Early Voting Update

October 26, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Over 3,900 people have cast ballots through 11 days of early voting in DeKalb County for the November 3 elections.

The DeKalb County Election Commission reported a turnout Monday of 342 including 312 in person and 30 by absentee for an 11 day total of 3,935 with three days left of early voting Tuesday through Thursday, October 27-29 plus election day.

In the Presidential election four years ago, a total of 7,065 people cast ballots in DeKalb County including 3,073 on election day and 3,992 early votes/absentee.

Early voting hours Tuesday, October 27 will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. All early voting is being conducted in the first floor courtroom of the DeKalb County Courthouse.

Voters are also reminded the last day to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday October 27.

Safeguards are in place to help protect both workers and voters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voting totals for the previous 10 days were as follows:

*Wednesday, October 14- 528 cast ballots including 287 in person and 241 by absentee.

*Thursday, October 15 – 320 voted including 303 in person and 17 absentees

*Friday, October 16- 340 including 336 in person and 4 absentees

*Saturday, October 17- 268 including 247 in person and 21 absentees

*Monday, October 19- 362 which was 346 in person (including Webb House residents) and 16 absentees.

*Tuesday, October 20-326 including 317 in person and 9 by absentee

*Wednesday, October 21- 356 including 328 in person and 28 by absentee

*Thursday, October 22- 375 voted including nursing home residents and 3 absentees.

*Friday, October 23-419 including 403 in person and 16 by absentee

*Saturday, October 24-299 all in person

Early Voting is underway through October 29 in the first floor courtroom of the courthouse.

Early voting hours are as follows:

Tuesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

October 26, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Clerks at three local stores have been cited for selling beer to a minor as a result of an undercover investigation conducted last Thursday, October 22 by detectives of the Smithville Police Department.

31 year old Amber Gayle Coots of T&B Discount Tobacco and Beer at 102 East Broad Street; 30 year old Sonni Amruthai Patel of the Sunoco Convenience Market at 598 East Broad Street and 37 year old Ender Alexander Cabrera of Disco Tienda Latina of East Broad Street were each cited for sale of alcohol to a person under age 21. They are scheduled for a court appearance on November 5.

Police Chief Mark Collins said Detectives James Cornelius and Brandon Donnell conducted the investigation using a 19 year old undercover agent to make the purchases. The action was taken based on recent public complaints.

“I have had several complaints from concerned citizens who suspected this activity at some of these stores. We got an undercover person who went into 14 different stores in town trying to make beer purchases and all but three followed the law and checked his ID. I would like to thank the store owners who did it right. I respect them for that,” said Chief Collins.

“We started early afternoon on Thursday. Detective Donnell and I were in a surveillance vehicle driving the undercover agent to each location. He went into 14 different establishments and three of them sold beer to him. We video recorded him getting out of the vehicle, going into the establishments, and coming back out with the beer. The undercover agent also had video and audio recording equipment on him. We then went back and issued citations to the clerks who conducted the transactions,” said Detective Cornelius.

According to the citations, the undercover agent bought a 6 pack of 16 ounce Natural Ice Beer from Coots; a 6 pack of 12 ounce Natural Ice Beer from Patel; and a 25 ounce Michelob Ultra Beer from Cabrera.

The three store owners will also face sanctions for city beer ordinance violations. The penalty for a first offense violation is a 90 day suspension of the stores’ beer license.

October 26, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Commission will not meet tonight (Monday, October 26) at 6:30 p.m. at the county complex due to a possible COVID-19 exposure case. The meeting date will be rescheduled.