A Smith County Middle School coach has pleaded guilty to multiple sex crimes involving minors. Jamal Carter was arrested in March of 2022 after allegations surfaced of inappropriate communications with minors. Carter was a basketball coach and PE teacher at Smith County Middle School at the time of his arrest, and was immediately suspended by the school system and barred from having contact with the school or students. An investigation by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department resulted in additional charges against Carter being returned by the April Smith County Grand Jury.

Carter pleaded guilty in the case to two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means. Carter was sentenced to serve twenty years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for his crimes. Carter will also be labeled a violent sex offender and will be required to remain on the sex offender registry for the remainder of his life.

District Attorney Jason Lawson credited the Smith County Sheriff’s Office for the result. “I am very grateful for the hard work of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in this case” said Lawson. “Because of their diligence we were able to achieve justice. Their excellent investigation, going above and beyond at every stage in this case, shows the commitment of the Sheriff Hopper’s Department to the safety of this community and its children.”

We are taking volunteer applications for 2024 board members. This is an unpaid position but our board members are vital to our mission of helping our community. We meet once a month, at the Smith County Help Center, to discuss business. We also ask that our board members volunteer at least two hour a month at the Help Center, so they can understand the daily operations, as well as the client assistance needs.

If you’d like to give back to Smith County in this way, please come in to our store in downtown Carthage to fill out a volunteer application or send us an email at smithhelpcenter@dtccom.net.

On November 1st, Sergeant Junior Fields received information that Mr. Joshua Marek would be leaving his mothers in Chestnut Mound and heading back to Wilson County. The information stated Marek was in possession of approximately one ounce of Crystal Meth in his white pickup. 

Sgt. Woodard observed the white pickup near Cookeville Hwy. Woodard stopped Mr. Marek for a violation of muffler law and a light law violation. Sgt. Fields arrived on scene and deployed a K-9 which identified a substance near the door.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and a bag inside a black glove contained 22 grams of Crystal Meth. Mr. Marek was placed under arrest and transported to the Smith County Jail for processing.

A Gordonsville woman has pleaded guilty to the 2021 murder of a South Carthage man. Tara Greene, 36, pleaded guilty to the offense of second degree murder in the death of Wendell Bennett occurring on February 26, 2021. As a result of the plea, Greene will serve 30 years at 100% in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. Greene has been in custody since the date of the murder.

Deputies of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to 80 Thompson Hollow Road in Smith County on the morning of February 26, 2021, to find Wendell Bennett deceased from a shotgun blast to the shoulder. Eyewitnesses at the residence reported that the shooter was Greene, who had fled the residence in Bennett’s truck. Greene was apprehended minutes later by Smith County Deputy Jimmy Lankford and taken into custody. At the request of Smith County Sheriff Steve Hopper, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation responded to the crime scene and processed the scene for evidence and conducted interviews of Greene. Based on the investigation, drug impairment was a factor in Greene’s decision to shoot Bennett.

The case was set for trial the first week of December, but days before the trial began the attorneys announced that a plea agreement had been reached where Green would plead guilty to an enhanced second-degree murder and receive a sentence of 30 years without parole.

“On the last Sunday afternoon in November, I met with Mr. Bennett’s family at the Carthage DA’s office,” said Jason Lawson, District Attorney. “We went over all of the proof in the case, discussed the arguments that would be presented at trial by both the State and the defense, and discussed the law that the judge would charge the jury. At the conclusion of those conversations, the family along with myself decided that the 30 year sentence was an appropriate sentence in the case.”

Given that the judge was sitting in Wilson County during that week, Greene was transported to Wilson County where she entered her plea the following Tuesday.

