A rose to the congregations past and present of Shaeffer’s Chapel, which celebrates at significant milestone this morning. Two hundred years ago, a handful of white settlers, black slaves and native Americans gathered to worship in a simple log cabin in the section of Lowndes County known as The Prairie. For two centuries, the church has tended to the spiritual needs of generations of worshipers. New buildings have been erected, including the current chapel, built in 1878 to replace the original little cabin. There have been 42 pastors over that period. Today, as part of the celebration, church-goers will hear a sermon written by the first of those pastors, Rev. George Shaeffer, for whom the church is named. Shaeffer’s Chapel stands not just as some silent reminder of the past. With a membership of 270 people, it remains as active in meeting the needs of its community as it did when the first worshiper gathered in the little cabin on The Prairie 200 years ago.
A rose to the staff at our circuit clerk offices, who are giving up a part of their weekends to accommodate voters in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Saturday the circuit clerks offices were open from 8 a.m. until noon to allow people to cast absentee ballots for the Nov. 5 election. The offices will be open during the same hours next Saturday. Lowndes County circuit clerk Teresa Barksdale said absentee voting is up compared to previous elections, which is always a good indicator of turnout for Election Day itself. We encourage all registered voters to make their voices heard, either on Nov. 5 or, if you are unable to go to the polls that day, via absentee ballot. The folks at the circuit clerk’s office will be happy to see you.
A rose to the American Red Cross and Oktibbeha County Emergency Services, which are collaborating on an effort to install smoke detectors in the homes throughout the county at no cost to the residents. Sign-up sheets for the smoke detectors were distributed and 375 citizens responded, 300 alone in District 5. The Red Cross supplies the smoke detectors while EMS installs them. While there, they also review fire-safety information. These efforts come at a time of year where the risk of residential fires are highest. Nearly two-thirds of all fire-related deaths occur in homes with no functioning smoke alarms. We thank the Red Cross and EMS for teaming up on this project.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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