The Cookeville Highway Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department will soon be getting a newer fire truck.

During Monday night’s meeting of the County Commission’s Emergency Services Committee, Fire Chief Donny Green said plans are to assign the 1992 truck purchased from the City of Smithville last week to Cookeville Highway to replace a 1987 truck there.

According to Chief Green, the fire department will follow a longstanding policy of addressing fire truck needs at county fire stations that have been waiting the longest for upgrades.

“My recommendation is that it (fire truck) be placed in the same manner that we have done in the past. That it go to the next station due an upgrade,” said Chief Green.

Although no vote was taken, members of the committee said they supported Chief Green’s decision.

The Smithville Aldermen last Monday night awarded the county’s bid of $30,000 to purchase the city’s oldest fire truck. The city has bought a new one to replace it.

“That truck is a 1992 model and has 17,000 miles on it. That is going to make us a good truck for a lot of years,” said Chief Green.

The 1987 fire truck currently located at the Cookeville Highway Station will now be relocated to the Austin Bottom Community Fire Hall to replace a 1979 model truck. Chief Green said the 1979 truck will replace the county’s 1974 reserve fire truck at the Main Station. The 1974 truck is expected to be declared as surplus property and sold at a later time.

The county bought the Smithville Fire truck with money from a USDA Community Facility Grant and still has enough funds to buy at least one and maybe two more fire trucks after having been approved for a second USDA grant.

Plans are to use the money from the second grant to purchase a truck for a new fire hall to be built in the Four Seasons Community.

Nine students were named today as the DeKalb West School Students of the Month for April. Academic achievement, excellent character, and other traits made the following students stand out as some of the best at DeKalb West: Charley Prichard, Kindergarten, Levi Cripps, 1st grade, Jayden McCowen, 2nd grade, Hunter Ballew, 3rd grade, Hudson Moss, 4th grade, Avery Agee, 5th grade, Alex Antoniak, 6th grade, Chevelle Lockwood, 7th grade, and Nathaniel Crook, 8th grade.

Pictured front row left to right are Jayden McCowen, Hudson Moss, and Charley Prichard.

Back row left to right are Hunter Ballew, Alex Antoniak, Nathaniel Crook, Chevelle Lockwood, Avery Agee, and Assistant Principal Joey Agee. Not pictured: Levi Cripps.

The DeKalb County Grand Jury last Monday indicted a Smithville man for two counts of auto burglary and one count of burglary, theft over $1,000, and vandalism under $1,000

(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 4/02/2018 Thru: 4/09/2018)

SeagateCrystalReports-REPOR_65.pdf

47 year old Gregory Eugene Neal of Andrew Street, Smithville will be arraigned Monday, April 9 in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, August 24, 2017 Neal allegedly entered a black Ford Ranger, a red Chevy Blazer, and a shed on Adcock Cemetery Road and took property including two weed eaters, an air compressor, a boat motor, two CD players, a machete, speakers, amplifier , green CD case with CDs, and a black CD case with CDs valued at over $1,000. Neal also allegedly caused damage during the burglary of the Ford Ranger

The case was investigated by detectives of the Sheriff’s Department.

Meanwhile, another man has been indicted by the Grand Jury for theft over $1,000 in a separate case after he was allegedly caught on camera stealing a 1998 Jeep Cherokee.

48 year old Billy Eugene Cook, Jr. of Toad Road, Dowelltown will be arraigned Monday, April 9 in criminal court.

Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, November 5, 2017 a deputy was called to a residence on Nixon Way where a woman reported her vehicle stolen.

Video from a security camera showed Cook entering the property, getting in the vehicle and driving away. Cook was later found at Evans Manor Apartments with the keys to the stolen vehicle in his pocket. He was placed under arrest.

43 year old Patty Sue Tatrow was indicted for aggravated burglary, theft up to $1,000, and filing a false report. She will be arraigned Monday, April 9 in criminal court.

According to the indictment, Tatrow entered the habitation of her victim on July 20, 2017 and later tried to buy a stolen 50 inch Samsung television taken from the same residence on Blackberry Hill Road. According to Sheriff Ray, Tatrow knew the TV was stolen and was trying to purchase it for herself from the man charged with committing the crime. After being confronted by law enforcement officers, Tatrow knowingly made a false statement to them about the TV in order to obstruct and hinder the investigation.

Amanda Michelle Arnold was indicted for theft over $1,000 and will be arraigned Monday, April 9 in criminal court.

According to the indictment, Arnold stole merchandise valued at over $1,000 from Wal-Mart on November 24, 2017.