Fire Destroys Home on Coconut Ridge. Two County Firefighters Treated for Exhaustion

September 26, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A fire destroyed a single story home at 2045 Coconut Ridge Road Wednesday afternoon. No one at the residence was hurt but two firefighters were treated at the scene and transported to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital for exhaustion.

The home was fully involved in flames by the time firefighters could arrive and they were unable to save it.

According to the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, the home belonged to Thomas Starkey of Nashville but his brother William Starkey lived there. Father-in-law Marvin Gesford was there at the time of the fire and he saw through the kitchen window flames on the back deck. Gesford tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire with a pitcher of water as the flames grew larger. Gesford made it safely out of the house and went next door to call for help but the neighbor was not at home. A passerby saw the blaze and called 911.

Members of the Main Station, Four Seasons and Cookeville Highway Stations along with the tanker , brush, and equipment trucks of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded as well as the Rehab Team, the Tennessee Division of Forestry, DeKalb EMS, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

The cause of the fire is undetermined.

September 26, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The community is urged to rally around a baby in need of a heart transplant by supporting an upcoming benefit for him.

A music benefit and silent auction will be held for Hudson Mathis on Saturday, October 5 at the DeKalb County Complex from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The baby suffers from a congenital heart defect and is awaiting a heart transplant at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Hudson is the son of Chad and Brooke Mathis.

Special guests during this music benefit and silent auction will be Sadie Faith, Shelby Lee Lowe, Jake Hoot, and local artist Seth Willoughby will be performing.

All funds donated will go to help Hudson and his family.

September 26, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A convicted felon who recently took a shot at someone with a rifle will find himself in court today (Thursday).

64 year old Kenneth Lee Johnson of Poss Road, Smithville is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated assault. His bond is $10,000.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on September 11 a detective from the sheriff’s department was called to Johnson’s home to investigate a shooting and learned that Johnson had fired one shot from a 30-30 Winchester rifle at his victim but missed. No one was injured. According to Sheriff Ray, Johnson admitted to firing the weapon.

Johnson, a felon from North Carolina, was convicted there in 1984 for possession of cocaine with intent to manufacture or deliver and he isn’t supposed to be in possession of firearms.

Meanwhile, 38 year old David Nathan Conaway of Liberty is cited for simple possession. Sheriff Ray said that on September 14 Conaway was arrested on a valid warrant out of Smith County. During the arrest, one oxycodone pill was found but Conaway had no prescription for the pill. His court date is October 3.

Mary Michelle Johnson of Smithville is cited for simple possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine), a schedule III drug (suboxone), and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 18 a deputy conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Johnson was a passenger. After a consent to search was granted, the officer found in Johnson’s wallet a napkin and baggies containing a small amount of methamphetamine (0.2 grams) along with four whole pills and a broken pill believed to be suboxone.

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