Local Observance Scheduled for National Day of Prayer May 2

April 17, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

This year, the National Day of Prayer celebrates 73 years of prayer for America! This observance acknowledges the blessings of living in a country where, by law, every year on the first Thursday of May, the President proclaims a day of prayer for the nation.

The National Day of Prayer observance was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman. Each year since then the president has called upon the citizens of the nation to pray, and in 1988 President Ronald Reagan established this day of prayer to be the First Thursday of May. The significance is that it enables everyone nationwide to recall and to teach the way in which the founders sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical challenges and decisions. It stands as a call for everyone to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for the nation’s leaders and His grace upon us as a people.

Local pastors and churches would like to invite you to join with them, others from your community, and people from across our nation, as they plead for God’s mercy and guidance in our country. Smithville will have a gathering on May 2, 6:00pm at Northside Elementary School gymnasium. They hope to see you there as we seek God together!

April 17, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Anabel Rosario Fermin grew up in a Christ-centered, pastor’s family in the Dominican Republic. Though her family never had material abundance, she was taught that God is faithful. When Anabel was around 8 – 10 years old, she received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. Inside she found stuffed animals, school supplies, and other needed items. The shoebox showed her that God is faithful even when it doesn’t feel that way.

Ten years after Anabel received her shoebox gift, she lost her father, mother, and older sister in a tragic accident. Even amidst her grief, she felt the Lord reminding her again that He was still faithful. Today, Anabel lives in Flower Mound, Texas, and works as a radio personality.

To hear more about God’s faithfulness in her life, join them for a special time of Anabel sharing her testimony on Thursday, April 25 at 3 p.m. at the Allen’s Chapel Church, 1037 Coconut Ridge Road, Smithville

The community is invited to hear her first-hand account.

Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week is in November.

For more information visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Boxes built online go to hard-to-reach countries.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 198 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.

April 16, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Murfreesboro Police Department Criminal Investigations Division Violent Crimes detectives are still investigating what led to a road rage shooting that left a DeKalb County man dead and another one injured Saturday, April 13.

The fatal shooting victim, 49-year-old Paul Howell, reportedly of Rocky Road Liberty and formerly of South Mountain Street, Smithville was taken to the hospital in Murfreesboro where he later died. A second victim, a 48-year-old man, was shot in the arm and treated for his injury.

The shooter, 39-year-old Joseph Gann, left the scene of the shooting. He later turned himself in to officers at Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department Station 3 on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Gann was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and one count of reckless endangerment.

The preliminary investigation reveals Gann was driving on S. Rutherford Blvd. in a Toyota Rav 4 when a road rage incident with a group of motorcycle riders occurred. Things escalated at the intersection of S. Rutherford Blvd. and SE Broad/Manchester Hwy. According to detectives, Gann fired multiple shots striking two of the motorcyclists.

It’s still unclear what caused the road rage incident. The investigation continues.

If you witnessed the road rage or have any information that could be helpful to the investigation, please contact Detective Drew Stalnaker at 629-201-5615.

Gann is in jail at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $1,510,000 bond. A hearing is set for June 24 in Rutherford County General Sessions Court.