PANDA EXPRESS FUNDRAISER EVENT TODAY

The Sam Davis home is having a fundraising event at the Panda Express Today. If you order from Noon until 8pm Today, the restaurant will kick 20% back towards the Sam Davis Home.

You just need to print off this 'coupon' and present it to them to help a local historical site. (PDF)

This is really one of the easier ways to help a local historical site.

Great American Clean-up Event/s

For those interested, and I hope a lot of you are, here is some information about the Great American Clean-up. This is the last of the three planned dates to help keep the waterways of Smyrna clean from trash and other unsightly material.

Smyrna Stream Clean-Up Dates
As part of the nationwide Great American Clean-up Event, the Town of Smyrna is conducting three stream clean-ups this spring. The dates and times for these Saturday cleanup events are March 23rd, April 6th and May 4th from 8am – Noon.
This is a great way for you and your group to make a difference in Smyrna!
Youth Groups, scouts, churches, schools, businesses and individuals are welcomed to be a part of these Community Stream Clean-Up Events. Gloves, bags and bottled water will be provided. You may call Greg Upham for more information (615) 355-5701, or just meet us in the Smyrna Town Hall parking lot at 315 South Lowry Street.

Free is good

Several tourist sites are hosting a free day in May, and you are invited. Sam Davis home is free from 10a.m. until 4p.m..

May 18, 2013 – Free Day in May

The Sam Davis Home joins other tourist sites of Rutherford County for a day of free admission. The Sam Davis Home will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for visitors interested in walking through the Middle Tennessee Civil War History Museum and the historic Sam Davis Home. Guides throughout the home will be dressed in period clothing.  Please contact the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341 or visit www.samdavishome.org for more information.

PANDA EXPRESS FUNDRAISER EVENT

The Sam Davis home is having a fundraising event at the Panda Express. If you order from Noon until 8pm on April 30th, the restaurant will kick 20% back towards the Sam Davis Home.

You just need to print off this 'coupon' and present it to them to help a local historical site. (PDF)

42nd Days on the Farm

The Sam Davis home is hosting their 42nd Days on the Farm. This living history event shows you how life was during the days before Gameboy...or even electricity. Your kids will like this if you can get them away from the television.

42nd Days on the Farm
May 9 and 10, 2013
Where can you find pigs in a pen, a blacksmith making tools, and a spinner who shows how wool is transformed into yarn?  You can find all that and more at the 42nd Annual Days on the Farm hosted by the Sam Davis Home on May 9th and 10th.  Days On The Farm will feature more than 20 demonstrations including how to make candles from hot wax and how soap was made from pig fat and lye.  With hands-on activities, find out what life was like as a Civil War soldier and how quilts were made to keep people warm during the cold winter months.  After you tour the historic home and visit the museum exhibits, stop by the gift shop to pick up a reproduction historical toy or some old-fashioned candy sticks.  All are welcome and encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it under the trees while out on the grounds of this historic plantation.  Event hours are 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.  Admission is $5 per person.  Reservations are recommended for groups of 10 or more.  This is a weather dependent event.  Please contact the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341 for more information.

Smyrna Lions Club Event tomorrow.

This from the Smyrna Lions Club. Even if you do not want to bowl you can make a donation by being there and ordering food and being part of a good group.

Just a reminder....the Smyrna Lions Club is hosting "Striking for Sight" tomorrow night from 5:00-8:00 at Lanes, Trains and Automobiles on 450 Butler Drive in Murfreesboro. We would love for you to bowl, but if you can't, please join us there for dinner between 5:00 and 8:00 and 10% of the food and beverage sales go to the Smyrna Lions Club. The food in "Tailgaters" is delicious! Hope to see you there!!

Smyrna Police need your help

The Smyrna Police Department could use your assistance to find a suspect in a crime of opportunity

The Smyrna Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect in a fraud. On 3/6/13 the subject in these photos found a wallet on the ground near the gas pumps at a Smyrna gas station.  The subject can be seen on video surveillance, picking up the wallet.  Within the hour, the victim’s debit card was used fraudulently on two occasions at nearby businesses.
The suspect is believed to be a black female with short black hair and glasses.  She is driving a silver, 4 door Mercedes (possibly an E Class), with a sunroof.  If anyone can identify this subject or provide information that could lead to her identity, please contact Det. Jason Anderson at 615.267.5433 or at jason.anderson@townofsmyrna.org.

