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Woman Found Passed out in her Vehicle Faces Drug Charges

September 3, 2010

by:

Dwayne Page

A woman found passed out in her vehicle Thursday was arrested on drug charges after Smithville Police found drug paraphernalia in the automobile and pills in her purse.

48 year old Darcie E Cantrell of West Main Street is charged with two counts of possession of a schedule II drug, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Lieutenant Steven Leffew was dispatched to Regions Bank on the public square to check out a complaint about a woman who was passed out in a vehicle in front of the bank. Lieutenant Leffew knocked on the window and awoke Cantrell. She told the officer that she had been to the bank to withdraw money to pay her bills. Ms. Cantrell was asked if she had taken any medication. She replied "yes" and gave the officer consent to search her vehicle and purse. Found in the vehicle were a square plate and a glass pipe. A total of thirteen various types of pills were found in her purse and she had no prescription for them. Bond for Cantrell is $4,000 and her court date is September 16th.

Meanwhile, 27 year old Courtney Anne Paris of West Broad Street was arrested by Detective Matt Holmes on Friday, September 3rd for three counts of possession of a schedule II drug for resale, two counts of possession of a schedule III drug for resale, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, simple possession of a schedule III drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia. On Thursday, August 26th, K-9 Officer Bradley Tatrow arrested Paris for possession of drug paraphernalia. The Smithville Police Department was assisting probation officers on a home visit at a local motel where Ms. Paris gave them consent to search. In a bathroom drawer, police recovered two used hypodermic needles and four cut straws containing residue. Warrants were taken Friday, September 3rd against Paris for the drugs found in the room. Upon serving the warrants, Detective Matt Holmes, Corporal Travis Bryant and Officer David Phillips searched Ms. Paris' apartment and recovered drug paraphernalia and a schedule III drug. Bond for Paris is $154,000 and her court date is September 16th.

50 year old Rhonda Lyndale Adams of Nashville was arrested on Saturday, August 28th for driving on a suspended license. Adams was operating a motor vehicle and was stopped for speeding by Officer David Phillips. A computer check revealed her license was suspended for failure to satisfy a citation in Davidson County. Bond for Adams is
$1,000 and her court date is September 29th.

30 year old Nieka Daniell Barrett of Fisher Avenue was cited for theft of merchandise on Sunday, August 29th. Officer David Phillips was dispatched to Rite Aid Pharmacy where he spoke with Ms. Barrett. She allegedly admitted to taking four packs of razor blades and putting them in her purse. Her court date is October 7th.

38 year old Robbie Lee Newlin of Luttrell Avenue was arrested on Saturday, August 28th for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and vandalism. Officer Matt Farmer was dispatched to 817 Luttrell Avenue to investigate a complaint of a man and woman who were fighting. Upon arrival Officer Farmer saw Newlin walking toward him. According to Officer Farmer, Newlin had a "busted mouth" and several marks on his torso. Newlin said that the woman had struck him in the mouth and had hit him several other times. The woman claims that Newlin had assaulted her. By this time, Lieutenant Steven Leffew and Officer David Phillips had arrived on the scene to assist. While Officer Farmer was speaking with Newlin, he allegedly became very belligerent and began cursing the officer. Newlin then moved toward Officer Farmer. He was told to step back but replied that he was not going to move. After being told several times to step back, Newlin allegedly continued to refuse and he became more belligerent. The three officers attempted to restrain him but he aggressively resisted being cuffed and had to be taken to the ground. As Newlin continued resisting, Lieutenant Leffew sprayed him with his OC (chemical) spray. Newlin was then cuffed and placed into Officer Farmer's patrol car. Newlin allegedly continued to threaten the officers and he began kicking the right rear window of the patrol car, knocking it off track. Officer Phillips was able to fix the window but while being transported to the police department, Newlin kicked out the same window again causing it to shatter. Bond for Newlin is $5,000 and his court date is September 16th.

23 year old Robert Grady Cox of Miller Road was arrested for criminal impersonation on Thursday, September 2nd. Officer James Cornelius was called to City Walk Apartments to check out a complaint about a drunk driver when a vehicle matching the description he was given pulled into the parking lot. When Officer Cornelius asked for identification, Cox stated he did not have one and gave a fake name. Other personal information he gave was also false. Bond for Cox is $1,500 and his court date is October 7th.

