Drunk driver found with pills during traffic stop

January 29, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A drunk driver was found with pills during a traffic stop last week in Smithville.

31 year old Alicia Blair Collins of West Market Street is charged with DUI and cited for violation of roadways laned for travel and simple possession of a schedule IV narcotic and drug paraphernalia. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court April 15.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Wednesday, January 20 a deputy answered a complaint of a reckless driver on McMinnville Highway and spotted the vehicle, a white Hyundai on South Congress Boulevard. As the car was turning onto Bright Hill Road it ran off the road. The officer spoke with the driver, Collins and found her speech to be slurred. She also submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.

The deputy found in the car a pill grinder, pen with white residue, 12 green pills, 12 white pills, 12 half white pills , one ¾ white pill, and one ¼ white pill.

43 year old Michael Ray Emler of McMinnville Highway, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court April 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 20 a deputy was dispatched to a domestic complaint and upon arrival spoke with Emler and a woman. The officer learned that Emler and the woman had been arguing and pushing each other and that during the confrontation Emler struck her in the left eye with his elbow causing bruising and swelling. He was determined to have been the primary aggressor and was arrested.

35 year old Casey Laraine Emerton of Sparta is charged with driving under the influence. She is under a $1,500 bond and her court date is April 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 21 a deputy was dispatched to Turtle’s Bar where a vehicle had ran off into a ditch. Upon arrival the officer confronted the driver, Emerton after observing her almost fall as she got out of the automobile. Emerton was unsteady on her feet and she smelled of alcohol. Emerton admitted to having consumed too much alcohol and she submitted to field sobriety but couldn’t complete the tasks because of her level of intoxication.

32 year old Kimberly Ann Blanchfield of Nashville Highway, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault and violation of bond conditions. Her bond is $4,500 and she will be in court May 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 22 a deputy responded to a domestic assault complaint on Nashville Highway. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a man who said that he and his daughter, Blanchfield got into an argument which became physical as she hit him in the face and bit his hands causing lacerations.

Blanchfield was also determined to be in violation of active bond conditions ordering her to keep away from another person, other than her father, who was also at this home.

37 year old Samuel Cardin of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. He was further cited for no insurance and failing to give immediate notice of an accident. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court May 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on January 24 while responding to another call a deputy happened upon a wreck on Cecil Hale Road. He stopped and spoke with the driver, Cardin who admitted that he had been drinking and smoking marijuana. Cardin smelled of alcohol and was staggering. He refused to submit to field sobriety tasks and was placed under arrest.

January 29, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Cookeville man escaped injury Thursday morning when his dump truck overturned after rear-ending another dump truck on Falling Water Road in the Johnson’s Chapel area near Center Hill Lake.

According to Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Jeffrey Mahler was traveling down the steep and narrow road in a 1996 Ford dump truck hauling a load of rock to a job site when he lost control and rear-ended a 2017 Kenworth dump truck driven by 54 year old Harry Frady, Jr. of Cookeville who was also hauling a load of rock.

After impact, Mahler’s truck overturned on its side spilling its load of rock. Neither driver was injured. Members of DeKalb County EMS, DeKalb Fire Department, and DeKalb Sheriff’s Department responded.

January 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Signups for the DeKalb Youth Baseball League begin Saturday, January 30 from 8 a.m. until 12 noon at the county complex in the UT Extension office.

If you miss Saturday’s registration, there will be three other dates to signup on Saturday, February 6th, 13th, and 20th at the same times and location.

Registration fees are $65 per child and $50 for each sibling. Parents who don’t want to work the concession stand may make a $25 buyout payment. Please bring proof of player age and proof of residency. Tryouts are set for February 27. See the DeKalb Youth Baseball League Facebook for details. Debit and credit cards will be accepted and transaction fees apply.

DeKalb County Youth Baseball, formerly known as Little League, is played at the park on Allen’s Ferry Road. Player ages for this league are from 7 to 15 years old.

“The way our league works if you are not familiar with it is we have 7-8 year old Coach Pitch. Last year we had Machine Pitch but we are going to Coach Pitch this year,” said League President Casey Midgett.

“Our first year of Kid Pitch Baseball we call Minor League and that is for 9-10 year olds. We will also have 11-12 year old Major League Kid Pitch. Last year was our first year to offer Senior League which is 13-15 year olds and we plan to offer it again this year and they will play at the Joe L. Evins park. If we don’t have enough kids signup to play Senior League those who do will still be allowed to play baseball on some level,” said Midgett.

Girls are also welcome to signup.

“A question I get a lot is can girls play?. The answer is yes they can play. We encourage it. We have had some really good girls come through who were every bit as good as the boys that played. Its just that its baseball and not softball. We won’t have just a girls team but girls will can get drafted just like the boys,” Midgett said.

“We hope to have both the Middle School baseball and softball players join us this year. Most of the time the Middle School season is over by May. For anyone who wants to play in that league who is on the Middle School team, we will draft you on February 27 and then basically tell you we will see you after the Middle School season is over. You will not be expected to show up for practice or a DeKalb Youth Baseball game before then,” added Midgett.

This year the league will be unsanctioned.

“There are a few changes and we don’t have all the details worked out yet but we will be going from Machine Pitch to Coach Pitch for the 7-8 year olds and we are going to be unsanctioned this year. Last year we made a big push to be with Cal Ripken and that was great. They treated us really well and we had no complaints. In past years we were with TYBA and before that Little League. We met as a board this year and decided with all that is going on in the world right now we didn’t feel like it was prudent for us to affiliate with a league because it takes away some of the local control over what we can and cannot do such as dates for All-Stars and things like that. We didn’t really want to give that up (local control) but we will still pick All-Star teams and there will be a post season. We haven’t worked out all the details yet but the All-Star teams will play somewhere,” added Midgett.