Click images to enlarge

 

Pioneer Days

Our local'ish living history site is having their regular Pioneer Days. This is what family fun is about. So put on your hoop skirt, throw on your vest and monocles, and get ready for some fun.

Pioneer Days - Cannonsburgh
Date: 4/27/2013
Time: 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM  

312 South Front Street
Murfreesboro , TN 37129
Phone: 615-890-0355 

Event Description: Pioneer Days - Old-Time Demonstration, hayrides, music, riverchase posse, antique auto car show, blacksmithing, crafters and food vendors. April 27, 2013 10a.m. - 5p.m. 

Directions: Cannonsburgh Village, 312 South Front Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 

TimeLapse of my work

TimeLapse of my work a video by jsgillard on Flickr.

This is from Flickr and is described as "TimeLapse of my work

This is a time-lapse video I took on April 16, 2013 in Smyrna, TN. This if Corporate Flight Management's FBO."

This is the same place the September Rotary Club bash "Wings of Freedom" fish fry happens at for those who have never been there.

Who?

Looking at the old newspapers on online archives you find breadcrumbs that hint at rather interesting stories, yet nothing else can be found about them at all. This example is from the The daily phoenix., February 04, 1868.

Who is Narmer, who shot him six times and who took an ax to him? A bit of over kill in my humble opinion, but he might have been a big'ol boy.

I have been unable to find anything else about this story and this week I'm going to dump several of these intriguing, yet with little details, stories for you to suffer as I have. I figure I would share the pain.

FYI. I like the word 'affray'. It sounds so much better than 'drunken brawl' in an article. Anyone can brawl, but to 'affray' implies a level of class so missing in today's society. 

Dr. John Miller Key

A local man that had become an important part of the community passed away while at work. He established the first veterinary office in Smyrna and was a great influence on a lot of people.

Dr. John Miller Key DVM, was born July 21, 1929 in the Rutherford County Hospital, Murfreesboro, TN to the late John Otis and Ruth Alexander Key.
.....
 Upon graduation, John took a job with the State of Tennessee as a meat inspector. Then he began to work for other veterinarians as a relief veterinarian in Nashville and also in Knoxville. In 1976 he established the first veterinarian clinic in Smyrna, Smyrna Animal Clinic. He was working there when he fell. He loved his employees and they thought of him as a father figure. 

He was an active member of Springhouse Worship and Arts Center. He was an avid UT fan and found great joy being with his grandchildren. He loved helping people and working with animals and was a strong Christian man.

Barricade situation in Smyrna.

Yesterday Smyrna was victim and bystander to a domestic situation out of control. Shots were wildly fired and a neighborhood was thrown into turmoil. The Smyrna Police Department, with assistance of the Rutherford County Sheriff's office was able to end the situation without the loss of life.

The Department released the following information.

On April 9th at approximately 7:23pm the Smyrna Police Department received a 911 call from the wife of Michael Cowger, 64 years of age, from their home at 300 Ella Street. The caller stated that Mr. Cowger was very upset, intoxicated, and was armed with a weapon. When officers arrived on the scene they could observe Mr. Cowger walking through the home in a very agitated state and firing rounds from the weapon inside the home. Officers established a perimeter, attempted to locate residents that lived next door for evacuation, and contacted our SWAT team. During this time, several rounds could be seen exiting the windows of the home. 

