A woman faces criminal impersonation and other charges after trying to avoid being arrested.

29 year old Jessica Anne Jenkins of South Bright Hill Street, Smithville is charged with criminal impersonation; criminal trespassing; resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search; and public intoxication. Her bond is $10,000 and her court date is May 17. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, April 27 a deputy responded to a residence in the area of Tubbs Street in Liberty in reference to a suspicious woman. Upon arrival the officer found the woman trying to hide behind the house without the homeowner’s permission to be on the property. The officer ordered her to come out of hiding but she tried to flee on foot. She was subsequently taken into custody. When the officer requested that she identify herself, the woman said she was Ana Waggoner. A sheriff’s department detective who arrived on the scene recognized the woman and positively identified her as Jenkins. She appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance and was unable to express complete statements. Jenkins was also unsteady on her feet.

28 year old Kendrick Ryan Burton and 27 year old Tera Lashay Burton both of Midway Road are each cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, April 24 a deputy was summoned to the Burton’s residence on Midway Road at the request of a Tennessee Department of Corrections Probation Officer to assist during a home visit. The deputy spoke with the Burton’s and found several hypodermic needles they were using to ingest medication at the home which was in violation of their probation.

40 year old Jeffrey Scott Sharp of High Street, Alexandria is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is May 10. Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, April 25 a deputy responded to motor vehicle accident on Toad Road and found Sharp to be the driver of the automobile. Sharp had a strong odor of alcohol on his person, his speech was very slurred, and he was unable to stand on his own. Due to his level of intoxication, Sharp was unable to perform field sobriety tasks. Sharp was placed under arrest and taken to the hospital for a blood withdrawal and then to the jail for booking.

23 year old Taylor Nicole Hensley of Floyd Drive, Smithville is charged with being a fugitive from justice. She is under a $75,000 bond and her court date is May 10. Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, April 26 Hensley was found to have an active warrant against her from Texas for a felony violation of community corrections. She was placed under arrest and taken to the jail for booking.

34 year old Joseph Harvey Clark of Emberton Lane, Smithville is charged with failure to appear. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is May 10. Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, April 25 Clark was served a criminal summons issued April 10 for allowing dogs to run at large. Clark had ten days to be booked into the jail but he failed to report for booking within that ten day period and was charged with failure to appear.

60 year old Debra Kelly Wood of Austin Bottom Road, Baxter is charged with driving under the influence. She was also cited for violation of the open container law. Her bond is $1,500 and her court date is May 17. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, April 28 a deputy was dispatched to the area of Austin Bottom Road due to a complaint of a vehicle traveling all over the roadway. The officer spotted a Silver Ford Focus matching the description which was stopped on the roadside of Austin Bottom Road. He stopped to speak with the driver, Wood and saw her place a black plastic bag on the passenger side floorboard containing an open can of Bud Ice. The deputy also detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle. Wood initially agreed to submit to field sobriety tasks but later said she couldn’t do so due to health reasons. Her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet.

Sheriff Patrick Ray is warning consumers of driveway paving scam artists who typically emerge during this time of year.

Asphalt scammers travel door-to-door, offering deals on leftover asphalt from nearby projects. However, according to authorities, the quality of work is poor, the final cost is higher than the quoted price and the pavers often leave before finishing the job.

If you should be approached by a so-called contractor to pave or reseal your driveway or to do some painting or other home improvement project, always research and vet businesses thoroughly before investing in their services.

“We’re starting to get some calls here at the Sheriff’s Office where contractors are contacting homeowners seeking to do paving jobs here in the county or resealing driveways. Make sure you know who you are signing a contract with and make sure they are a credible business. You can also go to the Better Business Bureau website to see if any complaints have been filed against your contractor and if he or she has an accredited business,” said Sheriff Ray.

“Most of what we see come through are signed contracts with small print on the bottom of them that excludes some things that the homeowner thinks they are getting. That makes it a civil rather than a criminal action. If you have problems with someone who has done work for you, maybe the work was not satisfactory or they didn’t do what the contract said then you may call me at the Sheriff’s Office at 615-597-4935,” added Sheriff Ray.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has released a list of red flags that may allow consumers to identify asphalt scam artists:
Reputable asphalt contractors don’t sell their product door-to-door.

Professional asphalt contractors rarely have leftover material, as they can accurately estimate how much material is needed for a job.

Trustworthy contractors will not push consumers to hire them on the spot. Rather, they will provide a written estimate that details the work to be done and the total price. These written contracts are valid for a specified length of time.

Most reputable contractors accept checks or credit cards and don’t only take cash as payment.

If the quoted price is low, the quality of work is likely to be low as well.

Scammers often drive unmarked trucks or have out-of-state license plates. Recently, they have been purchasing local cellphone plans to appear as if they are local businesses. Briefly researching the business is likely to reveal the truth.

Scholarships and other awards will be presented to members of the Class of 2018 at DeKalb County High School during the annual Senior Awards program Monday night, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. in the DCHS gymnasium.

WJLE will broadcast LIVE on AM 1480, FM 101.7 and LIVE streaming at www.wjle.com

Representatives of colleges, universities, branches of the armed services, businesses, civic groups, and other organizations will make the presentations.

Meanwhile, graduation for the DCHS Class of 2018 will be Friday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. on the high school football field.