Man indicted in Fatal Hammer Beating of Girlfriend Tragically Among Top Local Crime News Stories in 2022

December 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A man indicted for first degree murder in the hammer beating death of his girlfriend in September tragically ranked among the top crime stories of the year in DeKalb County and is the leading story in Part-2 of WJLE’s Year in Review-2022.

35-year-old Simon Rodriguez Martinez, who allegedly beat his girlfriend to death with a hammer at their Smithville home early Wednesday morning, September 21 was charged with first degree murder and remains in jail under a $2 million bond in the death of 39-year-old Yuri Guerra. In October, a preliminary hearing was held in DeKalb County General Sessions Court. The only witness to testify during the hearing was TBI special agent Brandon Davenport, who was summoned to the scene the morning of the killing. He was questioned by Assistant District Attorney General Greg Strong and Assistant Public Defender Allison West about what the investigation revealed. Martinez, who apparently doesn’t speak English, sat quietly in the courtroom near the assistant public defender who represented him and an interpreter who was translating for him during Davenport’s testimony. Davenport said he questioned Martinez after the killing, and he admitted getting into a domestic dispute with Guerra over allegations of infidelity. According to Davenport, Martinez claims to have pushed Guerra down during the struggle and that she grabbed the hammer and struck him with it. Martinez claims he then took the hammer away from Guerra and struck her once. Davenport said Martinez’s version of the story is not supported by the evidence in that the condition of Guerra’s body shows multiple blows to her head. After the killing, Martinez allegedly admitted to taking a shower and throwing away his bloody clothes. Three children were present in the home at the time of the killing and the oldest, a 14-year-old witnessed the attack and gave a statement to investigators. Martinez was indicted for the crime by the Grand Jury in November.

A 15-year-old boy was charged in a juvenile petition in April accusing him of being responsible for a fire in December 2021 which claimed the life of his father. Alex Lemons was taken into custody Thursday evening, April 7 at the sheriff’s department and named in a juvenile petition for aggravated arson and first-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Edward Lemons. The fire occurred at Lemons’ home at 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road. Lemons made his first juvenile court appearance Monday, April 11 but Judge Bratten Cook, II issued a gag order preventing the parties from discussing the case outside of court. Although Sheriff Patrick Ray did not release the boy’s name on advice of the District Attorney General’s Office, the local media confirmed it independently. The teen was a student at DeKalb County High School. “Today we took out petitions on a 15-year-old male. The petition is for first degree murder and aggravated arson,” said Sheriff Ray. “On or about December 7, 2021, this juvenile did knowingly and intentionally set a residential fire located at 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road, Smithville which resulted in the death of his father, Edward Lemons,” said Sheriff Ray, reading from the petition. “He was picked up Thursday, April 7 and we had a transport order that was signed by Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II. The boy was being housed in Cookeville at the detention center pending the Monday, April 11 hearing,” added Sheriff Ray. “We believe he intentionally set the fire with an accelerant. We, along with the Fire Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, gathered numerous items of evidence at the scene that were sent off to crime labs and those things supported our case. Accelerant detecting dogs deployed at the scene were also helpful during the fire investigation,” added Sheriff Ray. Sheriff Ray would not speculate on a motive for the fire. The case was later resolved in court, but the result was not made public.

After spending 27 years in prison for the 1995 kidnapping and brutal killing of two people in DeKalb County, 54-year-old Chris Tatrow wanted to be a free man in 2022 but any hopes he had of gaining release on parole anytime soon were dashed after his parole hearing  in April. At the conclusion of the session, hearing officer Roberta Kustoff, a Parole Board member, cast her vote to decline parole for Tatrow due to the seriousness of the offense. “The file will go to other parole board members who will independently review and vote until there are enough concurring votes to reach a final decision. In Tatrow’s case, there needs to be four concurring votes by board members before a final decision is reached. Generally, it takes approximately a couple of weeks to finalize,” said Dustin Krugel, Communications Director for the Tennessee Board of Parole. The final decision by the board came down days later denying Tatrow’s petition for release. The parole hearing for Tatrow, who is serving a life sentence for first degree murder in the killings of John Harry and Roger Zammit, was held at the Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX) in Lake County at Tiptonville, Tennessee where Tatrow is incarcerated. Tatrow has spent half of his life behind bars because of the crimes. This was Tatrow’s second appearance before members of the Tennessee Board of Parole. His first was in October 2019. District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway and Zammit’s sister spoke out against parole for Tatrow during the hearing. John Allen Harry and Roger Dale Zammit were both murdered on January 29, 1995 in DeKalb County. The trial was held in Cumberland County. Harry and Zammit  were kidnapped, held against their will, beaten and tortured over a 3 day period. After their deaths the bodies were dumped in Center Hill Lake

