To the residents of Smith County, after much prayer and thoughtful consideration, I, Craig Williams, am announcing my candidacy for Smith County Trustee.

I am a lifelong resident of Smith County. I lived the first four years of my life in South Carthage. At age 5 we moved to Elmwood, where I continue to reside today. Smith County is a great place to live and raise a family. Our county still has great values and folks that treat others fairly and honestly. I am thankful for that and will do my part to see that continues for my kids and generations to come.

I have been married to Ashley (Ray) Williams for eighteen years. I could not have asked for a better friend, wife, and mother to our sons. We have two boys, Cooper who is twelve, and Cole who is ten. They love hunting, fishing, and playing sports. We spend a lot of time together doing these things and have been fortunate to create lifelong memories. They attend Forks River Elementary School. My wife also works at Forks River, and we consider it a blessing that she can work where our kids attend school. The perfect day for us is an early morning fishing trip, yard work the rest of the day, and then setting at the table together for supper. Simple, I know, but very rewarding.

My parents are Benny and LeeAnn Williams. I have been blessed with parents that took me to church, taught me about Jesus, and instilled in me the importance of family values and work ethic. My dad is the hardest working man I know and is someone I have always looked up to. It was always tough love, but the older I get, the more I appreciate the way he raised me. My mom, LeeAnn Williams, also instilled these values in me and taught me that the Golden Rule principle is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. She will have been the Smith County Trustee for twenty-four years upon her retirement this year. My mom can lay her head on her pillow at night and know that she has treated her fellow citizens of Smith County fairly and honestly and done everything she could to grow the position of Trustee to best suit the residents of this county.

Terry and Sherrie (Sircy) Ray are my wife’s parents. They have always been great to me and more importantly the best Grandparents I could have asked for to our kids. Terry is a life-lone self-made contractor that done whatever was needed to support his family. I have great respect for him as I have watched over the years the way he always put his kids first. Sherrie, my mother-in-law, is currently a homemaker. She watched our kids a lot as they grew up and would not take a dime to do it. I am grateful to be part of their family and could not have asked for any better. My brother-in-law is Michael Ray. He is currently employed by the Town of Gordonsville and has been involved in city government for several years. He is also serving as the Treasurer of my campaign.

I have, for several years now, wanted to run for a county office. I feel it is time for my generation to step up and preserve the great principles that have made our county the best in Tennessee and so, after praying about it, I am going to run for Trustee. I attended Forks River Elementary School and went to Smith County High School. After high school, I attended Aquinas College and then Tennessee Tech University. I worked a couple of part-time jobs while attending school and then jumped straight into the workforce. I have been with the same company for seventeen years. I was hired at an entry level position but started setting goals for myself to advance. After just a few years, I was fortunate enough to join in on the management side of the operation. I worked hard and continued to take company offered classes to improve my skill set. I have extensive knowledge in Excel, Word, Kronos, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and several other applications. I also helped implement a new ERP system into my department. I am always analyzing and entering data to look for ways to improve our business and implement cost saving plans when applicable. I have been blessed with great employees whom I respect. I am honest

and fair and will do whatever it takes to get the job done to serve our customers. I also have an extensive background in customer service. I deal with internal and external customers daily and understand the importance of quality relationships and effective communication.

As Trustee, I would continue to run the office the same way it is currently being ran. My goal would be to keep the same staff on board if that is the path the current employees want. Hours of operation would also stay the same but be expanded when needed to serve the people of the county. Also, I will be available during off hours for phone calls, questions, and even open the office to serve the ones that cannot be served during normal business hours. I would also take all the state offered Trustee courses to continue growing the position and putting our office in a position to be one of the most efficient in the State. Our customer service would be second to none and our bad day would not become yours. I have conservative values, but I also know my job is to serve all the people of this county in a fair and honest way regardless of party affiliation.

In closing, I will run this office with class and top-notch customer service. We will have golden rule standards and be an office that will greet you with a smile and make your experience with us a good one. I would appreciate your vote and support as we start to move forward. My goal is to personally visit with you and ask for your support over the next few months. I stand behind my promises of not being

I, Clifa Norris, am seeking re-election of the office of Smith County Clerk.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their support and confidence in me from the last election and the previous years to run this office for the people of this county. I consider it an honor to be able to serve you all. Most of the people of this county have met me over the years, but for the new comers that have moved into our county, I would like to introduce myself. I have lived here all my life and I graduated from Smith County High School in 1979. I live in the Tangelwood Community and I am married to James Norris. Together, we have three children: Brian (Tara) Grisham, Blake (Brooke) Grisham, and Brittany (Scott) Oliver, and we have seven grandchildren.

