Ribbon Cutting Marks Grand Opening of New Liberty Fire Station (View Videos Here)

November 12, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Now Open!

A grand opening and ribbon cutting were held Saturday to commemorate the opening of the new Liberty Fire Hall.  County Mayor Matt Adcock along with Liberty Mayor Audrey Martin and Dowelltown Mayor Pam Redmon cut the ribbon accompanied by State Representative Michael Hale, several county commissioners, other Liberty and Dowelltown city leaders, county officials, DeKalb EMS staff, members of the DeKalb County Fire Department including the Liberty Station and other emergency services. Woodmen of the World donated a flag and flagpole to the new station, and Woodman representative Tim Bumbalough led a ceremony in raising this flag for the first time.

Described by County Fire Chief Donny Green as a district station, the fire hall sits on an 8.65 acre site in the city limits of Liberty owned jointly by the towns of Liberty and Dowelltown and once used as a recreation park off Highway 70 on West Main Street. Leaders of both towns earlier this year entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the county to use this property for the fire hall which is 55’ x 60’ in size and has bays to house a fire truck, 2,500-gallon tanker truck, a 4-wheel drive brush truck, and an ambulance. A helipad will also allow for the landing of medical helicopters when needed.

The county allocated $382,912 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the construction and Tim Pedigo of Pedigo Construction was awarded the bid to build it. The new fire hall is expected to improve firefighting and EMS services in the western portion of the county. Under the plan the current Liberty Fire Hall located in downtown Liberty is being replaced by this new fire station.

“I want to say thank you to County Mayor Matt Adcock and the County Commission for the work in making this come to pass and also to County Fire Chief Donny Green for the vision of seeing something greater for the western end of the county,” said State Representative Hale. “This is huge, not just for Liberty and Dowelltown, but for the entire western part of the county. I look forward to seeing the services that will be expanded out of this,” he said.

“Right now, we are working with the US Army Corps of Engineers trying to get another public safety building near Center Hill Dam. That is something we are continuing to work on. Meanwhile a new $10 million grant process was started on November 1 in the General Assembly that will be huge for equipment across the state. DeKalb County received some equipment money from it last spring. These are things that make DeKalb County a better place to live, work, and raise a family and that’s what we want. We want the very best for our people and we are thankful to have this facility,” said State Representative Hale.

“We officially began operating out of this station on November 1. The engine has been here, and we have been responding to calls out of this station for a little over a week now. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has been involved in this project from start to finish,” said Chief Green.

According to Chief Green, the total project was 94% grant funded with only 6% in local funds required by the county.

“The project and all the equipment located at this station has a value of about $976,000 and that does not include the land which was not purchased but leased by the county. Of that $976,000, $63,050 was the only amount that was used from local taxpayer funds. The rest of that, $912, 950 was funded by grants so this project cost DeKalb County about 6% to put down here while 94% of it was funded by state or federal grants. I would say that we made a good investment not just for today but for many years to come,” said Chief Green.

“I don’t want the community to look at this as just the Liberty Fire Station or the Dowelltown Fire Station or even a fire station. I want this to be your public safety building. If people are here and we have the doors open, we want the community to stop in and visit. We want you to know who we are and what we do. That’s important to have those relationships. EMS will also be here as a satellite station. We have also opened the doors to the sheriff’s department if deputies are out and about and need to stop in because we want this to be a public safety building for use by everyone,” Chief Green continued.

“Outside of your faith in God there is probably nothing more important than your investment in public safety. I’m not just talking about the fire department, EMS, Sheriff’s Department, or Rescue Squad by itself but the whole concept of public safety. If you don’t have a safe community, nothing else is going to thrive. You’re economy or anything else. I want to thank the community for supporting leaders that value public safety. I really believe this project is a step in that direction. We still have a vision moving forward to do greater things in serving our communities in providing better public safety”.

