Man Wanted by Law Enforcement Officers Remains Missing After Fleeing the Scene of Friday Crash

December 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Have you seen 29-year-old Matthew Braswell?

Local and state authorities have been looking for Braswell since he fled into the woods after a crash on Ponder Road Friday morning. His whereabouts remain unknown.

When he is found Braswell will have some explaining to do to law enforcement officers.

According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Braswell was a passenger of a 2006 Chevy Tahoe, driven by 26-year-old Danny Phillips of McMinnville when they were spotted by a resident going through the mail of his mailbox on Ponder Road.

As the resident came out of his home to confront them, the truck sped away but then went out of control and struck several trees at the edge of the road. The two men then bailed out of the truck and fled into the woods. Phillips was quickly captured but Braswell got away and hasn’t been seen since. Even Braswell’s girlfriend claims she has not heard from him. Phillips was transported by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital and later taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center where he remains hospitalized.

Local and state authorities including members of the Smith County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 unit conducted a ground search for Braswell Friday but to no avail. A THP helicopter flight crew was summoned Monday to join the effort with an aerial search but there was no sign of Braswell other than his white and gray jacket, which was found in the woods about a half mile from the crash site.

Authorities are concerned about Braswell’s condition fearing that he might still be out there in the woods somewhere with serious injuries from the wreck. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and possibly a white tank top shirt. He stands six feet tall and weighs 150 pounds. His hair is brown in color, and he has facial tattoes. His last known address is Lebanon.

If you have seen Braswell or know of his whereabouts call the Tennessee Highway Patrol at 423-954-2130.

December 21, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A total of 32 persons interested in running for county offices in either the May 3, 2022 DeKalb County Democratic or Republican Primary have picked up qualifying petitions from the election commission

According to the election commission office, the following persons have been issued petitions this week.

Republican Primary:
Danny Lynn Hale- Road Supervisor (Incumbent)
Thomas E. “Tom” Chandler- County Commissioner, District 1
Sean D. Driver-Trustee (Incumbent)
Gregory S. “Greg” Mattthews, County Commissioner, District 4
Justin Douglas Adcock, County Commissioner, District 6
Joshua E. Holloway, County Commissioner, District 5
Larry L. Green- County Commissioner, District 5
James L. “Jimmy” Poss- County Clerk (Incumbent)
Matthew N. “Matt” Adcock- County Mayor
Mingy Kay Ball- General Sessions Court Judge
Brandon J. Cox- General Sessions Court Judge
Daniel A. Seber- Register of Deeds
Patrick R. Ray- Sheriff (Incumbent)
Keneth Lee Whitehead-Sheriff
James David “Jim” Pearson- County Commissioner, District 2
Tony L. “Cully” Culwell-County Commissioner, District 4
Boyd Bruce Malone-County Commissioner, District 7 (Incumbent)
Trevin Merriman-County Commissioner, District 7

Democratic Primary
Jeffery K. “Jeff” Barnes-County Commissioner, District 6 (Incumbent)
Julie Ann Young-County Commissioner, District 1 (Incumbent)
Janice. M. Fish Stewart-County Commissioner, District 4 (Incumbent)
Robert D. (Danny) Parkerson, Jr.- School Board, District 1 (Incumbent)
Wayne Shehane- Road Supervisor
Mike Foster- County Mayor
James Waylon Kyle- County Commissioner, District 1
Tecia Puckett Pryor-General Sessions Court Judge
Shelby D. Reeder- Register of Deeds
Billy Myron Rhody-County Commissioner, District 2 (Incumbent)
Jack E. Barton, III-County Commissioner, District 3
Susannah Cripps Daughtry- County Commissioner, District 3 (Incumbent)
Jenny A. Trapp- County Commissioner, District 3 (Incumbent)
Mary Elizabeth “Beth” Pafford- County Commissioner, District 7 (Incumbent)

Offices on the May primary ballots include: County Mayor; Road Supervisor; Sheriff, General Sessions Judge; Circuit Court Clerk; County Clerk; Trustee; Register of Deeds; County Commissioner in all seven (7) districts (2 can be nominated per district); School Board members in districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7; Constable in District 4 to fill a vacancy; Circuit Court Judge Part I and Part II (13th Judicial District); Chancellor (13th Judicial District); Criminal Court Judge Part I and Part II (13th Judicial District); District Attorney General (13th Judicial District); and Public Defender (13th Judicial District).

Petitions must be returned by Noon February 17th.

There is an additional earlier deadline for Sheriff and Road Supervisor candidates. They must have appropriate paperwork to the Peace Officer Standards Training Commission (POST) for sheriff and the Tennessee Highway Officials Certification board 14 days before the qualifying deadline.

While the above offices will appear on May primary ballots, candidates also have the option to run as Independent candidates who will not appear on the ballot until August. However, the same qualifying deadlines apply.

Winners of the May primaries will square off against each other in the August DeKalb County General Election along with any properly qualified Independent candidates.

The local election office is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is located on the first floor of the DeKalb County Courthouse.

December 21, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The 13-year-old DeKalb West School student who allegedly threatened to bring a gun to school last week made his first court appearance on Thursday, December 16

The 8th grader, charged in a juvenile petition with threat of assault to shoot a teacher, stood before Judge Bratten Cook, II with his family and attorney Brandon Cox.

The judge continued the case until late January pending the results of a psychological evaluation to be done on the boy. Although he has been released from juvenile detention, the youth will remain under house arrest and be home schooled pending the outcome of the case. He is not to show up at school or leave home without his parents.

The boy was taken into custody by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Sunday, December 12 after investigators learned that the 8th grader was threatening to bring a gun to school to shoot a teacher.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said the boy, who lives within two miles of the school at Liberty, was taken from his home and placed in a juvenile detention center in Cookeville.

“I immediately got the school’s SRO and a detective to go find the child. He was at home with his mother and stepfather. The SRO and detective questioned the boy and he admitted to making the threat although he said it was done in anger and that he really didn’t mean it after he calmed down,” said Sheriff Ray.

Both the SRO and detective conducted a sweep of the boy’s home and no weapons were found. Sheriff Ray said the parents were cooperative. There are no plans to file charges against them.

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