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department is seeking your help in locating 31-year-old Brittany Ann Miller who has been missing since Monday, July 4. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Miller was last seen on July 4th around 4:00 p.m. at her home on Hurricane Ridge Road, Smithville. At the time she was reportedly wearing a black tee shirt possibly saying “DCHS Tigers”, black shorts knee length, and black tennis shoes with black “no show” socks. A white woman, Miller is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. Her eyes are blue and she has dark brown shoulder length hair. She also wears black frame glasses and has a tattoo of “Adam” across her forearm and “Tyler” on her right ankle. Search efforts were conducted in July by ground, air, and on the lake but to no avail. An investigator of the District Attorney General’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also assisted in the case. If you have seen Miller since July 4th or have any information of her whereabouts, please notify DeKalb Central Dispatch at 615-215-3000 or the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Crime Tip Line at 615-464-6400. Miller has been listed with the National Crime Information Center as a missing person.

A man who barricaded himself inside a Dowelltown home after allegedly shooting another man there later surrendered and was taken into custody Wednesday evening, April 13 after a brief standoff with law enforcement officers. The victim’s wounds were believed to be non-life threatening. 55-year-old Lorenzo Hernandez of West Main Street, Dowelltown was charged with aggravated assault. Sheriff Patrick Ray explained how the incident unfolded in the following statement. “On Wednesday April 13 at 6:31 p.m. while on patrol in Dowelltown, a deputy was flagged down due to a man being shot. Officers placed the wounded victim in a patrol vehicle to get him to a safe location to meet Emergency Medical Services. Other officers arrived on the scene and set up a perimeter around the residence where the shooter had barricaded himself inside of. After a short period of time, Sheriff Department Detectives were able to get the man to surrender and walk out of the residence where he was taken into custody without further incident. Through an investigation into the shooting, it was determined that the suspect, Hernandez had shot another male in the arm after a disagreement between the two at a residence in Dowelltown. The victim’s injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. An investigator with the District Attorney General’s Office was summoned to the scene to assist in the investigation. Members of the Alexandria Police Department and Constable Mark Milam also responded to the scene to assist the Sheriff’s Department,” said Sheriff Ray. The warrant against Hernandez for aggravated assault alleges that Hernandez did knowingly shoot someone with the intent to cause serious bodily injury. The name of the victim was not released.

The following is a monthly review of local news highlights from April to June 2022:

APRIL
A pedestrian was airlifted Sunday night, April 3 after being struck by a motorist in the 1000 block of Short Mountain Highway. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 24-year-old Carlos Alejandro Rueda Dehza of Smithville was walking in the right lane of the roadway when he was hit by a southbound 2018 Kia Optima, driven by 28-year-old Jody Lattimore of Smithville. After impact, Lattimore’s vehicle came to a final rest in the roadway facing north and Lattimore notified emergency responders. The pedestrian was tended to by emergency personnel before being transported by Air Evacuation. Lattimore, a county firefighter, was reportedly responding non-emergency in his private vehicle to a landing zone in the Blue Springs community at the time of the accident.

The 2022 DeKalb County School District Teacher of the Year is Amanda Mullinax, a librarian and media specialist at DeKalb West School. Mullinax got a surprise visit to her classroom Tuesday, April 12 for the “John Isabell Memorial Award” presentation by Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, DeKalb West School Principal Sabrina Farler, Assistant Principal Joey Agee, Supervisor of Instruction Michelle Burklow and Federal Programs Supervisor Dr. Danielle Collins. As part of the honor, Mullinax also received a school bell award, a floral arrangement, dinner gift card, and a certificate granting her a day off from school. “I am very honored, overwhelmed, and blessed to be acknowledged for what I put into my job because of my students. I love what I do, and I love my students. I try to do the best for them each and every day and I think that is all anybody could be asked to do,” said Mullinax. “Each year we select a Teacher of the Year from each school, but the “John Isabell Memorial Award” is for the whole district. Ms. Mullinax exemplifies what a teacher is. She loves her students, and they love her. She also has knowledge of the curriculum content and how to get that information across to her students. Ms. Mullinax is not only regarded highly by her students but by her peers as well,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps. Mullinax, who is in her 21st year as a career teacher, was among five local educators who were recognized Tuesday, April 12 for being chosen by peers as “Teacher of the Year” at their schools. The others were Kindergarten teacher Cristy Spears at Smithville Elementary School; 5th grade math and science teacher Sarah Storey at Northside Elementary School; Teresa Jones, a seventh-grade math teacher at DeKalb Middle School; and Gary Caplinger, a CTE residential and commercial construction teacher at DeKalb County High School. In addition to the visit to Mullinax, Director Cripps and school administrators paid a call on the other four teachers at their schools Tuesday, April 12 to present their school level “Teacher of the Year awards.