“I want to say thank you to a number of people who made this result possible,” said Lawson. “First, the family of Mr. Bennett, who attended all of the court dates and worked with the prosecution to ensure justice was done. Also, this case could not have been successful without the excellent police work of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Although the defendant had fled the scene in a vehicle, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office set forth communications and a plan that had the defendant apprehended within thirty minutes in a traffic stop. Finally, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s valuable contributions to our community is not recognized enough. On this and many other cases, when the Sheriff and I request the help of the TBI they are always quick to respond and conduct the most thorough and professional police investigations that would rival any police force anywhere. I am eternally grateful for the work of the TBI and Sheriff’s department in solving the cases and collecting evidence that make the cases prosecutable by my office.”

Greene will now be transferred to the Tennessee Prison for Women where she will serve out her sentence.

Members of the DeKalb-Smithville Order of the Eastern Star have been busy collecting stuffed animals for At-Risk children in our communities of DeKalb County and Smith County in Middle Tennessee. Our community service project is to help with the first responder agencies as well as local law enforcement agencies in both counties to be able to comfort children in at-risk situations during traumatic times such as accidents, fires, etc. to help transition through the traumatic event. Our hope is to assist with these agencies who are public servants and selfless heroes, helping to create positive interaction with our communities. Thanks be unto God for allowing us to assist in such a small way considering the huge difference that our public servants do on a daily basis.

By bridging a gap and helping to show positive feedback helps to create a great necessity in many of our communities. Our law enforcement and first responders need uplifting support from us, the community. Their sacrifice of long hours during stressful situations can be much better with knowing that they can put a smile on a child’s face with something so simple as a stuffed animal. We feel that this is the best chance to impact the areas and see that it is part of our Christian duty to pay our blessings forward to our neighbors with love.

Our chapter placed donation boxes all around both counties. Smith County sites were as follows:

● Wilson Bank and Trust Gordonsville

● Citizens Bank Gordonsville

● Carthage Benevolent Lodge #14

● #Holly’s/Video Quest

● AmVets Post

● Carthage Sav Way

● DeKalb County sites were as follows:

● Liberty State Bank and Trust in Alexandria and Liberty

● Prichard’s Foods in Alexandria

● Liberty Masonic Lodge

● Mike Foster Memorial Complex in Smithville

● The Smoke Shop in Smithville

We want to mention New Parts in Gordonsville for donating the boxes that were used at the collection sites.

In total our chapter collected close to 600 stuffed animals and toys. God definitely blessed the children of our communities.

The following agencies that benefited from the collection were as follows:

Smith County

Tennessee Department of Children’s

Services Smith County

Smith County Sheriff’s Office

Smith County Emergency Management

Carthage Fire Department

Gordonsville City Police Department

Carthage City Police Department

South Carthage Police Department

Gordonsville Fire Department

Gordonsville Rescue 911

Monoville Rescue 911

Defeated Fire Department

TN Highway Patrol

The following agencies that benefited from the collection in DeKalb County are as follows:

DeKalb County Ambulance Service

Smithville Fire Department

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office

DeKalb County EMS/911

Smithville Police Department

Alexandria Police Department

Alexandria Fire Department

DeKalb County Department of

Children’s Services

TN Highway Patrol

In total there were twenty agencies that benefited from the efforts of our Order of the Eastern Star men and women. Our Masonic brothers were also an intricate party to our efforts from encouraging others to donate in helping with the cause.

As stated earlier, we all are able to impact our communities in a positive way just by following Christian values such as charity, compassion, and brotherly love. Kindness in a humanitarian mindset is a powerful presentation to our neighbors. Loving our communities can go viral if we all continue to pay forward the patience and good favor awarded to us from God.

Lifepoint Health and Ascension Saint Thomas have formed a joint venture to expand access to high quality care and services in Northern Middle Tennessee.  

As part of the joint venture, the organizations will jointly own Highpoint Health System, a regional health system owned by Lifepoint Health that includes Sumner Regional Medical Center and Sumner Station in Gallatin, Trousdale Medical Center in Hartsville, Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage and more than 15 affiliated clinics and sites of care. This partnership brings together the organizations’ clinical excellence, best practices and talented caregivers to collaborate in new ways that improve access to clinical programs and specialty care for patients and communities. 

