Members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad will join the growing number of law enforcement, emergency responders, and volunteers from across the state in Dickson County today searching for a missing 5 year old boy there.

Joseph “Joe Clyde” Daniels was reported missing by his parents on Wednesday April 4. The five-year-old boy has autism and is non-verbal. He was last seen wearing black pajamas with a skeleton on them.

Joe Clyde, known as “Baby Joe” to his family, is 4 feet tall and weighs around 65 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes.

About eight members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad will be participating in the search at the request of the Dickson County and Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads according to local member Joe Johnson. He added however, that most members of the local rescue squad will remain here to ensure that DeKalb County is covered in the event of a need.

The DeKalb Prevention Coalition (DPC) and DeKalb Community Advisory Board (CAB) are hosting “A Day at the Park” on April 21 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Greenbrook Park in Smithville.

The day is designed to be a Child Abuse Prevention and Foster Family Recruitment Event. It is a free event for families and individuals designed to educate the community about child abuse prevention and to also provide families with information about becoming Foster Parents. Food, games and activities will be available for children and speakers and vendors will be at the park.

The CAB’s mission is to identify, utilize and create resources to help families and the community as a whole. While the DPC works to promote a safe, healthy and productive environment that prevents destructive opportunities among the youth and adults of our community. The DPC and CAB meet together the last Tuesday of each month at 12:00pm. For information on meeting location, please check the DPC facebook page at www.facebook.com/DeKalbPreventionCoalition.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, the DeKalb Prevention Coalition and DeKalb Community Advisory Board encourage all individuals and organizations to play a role in making DeKalb County a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by making meaningful connections with children, youth and families in our communities.

Research shows that protective factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:

•Nurturing and attachment
•Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
•Parental resilience
•Social connections
•Concrete supports for parents
•Social and emotional competence of children

“April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children and strengthening families,” said Norene Puckett DPC Community Outreach Liaison. “Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to connect with families is the best thing our community can do to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.”

In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention and over 30 National Prevention Partners have created 2018 Prevention Resource Guide: Keeping Children Safe and Families Strong in Supportive Communities. The resource guide, designed for service providers who work throughout the community to strengthen families, is available online at https://childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/?utm_source=G…

For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during the month of April and throughout the year, contact Lisa Cripps DPC Coordinator 615-580-9290 or www.facebook.com/dekalbpreventioncoalition.

24 year old Jakob Brian Craven of 575 Evergreen Circle appeared in DeKalb County General Sessions Court Thursday where a simple possession citation against him was dismissed after he produced a prescription he had for hydrocodone.

Craven had been cited by Smithville Police on Sunday, March 11 after he was pulled over for speeding and violating a traffic control device/signal. Upon consent to search, police found two pills. Although Craven had a prescription he could not produce it for police at the time.

He entered a plea to violation of the traffic control device but the speeding citation will be dismissed upon his payment of fines and court costs and his completion of traffic school.