The body of a man was found floating face down in Center Hill Lake on Wednesday, April 6 at the Johnson’s Chapel Recreation area only a few feet from the boat ramp in about 3-4 feet of water. In a statement, Sheriff Patrick Ray said “As per the autopsy, the body in the lake has been identified as 37-year-old William Houghtaling Jr of Baxter. He was reported missing out of Cookeville City by the Cookeville Police Department in March 2022. The evening when the body was found, I contacted the District Attorney General’s Office and requested the assistance of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation due to a possible multi-county case. (Putnam and DeKalb). District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway requested the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to assist the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department with the case. No other information was available,” said Sheriff Ray. According to the Sheriff, the body was nude except for the pair of socks he was wearing, and identification was found tucked in one of the socks which matched that of Houghtaling. The discovery was made by a fisherman. “A man came to the area to check the lake to see if it (lake level) was up because he was going to go fishing when he noticed something near the boat ramp. At first, he thought it was an animal but as he got a closer look, he found it to be a human body. Because of the poor phone service in that area, the man went to the top of the hill to call 911 which did a transfer to White County and then the White County 911 center transferred it to DeKalb County,” added Sheriff Ray. Houghtaling’s 2013 Chevy Malibu was recovered from the lake at the Cookeville Boat Dock ramp in DeKalb County on Tuesday, April 19.

It truly was a Good Friday, April 15 for the DCHS Class of 2022. During a three-hour WJLE radiothon which was also LIVE streamed on the DCHS 2022 Project Graduation facebook page, the community rallied in support of the class with pledges and donations totaling a record breaking $12, 785 for the 2022 Project Graduation event which was held following the graduation ceremonies on Friday, May 13. The fundraiser not only exceeded the goal of $10,000 but broke the previous Project Graduation radiothon record of $11,609 in 2020. Project Graduation is a safe, fun event for the graduates as they wrap up their school year.

With graduation just around the corner, DCHS Class of 2022 Salutatorian and Tigerette softball sensation Jacey Hatfield is a happy camper. In less than a month, she will be receiving her diploma after a fulfilling high school career which obviously is something to celebrate, but Hatfield is equally excited about what the future has in store for her. During a brief signing event Thursday, April 21 Jacey’s family, friends, teammates and coaches gathered around her in the DCHS gym as she made her commitment to Cumberland University at Lebanon where she will further her education and play softball for the Phoenix. Daughter of Jeremy and Jennifer Hatfield, Jacey said her plans are to study pre-medicine and one day become a pediatric nurse.

A Sunday fire, April 24 destroyed a two-story residence at 1095 Lakeview Drive at Lakeview Mountain Estates and spread to about 13 acres of woodland coming dangerously close to other structures in the area. DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green said firefighters were dispatched to the residence of Anthony W. Mickle, Jr and Ronda Mickle. No one was home at the time. In a prepared statement, Chief Green said “Sunday at 11:37 a.m., DeKalb Fire was dispatched to a structure fire on Lakeview Drive. Upon arrival, the structure was fully involved and had spread into a steep wooded area. The homeowners were not home”. “Firefighters worked quickly to gain control of the fire and protect other nearby threatened structures and the Tennessee Department of Forestry was called in to assist with the wildland fire”. “The two-story home, contents, and two dogs were lost in the fire. The American Red Cross Chapter was also dispatched to assist the owners with their immediate needs. Approximately 13 acres of woodland burned, and four other structures were threatened”.

