Fire Related Deaths, Jail Dilemma, Higher Property Taxes, New Industry, Murder Indictments and More Make Local Headlines in 2023

December 30, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The year 2023 in DeKalb County was marked with triumph for some and tragedy for others. Moments of happiness, sadness, and drama. Today, WJLE is highlighting a few of the top local news stories of the year.

Two Perish in Structure Fire. Perhaps the biggest and saddest story of the year broke on Wednesday, September 13 when investigators found remains of two bodies amid the ruins of a two-story log home at110 Mountain Harbour Drive in the Riverwatch community of DeKalb County. The State Medical Examiner later identified the deceased as 33-year-old Kristin Kerrigan of Nashville and 34-year-old William Waynick of Franklin. The residence was owned by the Waynick family. Central dispatch received the call at 2:36 a.m. that morning and dispatched the DeKalb County Fire Department to scene. Firefighters arrived and found the structure fully involved in flames. “911 got a call from a neighbor that had discovered that the house was fully involved and when firefighters got there, we found the second floor of the house had already collapsed. One vehicle there was already on fire and fully involved and another automobile had caught fire. We were able to put out the fire in the second car and we saved a detached garage that was next door,” said Chief Green. Although no foul play was suspected, the cause of the fire and the cause of death were never released by investigators. The Fire Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department have led the investigation.

A jail dilemma! For at least four years the county had been advised by the Tennessee Corrections Institute about deficiencies at the jail which might result in state decertification unless the county followed a plan of action, especially with regard to the basement of the 64-year-old portion of the facility. In August, the county learned it could wait no longer. During a visit, TCI officials determined that the jail’s number of certifiable beds at 102 (78 males and 24 females) must be reduced to no more than 52 (16 females and 36 males) almost immediately and that the basement portion of the older jail facility, which housed 23 inmates, could no longer be used for that purpose. Since that time many prisoners have been relocated to other jails across the mid-state to relieve overcrowding here but as the county continues to ponder what and where to build in terms of a new jail or judicial center, the costs to the county of sending these inmates off to other places continues to rise. As of Wednesday, December 20, Sheriff Patrick Ray said that the DeKalb County Jail held a total of 58 men and three women and that nine men and nine women were being housed elsewhere including Deberry as well as the Robertson, White, Hamilton, Van Buren, Smith, and Warren County jails. Meanwhile, County Mayor Matt Adcock said the county continues to look for suitable sites on which to build a new jail or judicial center. Steve Bates, the county’s fiscal agent/financial advisor said that the cost difference in building a jail versus judicial center initially is $10 million ($50 million for a Judicial Center or $40 million for a Jail). In either case, County Mayor Adcock said a new revenue stream would be required to fund it whether it be a higher property tax rate, the implementation of a wheel tax, or a combination of the two. Although the jail committee, which is made up of the entire county commission, voted in November to recommend building a judicial center when a site and a funding mechanism are determined, there has been no movement since.

Where is Brittany? Months after she went missing there is still no clue as to the whereabouts of 32-year-old Brittany Ann Miller even after a massive day-long controlled ground and air search effort Saturday, March 11 spearheaded by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office which also involved the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and teams of local, regional, and state law enforcement officers, K-9 units, search and rescue volunteers among others. Miller’s disappearance is still considered a missing person case according to Sheriff Patrick Ray and she has apparently had no communication with her family. The search in March covered 187 acres of mostly rugged terrain near Miller’s home on Hurricane Ridge Road, where Brittany was last seen on July 4, 2022 and the place where she worshipped, the Indian Creek Memorial Baptist Church, served as the command post for the search effort.

