Fallen Firefighter Memorial Bike Ride To Pass through Smithville Saturday Morning (View Video of 2020 Ride Here)

October 12, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

From Sparta to Bell Buckle, motorcycle bikers will set out on a journey Saturday morning, October 16 to raise funds and honor Tennessee Firefighters who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty while protecting citizens.

Shady Brady Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial ride from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Bikers in the 8th annual Shady Brady Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial ride will pass through Smithville on Highway 70 from Sparta and then onto Highway 56 south toward McMinnville enroute to Bell Buckle on the campus of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy where the memorial is located. The riders will be passing thru Smithville around 9:15 a.m. and the Smithville Fire Department will set up in the Food Lion parking lot to raise a Flag and show support as they pass. Everyone is welcome to join the firefighters in greeting the bikers Saturday morning.

This ride was first organized by Sparta firefighter Barry Brady to raise money for the Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial. It continues today as a tribute to Barry (now deceased) and the many others that work year around to support the memorial. Anyone can enter or at least come out and support them along their route.

For more information call Bradley Johnson at 615-967-6557, Kayla Williams at 615-948-7508, or Kenny Kilgore at 931-200-7380.

Beginning in 2002, the first Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial Committee was founded with a mission to create a memorial to honor fallen firefighters in Tennessee. After earning its 501©3 not-for-profit status, the board of directors began to actively raise funds to build the memorial.

In 2005, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a resolution, which dedicated land on the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy property to be used for constructing a memorial.

Fundraising efforts began with the TUFF Challenge and by selling bricks in support of the memorial.

Construction of the memorial was broken up into two phases. The official ribbon cutting ceremony for phase one was held Sept. 11, 2009. Dedication of the completion of the second phase was held on Sept. 10, 2011.

The Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial honors the fallen firefighters of Tennessee. Additionally, a section was added to the memorial that pays tribute to the lives lost during the terrorist attacks that occurred Sept. 11, 2001. As part of that memorial, a piece of a steel I-beam, which was recovered from “Ground Zero” in New York City, is also on display.

October 12, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A woman suffered a broken nose in an assault Saturday and her boyfriend has been charged with attacking her causing the injury.

25 year old Thomas Andrew Lawson of McMinnville is charged with aggravated assault and driving on a revoked or suspended license. His bond is $12,500 and he will be in court October 28.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on October 9 a deputy was dispatched to the area of Old Mill Hill Road due to a possible rolling domestic incident. He spotted a blue Ford Fusion and stopped to do a welfare check. When he approached the vehicle, the officer noticed a female passenger bleeding from her nose. The driver, Lawson admitted to hitting her several times. The woman was taken by DeKalb EMS to the emergency room of the hospital where she was treated for a broken nose. During the investigation the deputy learned that Lawson’s driver license was revoked.

54 year old Jeffery Lee Johnson of Pack Circle, Smithville is charged with public intoxication and resisting stop-frisk-halt-arrest or search. His bond is $6,000 and he will make a court appearance October 13.

Sheriff Ray said that on October 4 a deputy was dispatched to the area of Parkway Drive due to a possible prowler. The suspect reportedly harassed the complainant’s dog and peered through the window of a neighbor. The deputy located the suspect, Johnson, who matched the clothing description given by the complainant. Johnson had in his possession fake flowers and several rocks and he appeared to be talking to the flowers and rocks while sitting on the grass as the officer approached him. When asked how he was and what he was doing, Johnson responded but the officer could not understand him. As the deputy was talking with him, Johnson raised his fist while holding a sharp rock as if he wanted to assault the officer. Johnson resisted arrest and tried to flee on foot but he was subdued after the officer used his taser on him.

32 year old Christina Beth Murphy Graham of Dale Ridge Road, Dowelltown is charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution. Her bond is $5,000 and she will be in court October 13.
Sheriff Ray said that on October 5 a deputy arrested Graham on active warrants and during the arrest at her home before being taken to the jail she was asked several times if she had any contraband on her and she replied no. After arriving at the jail a female correctional officer again asked Graham if she had any contraband and she produced a small clear bag which held a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine that weighed 0.4 grams.

63 year old Jonathan Craig Henderson of Manchester is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court October 28.

Sheriff Ray said that on October 5 a deputy was called to Fiddlers’ Market on Highway 70 east due to complaints of an intoxicated man at the gas pumps. Upon arrival the officer spoke with the suspect, Henderson who appeared to be confused and his behavior was erratic. He was placed under arrest.

Chad Stephen Taylor of Cleveland Way, Smithville is charged with theft of property. He is under a $1,500 bond and will make a court appearance October 28. Sheriff Ray said that Taylor stole a wicker love seat from a residence on Lakeview Drive valued at $600. A detective investigated the theft and made the arrest.

51 year old Russell Albert Summit, Jr. is charged with a 3rd offense of driving under the influence. His bond is $5,500 and he will be in court October 28.

Sheriff Ray said that on October 8 a deputy was in the area of Sparta Highway when dispatch advised him of a possible drunk driver in a white van. The officer spotted the van and observed it swerving over the white line of the road. He pulled over the van and spoke with the driver, Summit whose speech was slurred. He admitted to having consumed vodka. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.

October 11, 2021
By:

Voters impacted by the redistricting plan and changes to precincts will be getting new voter cards in the coming weeks, according to Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections.

The election commission by a unanimous vote has now completed the legal process of drawing precinct lines, a requirement following the county legislative body’s adoption of a district plan based on the 2020 federal census.

Every 10 years the county commission is tasked with looking at the district populations and redrawing the boundaries to coincide with the equal representation law based on the latest census. Then the process requires the election commission to review precinct lines based upon the newly-adopted districts and adopt changes needed to make the overall election process operate more smoothly and be more economically efficient.

The voters moved from District 3 to District 2 under the redistricting plan have been assigned to the Snow Hill Community Center. Those moved from District 5 to District 6 have been placed at the Blue Springs Community Center precinct.

In addition, the commission also by a unanimous vote combined three other voting precincts. Those who were voting at the Dowelltown Community Center have been assigned to vote at the Liberty Community Center precinct; those who were voting at Edgar Evins State Park have been assigned to the Temperance Hall precinct; and those who were voting at Belk have been assigned to the Keltonburg precinct.

After reviewing the precincts, election officials said there were two factors in combining three voting locations: costs and the labor pool

“Polling places are not provided free of charge,” Election Commission Chairman Walteen Parker and Administrator Dennis Stanley said in a joint statement. “The workers are paid, there is a cost to programming voting machines, and there is a cost to the materials provided at each precinct.”

“It has also become increasingly more difficult to find the number of workers needed to man 15 voting locations. These moves provide more flexibility in administering the entire process,” the two added.

While no plan as been adopted at this point, election officials are looking at the possibility of expanding the early voting opportunities.

“No final decision has been made, but with the savings of combining precincts, the commission will likely look at either adding a few extra hours at the courthouse or adding an early voting site in the western part of the county for a portion of the early voting period,” Parker said. “That’s a decision that will be made early next year.”

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