Response to a possible burglary at an abandoned home on Bullington Road Tuesday night led Bradley County Sheriff’s deputies to arrest four individuals on drug and theft charges. 

As they responded word came that the property was recently sold and a representative of the new owner confirmed there should be no one on the property. . Deputies observed Heather Snoke, 28, of Cleveland and Ryan Drake, 20, inside a garage painting a Geo Tracker.

Tonya Smith, 24, and Carl Smart, 24, were observed sitting in a 2004 Ford F-150 that later confirmed as stolen from Chattanooga earlier in the day.  Deputies found meth or drug paraphernalia in both vehicles.    

Drake, Smith and Smart provided addresses in the Harrison area of Hamilton County during booking at the Bradley County jail.   

All four are charged with aggravated criminal trespass, theft over $10,000, possession of schedule II (meth), and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Heather Snoke

Ryan Drake

Tonya Smith

Carl Smart

By: Sheriff Jim Ruth

Our Campaign Lifesaver appears to be having some affect. Our efforts to get the word out across the community to drive safely is being heard.

This past year the whole State of Tennessee had a record number of people killed in car crashes. Yet, statistics for the first quarter of 2013 for Bradley County are promising. Compared to 2012 they are as follows: for the first quarter of 2012 there were 812 crashes, while the same for 2013 was 699 for a 13.9 % drop. The number of crashes with injuries during the same periods was 164 and 129 respectively for a 21.3 % drop. Total injuries were 223 and 177 respectively for a 20.6 % drop. Finally, the total killed for the same period was 6 for 2012 and 3 for 2013 for a 50 % drop.

By Sheriff Jim Ruth

Across the South, many families have "Decoration Sunday" during the month of May to honor and remember their loved ones who have died. The most faithful of these families will go the cemetery the week prior to Decoration Sunday to mow and clean up around their loved one’s grave. On Sunday, additional flowers are brought to decorate the site and the extended family will gather there or at a church or a family member’s home to reminisce.

It is like a family reunion. Children born into the family, men and women who have recently married into the family, are introduced around to all the aunts, uncles and cousins. Stories are told about those who have passed. The memories of these loved ones are shared amid the laughter and the tears of all. With these precious memories comes a sense of belonging, a sense of pride in your flesh and blood, many who were "the salt of the earth."

These are people who taught you valued lessons in life and made a great impact on who you are. You are always glad when you hear of your family’s successes and victories. Their triumphs are your triumphs. You are proud that one of your cousins has been promoted to the top of his career. Joy is shared when you learn that one of your extended family members has earned a Ph.D or survived a bad divorce to overcome financial troubles. Maybe another cousin has been sober for several years and now has a great job or another is winning a battle with cancer.

As area high schools plan senior proms and graduation bringing the school year to an end, school administrators and parents emphasize their wishes for students to have a fun and enjoyable time while keeping safety in mind.

Some young people feel a sense of freedom – of breaking away from their parents - and may drive aggressively to and from the prom, consume alcoholic beverages, or engage in other dangerous behaviors such as texting while driving. These are all documented causes of automobile accidents that have left victims with disabling injuries, permanent scars or the loss of their life.

Capt. W.G. Campbell, who supervises the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit, said, "I have a tremendous sense of pride in my work and enjoy my job, but one aspect that I do not enjoy is meeting with a parent to tell them their son or daughter has been seriously injured or killed in a traffic accident."