Sunday Night Fire in Belk Community Causes Damage

August 2, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A Sunday night fire damaged a travel trailer and threatened the house next to it in the Belk community before it was brought under control.

According to DeKalb Fire Lieutenant and Communications Officer Blake Cantrell, members of the department were dispatched to the trailer fire at 2752 Corinth Church Road. The North Warren and Rock Island Fire Stations in Warren County were also summoned to the scene. Upon arrival firefighters found the trailer fully involved in flames. Members of the DeKalb and North Warren Stations extinguished the blaze using approximately 2,000 gallons of water.

“The owner, Robbie Lawson, and his son, Robin were outside when they noticed flames coming from the middle section of the trailer. Robbie tried to get in then discovered his son was not in the trailer. They then tried to use the water hose to extinguish the blaze, but it got out of hand. The fire damaged the trailer, deck, part of the roof to the house, and a 2001 F-350 Ford Truck,” said Lt Cantrell.

Officers of the DeKalb and Warren County Sheriff’s Departments were also on the scene.

August 2, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A man accused of aggravated statutory rape who led Smithville Police on a pursuit last September before crashing his vehicle was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday, August 1.

Judge Gary McKenzie presided.

27-year-old Tyler Shawn Fowler entered a plea to aggravated statutory rape and received a three-year sentence to serve at least 30% before his release eligibility date. He was given jail credit from September 6, 2021 to August 1, 2022. His name will be on the state’s sexual offender registry.

The Fowler story unfolded on Friday, September 10, 2021 at around 3:15 p.m. on Meadowbrook Drive as Fowler tried to outrun Smithville Police. When the officer initiated his lights and sirens, Fowler began to increase his speed and refused to stop. After about a 15-minute chase, Fowler ran the vehicle he was driving into a ditch and began to flee on foot. The Tennessee Highway Patrol was later summoned to help search the woods using a K-9. At the time officers thought Fowler might be armed. He was not. Trooper Bobby Johnson, Trooper Andrew Coppinger, and THP K-9 officer Adam Cothron and his dog Draco arrived on the scene.

“We responded to Tabernacle Road due to a man who had fled on foot into the woods and was possibly armed. He was wanted for aggravated kidnapping. They requested our K-9 assistance. The K-9 came from Trousdale County and upon arrival he began to track. After a couple of minutes he located the suspect in some brush. Fowler wouldn’t comply with commands to get on the ground or get his hands up so the K-9 was deployed and drug him out from the brush. Fowler was then checked out by DeKalb EMS and taken into custody,” said Trooper Johnson.

Tyler was wanted for the aggravated statutory rape of a 15-year-old. The indictment alleges that Fowler unlawfully and intentionally or knowingly sexually penetrated the teen between the dates of April and September 2021.

37-year-old Ashley Dawn Williams entered a plea to facilitation to commit identity theft and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to judicial diversion.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on March 1, 2020 Williams used the name and social security number of another person in order to open an account with Xfinity for herself. She admitted to having committed the crime. The case was investigated by a Sheriff’s Department Detective.

49-year-old William Oscar Meadows entered a plea to possession with intent to sell or deliver less than 0.5 grams of methamphetamine. He received a six-year sentence suspended to supervised probation with 180 days to serve and fined $2,000. He was given jail credit of 180 days.

46-year-old Steven Ellis Anderson entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) greater than 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000.

36-year-old Corey Winchester entered a plea to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended except for 48 hours to serve. He will be on supervised probation and must pay a $350 fine. He will lose his driver license for a year.

August 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The 25-year-old playground at Green Brook Park will undergo a facelift this fall.

During the regular monthly meeting Monday night, the Smithville Aldermen voted to award a bid to Stain and Seal Experts of Nashville to conduct a wood staining, sealing, and restoration of the existing wooden playground equipment, benches, and infrastructure of the park. The bid is for $45,867. The city had budgeted $48,000 for the project. The city will make any repairs or replacement of materials.

Mayor Josh Miller said the playground is long overdue for this refurbishment work. “Green Brook Park equipment has kind of been let go and I think this is a step in the right direction,” he said.

In other business, the aldermen hired C.J. Tramel as a mechanic to fill a vacancy at the pay rate of $25 per hour.

Mayor Miller presented a plaque to Alderman Brandon Cox whose term expires August 31. He chose not to seek re-election as alderman. Cox was elected in 2018 and is finishing his one and only term.

The plaque reads “With Deepest Gratitude We Honor Brandon Cox. Thank you for your dedication to the City of Smithville for the past 4 years. We appreciate your service. City of Smithville, September 1, 2018-September 1, 2022”.

In March the aldermen voted to proceed with the bidding process for an estimated $700,000 project to rehabilitate deteriorating sewer lines and manholes in certain parts of town including Earl Avenue, West Main Street, and Carter Street and to enter into a contract with the J.R. Wauford & Company Consulting Engineers to provide services related to it. The city’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) grant funds are to be used to help pay for the rehab effort however bids for the project have come in excess of the allotted amount of $700,000.

Mayor Miller said Monday night that three bids have been received including two bids which are for more than one million dollars each and the other is for just under one million dollars. The city may have to add another $200,000 toward the project to cover the costs. No action was taken Monday night, but a bid may be awarded at the next meeting.

The Mayor and Aldermen will have their September regular monthly meeting on Thursday, September 1 at 6 p.m. at city hall instead of Monday, September 12 as had been scheduled.

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