Parole denied in two high profile murder cases. 47-year-old Archie Lee Roberts, serving a life prison sentence in a 1993 DeKalb County murder case, remains behind prison bars for at least four more years. According to Dustin Krugel, Communications Director for the Tennessee Board of Parole, the Board reached a final decision Monday, December 30 to deny parole to Roberts following his initial parole hearing on Wednesday January 18. Roberts, age 17 at the time, shot and killed 18-year-old Eric D. Graham and seriously wounded another teen, 17-year-old Shane Orlando in a knife attack on April 28, 1993 in DeKalb County. All three had been friends and were students at DeKalb County High School. The incident occurred in front of Roberts’ home on Bright Hill Road after the three had been out riding around and drinking together before an argument ensued which escalated resulting in the violent attacks. Meanwhile, it will be months before 54-year-old Albert Wayne Fisher, Jr. is granted another parole hearing. Dustin Krugel, Communications Director for the Tennessee Board of Parole told WJLE Tuesday, March 21 that the Board’s final decision from Fisher’s initial parole hearing was to decline parole due to the seriousness of the offense. The Board has scheduled another parole review for Mr. Fisher in September 2024. Fisher has now served at least twenty three months of a six-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter in the fatal 2019 Halloween shooting of his stepson, 38-year-old Tyler Durden outside the Fisher home on Eckles Heights in Liberty. Fisher’s first parole hearing was held Tuesday, March 14 at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville where he is incarcerated. Parole Board Chairman Richard Montgomery, who presided over the hearing, heard from Fisher as well as three supporters including his mother, and several family members along with the District Attorney General’s Office who are opposed to Fisher’s early release. Assistant DA Greg Strong participated in the hearing by video conference from Cookeville. Support and opposition letters were also in Fisher’s file. During the parole hearing, Fisher said he regrets his actions and is sorry for the pain and hurt it has caused.

Two Traffic Fatalities and one drowning in 2023. A 38-year-old Sparta man, Rodney A. Henry lost his life in a two vehicle crash Tuesday morning, January 10 on Highway 70 at Snow Hill near Trapp Lane. According to Trooper Brent Collier of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Henry was traveling east in the left lane of Highway 70 in a 2004 Ford Ranger when he crossed over the middle turn lane and entered the west bound left lane striking head on an oncoming 2020 Ford Mustang driven by 34-year-old Matthew Murphy of Springfield who had recently moved here. The Mustang traveled a short distance west after impact before coming to a final rest in the westbound right lane. The Ford Ranger overturned and came to a final rest on its top in the middle turn lane. Murphy was taken by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. 911 received the call at 4:23 a.m. Unlike Murphy, Henry was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. Meanwhile, a Thursday morning crash, October 26 involving two vehicles claimed the life of an elderly Alexandria man at the intersection of Highways 70 & 96 at Liberty. Central Dispatch notified emergency personnel at 11:23 a.m. 85-year-old George Dodd, Jr. died and Dodd’s wife, 82-year-old Alice Francis Dodd was injured in the crash along with 78-year-old Sarah Harrington of Auburntown. According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Harrington was west on Highway 70 and turning left onto Highway 96 in a 2004 Toyota Hylander when she pulled into the path of a 2011 Mazda 3, driven by Mrs. Dodd, who was traveling east on Highway 70. Mr. Dodd was a passenger with his wife. Upon impact, the Hylander overturned and came to rest on the driver side. Harrington was entrapped. Members of the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Extrication and Rescue Team were summoned to help remove Harrington from her vehicle. A landing zone was set up at DeKalb West School for a Vandy Life Flight helicopter to airlift Mr. Dodd but he passed away shortly after the crash. Mrs. Dodd and Harrington were transported by DeKalb EMS to Ascension St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital. The crash was investigated by Trooper Johnson with assistance from THP Lieutenant Charlie Caplinger and Trooper Brent Collier. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department was also on the scene. In another sad story, a 69-year-old, Cannon County man drowned Saturday, October 28 on the Caney Fork River in DeKalb County.Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officers responded to a call of an overturned kayak just after 11:00 a.m. (CDT). The man , Robert Lester and his wife, from Auburntown left the Buffalo Valley Boat Ramp by kayak. The man’s kayak struck a tree and flipped. Rescuers searched the area, and the body was found in eight feet of water by Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter, less than 100 yards from where the man overturned. DeKalb County Sheriff, DeKalb County Rescue, Smith County Rescue, The Army Corp of Engineers, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol assisted in rescue efforts. The man was not wearing a lifejacket. His body was recovered and taken to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. This incident remains under investigation. Mrs. Lester, in a separate kayak at the time, was not injured.

