Area News

METH, COCAINE, MARIJUANA LOCATED A Brush Creek man faces multiple charges after being found in possession of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana during an investigation conducted by a sheriff’s department K-9 officer. During a traffic stop, the driver of a vehicle was discovered with a knife in a holster around his ankle. John Thomas Fitzgerald, 48,…

VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER RECOGNIZED Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon for Veterans Service Officer Fred Keith. A resident of the Defeated community, Keith died Sunday evening, September 20, at Sumner Regional in Gallatin following a battle with lung cancer. Keith had been veterans service officer since May, 2015. In addition to being the Smith County…

SO. CARTHAGE RESIDENTS TO VOTE IN LIQUOR REFERENDUM Voter Registration Deadline Nearing (Residents have until October 5 to register to vote in all November 3 elections including races for local, state offices as well as the presidential election.) For many residents, the focus of the November 3 election is on the race for president. However,…

COMMISSIONER VISITS Masks Could Keep Students In Classrooms, Principal Tells Officials During a visit to Gordonsville High School and Gordonsville Elementary School, Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn and two state legislators listened to concerns about the education process during the COVID-19 pandemic. School officials, teachers, even students, were all part of Friday’s conversation.…

WILLIAM WALTON FESTIVAL SATURDAY Downtown Carthage is expected to be filled with activities Saturday as the William Walton Harvest Festival will be taking place. The day will feature live entertainment, youth and adult activities, as well as food, crafts and art vendors. Vendor booths and activities will be on site 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.…

ROAD SUPERINTENDENT TO UNDERGO EXTENSIVE REHAB Funds Being Collected For Assistance Smith County Road Superintendent Steve Coble was injured after suffering a fall at his home on September 11. The four term road superintendent is expected to undergo extensive rehabilitation. The following statement was release by the highway department Friday (September 18): “Mr. Steve Coble,…

SCHOOL SYSTEM, ACLU SETTLE LAWSUIT A lawsuit claiming the Smith County School system was in violation of federal laws pertaining to religion in school has been settled. The federal lawsuit claimed members of the school system promoted religious beliefs and practices outside federal guidelines for elementary and high school levels. With the settlement, the school…

MASSIVE POWER OUTAGE SET FOR SOUTHERN COMMUNITIES The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is planning a major power outage which will affect thousands of residents in the southern section of the county. The power outage will affect a total 3,856 Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC) members. The six hour outage will take place from 11…

SUSPECT RAMS HIGHWAY PATROL VEHICLE DURING PURSUIT; WRECKS IN CARTHAGE A man who attempted to flee from the Tennessee Highway Patrol ended up crashing his vehicle in a field in Carthage. In addition to fleeing from police, the suspect rammed a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle at the intersection of Main Street and Turkey Creek Highway…

3 ESCAPE SERIOUS INJURIES IN DIRT WALL COLLAPSE Three men escaped serious injury after becoming trapped when a wall of dirt collapsed in a pipeline installation project at Ivy Agee Park, Friday afternoon. Rescue squad personnel, Gordonsville Fire Department and others dug the dirt away from the men to free them. While trapped by the…