Looking for a full or part-time job? KFC/Taco Bell in Gordonsville is hosting a hiring parting on Thursday, July 18th, 1- 5 p.m. Come, bring a friend and grab a snack. Information about positions and interviews will be available.

Armed Man Threatens Public at Buffalo Valley Rest Area, Prompting Massive Law Enforcement Response

Early in the morning on July 14, 2024, local law enforcement responded to a distressing incident at the Buffalo Valley Rest Area. A male suspect, armed with a shotgun, threatened visitors inside the center.

The incident unfolded at approximately 5:06 AM when Deputy Levi Grigg, along with Sergeant Robbie Woodard and Gordonsville City Patrolman Ian Grigg, responded to reports of a man threatening to shoot people. The suspect was described as wearing a park ranger-style shirt and a military hat.

By 5:15 AM, Deputy Grigg and Officer Grigg arrived on the scene and established a perimeter while awaiting the arrival of Sgt. Woodard and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP). Upon their arrival, a witness confirmed that the suspect was still inside the visitor’s center. Sgt. Woodard and Deputy Grigg entered the building on the eastbound side while Officer Grigg and THP secured the perimeter. Although the visitor’s center was cleared, the suspect was not found.

The onsite security guard, who had taken refuge in a vehicle near the cemetery on the north side of the property, provided a vague description of the weapon but confirmed it was a shotgun. The guard described the suspect as having short hair, no facial hair, and wearing dark clothing.

Radio communication from THP indicated that the suspect had been spotted at mile marker 267.4 on I-40 Eastbound. Law enforcement promptly left the rest area and joined another trooper who had positively identified the suspect. The suspect’s shotgun and a Beretta pistol were discovered in a car parked on the side of I-40. When approached, the suspect fled on foot into the woods in Putnam County.

The suspect was later identified as Gregory James Daniel, 43, of Franklin, North Carolina. THP advised against pursuing Daniel into the woods due to the availability of a bloodhound from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Smith County units maintained a perimeter on the westbound side of I-40 between the 267 and 268-mile markers.

Day shift officers, including Sergeant Robin Bellar and Deputy Nathan Williams, arrived to relieve the night shift personnel.

Gregory James Daniel was located and arrested near Hopewell Road in Putnam County around 3 PM that evening. He faces charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and making terroristic threats in Smith County, Tennessee. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to gather details surrounding the incident.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is on the lookout for a man who allegedly evaded the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and held people at gunpoint at a rest area on Sunday morning.

Sheriff Steve Hopper reported that the incident occurred at the Buffalo Valley Rest Area on Interstate 40 on Sunday, July 14. The suspect allegedly entered the rest area with a shotgun, threatened everyone present, and then fled on foot. He is described as being around 170 pounds, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a beard, and appearing to be at least 45 years old.

According to Sheriff Hopper, the suspect was last seen wearing a military cap, tan shorts, and a shirt. The man was last spotted near Denny’s Lane, close to the border between Smith and Putnam counties. Authorities have labeled him as “very dangerous.”

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone who sees someone fitting this description to call 911 immediately.

My little girl, husband, and I enjoyed catching fireflies together the other night. We would race to see who could catch one first and put it in a fruit jar to see many of them light up together before we released them back into the night. I grew up racing my brother to see who could catch fireflies first and now enjoy my daughter laughing as she chases them.

Unfortunately, fireflies are disappearing all over the world, according to an article on fireflies.org. Scientists are not sure of the reason for their disappearing, but researchers blame land development and light pollution. Most species of fireflies live in rotten wood and near ponds and water. They tend to remain in the area where they are born.

The problem is our open fields and forests are being developed and paved over. As their habitat disappears, firefly numbers dwindle. Light pollution is believed to interrupt firefly flash patterns. Scientists believe the flash of fireflies get out of sync with car, home, and streetlights. This makes it difficult for fireflies to signal each other during mating, contributing to fewer fireflies the next season.