New Industry. A new industry opened in Smithville during 20233! Anchor Fabrication acquired a building across from Tenneco Automotive in the Industrial Park on Highway 70 east and opened during the summer as a metal fabrication operation serving the heavy truck industry. Gary Parsons, Human Resources Manager for the company told WJLE Wednesday, June 7 that the building was being prepared at that time for Anchor Fabrication to move in but applications were already being accepted from anyone looking for a job. Although it may take a while, Parsons said the company hopes to eventually have up to 200 employees. Anchor has another location in Tennessee at Laverne along with plants in Texas and Mississippi. The Tennessee plant, dating back to the early 1970s, was at that time owned by Quality Industries of Nashville but was purchased by Anchor Fabrication in 2019. “We have been in the Nashville area since the early 1970s. We started out in the food service and heavy truck industry as a metal fabrication company. We moved to Lavergne in the early 1980s and that is where our present location in Tennessee is now. In 2019 the company (Quality Industries) was bought by Anchor Partners and we have a plant in Fort Worth Texas and Mississippi as well as a plant in Denton Texas along with the one in Lavergne,” said Parsons. “We are glad to be moving into the Smithville area. Its new business for our company and it is an extension of our Laverge plant to start a new facility here,” Parsons continued. Over the next couple of years, we plan to maybe have up to 200 employees. We’re having to build up production in stages. Right now (June) we need welders, MIG and TIG with aluminum and steel. We will later need powder painters, assembly operators, material handling, shipping, quality control, and all the standard needs you find in a manufacturing facility. We will be building this team as we go forward,” said Parsons.

Property Taxes Take a Jump! Unless you qualified for a property tax rate freeze, your property tax bill probably went up in 2023. By a vote of 13-0, the DeKalb County Commission Monday night, June 26 during its regular monthly meeting approved a property tax levy resolution which increased the rate by almost 27 cents per $100 of assessed value. The actual increase is 0.2692 cents which means the overall tax rate jumped from $1.7308 cents to $2.00. The property tax rate is divided as follows: County General: $1.2583, up from 0.9891 cents; Highways/Public Works: 0.0326 cents (no increase); General Capital Projects: 0.0733 cents (no increase); Debt Service: 0.1060 cents (no increase); General Purpose Schools: 0.5298 cents (no increase). Total proposed tax rate: $2.00, up from $1.7308 cents. The total county budget expenditure package comes to more than $63 million funded by local, state, and federal sources. Steve Bates, the county’s financial advisor/fiscal agent said during the budget preparation process that the county needed more revenue to help offset higher costs of operation due to inflation and other factors that have taken a toll on the county general budget in recent years.

Missing person case solved! A seventeen-month-old mystery as to the whereabouts of Matthew Braswell is a mystery no more. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray a skull found on the shoreline of Center Hill Lake in March was positively identified in May as Braswell’s remains. “The skull was sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Nashville, along with other bones, after they were found. The Medical Examiner’s Office sent the skull to another lab for DNA testing. One of my Detectives retrieved DNA from Braswell’s mother to compare to the DNA in the teeth of the skull. The lab confirmed the skull was that of Matthew Braswell,” said Sheriff Ray in a prepared statement released Tuesday afternoon, May 8. The first clue in the disappearance of Braswell turned up on Thursday, March 9 when a human skull was found only 1.6 (aerial) miles from where Braswell was last seen on December 17, 2021 after he fled on foot from the scene of a crash on Ponder Road off Cookeville Highway. He was age 29 at the time. More evidence including a shoe, sock, and a bone surfaced during a follow-up visual search in the same area on Wednesday, March 15. Sheriff Ray said at the time that the sock and shoe were consistent with the clothing Braswell was wearing when last seen. A little more than a month later on April 17 additional remains, keys, and clothing were located during an expanded search effort in the same area. “During that discovery on April 17 we found a scapula (shoulder blade) and a mandible (jawbone). We also found a portion of a pair of blue jean denim shorts fitting the description that Braswell was wearing and a key lanyard with keys on it. An area of about 10 acres was searched and the terrain was very rough making the effort very difficult”. According to Sheriff Ray, the cause of Braswell’s death has not been determined.