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber is excited to share the news coming from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Commissioner Bob Rolfe has announced that Alexandria is one of 10 Tennessee communities selected to participate in the eighth round of the Tennessee Downtowns program. The Chamber made application on behalf of Alexandria. The Tennessee Downtowns program helps local communities revitalize traditional commercial districts, enhance community livability, spur job creation and maintain the historic character of downtown districts. The two-year program coaches selected communities and their steering committees through the steps of launching effective renewal efforts. Tennessee Downtowns includes community training in the Main Street America program and a $15,000 grant for a downtown improvement project. The Tennessee Downtowns Steering Committee Members for Alexandria are Matt Boss – chair, Judy Sandlin, Pat Parkerson, Phillip Holmes, and Ria Baker. Suzanne Williams will also be working with this group.

MAY

*A Thursday afternoon fire , May 5 destroyed the home of Roger Tramel at 702 Cill Street as well as a garage on property behind the home off Charity Lane belonging to Danny Adams. The call came in around 4:15 p.m. No one was injured. Contents of both the house and garage were lost along with a dog. Canopies and vehicles on the properties including a pontoon boat were either threatened, damaged or destroyed. Heavy black smoke from the fire could be seen rising into the sky for miles and neighbors reported hearing an explosion believed to be from a couple of propane tanks which ignited during the fire. The Smithville Fire Department arrived on the scene and also deployed the ladder truck to help fight the blaze. Members of the local chapter of the American Red Cross came to assist with immediate needs of the fire victims.

*More than $1.2 million dollars in scholarships were awarded to members of the Class of 2022 at DeKalb County High School during Tuesday’s Senior Awards night program, May 10.

*Three seniors at DeKalb County High School, Jasmine Bilbrey, MacKenzie Sprague, and Natalie Snipes became college graduates in May. The trio earned an Associate degree in Science from Motlow State Community College, and walked the line Monday evening, May 9 in a Motlow ceremony at MTSU in Murfreesboro, four days before their graduation at DCHS Friday night, May 13.

*Eight DCHS Tigerettes earned All-District Softball honors for the 2022 season. Named to the All-District team from DeKalb County were Morgan Walker, Bryna Pelham, Emma Martin, Jacey Hatfield, and Aniston Farler. Hatfield was named Defensive Player of the Year. Kora Kilgore and Raylie Cowan made the All-Freshman Team. Bri Murphy was selected to the All-District Tournament Team. The Tigerettes wrapped up their season Wednesday, May 11 with a 2-1 loss to Upperman in the District Softball Tournament at Sparta. They finished the year at 19-12 overall and 8-4 in district play.

*The 165 members of the Class of 2022 at DCHS assembled for the last time Friday night, May 13 on the occasion of their commencement looking back with fondness on their years together and with the hope and promise of a bright future. Three members of the class were singled out for special recognition during the commencement. This year’s White Rose Awards went to Isaac Knowles and Faith Betancourt and the Citizenship Award was presented to Isaiah Harrington. Awards were also presented to the Valedictorian Isabella France and the Salutatorian Jacey Hatfield.

* DCHS high jumper , Ally Beneke, became a State Champion on May 26th at the TSSAA-DI AAA track meet. The junior 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, which she jumped earlier in season.Ella VanVranken represented DeKalb in the 1600 meter run. She finished 11th overall with a time of 5:25.

*The D.C.H.S. Band took center stage Saturday night (May 7) at the high school, but this time it wasn’t to perform. It was the annual awards banquet to recognize students who gave it their all in performance and leadership over the past school year. Director Don Whitt handed the top award, the John Phillip Sousa Award, to Senior Savanna Warren. She also received a trophy for Leadership Low Brass and Senior Low Brass Player.

*Based on overall high marks given by the Board of Education in a recent performance evaluation, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps was awarded a one-year contract extension. During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, May 23 the Board voted 6-0 to grant the extension. Those voting in favor were Chairman Shaun Tubbs, Vice Chairman Jim Beshearse, and fellow members Danny Parkerson, Kate Miller, Alan Hayes and Jamie Cripps. Jason Miller was absent. Cripps’ annual salary will remain at $98,000 but he will be entitled to the same salary raises that the Board shall grant to all licensed employees going forward. Cripps’ contract was to run through June 30, 2023, but with the one-year extension, he will now serve as Director at least through June 30, 2024. Cripps has been Director since July, 2015. Results of the Board of Education’s annual performance evaluation of Director Cripps show he is meeting “most” expectations of the board. Cripps’ overall average score is 4.40 out of a possible 6 score.