26 year old Gregory Mark Guidry of Puckett Point Road was arrested on Thursday, September 2nd for driving on a suspended license. Guidry was operating a motor vehicle and was stopped by Officer James Cornelius for a light violation. A computer check of his license revealed them to be suspended for failure to satisfy a citation. Bond for Guidry is $1,000 and his court date is October 7th.

27 year old Ashley Leann Lich of Kendra Drive was cited for theft on Friday, September 3rd. Lich was in the Dollar Store where she allegedly put some hair products and nail polish in her purse. She was checking out when Officer David Phillips arrived. After checking out, she went back in the store apparently in an attempt to dispose of the items in her purse. Her court date is October 14th.

Anyone having any information on any criminal offense is asked to please contact the Smithville Police Department at 597-8210 or the Tip Line at 464-6046.

Any information received that will help the Smithville Police Department solve any criminal offense will be greatly appreciated. All information is confidential.

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City, County, and School System to Consider Proposal to Share Cost of Directing Traffic at Northside Elementary

September 2, 2010

by:

Dwayne Page

Alderman Steve White, Mayor Taft Hendrixson, County Mayor Mike Foster

Police Chief Randy Caplinger, Alderman Aaron Meeks

Parents and others who want someone to direct traffic in the busy school zone at Northside Elementary School may get their wish.

A plan is being proposed for the County, the City of Smithville, and the Board of Education to share in the cost of funding the position of one crossing guard or officer to direct traffic in the mornings and afternoons for a total of approximately four hours a day, Monday through Friday, in the school zone at Northside Elementary School. County Mayor Mike Foster says the cost is estimated to be eight to nine thousand dollars per year, which could be split equally between the county, city, and school system. In addition, Foster says the school board will be asked to employ the person to do the job, preferably someone who is trained and already knows how to direct traffic.

City and county officials met Thursday evening at the courthouse to discuss the issue, including County Mayor Mike Foster, Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson, Smithville Alderman Steve White, Smithville Alderman/Police Commissioner Aaron Meeks, and Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger. Others attending were Sheriff Patrick Ray, County Commissioner/School Bus Driver Jimmy Poss, and School Transportation Manager Peggy Pursell.

Neither of the school board members nor Director of Schools Mark Willoughby were present because they were already scheduled to attend another meeting.

Mayor Hendrixson said he would place this issue on the agenda for discussion during Tuesday night's special meeting of the city council. Mayor Hendrixson and Aldermen White and Meeks seemed to indicate that they could support this proposal.

County Mayor Foster said he also thinks it's a good idea and he will present it to the county commission to get their blessing. "I think it's what we should do. I think we should join together and solve the problem that is a dangerous situation. We've got factories out there where vehicles are coming and going about the same time as the kids are. You've got a lot of traffic on that road. The other schools primarily are on five lanes of traffic and vehicles can get in and out easier. This one (Northside) is the one we get the most complaints about as the most dangerous so I think it's a good situation for everybody involved to have somebody there who can direct traffic and get them in and out quicker and more safely."

Police Chief Caplinger admits that while traffic concerns are perhaps greater at Northside Elementary than the other schools, the department has chosen to have officers run stationary radar there instead of directing traffic. " When you see a (patrol) car setting down there (Northside), the officer is running stationary radar. They are catching speeders coming into the zone and cars going out of the zone. It depends on where we're at, if we're at the high school, we sometimes do moving radar trying to slow the traffic down prior to the school zone. If the traffic is going slow when it comes into the zone, it's not as much of a problem. A lot of cars (motorists) wait until they get right at the zone until they let up and then the traffic starts backing up and some of them don't let up."

Caplinger adds that another problem the department faces is that if city police officers were assigned to direct traffic, there would most likely be times when they would be summoned to answer an emergency call or work a wreck, leaving the school zone unattended.

Director of Schools Mark Willoughby, when contacted by WJLE late Thursday night seemed less than enthusiastic about the funding proposal as it relates to the school system, and said he'd rather not make a comment at this time, but that he would make a statement later.

The sheriff's department monitors traffic in the school zone at DeKalb West School and Sheriff Ray says that will continue."We take care of the West School with the school traffic in the mornings and we try to do it most every afternoon. Until the school board or the county decides to hire a school crossing guard down there, then we'll continue to offer that service to them."

There are currently no plans to fund a crossing guard at DeKalb West.

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