County Votes to Purchase More than 70 Acres on Smith Road for Future New Jail Construction (View Video Here)
by: Dwayne PageJun 24, 2025
After years of planning, the county commission Monday night finally settled on a course of action on new jail construction.
Not only did the commission vote 10-2 to uphold the jail committee’s recommendation last week to eliminate the existing site downtown as an option for a new jail but voted 9-3 to purchase 71. 5 acres on Smith Road belonging to Tim Staley not to exceed $1.8 million with closing costs as the future home of the new jail subject to favorable core drill testing. The commission also voted 9-3 to issue a 12-year capital outlay note for the purchase of the property to be repaid with funds generated from debt service. But the commission went even further, voting 8-4 to issue a 12 year note not to exceed $35 million to build the jail. Treanor will be the architect of the project although specifics are yet to be determined, as to the number of beds, etc.
“Once the architect, Tennessee Corrections Institute, the sheriff, and county commission agree on the final drawings, they will be drawn up and sent out for bids. We will not turn a shovel until we open the bids. Everything in this whole project will be bid out,” said Commissioner and Jail Committee Chairman Larry Green.
Last year’s 51 cent tax increase for debt service to fund construction of a proposed judicial center project remains in place, even though that plan was defeated in a public referendum last November. With the new fiscal year soon to begin, the budget committee will apparently have to determine how much of that 51-cent tax increase will be needed to fund a new jail project not to exceed $35 million and make a recommendation to the full county commission accordingly. And this time, because the commission voted to issue a 12 year note instead of general obligation bonds, the public will apparently not be able to contest it through another referendum.
One commissioner, Greg Matthews, accused the commission of taking action on matters not even on the agenda.
“This was not on tonight’s agenda and two other commissioners are not here tonight (Tony “Cully” Culwell and Brandon Donnell)”, said Matthews.
Before the meeting ended, Commissioner Matthews again expressed his frustration with the commission.
“The 51 cents that was raised last year was for a $65 million bond. That bond failed and that 51 cents should have gone back (taxpayers). Instead, we are keeping part of that money. Everybody who just said (voted) yes just lied to everybody (public) you had spoken to prior,” said Matthews
At the beginning of the meeting before the agenda was adopted, Commissioner Beth Pafford made a motion to amend it to omit action on the “capital outlay note” intended for land purchase. Commissioner Myron Rhody offered a second to the motion, but it was defeated 8 to 4. While Commissioners Pafford, Rhody, Matthews and Sabrina Farler voted for it, Commissioners Jeff Barnes, Tom Chandler, Mathias Anderson, Andy Pack, Daniel Cripps, Tony Luna, Larry Green, and Glynn Merriman voting against it.
Some complained that County Mayor Matt Adcock had added the “capital outlay note” discussion to the agenda Monday afternoon which was not on the original agenda sent out Friday. Adcock explained that this issue and others including a “paramedic school compensation agreement” were discussed during last Thursday night’s county commission workshop and that he had been asked by commissioners to add them to the agenda. The agenda also provided for “any other business properly presented”.
Later in the meeting the vote was 10-2 to eliminate the current site as an option for new jail construction. Commissioners voting to move the jail were Chandler, Luna, Green, Matthews, Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, and Farler. Only Pafford and Rhody voted to keep the jail downtown.
Commissioner Pafford then made a motion to post an RFP (request for proposals) seeking more options from other property owners interested in selling at least 15 acres to the county for jail construction. Her motion was defeated 8 to 4 with Pafford, Anderson, Rhody, and Matthews voting for it and Green, Luna, Chandler, Pack, Matthews, Cripps, Barnes, and Farler voting against.
Commissioner Chandler later made a motion to purchase the Smith Road property for jail construction not to exceed $1.8 million plus closing costs and subject to favorable core drilling. The motion passed 9 to 3 with Commissioners Chandler, Luna, Green, Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, and Farler voting for it and Commissioners Pafford, Rhody, and Matthews opposed.
A subsequent motion by Chandler to issue a 12-year capital outlay note to fund the purchase of the Smith Road property was also adopted 9 to 3 with Commissioners Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, Farler, Green, Luna, and Chandler voting for it. Commissioners Matthews, Rhody, and Pafford voted against it.
Finally, Commissioner Chandler made a motion to issue a 12 year note on a jail project not to exceed $35 million.