*Less than a week after stepping down as the DCHS Tigerette Softball Coach, Danny Fish tendered his resignation as physical education teacher and Lady Tiger basketball Coach at DeKalb County High School and was named head basketball coach of the Warren County Pioneers. In his six years as head coach of the Lady Tiger basketball program, Coach Fish compiled an overall record of 90-89 with Regional Tournament appearances in 2016, 2017, and 2018 including a final 8 finish in the Class AA State Tournament. In 2018 the Lady Tigers were 2018 Region runners-up Sectionals Champions. As softball coach, Fish oversaw a program that had three State tournament appearances, six district championships, five regional championships, and an overall record of 108-63.

JUNE
*Danielle Tyson Horton is making history at DeKalb County High School by becoming the first female head coach of the Tigerette Softball program. DCHS Principal Bruce Curtis made the formal announcement Wednesday, June 1 that Horton would be succeeding Coach Danny Fish as Tigerette Softball Coach. Horton, a 2014 graduate of DCHS, is only the third head coach in Tigerette Softball history following in the footsteps of legendary Coaches Danny Bond and Danny Fish, both of whom she played for as a Tigerette during her high school years. This past year Horton served as an assistant to Coach Fish. Horton and her husband Davey are the parents of a two year old daughter, Amelia and the family lives in Smithville.

*The splash pad opened at Green Brook Park on Friday, June 3. The mayor and aldermen, joined by other city officials, the Chamber of Commerce, parents, and kids hosted a ribbon cutting. “It’s a very exciting day for Smithville. I want to thank the city council for funding this project. I think this will be a great asset and something good for the kids to have to enjoy for years to come. I also want to thank our public works department. They have put a lot of time into this project especially Public Works Director Kevin Robinson and City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson. We did not use an architect with this, so we saved money and there was a lot of time put into this by our administration going over plans. We are proud of it,” said Mayor Josh Miller. A groundbreaking was held in March for the new 2,400 square foot splashpad. The mayor, aldermen, and other city officials and friends were on hand for that occasion including Jason Stewart and Adam Walton of Recreational Concepts of Cookeville, the company that built the splashpad.

*The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night, June 6 during their regular monthly meeting adopted on first reading a budget ordinance for the 2022-23 fiscal year which included an 11% pay raise for all city employees. The city property tax rate will remain at 0.7523 cents per $100 of assessed value which is expected to generate $1,350,000. Water and sewer rates, which went up by 2% last year, will increase by 4% this year. The new rates for city water customers will be $7.70 per thousand gallons of usage. Rates for customers outside the city limits will be $11.55 per thousand. City sewer customers will pay $7.17 per thousand. Tap fees are also being increased. In addition to the employee raises, the mayor’s pay is being increased from $1,000 to $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year). Pay for each of the five city aldermen will also be doubled from $50 to $100 per meeting (regular and special meetings) and will include workshop meetings (up to $2,400 per year total budgeted for each member). The new budget also includes the addition of a third paid firefighter (budgeted salary $35,131 plus benefits); making the part-time airport manager position full time (budgeted salary $40,000 plus benefits), increasing the salary of the golf pro shop/pool manager to ($36,000 plus benefits),increasing the 25 volunteer firefighters pay from $25 to $35 per call (total budget $70,000); purchasing a small garbage truck ($115,000), two police cars and related equipment ($82,000), a new roof for the city hall building ($100,000); two new heat and air units for the city hall building ($42,000); the refurbishment of the playground and benches at Green Brook Park ($48,000); tire changer and balancer for the public works department ($15,000); fire department portable radios, new air bags and controller, pickup truck, and site work training (total $61,000). Funds are also included for street paving ($335,000 including $250,000 grant); $699,012 in an obstruction clearing grant for the airport; Fixed asset water and sewer department additions: meter reading software ($12,000), tube settlers ($30,000), and replacement of sewer lines ($703,000 using half of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act Grant Funding). Through a longstanding agreement, the City of Smithville, DeKalb County Government, and the DeKalb School District, share in the annual cost of paying two traffic control officers in the school zones mornings and afternoons (during the school year) at Northside Elementary School and at DeKalb Middle School/DCHS. The positions are filled by two constables who each earn $17 per hour up to 440 hours per year. Subject to final approval of the funding bodies, the city, county, and school district this year are budgeting an increase in their share of the cost to bring the constables up to $20 per hour for this service. The city’s annual contribution the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad is increasing from $2,000 to $3,000 with passage of this budget. General Fund Debt Service for the new police department building is projected to be $172,550 for the year including $100,000 in principal payments and $72,550 in interest on long-term debt.