“This is our first model station that we want to have in every district. We have three fire districts in DeKalb County. This is the western part. We also have the more middle part and then the southeast part. Our vision eventually, not next week or next year, but maybe one day is to have one of these stations like this that we can refer to as a district station in every district of the county. We currently have 12 stations and are looking to build the 13th station at Wolf Creek, but we would like to have one of these district support stations with a tanker, brush truck, fire engine, and maybe even an EMS station if it can be justified in each of those three fire districts. DeKalb County’s population is growing and with growth comes more needs and services that have to be provided,” said Chief Green.

November 12, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A Dowelltown man accused of committing three burglaries including one at Smithville Elementary School in February was sentenced on the charges last Tuesday, November 7 in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

41-year-old Bradley Shane Redmon entered a plea to three counts of burglary and received a three-year sentence in each case. Two of the sentences are to be served concurrently but consecutively with the third term for a total of six years. The sentence has also been suspended to supervised probation. Redmon was given jail credit of 152 days.

Chief Mark Collins said Smithville Police took a report on March 12, 2023 in reference to someone having broken into the car wash maintenance room at 406 E. Broad Street and damaging the wash control panel and coin changer. A large sum of money was taken along with the hard drive to the security system.

Police then learned on March 21 that someone had broken into Smithville Elementary School at approximately 2:30 am and burglarized a vending machine and drink machine, taking a large sum of money. Damage to the vending and drink machines rendered them unusable.

In yet another case, Redmon was alleged to have stolen a toolbox from a truck on February 9, 2023.

During the investigation, Chief Collins said Redmon was identified as the person responsible for the crimes and he was taken into custody without incident.

A Pennsylvania man, formerly of Smith County, who placed a false call reporting a stabbing and shots fired at an Alexandria residence Thursday, September 14 was also sentenced last Tuesday.

18-year-old Kaleb Rose of Indiana County, Pennsylvania entered a plea by criminal information to filing a false report and received a three-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. He is seeking judicial diversion. Rose was given 42 days jail credit.

Alexandria Police Chief Travis Bryant explained what happened in this incident.

“On Thursday September 14 at approx. 2:05 p.m. officers from the Alexandria Police Department and the DeKalb Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to a residence on Shady Lane in reference to a female being stabbed by another female suspect. The caller also stated that the female had a handgun and rifle and had been firing shots inside the residence. The caller also said that the suspect would fire on responding law enforcement officers. Upon arrival, officers were able to make contact with the individuals at the residence. There were no indications of a shooting or assault that had occurred. The individuals on scene stated that nothing had happened and cooperated with officers in determining the facts of the case,” said Chief Bryant.

“Soon after law enforcement’s arrival it was determined to be a false call. Through the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a male subject, later identified as Kaleb Rose of Indiana County, PA, had made the call and knew the information to be false. His intention was to utilize law enforcement in a manner to scare and intimidate the individuals at that residence through police action. Kaleb Rose is a former resident of Smith County and knew the individuals at that residence. At no point were residents in the area in any danger and it appeared to be an isolated incident,” said Chief Bryant.

Meanwhile, 42-year-old Melissa Anne Farley entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to TDOC probation. She was given credit for 95 days of jail time served and she must make restitution of $100 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. Farley was also fined $2,000.

37-year-old Billy Qualls entered a plea to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on supervised probation except for 48 hours to serve. He will lose his driver license for one year and he must pay a fine of $350. Qualls must also complete an alcohol safety education program, attend the MADD Victim Impact Panel and complete an alcohol and drug assessment and follow and complete all recommended treatment.

November 11, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The Alexandria Police Department has released its arrest report for the month of October.

According to Chief Travis Bryant, 20-year-old Jonathan Guzman-Viel of Foster Road, Smithville has been charged with simple possession of a schedule VI drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Chief Bryant said that on October 28 while patrolling the area of Nashville Highway, police stopped a black Dodge Ram for a traffic violation. Upon speaking with the driver, the officer detected an odor of marijuana. As the occupants exited the vehicle, Guzman-Viel, a passenger, admitted to having smoked marijuana earlier. A search of the vehicle turned up several grams of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a 9mm handgun without any serial numbers.

