Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen Meeting Postponed Again Until Friday Night, January 31

January 30, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

Will they, or won’t they?

The Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen are scheduled to meet Friday night, January 31 at city hall and on the agenda is the “local sales tax” issue.

A decision was expected December 17 by the mayor and aldermen on whether they would extend the town’s local option sales tax agreement with the county through the year 2055 to help support long term debt payment on new school construction as the other three municipalities have done but there was no vote, because there was no meeting due to the lack of a quorum.

This month’s meeting, set for Tuesday, January 28, was postponed until Thursday night, January 30 but then delayed again until Friday night, January 31 at 7 p.m. at city hall

Alexandria has not yet publicly signaled whether it will or won’t extend its sales tax agreement. The county’s self-imposed January 1 deadline to hear from Alexandria was extended to February 1, 2025.

Under the existing sales tax agreements with the county, which are set to expire in 12 years on July 16, 2037, the four cities, Smithville, Alexandria, Liberty, and Dowelltown turn over to the county for schools a greater percentage of their local option sales tax collections than they would otherwise be required to do. By law, the municipalities must contribute 50% of their sales tax money to the county for schools but by agreement, since 1968, the towns give basically two thirds of their share and all that sales tax money goes into what is called the Local Purpose Tax Fund for Schools to help fund school operation and debt. Officials say the county must be able to count on that extra sales tax money coming in from the cities over the life of a 30-year bond up to $55 million in order to cover the costs of a new school without having to use or raise property taxes to fund it.

All five county schools have benefitted over the years from this local purpose sales tax fund which has helped support various school construction and renovation projects including at DeKalb West School. In fact the debt has apparently yet to be retired on the Tornado Safe classroom addition project which was completed over 10 years ago. The construction debt on Northside Elementary School was paid off only recently, within the last two or three years.

Meanwhile the Alexandria city meeting agenda for January also includes the following:

*Mayor Beth Tripp opening the meeting

*Roll Call

*Prayer and Pledge

*Approval of previous meeting minutes

*Zoning-second and final reading

*County Mayor Matt Adcock (scheduled to speak)

*Open floor for residents (public comment)

*Local Sales Tax

*Department monthly reports (mayor, fire, police, streets, financial, attorney)

*Unfinished business

*New business- Seay Church, Senior Citizens Center

*Any other business properly submitted by board members

*Adjourn

January 28, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

A car wash confrontation has landed one man in trouble with the law.

19-year-old Izayah Young of Smithville is charged with aggravated assault, vandalism, and possession of a weapon. His bond is $13,500. According to Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins, officers were called to a report of an altercation January 13 between Young and a victim at the car wash on West Broad Street where Young allegedly busted the driver’s side window of the victim’s car and then pulled up his shirt to expose a gun in his waistband in a move to allegedly intimidate the victim. Young was taken into custody.

38-year-old Justin Murphy of Smithville is charged with violation of an order of protection. He is under a $2,500 bond. Chief Collins said that officers were summoned to Highland Drive on January 11 because of an unwanted person and upon arrival found Murphy, a respondent to an order of protection. The protected person in the order was also there. Murphy was placed under arrest.

32-year-old Sonny Smith of Smithville is charged with domestic assault and interference with an emergency call. His bond is $6,000. Officers were called to Wade Street on January 12 due to a domestic incident in progress and upon arrival they spoke with Smith and the complainant. Chief Collins said police found evidence of an assault and determined Smith to be the primary aggressor. They learned that the complainant had tried to call 911 but Smith disabled use of the phone. Smith was placed in custody.

Jerry Rackley of Smithville is cited for aggravated criminal trespass and will be in court on February 6. Chief Collins said that on January 14 police were called to Village Place due to a possible burglary in progress and upon arrival they found Rackley on the property. Police learned that the house was vacant but that Rackley was living there inside without consent of the owner.

Two people accused of property theft were cited by police on January 15. 43-year-old Eric Fish and 44-year-old Janet Fish of Smithville will make a court appearance on February 6. Chief Collins said that police were summoned to Kwik-N-Ezy and upon arrival learned that Eric and Janet Fish had allegedly electronically deposited their payroll checks in amount of $413 and $ 465 and then cashed the checks at Kwik-N-Ezy.

33-year-old Stephen Babich of Smithville is charged with public intoxication, violation of the open container law, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court on January 30. Chief Collins said that on January 17 police were called to check out a suspicious vehicle at a business on South Congress Boulevard and upon arrival found Babich in the automobile. According to police, Babich became aggressive, appeared to be impaired, and he refused to cooperate. Officers also spotted an open alcoholic beverage in the center console and a large glass pipe with white residue. When officers told Babich that he was under arrest, he physically pulled away but was subsequently placed in custody.

