GOVERNOR
Phil Bredesen (D)
State Capitol,
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
(615)741-2001 WEBSITE
STATE SENATOR
Mae Beavers (R)
War Memorial Bldg., Suite 320
Nashville, TN 37243
(615)741-2421 WEBSITE
STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Frank Buck (D)
Suite 40, Legislative Plaza,
Nashville, TN 37243
(615)741-3817 WEBSITE
CONGRESSMAN
Bart Gordon (D)
2368 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4231 WEBSITE
U.S. SENATOR
Bob Corker (R)
B-40A Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4205
(202) 224-3344 WEBSITE
U.S. SENATOR
Lamar Alexander (R)
Dirksen Senate Office Building B-40, Suite 2
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4944 WEBSITE
Circuit Court Clerk
Myra Hardcastle
735-0500
County Clerk
Jimmy Norris
735-9833
County Mayor
Michael Nesbitt
735-2294
Register of Deeds
Jerri Lin Vaden
735-1760
Tax Assessor
Terry Collins
735-1750
Trustee
Lee Ann Williams
735-8242
Highway Department
Ralph Coble
683-3326
General Sessions Judge
David Bass
735-2286
Law Enforcement Agencies
SHERIFF
Sheriff - Ronnie Lankford
2nd Ave
(615) 735-2626
GORDONSVILLE
Chief - Wayne Harris
63 Main St. E.
(615) 683-8282 or 683-6088
SOUTH CARTHAGE
Chief - Fred Brown
106 Main St South
(615) 735-2727
CARTHAGE
Chief - Steve Hopper
309 Spring St.
(615) 735-2525
TBI
901 R.S. Gass Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37216
Phone: (615) 744-4000
WEBSITE
FBI
Memphis Field Office
225 N. Humphreys Blvd.,
Suite 3000
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 747-4300
WEBSITE
TN HIGHWAY PATROL
1150 Foster Avenue
Nashville, TN 37243
(615) 251-5175
WEBSITE
TN HOMELAND SECURITY
Main Office
Phone: (615) 532-7825
WEBSITE
TN DCS
Cordell Hull Bldf, 7th floor
436 Sixth Avenue N.
Nashville, TN 37243-1290
1-877-237-0004
WEBSITE
TN SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY
1-888-837-4170
WEBSITE
By Eddie West•Staff Writer
Law enforcement officers estimate as much as $30,000 in items was recently taken in the burglary of a County House Circle residence and two people face charges in connection with the theft. The burglary is one of the largest thefts to occur in recent months. Law enforcement authorities say burglaries and thefts have been on the increase since this summer because of the economy. Items taken in the County House Circle theft include those most popular targets of burglars: electronics, old coins, guns, jewelry, items which criminals can dispense of quickly. Various other items were also taken from the County House Circle home. Individuals broke through a door to gain entrance into the residence. Sheriff’s department officials say the items were taken from the home of Gary Lester. Law enforcement authorities estimate about one-third of the stolen items have been recovered. The items were located in various residences in Smith and Wilson counties. Sheriff’s department Detective Shannon Hunt is investigating the case which occurred in November. Nathaniel Stephens, 24, Carthage, and a 17-year-old juvenile were charged in the case on December 2, according to Sheriff’s department spokesperson William Trusty. Stephens faces aggravated burglary and vandalism charges, according to Trusty. Stephens appeared in General Session Court on December 18 and the case was bound over to the grand jury which next meets in April. The 17-year-old’s case is in juvenile court. Law enforcement authorities do not believe the individuals charged knew the items were in the residence and the burglary was random. Owners of the residence had been gone for a period of days when the burglary was discovered. In November, sheriff’s department officials alerted residents residential burglaries and thefts were on the rise, noting the problem could worsen with Christmas season approaching. In the weeks prior to the arrival of and even after the Christmas holiday, law enforcement agencies anticipate an increase in residential and business burglaries, but this year the spike in burglaries and thefts have been occurring since July. The sheriff’s department was called to investigate some 63 burglaries and theft cases from July to November. Detectives with the sheriff’s department point to the economy as the main factor for the increase. In July, gasoline prices reached a record high of $4 per gallon, but have been free-falling since then as the economy has taken a dramatic nose-dive because of job losses being recorded daily and banks and businesses failing. Law enforcement authorities continue to stress public awareness or residents being alert to the problem is one way to combat an increase in thefts. There are also some basic but significant steps individual homeowners can take to help prevent burglaries. For instance, when a family plans to be out of the county for an extended period, they should notify a neighbor to keep an eye on their residence. Residents should take advantage of automated timing devices which switch lights on when daylight ends. Also, residents should be alert to any suspicious vehicles or persons in the neighborhood and report them to the sheriff’s department. There are also some steps homeowners can take which are key in helping law enforcement agencies solve a burglary or theft. First, sheriff’s department detectives urge residents to take down serial numbers on guns, tools, electronics and other devices. Secondly, residents can take pictures of valuable items such as those which are at the top of the burglar’s list. These two steps are keys to investigating officers being able to identify stolen items if sold to a pawn shop. Traditionally, guns, jewelry, electronic are prime targets of burglars.
