Shelby County Today

September 15, 2016 - A special thanks goes out to our friendly Farmers State Bank employees that pitched in and helped the Shelbyville Band Boosters work their concession stand last Friday night. Thanks for being a community partner and supporter of our schools. Pictured above from left to right are Johnathan Liker, Symone Williams, Reneta Jones and Tim Hopkins.

Lori Alvis – Band Booster President

September 13, 2016 - Thanks to the generosity of our community the Xi Alpha Delta Rho chapter of Beta Sigma Phi was able to donate the proceeds from the 2015 Breakfast With Santa to the following local Child Serving Organizations: Shelby County Childrens' Advocacy Center, CASA, Fannie Booth Brown Memorial Library, Grace Manor, Noble Children’s Services, Rainbow Room, and CHS Project Graduation.

We appreciate the local businesses and families that help allow this event to be successful. The next Breakfast with Santa will be December 3rd. We hope to see you there!

September 13, 2016 - The kick-off for Walk Across Texas was held Saturday, September 10th at 8:00 a.m. at the Center City Park off Roughrider Drive.

All the participants walked or ran the 5K which is 3.1 miles! The trail started at the park down by the baseball fields and weaved around the pond, up the hill towards the high school football field main entrance, though the walking trails which come out by the John D. Windham Civic Center, around it and across the bridge, and then go back the same way back to the park pavilion by the pond.

The program has 234 who have signed up and are divided into teams. Jheri-Lynn McSwain, AgriLife Agent and program leader and participants, encouraged all those who attended the 5K and congratulated them on taking the first steps to a healthier life. The program is team based and team members are encouraged to cheer on each other and together they are to walk 900 miles, the distance across Texas.

The 8 week program's goal is physical activity that equates to 900 miles either as a team or as a solo walker and the team and solo walker that walks the most miles during the contest will be awarded prizes. The Shelby County Fit - Walk Across Texas is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program and is in partnership with the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Health & Fitness Fair Committee.

Click the above photo to see a larger image

September 11, 2015 - A Patriot Day remembrance ceremony was held on the Center square Friday, September 9, 2016 in recognition of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. VFW Post 8904 hosted the event led by Larry Hume, Post Quartermaster, and several representatives of law enforcement and other emergency personnel spoke.

Citizens of Shelby County were also in attendance for the event which reflected on the terrorist attack on the United States and the over 3,000 lives lost in the attack. Karen Jones, Center First United Methodist Church Minister, provided the opening prayer for the ceremony. Following the opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

"We're here this morning to honor the over 3,000 people who died on September 11, 2001 and all those who have served and sacrificed greatly in the years since the war on terror," said Hume.

Hume listed the names of Shelby Countians who have lost their lives since the war against terror began. Larry E. Polley, Jr. killed in Iraq January 17, 2004; Kevin Casey Roberts, U.S. Army, killed in Afghanistan May 7, 2008; Cory J. Bertrand, U.S. Army, killed in action Afghanistan October 14, 2008.

"The war on terror; however, has not been confined to military actions. Many of our first responders right here on the home land have shared all of this service and all of this sacrifice, and your presence here this morning continued the spirit of unity and patriotism reborn that day in 2001," said Hume.

Introduced by Hume, and speaking on behalf of first responders in Shelby County were Derrick Lightfoot, Center fireman; Jim Albers, Center Police Chief; Willis Blackwell, Shelby County Sheriff; and Jessie Griffith, ACE EMS Manager. Each reflected on the tragedy of September 11, 2015 and the effect it had and has continued to have for all Americans.

Griffith placed the memorial wreath on the Shelby County Veterans Memorial, after which Hume reminded everyone to remember Mike Wood who formerly played the bagpipes at VFW events and who passed away December 2015. A moment of silence was had followed by playing of Taps. Leigh Porterfield then led everyone in singing God Bless America.