45-year-old Fancy Duffer of Lower Helton Road, Alexandria is charged with DUI, simple possession of a schedule IV drug, and drug paraphernalia. According to Chief Bryant, an officer was called to the area of Lower Helton Road on October 29 due to a traffic accident. The vehicle involved in the accident, driven by  Duffer, had pulled into the driveway of a residence. As the officer spoke with Duffer, he observed that her speech was slurred, and she was unsteady on her feet. There was also an odor of marijuana. Duffer was placed under arrest for DUI and a search incident to arrest turned up a small round pill believed to be a schedule IV drug along with drug paraphernalia. Duffer’s bond was set at $5,000.

43-year-old Kyshanna Frazier of Lower Helton Road, Alexandria is charged with simple possession of a schedule III drug and tampering with evidence. Chief Bryant said that on October 29 an officer was summoned to the area of Lower Helton Road in reference to a traffic accident. Frazier was a passenger of the vehicle. As the officer spoke with Frazier, she threw something into the bushes. The items she tossed away amounted to a small container with 5.5 pills believed to be a schedule III drug and it was recovered. Frazier’s bond was set at $7,000.

56-year-old James Wright of Church Street, Alexandria is charged with altering a firearm’s serial number. Chief Bryant said that on October 12, an officer pulled over Wright and while speaking with him, he discovered the serial number on a .32 caliber handgun had been removed.

23-year-old Nicole Fultz of Page Drive, Smithville is charged with possession of a schedule II drug for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a handgun during a felony. Chief Bryant said that on November 1, an officer stopped Fultz for a traffic violation on Nashville Highway. While speaking with her, the officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search revealed a small metal tin containing approximately 2.59 grams of a white powdery substance believe to be cocaine. Several items consistent with the use of cocaine were also found along with a Taurus 9mm handgun. Bond for Fultz was set at $41,500 and her court date is November 16.

50-year-old Joseph Allen of Coon branch Road, Alexandria is charged with a 1st offense of driving on a revoked license and financial responsibility. Chief Bryant said that on October 20, an officer stopped Allen for a traffic violation and learned that his license was revoked for a 2nd offense of DUI.

43-year-old Valarian Smith of Osborne Lane, Murfreesboro is charged with driving on a suspended license. Chief Bryant said that on October 20, an officer pulled over Smith and discovered that Smith’s license was suspended in Rutherford County. Smith’s court date is set for December 14.

31-year-old Eric Judkins of Hendrixson Road, Smithville is charged with driving on a suspended license. Chief Bryant said that on October 19, an officer pulled over Judkins after which a validation check of his license revealed it to be suspended. His court date is December 14.

45-year-old Jamie Orrand of Shady Lane, Alexandria is charged with failure to appear in court and evading arrest. According to Chief Bryant, an officer spotted Orrand on the square in Alexandria November 7. The officer approached Orrand and informed him that police had a warrant for his arrest due to failure to appear in court. Orrand subsequently fled on foot but after a brief chase, the officer apprehended Orrand and placed him in custody. Orands’ bond was set at $2,300 and he will appear in court on November 16.

45-year-old Lavar Bass of Shady Lane, Alexandria is charged with public intoxication. Chief Bryant said that on November 7, police received several complaints of Bass perhaps being impaired and acting suspiciously. An officer found Bass on West Main Street. While talking with Bass, the officer noticed him acting erratically and he claimed someone was chasing him. Bass admitted to having consumed narcotics earlier. Due to his behavior and for the safety of himself and others, Bass was taken into custody. Bond for Bass is $2,500 and his court date is set for November 16.

Meanwhile, Chief Bryant said that on Friday, October 27 officers of the Alexandria Police Department joined with other agencies in the middle Tennessee area to conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Cumberland County. During the checkpoint a total of 273 automobiles were checked, 9 drivers were administered field sobriety tests, and 1 driver was arrested for DUI. A total of 16 citations were issued. The event was hosted and funded by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office.

“The Alexandria Police Department is committed to making the roadways safer from the dangers of impaired drivers and by working with State and local agencies we are able to provide our officers with better resources and funding at little or no cost to the Town of Alexandria,” said Chief Bryant.

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