By JENNIFER HORTON
The Wilson Post

If you have old prescriptions and non-prescription medications taking up space in a cabinet at home, you can dispose of them safely from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at Crye-Leike Realtors, at 1432 West Main Street, Lebanon.

The local event, part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, is sponsored by the Wilson County Community Partnership and Wilson County Sheriff’s Department at the real estate office. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department will be on hand and will also help dispose of the unwanted medications. Volunteers will also be present to assist.

Meals On Wheels volunteers are needed to deliver meals in Mt. Juliet to homebound older adults on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Meals are ready to be picked up by 9:30 a.m., at the Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center, 2034 North Mt. Juliet Road, and the delivery usually takes about an hour. Routes are typically less than 20 miles of travel. You can volunteer weekly, monthly or as your schedule permits. For information, call Dawn Cathey, site manager, at 758-2777.

Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center offers a number of activities. Join the “Over the Hill Choir” at 10 a.m. every Monday. In addition to weekly choir practice, the group performs for senior programs in the community. Karaoke is held at 12:30 p.m., every third Tuesday of the month. And a Good Old Time Country Music Show is from 1 until 3 p.m., every Thursday. Bring your acoustic instrument and join the performers or just come and listen. Call 758-9114 in advance if you wish join seniors for lunch. The center is at 2034 N. Mt. Juliet Road. The center will host a free “Active Seniors Health and Wellness Fair” on Thursday, April 18, from 8:30-11 a.m. The event is open to the public. Booths are $25. For more information, call 758-9114.

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Mt. Juliet, has opened a food pantry available to those who have a need. The pantry is open the third Wednesday of every month, from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m., and is for all Wilson County residents. For information, call 444-2390.

Attention Veterans: If you need information or help filing for Veteran’s Benefits, contact the Veteran’s Service Office, Suite 106, Wilson County Courthouse, or call 444-2460.

Celebrate Recovery: If you suffer from addiction/dysfunctional behaviors (hurts/hang-ups/habits) and would like a safe place to meet with others like you sharing your struggles, strengths and hope with one another to grow closer to God and others, then you are invited to Fairview Church, 1660 Leeville Pike, Lebanon, from 6:30 until 8 p.m., Thursdays. For information, call Sonny at 707-0305 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Telephone Pioneers of America has Volume Number 1 and Volume Number 3 cookbooks for sale. All sales benefit the Pioneer Museum in Fiddlers Grove at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center, Lebanon. For information, call 444-3096 or 444-0940.

Lebanon Toastmasters meet every Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce at 149 Public Square in Lebanon. Visitors are welcome. Toastmasters is an organization dedicated to improving communication and leadership skills. For information, call 444-0126.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Wilson County is in need of volunteers who would like to reach out to those in need in Wilson County. Volunteers must be age 55 or older. If you are interested in participating or partnering with the program, call 443-7606 or 742-1113, ext. 10.

Agape has contracted with Maple Hill church of Christ to provide counseling services in Lebanon. Matt Shoemaker, M.S., will be available for counseling at the church building on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. He sees children and adults. For information, call 547-4244.

Lebanon Friendship AL-ANON and ALATEEN Family Groups, for family and friends of alcoholics which meets at Our House at 115 North Greenwood Street, is changing the time of meetings to 7 p.m., Sundays and Thursdays. Contacts are Harriet at 444-2852 and Lynda at 444-8434.

HomeSafe Women’s Support Group meets Wednesday evenings. For information, or if you need help with an order of protection for domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, contact HomeSafe at 444-8955.

Piecemakers Quilt Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at First United Methodist Church. The Knitting and Prayer Shawl Ministry meets every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Craft Room of the Family Life Center, and Sit n’ Stitchers meet every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Craft Room. For more information, call 443-2354 or 444-1182.

Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Women are supporting Magdalene/Thistle Farms Ministry during the month of April by selling all-natural bath and body products made by the women at Thistle Farms. The effort by the Lebanon CP Women is part of the Set Them Free campaign. All proceeds from the sale of the bath and body products benefit Magdalene/Thistle Farms Ministry. For information, or to purchase any of the products, call Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 444-7453.

Lebanon High School Drama Club will present Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” April 25-27, at 7 p.m., in the LHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and children. All advance tickets are $5 until April 24. For more information or to order tickets, call 444-9610 ext. 3203.

Ice Cream Social “Fun Raiser” to benefit ARE, or the Alliance for Recreational Empowerment, will be from 5 until 10 p.m., Friday, April 26, at Baskin Robbins, 1023 West Main Street, Lebanon, with 31 percent of sales will be donated to the organization. ARE is a 501c3 organization formed with a mission of providing recreational and educational activities for people with physical and/or mental disabilities with the goal of empowering them to be active, engaged members of their communities.

Wilson County Board of Education will interview the final two candidates for the Director of Schools position at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at the Central Office at 351 Stumpy Lane, Lebanon.

Pennsylvania Avenue’s Annual Street-long Yard Sale (Lebanon) will be Saturday, April 27. There will be something available for everybody. If it rains, the yard sale will be held the next nice Saturday.

Healing Broken Vessel’s third annual Feed the Spirit Women’s Conference, “Forgive-Forget-Free,” will be from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at College Hills Church of Christ. Free lunch will be provided. For information, call 547-4936.

Wilson County Conservative Republicans will meet at 9:15 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at Logan’s at Providence in Mt. Juliet. Come enjoy a bagel, coffee and conversation.

