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FROM THE CITY OF LA VERGNE:  With the recent Proclamation by President Barak Obama honoring the National D.A.R.E. Program, the La Vergne Rotary is planning for the largest D.A.R.E./RotaryCar, Truck and Bike Show ever!The show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2009. New for this year is a showcase of “Bikes”. The event will take place at Veteran’s Memorial Park, 115 Floyd Mayfield Drive in La Vergne, Tenn. and is free and open to spectators. Waylon Jennings’ General Lee will
also be at the event.

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News-Traffic Now!

Local Morning Traffic (click ABOVE for smartphone audio) Dependable drive-time traffic reports mornings with Brad Reed.

Local Afternoon Traffic (click ABOVE for smartphone audio) Dependable drive-time traffic reports afternoons with Roxanne.

Daily Inspiration

Click here to view video of Nathan Neeley

Many attended the candlelight vigil and funeral of Nathan Neeley who lost his life to an auto accident almost 2 weeks ago. I’m proud of the Smyrna community coming together and the Daily News Journal for covering this tragedy. The vigil was attended by over 300 mostly Smyrna high students. I was impressed that the vigil was put together by Nathan’s friends and his fellow Smyrna high students, even the Smyrna high SRO officer Cox and Deputy John Acton showed up to help direct traffic and talk to distraught students.
My wife & I have watched Nathan slowly mature through his 5 years of “hanging out” here at the house, being around our business often, camping with us last summer and often coming along to Church with us. A few weeks ago I was proud of both Nathan and Payton when i watched them go forward at Church to pray. I thought to myself “there was no way I would of done that when I was 17″. There were many of times I got onto these boys for “acting up” often doing the same these I done as a young teen. Driving fast is certainly a strong temptation for a young man and as a teenager I had my fair share of tickets from Smyrna’s finest. It seems that many teenagers feel their “invincible” to be hurt or killed in an automobile. It’s difficult to get many teenagers to understand that their decisions have consequences and their decisions many times not only hurt themselves but their loved ones as well.
My wife Felicia, son Payton and many of his friends have had a very tough time with Nathan’s passing. I do not ask God why Nathan was called away, only asking what can be done to not allow this young man to die in vain. His life had much value, value as a son, brother, grandson and friend to many. With over 566 people attending the visitation and standing room only at the funeral, even a few people standing in the foyer tells me he was truly loved by many.
We received the phone call Sunday night about the accident, the mother of Zack the driver thought my son Payton was in the car. She heard the sirens and knew Zack hadn’t phoned in like he usually does. Mother’s intuition must of kicked since she immediately went to the flashing lights and recognized her car, naturally the police wouldn’t let her go close to the scene. The extracation units were called as they pulled Nathan from the mangled wreckage of the Lincoln LS. Ultimately driving at a high rate of speed is what caused Nathan’s death. No one knows why they went off the narrow road and struck the pole breaking it, possibly a deer jolted in their path from the adjacent Corp property where they frequently roam.
The experience of making the phone call to Nathan’s mother and telling her to come to the StoneCrest emergency room, the pale look on her face as she and my wife Felicia exited from the ER doors and my wife shaking her head “no” will be one I will never forget. I watched Nathan’s grandmother receive the news “he’s gone Momma” she was told by Nathan’s mom. I can remember praying and asking God to give me the words to try and comfort the mother, grandmother and Nathan’s young 15 year old sister Rachel (Smyrna High freshman President & home coming attendant) who i was asked to go pick up and bring to the hospital. Holding the mother and quoting the scripture (I didn’t know the verse) of John 14 Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. [a] 2There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. 4You know the way to where I am going.” 5Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t even know where you are going! How can we know the way?”
6″I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father. 7If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him.”

I thought to myself “is this an appropriate scripture to use in such a time of sorrow”?I was surprised at the funeral when the Pastor used the exact same scripture, which helped me find comfort. I can recall thinking to myself “is this a dream?” and hoping I would awaken to a new sunny day free from the cries of the family and friends. Seeing the father arriving about 15 minutes later in the ER parking lot and him getting the word from Nathan’s mother and the look on his face and his cries and falling to the ground is an experience I hope no one else has to go through. I learned the only thing worse than a mother’s cries are a father’s cries.
If you have young children or grandchildren I believe it would be a good experience to drive by the cross on Old Jefferson Pike and show them the accident and have them watch the above Youtube video of Nathan. Like a stone thrown into a pond, our actions create ripple effects. My hope is other young teens will think about their decisions and realize each decision has consequences both good and bad and can not only hurt themselves, but others as well. May God bless both of these families that have been through so much.
(thank you to ITT graduate Ian Arsenault for the video tribute of Nathan & DNJ staff for the photo above of the candle light vigil))

Tech

Ok, it is official. Microsoft unleashed the ‘ready for prime time version of Internet Explorer 8″.

Is this version worth upgrading to? Read more »