Fatal Shooting. A local man was charged in a fatal shooting that occurred early Saturday, July 22 outside a residence on Kings Court Circle in the Midway Community. According to Brian Williams, Chief Deputy of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, 56-year-old Thomas Dwayne Thomason suffered a gunshot wound outside in front of his home and died after being transported by DeKalb EMS from the scene to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. The shooting was reported to Central Dispatch at 2:12 a.m. and a deputy was on the scene within minutes. 39-year-old Jarrett Manning of Ferrell Road, who was also on the scene at the time of the officer’s arrival, is believed to have been responsible for the shooting and was charged with second degree murder. Chief Deputy Williams said a handgun, believed to have been used in the shooting, had been recovered. No motive had been established at the time but the investigation continues. In a prepared statement, Chief Deputy Williams said” On July 22 at 2:12 a.m. central dispatch received a call of shots fired at Kings Court Circle in Smithville. A deputy arrived within three minutes and noticed a man laying outside on the ground with a gunshot wound. Also, there was the suspect (Manning) who was detained at the time. EMS arrived and transported the victim to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital where he succumbed to the wound”. Assisting Sheriff Patrick Ray, detectives and deputies of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department with the investigation are the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, an Investigator of the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s General’s Office, and Assistant DA Greg Strong. The Smithville Police Department helped secure the scene.

Plane Crash. Two people escaped serious injury after their single engine plane went down Sunday afternoon, May 28 in an open field near Old Temperance Hall Road in DeKalb County. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the pilot was 61-year-old Eric Garrison of Powell, Tennessee and 60-year-old Debbie Cook of Knoxville was the passenger. Garrison sustained a minor injury. Cook was not hurt. “DeKalb Central Dispatch received a call from the Nashville Approach Air Traffic Control at 2:50 p.m. that stated a plane had gone down around the Old Temperance Hall Road area,” said Sheriff Ray. “DeKalb EMS, the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, the DeKalb County Fire Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Old Temperance Hall Road address,” he continued. “The pilot said he was flying in a 1966 fixed wing Piper Cherokee 180 when the engine failed. A witness on the ground in the Old Temperance Hall Road area observed that the plane appeared to be in distress, and he saw it go down. The witness reached the plane on a Side-By-Side and helped get the pilot and passenger out of the plane. He also helped bring emergency personnel to the scene and then returned them all to the roadway,” said Sheriff Ray. “According to the pilot, he filled up with fuel in Knoxville, flew to Nashville, and was on his way back to the Seymour Airport in East Tennessee when the plane went down in DeKalb County,” he said.

Suspected Drug Dealers Indicted in Murders. Three suspected drug dealers were indicted by the DeKalb County Grand Jury in April for 2nd degree murder in the 2021 death of a man believed to have overdosed on Fentanyl. 62-year-old Tommye Lou Bell of Hawkins Drive, 48-year-old Sharon Joyce Malone of Fisher Avenue, and 45-year-old Vanessa Louise Lance of Hayes Street were named as co-defendants in sealed indictments returned by the grand jury on Monday, April 3 charged with 2nd degree murder and possession of schedule II drugs (Fentanyl & Cocaine) with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver (2 counts). The indictment against the three alleged that between the dates of December 13-16, 2021, Bell, Lance, and Malone did unlawfully and recklessly kill 64-year-old Stephen Wayne Mullican of Old Snows Hill Road, Dowelltown by the unlawful distribution, delivery, or dispensation of Fentanyl, Acetyl Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Ethanol and that these drugs were the proximate cause of Mullican’s death. Mullican was reportedly Lance’s father. Bell was also indicted for unlawfully selling the schedule II drugs Fentanyl and Cocaine between the dates of December 13-16, 2021. Malone and Lance were co-indicted for unlawfully delivering the schedule II drugs Fentanyl and Cocaine between December 13-16, 2021. The cases were investigated by DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Detectives and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Meanwhile, a joint investigation by special agents with the Drug Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department resulted in the indictment of a Smithville man, in connection to the drug-related death of a DeKalb County man earlier this year. On February 9th, agents joined deputies in investigating the death of 42 year old William Wayne Graham. He was found deceased at a residence on Bright Hill Road. The investigation revealed that he died from acute combined drug toxicity, that included ethanol, alprazolam, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. During the course of the investigation, investigators identified Scott Ferrell of South Tittsworth Road as the individual who provided the cocaine to the victim. On November 27th, the DeKalb County Grand Jury returned indictments charging 59 year old Scott Alan Ferrell with one count of Second-Degree Murder, one count of Sale of Schedule II Narcotic (Cocaine), and one count of Delivery of Schedule II Narcotic (Cocaine).