*Nine people were indicted in a special session of the DeKalb County Grand Jury on Wednesday, June 8 charging them with conspiracy to sell and deliver more than 300 grams of methamphetamine following an eight month long undercover investigation started by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department into a major local drug trafficking operation. The TBI and other agencies later joined the sheriff’s department in the probe from February to October 2021 called “Operation Ice Pick” in which drug buys were made through confidential informants. Those indicted were 48-year-old Charles Edward White, Jr. of 295 Johnson’s Chapel Road, Sparta, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy, 25 counts Meth – Mfg, Deliver, Sale, Possession with Intent.; 51-year-old Shawn David Troglen of Charlie Dickerson Road, Sparta, charged with two counts Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; 34 year old Tiffany Jeanette Ford of South Carter Street, Sparta, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; 32-year-old Tara R. Treadway, Smithville, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; 43-year-old Amy L. Hall of New Hope Road, Alexandria, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; 52-year-old Eva Louise Dover of Cookeville Highway, Smithville, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; 31-year-old Paige Lynn Simmons of Summer View Lane, McMinnville, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; 30-year-old Phillip Joe Potter of Roy Webb Road, McMinnville, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy; and 36-year-old Robert H. Murdock of Killen, Alabama, charged with two counts of Meth 300 grams or more – conspiracy.

*DeKalb County High School has a new girls basketball coach. Meet Brandy Alley. The announcement was made Friday, June 10 by DCHS Principal Bruce Curtis. The 25-year-old Alley, a native and resident of Crossville, will succeed Coach Danny Fish who announced his resignation in May to take the boys basketball head coaching job at Warren County High School. Although she had served as a travel ball coach and an assistant to head basketball coaches at White County, Cumberland County, and Stone Memorial spanning the last five years, this is her first head varsity basketball coaching job. In addition to her role as assistant, Alley also headed up or was involved in the freshman and junior varsity girls basketball programs during her time at those schools and was head girls volleyball coach for one year at Cumberland County High School. Coach Alley becomes the fourth female head basketball coach all time in the history of DeKalb County High School behind Helen Lee, Holly White, and Amy Tobitt. In the classroom, Coach Alley will be an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and when there is an opening, Principal Curtis said she will be moved into a biology and physical science teaching position.

*Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Penny Schwinn visited Smithville Elementary School on Friday, June 10 as a part of the ‘Accelerating TN 2022 Tour.’ The initiative spans 50 school districts in three weeks to highlight summer learning opportunities in different school systems. As the Commissioner and those who accompanied her stepped off the bus, she was greeted by Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, members of the central office staff, SES Principal Summer Cantrell and teachers at the school. State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver was also there. These summer programs stem from the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act and Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act, which is the first update in over 30 years to the way the state funds public education. “The tour is going well,” said Commissioner Schwinn. “We are able to talk to students, teachers, and district leaders about the great work they are doing in the public schools in our state and frankly it’s an opportunity to celebrate the great work of our schools. We talk about a lot of things that are wrong but there is so much more that’s right and you get to see that on tours like this,” she said. “I am hearing a lot of really strong excitement about early reading on the tour. There’s a lot of focus there. People are loving summer school and wanting that funding to continue because they are seeing great results. We are seeing some kind of stress around getting scores back and what that means but I am feeling very optimistic about achievement and what we will see in our state tests. I am also seeing a lot of relief to get back to normal. A lot of folks say it feels like we are back to who we are and what we know how to do, and we can do our jobs and see great results with our kids,” she continued. During her visit to Smithville Elementary School, Commissioner Schwinn went into classrooms and sat with children as they were doing their summer schoolwork.

*Sixth-grade student Anderson Fortner from Smithville, son of Joe and Misty Fortner, was honored for his ingenuity at the seventh annual Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, powered by The Henry Ford. This student was among over 68 award-winning K-12 inventors from across the nation who were celebrated at the awards ceremony held on June 3. Fortner earned the Manufacturing and Tools Industry Award and Cooley Patent Application Award for his invention of the Tire Lock. “The Tire Lock is a mechanism that will hold your lawnmower or four-wheeler stationary on a trailer during transportation.” Invention Convention Worldwide is a global K-12 invention education curricular program mapped to national and state educational standards that teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills. The program helps young inventors build lifelong confidence in their invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship abilities.

