Donnie Crook Appointed Smithville Alderman

September 11, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville has a new alderman.

Donnie Crook was appointed Monday night upon the recommendation of Mayor Josh Miller. The aldermen voted to make the appointment during the regular monthly meeting. Crook will fill the remaining two years of Miller’s unexpired alderman term.

“I have lived in the city for probably 50 years. My home is on Riley Avenue.  My wife Carol and I have one son Jacob and two grandchildren. I am honored to be appointed alderman. It’s going to be a new experience for me but I’ll do the best I can,” said Crook.

Crook is also a businessman. He has owned the Stop N Buy convenience market in Liberty for 12 years.

Mayor Miller said although he had several people express an interest in taking the position, he felt Crook was the right choice.

“Over the past month I have had a lot of phone calls and a lot of text messages from people wanting this seat. Let me say that I have had some very good interest. I think a number of the people that has contacted me would do a fantastic job on this seat. But one name kept coming to my mind and I made a phone call. Let me say I contacted this person (Crook). He did not contact me. I feel like he would be a great asset to this board. I don’t feel like he would be easily swayed and I feel like he would do what is best for our city. That is what I wanted in filling my (alderman) seat. I think that is what we all want. My recommendation to this board is that we appoint Mr. Donnie Crook to this council,” said Mayor Miller.

Alderman Danny Washer made a motion to make the appointment. Alderman Gayla Hendrix offered a second to the motion. Alderman Shawn Jacobs and Brandon Cox joined Washer and Hendrix in voting for Crook.

“Mr. Mayor I am aware of a lot of the people who contacted you. Many of them have contacted me. There have been at least 10 people probably who took some interest. Many of them including Donnie are my friends and this is a very hard decision to make. We have a lot of quality people and I think just about any of them would have done a great job,” said Alderman Jacobs.

“I have had similar contacts. Making an appointment to an elected position is not a tenable position to be in. It’s the most undemocratic way to do it but it’s what we have to do according to the charter. There have been numerous people that I think are well qualified that could take this seat and I hope they do run in two years for the vacancy,” added Alderman Cox.

Mayor Miller assigned the Aldermen to oversee the various city departments and made other appointments to city boards with the approval of the aldermen including the following:

Vice Mayor: Alderman Danny Washer

Police and Fire Department Commissioner: Alderman Shawn Jacobs

Finance and Taxation Commissioner: Alderman Gayla Hendrix

Streets and Safety Commissioner: Alderman Brandon Cox

Water and Sewer Department Commissioner: Alderman Danny Washer

Sanitation Department Commissioner: Alderman Donnie Crook

Planning Commission: Dwayne Snow and Kim Luton (citizen members) and Mayor Josh Miller

Beer Board: Farron Hendrix (citizen member)

Board of Zoning Appeals: Wade Smith and Eddie Hobson (citizen members) and Alderman Gayla Hendrix

911 Board: Alderman Brandon Cox

Industrial Board: Mayor Josh Miller and Dr. Steven Cooper (citizen member)

City Judge: Hilton Conger

Smithville Electric System Board of Directors: Mayor Josh Miller and Jason Murphy (citizen member) to replace Anthony Hagan.

September 10, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

A man charged with assaulting his girlfriend and threatening her with a knife will make a court appearance next week

20 year old Jared Robert Pyles of Sims Street, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault. Pyles is under a $6,500 bond and his court date is September 20.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Tuesday, September 4 Pyles’ girlfriend called law enforcement officers to report that he had assaulted her during an argument at their home.

According to the woman, she and Pyles got into a verbal argument that became physical when she tried to leave the residence. After telling the woman she could leave only when he told her she could, Pyles spat in her face and punched her with his fist leaving a red mark on the tricep area of her right arm. As she gathered her things, Pyles then pulled a knife and leaned against a wall staring at her. Fearing for her safety, the woman went to a neighbors house and called law enforcement.

21 year old Chase Lee Turner of A.B. Frazier Road, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. Turner’s bond is $6,500 and his court date is September 27.

Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, September 5 a deputy was dispatched to the sheriff’s office to take a report of a domestic violence that had occurred around 5:30 p.m. at a residence on A.B. Frazier Road. Upon arrival the officer met with a woman who said that she had gone to her boyfriend’s home (Turner) to get her car that she let him borrow. Upon entering the residence, she found Turner to be asleep and his phone was ringing. She looked at the phone and noticed that another girl was sending him a text message. When she woke Turner and asked him who she was, he became aggressive and tried to get her car keys so she couldn’t leave. Turner then ran toward the door to keep her from leaving and then pushed her down and punched her several times leaving visible marks.

27 year old Stephanie Michelle Mooneyham of Toad Road, Dowelltown is charged with disorderly conduct and resist stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search. She is under a $5,000 bond and her court date is September 27.

Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, September 8 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Toad Road due to a possible domestic. Upon arrival he spoke to Mooneyham who began cussing and yelling at him. While attempting to place her under arrest, Mooneyham refused to comply with the deputy’s command to stand and she struggled with him, trying to pull away to resist arrest.

September 10, 2018
By: Bill Conger

DeKalb West School announces the September Students of the Month. Selected for the honor were Pre-K student Riley Martin, Cash Hancock, Kindergarten, Abegayle Howard, 1st grade, Kira Wilbur, 2nd grade, Peyton Blair, 3rd grade, Kenadee Prichard, 4th grade, Xavier Floyd, 5th grade, Noah Shoffner, 6th grade, Chris Carroll, 7th grade, and Jamison Marlar, 8th grade. Teachers chose students based on their academic achievements, character and other traits that make them an excellent students.

Pictured first row left to right: Riley Martin, Peyton Blair, Abegayle Howard, and Cash Hancock. Second row left to right: Principal Sabrina Farler, Kenadee Prichard, Kira Wilbur, Noah Shoffner, Jamison Marlar, Xavier Floyd, and Assistant Principal Joey Agee.

. Not pictured: Chris Carroll.

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