Drunk Driver Assaults Officers and Vandalized Patrol Car During Arrest

September 27, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A drunk driver who got violent with law enforcement officers during his arrest Sunday is facing several charges.

36-year-old Steven Wallace Morris of Eads, Tennessee in Shelby County is under a $33,500 bond and his court date is October 13. Morris is charged with three counts of assaulting a first responder, a 2nd offense of driving under the influence, simple possession or casual exchange of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, vandalism under $1,000, violation of the implied consent and open container laws, giving a false report, and resisting arrest.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that the case against Morris began as two deputies were dispatched to South Tittsworth Road Sunday where Morris had backed his vehicle into a ditch. After being confronted by the officers, Morris denied driving the automobile, refused to submit to field sobriety tasks and a blood test, and he assaulted both officers hitting them in the head and vandalized a patrol car. Containers of alcohol, a baggie of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were found in the car. Morris later assaulted another officer at the hospital after being taken there while in custody on a search warrant for a blood sample from him.

The warrants describe each charge against Morris as follows:

Assaulting first responders- Two deputies responded to the area of South Tittsworth Road due to a vehicle backed into the ditch. Morris became very belligerent and violent. He placed his hands on the deputies and started to resist. Reasonable force was used by the officers to place Morris in custody. When putting him in back of the patrol car, Morris became violent with the deputies and started flailing his arms and kicking at the patrol car door. During the scuffle one of the deputies was hit on the right side of the head causing bruising while the other officer was kicked in the face causing swelling to his right cheek.

DUI (2nd offense) and possession of drug paraphernalia: Morris was found to be unsteady on his feet at the scene on South Tittsworth Road and he had a strong odor of alcohol on him. Morris refused field sobriety tests and he became violent and fought officers. A search of Morris’ vehicle incident to arrest yielded several containers of alcohol, a baggie containing a green leafy substance that weighed 0.13 grams believed to be marijuana, and a colored glass pipe with a green leafy substance in it thought to be marijuana. Morris’ first conviction for DUI was September 22, 2017.

Assaulting another first responder. After being arrested at South Tittsworth Road, a deputy transported Morris from the sheriff’s department to the emergency room of the hospital for a blood draw ordered by a search warrant due to a DUI charge. Upon arrival at the hospital, Morris became very combative with the deputy. While escorting Morris to the emergency room, Morris began to tense up and resist grabbing onto the deputy’s right wrist and refusing to let go causing redness, irritation, and swelling to the officer’s wrist.

Vandalism under $1,000: Morris caused damage to a county patrol car using his knee to put a dent on the back right corner panel.

False report: Morris said he was not driving the vehicle that had backed into the ditch on South Tittsworth Road and that one of his friends had been driving and left the scene. An eyewitness, however, gave a written statement that Morris had been driving the vehicle.

September 27, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

County Mayor Matt Adcock was elected Chairman of the DeKalb County Commission Monday night.

It was the first regular monthly meeting of the new county mayor and county commission since taking office September 1.

First District Commissioner Tom Chandler moved to name County Mayor Adcock Chairman of the Commission. Second District member Myron Rhody offered a second to the motion. The vote was unanimous.

The county commission reorganizes each September naming a chairman and chairman pro temp to serve for the ensuing 12 months.

Fifth District Commissioner Larry Green was named Chairman Pro Temp. He would preside over county commission meetings in the absence of the chairman. Fourth District Commissioner Tony (Cully) Culwell moved to make Green the Chairman Pro Temp and Commissioner Chandler offered a second to the motion. The vote was unanimous.

Sixth District member Jeff Barnes, the longest serving member of the commission at 20 years, had been Chairman Pro Temp for several years.

In other business, the commission approved the county mayor’s committee appointments as follows:

Budget Committee: Jeff Barnes (Committee Chairman), Sabrina Farler (Vice-Chairman), Susannah Cripps Daughtry, Larry Green, Greg Matthews, Beth Pafford, and Daniel Cripps.

Audit Committee: Tom Janey (citizen member), Tony Luna, Beth Pafford, and Daniel Cripps

Community Economic Development: Glynn Merriman (Chairman), Tom Chandler (Vice Chairman), Justin Adcock, Tony Culwell, and Tony Luna. (Luna’s name was added at the suggestion of Commissioner Tony (Cully) Culwell).

UT Agriculture Extension Committee: Myron Rhody, Jeff Barnes, and Daniel Cripps.

Purchasing Committee: Matt Adcock (County Mayor), Danny Hale (Road Supervisor), Patrick Cripps (Director of Schools), Tom Chandler, Myron Rhody, and Jeff Barnes.

Public Works Committee: Myron Rhody (Chairman), Timothy Reynolds (Vice Chairman), Tony Luna, Tom Chandler, Tony Culwell, Glynn Merriman, and Justin Adcock

Health, Education, and Public Welfare Committee: Larry Green (Chairman), Greg Matthews (Vice Chairman), Susannah Cripps Daughtry, Tim Reynolds, Justin Adcock, Daniel Cripps, and Sabrina Farler.

