Concrete Company Blasting Operation Shakes up Snow Hill Community

August 3, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

All shook up!

The State Fire Marshal’s office has opened an investigation after receiving complaints from residents in the Snow Hill area who were shaken by a big blast Wednesday afternoon from a concrete company doing prep work for a quarry on North Driver Road off Highway 70 at the foot of the hill.

Unaware that the company, Smyrna Ready Mix (SRM) had even moved into the neighborhood, two of the residents who felt the blast, Michael and his son Lucas Antoniak, said they tracked down the source of the explosion and found work underway for a 100-acre rock quarry. According to the Antoniak’s, some rock from the blast was also on the highway.

The SRM Concrete Company, headquartered in Smyrna serves customers in 19 states with more than 8,500 team members, and now is batching concrete from a new location in Smithville (Highway 70 east near the city limits). However, the public has largely been unaware of any plans for a quarry operation at the location near Snow Hill.

Kevin Walters, Communications Director for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, confirmed through a public records request Friday, that citizen complaints have been filed, from Michael and Lucas Antoniak, about this matter and added that while the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office has opened an investigation “we do not comment about open investigations,” said Walters.

The Antoniak’s question how a quarry operation could start up in a neighborhood without public notice and local government oversight.

Michael Antoniak said he reached out to the state for answers and was told by an official of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, who issues water discharge permits, that any oversight or review beyond a water discharge permit for a quarry (issued by state) depends on local zoning/planning regulations. The DeKalb County government has no such zoning/planning regulations.

In his complaint filed with the state, Lucas Antoniak explained what he experienced when the blast occurred around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31. He also recalled the incident for WJLE Friday morning.

““I live on Old Snow Hill Road in Dowelltown and I work from home,” said Antoniak. “I have a sturdy work bench where I do my art and graphic designs. I was sitting there, and my wife and daughter were in another room when all of a sudden everything just started shaking. It shook so violently for about 5 to 10 seconds, and we heard a boom at the same time. We had no idea what this was. My desk shook so violently that I could feel the vibrations coming through the floor. My wife said she saw the floor roll in the room she was in and my daughter saw everything falling. I then called the sheriff’s office and reported that we felt this,” he said.

“Within a few minutes, I drove down Highway 70 to investigate and observed heavy dust in the air, smelled strong Sulphur, and saw large rocks in the middle of the highway near 336 North Driver Road off of Highway 70, approximately 1/2 mile from my location (“as the crow flies).” I did not see any notices that blasting was occurring in the area. I took a photo of the dust in the air, but it does not show up well in the photo,” Antoniak continued.

“Within the hour, I learned that SRM Concrete recently opened a plant in Smithville and was starting a new quarry at that location. I immediately called their contact Lora Smith and reported this explosion and its affect. Ms. Smith took down my information with a promise to return my call with more details, but I’ve heard nothing yet,” explained Antoniak.

“Subsequently, around 4 pm, my father and I travelled to the (blasting) location and talked to the foreman from SRM. We told him about the large rocks in the road and he followed us out to inspect. When we came back through approximately 30 minutes later, the large rocks were no longer on the highway,” he said.

“Every neighbor felt this blast, some reporting it more than a mile away. Our neighbors two houses up from us, an older woman and her mother, reported their TV falling off the wall. Another reported to my parents that the blast “Shook our house on Dale Ridge, loudest blast we’ve ever experienced, CRAZY.”

“No one locally knew about this incoming quarry, including our local county commissioner Mr. Myron Rhody,” said Antoniak.

“We are accustomed to our rural life, as are all of our neighbors. Additionally, my aunt and uncle own property directly across from this location (with a currently unoccupied house approximately 650-700 feet from the location of the blast.) There is concern about the long-term effects on the local environment especially the creeks and wildlife, air quality, property value, possible light pollution in the long run, and impact on the quality of life in general,” Antoniak concluded.

Lucas’s father, Michael Antoniak, also filed a complaint with the state to give his account of what happened.

“I live on Snows Hill in DeKalb County and on the afternoon of July 31 this area was shaken by a massive blast sometime around 3 pm”.

“My son and I tried to track down the source and on Highway 70 near North Driver Road we spotted several softball sized rocks in the turning lane near 336 North Driver Road. We could hear heavy machinery nearby and could see exposed rock, so we drove there to see what has going on,” said Antoniak.

“We met and spoke with a “Chad” with SRM Jones and Stones. He explained they were doing prep work for a quarry on 100 acres the company recently purchased there for a new rock quarry”.

“This was the first anyone knew about plans for a quarry at this location, 336 North Driver Road, Dowelltown,” explained Antoniak.

“He was straightforward with all his answers and said they had just conducted a blast”.

“Also asserted was that there were no houses within 1,200 feet. I explained my sister owned the property directly across road and her house, empty, is within about 650 feet. I also advised him that many neighbors were upset, calling back and forth about the blast, how it shook their homes, etc. and anxious to know the source”.

“I did not see any sort of blasting mat and advised Chad there were rocks from the blast in the middle of the highway, which could have killed someone”.

“When we drove out, he followed us in his truck and the rocks were still lying in the center lane of highway. We drove down the highway. Later when we drove back that way the rocks were gone,” said Antoniak.

WJLE reached out Thursday and Friday to SRM company spokesperson Lora Smith for a statement about the blast at the telephone number and email address provided on the SRM website, but WJLE has not yet received a response.

