UT-Chattanooga Senior Ashli Chew Receives Public Service Award

October 2, 2019
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A student from DeKalb County at UT-Chattanooga has received a special honor.

Ashli Chew has earned a Public Service Award sponsored by the UTC Alumni Board of Directors and the Office of Student Development.

This award was established to honor two senior students (one male and one female) who display distinguished service to the university campus as well as the Chattanooga community (with emphasis on campus involvement). Students must have accumulated at least 90 hours with an overall GPA of at least 2.5.

The awards were presented at the halftime ceremony during homecoming last Saturday between the Mocs and Western Carolina.

Ashli was nominated for this award by her chemistry professor Dr. Gretchen Potts. She is a biochemistry major at UTC.

October 2, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A fugitive wanted in Virginia for forgery and identity theft was arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department last week.

37 year old Elizabeth Ann Chalfant of Hurricane Ridge Road, Smithville is charged with being a fugitive from Justice. Her bond is $75,000 and she will be in court October 10. Plans are to extradite her back to Virginia.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on September 27 a deputy went to Chalfant’s home to serve active warrants against her from Virginia and Alabama. In Virginia, Chalfant is wanted for four counts of forgery, two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, and two counts of identity theft.

56 year old David Wayne Johnson of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with violation of the sex offender registry. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court October 17.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 26 a deputy conducted a home visit to make sure that Johnson was in compliance with the state’s sex offender registry but learned that Johnson had a facebook account not listed on his registry paperwork with the sheriff’s department. Johnson admitted to having the facebook account and failing to list it on his registry as a social media site.

28 year old Royce Anthony Prater of Earl Avenue, Smithville is charged with assault and aggravated assault. His bond totals $13,500 and he will be in court October 17.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 28 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Poss Road due to a domestic complaint in which shots were fired. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a woman who said that Prater shoved her to the ground causing her knees to bleed. Before leaving the scene, witnesses said Prater grabbed a handgun from the trunk of his car and fired two shots and then put it back in the trunk .

A man pulled over for a non working brake light was arrested for more serious offenses after the deputy found in his vehicle marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.

39 year old David Allen Hesson, Jr. of Evins Mill Road, Smithville is charged with possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana). He was also cited for driving on a suspended license, violation of the light law, violation of financial responsibility, simple possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia (two glass pipes). His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court October 17.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 29 a deputy pulled over a vehicle on Midway Road due to a non working brake light. The driver, Hesson consented to a search of the automobile and the officer found a bag in the passenger seat that contained a substance believed to be marijuana which weighed 5.40 ounces. Another bag of the same substance weighed 5.5 grams. Hesson said both bags held marijuana. The officer also found 0.7 grams of methamphetamine and two glass pipes. Hesson’s license was suspended for failure to maintain proof of insurance on September 21, 2017 and he still has no insurance on the vehicle.

30 year old Gary Brandon Myers of Hillsboro, Tennessee is charged with two counts of an order of protection violation. His bond is $9,500 and he will be in court October 10.

Sheriff Ray said that on July 4 a deputy spoke with a woman who said that she had an active order of protection against Myers and that he had messaged her on facebook and sent text messages to her in violation of the order. Thirteen days later, a deputy was dispatched to the woman’s home on Eagle Creek Road and there she reported that Myers had sent her three more text messages.

31 year old Jacob Daniel Demps of Cookeville is charged with violation of an order of protection. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court on October 17.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 27 a deputy was called to a residence on Sparta Highway due to an unwanted guest. Upon arrival he spoke with a woman who reported that Demps was in her home and she did not want him there. He was found hiding in a bedroom closet. The officer conducted a background check and learned the Demps is under an active order of protection in Putnam County to keep away from the woman.

Jonathon D. Thomas of Liberty is cited for driving an unregistered vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, and simple possession of schedule I and II drugs. His court date is October 17.

Sheriff Ray said a deputy pulled over a maroon Subaru on West Broad Street in Smithville for no license plate on the vehicle. An inventory search of the automobile turned up 3.1 grams of methamphetamine, 0.4 grams of heroin, three spoons with residue, five glass pipes with residue, and three hypodermic needles.

October 2, 2019
By:

Several churches have marked historical milestones this year in DeKalb County and now the New Hope Baptist Church near Alexandria can be added to the list.

This Sunday, October 6 the congregation will be celebrating 200 years of the church’s service to the Lord and the community beginning with worship at 11 a.m. followed by a meal from noon until 2 p.m.

Local author Ria Baker has also compiled a book on the History of the New Hope Baptist Church and will be available for purchase.

The beginnings of the church actually date back to 1817 when Elder William Dale of Salem Church at Liberty began preaching at the home of Thomas Findley which was in the community. In 1818, an arm from Salem Church was established.

A building was completed and the first service was held at New Hope in October 1818 with 11 members present.

By March 27, 1819, the number had increased to 18 and the mission was constituted into an independent church.

At one time, New Hope had more members than any other church in the association, and was in every way one of the leading churches in the association.

This church first joined Concord Association in 1819 which convened at Providence Church. It was a constituent member of Salem Association in 1822 and has represented in the body ever since. By 1877, the church was the largest in Salem Association. It was then divided when Elder William J. Bomer led all but 16 members in another church. It divided again in 1839 and many of the members embraced the Primitive Baptist doctrine. This was the beginning of the Helton Creek Primitive Baptist Church.

New Hope Baptist Church is the mother of the following churches: Mount Zion, New Union, Cooper’s Chapel, and Alexandria Baptist, which is First Baptist Church.

In 1865, the church headed the list of Salem Association with 298 members. However, in 1902 the number dropped to 80 members.

Come join the congregation in the celebration of the church’s 200th anniversary Sunday at the New Hope Baptist Church located on New Hope Road only a short distance from Alexandria.

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