*Head coach Mark McEntire has hired former Blue Raider Payne Denman of Smithville as the next assistant coach for Middle Tennessee men’s golf. “One of the things we were looking for was that our players wanted a good player,” McEntire said of the search for a new assistant. “And we found one. He’s got really good ties to the Grove, really good ties to Stones River, and all of our alumni. I think he’s going to do a really good job for us.” Denman played for MT from 2012-2015 after transferring from Florida, making his mark on the program record book. His career scoring average of 74.04 was 2.21 strokes above par, the 12th -best mark in Blue Raider history. He finished with 26 rounds of par or better, tied for 15th in the career rankings. As a Blue Raider, Denman finished first or second on the team in scoring average in each of his three seasons. He finished in the top 15 of nine tournaments, including a seventh-place finish at the 2015 Conference USA Championship. His collegiate accomplishments include 2013 Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors and leading a team bid to the 2014 NCAA Columbia Regional. After a stint in the professional ranks, Denman currently holds amateur status as a player. His return to MT marks his first foray into coaching.

*Alexis Grace Atnip was crowned the 2022 Miss Jamboree in the age 17-20 category Saturday, June 18th at the county complex auditorium. Atnip, the 19-year-old daughter of Veronica and Gary Johnson of Smithville was also awarded for Prettiest Hair and Eyes.

* Another coaching change at DeKalb County High School. John Sanders, who for the last four seasons had been head coach of the DCHS Tiger Basketball program announced his resignation as coach and Physical Education Teacher. Sanders stepped down to become an assistant to Head Boys Basketball Coach Ryan Sleeper at Trousdale County High School. A native of Smith County, Coach Sanders came to DeKalb County in 2018 after having served as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Murfreesboro Oakland High School. He and his wife Kristen Oldham Sanders still reside in Carthage. They are the parents of two children, 3-year-old Quinn and Jo Lynn who will be 1 year old in November. In his four seasons at DCHS from 2018-22, Coach Sanders compiled an overall record of 36-73 and 17-37 in the district according to Coach T. Meanwhile Tiger Assistant Basketball Coach Logan Vance also resigned. He took a job as teacher and basketball coach at Smith County Middle School.

December 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

More than three years ago members of the Center Hill Brethren in Christ church celebrated their house of worship’s 20th anniversary. A celebration of a different kind will be held there on Sunday, January 1 as the congregation conducts a “note burning” service in observance of the church’s debt free status.

Center Hill Brethren in Christ Church is located at the corner of Miller Road and Forrest Avenue.

Pastor Larry Steffee invites the community to be part of the singing and celebration Sunday.

“We will be having a note burning where we paid off the mortgage on the property. We paid it off a couple of months early, but we wanted to start out the new year by celebrating paying off the mortgage. We’ll start out by having preaching at 10 a.m. instead of Sunday School which is normally at that time and the title of my message will be “Up in Smoke” which will be followed at 11:00 a.m. by a singing featuring the Singing Believers and during the singing we will take a break for the note burning. We invite anyone who has ever attended the church over the years at any time and the general public to come to share in the note burning and singing. One of the original trustees will join us Sunday for the note burning along with our current trustees”.

The following is a history of the church provided by Pastor Steffee:

“The Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church came into existence January 3, 1999, after a small group of believers met on December 31, 1998, and decided to start a brand-new congregation in Smithville. We started meeting in this building probably January 17, 1999. Our first meeting as a congregation was January 3 but we met for two weeks at different locations before we got this building. We rented the building for four years before making the purchase taking out a 20-year mortgage with a local bank. Soon after renting it we began remodeling the building to make it more suitable for church services. The building was formerly used as a daycare center,” said Steffee.

“The building was fully insured after it was purchased, which turned out to be a good thing because the water lines froze and broke the next day, flooding the building. Insurance paid for all new floor coverings and drop ceilings, greatly improving the interior of the building. The original dome roof was eventually replaced by a gable roof”.

“When church membership reached 12, the congregation officially became a part of the Brethren In Christ denomination, which originated in 1778. Members brought vinyl chairs to be used for seating for about four months, until permanent chairs, an organ, songbooks, and other equipment could be delivered by two members of a Brethren In Christ Church near Tampa, Florida, which had closed. The Smithville First Methodist Church loaned hymnbooks to the congregation until the delivery from Florida. More hymnbooks were purchased from another Brethren In Christ Church in Orlando, Florida. A church from McMinnville, donated a piano, and a pulpit was donated by the Brethren In Christ Church from DeRossett, Tennessee”.

