Ashlyn Teran helped the Southwestern Assemblies of God University softball team win its first National Christian College Athletic Association national championship. The Normangee High School graduate earned the victory in the championship against Columbia International University by pitching five and one-third innings in relief and allowing three hits but no earned runs.

This week while traveling I noticed a small fireworks stand beside the road. We are getting ready to celebrate Independence Day and our 246th birthday. You see families on or going vacation or as our family planning time together this holiday. We are enjoying the freedoms that others fought and died for. We have the freedom to celebrate the holiday in the way we choose. There may be parades, picnics, ball games, fireworks, family and friend’s gettogethers and outings. This great country was founded on the idea that men and women should be free and should have some basic rights and freedoms. Like freedom from other governments, freedom from the tyranny of our own government and freedom of religion. Men and women fought and died so we could have those freedoms. In addition, our troops are in various parts of the world today trying to preserve and protect the freedoms of others and let us not forget them. I am also reminded of an even greater freedom that was made available to us many years ago when Christ gave His life for us, (John 8:36 & Romans 5:8). So we could have forgiveness from our sins, (Acts 10:43 & Ephesians 1:7) and the hope of a new life and a new future, (Romans 6:23 & Hebrews 10:16-23). Let us remember these two great events this holiday and the people that made these freedoms available to us.

The following persons were arrested or booked into the Madison County jail. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.