Police Chief Asks City to Purchase Radar Speed Indicator Signs

April 26, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Watch your speed!

Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins is asking the city to budget funds for radar speed indicator signs. Collins addressed the mayor and aldermen during a budget workshop Monday night.

These are portable digital devices which can be moved from place to place to show motorists how fast they are traveling. Chief Collins said it’s a great tool to warn speeders to slow down.

“These are electronic speed radar signs. We could hang them anywhere in the city. Lets say you have a problem with speeding on West Main Street, you could hang this sign out. It won’t issue a ticket or record a license plate but it shows people who may not be paying attention just how fast they are going,” said Chief Collins.

“I had these when I was police chief in Alexandria, and they really worked well. For 2023, we can buy 2 of these signs for $6,199. It might cost a little more to get extra brackets, but it won’t be much extra,” he said.

“These signs will show your speed and if you go over the speed limit the signs will start flashing to get your attention to slow down. These signs can be hung on light poles, street signs, or other places. They are very mobile but very effective,” he said

“If I were to put one on West Main Street for example and leave it there for a week, I’ll be able to go in, look at this, and see how big of a speeding problem we have there. If there is a problem I’ll send the officers out there with pencils (citations) and we will really be able to deal with it,” said Chief Collins.

The mayor and aldermen have not yet acted on Chief Collins’ request.

April 25, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A DCHS champion high jumper is about to take a big leap to the college ranks.

Ally Beneke, 19-year-old senior and daughter of Jerry and Kim Beneke, made her commitment to Tennessee Tech official during a brief signing event Tuesday at DCHS.

Beneke became a State Champion last year on May 26th at the TSSAA-DI AAA track meet. During that competition Beneke jumped a height of 5 feet 6 inches to claim the title. Beneke had the number one seed going into the competition of 5 feet 7 inches and that still remains a personal record for her.

In fact, she repeated that high jump feat just this week according to her coach, Jeremy Wilhelm.

“Ally is magnificent. Yesterday (Monday) she jumped 5 feet 7 inches and that tied her school record which she set last year and that has put her in the top 25 in the country with that distance. She will only get better as the season goes along,” said Coach Wilhelm.

Since DCHS doesn’t have enough players for a program of its own, eight players from DeKalb County compete in the Warren County High School Track and Field program under a cooperative agreement between the two schools. Wilhelm is the Track and Field Head Coach and Kristen VanVranken of DeKalb County is the assistant Coach.

Beneke and her family moved to DeKalb County only two years ago from Michigan when she was a sophomore. Even as a young child, Beneke said she discovered her talent for the high jump and grew to love it.

“I have been jumping since elementary school. They had an event called a field day and that’s when I first jumped 4 feet and got the school record so ever since I have been doing it and I have loved it and succeeded in it,” said Beneke.

As far as her future, Beneke said while she hasn’t settled on it yet she plans to study something in the medical field or maybe computer science while at Tennessee Tech.

In the meantime, Beneke is high jumping with excitement about heading off to college to compete. “I can’t wait. I am really looking forward to joining the track team. They have already shown so much support to me and I can’t wait to get started,” she said.

Until then, Beneke will be looking to earn more honors before her high school career comes to a close.

“We are preparing for our sub-sectionals and sectionals and Ally has a big meet on Thursday at the 23rd Annual Great 8 Track & Field High School Invitational in Nashville,” said Coach Wilhelm.

April 25, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A man charged with two cases of theft a year and a half ago recently appeared for sentencing in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

42-year-old Scotty Brian Heard entered a plea by criminal information to one count of theft over $2,500 and one count of theft over $1,000. He received a two-year sentence in each case to run consecutively (total of four years) but concurrent with a Bledsoe County case against him. He will serve this TDOC sentence as a Range I offender. He must make restitution of $2,270.

The cases against a co-defendant, 32-year-old Haley Dawn Wright remains pending in court.

Heard was allegedly found in possession of a 17-foot bass boat reported stolen in October, 2021 from the Red Bank area of Chattanooga. According to investigators, the boat was found at Wright’s home on November 15. In addition to the boat, Heard was charged with the theft and vandalism of a 2006 Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle reported stolen from a location on Highway 70 in the Snow Hill area on October 13, 2021.

On the day it was reported stolen in DeKalb County, Sparta Police spotted the motorcycle and stopped it. Heard, who was operating the bike, was arrested and taken into custody. The motorcycle, which was returned to the owner, had some damage and missing parts totaling $2,270.

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