Local News Articles

Star Manufacturing Hosts Chili Cook-Off

Star Manufacturing recently hosted a Chili Cook-Off Contest for their employees.

Twenty-four entries were judged by County Mayor Mike Foster, Sheriff Patrick Ray, Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss, and Chamber Director Suzanne Williams. After the judging, all employees were invited for lunch. Chili contest winners: 1st Place -Misty Wilson, 2nd place - Hector Caballero, 3rd place - Sheryl Cripps.

Row 1

Chamber Director Suzanne Williams, Plant Manager Anthony Brewer; Crystal Rowland, H.R. Clerk; 1st Place Winner Misty Wilson, 3rd Place Winner Sheryl Cripps; Kara Davis, H.R. Administrator; County Mayor Mike Foster

Row 2

Sheriff Patrick Ray, 2nd Place Winner Hector Caballero, Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss

Representative Weaver Sponsoring Student Self-Defense Legislation

A bill proposed by state Representative Terri Lynn Weaver would allow Tennessee students to fight back against bullying in schools without fear of punishment.

The Student Self-Defense bill would amend current zero-tolerance policies for fighting in schools that generally punishes any student involved in a fight no matter who initiated the confrontation. The rule calls for all parties involved in a fight to be punished equally.

(PLAY VIDEO BELOW OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE TERRI LYNN WEAVER AND STATE SENATOR MAE BEAVERS IN INTERVIEW WITH WJLE AFTER TOWN HALL MEETING FRIDAY IN SMITHVILLE)

During her "Coffee and Conversations" town hall meeting Friday, Weaver said the bill will give principals more discretion, rather than having to suspend all parties involved. "Throughout the state, not necessarily in District 40, but there has been numerous cases where a child is being beat to heck by a bully and he will not defend himself because he's either a football player or he is in some event in school and doesn't want to be suspended. Some of these cases are pretty brutal. In one case, there was this (fight) going on in a hallway (between two students) and a third (student) was standing by the locker. One of the kids in the fight wouldn't defend himself so the third student went over and started defending this kid. All three of them got suspended. I don't see justice in that," said Weaver. The current law states there is zero tolerance in our schools for this kind of activity," said Weaver.

Weaver said her bill doesn't promote violence but rather allows students to stand up for themselves without retribution. Sometimes bullies are enabled by zero-tolerance policies knowing the punishment will be the same for victims she said. "Am I promoting fighting? No. I just want the principals to be empowered to make a common sense decision because most of these principals know who these agitators are. This bill would allow principals to suspend that kid or that troublemaker and not suspend the kid who didn't want to do anything. Some of these kids have walked away (from a fight) and they are still being beat up," said Weaver.

Man Airlifted After Sunday Crash on South Congress Boulevard

A 36 year old McMinnville man was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital after a two vehicle crash Sunday afternoon on South Congress Boulevard in front of Jewel's Market.

Central dispatch received the call at 3:11 p.m.

Corporal Travis Bryant of the Smithville Police Department told WJLE that 39 year old Carol Ann Tipton of McMinnville was driving south in a 1999 Chevy Cavalier when she turned left into the path of a northbound Jeep Cherokee, driven by 19 year old Jason Michael Petre of McMinnville. Tipton was attempting to pull into the parking lot of Jewel's Market. The impact forced Tipton's car into a wooden fence by the highway.

A passenger of Tipton's car, 36 year old Christopher Daniel Gibbs of McMinnville, was trapped and had to be extricated by members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department. A Life Force helicopter ambulance landed in the highway near the scene to airlift Gibbs.

Petre was not injured but Tipton was taken by DeKalb EMS to the hospital.

According to Corporal Bryant, Tipton was cited for improper turn and violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance)

Corporal Bryant was assisted at the scene by Captain Steven Leffew of the Smithville Police Department and Constable Johnny King.

Legal Community Urges State Lawmakers to Oppose Judicial Redistricting

Local attorneys, judges, court clerks and others who work in the judicial system Friday morning met with State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver and State Senator Mae Beavers during a town hall meeting urging them to vote against a proposed judicial redistricting plan that would make DeKalb County part of a new eight county district.

"We don't think there is a problem," said General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II who is president of the DeKalb County Bar.

(Play Videos Below)

The proposal to move DeKalb County from the current makeup of the 13th Judicial District to a new district is among options being considered by the Republican leadership in the Tennessee General Assembly, particularly Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey. But both State Representative Weaver and State Senator Beavers said they don't know yet what the final proposal will be for lawmakers to consider. "I've not heard from Mr. Ramsey yet. I've asked for an appointment but I haven't gotten one yet," said Representative Weaver. "I'm still pursing that. But as soon as I sit down and listen to the story then I will consider both sides and get back with you and give you my decision. But right now I'm not for it," she said.

