Area News

Early voting begins July 15 and continues through July 30. Voting is taking place at the Smith County Election Commission office located in the Turner Building in Carthage and on select days at the Gordonsville Civic Center located on Main Street in Gordonsville. Voting hours are 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday at…

By Eddie West Staff Writer School board members continue to be impressed by Director of School Barry Smith’s job performance. In the latest overall rating of the director’s job performance from school board members, the director scored a 97 percent out of a possible 100 percent. Any score above 81 percent is considered excellent. Each…

By Eddie West Staff Writer A sheriff’s department K-9 officer captured a wanted suspect following a pursuit which began in Smith County and concluded in Mt. Juliet. Meanwhile, it’s not just dogs who can detect the odor of marijuana with a free air sniff.  While following the suspect’s vehicle, traveling on Interstate 40, K-9 officer…

By Eddie West Staff Writer The big winner in the county’s 2022-2023 fiscal year budget is the county highway department. During the next fiscal year, the county’s road department is estimated to receive more than two million dollars set aside in a special “Highway Capital Projects” account, designated specifically to address the county’s deteriorating road…

(The following information was provided by Fifteenth Judicial District, Jason Lawson.) A Smith County man has been sentenced to serve nine years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for a 2021 case in which he sold methamphetamine to a police informant working with the Fifteenth Judicial District Drug Task Force.   Andrew Murray, 32, Dixon…

By Eddie West Staff Writer Early voting in three elections set for August 4 begins next week. Elections include county general, South Carthage city and Tennessee primary. Early voting begins on Friday, July 15 and continues through Saturday, July 30. A sample ballot which includes each of the elections and candidates is inside this week’s…

(County Mayor Jeff Mason provided the following information, updating residents on the proposed 2022-2223 fiscal year budget which will be presented to the county commission Monday night, June 27.) “I wanted to update the citizens on the budget plans we have worked on this spring. Each year, we begin internally discussing budgets in January and…

By Eddie West Staff Writer (The Cordell Hull Bridge  remained closed Monday; however the structure was expected to open sooner than had been anticipated as an inspection by a contractor revealed the deterioration was not as severe as first thought. Officials with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) indicated it could reopen as soon as…

By Eddie West Staff Writer That family apple pie recipe passed down from generations, if properly prepared, could net as much as $200 at this year’s Smith County Fair. New to this year’s fair is the “Apple Pie Baking Contest”. First place winner in Division I will receive a $200 cash prize, as well as…