Early Voting Hours Set for Presidential Election (View Sample Ballot Here)

September 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Due to increase interest in the upcoming election, the DeKalb County Election Commission has voted to slightly expand the normal early voting hours.

Sample Ballot

Early voting for the Presidential Election begins October 14 and runs through Oct. 29. The commission voted Monday night to set the hours as follows:

Mondays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursdays 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (except the last Thursday, Oct. 29 when the hours will be 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (except the last Friday, October 23 when the hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Saturdays 9 a.m. to Noon.

“Thursdays have always been a heavy turnout-out day and in August there was an increase in Friday voting, so it was only natural that the commission vote to extend the hours on the last of those respective days,” said Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. “Early voting is so convenient, and the commission wanted to make it even easier for November when historically the voting numbers are much larger than other elections.”

Meanwhile, the official ballot for the November election has been released (can be viewed here).
In addition to Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, there are seven Independent candidates for President. There are 11 candidates for U.S. Senate including Republican Bill Hagerty and Democrat Marquita Bradshaw. Sixth District Congressman John Rose, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Christopher Martin Finley and Independent Christopher B. Monday.

Incumbent State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver (R-40th District) is being challenged by an Independent candidate, Paddy Sizemore. Incumbent State Representative Cark Boyd (r-46th District) is unopposed.

Also, the local commission wants to remind voters than October 5th is the registration deadline for the November election and the last day to request an absentee is October 27th.

Local and state election officials are warning voters to be aware of misleading information regarding the upcoming November 3, 2020 Presidential election.

“There are various organizations (and sometimes individuals on Facebook) that try to help people with voter registration and provide information about absentee voting,” said Dennis Stanley, DeKalb County Administrator of Elections. “Sometimes that information is not completely accurate or may refer to other states. Each state’s rules and regulations can be different.”

“The best way to avoid misleading information is to go straight to the source,” Stanley said.
Information regarding the November election can be found at www.dekalbelections.com, the local election commission website, and the state website at https://sos.tn.gov/elections. Residents may also call the local election office at 615-597-4146. Voters can also check their status by downloading the GoVoteTn app, available in the App Store or Google Play.

Sample Ballot

September 14, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Fire Department will have the opportunity to purchase another tanker truck thanks to a Community Development Block Grant through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development which has been awarded to the county.

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) and Representative Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster) announced Monday that DeKalb County will receive $279,518 through the grant. Pody and Weaver made the announcement after receiving the information from the Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD).

The county’s local grant match is $70,000 making the total project $349,518

“These funds will help tremendously in advancing fire protection for our citizens,” said Pody and Weaver in a joint statement. “We are very pleased that these funds are forthcoming, especially because there was intense competition for limited grant money. I also appreciate the excellent work by our local officials in helping to secure the funds and the department’s attention to this needed project.”

The funds were allocated under a procedure authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly. ECD administers the grant program based on priorities set at the local level where community needs are best known.

This was the county’s second try for this grant project. In January, 2019 the county applied for the grant but learned in October that the application was denied because the county did not score high enough to qualify for the grant. The county re-applied for the grant in January, 2020.

With the purchase of this truck, the county fire department will have two tankers in the fleet to haul water to fire scenes in rural parts of the county.

September 14, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville woman pulled over by Sheriff’s Department detectives for a minor traffic offense was found to have heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana on her and in the vehicle.

36 year old Amanda Faye Ervin of Short Mountain Highway is charged with sale and delivery of heroin and methamphetamine. Ervin was also cited for simple possession of a schedule II drug (subutex), simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to maintain lane of travel. Her bond is $20,000 and she will be court on September 24.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on September 4 two detectives pulled over a white SUV for failing to maintain its lane of travel. After Ervin, the driver, consented to a search the detectives found in her bra a needle and baggie containing a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine which weighed 0.87 grams. Ervin also had in her possession a container which held a substance inside two pieces of foil believed to be heroin which weighed 0.12 grams and 0.10 grams.

Detectives further found a white pill in a container believed to be subutex and a baggie of a green leafy substance thought to be marijuana which weighed. 0.43 grams. Inside her vehicle in the driver side door panel were two baggies of a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine which weighed 3.5 grams and 0.6 grams. The search also turned up a digital scale, grinder, two pipes, rolling papers, five needles, and four baggies.

32 year old Kimberly Blanchfield of Nashville Highway, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court October 1.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 4 a deputy was summoned to a domestic assault complaint at a residence on Nashville Highway. Upon arrival the officer spoke to Blanchfield’s mother who said that Blanchfield had bitten her on the right side of the face and that she had struck her in the mouth resulting in a busted lip. Blanchfield had a strong odor of alcohol on her person and was placed under arrest.

49 year old Richard Allen Tilley of Short Mountain Highway is charged with a violation of an order of protection. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court September 24.

Sheriff Ray said that on September 1 a deputy was summoned to a residence on Short Mountain Highway due to a domestic assault. Upon arrival the officer spoke with Tilley and another person, which central dispatched confirmed, had an order of protection against Tilley. He was supposed to keep away from this person.

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