Local Observance for National Day of Prayer Thursday Evening

May 3, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A local observance for the National Day of Prayer will be Thursday, May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Northside Elementary School Gym.

Isaac Gray, minister at the Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church, said everyone is invited to attend the event which is non-denominational.

“I want to invite you to join us on Thursday, May 4 for an observance of our country’s National Day of Prayer. On this day, May 4 at 6 p.m. at Northside Elementary School Gym, our community will join with people from all across our nation by gathering and praying. The National Day of Prayer was instituted in 1952 and it has continued every year since. This event is an incredible opportunity to join people from our community and around our nation as we plead for God’s mercy and guidance in our country. The National Day of Prayer is not about any church organization. It’s about God’s people coming together with a purpose of pleading, asking, and imploring God to move in a great way. Come join with local pastors and churches Thursday, May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Northside Elementary School Gym. We hope to see you there as we seek God together,” said Gray.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo-Christian expression of the national observance, based on the understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.

May 2, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

May is National Treatment Court Month and the perfect opportunity to celebrate graduates from the local treatment court, DeKalb County Recovery Court (DCRC). DCRC represents a compassionate approach with much accountability. This program is an intense one-year-plus treatment program that ensures each person in our program receives an individualized, evidence-based treatment plan. The DCRC team identifies and meets individual needs beyond clinical treatment such as education, employment, housing, family reunification, and health care.

The DeKalb County Recovery Court is commemorating the month by recognizing graduates of the program.

Today’s feature is on Darnell Gurley, a 2021 graduate of the DeKalb County Recovery Court who is now a case worker in the program. He shared his story in a recent question and answer discussion with WJLE.

Q. “Introduce yourself and what you do?”

“My name is Darnell Gurley. I am 44 years old and the newest member of the Recovery Court Team. I am the new case manager. I am very new at this position going on my third week”.

Q. “What led you to the DeKalb County Recovery Court?”

“I had struggled from addiction at an early age. In my late teenage years I had dealt with a lot of mental health issues and I had hit a pretty low point where I wasn’t for sure where I wanted to be in the world anymore. As I was in jail, the only thing I hadn’t done before was ask for help”

Q. What happened when you decided to seek help through the treatment court program?

“They taught me to be a better version of myself. They laid out structure for me. It caused me not to isolate myself so much. They gave me the tools with counseling, classes, and anything I had an issue with they were willing to talk to me and work things out. They were very interested in what was going on in my life and although they helped it was totally on me to put the work in”.

Q. What happened after your completed the treatment court program?

“I graduated on March 24, 2021 and I continued to stay in contact with my sponsor and I still do NA meetings and I try to do anything asked of me such as public speaking to share my story and volunteer work”.

Q. How has the DeKalb County Recovery Court made a difference in your life?

“It has taught me to be a better person and more responsible. I have learned to hold myself accountable. I think its important as someone with a history of addiction who went through the program to be able to help other people struggling with addiction. Because of my experience, I feel they can relate to me knowing I understand what they are going through. Recovery Court or any type of treatment that betters yourself, I would encourage others to seek that help because there are programs and opportunities out there such as this to help you treat this disease”

This story is just one powerful reminder of when one person rises out of addiction and finds recovery, we all rise. And it is just one of many stories that demonstrate why treatment courts like the DCRC are so critical in the effort to address addiction and related crime.

DeKalb County Recovery Court Team includes Judge Brandon Cox, Kate Arnold (Coordinator), Rhonda Tiefenauer (case manager), Darnell Gurley (case manager), Lary Latzman (Certified Peer Support Specialist/Volunteer Behavior Health), Jackie Vickers (treatment provider, Buffalo Valley), Abigail Wood (DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department), James Cornelius (Smithville Police Department), Clara Knowles (probation), John & Kay Quintero (mental health provider, Haven of Hope), Greg Strong (District Attorney Office), and Allison West (Public Defender Office).

May 2, 2023
By:

Three members of the DeKalb County Fire Department graduated from the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Training Academy’s Live Burn Firefighter I course that was held Saturday and Sunday, April 29th and 30th in Bell Buckle.

According to Training Officer Luke Green, Parker Vantrese of the Liberty Station, Terry Phillips of the Four Seasons Station, and Mark Drennen of the Liberty Station participated in this 16-hour course which requires students to demonstrate skills in search and rescue and fire attack in the following scopes: passenger vehicles, ground cover, interior of structures and commercial buildings.

“We are extremely grateful for and proud of members like Parker, Terry, and Mark who dedicate their time and efforts into better preparing themselves to serve our community. Today, our department stands better prepared to respond to emergencies because of the high standards of training we have set for our firefighters and their willingness to meet those expectations,” said Training Officer Green.