A motorist believed to have been responsible for causing another vehicle to hit the store building at Larry’s Discount Grocery has been charged by Smithville Police.

27 year old Marcos Antonio Anota Nandez of Smith Road was arrested on April 22 for aggravated assault, driving on a suspended license, and failing to give immediate notice of an accident. Police were called to Larry’s Discount Grocery where a large section of the store’s front windows had been broken. Upon arrival the officer noticed vehicle parts scattered about the sidewalk in front of the windows and a trail of fluid which led to a residence on South Mountain Street. Officers followed the trail to the home and spoke with the resident who informed them that Nandez had rammed his car into her vehicle causing it to veer off the roadway and crash into the store building. She suffered injuries to her right arm because of the incident including considerable swelling and bruising. After a further investigation, police determined that Nandez was responsible for the damage and injuries to the victim and that he did not notify law enforcement of the collision. A computer check of Nandez’ license revealed them to be suspended in Rutherford County for failure to appear. Bond for Nandez is $57,000 and his court date is May 10.

34 year old Jarrett Lee Manning of Forrest Avenue was arrested on April 23 for domestic assault. Manning was spotted on the side of the roadway in front of Mark’s Body Shop on Miller Road engaging in a physical altercation with his victim. An off duty county deputy traveling on Miller Road at the time observed the incident and stopped to intervene. Manning saw the officer, jumped into his vehicle, and drove back to his residence. The deputy informed the investigating city officer that Manning had the victim by the collar of her hoodie and was trying to drag her into his truck. The woman suffered a small cut on her chin. Manning was later arrested. Bond for Manning is $3,500 and his court date is May 10.

45 year old William Oscar Meadows of New Home Road was arrested on April 13 for driving under the influence, possession of a weapon while under the influence and he was cited for having expired tags on his vehicle and failure to maintain lane of travel. Police responded to a motor vehicle accident on Allens Ferry Road and upon arrival noticed Meadows, the driver of the vehicle, to be unsteady on his feet. His speech was slurred and he was confused. Meadows refused treatment by EMS but he did consent to field sobriety tasks and performed unsatisfactorily. He was then placed under arrest. During the accident investigation Meadows was found in possession of a 9 millimeter pistol that he tried to hide within the wreckage. A warrant was obtained for a blood alcohol test to be conducted. Bond for Meadows is $3,000

39 year old Amber Lynn Matchett of Cill Street was cited for simple possession or casual exchange on April 17. Matchett was observed by police exchanging money for half a pill believed to be suboxone. An officer conducted a traffic stop and asked Matchett about the exchange. She then pulled the pill out of her bra and told the officer that she bought it from a co-worker/friend.

50 year old Thomas D. Thomason of South College Street was arrested for domestic assault on April 18. A deputy observed Thomason physically push his victim while they were walking down West Broad Street near Wal-Mart. A city officer arrived on the scene and spoke with the victim who confirmed the incident. Thomason was then taken into custody. His bond is $2,500.

34 year old Daniel Wilson of Yulanda Hills Road was cited for theft of merchandise and criminal trespass on April 20. According to police, Wilson took cookware sets from Wal-Mart without paying for the merchandise. He had been informed on November 24, 2011 not to come back on the Wal-Mart property. Wilson’s court date is May 10.

34 year old Jackie Blake Sanders of Restview Avenue was cited for shoplifting on April 23. A Wal-Mart employee observed Sanders open a package containing a Zippo lighter and put it in his pocket before leaving the store. Other empty packages were found where Sanders was standing. The responding officer asked Sanders if he had anything else on him and he produced a large knife from inside his pants that he had not purchased. His court date is May 10.

34 year old Jennifer Lynn Bullard of West Walnut Street was arrested on April 27 for domestic assault. The victim had obtained an order of protection ex parte against Bullard and when she discovered it Bullard struck the victim in the face causing him to bleed above his right eye. Bond for Bullard is $3,500 and her court date is May 10.

When a teacher at DeKalb County High School contacted the College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech University to ask if they could contribute door prizes for a STEM focus day at the high school, it was an easy answer for Tech.

“We are always happy to help our area schools encourage students to learn more about engineering and the sciences,” said Harry Ingle, director of the Clay N. Hixson Student Success Center at Tech. “It is important to start with our youth now to cultivate bright, innovative minds for the future.”

Ingle helped Amy Fricks, a math teacher at DCHS and alumna of the College of Engineering at Tech, pick out draw string bags for each participating student. They also gave back packs and t-shirts for door prizes, and put together small gift bags as a token of thanks for the teachers who are involved in planning and facilitating the event.

“It is so important to expose young students to STEM disciplines early,” said Fricks. “There is not a lot of opportunity in this area outside of the schools for STEM learning. Manufacturing is a big provider of jobs in Dekalb County, so it is important for our students to start gaining the necessary skills to take on leadership roles in manufacturing-related STEM professions. Another goal of this event is to introduce elementary and middle school students to the career and technical education (CTE) programs offered at the high school. We want them to start thinking about their career options now, so that they are prepared to be as successful as possible when they enter our CTE programs.”

“DCHS is excited to partner with Tennessee Tech to offer such an exciting event,” said DCHS Principal Randy Jennings. “This is an opportunity for the students of DeKalb Co. to be introduced to STEM disciplines, while at the same time having fun with hands on activities. I would especially like to thank Ms. Fricks for her hard work in organizing this event.”

The College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech offers ABET-accredited undergraduate programs in engineering technology, chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. In addition, it offers bachelor degrees in basic science and engineering (BSE) jointly with East Tennessee State University. At the graduate level, Tech offers both master’s degrees and a doctorate in engineering. Founded in 1915, Tech offers more than 40 bachelor and 20 graduate programs to almost 11,000 students on its 252-acre central campus in Cookeville, Tennessee.

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County Mayor’s office would like to invite residents across the county to participate in the DeKalb County Clean Up on Saturday, May 5th. The DeKalb Clean Up event will be held in conjunction with the Keep America Beautiful initiative going on across the country.

County Mayor Tim Stribling says, “We invite people to come out and help clean up around our communities and highways. Folks are welcome to pick up litter at places of their choice, or we will be glad to assign a safe place for you.”

Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, would like to remind everyone that DeKalb County’s peak tourism season is about to begin, so now is a great time to start getting things spruced up for our coming visitors. According to Williams, “I think we are all aware of the value and importance of beautification in our communities to attract newcomers and tourists to our area and to maintain a stable and growing economy.”

To get a head start on clean up, dumpsters will be set up at highly visible and convenient locations a few days prior to the main event. Dumpster locations will be at the Dowelltown Community Center, Liberty Community Center, Alexandria City Parking Lot (behind square), and the County Complex parking lot.

DeKalb Clean Up volunteers are asked to stop by the DeKalb County Complex on May 5th between 9 AM and 10 AM to sign-in and pick up the provided trash bags, rubber gloves, and bottles of water. We will be taking a group picture at 9:30 AM for the media if you like to participate in that.

For early sign-up, you can stop by the Chamber, located in the Courthouse, Room 201, anytime during regular office hours by May 4th to pick up supplies. Or if stopping by is not convenient, call the Chamber office at 615-597-4163 to be counted as a DeKalb Clean Up volunteer — just give your name and the general area where you will be working. Whether you’re beautifying your street, a highway, a park, ball field, a stream, or your own home, what a difference we can make through working together to make our communities safer, healthier and more livable!