Reeder Charged with Assaulting Woman

July 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Police have charged a man with assaulting a woman while trying to pull her from an automobile

27-year-old Ronald Deshon Reeder of Smith Road was arrested on July 3 for domestic assault and aggravated burglary. Police responded to a complaint of an unwanted guest and upon arrival heard a woman screaming as Reeder was leaning in her car. According to police it appeared as if Reeder was trying to pull her from the car. The left side of the victim’s face was bleeding and she had red marks on her cheek. According to police, the victim had awakened to find Reeder standing in the house and she went outside to lock herself in the car to get away from him. Bond for Reeder is $35,000.

53-year-old Michael Lynn Vance of Andrews Street was arrested on July 6 for violation of an order of protection. According to police, Vance was trying to make contact with his victim through Facebook which is a violation of the order against him.

29-year-old Julio Cesar Sanchez Bernardo of Big Woods Road was arrested on July 10 for two counts of theft and he was cited for a driver license violation and financial responsibility. According to police, Bernardo was observed on Wal-Mart surveillance July 1 stealing three (3) TV’s and an electronic scooter. Nine days later on July 10, Bernardo was spotted leaving Wal-Mart with a Hoover board and a scooter. Police said Bernardo had swapped the price label from two cheaper items and placed them on the Hoover board and scooter. An officer pulled over Bernardo’s vehicle on Anthony Avenue and found the stolen Hoover board and scooter inside the automobile. Bond for Bernardo is $7,500.

40-year-old Melisa Elaine Edmund of Big Woods Road was cited by police on July 13 for fraudulent use of a debit card. According to police, Edmund took a debit card and used it at an ATM machine to withdraw $40.

32-year-old Wesley Aaron Thomas of East Broad Street was arrested on July 14 for public intoxication. Police responded to the Magnolia Inn and spoke with Thomas outside of his motel room. He was unsteady on his feet. His speech was slurred and he smelled of an alcoholic beverage. The officer admonished Thomas several times to return to his room but he kept coming back out in a threatening manner. For his safety and that of the public, Thomas was taken into custody. His bond is $500.

27-year-old Michael Allen Johnson was cited for criminal trespass on July 19. Police responded to a fire on Lincoln Street where Johnson was found on the property. He was previously ordered to keep off this property on February 21. His court date is August 11.

28-year-old Robin Amber Gifford of South College Street was arrested on July 22 for public intoxication. Officers were summoned to Walgreens due to a bomb threat and spoke with Gifford who stated that her boyfriend was going to blow up several places. Gifford was very fidgety and talking really fast. She submitted to an eye movement (nystagmus) which revealed max deviation. For her safety, she was taken into custody without incident. Bond for Gifford is $1,500 and her court date is August 18.

41-year-old Noe R Perales Vite of Ginger Drive was arrested on July 24 for domestic assault. Police were called to the residence where they spoke with the parties involved and viewed video from a camera inside the home. They determined that Vite assaulted the victim by punching and rubbing a dirty diaper in her face leaving an open wound on her chin. Vite’s bond is $3,500 and the court date is September 1.

50-year-old Marina Gae Skinner of Fisher Avenue was cited July 26 for possession of drug paraphernalia. Skinner was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation. Skinner had in her possession a clear crystal pipe with residue. Skinner’s court date is August 18.

41-year-old Jason Gary McCown of Alexandria was arrested on July 27 for public intoxication. Police observed McCown stumbling, trying to walk down East Main Street. As the officer tried talking to him, McCown couldn’t keep his eyes open and he tripped and fell several times. Police learned that McCown had used drugs two days prior to this incident. Due to his safety and that of the public, he was taken into custody. Bond for McCown is $1,500 and his court date is August 11.

July 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The early voting turnout for the August 4 elections eclipsed that of August 2018 and 2014 but not by much.

