Area News

MAN HID IN MATTRESS TO EVADE DEPUTIES A man was arrested after fleeing from sheriff’s department deputies and attempting to hide in a bed inside his residence. The incident began when Deputy Dallas Eddie and Deputy Robbie Woodard went to a residence located on Young Branch Road near the Dixon Springs community to serve an…

ADVERTISING ON SCHOOL BUSES DEBATED School board members are debating advertisements placed on school buses in response to public comments. In the form of decals, the advertisements recently appeared on the side, rear section of school buses. School Director Barry Smith informed school board members the size and locations of the advertisements on the school…

EVENT WILL SPOTLIGHT TENNESSEE MANEUVERS (Submitted by the Smith County Historical Tourism Society) The Smith County Historical Tourism Society, a 501©3, will hold its first fundraising event on Saturday, October 23 in Carthage. It is being sponsored by Bonnell Aluminum. The group’s goal is to create tourism opportunities which brings in revenue for the county…

STATE SHUTS DOWN ENIGMA COMMUNITY BRIDGE The Tennessee Department of Transportation has closed a bridge in the Enigma community because of safety issues. Located on Webster Road, the bridge crosses Little Indian Creek, connecting the Enigma community in Smith County to the Ensor Hollow community in Putnam County. Because of the closing, through traffic on…

VEHICLE CRASHES INTO FIRE STATION The Forks River Fire Department Station was damaged in a single vehicle wreck, Wednesday morning. The vehicle struck the front of the building which is located on Cookeville Highway/Highway 70 near Forks River Elementary School. Among the damage was two bay doors which were temporarily replaced by tarps last week.…

FOUR CHARGED FOLLOWING PURSUIT Vehicle Ditched In Landfill After Chase Along Carthage Bypass A man fleeing from police likely didn’t read the street sign as he turned onto Landfill Road in an attempt to evade law enforcement authorities. The road, located on the Carthage/Highway 25 Bypass, dead ends in the county’s landfill. After ditching the…

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX NOTICES DELAYED (News from Lee Ann Williams, Smith County trustee) Due to a processing error, the Smith County property tax notices have been delayed. County property tax notices are generally received through the mail each year at the first of October. There is a two percent discount for property owners who pay…

ONE INJURED IN FACTORY TRUCK ACCIDENT A man was injured in a pedestrian accident outside Graphic Packaging in Gordonsville. An ambulance was dispatched to the factory’s main building located on Spicer Drive, around 8:55 a.m., Wednesday after it was reported to 911 a “man had been run over by a truck”. Gordonsville Police Chief Shannon…

$3 MILLION LOTTO WINNERS Two 19-Year-Olds Invest Winnings From Jackpot Following a few days off, it was back to work this week for two Smith County teenagers, winners of $3,000,000 in the Tennessee Lottery. With their winnings, Wyatt Close, a Rome community resident, and Brandon Thompson, who lives in the Maggart community, found themselves in…

SCHOOL BOARD WILL CONTINUE AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEM DISCUSSION Installation of an air purification system in all school buildings which was approved by the county’s school board in February has yet to take place. Known as a bi-polar ionization system, the air purification units were to be installed in heating and cooling ventilation systems in all…