Businessman Indicted on Federal Charges. A Smithville businessman is among three people indicted by a federal grand jury in what the Department of Justice is calling a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud a used car auction in Murfreesboro. A federal grand jury in October indicted Jerry W. Hutchins, 48, of Dowelltown; Stephanie Louise Baker, 53, of Mount Juliet, and Brian Baker, 52, of Mount Juliet for wire fraud and money laundering. All three surrendered to federal agents on Friday and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate that same day, the DOJ said. Both Stephanie and Brian Baker, who are married, and Hutchins have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy along with substantive offenses for acts of money laundering. October. The DOJ said the trio defrauded Dealers Auto Auction Group of more than $2 million.

Teacher of the Year. The 2023 DeKalb County School District Teacher of the Year is Lesa Hayes, a CTE Teaching as a Profession, Human Studies and Business teacher at DeKalb County High School. Hayes got a surprise visit to her classroom Tuesday, March 7 for the “John Isabell Memorial Award” presentation by Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, DCHS Principal Bruce Curtis, Assistant Principals Jenny Norris and Thomas Cagle, and Supervisors of Instruction Michelle Burklow and Dr. Kathy Bryant. As part of the honor, Hayes also received a school bell award, a floral arrangement, and a certificate granting her a day off from school with pay. In addition to the visit to Hayes, Director Cripps and school administrators paid a call on four other teachers at their schools to present the school level “Teacher of the Year awards including Special Education Pre-K teacher, Sydney Johnson at Smithville Elementary School; Positive Behavior Interventionist and Lead District Positive Behavior Support Interventionist, Meagan Humbert at Northside Elementary School; Rachel Desimone, 5th grade teacher and Instructional Coach at DeKalb West School; and Sarah Jacobs, an 8th grade ELA teacher at DeKalb Middle School. This was the 16th annual Teacher of the Year observance.

Fiddlers Jamboree Repeat Winners. Make it two! For the second year in a row, Noah Goebel claimed the Grand Champion Fiddling Title at the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival. The 14-year-old Elkton, Kentucky resident, who also won the Junior Fiddling contest here, beat out the Senior Fiddling Champion Sarah Harris of Rockvale in the showdown for the Berry C. Williams Memorial Award early Sunday morning, July 2. Harris is a two-time Jamboree Grand Fiddling champion from several years ago. Meanwhile, after capturing the Youth Square Dancing Title for the first time at the Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival in 2022, Smithville Select, led by Mary Ann Puckett, repeated as champions again in 2023. And if that were not exciting enough, the local square dance team has been invited to make an appearance at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry to dance on stage with the Opry Square Dancers at a date to be announced. Also, a Nashville girl won the top Jamboree award Saturday, July 1 as the best fiddler in the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners. Summer Edgington won the coveted James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Award.

New Fire Hall Opens. A grand opening and ribbon cutting were held Saturday, November 11 to commemorate the opening of the new Liberty Fire Hall. County Mayor Matt Adcock along with Liberty Mayor Audrey Martin and Dowelltown Mayor Pam Redmon cut the ribbon accompanied by State Representative Michael Hale, several county commissioners, other Liberty and Dowelltown city leaders, county officials, DeKalb EMS staff, members of the DeKalb County Fire Department including the Liberty Station and other emergency services. Woodmen of the World donated a flag and flagpole to the new station, and Woodman representative Tim Bumbalough led a ceremony in raising this flag for the first time. Described by County Fire Chief Donny Green as a district station, the fire hall sits on an 8.65 acre site in the city limits of Liberty owned jointly by the towns of Liberty and Dowelltown and once used as a recreation park off Highway 70 on West Main Street. Leaders of both towns earlier this year entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the county to use this property for the fire hall which is 55’ x 60’ in size and has bays to house a fire truck, 2,500-gallon tanker truck, a 4-wheel drive brush truck, and an ambulance. A helipad will also allow for the landing of medical helicopters when needed.

December 29, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Two people were injured in a crash this morning (Friday) on Highway 56 north in DeKalb County near Silver Point.

According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 48-year-old Larry Murphy of Smithville was traveling north in a 2006 Chevy Colorado pickup truck when he crossed into the southbound lane while negotiating a curve and struck a loaded southbound 2021 Fed Ex box truck, driven by 24-year-old Andrew Reeves of Mount Juliet.

