Area News

STATE RECOGNIZES SMITH COUNTY YOUTH FOR VOLUNTEER EFFORT Smith County High School student Eden Daniel was recently a Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards recipient. Daniel was honored during the fourteenth annual Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards ceremony which recognized volunteers from 66 counties and held at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin. The awards celebrated the…

TEN COMMISSIONERS GIVING UP SEATS The county commission will have a new look come this fall as a number of commissioners are not seeking re-election this year. Ten seated commissioners are planning to give up their positions on the commission after their term expires following the August County General Election. The county commission is made…

COMMISSIONERS SELECT BARRETT TO FILL ROAD SUPERINTENDENT SEAT For a second time in less than a year, county commissioners have appointed a road superintendent. Interim Road Superintendent Mickey Glenn Barrett was appointed to the position by a slim 10-9 vote during the county commission’s February meeting. Four of the 24 member commission were absent from…

MULTIPLE ARRESTS IN K9 INVESTIGATIONS The sheriffs department’s two K-9 units discovered more than a pound of marijuana and a large amount of cash in a joint investigation. K-9 officer Sgt. Ridge Long stopped a vehicle on Interstate 40 near the 261 mile marker in the west bound lanes for an improper display of license…

COUNTY TAX DEADLINE NEARS; TRUSTEE’S OFFICE ADDS HOURS With the deadline for paying 2021 property taxes without a penalty approaching, the trustee’s office will be open extended hours in the upcoming days. The deadline is the end of the work day on Monday, February 28. Trustee Lee Ann Williams said the office will be open…

DIXON SPRINGS MAN CHARGED IN TBI UNDERCOVER HUMAN TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION A Dixon Springs man has been charged in connection with a multi-law enforcement agency undercover operation aimed at curtaining human trafficking, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). The undercover operation was conducted by special agents with the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, Hendersonville Police…

CANINE HONORED FOR SERVICE A retired member of the sheriff’s department’s canine unit was honored for her service prior to being put down because of health issues. After her role in thousands of arrests while in service, Canine Constance was living in retirement at the home of one of her handlers, sheriff’s department K-9 officer…

JURY FINDS MAN GUILTY OF ATTEMPTED 1ST DEGREE MURDER A jury found a man charged with stabbing a Carthage police officer and attempting to break into the city’s police department guilty of attempted first degree murder, as well as other charges related to the incident. Ralph Edward Overstreet Jr., age 40 at the time of…

CARTHAGE STILL TALKING ABOUT TORNADO SIRENS Discussion among Carthage city officials concerning a tornado warning system for the town will continue into next month. In January, the city’s council discussed a siren type warning system for the town, requesting bids for the project be taken. During the city council’s February meeting Thursday night, Councilman Steve…

WORK ON DETERIORATING I-40 BEGINS THIS WEEKS Work to repair crumbling sections of Interstate 40, as well as potholes in Smith County is expected to be ongoing for the “next few weeks”, according to the Tennessee Department of transportation. Repair work on the ailing interstate was supposed to have started on Monday of this week.…