The 2018 Year in News in DeKalb County featured both good and bad. There were tragedies and triumphs ranging from the loss of a beloved lawman to a return to a packed square during the annual Fiddler’s Jamboree – which once again saw a wet opening night. There was political intrigue in a busy election year that saw record changes in the leadership of DeKalb County and the indictment of a sitting Smithville mayor.
The following is the editor’s choice for the Top 10 most impactful stories covered in the pages of the Smithville Review during 2018:
1
Mayor Poss indicted for official misconduct
What began as a clash between Mayor Jimmy Poss and his aldermanic council about the hiring of his son to do work at the city-owned golf course escalated to his indictment on official misconduct charges on the eve of election – an election he lost by just over 100 votes.
Trial has been set this coming summer for the former mayor and his son, Tony Poss, on charges of grand theft. The mayor also faces the charge of official misconduct.
Mayor Poss was confronted by the aldermanic council over the summer, the group demanding an explanation as to why he secretly hired his own son and paid him over $8,000 in city funds for work they could not confirm was ever done. The mayor failed to appear for inquisition and was censured by the board which stopped short of demanding him pay back the money. They also resisted a call to have him resign over the incident.
Months later, just a week before the August election in which Mayor Poss would ultimately lose his reelection bid to Alderman Josh Miller by just over 100 votes, the grand jury returned an indictment charging he and his son with the felony counts.
The mayor, through his attorney, has maintained his innocence and believes the indictment was politically motivated given the timing of the grand jury action. Poss and his son remain free on bond pending their trials.
2
Officer dies in tragic accident
Returning home from the night shift in Lebanon where he served as a policeman, Officer Joseph Bowen lost his life in a tragic accident when his truck ran from Nashville Highway and plunged into the swollen waters of Dry Creek.
The scope of the tragedy was discovered after an all-points-bulletin was put out for the whereabouts of the officer on the morning of March 1 when he was overdue returning home from work. A frenzied search ended with the discovery of his overturned truck in the creek at Dowelltown. The officer’s body was found several hundred yards downstream from his truck minutes later.
Bowen, who had served as a DeKalb County deputy and still resided in DeKalb, was given a hero’s honor when he was laid to rest in Liberty days later, hundreds lining up on the side of the highway to pay their final respects to the beloved officer.
3
Stribling wins by seven votes
In an example of how every vote counts, incumbent DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling fended off a challenge from former county leader Mike Foster, winning by only seven votes in the May Democratic Primary.
In a Democratic Primary turned into a barn burner in the days leading up to the election. Stribling, who had defeated Foster just four years before, found the familiar rival challenging him to get his old job back. However, after splitting precincts, the final results found Stribling to be victorious over Foster and county commissioner Bradley Hendrix. Stribling would go on to win reelection handily over Randy Paris in August.
4
County Commission has historic turnover
The county commission looks a lot different going into the coming year as only four incumbents returned following elections in May and August.
In the first district, incumbent Julie Young returned as she got the second most votes behind Dennis Slager who joined her on the commission. The top two vote getters in each district were elected to serve. In the second it was a clean slate as Sabrina Farler and Myron Rhody edged out Nora Harvey for the two spots in that district. In the third, it was also all new commissioners as Jenny Trapp got the most votes followed by Bobby G. Johnson. Renee Steff missed out by finishing third. The fourth was all freshman leaders with Janice Fish-Stewart getting first and Scott Little second with Greg Matthew finishing short at third. The fifth district was the only district where all the incumbents returned with Jerry D. Adcock and Anita Puckett getting the most votes. Lloyd Emmons and William Rutherford finished third and fourth.
The sixth saw Jeff Barnes (now the commissioner with the most seniority) get returned but saw Betty Jean Atnip fall short as Matt Adcock edged her out for the seat. In the seventh, incumbent Larry Summers, with over 30 years of experience on the commission, was defeated by Beth Pafford and Bruce Malone.
5
Two killed in Pea Ridge crash
A man discovered lying dead at the edge of Pea Ridge Road on the morning of July 16 was just half of the tragedy as searchers would go on to find another victim dead at the bottom of a nearby ravine.
The man found on the road by a passerby was Michael A. Murphy, 56. Investigators believe Murphy was either died from a heart attack caused by the stress of climbing the big hill near the wreck site or due to delayed effects of injuries he received in the impact. His friend, Angelia Sue Burke, 50, was found dead in the wreckage. Lawmen believe the couple ran off the curvy road and plunged down the steep ravine before hitting a tree. Burke was ejected and killed on impact while Murphy was able to extricate himself and make it several hundred yards up the road before falling dead.
6
School board presses forward with building program
Members of the DeKalb Board of Education have endorsed a plan, calling for the building of a K-2 school on the campus of the existing Northside School.
The decision comes following over a half-year of studies and debates in which the board, the county commission and the public were shown several potential plans to for the school system’s ambitious building program. A total of three models made the finalists but after much soul searching, the school board opted with the K-2 that would replace Smithville Elementary. It was SES that building consultants said most needed to be retired because of its disrepair and age.
While the board of education has forged ahead with a study of the Northside site, some members of the county commission, who will ultimately be asked to fund the $20 million-plus building have pumped the brakes as some would like to see a K-8, others a K-12 and still others want more community schools similar to West. Although there is disagreement going into the coming years to what to build, the commission and school board agree that a building program must be embarked on for the sake of education in DeKalb County.
7
47th Fiddlers’ Jamboree a big hit
To no one’s surprise, opening night was wet at the 47th annual Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival. However, the rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for thousands of people who descended upon Smithville for the event, packing the square all day Saturday.
“It was one of the biggest crowds I can recall in recent years of the Jamboree,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling of the July festival. The Jamboree featured scores of musical and dancing acts including a command performance by award-winning fiddler Michael Cleveland who was presented the Blue Blaze Award. The event also saw Maddie Denton earn the Triple Crown as she won her third championship in the annual fiddle-off, first taking the junior championship and then defeating Gail Johnson for the grand championship at the end of the night.
8
County offices have new faces
For the first time in 16 years, someone else is sitting in Katherine Pack’s chair. Court reporter Susan Martin was elected as circuit court clerk during a day that bid farewell to several incumbents during election this past August.
Martin defeated former clerk employee Nicole Wright to win the job. Meanwhile, in the race for road supervisor, Randy Hale defeated Jimmy Sprague. Sheriff Patrick Ray won another term of office, rebuffing challenger Michael Agee. And, in the city, Alderman Josh Miller was elected mayor, defeating embattled inclement Mayor Jimmy Poss.
9
Man killed by hit-and-run driver
A man’s body was found lying on Nashville Highway in front of DeKalb Middle School Dec. 9, launching a manhunt to find the hit-and-run driver who killed him.
The victim, Gyula Glyas, 51, of Brush Creek was walking along the highway on foot after his vehicle became stuck as he was leaving Twisted Oaks earlier in the evening. Lawmen say he had caught a ride and was dropped off near the hospital and was likely making his way back to his stuck vehicle when he was struck.
Investigators believe the hit-and-run driver was driving a Jeep given debris found near the victim’s body.
10
Sundance closes after 34 years
September marked the end of an era downtown when Sundance restaurant closed for good. Owner Karen Carpenter had been in business for 34 years, most in the downtown location where she had served generations of diners. She opened the business after her husband left the Merchant Marines and they relocated to DeKalb County.
“I love the people,” she said on her last day of business. “I’m going to miss my customers, I’m going to miss my employees because they are like family.”
Karen said she was closing because it was time to retire after a life-time of operating the business. Nothing has located in its location since her closure Sept. 29.