We may think that the fireflies’ only purpose is to entertain us during the summer season. However, according to scientists, fireflies can save lives. Luciferase and luciferin are chemicals fireflies use to produce their light. This is used in research for the study of cancer, diabetes, allergies, gastric inflammation, and other harmful diseases in humans.

As we have learned from research, even the little firefly is beneficial for human life. It is believed that the reduction of habitat and increased lighting may be making fireflies rarer. Fireflies bring light and sense of magic to our summer night. Our summer nights would be a little darker without the magic of the lightning bug.

I mistyped the recipe from last week, so please see the corrected recipe below.

Pineapple Lemonade

1 cup Country Time Lemonade mix

3 cups cold water

1 46 oz can of chilled pineapple juice

2 cans of Sprite

Mix all together and enjoy.

Submitted by: Judy Long, Gordonsville FCE Club

During the second week of June, Smith County 4-H took 53 happy campers to the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in Crossville, Tennessee, for a fun-filled week of 4-H Camp.

Campers had a great time making new friends, trying new things, ziplining, swimming, making crafts, playing games, spending time at the fishing pond, archery range, rifle range, and lake, enjoying a foam party, and dancing and eating s’mores around the campfire.

The following 4-H’ers from Smith County attended 4-H Camp with us this summer: Kayden Asmussen, Ali Kay Babcock, Trevor Bucher, Laikyn Bush, Maison Carden, James Cruse, Olivia Dallas, Aiden Davis, Jake Dawson, Samuel Dawson, Adalyn Dennis, Charlotte Driver, Jay Driver, Clay Driver, Oliver Durham, Jewel Flockencier, Jorja Flynt, Brooklynn Gasnik, Theron Geho, Aspen Gibbs, Jocelyn Gorman, Mason Grisham, Henry Hamblin, Bryant Lee Harper, Kiera Henry, Harper Hesson, Scarlett Hicks, Aubrey Hicks, Amelia Hodges, Tasha Hollis, Mallorie Horton, Emma House, Patrick Hughes, Rose Hughes, Charlotte Keen, McCall Kemp, Katelyn Kooken, Joshua Lee, Maizie Mahaney, Haley McDonald, Charlotte Pena, Rocco Rayner, Ella Riley, Liam Sterling, Makaeleigh Tarpley, Marshall Taylor, Easton Vescera, Jordan Vivas, Zachary Ward, Huck Warden, Everett West, Tucker Williams, and Colton Wright.

Our camp week was so successful thanks to the support of adult leaders Abby Malone, Victoria Prichard, Cynthia Zeitz, Elston Gibbs, Joshua Kooken, and Jerry Hughes, Sr. 4-H’ers Kynlee Davis and Kaylea Keen served as teen leaders. We are so grateful to these individuals for spending the week with us and making an impact on our local youth!

Smith County 4-H would also like to thank the individuals and community partners who donated to our 4-H Camp Scholarship Fund. This year, our camp scholarships were made possible by generous donations from Smith Farmers CO-OP, the Smith County Fair in memory of Bruce Apple, Petty Farms, the 4-H Picnic at the Tennessee State Fair, and several other private donors. This summer, 12 of our campers attended on half-scholarship.

Junior 4-H Camp is open to youth in Smith County who have completed grades 4-6, and we take around 50 youth to 4-H Camp every summer! If you have any questions about 4-H Camp, would like to be notified when camp sign-ups begin next year, or are interested in financially contributing to our 4-H Camp Scholarship Fund, please reach out to the UT Extension Office in Smith County.

The 4-H Youth Development Program delivers programs through cooperative efforts of the University of Tennessee, Tennessee State University, and public and private sector volunteers. 4-

H educational programs are offered to all youth, grades 4-12, on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

Thanks again to all of the volunteers, Extension Agents, and 4-H Camp staff that made our camp week safe and fun for all of our kiddos!

For further information concerning the many opportunities that 4-H has to offer the youth in Smith County, call 615-735-2900 or email rpetty@utk.edu.