33-year-old NithunNag Kardi-Giridhar of Nashville is charged with DUI. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court January 30. Chief Collins said that on January 18 police pulled over a vehicle on East Broad Street for failure to maintain lane of travel. While talking with the driver, Giridhar, the officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol. Gridhar said that he had just come from Midnight Express and had been drinking. Giridhar submitted to but performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks and he was placed in custody.

31-year-old Dalton Moore of Smithville is charged with public intoxication. He is under a $1,500 bond and will be in court on February 6. Chief Collins said that on January 19 police were summoned to South Congress Boulevard due to a suspicious person and upon arrival found Moore who was acting very erratically and showed signs of impairment. He was placed in custody.

49-year-old Anthony Lewis of McMinnville is charged with DUI and cited for driving on roadways laned for traffic. He is under a $5,000 bond and will be in court on February 6. According to Chief Collins, police conducted a traffic stop January 25 on Short Mountain Highway for failing to maintain lane of travel. While speaking with the driver, Lewis, officers noticed he showed signs of impairment. Lewis submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and said he had been drinking. Lewis was placed in custody.

42-year-old Hollie Michels of Smithville is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $5,000 bond and she will appear in court on February 6. Chief Collins said that on January 26 police were called to Jennings Lane due to domestic incident in progress and upon arrival they learned that one of the parties had been assaulted and injured. Police determined that Michels had been the primary aggressor. She was placed in custody.

January 28, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

StormReady!

The National Weather Service has recognized DeKalb County for earning accreditation as a StormReady community.

Caleb Cravens, Nashville Incident Meteorologist of the NWS presented the county with a plaque in recognition of the accomplishment during Monday night’s monthly county commission meeting.

County Mayor Matt Adcock asked Commission Chairman Pro Temp Jeff Barnes, who is also a 911 Board member, to accept the award.

“I am here to present DeKalb County with an accreditation that we do with the National Weather Service called StormReady,” said Cravens.

“The National Weather Service is a government weather service agency. We fall under the Department of Commerce and NOAA. There are 122 offices across the US that are in charge of forecasting the weather for the US and issuing all of your watches, warnings, and advisories. When you are at home and you hear a tornado warning or a flood warning that is us issuing those,” explained Cravens. “ Our mission is that we provide weather, water, and climate data forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property. We also work with local public officials and local emergency managers toward becoming more prepared for all weather extremes”.

“StormReady is a nationwide program that helps build a weather ready nation essentially focused on preparedness,” Cravens continued. “ It’s a grassroots effort across the US to help communities develop and plan to handle all types of weather from tornadoes to winter storms. Its voluntary. It is not required. Its completely up to each county, emergency managers, communities, and schools to participate. There is a standard set of guidelines, and they are not easy to maintain so being able to receive this accreditation is quite an accomplishment,” he said.

“Across the US there are around 3,500 StormReady communities. Before you can become a StormReady community you must have a 24-hour warning point with someone present at all times that can receive our warnings to alert the public. They also have to agree to promote the importance of public readiness through community outreach; have a formal hazardous weather plan; have multiple ways to receive, monitor, and send weather information; have an emergency operations plan and an emergency operations center; and they must also partner with the National Weather Service for safety and preparedness,” explained Cravens.

“DeKalb County has met all those requirements. We have been working with the county for the past several months to reach the ultimate goal of strengthening our relationship between the National Weather Service and the county itself to better prepare for hazardous weather to protect the community”.

“On behalf of the StormReady Advisory Board, I would like to congratulate DeKalb County for being certified as a StormReady community. The leadership and the progressive measures taken by the DeKalb Emergency Management Agency has really been outstanding through the whole process. They are really dedicated to preparedness and protecting this community. DeKalb EMA has put into place redundant methods of monitoring weather, receiving watches and warnings from the National Weather Service and disseminating severe weather warnings throughout the community. DeKalb EMA has also grown and strengthened its relationships with us through this process helping foster that relationship and that collaborative communication. They have dedicated themselves to participating in educational outreach programs and have written severe weather preparedness plans and conducted severe weather exercises. I want to say a special thank you to your Emergency Management Agency Director Charlie Parker. He played a key role in pushing this forward for the county. I also want to thank your 911 Director Brad Mullinax. He also played a key role. I congratulate you for your willingness and hard work in earning this accreditation,” said Cravens.

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