“Today is an exciting day for our company and for our communities in Middle Tennessee,” said David Dill, chairman and chief executive officer, Lifepoint Health. “We have long respected Ascension Saint Thomas for its commitment to excellent quality, innovation, and partnership in improving the lives of patients. By working together, we can do even more to advance the health and well-being of our friends and neighbors here.” 

This new collaboration is the second joint venture partnership for the two health systems, as Lifepoint Health and Ascension Saint Thomas also jointly own Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital in Nashville.  

“Lifepoint is a strong and trusted partner, and we share a commitment of making communities healthier,” said Fahad Tahir, president and chief executive officer, Ascension Saint Thomas. “The positive impact we can make together to build and expand our clinical programs will have a multiplying effect for the health of our region and the communities we serve.” 

The hospitals and sites of care included in the joint venture will be co-branded with Ascension Saint Thomas and will be majority-owned and operated by Lifepoint Health. Each hospital’s current leadership team remains in place and no significant changes are anticipated for employees. Moving forward, the Highpoint hospitals will adopt the names of Highpoint Health – Sumner, Highpoint Health – Trousdale, and Highpoint Health – Riverview.  

“We are proud of all we have accomplished here in Gallatin and beyond, and we know we can do even more by working with an outstanding partner like Ascension Saint Thomas,” said Rod Harkleroad, market president of Highpoint Health and chief executive officer, Highpoint Health – Sumner. “We are looking forward to rolling up our sleeves together to tackle some of the most pressing healthcare issues we face in this region, including growing our specialist base and services.”

About Lifepoint Health® 

Lifepoint Health is a leading healthcare provider that serves patients, clinicians, communities, and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a mission of making communities healthier^®, the company has a growing diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of more than 50,000 dedicated employees, 60 community hospital campuses, more than 60 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals and 250 additional sites of care, including managed acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities. Through its innovation strategy, Lifepoint Forward, the company is developing meaningful solutions to enhance quality, increase access to care, and improve value across the Lifepoint footprint and communities across the country. For more information about the company, visit www.LifepointHealth.net. 

About Ascension Saint Thomas 

Ascension Saint Thomas is a leading health care system with a 125-year history of providing care to the community, and is the only faith-based, non profit health system in Middle Tennessee. Today, the health system offers a highly comprehensive system of care, with more than 250 sites of care that cover a 45-county area in Tennessee consisting of 13 hospitals and a network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and specialty facilities. Across the state, Ascension Saint Thomas and its partner organizations employ more than 10,700 dedicated associates who care for millions of patients each year. Ascension Saint Thomas is part of Ascension, one of the nation’s largest faith-based healthcare organizations committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension includes approximately 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org. 

Ahead of the 2024 elections, Secretary of State Tre Hargett reminds Tennesseans that state and county election officials are the trusted sources of accurate election information.

“Before the 2024 elections get underway, it’s important that voters know where to find accurate election information,” said Secretary Hargett. “As we’ve seen in past elections, incorrect and sometimes misleading information is shared with voters. In Tennessee, the Division of Elections and 95 county election commissions are the sources voters can trust for accurate election information. We want every Tennessean to have confidence in our election system and see that in Tennessee, it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat.”

To find election information from the Secretary of State, voters can visit the GoVoteTN.gov website and GoVoteTN app. With the GoVoteTN app, Tennesseans can access voter-specific early voting and Election Day information, including their polling location, dates, hours and sample ballots. The GoVoteTN app is free in the App Store or Google Play.

On GoVoteTN.gov, voters can access the website version of the GoVoteTN app and find information about upcoming elections, election integrity measures used to protect Tennessee elections, voter ID requirements, voting absentee by-mail, how to serve as a poll official and more.