"I'm very concerned about access to justice," said Representative Weaver. "I am also concerned about the children of this state. I'm concerned about what happens to kids in child cases and if
redistricting is going to destroy those relationships. That's my priority. Because for some kids these caseworkers is all they have," said Representative Weaver.

Judge Cook said while judicial redistricting has not occurred in nearly thirty years, judgeships have been created across the state to meet needs in specific areas. "I just got back this week from our General Sessions Judges Conference in Nashville where Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court Gary Wade explained that under the current system and the way we do it now based on weighted caseload, if there is a particular area that needs a new judge then that's where the judge goes. He said since 1984 there has been 31 new judgeships created to fill those spots across the state that need it without having to go in and start carving up districts. That has worked well. Plus, the legislature paid about $250,000 to get a study done just four years ago that says the way we're doing it now is working fine," said Judge Cook.

In addition to the fact that it is not needed, Judge Cook said redistricting could create more hardship in terms of travel for litigants. The proposed new district would stretch from Macon County to Coffee County. "The farthest we have to drive right now is Livingston. I can be there in 55 minutes. " I hardly ever have to though because the judges come to DeKalb County often enough that we don't have to go there. But look at the litigants who would have to drive from Macon or Trousdale County almost all the way to Alabama and there is no easy way to get there," said Judge Cook.

Representative Weaver said a judge from another district recently expressed to her support for redistricting suggesting it might get more prisoners through the system quicker and save the state money. Judge David Patterson disputed that claim. "Public defenders, judges, and district attorneys move cases along as quickly as they can. It cannot be done any quicker by redistricting. It will not make things happen faster," he said.

"One of the things that has concerned all of us is the way this has been handled," said attorney Hilton Conger. "Nobody heard about it. I think it was leaked out about three months ago. You (Weaver) have not even seen a fiscal note on it," said Conger.

Since the proposal was revealed, Lieutenant Governor Ramsey has requested input from others on alternative redistricting plans, but Conger asked why submit a plan when none is needed? "When he says we want to see what your plan is, our plan is leave it just like it is. The Lieutenant Governor had said I want input by today (March 1). Now he has moved it up to next Friday. He says send me a proposal. Our concern is if we don't propose something, it may be taken as acquiescence in his plan. We don't think there is a problem so the message we need from you as our representative to get to him (Lieutenant Governor) is just because you haven't heard from these folks presenting some plan doesn't mean they are in favor of your plan because we are not," said Conger.

Representative Weaver and Senator Beavers said they understand the concerns of the legal community and will express them to the Lieutenant Governor and the sponsors of the Judicial redistricting legislation. "We have to look at the big picture. We haven't really seen the bill yet. We haven't heard all the pros and cons. We've heard some pros and cons from the locals here in DeKalb County today. We will take everything into consideration before we vote to make sure we cast our vote the right way," said Senator Beavers.

DA Says DTC's Craig Gates Not Under Investigation for Extortion

The District Attorney General's Office is not conducting an extortion investigation in connection with allegations made by two former employees of DTC Communications who have brought a wrongful termination federal lawsuit against the company and it's CEO Craig Gates.

In an interview with WJLE Friday, Randy York, District Attorney General for the 13th Judicial District, said that "an attorney for one of the plaintiff's had contacted the district attorney general's office and asked that we open an investigation. He had some material he wanted me to look at. I reviewed the material and I did not see a violation of our criminal statutes and did not authorize an investigation," said York.

As WJLE reported earlier this week, Claiming they were the victims of a scheme to get rid of them and others, James A Vaden of Carthage and Kevin C. Young of Smithville, the two former DTC employees, filed a federal court lawsuit against DTC Communications and Craig Gates in November claiming they were the victims of extortion and wrongful termination. Vaden and Young contend that the defendants, DTC and Gates, wrongfully interfered with their employee benefits and improperly denied them their severance benefits.

Attorneys for Vaden and Young included in the lawsuit that "As of the date of filing this Complaint, investigators in the 13th and 15th Judicial Districts are exploring criminal charges of extortion against Gates based on his actions leading up to Vaden's and Young's termination, focusing in particular on the specifics of the Agreement of Suspension".