Government Services Committee: Janice Fish Stewart (Chairman) citizen member, Beth Pafford (Vice Chairman), Sabrina Farler, Larry Green, and Susannah Cripps Daughtry

Planning Commission: Rick Cantrell (Chairman)- citizen member, Harold Bain (Vice Chairman)-citizen member, Alan Webb-citizen member, Danny Pirtle-citizen member, Jack Barton-citizen member, Glynn Merriman, Tom Chandler, Justin Adcock, and Tony (Cully) Culwell

Ethics Committee: Debra Malone (Clerk and Master), Greg Matthews, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Timothy Reynolds, and Glynn Merriman.

911 Committee: Jeff Barnes and Sabrina Farler

Other appointees also confirmed by the commission are County Attorney Hilton Conger, County Fire Chief Donny Green, County EMS Director Hoyte Hale, and County EMA Director Charlie Parker

In other business, the commission upon the recommendation of the county mayor, amended the body’s policies and procedures by changing from October to September, the month when committee appointees are to be named and begin serving. The vote was unanimous.

The commission adopted a budget amendment as recommended by the county mayor to transfer $15,000 within the solid waste budget to create a full-time solid waste director position at a salary of $40,000 per year. The county formerly had a supervisor in the department at a salary budgeted of $25,000 per year but he recently resigned.

“We have lost our landfill supervisor,” said County Mayor Adcock. “Instead of replacing someone in that position, I felt like this was a great opportunity to make a solid waste director to be over the transfer station, landfill, and convenience sites and he would report to the commission just like any other department head on revenue, equipment and maintenance,” added Mayor Adcock.

No new money will be needed to fund the full-time position.

The commission also approved a National Joint Powers Alliance Master Agreement Resolution, which County Mayor Adcock said would allow the county to make purchases through the competitive bidding process “through federal consortiums on a national level”.

A private road, Scarlett Court was also officially named such by the commission upon the recommendation of the E-911 director.

A list of county property was declared surplus by the commission and those items will be sold during the sheriff’s department’s public auction in October.

September 24, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville woman got a brand-new roof for her home free of charge Friday thanks to Covers 4 Others , a program which awards new roofs to recipients across the nation who are nominated and selected through a public voting process.

Lou Ann Sanders of Lincoln Street is among only two people in Tennessee and eight nationwide this year to receive a new roof with a lifetime warranty. The others are in North Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Nebraska, South Carolina, Missouri, and in east Tennessee.

The 7th annual Covers 4 Others program is sponsored by Aspen Contracting, a national roofing, siding, and gutter contractor. It is designed to provide free roofs to deserving individuals and families across the country. This year Sanders was chosen to receive a free new roof and it was installed Friday, courtesy of Aspen Contracting and sponsors SRS Distribution and Owens Corning.

“Lou Ann is older, disabled and on a fixed income. She can’t afford a new roof and is unable to get a loan. The roof has been leaking for over a year now and she is concerned it’ll continue to get worse. That’s where her family and friends stepped in and nominated her for our Covers 4 Others Program,” said Pat Nussbeck, President and CEO of Aspen.

“We told Lou Ann last week that she won the roof, and we are out here today (Friday), said John Johnson, General Manager for the Mount Juliet Office of Aspen Contracting. “We removed the roof completely down to the sheathing. We actually had to replace some of the sheathing because it was rotten from roof leaks over the years and with her situation being a single lady with no finances to get a roof done, we all feel it was a true blessing that she was the recipient here,” said Johnson.

“I am overjoyed,” said Sanders. “This has been my home practically all my life and I am fortunate to have these people here help me put a roof on it,” she said.

“It’s an amazing company (Aspen Contracting). They give back to the community. Its renowned in the United States and we are really proud that Lou Ann got this,” said Carmen Johnson, sales manager for Aspen Contracting of Mount Juliet.

“It is not just Aspen. We have a great partnership with a lot of our distributors and even with some local folks here in town we reached out to. SRS Distribution, one of the largest national distributors of roofing supplies was kind enough to get involved and they supplied a lot of the material here today and then Owens Corning provided the shingles. We (Aspen) provided the labor and Kilgore’s Restaurant provided lunch for everybody today (Friday). Our national headquarters is in Lee Summit Missouri, but we have been serving Nashville and the greater Tennessee area for many years and are proud to give back to the community in a lot of different ways. This is just one of the ways we do it,” said John Johnson.

With the roof replacements of this year’s 8 winners, that brings the total of 70 families that have had their roof replaced in the last 7 years through the annual program.

Each spring, Aspen invites the public to nominate members of their community nationwide who they feel deserve a new roof. Nominees must own a single dwelling home in the United States. Past recipients have included military veterans, first responders, those who have experienced hardship, and underinsured homeowners. Aspen selects a final group of nominees and then invites the public to vote on the finalists. After voting, evaluations ensue, and the final recipients are selected. Once installation begins, Aspen invites the homeowners and their neighbors to revel in an installation celebration.

To find out more about the program and to see a list of all winners, visit their website at www.covers4others.com or www.roofsbyaspen.com or call the local Aspen Contracting office at 877-784-7663.

About Aspen Contracting, Inc.
Aspen Contracting Inc. operates in 48 states, and they are headquartered in Lee’s Summit, MO. They are one of the largest residential roofing contractors and recipient of the prestigious Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor Award. Aspen is nationally accredited by the Better Business Bureau and was recognized as one of the 50 fastest growing companies by Five Elms Capital. Aspen Contracting, Inc. believes in doing the right thing, through higher standards and integrity.

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