Alexandria City Attorney Vester Parsley Steps Down

November 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

After serving 17 years as the City Attorney for the Town of Alexandria, Vester Parsley has apparently stepped down from that position.

The Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen have scheduled a special called meeting for Wednesday, November 27 at 7 p.m. at city hall to hire a new town attorney.

Meanwhile the Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen will have a workshop Tuesday, November 26 at 5 p.m. at city hall to meet with the owners of the doctor’s building to discuss a proposal by the police chief to lease the building and to relocate the Alexandria Police Department headquarters there.

November 22, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The investigation into a triple homicide in Warren County this week led to the arrests of three people in DeKalb County Thursday evening after some tense moments in the area of Bell Street Apartments.

The three taken into custody were 28-year-old Caleb Dias Brookins and Jessica Root, wanted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department as suspects in the triple murder, and 21-year-old Hannah McKenzi Rose of Hickory Hollow Terrace in Antioch, Tennessee. Rose has been charged locally by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department with aggravated assault on a first responder and evading arrest in a motor vehicle. Her bond totals $125,000 and the court date is December 5.

During the episode, Sheriff Patrick Ray said a Homeland Security agent from Warren County sustained a leg injury after being struck by a vehicle trying to make a getaway being driven Rose with Brookins as her passenger. Before that, Rose rammed a DeKalb Sheriff’s Department truck operated by Chief Deputy Brian Williams with Detective Stephen Barrett as a passenger, but they were not injured.  Although no one else was hurt, Sheriff Ray said Chris Stanford, the Warren County District Attorney fired shots on Rose’s vehicle. Neither the vehicle nor the suspects were hit by the gunfire. Brookins fled on foot but was taken into custody a couple of hours later without incident by TBI. Brookins was found near Bell Street on Wade Street walking down the road. He was unarmed.

According to Sheriff Ray, one of the suspects (Root) had lived here at one time and she has family here.

“The Warren County Sheriff’s Office had a search warrant for an outbuilding on Bell Street trying to find items from the triple homicide,” he said.

“We found her (Root) here in DeKalb County. They (Warren County) had warrants on her. They also had warrants on Brookins for theft,” said Sheriff Ray.

Sheriff Ray went on to provide a more detailed statement about how the episode unfolded.

“Today Warren County Sheriff Jackie Matheny Jr. and his detectives along with an officer from Homeland Security came to DeKalb County because they had a lead on one of the suspects in a triple homicide this week in Warren County. We assisted them by going to a local store and pulling video footage and found out who the subject was (Root) and where the subject was staying. We went over there. They had a warrant on her. It was a female they were looking for (Jessica Root). We were able to arrest her. We found out that her boyfriend (Brookins), the other suspect in the triple murder was on his way back from Nashville coming to Bell Street Apartments. We setup waiting on him to come to the apartments. We had a vehicle description and he (Brookins) and another woman (Rose) pulled into the parking lot. We thought that is who it was. It was hard to get a clear vision, but it was a white female and a black male in the car. They went to the end of Bell Street apartments and turned around. The sheriff’s departments from DeKalb and Warren Counties had people set up there. The female driving the car (Rose) rammed a DeKalb Sheriff’s Department truck operated by Chief Deputy Brian Williams with passenger Detective Stephen Barrett who were not hurt but she hit a Homeland Security officer injuring his leg. They were trying to get away and ran up into a yard at a residence on Bell Street. The male (Brookins) took off running. He was caught by the TBI a couple of hours later in the housing projects on Wade Street,” said Sheriff Ray.

Within minutes of the incident, Sheriff Ray said a 911 call alert was issued to warn the public.

“Within probably five or ten minutes of when this happened at about 3:45 p.m. I instructed central dispatch to do a one-mile radius call to residents around Bell Street to inform them that we had somebody that we thought was armed and dangerous at the time and to be observant. We gave a description of him and what he was wearing. We later extended that call to warn residents in a three-mile radius of Bell Street,” said Sheriff Ray.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps said Smithville Elementary, Northside Elementary, DeKalb Middle School, and DCHS were on lock down with their afterschool programs during the threat and while buses did not run after school routes from those schools, parents were permitted to pick up their children.

Warren County Sheriff Jackie Matheny Jr, Thursday night issued the following statement:

“On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 a.m., officers with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office responded to 900 Merry Oaks Road in reference to a deceased male being located inside the residence. Upon further investigation, two other bodies were located in an outbuilding on an adjacent property being used as a residence. The deceased have been identified as the homeowner, William Piechocniski, Dana Ramsden, and Otis Hawks, II”.

“I immediately requested the assistance of investigators with the District Attorney General’s office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and agents with Homeland Security. Also responding and assisting at the scene were detectives with the McMinnville Police Department”.

“Leads were quickly developed and the investigation led us to locations in Nashville and Memphis. Evidence of theft of property that belonged to at least one of the deceased individuals was found in both Nashville and Memphis. The identification of the suspects was confirmed through the evidence found in these cities”.