I would also like to take a moment to thank my wonderful staff: Lisa Cook, Amanda Crawford, Robin Watts, Felicia Huddleston, and Miranda Owen. They provide great customer service and carry out the duties of this office in a very friendly, efficient, and timely manner. I could not ask for better dedication and support from them.

At this time, I would like to explain to you some of the duties of this office. We title vehicles, renew registrations, register boats, and open business licenses. We also process marriage licenses, notary applications, beer license applications, and we also take notes, record, and prepare the minutes of the Smith County Commission meetings every month. We also assist with the kiosk machine for driver’s license and ID renewals.

Since elected to this office, I have tried to accommodate the county by being able to print same day duplicate titles and

upgrading in every way possible. I will continue to do so if re-elected.

I will be running as an Independent Candidate because this office is here to serve everyone, whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent. I will try to ask you for your vote and support in person, but if I am not able to reach you in person, I want to ask you all to please consider allowing me to continue to serve as your Smith County Clerk. I would greatly appreciate your support over the next few months as I will be campaigning. I love my county and could not ask for a better place to live. Thank you for your past support and may God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Clifa Norris, Smith County Clerk

It is with a humble heart that I, Blake Richmond of Hickman, TN am excited to announce that I will be running for County Commissioner, District 5 in Smith County as an independent candidate.

As we all know, we are in unprecedented times with new obstacles every day. There is a call to action that this position holds to responsibly allocate our county’s finances and I am ready to accept that call as we grow and progress as a county, together. Smith County is growing by the day with new faces, new businesses and new projects. It is decided by the commissioners where this county progresses into the future. If elected, I will ensure that the future of Smith County is brighter and more beautiful than ever. We are the future of this county, and our duty as citizens is to look to the future and see where we can grow as well as how we can maintain and improve existing areas.

I have lived in Smith County my entire life. I am the son of Alex and Candace Richmond, longtime residents of Smith County. I have lived in Turkey Creek and Carthage most of my life but now I reside in Hickman with my wife, Laci Richmond, a 2011 graduate of Gordonsville High School, and my 2-year-old son, Lincoln. We are eager to join and be more a part of the tight community that is the District 5 area (Gordonsville, Hickman, Lancaster). Though I am new to living in this part of the county, I see lots of familiar faces due to my time working with Alex and John Richmond at Gordonsville Shoprite as well as my time working at Shiroki North America in Gordonsville.

I am a 2015 graduate of Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN where I received a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Business Management. I currently am I Senior Buyer at Lochinvar LLC. in Lebanon where I manage many suppliers to ensure that production can be met, and our customers are satisfied. This experience I believe is key and a good prerequisite for the office of County Commissioner.

I respectfully ask for your support in this race. While I will not be on the ballot in May as I am running as an independent candidate, I look forward to talking to each of you in District 5 about voting for Blake Richmond for County Commissioner in August.

God Bless you and keep you.

Qualifying petitions were made available beginning December 20, 2021, with a deadline to return them by Noon, February 17, 2022. Candidates must declare whether they will participate in the Republican or Democratic primary in May or qualify as an independent candidate. The winners of the primaries will then appear on the general election ballot on August 4, 2022. Independent candidates will not appear on the May primary ballots and only appear on the general election ballot. All candidates must qualify by Noon on February 17, 2022, regardless of participating in a primary or not.

In addition to the county primaries on May 3, the primaries for the elected offices for the 15th Judicial District will also be held. Municipal and state elections are slated to occur later in 2022.  Be sure to follow Smith County Insider for up-to-date coverage of the 2022 election cycle.

The following is a list of candidates that have picked up petitions as of February 17, 2022:

Historically once every four years Smith County voters have elected three candidates from each district to serve on the county commission for the next four years. Smith County has eight districts with three commissioners from each district for a total of 24 commissioners. That will continue to be the case, but the addition of party primaries in May have added a step to the process. 

When voters sign in to vote in the May Primary, they will choose either a Republican Ballot or a Democratic Ballot. Voters cannot vote in both primaries in May which means they cannot vote across party lines. They must choose one party ballot,” said Yvonne Gibbs, Smith County Administrator of Elections. “Voters will have the choice to vote for up to three candidates for county commission from the ballot they selected.” 