By Eddie West•Staff Writer
Dial the telephone listing to Carter Chevrolet and a recording clinks in after the first ring, sounding “this number has been disconnected”. The familiar rows of cars, vans and pickup trucks which lined Highway 25 are gone. “We looked at this long and hard and didn’t see anything positive on the horizon. Talk about the perfect storm. This (economy and credit crisis) has all the right elements,” said Dan Carter who has owned the business for about four years. Across the U.S. there have been 970 automobile dealerships close this year, Carter noted. “They’re estimating as many as 1,200 dealerships will close in 2009, and they say that is a conservative estimate,” Carter added. Because of the economy, selling the automobile business was not an option. Also, money which has been promised to help automakers through the difficult economic times will not be filtering down to ownerships. First beginning in 1933, the county has been home to a Chevrolet dealership for more than three-quarters of a century. For several years the dealership was known as the Cumberland Chevrolet Company. In 2002 and 2003 as new owners took over, the company was known as Friendly Chevrolet. The automobile dealership is just one of a number of businesses which has closed in recent months in Carthage. Among those businesses are three real estate companies, two jewelry stores, a convenience market and a service station.
DON'T MISS A SINGLE STORY!
PICK UP A COPY OF THIS WEEKS CARTHAGE COURIER
ON SALE NOW!
12-25-08 Couple killed in Thursday morning fire By Eddie West•Staff Writer
Funeral services were held Tuesday morning for an elderly South Carthage couple who died in a house fire last week. Eugene and Evie Kinslow Carter perished in a fire which destroyed their home located at 93 Lebanon Highway, Thursday morning. A former South Carthage councilman, Eugene Carter was 87. A hairdresser and businesswoman, Evie Kinslow Carter was 83. Evie Kinslow Carter’s son, Larry Kinslow and daughter-in-law Lana, who were residing with the elderly couple at the time of the blaze, managed to escape the fire. Larry Kinslow suffered smoke inhalation and burns in an attempt to save the couple from the burning home and had to be taken to Riverview Regional Medical Center North where he was treated and released. County Fire Investigator Scott Hale said the couple’s son was awakened by a smoke detector, discovering the house full of smoke and fire. The couples were sleeping at opposite ends of the residence. The fire was reported by the Kinslows at 2:14 a.m. South Carthage Fire Department responded to the call, followed by the Carthage Fire Department which was dispatched at 2:26 a.m. A third fire department, Rock City/Rome, was dispatched at 3:16 a.m. Each department sent an engine to battle the blaze. The house was fully engulfed when units arrived at the scene. The victims, whose remains were sent to Nashville for an autopsy, were located in separate bedrooms at the west end of the single story, brick home. There was no indication either of the elderly victims were able to make an effort to escape the burning home. The cause of death for both victims was ruled smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. The fire is being investigated by Investigator Hale and the state fire marshal’s office. Investigators spent several hours at the scene before the remains were removed. A front end loader was used to remove a section of a front wall and a section of a back wall in order to reach the victims. The walls were unstable as a result of damage from the fire. The cause of the fire has not been determined. Despite the fact most of the house was destroyed by the fire, Investigator Hale was optimistic the cause of the fire would be determined. Traffic along Highway 70 was re-routed along Old Lebanon Road and McCall Street. South Carthage firemen remained at the scene until 11:49 a.m. Carthage firemen reported back to their station at 7:50 a.m. and Rock City/Rome at 7:15 a.m. The location of the home was across from Eatherly Group’s headquarters. Highway 70 was shut down until around noon, Thursday. The Carters were well-known in the community. A native of the Granville community in Jackson County, Eugene Carter served as a South Carthage councilman in the 1990’s. A veteran, Carter, a 1942 graduate of Jackson County High School, served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. Before locating in Smith County, Carter formerly worked