Both Murphy and Reeves were taken by private vehicle to the hospital.

Murphy was cited for failure to exercise due care and financial responsibility (no insurance).

Meanwhile, in a separate crash on Wednesday morning, 52-year-old Chad Knowles of Smithville was traveling west in a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer on Midway Road at a high rate of speed apparently trying to elude a law enforcement officer although there was no active pursuit in progress. Knowles lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve and overturned. He was taken by EMS to the hospital.

Knowles is facing charges from the sheriff’s department.

December 29, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Should the county commission sign on to a deal to make a $2.3 million investment under a seven-year financing plan through Motorola Solutions to upgrade its radio communication system for emergency services?

The answer to that question may come during a special called meeting of the commission set for Friday, January, 12 at 6 p.m. to be held at the Mike Foster Multipurpose center auditorium.

During Thursday night’s regular monthly commission meeting, County Mayor Matt Adcock brought up the subject although it was not on the agenda. Adcock said he wanted to give the commissioners a chance to talk about it even if they did not want to act on it Thursday night.

If the county enters into a contract with Motorola Solutions, Mayor Adcock said a revenue source must be identified to fund the annual payments which are expected to be over $346,000. To take advantage of the Motorola offer at current pricing, the county must act before January 19. The new Motorola radios would be under warranty for seven years.

At previous workshop and committee meetings, Brad Mullinax, Director of the DeKalb Emergency Communications (E-911) District, has urged the county commission to begin making plans to update the county’s mobile, portable, and fixed radio transmission technology (replacing approximately 160 portables, 75 vehicle repeaters, and 73 mobile radios) and to join the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) which provides first responders the ability to have additional coverage to talk on the radio with surrounding state communication towers during major events and disasters no matter where they (first responders) are located. In order to join the TACN network, Mullinax explained that all county responder radios will need to be replaced.

To help the county offset the first-year cost, Mullinax said the DeKalb 911 Emergency Communications District is offering to make a $300,000 contribution. “We (911 Board) were planning to use that money to purchase new dispatch consoles for our own upgrade, but Motorola has offered to provide our consoles at no cost. As result of that offer to us by Motorola, we can give the county the $300,000 to purchase the radios,” said Mullinax.

County Mayor Adcock said he had asked Mullinax if Motorola would be willing to extend the January 19th deadline on the offer to give the county commission more time to consider it.

“I asked Brad to see if they (Motorola) would be willing to extend the deadline to February. He said they would but that we (county) might not be able to get the same technology such as Wi Fi capabilities that those radios could perform inside buildings (if we wait)”.

“How could we lose technology if we just wait one month” asked Commissioner Glynn Merriman.

Mullinax, who was in attendance at Thursday night’s meeting, responded to Merriman’s question.

“Our Motorola representative said he would extend that offer out to February 19 with the understanding that if we make changes to the scope of the project it may change the price a little bit,” explained Mullinax.

“For example, the scope of the project that we initially included was a certain type of radio, an APX8000 radio which we thought was going to be fine. We went to the school system and found out that they had just recently upgraded their Wi Fi technology inside the schools. Because of that we are going to have to change that model around to get a little bit different radio (to ensure Wi Fi backup capabilities in school buildings),” said Mullinax.

Although the school system is not included in this project, school resource officers inside the school buildings will need to have these new radios for better communication ability.

“These radios are just for public safety (sheriff’s department, county fire department, rescue squad and for EMS portables and base station radios. Mobile radios only that go into ambulances will be supplied by the state),” said Mullinax. “There is no allocation for school buses and school personnel. This is just strictly for public safety. They (schools) can piggyback off the system and utilize it but there are no radios allocated for the school system. There will be a radio for each of the five school resource officers and a mobile radio that goes in their cars with a vehicle repeater,” said Mullinax.

Quinn Sheradon of Motorola Solutions, who was also in attendance at the commission meeting Thursday night, was asked how many years these new radios could be expected to last.

“We usually recommend updating every seven or eight years but you can ask neighboring counties and people are using them for ten plus years. Although this is a big investment, these things are built to last,” said Sheradon.