Once our SWAT team arrived it was decided to contact the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and seek their assistance also. We requested that the Sheriff’s Office drive a Bearcat to the scene which is a tactical armored vehicle. Several attempts were made to get Mr. Cowger to communicate with our negotiators and he refused. The decision was made to cut all electricity to Mr. Cowger’s residence in the hopes this would get him to communicate. He still refused to talk to us. A decision was made to deploy tear gas into the home in an attempt to get Mr. Cowger to come out of the home which caused Mr. Cowger to fire a round from a weapon through a window in our direction. The decision was made to deploy the Bearcat and to establish an entry into the home through the garage. This caused Mr. Cowger to finally begin communicating with our negotiators. Negotiations went for approximately 2 hours with Mr. Cowger asking for officers to shoot him several times in an apparent attempt of “suicide by cop.” He even threatened to begin shooting through walls at the officers in an attempt to get them to engage him. 

Officers could see Mr. Cowger through an upstairs window. He had barricaded himself in an office by placing a desk against the door. An order was given for a sniper to shoot Mr. Cowger with direct impact foam rounds, a less lethal option. Mr. Cowger was hit three times with these rounds and an entry team forced their way into the room, taking Mr. Cowger into custody. Mr. Cowger is currently being evaluated by medical personnel. Warrants have been obtained charging Mr. Cowger with 6 counts of Reckless Endangerment, a class E felony, and one count of Aggravated Domestic Assault. He will be served with the warrants once evaluation is done and a court date set.

 I linked to a website that shows what a Bearcat armored vehicle looks like and what a standard foam rubber round looks like.

Smyrna Senior Citizen Center

The Smyrna Senior Citizen Center is having an everything sale and a silent auction on May 18th. This is an early announcement, so I will have a reminder posted a few days before. Make plans on being there and meetings some great people.

Local wine tasting event

A local store will be hosting a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels. I hope you drop by and support this worthy cause.

Smyrna's Divine Wine and Spirits will be hosting a wine tasting on Saturday April 27th, to benefit Meals on Wheels. The event will be held at the Hilton next to Ruby Tuesday's in Smyrna from 6-9PM. Call for a reservation! (615) 625-3397

The FB page for Smyrna's Divine Wine and Spirits said tickets we going fast, so call soon

Masonic Lodge Country Ham Breakfast

Our local Sam Davis Masonic Lodge is hosting a Country Ham Breakfast this coming Saturday. You're invited...if you have $8.

Masonic lodge plans Country Ham breakfast, Saturday, April 6　
SMYRNA – The popular Country Ham Breakfast will be held Saturday, April 6 at the Sam Davis Masonic Lodge #661 on Mary Law Dr across from the old Food Lion on Nissan Blvd. Included in the $8.00 per person price is real country ham, eggs, potato wedges, biscuits & gravy and grits along with juice, jelly, coffee and great fellowship. Serving hours are 6:00 am until 10:00 am. In addition, the Order of the Eastern Star members will hold a bake sale at the same time. For further information call (615) 459-4576 or
samdavislodge@comcast.net .

Surviving the Storm

From the Rutherford County TN WX Face Book page I found a class that you might be interested in.

The 4WARN Weather Team brings “Surviving the Storm” to the Riverdale High School on April 18. 

“Surviving the Storm” is a live event where you learn the “what, why and how” of severe thunderstorms and what you can do to be safe. Lisa Spencer, Dan Thomas, Paul Heggen, Nancy Van Camp and Snowbird will take the stage with a multi-media show that will help you get ready for the next time the weather gets severe.  

There will be dramatic video, awesome photographs, games, experiments, a few laughs and great door prizes. This is a family friendly show. Some of the children even get to help with experiments. And you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions. 

The show begins at 7:00pm. The doors open at 6:00pm for a meet and greet session with the weather team.  

“Surviving the Storm, Thursday, April 18 at 7:00pm at Riverdale High School.
For more information visit wsmv.com

The Rutherford County TN WX page is run by a local whose interest in the weather is darn impressive. The website also has all storm warning and weather alerts for our area if you want to 'like' the page.

Police & Fire Youth Academy

The Smyrna Police and Fire Department regularly put on citizen and youth academies to allow people to get to know their departments better. Right now the Smyrna Fire and Police departments are taking applications (pdf link) for the Youth Academy.

I went through 2007 Smyrna Citizens' Police Academy and it was a blast and great learning experience. I would highly recommend this similar program for the kids.

