The Annual MLK Day of Service event is scheduled for Monday, January 20th. It is an inspiring day of community action and collaboration. In partnership with Keep Smith County Beautiful and a host of generous sponsors and volunteers will come together to clean and beautify roadside areas throughout Smith County.

Participants are encouraged to join this initiative to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by giving back to their community. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all volunteers.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce, located at 939 Upper Ferry Road in Carthage. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome, so gather your friends, family, or coworkers, and help make a difference in the county you call home.

For more information you can follow Keep Smith County Beautiful on Facebook.

The Carthage Rotary Club is excited to announce its upcoming Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser, set to take place on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Smith County Agriculture Center, located at 159 Ag Center Lane in Carthage, TN.

Registration for the tournament begins at 9:00 a.m., with the first round of tournament play starting promptly at 10:00 a.m. The entry fee is $50 per team, making it an affordable and entertaining way to spend the day while competing for fantastic prizes. The first-place winners will take home a $500 cash prize, while the second-place team will win $250. All prizes will be awarded at the end of the tournament.

The Cornhole Tournament isn’t just about competition—it’s also an opportunity to bring the community together to support local charities and community projects. Every dollar raised through this event will directly benefit these initiatives, making it a meaningful way to give back to Carthage and its residents.

Attendees can also look forward to a variety of food and beverage options, provided by on-site vendors.The event is perfect for families, friends, and community members of all ages. Even if you’re not competing, come out to cheer on your favorite teams, enjoy the festive atmosphere, and support a worthy cause.

Gather your teammates, practice your cornhole skills, and join the Carthage Rotary Club for a day of fun and giving back to the community. For more information or to pre-register, contact the event organizers at (615) 486-9429.

For His Glory Ministries, in collaboration with The Spot and other community partners, is excited to host a free backpack giveaway event. Each backpack will be filled with essential items designed to support individuals currently facing uncertain housing situations.

Just plan to show up on Sunday, January 28th, at dusk to receive your free backpack. The event will take place at The Spot, conveniently located at 107 3rd Avenue East.

This giveaway is part of our ongoing commitment to serving our community and providing resources to those in need. Please help spread the word to anyone who might benefit from this opportunity. Free soups, chili and drinks will also be available.

The Smith County Humane Society has announced two upcoming events to assist both the community and its four-legged residents. These initiatives, taking place at the Smith County Ag Center, aim to bring people together for a good cause while providing much-needed resources for pets.

Dog Food Giveaway – Friday, January 17th, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

To help support pet owners in need, the Humane Society will host a Dog Food Giveaway at the Smith County Ag Center, 159 Ag Center Lane, South Carthage. Families are invited to stop by and receive a free bag of dog food on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of one bag per family. This event is designed to alleviate the burden on pet owners and ensure that local dogs are well-fed and cared for.

Humane Society Spaghetti Dinner – Friday, January 17th, 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Later that same day, the Humane Society will host its annual Spaghetti Dinner to raise funds for its rescue and adoption programs. Meals are available for dine-in or carry-out and include spaghetti with sauce, garlic toast, salad, a drink, and dessert. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $6 for children. The dinner will also take place at the Smith County Ag Center, offering a delicious way for the community to support animal welfare efforts.

For more information about these events or to support the Humane Society, visit their website at SmithCountyTNHumane.com.

Artists of Smith County are invited to submit work for an upcoming exhibit of Pet Portraits to be held at the Carthage Junction Depot February 15. Artists of all ages are welcomed to submit work. Any medium is welcome, but entries must be prepared for hanging. If you would like to show your creations, art can be submitted to Keith Williams at Citizens Bank, Carthage during business hours any day until the deadline: Feb 6.  If you have questions about entering this exhibit, contact the Carthage Junction Depot on facebook messenger or by emailing caneyforkcreative@gmail.com.

The Carthage Junction Depot proudly presents a one day only exhibit of the work of artist Perry Johnson on Saturday, January 18.

Perry Johnson is a painter and printmaker with degrees from Virginia Intermont College and East Tennessee State University. While in graduate school, Perry worked as a programmer, first for the web and then moved to application and database development. He has been teaching since 1999 and now teaches painting and related courses at Tennessee Tech University.

Truly a Renaissance man, his work displays his delight in the intersection of technology, science, and art. He recently led a grant funded workshop that allowed 30 American Chemical Society member participants to explore the chemistry of color and paint media in a studio lab environment. He has also presented his work: Meaning, Modernity and the Machine: Theories About Emotional Vectors in AI Generated Images as Artat the 2024 conference of the International Society for Research on Emotion, held at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland. And over the summer, Perry also served as resident artist at Belfast Print Workshop, Northern Ireland. During the residency, he worked to develop intaglio lift ground techniques using graphite, wax-based pencils, or oil based ink. Several plates were produced and three editions followed. Some of the work from these editions will be featured in the exhibit at the Depot.

Perry’s philosophy of teaching shines through in his own body of work: “Composition, construction, and craft are in play here. Answers come through experience. We fail and we fail often. A moment of experimentation is better than a week of speculation. Risk is inherent to creation, but I encourage students to see each colossal failure as a possible solution to another problem. The forked purpose here is to develop the skill and discipline to arrive at an intentional aim while also being open to possibilities one did not intend.”

Perry Johnson’s art will be on display at the Carthage Junction Depot Saturday, January 18 from 10am-4pm. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Some work may be available for purchase from the artist. The Carthage Junction Depot is located at 185 Gordonsville Highway, Brush Creek, TN.

The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA) will hold a commodities distribution in Smith County on Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 9 until 11 a.m. at 159 Ag. Center Ln., South Carthage, TN.

Sign-up will be available at the distribution site. Visit uchra.org/2025-commodities-distribution-events for more information about UCHRA’s commodities program including instructions on how to apply. The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin, religion, or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities.

This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee

The Second Harvest Food Truck will be at the Smith County Agriculture Center on Wednesday, January 8th. The truck generally arrives at 10 a.m. Volunteers work to unload the truck and get the food ready for pick-up shortly after. Food is distributed until it is gone. Cars line up around the Ag Center early. Those hoping to receive food at this distribution are encouraged to be in line no later than 10 a.m.

The food trucks are sponsored by the Hunger Relief Fund of Smith County and grants from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN. Churches, businesses and individuals donate to the hunger relief fund all year. Usually two dates are scheduled each month. For more information feel free to contact the Smith County Chamber of Commerce 615-735-2093.

Plan to give blood at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce – Community Room on Monday, January 6, 2025 from 12-6 p.m., 939 Upper Ferry Road, Carthage, TN. You can schedule your appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering sponsor code Carthage19. Your pre-donation reading and health questions can be completed using your rapid pass visit RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass.

You’re invited to a free community event on Sunday, December 8, at the Smith County Ag Center! Enjoy a festive day featuring a free Christmas movie, delicious movie snacks, photo opportunities with The Grinch, face painting, and live music. Bring your family and friends for some holiday fun!