Again, York said neither Gates nor DTC Communications is under investigation for extortion by his office.
The dismissal of both Vaden and Young apparently was the result of a probe into allegations that a group of DTC employees had participated in a scheme to sell copper cable owned by the company for their own benefit. Vaden and Young claim they did not participate in such a scheme.

Gates and DTC Communications have answered the lawsuit, denying the allegations made by Vaden and Young.

Dewaine Jennings Receives Trooper of Year Honor in Cookeville District

Trooper Dewaine Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, for the second time in four years, has been named Trooper of the Year for the Cookeville District.

Jennings, a resident of Smithville, was among twelve members of the THP who were honored as Troopers of the Year for their individual districts during a special ceremony held Thursday evening in Murfreesboro.

The overall 2012 Trooper of the Year for the state is Trooper Nathan W. Hall in the Fall Branch District that includes Sullivan County. In addition to Trooper Hall's statewide recognition, State Troopers in each of the THP's districts received district Trooper of the Year honors. Awards were also given to the Investigator of the Year and Interdiction Trooper of the Year, while 10 troopers were recognized for their DUI enforcement.

"Each award recipient has shown their dedication to public service and to the safety and security of the state of Tennessee by their extraordinary accomplishments," Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons said. "It's an honor to recognize them for their service tonight and to honor their sacrifice year-round." Trooper Hall earned the honor after preventing a possible suicide attempt by a juvenile last December in Sullivan County.

"Trooper Hall is a great example of what is expected of a Tennessee State Trooper. He's professional, courageous, works hard and has a positive attitude. His actions on the night of December 16, 2012 were nothing short of heroic. Trooper Hall is an outstanding representative of our agency and deserves the Trooper of the Year recognition," Colonel Tracy Trott said.

Trooper Jennings was named the 2012 Trooper of the Year in the THP's Cookeville District after looking beyond the ticket on a traffic stop made on August 25, 2012. Trooper Jennings stopped a vehicle for speeding and upon contact with the two occupants noticed suspicious behavior. He then ran a validation check on the 19-year old driver and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for statutory rape. Trooper Jennings detained the driver and began questioning his female passenger. It was discovered that the female passenger was 13-years old and was the girlfriend of the male driver. Trooper Jennings contacted the girls' mother and transported the two to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office for further investigation. It was later revealed that the 13-year old female had been raped by an older adult and the mother had been advised to keep her away from older men. The boyfriend admitted to a sexual relationship with the female juvenile, and her mother admitted to being aware of the relationship. Both the 19-year old male and the juvenile's mother were arrested. Trooper Jennings thorough investigation in this case resulted in the discovery of a crime. Additionally, his trooper activity ranks second in the district with 23 DUI arrests and second in total citations with 837.

Tonya Hattaway Named THP Dispatcher of the Year

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) named Tonya Hattaway of Smithville as the 2012 Dispatcher of the Year at a special award ceremony held Thursday evening in Murfreesboro. Hattaway, who is assigned to the THP’s Cookeville District, earned the honor for an incident last February in which she helped find a woman who was thought to be harmful to herself and sent a trooper to the woman’s aide.

“Hattaway always goes the extra mile for the safety of her colleagues and the public. She strives to go above and beyond in every situation and lives have been saved because of it,” Colonel Tracy Trott said.

Tonya Hattaway earned the THP Dispatcher of the Year honor for preventing a possible suicide attempt in February 2012 after she received a call from a distressed woman who believed a loved one was traveling by car to Crossville with intentions of taking her own life. Hattaway requested the troubled woman’s cell phone number and contacted her several times to establish her location. Hattaway spent three hours trying to locate the woman. Once she did, Hattaway dispatched a trooper to her location; the trooper made contact and transported the woman to a hospital where she could receive help. Hattaway was also instrumental in the arrest of a child predator in Dekalb County. Hattaway and the trooper she was assisting looked beyond a “normal traffic stop” and determined the driver, who had a teenage girl with him, was wanted for child molestation in another county.

In addition to Hattaway’s statewide recognition, dispatchers in each of the THP’s districts received district Dispatcher of the Year honors.

“The THP dispatchers are unsung heroes, the ones who keep in constant contact with all troopers to help ensure their safety and the safety of the public,” Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons said. “They are an absolute vital part of the Highway Patrol and share the title of ‘Tennessee’s Finest,’” Gibbons added.

Lawsuit Against Election Commissions Expected to be Dismissed

A federal judge is expected to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the DeKalb County Election Commission and several others in Tennessee brought by former administrators of elections in 2009 who claim they did not get to keep their jobs for political reasons.