According to Mullinax, radios are only part of the problem. The larger concern is the county’s communication infrastructure that would be addressed by upgrading its technology and joining the TACN network. “A lot of the portable radios that I see the deputies and EMS carry are not public safety grade radios and they don’t last five, seven or ten years but the biggest problem we have in the county right now is the infrastructure piece of this like the piece on Short Mountain, Snow Hill, and in the Jefferson community. These are the pieces we can’t get fixed if there is a major problem. What we have is very antiquated technology,” said Mullinax.

With the new technology, Mullinax explained that if a site goes down (such as at Short Mountain), the county could transmit off other towers. “In our immediate area and around us there are tower sites all over the place including two on Short Mountain, and one in Cookeville, Mount Defiance near Watertown, and one in Sparta and we have been roaming off these towers. If we were to take a lightning strike at our own tower on Short Mountain, we would be down for a significant amount of time without the new technology. There is also a great edge to being with TACN as far as maintenance of this new equipment. If we had a tornado come through and take out all of our radio equipment, it would not be our problem. It would be the state of Tennessee’s problem. We wouldn’t have to absorb that cost,” said Mullinax.

At the last workshop meeting when Mullinax presented his request, only half the commissioners were in attendance to hear the presentation. Commissioner Tony Luna, who was at that meeting, asked Thursday night if a special called commission meeting could be held prior to January 19 to give all fourteen commissioners another chance to attend to learn more about the issue and the Motorola proposal before being asked to vote on it. Commissioner Myron Rhody added that county department heads should also be included in that meeting.

Commissioner Tom Chandler admonished the commission to think about the issue thoroughly because after seven years, when these radios are paid for and the warranty expires, they may have to be replaced putting the county in the position of having to go through this process again.

“This subject is bigger than just buying some radios,” said Chandler. “There was an issue raised in our audit report about centralized purchasing. To me this looks like a good example for why we should have centralized purchasing. I’m not necessarily saying whether I am going to vote yeah or nay on this particular thing. There is a maintenance issue here with these radios that will spread across the departments. I believe the departments are probably going to raise some issues in regard to that. Radios are expensive. My understanding is that the warranty on these radios is seven years. I think the deal Motorola offered was like $346,000 per year for seven years. Guess what? We are going to be paying $346,000 a year forever because in seven years these radios are going to need to be replaced. And by the way, these radios are not going to be priced at $10,000 each then. They may be $12,500 each or some other number. We need to be conscious of that and we need to be looking at this as a county as to how this is going to be handled. I believe there might be some value in putting the purchase of this in the 911 area because maybe there is some way there to get some funding for the maintenance in support of this through the state. If we were to do this in a centralized way, where does it set in the budget for the county” asked Commissioner Chandler.

Commissioner Daniel Cripps asked that the proposal by Mullinax and Motorola be made available to the commission in writing, and he asked County Mayor Adcock if other and possible better financing options (perhaps through a local bank) could be explored other than through Motorola.

“Would you be willing to call around to some of the banks and find out what the options are for us,” asked County Mayor Adcock

“Whether or not they will tell me I don’t know. I would think that would be something for the internal government,” Cripps responded.

“I’ll work with you on it. We can work on it together if that is something you want to pursue,” replied County Mayor Adcock.

Commissioner Jeff Barnes inquired about the possibility of a seven-year bond to fund the radio purchase.

“I did mention it to Steve Bates (county fiscal agent) about putting it on a bond and he thought that probably would not be the best idea because with the more things you put on there (debt) it may hurt our bond rating. We are already talking about potentially big projects with the jail and school so he (Bates) said because of that it probably would not be best to do a bond for the radios although it is possible to do it. He said it would probably be better to do the Motorola financing plan instead,” said County Mayor Adcock.

Again, even if the county makes the radio purchase through Motorola and enters into their seven-year financing plan, the county will still have to find the funds to pay for it.

“This isn’t going to be paid for with money we have there for it. I think we are able to do the first year because of the $300,000 contribution 911 is offering to us. I believe we (county) could probably supply the other $46,000 out of our capital projects fund for the first year but it’s a matter for the budget committee to find out what our revenue source is going to be to continue those $346,000 payments for the remaining six years. We will have to pull pennies (property tax rate cents) from something else at budget time to pay for it or find new pennies (local revenue) to make up for it. It (funding) has to come from somewhere,” said County Mayor Adcock.

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