Liquor Store Owner Asks City Leaders to Change Residency Requirement

October 6, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The owner of a local liquor store is asking city leaders to change a residency requirement for new applicants.

Jim Smith, owner of Smithville Discount Wine & Spirits, addressed the Mayor and Aldermen Monday night to make the request.

In order for anyone to obtain a certificate of compliance for a liquor store license, an applicant must have been a resident of the city for the previous two years or a citizen of the county for three years. Anyone in a partnership must also meet the residency requirements.

Smith said this provision of the ordinance could create a hardship on a liquor store owner who wants to sell his business.

“That puts handcuffs on an owner of a store. If I decide to retire and there is nobody around to sell it to then bringing somebody in from outside the county would be more viable and easier to do. There is no other business that I know of that has handcuffs on it where they can’t sell,” said Smith.

Mayor Josh Miller suggested the aldermen schedule a workshop to consider the issue. Alderman Shawn Jacobs also asked City Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. to do some checking to learn the reason for the residency provision and whether it is a state requirement.

The aldermen adopted the liquor ordinance in 2015 after city voters approved the retail sales of liquor in stores in a 2014 referendum.

Smith was the first applicant for a certificate of compliance to obtain a liquor license in Smithville during the spring of 2015. A second liquor store, Center Hill Wine and Spirits, was licensed later that same year, owned by James Bradshaw.

After applicants meet the conditions for a certificate of compliance from the city, they must then be licensed by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

October 5, 2018
By: Bill Conger

Students at DeKalb West School went beyond the classroom to learn more about the first aspect of STEM education. At this year’s DWS Science Fair, students made models, tested hypotheses and conducted experiments. They made models of chemical compounds and planets and explored electricity, how to make a battery using lemons, paper plane aerodynamics, and even asked which gum blows the best bubble among a variety of other topics.

Here is a list of the winners. In PreK-2: Grady Thomason placed first followed by Levi Reynolds with 2nd and Karson Mullinax, 3rd; Bane Averitt, Maddox Pyburn, and Mrs. Amanda’s Encore group received Honorable Mention. In 3rd-5th Experiments: Autumn McElhaney won first place. Ben Barton was 2nd, and Charlotte Cripps took home 3rd place. Honorable mention went to Chloe Boyd, Mary Scott, Timothy Campbell, DeShay Carter, and Matt Shahan. In 3rd-5th Model: Averly Moss was first while Andrew Cook and Adin Hernandez tied for 2nd place; Akacia Walker and Peyton Blair both received Honorable Mention. In 6th-8th Experiments: Marshall Farler took the top prize followed by Jaxon Humphrey in 2nd and Jourdyn Dalton was 3rd. Hunter Cannon and Blair Gipe received Honorable Mention. Alyssa Crook won a first place award for her 6th-8th grade Model entry

October 5, 2018
By: Bill Conger

Six scouts from Smithville Troop 347 advanced in rank during a Court of Honor ceremony held October 4 at the Rotary Club building.

Life Scout Will Stevens cleared the final hurdle for Eagle Scout during a board of review meeting earlier in the afternoon. Friedrich Dodge will be moving up to Eagle Scout. Carter Dias and Kaleb Wildes both advanced from 2nd class to 1st class while Jaden Wildes earned his Tenderfoot rank. Brandon Sobotka is at the Scout level.

Other scouts receiving merit badges were Jonathan Birmingham—Citizenship in the Nation and Camping; Zackary Cantrell—Swimming, Archery, Fish & Wildlife Management, Geology, and Nature; Gavin Conger—Wilderness Survival; Carter Dias—Wood Carving and Fish & Wildlife Management; Friedrich Dodge—Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the World, and Personal Fitness; Cody Robinson—Swimming, Personal Fitness, and Fish & Wildlife Management; Brandon Sobotka—Electricity and Fish & Wildlife Management; Arthur Sullivan—American Heritage and American Cultures; Kaleb Wildes—Wilderness Survival and Archery; Jaden Wildes—First Aid, Wood Carving, and Indian Lore.

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