Voters can also register to vote, update their registration or check their registration status on GoVoteTN.gov. Using the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system, any U.S. citizen with a driver’s license or a photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security can register to vote or update their registration in minutes.

Tennesseans can find contact information for their local county election commission at tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php.

“Our office is already working with all 95 county election commissions across the state to ensure accurate election information is shared with voters about the upcoming 2024 elections,” said Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins.

The voter registration deadline for the Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Presidential Preference Primary and County Primary Election is Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.

For more information about voting in Tennessee and upcoming elections, go to GoVoteTN.gov or call the Division of Elections toll-free at 1-877-850-4959.

For that hard-to-shop-for person in your life, or for a more budget-friendly approach to the holidays, consider giving the gift of experiences this holiday season. While certain experience gifts can be a bit pricey, there is a wide variety of low or no-cost gift ideas.

According to Christopher Sneed, assistant professor and consumer economics specialist with University of Tennessee Extension, with a little imagination, some creativity and time, anyone can give their loved ones the gift of experiences.

“Gifting experiences is a great alternative to traditional gift-giving, saving you the stress of shopping and the expense of purchasing that perfect gift,” said Sneed. “Better still, the gift of experiences offers something that no other gift does – memories.”

Give a movie night – Gift your loved ones some quality time in the form of a movie night! You can make a coupon that can be redeemed for a movie evening at home, allowing the recipient to choose the film, of course. You can present the movie coupon in a box with popcorn, a favorite selection of candy and perhaps a blanket or two.

Take a hike (literally) – With more than one thousand miles of trails and breathtaking views, a visit to one of Tennessee’s 56 state parks is a great gift for the nature-lover in your life. Print a coupon (or two) for a trip to a local state park. You can let the recipient choose the trip’s activities and location. Present the coupon(s) in a box adorned with nature-inspired wrapping. Include a sprig of fresh greens for the finishing touch.

Get ready to cook – Many families have recipes passed down from generation to generation. Planning a family “cooking school” is a great way to share those precious family recipes with your loved ones. Offer the gift of your time and wisdom as you teach recipients the perfect way to prepare your family’s treasured dishes. As part of the experience, be sure to give all “students” a copy of the recipe. Or better yet, assemble a book of family recipes – a great way to carry on special family traditions.

Get crafty – This year, put your craft skills to work and create a special and useful gift like a set of personalized coasters. Simply head to your local home improvement store or second-hand shop for small squares of tile. Decoupage copies of family pictures on each tile, affix felt as a backing, and you have a one-of-a-kind coaster. Add a hand-written note explaining why you selected each picture and maybe a story or two about those special moments. Better yet, present all the needed supplies in a package along with a coupon redeemable for time together creating the coaster set.

Give the gift of help – Everyone could use a little help from time to time. Help with cleaning the house, finishing that home improvement project or organizing the closet can be welcoming presents for busy family members. Think about what you are good at and create a coupon (or book of coupons) offering your time and skills.

“This holiday season, I hope more people focus on the joy of giving from the heart and cherishing the time we spend with loved ones, rather than solely focusing on material items and price tags,” Sneed said. “These memories of time spent together will surely be cherished for years to come.”

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.

Double Chocolate Mocha

1 box brownie mix

4 Tbsp instant coffee

2 boxes white chocolate instant pudding

1 bag of toffee chips

8 oz tub of cool whip

1 ¾ cup milk

Bake brownies as directed and cool. Dissolve coffee in ¼ cup hot water. Mix pudding and milk. Whisk until it thickens and add coffee. Fold in cool whip. Cut up brownies and make a layer. Then layer pudding mix and top with toffee chips. Submitted by Janie Mundy, Defeated FCE Club

