Still No Action on Future of City Golf Course

The Smithville aldermen have still not taken action on the future of the golf course.

During Monday night's city council meeting, Alderman Steve White mentioned that the greens would be re-seeded and fertilized once the weather warms up. "The seeding and fertilizing of the greens hasn't been done yet. They're waiting on some warmer days in a row. Otherwise if they put the seed down it wouldn't germinate properly so it would be just wasted money if we did it right now, until we have a few 40 to 50 degree days in a row."

White also made a motion that bids be advertised once specs are drawn up on repairs and maintenance of the municipal swimming pool. The board approved White's motion. "I met with one of the guys who has done work on the pool in the past. With it (pool) empty we needed to see how bad it was. He looked at it. I think what we need to do is go ahead and advertise and get some bids in that way we can get a jump on the pool because it will take quite a bit of time for them to finish it. There's quite a few cracks (in the pool). There are some softer spots or leaks and some structure cracks. All of those have to be repaired and then of course it'll need the gel coating. That should hold it for approximately ten years", said White.

Alderman Aaron Meeks also mentioned that some maintenance work will have to be done soon on the clubhouse, but no action was taken on that Monday night. "From the visit we made to the golf course, there's going to be some repairs that's going to be required on the club house. It's not been maintained through neglect or whatever, I don't know the reason and I wouldn't begin to establish a reason or cause but there's going to have to be some renovations and improvements made to the clubhouse at some point in time too", said Meeks.

With no tenant or anyone to manage it, the municipal golf course remains closed for now.

Meanwhile, the aldermen approved the list of officers and members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department. Chief Charlie Parker included the request in his monthly report to the board. Parker said the department held it's election of officers about an hour before the meeting of the mayor and aldermen Monday night. The following officers and members were approved by the department: Charlie Parker-Chief, Hoyte Hale-Deputy Chief, Jeff Wright-Captain and Training Officer, Danny Poss- Lieutenant, Jon Poss-Lieutenant, Donnie Cantrell-Lieutenant, Anthony Wright-Lieutenant and firefighters Wink Brown, Charles Young, Wallace Caldwell, Gary Johnson, Randall Hunt, Stephanie Wright, Glen Lattimore, Ronald Whitaker, Patrick Edge, and Greg Bess- Photographer.

Chief Parker added that "December starts a new year for the fire department. We had a busy December with a total of seven alarm calls, three motor vehicle accidents, eight landing zones, and two structure fires."

Police Chief Randy Caplinger, Bobby Pinegar of the sewer plant and Public Works Director Kevin Robinson all gave their monthly reports to the mayor and aldermen.

Concerned citizen Gary Durham addressed the mayor and aldermen briefly asking them to again consider taking action to update or develop a new twenty year plan setting goals to meet future needs. Durham said he had surveyed 44 city residents and all had expressed support for a twenty year plan. Durham added that "it's up to you to do what the people want, or what you want." Mayor Taft Hendrixson said the issue will be referred to the city planning commission which meets the first Thursday night of each month.

Unless there is a need for a special meeting, the mayor and aldermen will not convene again in regular session until Monday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m. There will be no meeting on Monday, January 17th due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday.

Woman and Boyfriend Charged with Child Abuse and Neglect

A DeKalb County woman and her boyfriend were charged Saturday with child abuse and neglect after her four year old child was found with bruises during a hospital visit.

24 year old Lois Nicole Cobble and 31 year old Carlos Lynn Godsey of Cleveland Way, Smithville are each under a $10,000 bond and they will be in General Sessions Court on January 13th

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that Cobble had taken the child to River Park Hospital in McMinnville on Saturday, January 1st for another medical reason when hospital staff apparently noticed bruises on the child's legs, back, butt, and head. The child also smelled strongly of urine.

Warren County authorities and members of the Department of Children Services were called initially. A further investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department revealed that the child had been whipped excessively with a belt and switch.

Meanwhile in another case, 19 year old Ray Darnell Underwood of Toad Road, Dowelltown is charged with initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine.

Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, December 29th, deputies checked out a tip about meth possibly being manufactured at a residence on Toad Road. The officers received consent to search Underwood's residence. Underwood accompanied the deputies to a back bedroom where they found a two liter bottle of components along with forty three other items used to manufacture meth.

Underwood will be in court on January 6th. He is under a $50,000 bond.

51 year old Kenny B. Stults of Pine Creek Drive, Smithville was charged on Thursday, December 30th with theft over $1,000.

According to Sheriff Ray, on December 2nd Stults allegedly took from a location on Cookeville Highway, a backhoe bucket, a hydraulic cylinder, and two- 48 inch forklift forks all valued at over $1,000 without the owner's consent.