“On Thursday, November 21, 2024, investigators received information that the suspects may be in DeKalb County, Tennessee. Investigators responded to DeKalb County where one suspect, Jessica Root, was taken into custody without incident. The second suspect was located in a vehicle being driven by a female identified as Hannah Rose. In the process of attempting to evade law enforcement, a Homeland Security agent was struck by the fleeing vehicle. At this time, shots were fired, but no person was injured”.

“Subsequently, and after an intensive search, the second suspect, Caleb Brookins, was taken into custody, along with Hannah Rose”.

“Caleb Brookins and Jessica Root have been charged with three (3) counts of Criminal Homicide and they are being held without bond in the Warren County Jail. Hannah Rose has been charged in DeKalb County with Felony Evading Arrest and Aggravated Assault for hitting the agent with Homeland Security”.

“I want to personally thank and highly commend the outstanding collaborative work of all of the law enforcement agencies during this investigation. I want to ask that you pray for the families of the three (3) victims and also pray for our Homeland Security agent as he recovers from his injuries”.

Sheriff Ray said agencies involved in the search and investigation in addition to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department were detectives, officers, and drones of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and McMinnville Police Department and members of their SWAT Team, Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter and ground units, agents of Homeland Security,  Smithville Police Department, and members of the 13^th and 31st District Attorney General’s Offices including DA’s Bryant Dunaway and Chris Stanford.

The following statement was released by District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway:

“This evening, at my request, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began to investigate an incident that occurred on Bell Street in Smithville, Dekalb County, Tennessee. The incident involved a report that the District Attorney for Warren County, TN, Chris Stanford, fired shots during the attempted apprehension of a man named Caleb Brookins on outstanding warrants out of Warren County, TN. He was later taken into custody on those warrants and transported to Warren County. No individual was shot in the incident,” he said.

November 21, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A discussion but no vote!

During Tuesday night’s regular monthly meeting of the Alexandria mayor and aldermen, Mayor Beth Tripp opened up a discussion about the county’s request for the municipality to extend its sales tax agreement through 2055 to help fund a new elementary school.

Although the aldermen did not discuss it among themselves at this meeting and there was no vote taken, Mayor Tripp gave the public a chance to express their views and a couple of people did questioning how extending the agreement would be in the best interest of Alexandria. Under the county’s terms, the cities including Alexandria have until January 1 to act on extending their sales tax agreements.

The aldermen in both the cities of Smithville and Liberty have voted to extend their sales tax agreements with the county. In Smithville, it was made conditional on the county issuing bonds for a new school within one year.

“I want to bring up the sales tax that Smithville (DeKalb County) is wanting to extend with us. If the public would like to speak on that whether they want us to do it or not to do it its open for discussion,” said Mayor Tripp.

“I’m Margaret Stevens of West Main Street. I have read up on it and I was just wondering what the advantage is. That’s for the school,” asked Stevens.

“Yes” replied Mayor Tripp.

“So that’s for the school but I am told that it will not be to the advantage of anybody in Alexandria,” said Stevens.

“Well, the money that is set aside that was agreed upon has helped build onto the west school and done other things for the west school that did not at that time benefit Smithville kids, but they (county) did it anyway because we had an agreement with them. So, if we want future endeavors on building things down here (west school) I am just asking for opinions right now,” said Mayor Tripp.

“That’s me. I’m just asking too if it will be an advantage”, Stevens replied.

“I’m for the people and I want the best for my residents and that goes for everyone who lives here whether you are for me or not I want the best for everybody. Everyone’s opinion matters,” said Mayor Tripp.

“Mayor you might mention the city already has a sales tax contract with the county for another 13 years which you can’t change,” explained City Attorney Vester Parsley.

“What they (county) are asking the cities to do, and they have asked every city in the county to contribute extra money from their sales tax to go to the school funds which would not only help build schools but also do other things that are beneficial to schools. Its true that what they are really talking about primarily right now is building a new elementary school in Smithville to replace the old Smithville Elementary School but over the years the money has been used some for the west school. I think that front addition was all built through that money and that debt has been retired. That was money that came from (sales tax) in Smithville, Alexandria, Dowelltown, and Liberty”, said Parsley.

“My name is Bobbie Ford and I live on Cumberland Avenue in Alexandria. As far as the sales tax goes, I am a teacher. I do not teach in DeKalb County, but I am a teacher, and I understand the money. I do not think that is a good idea for Alexandria to do (extend sales tax agreement) because I think that benefits our citizens. We could use that tax money for so many things here in our community. I would like to see that money used here in the community before we send it out. We are already giving them tax money,” said Ford.

“Keep in mind we are still under contract to do it for another 13 years,” replied Mayor Tripp.

“That’s great but I think we shouldn’t add to that and keep it here in our community,” added Ford.

Under the existing sales tax agreements with the county, which are set to expire in 13 years on July 16, 2037, the cities turn over to the county for schools a greater percentage of their local option sales tax collections than they would otherwise be required to do. That money goes into what is called the Local Purpose Tax Fund for Schools to help fund school operation and debt. Officials say the county must be able to count on that extra sales tax money coming in from the cities over the life of a 30-year bond up to $55 million in order to cover the costs of a new school without having to use or raise property taxes to fund it.

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