For the 14-day period from July 15-30, a total of 2,489 cast ballots in this election compared to the early voting turnout of 2,361 in August 2018 and 2,399 in August 2014. In May of this year a total of 3,579 voted in the primaries combined including 1,661 on election day, 1,815 during early voting, and 103 by absentee.

According to the DeKalb County Election Commission, a total of 1,933 cast ballots in the Tennessee Republican Primary and 417 in the State Democratic Primary while 138 voted only in the DeKalb County General Election without participating in either state primary during the 14 day early voting period.

The early voting turnout for the Municipal elections is as follows: Smithville-644, Alexandria-65, Liberty 44, and Dowelltown-29.

During the last day of early voting Saturday, July 30 a total of 209 voted including 201 in person and 8 by absentee. In the state primaries, 161 voted Republican and 34 Democrat with 14 voting only in the General Election. Forty-one cast ballots in the Smithville Municipal Election, 2 in Alexandria, 3 in Dowelltown, and 1 in the Liberty Municipal Election.

Here is the early voting turnout by precinct:

Alexandria-174

Temperance Hall-86

Liberty-200

Snow Hill-126

Church of God-495

Rock Castle-2

Courthouse-459

Johnson Chapel-70

County Complex-290

Keltonburg-150

Blue Springs-100

Church of Christ Annex-337

Total-2489

Election Day voting (August 4) will be at all 12 precincts in DeKalb County from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. WJLE will have LIVE election return coverage and LIVE interviews with candidates when the polls close at 7 p.m.

July 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has announced that Smithville Electric System is one of 12 entities receiving a share of $5.2 million in total grant funding to install direct current fast charging (DCFC) infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) along prioritized interstate or major highway corridors across the state.

The 12 projects will involve the installation of 32 total charging units at 13 sites. The program is part of a partnership between TDEC and TVA to develop a statewide EV fast-charging network along Tennessee’s interstates and major highways to power the growth of EVs across the state.

Smithville’s first ever Level 2 electric vehicle charging station was installed in November, 2020 and is located at the city parking lot across from Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. “This particular charger is a 7 kilowatt charger so that means you get 7 kilowatt hours each hour you use it and how long it takes to recharge depends on the size of the battery in your car and how empty or full that battery is. For example, if you have a 60 kilowatt hour battery and you are half way depleted that means you need 30 kilowatt hours so it will take you a little over 4 hours to put 30 kilowatt hours back into the vehicle,” said Brad Rains, Director of DER Deployments with the Chattanooga based Seven States Power Corporation, who was in Smithville in November 2020 for the installation of the Level 2 EV charging station.

In addition to the these projects, TVA anticipates funding 21 projects in Tennessee, which will include the installation of 56 total charging units at 27 sites. This investment is part of TVA’s broader Fast Charge Network that aims to reduce barriers to EV adoption by deploying fast chargers at least every 50 miles along the interstates and major highways across its 7-state service territory by 2026.

The competitive grant program comprises the state’s fourth solicitation for projects under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Settlement EMT). The purpose of the EMT is to execute environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Of the funded charging infrastructure, 10 chargers at three sites will be installed in former nonattainment areas for ozone and/or fine particulates (PM2.5) under National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

“We are glad we can put these funds to use in ways that serve all motorists with electric vehicles,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “We are rapidly moving toward more electric vehicles on our roads, and this is a way to stay ahead of that demand.”

“Electrification of transportation is critical to help our nation achieve its energy security and decarbonization goals,” said Jeff Lyash, TVA president and chief executive officer. “Today, thanks to Governor Lee and TDEC, our region is the nation’s epicenter for EV technology and manufacturing, and this grant demonstrates how we can move the Tennessee Valley further and faster, together, to make a cleaner future a reality.”

The program will complement the state’s use of its allocated funds under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The NEVI Formula Program aims to build out fast charging infrastructure along federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, which in Tennessee includes all of the two-digit interstate highways and the majority of U.S.-64.

TDEC is the lead agency for administering the state’s VW Settlement EMT allocation. Announcements on future funding programs under the EMT will be shared by the department.