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Overton County Woman Killed in Midnight Crash

May 12, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

A 50-year-old Overton County woman lost her life when the Ford F150 she was in crashed and overturned after hitting a deer early Sunday morning on Highway 70 east near Jack Hudson Road. The wreck occurred around 12:48 a.m.

Dead is Ms. Jimmie Allen of Hilham, Tennessee in Overton County.

According to Trooper Jacob Raper of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Ms. Allen and three others, 54-year-old Stanley Hammock, 37-year-old Travis Murphy, and 46-year-old Amanda Porter were passengers of a 2017 Ford F150 traveling west on Highway 70 in the Hillcrest-Johnsons Chapel area. The pickup was driven by 55-year-old Charles Smith. All but Allen were residents of Livingston also in Overton County

Trooper Raper said after Smith’s vehicle struck the deer, it left the roadway to the right and went up an embankment before overturning. The F150 then came to rest on its top facing south across both lanes of Highway 70. Ms. Allen, though not ejected, went through the sunroof as she was not wearing her seatbelt.

Porter was airlifted to Vanderbilt hospital and Smith was taken to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. Hammock and Murphy were not injured.

Members of the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Johnsons Chapel Station and extrication team were summoned to the scene along with sheriff’s deputies, DeKalb EMS and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).




Four Smithville Anglers to Compete in Tennessee Bass Nation High School Championship on Dale Hollow Lake

May 12, 2025
By:

Four high school anglers from Smithville–Mason Taylor, Wesley Kent, Braeden Mangin, and Bill Stanton will represent their hometown in the Tennessee Bass Nation High School State Championship on May 30-31, launching from Sunset Marina on legendary Dale Hollow Lake.

These dedicated student-athletes will face off against the best high school bass fishing teams in the state, bringing their hard-earned skills to one of Tennessee’s most challenging and rewarding fisheries.

Adding to the excitement, Mason Taylor and Wesley Kent have already qualified for the 2025 Bassmaster High School Strike King National Championship, which will occur July 31-August 2 on Clarks Hill Lake in Evans, Georgia. Earning a spot in this prestigious national tournament is a testament to their talent and determination.

“We are incredibly proud of what these young anglers have achieved,” said Coach Taylor. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the sponsors who have supported the teams this season.




Pleasant Shade Man Charged with Attempted Second-Degree Murder in Saturday Night Shooting at Midnight Express Gentlemen’s Club

May 11, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

An investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation into a Saturday night shooting at the Midnight Express Gentlemen’s Club on Sparta Highway has resulted in an arrest.

According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, 40-year-old James Barsotti of Davis Road Pleasant Shade, believed to have been responsible for shooting an employee of the Gentlemen’s Club, is charged with one count of attempted second degree murder. He was booked into the DeKalb County jail Saturday night on a $300,000 bond and his court date is set for May 29.

The victim was transported by helicopter to a Nashville hospital, where he continues to be treated for his injuries. The name of the victim has not been released.

In his first statement Saturday night, Sheriff Ray said “a call came from the Midnight Express at 8:22 pm that someone had been shot at the club. Deputies arrived on the scene at 8:29 pm and found a male victim with a gunshot wound in the bar. The shooter was also on the scene and fighting another individual in the parking lot. The shooter was taken into custody. The shooting took place in the parking lot and the victim went back in the building. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the shooting. The shooting victim was airlifted to a Nashville Hospital. The Smithville Police Department and Constable Mark Milam also assisted,” said Sheriff Ray.




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