(The following is a paid announcement by the DeKalb Emergency Services Association)

In March the DeKalb Emergency Services Association formerly known as DeKalb Firefighters’ Association mailed a public safety survey to all candidates running for the offices of County Mayor and County Commission. This survey contained questions pertaining to public safety in DeKalb County.

Members of the DeKalb Emergency Services Association are residents, taxpayers, and your neighbors. Most of all, we are members of emergency services who have huge investments in our county, as we have volunteered and donated countless hours of personal time to provide public safety and emergency response for you and your families. Not all emergency service personnel are members of the Association. Although we have nothing to gain as individuals, we have a lot to gain as citizens and taxpayers in our communities where we live and work. Our mission is to promote the general welfare of emergency services and personnel, and to provide our communities with effective emergency response resources. We sincerely hope that our county’s residents feel strongly that we should have leaders in our county that have the same views and concerns about public safety.

Candidates had until March 15th to return their surveys. We appreciate the good and well-thought-out responses. All of the following candidates who returned their surveys have meet approval by the Association for endorsement:
County Mayor- Mike Foster, Tim Stribling
District 1-Julie Young, Dennis Slager
District 2-Joe Johnson, Nora Harvey
District 3-Jack Barton, Bobby Johnson, Renee Steff, Jenny Trapp
District 4- Wayne Cantrell, Jonathan Norris, Scott Little, Bobby Taylor, Janice Fish-Stewart
District 5- William Rutherford
District 6-Matthew Adcock
District 7-Beth Pafford

Smithville Elementary would like to recognize our Students of the Month for April. These students were selected for their outstanding character, academics, and other traits that make them an all-around excellent student. Selected as Students of the Month for April are:

Pre-K: Lucas Patterson

Kindergarten: Logan Gard

1st grade: Reed Midgett

2nd grade: Summer Garrett

(Photo shows students of the month with Principal Julie Vincent and Assistant Principal Anita Puckett)

Area postal carriers are gearing up for the 26th annual National Association of Letter Carriers and Rural Carriers Food Drive on May 12.

The food drive, held annually on the second Saturday in May, is part of the “Stamp Out Hunger” national effort that has been an annual event since 1993. Nationally, the drive has collected more than 1.5 billion pounds of food. Last year’s drive collected 75 million pounds.

The Smithville Post Office will again be participating in the annual food drive but this year information cards will be placed in every residential mailbox instead of bags on May 8th – 9th. The actual food pickup will be Saturday, May 12th. However, there will be a cart placed in the lobby of the post office from May 8th – 12th where you may drop off your donation.

Residents are urged to leave non-perishable food at their mailboxes for letter carriers to pick up when they deliver the mail on Saturday, May 12.

Letter carriers will be collecting non-perishable food donations for the drive from postal customers in the Smithville area as they deliver mail along their postal routes. People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods such as canned soup; canned vegetables; canned meats and fish; pasta; peanut butter; rice or cereal next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 12.

Carriers will bring the food to local food banks, pantries or shelters in DeKalb County.