“In the May Primary, Republican voters will be allowed to vote for up to three county commission nominees running from their district who will be listed on the Republican Ballot and Democratic voters will also select up to three county commission nominees from their ballot to represent their respective parties in the August General Election,” she explained. “However, should only two people qualify to be county commission candidates representing a particular political party, then the voters from that party may be limited to two candidate choices instead of three. If five candidates qualify, then voters will vote for three candidates out of the five” 

The top three county commission candidates from the Republican ballot and the top three candidates from the Democratic ballot will advance to the August General Election to run against each other along with any Independent Candidates who also qualified by February 17 . 

“Theoretically on the August ballot, we could have three Republican Candidates plus three Democratic Candidates along with an unlimited number of Independent Candidates running for county commission from any one district,” she said. 

In the August County General Election, voters will be able to vote across party lines and select three choices from all the candidates, whether Republican, Democratic or Independent. The top three candidates receiving the most votes in August will be elected to the county commission seats for that district. “The three elected could be one Republican, one Democrat, and one Independent or any combination of these three types of candidates,” she said.

After a lot of prayer and conversations with family and friends, I, Connor David McDonald, am excited to announce my candidacy as a Republican for Smith County Commissioner, District 7 (South Carthage).

I am running for Smith County Commissioner as a Republican because I believe fiscally responsible and pro-business policies are imperative to preserving our great county for years to come. Many of us remember too well the budget deficit and sudden tax increase a couple years ago. While we avoided financial crisis in that situation thanks to the efforts of Mayor Jeff Mason and numerous county commissioners, we need more county commissioners with a forward looking perspective to make sure our county maintains a strong financial outlook into the future. In addition, as Smith County continues to expand, it is more important than ever that our infrastructure meet the needs of a growing community. Our roads need work, and I believe one of the most important jobs of the County Commission going forward is to work with the new Road Commissioner elected this year to ensure our infrastructure keeps up with the needs of the community.

My family has a long history here in Smith County. I was born and raised on our family’s farm in South Carthage—a farm that has been in my family since the Revolutionary War. I’m a lifelong resident of Smith County, and currently live in South Carthage with my beautiful wife of three years, Kaylee McDonald. In just a few weeks, Kaylee and I will welcome our first child, a baby girl named Georgia Rose.

I graduated with honors from MTSU in 2017 with a B.S. in Political Science and a minor in Economics. I graduated from Belmont University Law School in 2020, where I finished Top-10 in my class. I earned a Masters of Law in Taxation from the University of Alabama Law School in 2021. Currently, I work as a lawyer at Howard Mobley Hayes & Gontarek, PLLC in Nashville, specializing in estate planning and business matters.

I am the son of Dr. David McDonald—known by most as “Doctor Mac”—and Lorrie Davis McDonald. My great-grandfather, D.T. McCall, was instrumental in starting the Republican Party here in Smith County along with his son and my uncle, Albert McCall, Sr. My grandparents, Cordell and Lois McDonald, were both longtime educators here in Smith County.

I am proud to run as a Republican for County Commissioner. I have been involved in Republican politics my entire life. In 2006, I volunteered on my first Republican campaign. In the past nearly two decades, I have worked on local, state, and national Republican campaigns. I have volunteered for years with the Smith County Republican Party, especially under the direction of longtime chairman and dear friend, Ken Frye. In 2018, I started the Smith County Young Republicans. Later that year, I was selected as Secretary for the statewide Tennessee Young Republicans, a position I maintained for four years until I was recently elected Vice-Chairman of the Tennessee Young Republicans.

I humbly ask for your support and your vote for Smith County Commissioner. If you have any questions or would simply like to voice a concern, please do not hesitate to let me know. I am excited for the opportunity to serve my fellow Smith County citizens and appreciate your prayers and support throughout this campaign.

ALL candidates wanting to run for county office in the August general election must qualify by February 17, 2022.

If anyone is interested in running for a county office, the petition deadline is Noon, February 17. Independent candidates and Republican and Democratic candidates must all have their petitions turned in to the election office no later than 12:00 Noon, February 17, 2022.

“There has been a lot of confusion concerning when Independent candidates should pick up their petitions,” said Yvonne Gibbs, Smith County Administrator of Elections. “A common misconception exists that Independent candidates do not have to pick up their petitions now, because they will not be on the ballot until August. This is not true. Independent candidate petitions are due at the same time as party candidates running for any of the local county offices.”