Stults is under a $10,000 bond and he will be in court on February 10th.

40 year old Randy Allen Caldwell of Young Ridge Road, Sparta is charged with driving on a suspended license. Bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on January 5th. Sheriff Ray said that on December 28th, Caldwell was operating a motor vehicle on Riley Avenue when an officer spotted him. Having prior knowledge that Caldwell's license were suspended, the deputy stopped him. A computer check of the license tag revealed that the vehicle was stolen out of Knoxville. Caldwell's license were suspended on April 21st, 2008 in Smith County for failure to satisfy a citation. The sheriff's department is still investigating the case of the stolen vehicle.

31 year old Christopher David Hall of Anthony Avenue, Smithville was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. His court date is January 20th. According to Sheriff Ray, on December 28th a deputy was conducting an investigation at a residence on Anthony Avenue and during a search, the officer found in Hall's bedroom several needles, straws, and spoons with residue believed to have been used for drug paraphernalia.

31 year old Christopher Pearson Myers of Hayes Lane Road, Lancaster is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence. He was also issued a citation for violation of the implied consent law for failing to submit to a blood test. Myers is under a $1,000 bond and his court date is January 20th. Sheriff Ray said that on December 28th an officer stopped to assist a motorist, Myers, on Vaughn Lane. The vehicle was partially in the road. The deputy asked Myers to push the automobile off the road. Myers got in the vehicle and drove it about a quarter of a mile. The officer reported that Myers was unsteady on his feet. He was very jittery and unbalanced. Myers performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks.

35 year old Jeffery Spencer Stacey of Keltonburg Road was issued a citation for driving on a suspended license and violation of the light law. His court date is set for January 6th. On December 29th, Stacey was stopped for having a headlight out on his vehicle. A computer check revealed that his drivers license were suspended for failure to satisfy a citation.

19 year old Ashley Marie Singleton of Eagle Creek Road, Smithville was issued a citation on December 29th for violation of the light law and violation of the registration law. Her court date is set for January 12th. Singleton allegedly tried to avoid being pulled over by the officer twice but he stopped her after she turned onto Dogwood Circle. Her vehicle had no working tail lights.

21 year old Jamie Renee Jones of East Cox Avenue, Gainesboro is charged with driving under the influence. Her bond is $1,500 and her court date is January 20th. On December 29th, Jones was operating a vehicle on Highway 56 when she was pulled over. A witness told the arresting officer that Jones had trouble keeping the automobile in her travel lane. Jones also had a two year old child in the vehicle with her. The officer reported that Jones had pin pointed pupils and slurred speech and she performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She did submit to a blood test.

28 year old Matthew Allen Baker of Pine Orchard Road, Smithville was issued a citation for driving on a revoked license and violation of the registration law. His court date is January 6th. On December 30th, Baker was stopped on Highway 70 west for improper registration and driving on a revoked license. The officer had prior knowledge that Baker's license were revoked. A computer check confirmed that Baker's license were revoked and that the tags did not belong on this vehicle.

28 year old Christopher Sam White is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on January 6th. White is being held without bond for a violation of a drug court order. On December 30th, White was a passenger of a vehicle stopped at Hardees parking lot in Smithville for a traffic violation. After doing a background computer check on White, the officer learned that he was in violation of a drug court order. White gave the officer consent to search. A plastic bag containing methamphetamine was found in the door panel of the vehicle where White was sitting. According to the deputy, White admitted that the bag belonged to him.

20 year old Jon Archer Smith of Highway 70 east, Smithville is charged with violation of an order of protection. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court on January 13th. Smith was arrested on December 30th at the Lake Motel on Highway 70 east where he was in a room with a female, who has an order of protection against him.

26 year old Wallace Marlon Rackley of North Congress Boulevard is charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest. His bond is $7,500 bond and he will be in court on January 13th. On January 1st Rackley allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at a residence on Page Drive, leaving bruises on both of her arms and her neck where he had allegedly choked her. While deputies were at the residence to serve the warrant, Rackley allegedly refused to comply and he had to be taken down by the officers in order to handcuff him. After placing the cuffs on him, Rackley allegedly then tried to kick out the window in the back of the patrol car. He also refused to comply with officers after arriving at the jail and he had to be put down again.

34 year old Antonio Campos Lopez of Fall Creek Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court on January 13th. On January 1st, the sheriff's department received a call of a person who had passed out behind the wheel of an automobile at a business on Highway 70 west. After arriving on the scene, the officer did a welfare check on the man in the vehicle, Lopez. He had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet.