance of blood coming from his head area. The officers asked the victim what happened. He stated that he and Bouldin were in a bedroom when she began arguing with him. He said she knocked him down, jumped on top of him and stabbed him all over with a tire punch. The man said Bouldin then ran out the front door. The victim then went to a neighbor’s home where they called 911.

A Liberty man arrested in July after he was spotted driving a stolen vehicle appeared for sentencing in criminal court Monday.

34-year-old Dustin Kane Underhill entered a plea to theft over $10,000 and received a 3-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. The term is to run concurrently with a Rutherford County probation. Underhill was given jail credit from July 25 to December 9, 2024.

Chief Deputy Brian Williams of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said that on July 25 Underhill allegedly stole a 2016 Ford F150 4×4 valued at $37,000 from a driveway on Groom Street, Liberty. Criminal investigators spotted the stolen vehicle traveling on North Congress Boulevard in Smithville and pulled it over. Underhill, the driver, was placed in custody.

27-year-old Keely Jacobs entered a plea by criminal information to one count of methamphetamine possession over 0.5 grams with intent to sell or deliver. She received an 8-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation and was fined $8,000. Jacobs was given jail credit from September 9 to December 9, 2024.

Jacobs was originally charged with offenses on August 27 & 31 and September 4,9 & 12 including, bringing contraband into a penal institution; possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver (2 counts); identity theft (3 counts); driving on a revoked or suspended license (3 counts); possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; criminal impersonation; prescription drug fraud; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

29-year-old Shadayda Storm Farris entered a plea to attempting to facilitate identity theft and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to supervised probation. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Cumberland County TDOC sentence against her. She was given jail credit from April 28 to July 13, 2024 and from November 6 to December 9, 2024.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that during a DUI arrest on April 28, Farris said her name was Skylar Fox and gave her date of birth as November 14, 1995. Farris’s actual birth date is July 3, 1995. He added that on Thursday, May 2 after her fingerprint confirmation came back through the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), it was revealed that Fox’s real identity is Shadayda Storm Farris and that she knowingly and intentionally gave the wrong name and date of birth during her April 28 DUI arrest. Farris later admitted in an interview that the name and birth date she gave previously was that of a close friend.

55-year-old Alphonso Dewayne Maynard entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug and received a 10-year sentence all suspended to TDOC supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and given 82 days jail credit.

51-year-old Shawn Edward Soales entered a plea to methamphetamine possession with intent to sell under 0.5 grams and received a 6-year TDOC sentence suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run consecutively with another case against him

December 11, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Regional Planning Commission Monday night voted in favor of pursuing a study on a plan for county wide zoning outside the city limits of the four municipalities as requested by the full county commission in September although two planning commission members were opposed.

During the regular monthly meeting, Planning Commission member Greg Matthews, who is also a county commissioner, said he is opposed to zoning fearing it would restrict property owners’ rights. Matthews also objected to the October passage by the county commission of the county powers act for the same reasons.

“The county powers act has already been passed, and this other thing (regulations) have also passed to stop all the stuff that nobody wants,” said Matthews. “ I say we squash this and be done with it. Is it not every committee’s job to say yes or no. I’m not for this and I never was for it. We have already taken some people’s rights and we are now looking to take more (rights),” asked Matthews.

Matthews made a motion to not pursue the county commission’s request for a zoning study. Planning Commission member Alan Webb offered a second to the motion, but the motion failed 7-2. Chairman Rick Cantrell and planning commission members Jack Barton, Harold Bain, Beth Pafford, Andy Pack, Jeff Barnes, and Danny Pirtle voted against the motion and to begin the study with the aim of eventually making a recommendation on a zoning resolution to the full county commission which has the final say on the issue following a public hearing. Tommy Lee, Director of the Upper Cumberland Development District, who serves as UCDD staff planner and advisor to DeKalb County, said it may take up to 18 months for the planning commission to come up with a recommendation.

“The county commission requested that we study or pursue a zoning resolution to hand to the county commission for their review. I told the county mayor that tonight we would take a big picture look at zoning and go over again what it does and what it doesn’t do and what specific districts would look like, jurisdiction, costs to the county, and things of that nature and in the months to follow we will look at the specific sections of that ordinance. Hopefully we will then come up with something we can recommend to the county commission or at least hand it to them,” said Lee.

Lee went on to explain the pros of zoning.

“The pros are to protect and enhance property values by not allowing incompatible uses to be located next to each other. We are promoting compatible uses in a zoning ordinance. Preserve neighborhoods. Preserve existing structures, Prevent the mixing of incompatible land uses. An example is an erotic dance club near a school. Technically right now they could go next to each other. Zoning allows potential nuisances to be located away from residential neighborhoods and other sensitive areas. Zoning can provide for better lot arrangement. It can protect recreational areas and open space and conserve environmentally sensitive areas. Zoning can ensure the availability of an adequate number of parking spaces for commercial, industrial, and multi-family residential uses. It can guarantee adequate light, air, and privacy to homes. More importantly, zoning gives the community some control over its land uses, appearance, and quality of life for the future”.

Lee then discussed the cons of zoning.

“Zoning requires that all involved property owners relinquish some of their individual property freedoms for the common good. Zoning can discourage some development in some locations. Zoning can increase the cost of building new structures. Zoning can work against historic mixed use neighborhoods in older communities. To a certain extent, zoning limits the development potential of previously existing land uses and structures that do not conform with zoning standards. Another con is the cost to the community which comes in the form of a code’s enforcement officer. This is mandatory if you have a zoning ordinance. Its not a state law or county law but why would you have a zoning ordinance if you didn’t have a mechanism to enforce it. A codes enforcement officer provides that. Zoning does regulate land use. It tells you what you can and can’t do on your property. Zoning does not regulate the appearance of a structure or a lot. Zoning does not tell you how high your grass has to be. It does not tell you that the shutters on your house have to be a certain color. It also does not regulate construction. That’s what building codes do. Zoning codes are the regulation of land uses. Every parcel in unincorporated DeKalb County, if this passes, would be subject to the zoning ordinance. Parcels that would be exempt from this are those located in the corporate limits of the cities of Smithville, Liberty, Dowelltown, and Alexandria. If you are located inside the municipalities, you are not subject to the county zoning ordinance,” Lee explained.

Using neighboring Cannon County’s zoning ordinance as a model, Lee explained that DeKalb County could have basically four zoning districts: residential, commercial, industrial, and agriculture.

“Districts are land uses that are compatible and you establish criteria for these districts. In neighboring Cannon County there are four districts: residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural. Residential districts are essentially large or high concentrations of single-family residential homes. For example, Coconut Ridge would be considered an R-1 or residential district. What is typically allowed in a residential district are single family homes, customary home occupations which are uses or businesses that are located in somebody’s house. For example, if you own a beauty shop and run it out of your house or garage. That is considered a customary home occupation. Accessory structures are permitted that are incidental to the primary uses such as single-family residential structures. Examples are pole barns, garages, she sheds, etc. You can allow for more things but if you are talking about a typical R-1 residential district you are talking about single family homes, customary home occupations, and accessory structures. What is not permitted there are duplexes, mobile homes, apartment buildings, businesses, and industries typically but counties can adjust as they see fit,” Lee said.

“The next district is a commercial district. Think where you buy stuff and sell stuff. The traditional big picture of commercial is buying and selling. What would be typically permitted in a commercial district? Businesses, professional services. You can allow apartment complexes in there. Typically, what Cannon County did was allow all commercial businesses except for adult oriented uses. What you must understand also is that if a business is legally allowed by the state of Tennessee you have to allow it to go somewhere in your county which means you can’t zone out a business if the state of Tennessee allows it. Adult oriented businesses, landfills, asphalt plants and things like that must be allowed in the county somewhere but what most communities do with undesirable uses is they put them as a special exception in an industrial zone. Its up to the county to determine what is an undesirable use. If we adopt this zoning ordinance anything that is legal and lawfully existing at the time that you adopt the ordinance is for lack of a better term grandfathered in. Most commercial uses, professional services, churches, semi-public uses are all allowed in a commercial use zone”,” Lee continued.

“The industrial zone is where you manufacture stuff as a permitted use. That is your Tenneco’s, federal moguls, sawmills, etc. Basically, if you are creating or making something that is considered an industrial use. That is the industrial district”.

“Finally, and what we did in Cannon County is make about 95% of the county an agriculture zone. What do we allow in an agriculture zone? Two uses, single family homes and agriculture. We have a caveat in the A-1 district that all other uses not specifically permitted can be brought to the board of zoning appeals and be considered on appeal. If you have a zoning ordinance you must have an appellate process in which a citizen may go and appeal what is laid out in the zoning ordinance and that is called the Board of Zoning Appeals which is typically separate from this board,” said Lee.

At the next meeting, Lee plans to share with the planning commission Cannon County’s zoning ordinance as a possible guide.

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