“Eventually, used pews with removable cushions were purchased from the Smithville Nazarene Church. These were used until 2006, at which time padded pews were donated by the Brethren In Christ Church in Sarasota, Florida. Smithport Cabinet Shop of Smithville, which sold cabinets in Florida, transported the pews at no charge, and also sent five men to unload them into the building”.

“One of the original trustees who will be at our service Sunday, worked for the local concrete company at that time and they allowed him to bring concrete to the church that was either left over or turned down at the last minute and we put down that concrete all around the church. It was probably about $10,000 worth of concrete that we got absolutely free. Of course, we had to be available on short notice to help pour it out so it wasn’t a professional job, but it was better than the grass and gravel we had there before,” said Steffee.

“I am amazed at all the support we have had down through the years. Lots of people have pitched in and helped us in various ways. Last spring, we had some damage to our metal roof from a windstorm. The insurance company adjustor came out, looked at it and gave us a check. Instead of hiring a contractor we had a couple dozen people come out and help put new pieces of the metal roof on. Of course, we had to purchase the metal, but the labor was all donated.”

“We had two different individuals, one a cabinet maker and the other a contractor who actually made things for inside the church like a register board which most churches have that display the attendance numbers. This cabinet maker made one of them for us as well as a coat rack and display table. The other guy made us very large replicas of the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, several crosses and even the steeple on top of the church and all this was donated”.

The pastor of the local congregation since its beginning, Steffee has also been a pastor in the Brethren In Christ Church since 1967, following graduation from Messiah University in Grantham, Pennsylvania. The college is affiliated with the Brethren In Christ Church. Between Center Hill Brethren In Christ and another local church, Steffee has been a pastor in Smithville for 42 years. Steffee was also employed by the school system for about 30 years as a math teacher and bus driver and he taught at Motlow for 30 years until his retirement from that position two years ago. Steffee said he is planning a return to teaching next fall for a dual enrollment class.

“The main goal of the congregation at Center Hill Brethren in Christ Church from the very beginning has been to reach out to the unchurched of the Smithville community and surrounding areas. The congregation is a very close-knit group which welcomes newcomers readily. Numerous people have been converted and baptized and have become members”.

Everyone is invited to the worship, singing and note burning observance at Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Sunday, January 1.

December 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Legendary former high school basketball coach Harold Luna passed away Monday at NHC Healthcare Center in Smithville at the age of 85.

Luna coached both boys and girls at DeKalb County High School from 1964-69, then began coaching the boys program only until 1984. His total record was 516-179.

Mr. Luna was born on December 1, 1937 to his parents, the late Brackett & Era Barnes Luna. Also preceding him in death is his wife, Lynda Luna & a sister, Ponzell Usery. Mr. Luna, or “Coach Luna” as he was affectionally known, was a teacher, member of the Retired Teachers Association, TSSAA Coaches Association & the New Union The Baptist Church.

Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 2pm from the chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Visitation with the Luna family will be on Wednesday, from 1:00pm until 7:00pm and on Thursday, from 9:00am until the service time at 2:00pm. Bro. Keith Sims and Gary McBride will officiate and burial will be in New Union Cemetery.

Survivors include 2 Sons, Rocky (Julie) Luna of Omaha, NE & Bradley “Buck” Luna of Smithville, TN. 8 Grandchildren, Courtney (Chris) Blanchard of Manchester, TN, Alexis Krehbiel, Lindsay Krehbiel, Luke Krehbiel, Abby Krehbiel, Dylan Luna, Natalie Krehbiel & Ainsley Krehbiel all of Omaha, NE.3 Great Grandchildren, Delaney, Lorelai & Rheagan Blanchard all of Manchester, TN. 1 Sister, Mary Louise Wright of Smithville, TN.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

In February, 2015 DCHS paid tribute to a few of its basketball legends presenting the former players and Coach Luna with banners that hang in the school gymnasium. The ceremony was held between the Tigers and Lady Tigers game against Cannon County on February 5th, 2015.

Along with Coach Luna, former DeKalb Basketball Tigerette Betty Carol Fite, and Lady Tigers’ Mary Ann Puckett and Cynthia Woodward were recognized along with former Tigers Danny Foutch and Kevin James. Fite could not attend the ceremony.

The honorees stepped onto the court alongside banners held by current DCHS basketball players that featured their name and jersey number. DCHS basketball announcer Chris Vance then cited their high school career accomplishments. Coach Luna’s banner bore his overall 516-179 win-loss record.

Each player was met with applause from the night’s crowd, but Coach Luna received the most enthusiastic reception. The standing ovation brought the former coach to tears.

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