Local News Articles

A fire Thursday night left a DeKalb County family homeless.

The Dan Street family, who lived at 5640 Dry Creek Road, lost their home and belongings in the fire. The local chapter of the American Red Cross is now working to meet the immediate needs of the Street family.

Central dispatch received the call at 7:13 p.m. from someone who spotted the flames from a distance and thought it to be a forest fire. But when firefighters arrived, they discovered it was a structure fire. County Fire Chief Donny Green said the home was already too far gone and could not be saved.

According to Chief Green, the Street family had left home around 6:30 p.m. to visit relatives so no one was home at the time of the fire. The cause of the blaze is undetermined.

The home, rented by the Street family, belongs to Jimmy Byford.

Members of the Main Station of the county volunteer fire department and the brush truck responded to the scene along with officers of the Sheriff's Department.

Meanwhile, a fire later that night at 11:57 p.m. destroyed a barn on Cecil Hale Road. Members of the Short Mountain Highway and Blue Springs stations of the County Volunteer Fire Department responded. No one was injured.

If you see emergency vehicles at Shiroki North America today (Friday), don't be alarmed.

Local emergency services are staging a mock disaster there.

Charlie Parker, Smithville Fire Chief and DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency Director, said the drill will be how local officials respond in the event of a major fire at a large industrial building. "We're going to be conducting a disaster drill in Smithville today (Friday). It's a prepared drill training exercise for our local law enforcement, EMS, and fire and rescue personnel. It will also involve DeKalb Community Hospital. We'll conduct this exercise at SW Manufacturing. They have been nice to let us use their facility to conduct the drill. We will simulate a fire at that facility so there will be a lot of emergency vehicles around the SW manufacturing building and moving back and forth between the hospital. We just want to let everybody know that it is a drill. It will go on for a few hours. We'll be practicing emergency operations to get better prepared for emergencies in our county," said Chief Parker.

Two men arrested by the Alexandria Police Department in separate burglary investigations in January were in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Wednesday.

Judge Leon Burns, Jr. presided.

22 year old Andrew Dalton West pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and received a five year sentence to serve 30% before his release eligibility date. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Smith County case against him. He was given jail credit from February 18 to November 14, 2012

20 year old Marv Richardson Cash, who was indicted on charges of aggravated burglary, theft over $1,000, and vandalism over $500, pleaded guilty to the theft charge in October but appeared for sentencing Wednesday where he was granted judicial diversion for one year. The other charges were dismissed.

Cash was picked up on Friday, January 20 and charged with breaking into a residence on Flemming Street in Alexandria while West was arrested on Thursday, January 26 and charged with burglary and theft at 137 Avant Circle in Alexandria.

In the case involving Cash, Alexandria Police Chief Mark Collins told WJLE at the time that police were called to a residence on Flemming Street on January 20 to take a burglary report. "Someone had taken a brick and busted out a window to gain entry. While inside the home, they took a 55 inch LED TV valued at $1,300 and left through the back door. Later in the investigation, an eye witness stated they saw a black male around 6:30 a.m. identified as Marv Cash carrying a large object from the home covered in a blanket. The TV and blanket were later recovered in some nearby bushes." said Chief Collins.

Cash was arrested and charged in the case.

Meanwhile, in the West case, Chief Collins told WJLE at the time that police responded to a call at 137 Avant Circle on Thursday, January 26 to investigate a burglary. "The victim told police that someone had entered their home by cutting a screen and raising a window. While inside, they had taken two car speakers and other miscellaneous objects. While speaking with neighbors, one witness stated they had seen West inside the home going through personal belongings while another witness stated they had seen West around 6:30 a.m. loading the objects into a blue van. Later that morning, West was found and arrested in the case. Some of the items were recovered at the residence where West was staying," said Chief Collins.

In other cases Wednesday, 42 year old Randy Caldwell pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule II controlled substance. He received a three year sentence and was fined $2,000. The sentence is to run concurrently with another case against him.

42 year old Anthony Colwell pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to probation.

39 year old Scottie Sykes pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and received a five year sentence, split with one year in custody and credit for 358 days of time served.

63 year old Steven M. White pleaded guilty by information to reckless endangerment and received a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days. He was fined $350. White will be on supervised probation.

A 40 year old DeKalb County man, currently serving a 35 year prison sentence in the fatal shooting of Joshua Murphy in September, 2002, is scheduled for a parole hearing in March, 2013, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction

Christopher Nicholas Orlando, convicted of facilitation of first degree murder, is incarcerated at the Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City, Tennessee.

Murphy was shot and killed in a secluded area in the Laurel Hill Community at the end of Old Eagle Creek Road on Sunday, September 15, 2002. His body was discovered three days later. Officials said Orlando and a co-defendant, Melvin Turnbill suspected Murphy of stealing methamphetamine.

Turnbill, now 40 years old, pled guilty to facilitation of first degree murder prior to the trial of Orlando and received a twenty five year prison sentence. Under terms of the plea agreement, Turnbill agreed to testify for the state.

After a jury trial, Orlando was convicted and on June 23, 2004, the trial court sentenced him as a Range II, multiple offender to 40 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Orlando's motion for a new trial was denied on April 18, 2005. At this hearing, the trial court modified Orlando's sentence to reflect a sentence of 35 years, concluding that the imposed 40 year sentence was inappropropriate.

Turnbill is incarcerated at the Southeastern Tennessee State Regional Correctional Facility in Pikeville and will be up for parole in April, 2014, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Orlando filed an appeal but the court of criminal appeals upheld the sentence in August 2006.