The Smyrna Fire and Police Departments are proud to announce a joint effort for the children of the Town of Smyrna. From June 10th-14th, a Youth Academy will be held at Smyrna Fire station #2 located on Fitzhugh Blvd. The sessions are from 9am - 3pm, Monday through Thursday and from 8am - Noon on Friday. Graduation will be at 11am on Friday. A fee of $30.00 is required, and the participants will be provided lunch Monday through Thursday. Checks can be made out to the Town Of Smyrna. The sessions will be in a summer camp-type agenda mixing outside and inside activities. The purpose of the academy is to interact with the children in a positive way and to demonstrate the activities that both departments use on a daily basis. The number one focus, however, is safety in the daily lives of these children in various situations involving both fire and police services. The academy will use the officers and division personnel to incorporate “hands on” of various skills that the participants will find both challenging and fun.

Mobile Health Unit for April

The Mobile Health Unit Collaborative is a reflection of MTMC's Mission which calls us to "improve the health of individuals and communities" and to have "special attention to the poor and the vulnerable." This Collaborative effort helps achieve access to health care, helping overcome barriers and obstacles. MTMC, as a faith-based institution, is motivated by the principles of Human Dignity and the Common Good. These same principles are shared by our collaborative partners: The Guidance Center, Primary Care & Hope Clinic, Saint Thomas Corporate and Community Medicine, and Saint Thomas Emergency Services and Event Medicine. The Mobile Health Unit is in service four days per week. We are available to serve during these hours of operation, and we are happy to answer questions at any time.


April 2013:

Guidance Center:
Thursday, April 11th:  Smyrna Middle, 8 - 12
Thursday, April 18th:  Bradley, 8 - 12
Thursday, April 25th:  Wherry Housing, 8 - 12

Primary Care & Hope Clinic:
Friday, April 12th:  Bradley, 8 - 3
Friday, April 19th:  John Pittard, 8 - 3
Friday, April 26th:  Bradley, 8 - 3
Tuesday, April 30th:  Mitchell-Neilson Elementary, 8 - 3

Free book - Act now

For a short period the following book is free for those that have a Kindle. It goes into detail about the Battle of Stones River here in middle Tennessee. It is only 38 pages long, but it might wet your appetite to learn more about the important moment in history.

Stone's River The Turning-Point of the Civil War [Kindle Edition]
Wilson J. Vance (Author)

Great American Clean-up Event/s

For those interested, and I hope a lot of you are, here is some information about the Great American Clean-up. This is the second of three planned dates. For those who volunteered and helped on the last one. Thanks. For those who think they might like to go on this clean-up. Yes. You should

Smyrna Stream Clean-Up Dates
As part of the nationwide Great American Clean-up Event, the Town of Smyrna is conducting three stream clean-ups this spring. The dates and times for these Saturday cleanup events are March 23rd, April 6th and May 4th from 8am – Noon.
This is a great way for you and your group to make a difference in Smyrna!
Youth Groups, scouts, churches, schools, businesses and individuals are welcomed to be a part of these Community Stream Clean-Up Events. Gloves, bags and bottled water will be provided. You may call Greg Upham for more information (615) 355-5701, or just meet us in the Smyrna Town Hall parking lot at 315 South Lowry Street.

Event reminder

This is an event reminder for those who might be interested. The Smyrna Parks and recreation with the Boys and Girls club have a big event planned for the kids. It looks like a great way to have some family fun.

Spring Break Competition
Smyrna Parks and Recreation Department In Partnership with
Smyrna Boys and Girls Club presents
HOOPS MADNESS SKILLS CHALLENGE 

• 3 Point Contest
• Free Throw Contest
• Half Court Heave 

Ages 7 - 18                                                  
Thursday, April 4th
6pm - 8pm 

FREE EVENT
Smyrna Boys and Girls Club located at 198 Culbertson Street
Giveaways for winners in each age group event.
The winner of the Half Court Heave will receive a new Basketball!
For more information contact: 

Marty Smith, Smyrna Parks Athletic Coordinator 615-459-9742 ext. 2622