By Katie Martin – Smith County Extension Agent

Smith County Cattlemen’s member and former President, Jake McCaleb, recently had the opportunity to take part in an exciting opportunity to strengthen his knowledge and build connections in the beef industry. Through an application and voting process, Jake was selected to be one of 25 participants from across North America to attend the Beef Leaders Institute. This educational program is hosted by the American Angus Association and focuses on the ranch-to-table movement of Certified Angus Beef.

Beef Leaders Institute started with a visit to the American Angus Association Headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri. The group then traveled to six states visiting everything from a feed yard in Nebraska to ST Genetics to see some of the top Angus bulls in the country. Participants finished the week at the Certified Angus Beef Headquarters in Ohio where they toured the culinary center and participated in a team cooking competition.

McCaleb expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to attend the Beef Leaders Institute and was especially appreciative after seeing all the links in our food chain. After attending this educational experience he was amazed, stating, “So many cattle are needed to feed this country and the world. Every producer, from a small cattleman in Smith County, TN to a large rancher in Texas, we are all important and necessary.” Most of all, Jake appreciated the opportunity to meet new people who shared his passion for the cattle industry while learning what their struggles and successes looked like in their part of the world. “Networking with cattlemen and cattlewomen from across North America was invaluable,” he said. “I am honored to have had the chance to participate and bring back new knowledge and connections to Smith County.”

We are proud of Jake for taking part in this awesome opportunity, and encourage all of our Smith County producers to get involved in continuing education through UT Extension, breed associations, or other agricultural organizations!

For more information about other agriculture-related topics, contact the UT Extension office at 615-735-2900.

Treehouse Treasures is an eclectic new store offering just as the name promises plenty of treasures.  It is 2400 square feet of shopping featuring over 35 vendors.  They offer antiques, glassware, quilts, farmhouse items, crafts, and much more.

The business opened on March 1, 2024.  It is owned by Rita Key a Smith County resident for over 33 years and where she has raised a family with her husband on a small farm. She has enjoyed shopping and collecting antiques for the last 40 years and is excited to share her passion with others.  She loves talking with people and hearing other’s stories and passion for collecting.

Treehouse Treasures recently joined the Smith County Chamber of Commerce who helped them celebrate their business with a Ribbon Cutting.  Smith County Mayor, Jeff Mason, Smith County Chamber Director, Billy Woodard, vendors, shoppers, community members, family and friends joined the celebration and special open house.

Treehouse Treasures is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Check out their facebook page for new and featured items. The store is located at 320 Main Street, Carthage TN. You can call them at 615-735-7494 .

Save the date and save! The State of Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday weekend will take place Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28.

During this holiday, Tennesseans can save nearly 10 percent on qualifying clothing, school supplies, and computers. Tennesseans can purchase clothing and school supplies tax-free if they are priced at $100 or less and buy computers tax-free if they are priced at $1500 or less. Qualifying items may be purchased online and in stores.

“Tennessee’s commitment to strong fiscal stewardship has allowed our state to cut taxes and put dollars back in the pockets of hardworking Tennesseans,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “I encourage every Tennessee family to take advantage of back-to-school savings and thank the General Assembly for partnering to provide direct financial relief for taxpayers.”

“With the start of the school year around the corner, we encourage Tennessee families to take advantage of these savings,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said. “This is the only sales tax holiday this year.”

For more information about the sales tax holiday, including a list of qualifying items, visit www.tntaxholiday.com. You can also call 615-253-0600 or email revenue.support@tn.gov with questions.

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2023 fiscal year, it collected nearly $22 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $4.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the Department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

On Thursday, July 4th three candidates for office participated in the Rally on the River at the Smith County Fair.

The State House District House 40 candidate Daniel Hawthorn (Democrat), Incumbent State House District House 40 Michael Hale and Smith County School Board District 2 candidate Sarah Hawthorne participated. The Rally on the River was sponsored by Smith County Insider with Smith County Chamber Director Billy Woodard acting as the moderator.You can watch the video below.