One result of having a May primary is that it moves the qualifying deadline for all candidates to an earlier date of February 17 instead of in April.

“All candidates desiring to run for one of the local county offices or for a 15th Judicial District Office has a petition deadline quickly approaching of 12:00 Noon, February 17, 2022,” said Gibbs. In addition to the full-time county offices, this will include county commissioners from all districts and school board members in the New Middleton, Rock City, Carthage and Elmwood Districts.

Tax Assessor is the only full-time county office that will not be on the ballot in 2022. Normally the tax assessor and road superintendent elections are held in a different election year than the other county offices.

“However, due to a vacancy, the office for road superintendent will be included on the May primary ballot,” she continued. “Therefore in August, we will be electing a road superintendent to fill the unexpired term until 2024.”

Gibbs said a simple way to explain a primary is to think of it as playoff games. The Republican and Democratic parties are having two separate elections or playoff games on the same day in May (election day).

“Actually on May 3 there are two elections, one election for Republicans and one for Democrats to decide which one candidate will represent their party for a specific office in August. Winning the playoff games does not make you a champion, but allows you to play in the Super Bowl,” she said. In similar fashion, winning the May primary election, does not allow the candidate to take office, but allows the nominee(s) to proceed to the August ballot. The August ballot will have one candidate for an office representing Republicans and one representing Democrats, along with any properly qualified Independent candidates. Whoever wins the election in August will take office. For voters to have a choice between Republican, Democratic and Independent candidates, petitions must be submitted by candidates from both parties and from independent candidates as well. Otherwise in the August general election, voters may have fewer candidate options.

The Smith County Board of Education met at 5:00 p.m. on January 25, 2022 for their regularly stated meeting.

You can watch the full meeting below.

Thanks to Judy Smith and Lacey Crockett of Blackwell Realty for sponsoring the live broadcast of this meeting.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

The Smith County School Board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at the Smith County Board of Education, located at 126 Smith County Middle School Lane in Carthage, Tennessee.

All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.

More changes are coming to the local county elections for Smith County Offices next year, with the addition of the school board elections to the Republican and Democratic primaries scheduled for May 3, 2021. Before the current calls for primaries, all candidates for county offices qualified and ran as an independent candidate. Many have questioned the benefit and necessity of having primaries for local offices. The added primaries will cost the county additional money, and all elected officials have a responsibility to fulfill their duties to all residents regardless of political affiliation.

Qualifying petitions were made available beginning December 20, 2021, with a deadline to return them by Noon, February 17, 2022. Candidates must declare whether they will participate in the Republican or Democratic primary in May or qualify as an independent candidate. The winners of the primaries will then appear on the general election ballot on August 4, 2022. Independent candidates will not appear on the May primary ballots and only appear on the general election ballot. All candidates must qualify by Noon on February 17, 2022, regardless of participating in a primary or not.

In addition to the county primaries on May 3, the primaries for the elected offices for the 15th Judicial District will also be held. Municipal and state elections are slated to occur later in 2022.  Be sure to follow Smith County Insider for up-to-date coverage of the 2022 election cycle.

The following county offices will be on the May 3, 2022, Primary Ballot:

• County Mayor (Four Year Term)
• County Commission (Four Year Term) – All Districts (3 from each district) 
• Trustee (Four Year Term)
• General Sessions Judge (Eight-Year Term)
• Sheriff (Four Year Term) – Peace Officers Standards & Training filing due February 3, 2022
• Circuit Court Clerk (Four Year Term)
• County Clerk (Four Year Term)
• Register of Deeds (Four Year Term)
• Road Superintendent (To fill an unexpired term for two years) – TN Highway Officials Certification filing due February 3, 2022
• School Board (Four Year Term)
  • District 3 (New Middleton)
  • District 4 (Rock City)
  • District 6 (Carthage)
  • District 8 (Elmwood) 

The following offices for the 15th Judicial District will be on the May 3, 2022, Primary Ballot:

• Circuit Court Judge Division I (Eight-Year Term)
• Circuit Court Judge Division II (Eight-Year Term)
• Chancellor (Eight-Year Term)
• Criminal Court Judge (Eight-Year Term)
• District Attorney General (Eight-Year Term)
• Public Defender (Eight-Year Term)

The Carthage City Council held its monthly meeting as well as a special called meeting on Thursday, December 2nd, 2021, at 5:00 and 6:00 pm.