SRM Concrete does have a press release on its website about the new concrete batching plant in Smithville as follows:

“SRM Concrete is now batching concrete from a new location in Smithville, Tennessee. The new site will help bridge a service gap between existing locations.

SRM Concrete CEO, Jeff Hollingshead stated, “We’re thrilled to have a new plant running in Smithville. We look forward to improving our service to our customers in the area, providing new jobs, and engaging in the community.”

With over 8,500 team members, SRM Concrete is the largest ready-mix concrete manufacturer in the country. Established in 1999 by Mike and Melissa Hollingshead in Smyrna, Tennessee, the family-owned company owns and operates an expansive network of ready-mix concrete plants, quarries, cement terminals, and other ancillary services across 19 states. SRM Concrete focuses on producing and providing building material services across the commercial and residential construction segments”.

August 2, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

In the Tennessee Republican Primary on Thursday, August 1 Incumbent U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn defeated Tres Wittum 367,711 to 43,228 statewide. Blackburn carried DeKalb County in her primary race 880 to 86 for Wittum.

In the Tennessee Democratic Primary Gloria Johnson defeated three other candidates for the U.S. Senate nomination. Statewide, Johnson received 143, 904 votes while Marquita Bradshaw had 44,635, Lola Denise Brown 10,025, and Civil Miller-Watkins 6,420. Johnson carried DeKalb County in her primary race with 212 votes over Bradshaw with 29, Brown 10, and Watkins with 3.

Blackburn and Johnson will advance to the November Tennessee General Election. The term is for six years.

For the U.S. House of Representatives District 6, Incumbent Congressman John Rose was unopposed in the Tennessee GOP Primary and received 38,598 votes. In DeKalb County Rose had 890.

Meanwhile in the Tennessee Democratic Primary, Lore Bergman won with 8,678, defeating Clay Faircloth who had 7,468, and Cyril Focht with 4,418. Faircloth carried DeKalb County in the primary for the U.S. House District 6 with 102 votes followed by Bergman with 97, and Focht with 27.

Rose and Bergman advance to the November Tennessee General Election. The term is for two years.

Incumbent State Senator Janice Bowling in District 16 was unopposed in the Tennessee Republican Primary and received 14,896 votes. In DeKalb County Senator Bowling received 778 votes.

In the Tennessee Democratic Primary for State Senate District 16, Wayne Steele was unopposed for the nomination and received 3,051 votes. He garnered 202 votes in DeKalb County.

Scott Bean, as an independent candidate, will join Bowling and Steele on the November 5th state general election ballot for the office. The term is for four years.

For the Tennessee House of Representatives District 40, Incumbent State Representative Michael Hale was unopposed in the state GOP primary and received 4,036 votes district wide. In DeKalb County, Hale had 936 votes.

In the Tennessee Democratic Primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 40, Daniel T. Hawthorne was unopposed and had 819 district wide. In DeKalb County, Hawthorne had 214 votes.

Hale and Hawthorne now advance to the November Tennessee General Election. The term is for two years.

For Democratic State Executive Committeewoman in District 16, Rupa Blackwell received 3,173 votes district wide to fill an unexpired term. In DeKalb County, Blackwell had 211 votes.

Results of the state judicial questions are as follows:

Should Dwight Tarwater be replaced or retained on the Tennessee Supreme Court At Large? Statewide the results were 72.86% to retain and 27.14% to replace. In DeKalb County the vote was 668 to retain and 262 to replace,

Should Matthew J. Wilson be retained or replaced in the State Court of Criminal Appeals-Western Division? Statewide results were 74.06% to retain and 25.94% to replace. In DeKalb County the vote was 672 to retain and 256 to replace.

August 1, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell was re-elected unopposed in Thursday’s DeKalb County General Election.

Cantrell will begin his third-four-year term September 1. He received a total of 1,046 complimentary votes in the election.

A total of 1,404 voted in DeKalb County including 700 on election day, 100 paper absentees, and 604 walk-in early voting.   DeKalb County has 13,607 registered voters.

The Board of Education will get a new member next month. Megan Moore was unopposed in her bid for the fifth district position, currently held by Jamie Cripps who did not seek re-election. The term is for four years. Moore received 131 complimentary votes.

Meanwhile Incumbent sixth district school board member Jason Miller was re-elected unopposed to his second-four year term. Miller had 127 votes.

Constable candidates winning unopposed to four-year terms and their vote totals are as follows:

First District: Tyler Cripps- 243 votes

Second District: Danny Adamson-131 votes

Third District: Travis Bryant-133 votes

Fourth District: Lane Ball-160 votes

Fifth District: Mark Milam-153 votes

Sixth District: No candidate on the ballot but Keith Elkins won as a write-in candidate with 6 votes

Seventh District: Jeremy Neal-90 votes

Two county commission candidates won elections unopposed to fill unexpired terms including Andy Pack in the sixth district with 114 votes and Mathias Anderson with 82 votes in district seven. These unexpired terms will end in August 2026.

Shawn C. Fry, Criminal Court Judge, Part III in the 13th Judicial District won unopposed and in DeKalb County he received 919 votes.

In the Smithville Municipal Election, three incumbent aldermen were re-elected unopposed to four-year terms including Shawn Jacobs with 203 votes, Jessica L. Higgins 191 votes, and Danny Washer 186 votes.

A mayor and two aldermen were to have been elected in the Dowelltown Municipal Election but there were no qualified candidates, either on the ballot or write-ins

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