Jamboree Announces April 8th Deadline for Non-Profit Food Booths

March 30, 2021
By:

The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival Board of Volunteers wants to remind the community of the upcoming deadline for non-profit organizations to register their food booths for the July 2-3 festival. The board allows all not-for-profits to have the first chance to reserve a prime spot around the Smithville square. Following the April 8th deadline, all for-profit vendors will be allowed to register for the remaining available spaces.

“We always make the local non-profits our first priority. We also give special considerations to those food vendors who have previously supported the Jamboree. In addition, we want to spread the word that many churches and organizations partner with an established commercial food vendor. These partnerships allow the charitable organization to make a profit, without having to gather volunteers, or bear the burden of setting up a booth. I encourage anyone who may be interested in this type of partnership/fund-raising to reach out to me prior to the April 8th deadline. It’s a wonderful way to raise money for your organization.” said Jack Barton, Director of Food Services for the Jamboree.

In addition, the Jamboree is recruiting Volunteers (20 & up) and Junior Volunteers (14-19 yrs.) to donate a few hours of their time during the two-day event on July 2nd & 3rd, 2021. “We were very excited to have 27 Junior Jamboree Board Members in 2019, along with a handful of dedicated adult volunteers,” said Shan Stout, “With the addition of more activities for the 50th anniversaey, we need even more volunteers to step up to serve our community, and we are pleased to announce the appointment of our 2021 Junior Volunteer President, Sadie Driver, and thank her for accepting this important role.”

For more information, or to volunteer: call the Jamboree office at 615-597-8500, email smithvillejamboree@gmail.com or message their facebook page @SmithvilleJamboree.

March 29, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has made several arrests within the past week for drugs, public intoxication, and domestic assault.

35 year old Amanda Alice Atnip of Oakley Road, Liberty is charged with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and she was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond is $20,000 and she will make a court appearance on May 13.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on March 22 Atnip was arrested on an active failure to appear warrant and during a pat down search a deputy found on her a black bag which held a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine weighing more than 0.5 grams and a white powdery substance believed to be heroin weighing more than 0.5 grams. Also inside the bag were needles and spoons with powder and residue from the drugs.

51 year old David Dewayne Anderson of Deadmon Hollow Road, Liberty is charged with possession of a schedule III drug (suboxone), schedule I (heroin), and methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $35,000.

Sheriff Ray said that while on patrol March 23 deputies spotted a black Ford Escape leaving an area known for drug activity and discovered that the tag on the vehicle did not match. It was supposed to be on a red Nissan. Detectives conducted a traffic stop on West Broad Street, Smithville and learned that Anderson, a front seat passenger, was the owner of the vehicle. A check of Anderson’s driver license revealed that he had active warrants against him for violation of probation in DeKalb County. One of the detectives searched Anderson and found three baggies of a substance believed to be heroin that weighed 1.67 grams, one baggie of a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine that weighed 0.52 grams, and a baggie with an orange pill believed to be suboxone. He also found seventeen additional baggies, two digital scales, residue, a glass pipe, needles, and other drug paraphernalia.

32 year old Jennifer Mable Benoir of Cane Creek Road, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court April 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on March 24 Benoir came onto someone else’s property drunk and naked and tried to enter the residence. According to the complaint Benoir came to the front porch and began screaming and trying to open the door. By the time the investigating officer arrived Benoir had put back on some of her clothes and was sitting on the front porch. The rest of her clothes were on the front lawn. Benoir was unable to explain how she got to the residence but claimed that it was her home. The woman who apparently actually owns the residence said she did not Benoir. The deputy found Benoir to be very disoriented. Although she admitted to having used marijuana and drinking alcohol earlier Benoir could not recall any other events prior to the incident.

32 year old Allan Robert Lester of Students Home Road, Smithville is charged with simple possession of Alprazolam, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $3,500 and he will be in court May 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on March 26 Lester was found to be in possession of two baggies each containing a white crystal substance or residue believed to be methamphetamine along with two whole bars and five partial bars believed to be Alprazolam. He could not produce a prescription for the pills. Lester also had in his possession digital scales with residue and a silver copper metallic container that he used to carry the Alprazolam.

28 year old Rico Montel Foster of Eagleville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court April 8.

Sheriff Ray said that on March 21 a deputy was dispatched to Meridian Drive due to a possible domestic assault. Upon arrival the officer determined that Foster had been the primary aggressor because he had offensive wounds on his left hand and the victim had swelling and a knot on the right side of her face and head.

March 29, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad had a busy weekend participating in three water rescues and a rope rescue.

Captain Dusty Johnson said the first call came on Saturday at 5:09 p.m. after a woman fell down the side of a steep hill near the lake on Aaron Webb Road off Potts Camp Road in the Jefferson Community.

According to Johnson the woman was with others clearing a wooded area behind a residence when she lost her footing and slid down the hill. A tree stopped her slide but she could not get back up the hill without help.

“We launched our boat on the lake at the end of Potts Camp Road, docked below the hill, and used ropes to climb the hill to gain access to her. EMS paramedics arrived at the top of the hill and walked around the bluff to meet us. We placed the woman in a stokes basket and lowered her down below the hill to our boat. We placed her in our boat, went back to the ramp, and then transported her by vehicle to the ambulance. EMS then took her to Ascension Saint Thomas River Park Hospital in McMinnville,” said Captain Johnson.

Later that night the rescue squad was summoned to 602 Possum Hollow Road near Dry Creek where three adults and three children were trapped at their home due to rising water.

Captain Johnson said the call came in at 10:45 p.m.

“One place in the road was washed completely out down to the tile. It was so flooded that it kept us from being able to drive to the residence. We had to walk probably two miles to get there and cross several areas where swift water was crossing the road. We finally got there and helped the people get to a neighbors house across the road but higher on the hill where they would be safer,” said Captain Johnson.

The Rescue Squad was again summoned at 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning to 787 East Main Street, Dowelltown where a man and his dog were trapped in their home by rising flood waters.

“We got a call from a man who said water was rising near his home and he and his dog needed help getting out. We got nearly to his house when another wave of storms moved in. Because the water was getting so deep we called Wilson County to come and help us so they sent four people including two from Watertown. After we got the man and his dog out of the house someone from Murfreesboro came to pick them up,” said Captain Johnson.

Another call came in Sunday afternoon at 1:38 p.m.at the Alexandria to Dismal Road bridge where a motorist stalled after trying to drive through a flooded area but before the Rescue Squad arrived bystanders came upon the scene and got the woman out of her car to safety.