“We received multiple quotes on sizes of a jail, 152 beds, 200 beds and the (cost) variations were like $28 million to $35 million depending upon the location. Since we have a location (Smith Road), I’ll make a motion that we issue a note not to exceed $35 million for whatever that will build whether its 152 beds, 157, 143, 190, 200 beds etc. Whatever that $35 million will pay for” he said.
Chandler’s motion was adopted 8 to 4 with Commissioners Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, Luna, Green and Chandler voting in favor and Commissioners Rhody, Pafford, Matthews, and Farler voting against. Farler said the budget committee should have considered it first.
DeKalb County Fair Opens Tonight (Monday, June 23)
by: Dwayne PageJun 23, 2025
The Grandpa Fair of the South, the DeKalb County Fair in Alexandria returns for its weeklong run tonight (Monday, June 23) through Saturday, June 28.
Since 1856, the DeKalb County Fair has been offering entertainment, Midway rides, food, exhibits, pageants, livestock shows and other action-packed events. Now in its 169th year, the Grandpa Fair of the South is sporting a new “Go Hog Wild” theme for 2025.
Fair events during the week this year include a bump n run derby, rodeo, tractor and truck pull, along with other old favorites, a demolition derby and motorcycle and ATV racing, among others. Lions Club Pavilion entertainment will feature a hot sauce challenge, OBC children’s choir, singer Bryli Durtschi, American Idol finalist Isaac Cole, Zone Status, and square dancing by Smithville Select, Caney Fork Circle Eight, DeKalb Dancing Delights and Center Hill Hoedown Square Dancers. Other attractions include a cattle show, pageants featuring babies to senior ladies, bingo, corn hole tournament, lamb cook-off, kiddie tractor pull, poultry show, senior day & Century Farms, junior goat show, DTC games (ages 3-12), ice cream contest, SRO dunking booth, and a nightly cash drawing. Midway rides by James Gang Amusements. Live demonstrations nightly at the Kenneth Sandlin Center featuring canning, quilting, flowers, pottery, sourdough bread, and cake making.
Monday Night June 23 _Lions Club Pavilion
6:00 pm Junior Fair Princess (13-16 years)
Following: Fairest of the Fair (17-20 years)
Following: Miss Fair Queen (21 -54 years)
Following: BINGO!
9:30 pm Cash Drawings
Monday June 23th- Ag Center & TC McMillen Arena
6:00 pm Cattle Show
Ag Center
7:00 pm ATV/MOTO Racing
T.C. McMillen Arena
For information visit https://www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/
Saturday Morning Crash Claims One and Injures others
by: Dwayne PageJun 22, 2025
A 21-year-old man lost his life and three others including two children (ages 10 & 6) were injured in a head-on crash early this morning (Saturday, June 21) on Highway 56 north (Cookeville Highway) in DeKalb County near the Putnam County line.
Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Idan Alberto Estudillo Gutierrez was traveling southbound in a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander when he crossed the double yellow center line of the highway while negotiating a curve and struck in the front end a northbound 2024 GMC Terrain driven by 60-year-old Jama Martin. The collision caused disabling damage to both vehicles. After impact, Martin’s vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway facing eastbound against a guardrail and Gutierrez’s vehicle came to a final rest in the roadway facing northbound.
Passengers with Martin, a 10-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy were transported by EMS to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt.
Meanwhile, the DeKalb County Fire Department posted more details about the crash. Their report by Chief Donny Green states as follows:
“At 2:34 a.m. on Saturday, the DeKalb County Fire Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the DeKalb County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle head-on crash on Smithville Highway near the county line”.
“When sheriff deputies arrived, they found one of the vehicles (2024 GMC Terrain) on fire with flames coming from the engine compartment. The driver (female) was still inside the vehicle and one occupant (one of the children) was outside the automobile. Deputies deployed fire extinguishers and contained the blaze until firefighters arrived and snuffed out the fire. Deputies also reported the sole occupant of the other vehicle (Gutierrez) was trapped and pinned inside the vehicle”.
“The DeKalb County Fire Department’s extrication unit and personnel arrived, assessed the scene, requested mutual aid assistance from Putnam County Rescue, and began extrication operations. The driver (Gutierrez) was extricated, and EMS treated and transported all patients to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.”
Gutierrez reportedly died at the hospital.