Calls for Service: 76 Traffic Stops: 97 Arrests: 8 The following calls/incidents/ arrests listed are only calls the Sheriff’s Office believes are of interest to the public. The listed calls do not reflect the entire workload that our Deputies respond to and/or initiate each day.

Sponsored by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce February 2 nd & 9 th 10 a.m. Storytime for Preschool age children - babies and toddlers The 30 – 45-minute program includes stories, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, movement, and other activities to promote early literacy skills.

Last week I talked about the extensive job of the commissioner. I’ll talk more about this in a bit but want to offer some ideas to anyone thinking about being more involved. I believe the most effective place to start is by attending commissioners’ court. This is the place where all major county decisions are made. In this room you can meet virtually all county officials at some point, observe the process that control our local government, see the positive and negative influence of government decisions (local, state, and federal), and other unique things. The government doesn’t just magically function on its own. There is a complex system requiring people to step forward and serve as “the adults in the room.” By this I mean folks who daily work diligently to sacrifice and look out for the good of those around them, performing all the hidden jobs and making the hard decisions. This functions much like the household of my youth where my parents were patient with us as children while juggling all the jobs of budgeting, securing money for bills, making the hard choices of what we really “needed” while also trying to supply as many of our family’s “wants” as possible. At the same time a good parent takes care of the “big things.” They put others in charge or look for volunteers to carry out “simpler” tasks they may not have time or capacity to do. There’s lots of “chores” in a family and in our local government. In my opinion, if we want to imagine an ideal government, we should look at our understanding of an ideal of family.

Dear Editor, I am writing to thank Madisonville -area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected over 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2022, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide. Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items—Madisonville-area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each giftfilled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 209 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Samaritan’s Purse delivered its milestone 200 millionth shoebox, which was packed on a country-wide tour and then hand-delivered to a young girl in Ukraine.

LEAD STORY -- NEW WORLD ORDER Sure, your fancy SUV may have ventilated seats and Wi-Fi, but does it have electrified door handles? The Guardian reported on Jan. 25 that a new vehicle has hit the market targeted at the particularly fearful driver -- the Rezvani Vengeance.