“Fill the Police Car” Collection Drive Seeks Food, Toys, and Coats

November 16, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Cash Express in conjunction with the Smithville Police Department will be hosting its 3rd annual “Fill the Police Car” event on Black Friday, November 23 from 10 a.m. until 5p.m. at the business location 126 E. Bryant Street.

The police department will provide the vehicle to fill up with food, toys, and coats. This event will also include a bake sale and soup sale. The public is asked to bring new toys, canned food, and winter coats for this collection effort. All the donations will remain in DeKalb County for families in need. Monetary donations will also be accepted along with soups and bake sale items. You may also make monetary donations on Facebook.

Money and toys will go to the Smithville Police Department to be distributed; food will go to a local pantry; and coats and clothes will be donated to the clothes closet. The toy and coat drive will run through December 7 with more than 100 drop box locations in DeKalb County. For questions concerning this event, you may call 615-597-3427.

November 16, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The annual Angel Tree Project is underway and your support is needed to help make this holiday season merrier for 330 children from 165 families.

Laura Stone said Angel Trees are located at almost all bank locations in DeKalb County. Each angel represents a child and his or her wish list for Christmas. Select an angel from the tree, buy a gift for the child, and return the gift to the bank where you picked up the angel by December 7.

“This is our 24th year. Anyone in need that picks up an application has to complete it and provide the documentation requested which is to prove you are a DeKalb County resident. You must also prove the ages of your children (up to age 12). The application deadline has passed for this year. Once those applications are taken we fill out the Angel Tree cards and distribute those to the local banks. People of the community can then pick up an Angel and buy for a child. The wish list on the Angels is just a suggestion. It is what the child specifically asks for. Sometimes people will buy only what is on there. In some cases they will buy additional things. It’s not necessary that you buy everything on the list. We need the gifts back by December 7 and they may be picked up on December 11. It is not necessary to wrap the gifts,” said Stone.

November 16, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Donny Green, County Executive Director of the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency, announces that the 2018 FSA County Committee elections are underway as ballots were mailed to eligible voters in Local Administrative Area (LAA) # 1 (DeKalb County) and Local Administrative Area # 5 (Cannon County) on November 5th.

December 3, 2018 will be the last day to postmark voted ballots returned by mail, or to deliver voted ballots to the local FSA office.

Randall West and Jimmy Womack are candidates nominated for LAA # 1 (DeKalb Co.). Both candidates have been certified as eligible candidates. Randall West is currently completing his first 3-year term on the DeKalb FSA County Committee. Both Mr. West and Mr. Womack operate beef cattle farms in the Jacobs Pillar community.

Robert “Bob” Melton is the only candidate nominated for LAA # 5 (Cannon Co.). Bob has been certified as an eligible candidate. Mr. Melton is a retired Cannon County vocational agriculture teacher and operates a livestock farm in the Hollis Creek area of Cannon County. Bob is completing his first 3-year term on the DeKalb/Cannon FSA County Committee.

Write-in nominations can be accepted on ballots. However, the write-in nominee must meet eligibility criteria and attest to his or her willingness to serve, if elected, by signing a nominating petition. Agricultural producers were encouraged to submit candidate names during the nomination period that ended August 1, 2018.

“The FSA county committee system is unique among government agencies, because it allows producers to make important decisions concerning the local administration of federal farm programs. All eligible farmers and ranchers, especially minorities and women, are encouraged to get involved and make a real difference in their communities by voting in this year’s elections,” says Green.

To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in FSA programs.  A person who is not of legal voting age but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm can also vote.

Eligible voters in DeKalb County LAA # 1 or Cannon County LAA # 5 who did not receive a ballot can obtain a ballot at their local USDA Service Center.  December 3, 2018 is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers.  Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than December 3, 2018.  The DeKalb/Cannon FSA County Committee will meet on December 4, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. to canvass and tabulate the ballots. This meeting is open to the public. The newly elected committee member and alternates take office January 1st, 2019.