The Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department will hold a community meeting on Thursday (today), Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. The meeting is being held to answer questions and to inform the community on how its residents can best protect their families and property in view of recent thefts. Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin plans to attend. Everyone is invited.

Shady Grove Baptist Church will host a Men’s Breakfast on Sat., Sept. 17, at 7 a.m.

Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Evon Vest on Sept. 15, Billy Vest on Sept. 16, Mark Campbell, Briana Callahan and Paige Boyd, all on Sept. 17 and Beth Johnson on Sept. 18.

Belated happy wedding anniversary wishes go out to Willie and Charlice LaFavor who celebrated their 19th anniversary on Sept. 12 and Jeremy and Cary Lacy who celebrated their 8th anniversary on Sept. 13.

Happy wedding anniversary wishes go out to Richard and Aimee Pittman who will celebrate their 7th anniversary on Sept. 18.

Danville-Neel Elementary School staff reminds parents that yearbook pictures will be made Mon., Sept. 19.

Shady Grove Baptist Church will host a cleanup day inside and outside of the church on Sat., Sept. 17.

The Punkin Center VFD has started a Junior Explorer Fire Fighter Program—Troop #190.

Jonathan Peters, Steve Poole and Matt Ennis went to Danville Middle School recently to talk about the program, which is open to boys and girls who have completed the eighth grade and are ages 15-20.

Troop members are Cody Poole, Shawn Bolan, Connor Boyd, Cameron LaFavor, Justin Turrentine, Lee McElroy, Rebecca McCarty, Clint McAbee, Savannah Lindermayer and Amber Lindenmayer.

The Junior Explorers go through the same training as adults but can only work in safe zones during an emergency. “They are a valuable asset to our department,” Poole said. Adult advisors to the troop are Steve Poole, Jonathan Peters, Carson Peters, Kim Peters, Derek Sparkman and Stanley Linderman

This month our nation is observing National Preparedness Month at the same time it is observing the 10th anniversary of 9-11. FEMA encourages all Americans to prepare for emergencies including home fires and recommends installing smoke alarms on every level of homes and businesses.

The U.S. Fire Administration released the following facts in the interest of promoting fire home fire safety:

• 91 percent of all fatalities in residential building fires die from thermal burns and smoke inhalation and occur between the hours of 6 a.m. and l0 p.m.

• 70 percent of the fire victims were trying to escape or sleeping at the time of their deaths.

• Smoking was the leading cause of fire deaths and 57 percent of the fatalities were men and 43 percent were women.

• 43 percent of the fatalities in residential building fires were between the ages of 40 and 69 and 13 percent were children less than 10 years of age.

Congratulations to the Danville Middle School cheerleaders for winning first place for a dance routine they performed at a competition at Clay-Chalkville High School in Birmingham recently.

Special belated happy wedding anniversary wishes go out to Dale and Betty Boyd who celebrated their 46th anniversary on Sept. 4, Michael and Ginger Cataline who celebrated their 7th anniversary on Sept. 4 and Keith and Kim Roberts who celebrated their 31st anniversary on Sept. 5.

Members of Shady Grove Baptist Church kicked off their “Operation Christmas Shoe Box” project on Sun., Sept. 11. The goal this year is to fill 450 shoeboxes for distribution to children of needy families throughout the world. Some of the items that are suggested for the gift boxes are soap, washcloths, notebooks, sandwich size Ziploc bags, smarties, dumdum suckers and bubble gum. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation is urged to contact Cissy at the church. Last year, church members filled 120 boxes and distributed them to tornado victims. All donations to the project will be greatly appreciated.

Special belated happy birthday wishes go out this week to Sydney Alred, Kim Roberts, Valerie Byrd and Blake Wilhite, all on Sept. 1, Betty Depreast on Sept. 2, Beth Gray and Braden Foy, both on Sept. 3, Lynne Smith on Sept. 4, Lillie Livingston on Sept. 5 and Ruby Lacy and Noah Kitchens, both on Sept. 7.

Happy belated birthday wishes go out to Johnny Beasley on Sept. 8 and Reagan Crumley on Sept. 9.

I want to share the following information with my readers from the 1961 “Agricultural Almanac”: Ants hate cinnamon, a neighbor tells us. If you see an ant trail, sprinkle cinnamon across it and that’ll stop them. The cinnamon roadblock is extra helpful since it is not harmful to children or pets.