Saturday Night Crash Claims Smithville Man

February 2, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A Saturday night crash on Cookeville Highway near the DeKalb/Putnam County line claimed the life of a 20 year old Smithville man.

Samuel Dewayne Wright was taken from the scene by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The accident occurred at around 8:17 p.m. in DeKalb County.

Trooper Caleb Bain of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that Wright was traveling south on Highway 56 in a 2006 Mini Cooper as 18 year old Hunter Hoffman of Mount Juliet was northbound in a 2015 Dodge Charger.

According to Trooper Bain it is unknown as this time which driver was at fault until CIRT (Critical Incident Response Team) of the THP takes a look at the scene and conducts a further investigation.

Hoffman was transported by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center for non life threatening injuries.

Both were wearing their seatbelts.

Samuel was born October 19, 1999 in Lebanon to his parents, John & Teresa Waggoner Wright. Samuel was employed with Donelson Air and he attended the Refuge Church in Smithville. He was the President of the Unique Obsessions Car Club of Smithville, an organization he was proud to be a part of.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 2pm from the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Bro. Graden Kirksey & Bro. Donnie Kelly will officiate with burial to follow at DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation with the family will be on Tuesday from 11am-9pm and Wednesday from 10am until service time at 2pm.

He was preceded in death by his Maternal Grand Father, Grady Samuel Waggoner & Paternal Grand Parents, Archie & Thelma Wright. Maternal Aunt & Uncles, Sharrion & Mike Rhoten & Joe White. Paternal Aunt, June Blaylock. Survivors include his Parents, John & Teresa Wright of Smithville. Sister, Olivia & Ivan Beale & a soon to be niece or nephew of Smithville. Maternal Grandmother, Oneda Montgomery Waggoner of Smithville. Uncles & Aunt, Jerome Waggoner of Smithville, Roy & Wilma Rockwell of Livingston, Andrew & Lynne Wright of Celina, Kim & Joe Endsley of Knoxville. Several cousins, friends and family also survive.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to The Refuge Church building fund in memory of Samuel.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.

February 2, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Police have charged a Liberty man with stealing an air compressor.

41 year old James Ricky Ashford of Liberty was arrested on January 25 for criminal trespass and theft of property. Police say that on January 23, Ashford spotted an air compressor setting in the driveway of a residence on Poss Street and then returned later that night to steal it. Ashford put the air compressor in his vehicle and took it to his residence in Liberty. Ashford was found to be in possession of the stolen property on January 25 and he was taken into custody. Bond for Ashford is $3,000 and his court date is February 6.

34 year old Krystle Rose Sweat of 120 Kings Court was arrested on January 14 for attempted escape and assaulting an officer. Police were summoned to the courthouse to pick up Sweat due to an active parole violation against her. As the officer escorted her to the jail to be booked, Sweat asked that she be permitted to let her boyfriend know where she was going. The officer allowed Sweat to stop at the vehicle where her boyfriend was waiting and she got inside the vehicle and rolled up the window. As the officer reached inside the automobile through a cracked window to reopen the door Sweat began fighting with him and telling her boyfriend to drive off. While trying to remove her from the vehicle, the officer was assaulted as Sweat pushed and kicked him in the upper body area. Other officers were called to render assistance and Sweat was placed in custody. Bond for Sweat is $12,500 and her court date is January 23.

63 year old Johnny Wayne Trapp of 8264 Holmes Creek Road was arrested on January 20 for public intoxication. Police were called to Food Lion where a man was reported to be passed out on the floor. Upon arrival, the officer found Trapp lying in the floor by the door. EMS was summoned and Trapp was awakened. The officer found Trapp to be intoxicated and he had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Incident to arrest police found a 374 milliliter bottle of Vodka in Trapp’s back left pocket that was nearly empty and a 200 milliter bottle in his right front pocket which was also partially empty. Trapp was taken into custody as he was believed to be a danger to himself. Bond for Trapp is $1,500 and his court date is February 6.

25 year old Amber Cheyenne Caldwell of 620 Highland Street was cited on January 21 for driving an unregistered vehicle and simple possession. During a routine traffic stop police detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer checked the plate through central dispatch and learned that it belonged on another automobile. Caldwell, the driver, couldn’t provide proof of insurance. After obtaining consent to search, the officer found 21 ½ pills believed to be Xanax, Suboxone, and Valium for which Caldwell could not provide a prescription. Her court date is February 6.

27 year old Lisa Michelle Huard of 732 Gentry Avenue was arrested on January 24 for possession of methamphetamine and she was cited for simple possession of a schedule III drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police were called to assist officers of the Tennessee Probation and Parole during a house visit. As state officers conducted a search, 2 bags were found inside a couch that contained a crystal-like substance and part of a pill. The pill was identified as Subutex and the crystal-like substance that weighed approximately 1-gram field tested positive for Methamphetamine. Also in the couch was a glass pipe and in Huard’s bedroom 2 more glass pipes were found in a jacket pocket. Bond for Huard is $5,000 and her court date is February 13.

Juvenile petitions were taken against three teens on January 24 for being unruly or delinquent. According to Smithville Police the teens broke into the Smithville Hemp Dispensary located at 458 West Broad Street by throwing a cinder block through the front window causing $450 in damages. Once inside, the teens stole $4338 worth of property belonging to the owner of the business.

62 year old Tina Lynn Cazee of Alexandria was cited on January 26 for vandalism. Police were called to St Thomas DeKalb Hospital where a woman had reportedly keyed the victim’s car. The officer learned that Cazee thought the victim had looked at her wrong and flipped her off. Cazee went into the hospital and later as she left Cazee took her own key and caused damage to the driver and passenger side of the victim’s car. Her court date is February 6.

33 year old Danny Ray Prater of McMinnville was arrested on January 29 for theft over $1,000. Police received a call about a possible stolen iPhone 11 Max Pro. The victim initially reported losing his phone at Hardees and to help locate it he used an iPhone app which revealed that the phone was inside the restaurant. A man there acting suspiciously was confronted and asked if he saw the phone. The man answered “no”. After later viewing restaurant surveillance cameras police identified the man as Danny Prater and found him behind Bill Page Ballpark. When asked about the phone, Prater turned it over to police. Bond for Prater is $5,000 and his court date is February 13.

February 2, 2020
By:

The DeKalb County Democratic Party will host its Democratic County Presidential Convention on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at the DeKalb County High School cafeteria 1130 W Broad St, Smithville, TN 37166, to select representation from the county to attend the District Convention on March 21.

The doors open for registration at 11:00 AM and the convention is open to all registered voters in the county who are supporters of the Democratic Party, have voted in the March 2020 Presidential Primary, and who agree to support the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2020 Presidential election.

The convention will begin at 12:00 PM when caucuses will be held for the top vote getting presidential candidates in Congressional District 6.

The party welcomes all who wish to participate in selecting Tennessee’s delegates to the Democratic Presidential Convention in Milwaukee the week of July 13, 2020.

Information about becoming a DNC delegate and the rules governing the DNC Delegate Selection Process may be obtained from tndp.org, or from the Tennessee Democratic Party, 319 Plus Park Blvd, Ste 203, Nashville, TN 37217, 615-327-9779.