Kurt Bass Appointed as New DTC Board Member

February 2, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Kurt Bass has been appointed as a member of the DTC Communications Board of Directors in the Temperance Hall exchange, filling the unexpired term of Jimmy Oakley who recently resigned. Oakley proudly served on the board from 2011-2017, always keeping the best interests of the cooperative and its members at heart. Bass serves as a Licensed Funeral Director and Apprentice Embalmer with Bass Funeral Home, Inc. in Gordonsville and Carthage, and Avant Funeral Home in Alexandria, becoming the fifth generation member in his family business. He is a 2010 graduate of Gordonsville High School and attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In 2012, Bass earned a Funeral Director certificate from John A. Gupton College in Nashville. In 2016, he earned an Accounting degree from Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. Bass is the son of Danny and the late Annette Manning Bass of Lancaster. He is married to Christina Massey of Stonewall, and they have two children, Benjamin and Katherine. He and his family attend Carthage United Methodist Church where he serves on the Board of Trustees, and is involved in both the youth group and choir. Bass is also a member of the Southside Lions Club and the Carthage Masonic Lodge.
“My family has been involved with DTC Communications since the very beginning, previously having several family members serve on the board of directors,” said Bass of his appointment to the board. “Serving people has been a tradition in my family through our business and within the community for over 100 years. It is a great honor for me to serve the members of DTC Communications. I look forward to this opportunity to represent not only the people of Temperance Hall, but each and every member of the cooperative.”
DTC Communications is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative established in 1951. The cooperative provides communication, entertainment, and security products and services to residential and business customers, primarily throughout Middle Tennessee.

February 2, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

A man accused of chasing his girlfriend with a knife and assaulting her was arrested last week.

41 year old Joey Williams of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with aggravated assault. His bond is $5,000 and his court date is February 15.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, January 25 a deputy was dispatched to the Sheriff’s Office to speak with a woman who claimed to be a victim of an assault by her boyfriend. She told the officer that after they had gotten into an argument, her boyfriend chased her outside with a knife and then beat and kicked before holding her down and trying to choke her. She had red marks on her neck and bruises on her leg.

25 year old Randy Mitchell Hobbs, Jr. of Retha Frazier Road, Woodbury is charged with a third offense of driving on a revoked license. His bond is $12,500 and his court date is February 15.

Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, January 26 a deputy spotted a blue Ford Mustang on Highway 53 and knew that the driver had warrants against him.

The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Hobbs. A computer confirmed that Hobbs had active warrants against him by the THP for evading arrest and driving on a revoked license for failure to pay fines. He was later charged with a second offense for driving on a revoked license.

February 2, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

A Watertown man pulled over for a non-working tail light on his car has a lot more trouble on his hands after officers discovered that he was on probation, intoxicated, illegally in possession of a handgun, and had numerous drugs in his possession including methamphetamine and ecstasy.

27 year old Robert Jacob Hardison of Sparta Highway, Watertown is charged with driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, possession of a handgun while under the influence, tampering with evidence, and possession of methamphetamine and schedule I, II, & VI drugs with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell. His bond is $73,000 and his court date is February 15.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, January 25 a deputy stopped a vehicle on Smith Road for a non working tail light. The officer spoke with the driver, Hardison and detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Hardison admitted to having used marijuana and hydrocodone earlier in the day. He submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He also submitted to implied consent (blood test). During the investigation the officer learned that Hardison is on probation for a previous offense and that his license were suspended on October 14, 2017 for failure to show proof of insurance and that he had continued to drive even after receiving a citation in Wilson County for driving on a suspended license.

A search of Hardison’s vehicle turned up a Jennings 22 caliber handgun which is illegal since Hardison had the weapon in his possession while under the influence.

Drugs were also found in the car including six green pills believed to be ecstasy and three separate baggies of a crystal like substance suspected to be methamphetamine, which were in a metal tin on the driver’s side floorboard along with scales and separate baggies.

During a search of Hardison’s person, the deputy found a white pill believed to be hydrocodone. After being placed in custody and seated in the back of the deputy’s patrol car, Hardison pulled a silver container from the area of his crotch and put several pills from that container into his mouth and into the seat of the car, trying to dispose of them.

After Hardison admitted to the officers that he had other drugs in his home, they conducted a probation search of the residence upon containing consent from Hardison and found 37.19 grams of a leafy substance believed to be marijuana along another baggie of meth and more scales and baggies.

The total weight of all four baggies of meth found during this investigation totaled 3.6 grams.

60 year old Forrest Byrd of South College Street, Smithville is cited for simple possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana). He will make a court appearance on February 23

Sheriff Ray said that Byrd gave an officer consent to search his room and found in the top drawer of a dresser were two marijuana joints wrapped in a plastic baggie. It weighed less than one gram. Byrd admitted that the marijuana belonged to him. The citation was issued on Monday, January 22 by a Sheriff’s Department Detective.

32 year old Clint Lee Shehane of Wade Street, Smithville is cited for simple possession of a schedule II drug. He will make a court appearance on February 1.

Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, January 25 a Sheriff’s Department Detective went to a residence on Wade Street to pick up Shehane on a warrant. He was found hiding in a closet and in the area near him were two baggies of a rock like substance believed to be methamphetamine which weighed 0.37 grams and 0.71 grams.