25 years of Day of Prayer for Our Schools in Wilson County

Abbey Nutter, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
·3 min read
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Jul. 17—The Wilson County Commission has passed a resolution designating July 28 as the 25th annual Day of Prayer for Our Schools in Wilson County.

District 22 Commissioner Wendell Marlowe read the resolution aloud to the commission and audience. According to the resolution, the day of prayer was started by the Kiwanis Club of Lebanon in 1999 following the Columbine High School shooting. The first observation of the day of prayer followed in August 1999. This year, the project is sponsored by both the Lebanon Kiwanis Club and Mt. Juliet Kiwanis Club.

"I can remember driving down West Main Street two or three days after that terrible tragedy that took place out in Littleton, Colorado and feeling for those families, for those parents, those families and others who had been so viciously harmed," Kiwanis member Eddie Callis said. "I thought that day, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if this Sunday everybody in America was down on their knees at church or wherever they were, praying and asking God to keep our children safe.

"We have communicated with all the churches throughout the county that we can get addresses for and we've asked that on that Sunday (July 28) — which is always the Sunday before a new school year begins — we've asked them on that day to spend a little bit of time in their service praying and asking God to please keep our children safe as they go back to school."

Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair updates

As the start date of the Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair approaches in August, fair president Randall Clemons gave a report to the county commission on where the fair stands.

"We have always tried to showcase our county and showcase agriculture," Clemons said. "That is still a major goal for us."

Last year, there were 739,315 visitors to the Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair, coming from all 95 counties in Tennessee, all 50 states and 37 countries. According to Clemons' report, it was the second largest fair ever held in Wilson County.

There were 24,649 fair entries in 2023, with a total of 13, 981 exhibitors.

"What the Tennessee State Fair has added to Wilson County is some $14 million in capital improvements," Clemons said. "We will be opening the new stall barn. We've been able to finish the inside of the 4-H and FFA building."

One of the improvements pushed for when the state fair came to Wilson County was improved roads around the fairgrounds in Lebanon, such as the widening of Peyton Road.

According to Clemons, it would take approximately $4 million to accomplish that widening, but the state has agreed to match what the city could raise.

"We're proud to announce tonight that (U.S. Rep.) John Rose has been successful in getting us a $2 million appropriation for the widening of Peyton Road and we hope that in the next 45 days that the state will have their part in that done where the city of Lebanon can work with the state and make that happen," Clemons said.