by Katie Martin, UT Extension

Tis the season, the season for festive holiday plants! As we deck the halls and our homes with greenery and seasonal blooms this time of year, a few specific plants come to mind. Whether you purchased them for decoration or received them as a gift, properly caring for holiday cacti, amaryllis, and poinsettias can ensure maximum enjoyment and longevity.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter Cactus are all popular holiday houseplants that make a great gift and if properly cared for, can outlive you! It is possible for these plants to live over 100 years, given the right environment. They appreciate high humidity, cooler temperatures, and well-draining soils. Holiday cacti are “short-day plants” with Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti blooming around six weeks after short days in late fall and early winter. Ideally, cacti should be kept indoors in a cool, bright location, with twelve hours of complete darkness at night. Plants may not bloom if consistently exposed to night-time temperatures above 65 degrees. Allow soil to dry out between watering and make sure to drain excess water from pots after watering. After enjoying your holiday cactus blooms, remove spent flowers and apply a houseplant fertilizer. After the chance of frost has passed in the spring, your holiday cactus can move outdoors to a semi-shaded area until fall, when you will be able to enjoy its blooms for another year.

Amaryllis bulbs are often purchased or gifted already potted and sprouting. While the most common colors are red and white, flowers may also be pink, burgundy, or even bicolor. To care for your amaryllis, water when the top two inches of soil feel dry, making sure not to overwater as that can cause bulb rot. Fertilize with a houseplant fertilizer with a high phosphorus content to promote blooming, and move the plant out of direct sunlight once the flower buds begin to open. To save your amaryllis to reflower next year, clip the spent blooms to stop seed production, keep the plant in bright light, preferably outdoors after the danger of frost has passed in the spring, and fertilize and water throughout the summer months. In the fall, water less and allow the leaves to die back, then move the bulb to a cool, dry place for six to eight weeks before resuming watering. Flowers typically develop in four to six weeks from dormant bulbs, so you can time the blooms to once again happen during the holiday season.

Finally, the plant many of us think of when we think about Christmas, the poinsettia. The “flowers” on a poinsettia are actually modified leaves called bracts that change color in response to shorter winter days. While the most common color is red, poinsettias come in a range of whites, pinks, and even multicolored bracts. Poinsettias prefer temperatures of 65-70 degrees and moist soil. Make sure the plant is in a pot that drains freely, taking care to remove foil or outer pots that might restrict draining. Water when the soil surface feels dry and place your plant in a window that receives bright daylight. Your poinsettia can be saved for the next holiday season, although the process is somewhat tedious. To re-flower, move the plant outdoors after the danger of frost has passed, water, and fertilize often while keeping the plant in morning sun and afternoon shade. Bring the plant indoors when nighttime temperatures are under 60 degrees. Starting in October, the poinsettia will need fourteen hours of continuous darkness to develop the bract color. During the other ten hours, the plant should receive bright light. Any light during the ten hours of darkness can delay or inhibit flowering. The same process can be done each year, or feel free to do what I do and purchase a new poinsettia each year!

I hope your holiday season is filled with cheer and well cared for plants!

For further information about holiday plants or any other agriculture topic, please visit our website at smith.tennessee.edu or call our office at 615-735-2900.

U.S. Representative John Rose’s (TN-6) district staff will hold a series of local office hours for constituents to connect directly with caseworkers and receive assistance with federal agencies throughout the month of December.

During the local office hours, district staff will be available to answer questions and assist constituents with federal casework, such as social security and veterans’ benefits, steps for obtaining a passport, and more. Local office hours occur monthly. If you have questions, please contact one of Representative Rose’s offices so a staff member may help you.

“We are ready to assist constituents with federal casework and welcome anyone with questions to sit down with staff,” said Representative Rose. “My goal is to make the expertise of my staff and the resources of this office easily accessible to every person I represent.”

Details for local office hours can be found below and on Representative Rose’s website.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

TIME: 1:00pm-2:00pm

WHAT: Smith County Local Office Hours
LOCATION: Smith County Admin Building, 122 Turner High Circle, Carthage, TN 37030

WHO: Representative Rose will be represented by Field Representative Lou Nave during this visit.