with the City of Santa Cruz in California as supervisor of equipment operators and was a member of the California State Civil Service Commission. A native of the Temperance Hall community in DeKalb County, Evie Carter was a former beautician and businesswoman. Carter was a hairdresser for 48 years before retiring in 2006. Carter owned and operated Evie’s Hairstylists in Carthage for most of those years. During her last years before retiring, Carter had operated her hairstyling business out of the couple’s Lebanon Road home. Carter was buried in Smith Couty Memorial Gardens in Carthage. The Carters had been married for 31 years. A joint funeral service for the couple was held at Sanderson Funeral Home in Carthage at 11 a.m., Tuesday. Eugene Carter was buried in Granville Cemetery in Jackson County. The county’s last fatal fire occurred in July of last year. Forty-four-year-old Cathy Bailey was killed in a fire which occurred in her second story apartment at the Creekwood Apartment complex in Carthage. Bailey was pulled from the burning apartment by a motorist who was traveling along the Carthage Bypass and saw smoke coming from the victim’s apartment. Carthage firemen were able to extinguish the blaze with minimal damage to the apartment, but the victim was deceased at the scene.
12-18-08 One dies in Highway 25 wreck By Eddie West•Staff Writer
A Trousdale County man died in a single vehicle wreck which occurred near the Tanglewood community last week. The accident occurred around 11:57 a.m., Tuesday, on Highway 25 just west of the Highway 80 intersection. Killed in the accident was Billy Frank Moore, 60, 335 Elmer Dalton Road, Hartsville. Moore was traveling alone in his 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck when the accident occurred. According to the investigating Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper’s report, “Moore was traveling east on Highway 25, when for an unknown reason, his vehicle veered off the west lane side of the roadway. The vehicle ran into a ditch and struck a rock embankment.” The accident was investigated by Trooper Shannon Brinkley. The victim was deceased when emergency personnel arrived at the scene. A witness to the accident speculated it appeared the victim may have had a medical episode, causing him to lose control of the vehicle before it crashed. The accident was visible from the Highway 80 and Highway 25 intersection. The accident occurred where a cement barrier runs along the south side the Highway 25, overlooking the Cumberland River or several yards west of Riverview Raceway. The vehicle crashed into the rock bluff on the opposite side of the roadway from the cement barrier. Funeral services for Moore were held at 2 p.m., Sunday at Anthony Funeral Home in Hartsville.Moore was buried in Dixon Springs Cemetery. Last Tuesday’s accident marks the sixth fatal wreck to occur in the county this year. The last fatal accident occurred in November when a Crawford (Overton County) man was killed on Interstate 40 in a “chase” by an off duty police officer. One person was killed in the accident while three were uninjured.
A Smith County native was killed in a Wilson County wreck which has been blamed on icy road conditions. Funeral services were held Sunday for Mike Barnes, 42, Hartsville. According to a Tennessee Highway Patrol accident report, Barnes was involved in a single vehicle wreck which occurred on Highway 267 near Watertown around 9:52 a.m., Friday. Rain changed to sleet and snow overnight, Thursday, in most mid-state counties, resulting in hazardous driving conditions in some areas. Barnes was traveling “west on the state highway when lost control of his 1999 Dodge sedan, while attempting to negotiate a curve in snow and ice. Barnes’ vehicle left the roadway and rolled down an embankment for about 60 feet”. Barnes was partially ejected from the vehicle. The accident was investigated by Trooper Jimmy Knowles. Barnes was born in Carthage and grew up in Gordonsville, graduating from Gordonsville High School in 1984. Barnes was a member of Gordonsville High School 1983 state runner-up football team. The victim was employed with P F P Corporation in Gordonsville. Funeral services were held at the Gordonsville Chapel of Bass Funeral Homes and burial was in Gordonsville Cemetery. Barnes was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and, in the opinion of the investigating state trooper, could have made a difference in the injuries to the victim.