Several items were discussed. Watch both meetings below

Thanks to Smith County Animal Clinic for sponsoring Smith County Insider’s live broadcast of this meeting.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

The Carthage City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Carthage City Hall, located at 314 Spring Street in Carthage, Tennessee – 37030.

All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.

On Thursday, November 18, Smith County Road Superintendent, Michael Kemp resigned from his position. Kemp was recently appointed to the position on August 9, 2021 following the resignation of Steve Coble in April of 2021.

In Kemp’s resignation letter, he stated:

“After careful consideration must resign due to unforeseeable personal and health problems, caused by unreasonable levels of stress. I feel I can no longer perform the duties of my position in an acceptable manner. My last day will be Thursday, November 18. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. I will be helping to make a smooth transition to my successor. Who I strongly believe will continue to move the department in the right direction.”

Mickey Barrett has been appointed as interim road superintendent to fill Kemp’s vacant seat. Barrett has been employed at the Smith County Highway Department since 1996 and currently serves as foreman.

On Tuesday, November 16, 2021, the Smith County Board of Education met for their regularly stated meeting at 5:00pm. Before for the meeting began, a work session was held. The topics for the work session were Bi-Polar Ionization Project, One-Time COVID-19 Appreciation Bonus Options COVID-19 Leave, and Advertising on buses.

You can watch the work session and meeting below:

Thanks to Judy Smith and Lacey Crockett of Blackwell Realty for sponsoring the live broadcast of this meeting.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

The Smith County School Board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at the Smith County Board of Education, located at 126 Smith County Middle School Lane in Carthage, Tennessee.

All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.

On Monday night, November 8, at the meeting of the Smith County Commission, a state proclamation was presented to the late Steve Coble’s family and to the Smith County Highway Department in his memory. Senator Mark Pody and Representative Terri Lynn Weaver presented the proclamation during the meeting.

Below is a copy of the proclamation:

WHEREAS, we were greatly saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Steve Edward Coble of Gordonsville; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Coble was an exemplary public servant and consummate professional, who worked assiduously to improve the quality of life for his fellow citizens in numerous capacities: and

WHERERAS, Steve Coble was born in Nashville on December 1. 1966. to Ralph Edward Coble and Hazel Mozel Lawrence Coble; and

WHEREAS. He was raised in the Brush Creek community of Smith County and graduated from Gordonsville High School in 1986: and

WHEREAS, Mr. Coble succeeded his late Father as Smith County Road Superintendent in 2011 and was elected to the office of Road Superintendent for Smith County in 2012: and

WHEREAS, he was dedicated to the highway system of Smith County, Steve Coble subsequently won reelection in 2016 and 2020, having earned the confidence of his fellow citizens; and

WHEREAS, due to severe injuries he received from a fall at his home in September 2020, Mr. Coble resigned from his position on April 19, 2021: and

WHEREAS. Steve Coble was an active member of Brush Creek Baptist Church where he served faithfully for many years; and

WHEREAS. he was also member of the New Middleton Masonic Lodge #249: and

WHEREAS, many Smith County citizens enjoyed and fondly remember the Country ham breakfasts the Coble family would provide at the highway department tor residents just before Christmas each year; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Coble is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Brittany and Barry West; his son, Brett Coble, and Nikki Lewis; his three grandchildren, Noah Smith, Lauren Potts, and Blaine West; and his stepchildren, Mitch Robertson and wife, and Matthew Robertson: and

WHEREAS. Steve Coble leaves behind an indelible legacy of integrity and probity in public life, compassion and loyalty in private life, and diligence and dedication in all his chosen endeavors; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting that we should remember the bountiful life of this exceptionaL public servant and therefore Randy McNally, Speaker of the Senate of the One Hundred Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, in conjunction with the undersigned, do hereby proclaim that we honor the memory of Steve Edward Coble, reflecting fondly upon his impeccable character, his many contributions to the people of Tennessee, and his stalwart commitment to living the examined life with courage and conviction. We express our sympathy and extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Coble.

Proclaimed in Nashville, Tennessee, on this the 22nd day of September 2021.

The Carthage City Council held its monthly meeting on Thursday, November 4th, 2021, at 6:00 pm.

Several items were discussed. Watch the full meeting below

Thanks to Smith County Animal Clinic for sponsoring Smith County Insider’s live broadcast of this meeting.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

The Carthage City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Carthage City Hall, located at 314 Spring Street in Carthage, Tennessee – 37030.

All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.