In an order filed last week, U.S. District Judge Kevin H. Sharp found that "the position of county administrator of elections is a political position, subject to patronage dismissal."

The case now goes to Magistrate Judge Joe Brown for further review in light of the court's ruling. "The judge's ruling is limited to this party affiliation issue and he has sent the case back to the Magistrate Judge, it appears to decide whether or not there is anything else that needs to be addressed. If not, we expect to see a final order dismissing the case in favor of the election commissions and when that happens the plaintiffs will have a window of time to appeal the court's ruling or portions of it to the sixth circuit court of appeals" said Nashville Attorney John Harris, III, who represents the DeKalb County Election Commission in this case.

Former DeKalb County Election Administrator Lisa Peterson and the other former administrators filed the lawsuit in July 2009 against the defendant county election commissions, claiming that their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated when they were removed from their jobs because of their actual, or perceived, political party association. The former administrators asked the court to order their reinstatement, or in the alternative, order that they receive front pay for a reasonable amount of time. They wanted full back pay and a judgment for compensatory damages and punitive damages and an award for reasonable attorneys fees. Locally, the lawsuit named as defendants the three Republicans on the DeKalb County Election Commission James Dean, Walteen Parker, and Barbara Vanatta.

"The main thrust of the case was that these democratic administrators of elections who were replaced or thought they were being replaced in 2009 all sued claiming that they could not be terminated because of party affiliation being democrats," said Harris in a telephone interview with WJLE. "But this month the federal district judge who has the case issued a ruling that the position of administrator of elections under Tennessee law is one that has sufficient political discretion so that federal law would allow individuals holding that office to be terminated based on no reason other than political party affiliation," said Harris. "We're not saying that's necessarily what happened to Mrs. Peterson, but the court has found that even if that's why she was not reappointed that this would be allowable under federal law because of the political involvement of that specific office in making decisions," said Harris. "According to the court, because of the political discretion of that office it would be permissible for an election commission to either refuse to hire or to refuse to appoint or even to terminate someone based on nothing more than party affiliation," according to Harris.

The defendants' first legal victory in the case came in December, 2010 when U.S. District Judge Thomas Wiseman found that the Republican election commissioners named in the lawsuit in DeKalb and other counties were not subject to liability for monetary damages sought, in either their official or individual capacities as "state actors" or state officials. After Wiseman's ruling, attorneys for the former administrators or plaintiffs filed an appeal to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals but the appeal was later dismissed as premature, meaning that more proceedings must have been held at the trial court level before an appeal could be considered at the appellate level.

A Chancery Court lawsuit against the Republicans on the local election commission, filed by Peterson in 2009 prior to the federal lawsuit, was also recently dismissed according to Harris. "This was a case alleging that back in 2009 the election commission violated the Open Meetings Act. But after we got through the discovery phase, taking depositions Mrs. Peterson's attorney voluntarily dismissed that claim," he said.

In the Chancery Court action, Peterson contended that the Republican controlled election commission had violated the Open Meetings Act, State law, and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee "by a majority of its members' meeting, communicating, and deliberating in private, secretly deciding and agreeing to terminate her employment, and secretly deciding and agreeing to appoint a Republican to the position of administrator of elections prior to the April 24th, 2009 public meeting of the commission."

For decades, the local election commission had been controlled by Democrats. But when Republicans came to power in the state legislature in 2009, they also took control of the Tennessee election commission as well as county election commissions across the state

On April 24, 2009, the five member DeKalb County Election Commission, made up of three Republicans and two Democrats met to re-organize and to appoint an administrator of elections. Peterson, a Democrat who had been administrator for DeKalb County since 1998, did not receive enough votes to get reappointed. The vote was 2 to 2 along party lines with the Republican Chairman Walteen Parker opting not to vote. The commission then voted 3 to 2 along party lines to appoint Dennis Stanley, a Republican, to the position.

Chairman Parker explained during the April 2009 meeting that since the administrator position was "open" with a new election commission, Peterson was not being fired, just not re-hired. She added that the administrator serves at the pleasure of the election commission. " I don't look at this as a dismissal, but simply as not a re-hire. The position was open with the new commission and therefore the commission has spoken for Mr. (Dennis) Stanley," said Chairman Parker.

She also denied assertions, during the meeting, that the Republican majority violated the open meetings law. "I would like to go on record as saying there have not been any secret meetings among anybody about what is going on," said Chairman Parker.

Peterson and the other former administrators who filed the federal lawsuit have been represented by attorneys, W. Gary Blackburn and John Ray Clemmons of Blackburn & McCune, PPLC in Nashville.