Music in the Glade will begin at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at the Gladeville Community Center. “Rode West” will perform. Concessions will be available. For information, call Mabel Beazley at 243-2664.

Celebrate Recovery 2^nd Annual Community Cook-Out will be from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at Don Fox Community Park Pavilion #1. There will be free food, sodas, music, games and Jingles the Clown. There will also be drawings and speakers. For information, contact Sonny Warmath at 707-0305.

PHOEBE Ministries, a ministry connecting widows with hope for their journey, will meet at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at Round Lick Baptist Church in Watertown. The topic for the program is “Women of the Bible.” All widows are welcome. Bring aluminum cans for Miracle Power Ministry.

Wilson County Town Hall with 6^th District U.S. Rep. Diane Black, R-Gallatin, will be at 5:30 p.m., Monday, April 29, at Mt. Juliet City Hall at 2425 N. Mt. Juliet Road.

Wilson County Retired Teachers’ Association scholarship applications are available in the Student Financial Services Office at Cumberland University. Any junior or senior education major may apply. The deadline for turning in applications is Monday, April 29.

Wilson County Commission’s EMA Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 30, in Conference Room 1, Wilson County Courthouse, Lebanon.

NSDAR Margaret Gaston Chapter will meet at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1, at the Spain House, First United Methodist Church, Lebanon. Program will be NJROTC Recognition led by Bettye Stone. Hostesses are Sharon Kloba, Susan Scott, Colleen Taylor and Jeanda Ward.

Joint Economic & Community Development Board of Wilson County Executive Committee will meet at 7:45 a.m., Thursday, May 2, at the JECDB office at 115 N. Castle Heights Ave., Suite 102, Lebanon.

Lebanon High School presents the Last Annual Faculty Talent Show to be held at 7 p.m., Friday, May 3, in the school’s auditorium. Tickets are $7 for Limited Reserved Seating and $5 for General Admission. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the LHS Blue Devil Bank or at the door on event night. For information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Community Share Day, presented by Immanuel Baptist Church, will be from 8 a.m. until noon, Saturday, May 4, and the Lebanon/Wilson County community is invited. The event “is like coming to a yard sale where everything is free. The event is in the church’s Life Center (activities building) at 214 Castle Heights Ave., Lebanon.

By SABRINA GARRETT
The Wilson Post

Keeping roads in Wilson County safe is not an easy task.

Just ask Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.

In order to educate young people in the community, Bryan has arranged for the department’s Traffic/DUI Division to create “mock” crashes at Mt. Juliet Christian Academy, Watertown High School and Wilson Central High School this spring. During the scheduled events, deputies will create an actual crash scene involving vehicles from past accidents provided by Hamblen’s Wrecker Service in Mt. Juliet.

“The actors, or victims and the suspect, are being provided by the drama departments of each individual school. They will have all of the broken bones and blood the special effects groups can conjure up,” Bryan said in a release.

Once the “crash” has taken place, Wilson County Emergency Management Agency personnel will arrive on the scene. One student actor will be given a field sobriety test and placed in handcuffs in the back of a WCSD patrol car. The students portraying victims will be placed in an ambulance or LifeFlight helicopter according to their “injuries.”

Bryan hopes that by staging these events, students will realize the dangers of drinking and driving or texting and driving. He also will ask that students take the Prom Pledge, in which they promise their peers and parents that they will not engage in dangerous behavior on prom night.

Mock scenes will be held at MJCA on April 25; Wilson Central on May 3 and Watertown High School on May 9.

By SABRINA GARRETT
The Wilson Post

Cowboys and cowgirls are already anticipating the fourth annual Whip Crackin’ Rodeo & Outdoor Show which is scheduled to come barreling into Lebanon next weekend.

The two-day event begins on Friday, April 26, at 8:30 a.m., with a day dedicated to special needs children in the community. Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead said the best part of the rodeo is seeing the smiles on children’s faces as they get to interact with rodeo animals and play games at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center.

At 2 p.m., the all-new outdoor show will begin, featuring more than 20 vendors with merchandise including campers, luxury RV’s, boats, tractors, outdoor furniture, pool and spa options, and fashion.

Craighead said that the outdoor show, as well as inflatables for children, will be open and free to the public outside of the covered arena. Guests are welcomed to register for a drawing and door prizes such as movie tickets, gift certificates to local restaurants, rounds of golf and the grand prize of a night out of the town in a 14-passenger luxury tour coach donated by Four Seasons Coach Leasing.

The rodeo will begin on Friday at 7 p.m. with a Best Dressed Cowboy and Cowgirl Contest sponsored by Wilson Bank & Trust for children ages 10 and under and a Kid’s Gold Rush with prizes in the straw. Doors to the Outdoor Show will open Saturday at 10 a.m. There will also be a rodeo on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Craighead said a mechanical bull has also been added this year for locals who wish to try their hand at bull-riding.

In the past three years, the Whip Crackin’ Rodeo has raised more than $115,000 for local charities. Event Platinum and Gold Sponsors are: Bates Ford, Permobil, Wilson Bank & Trust, Boot Barn, Bays Southern Bread, Capitol Theatre, Craighead Home Sales, Four Seasons Coach Leashing, Goodall Homes, Johnson Controls, Lochinvar Corporation, Lojac Materials, Manheim Auto Auction, Rose Tire, John Greer State Farm Insurance, THW Insurance Services and Tickets Nashville.

Discounted tickets are available at Bates Ford, Permobil, Wilson Bank & Trust, Boot Barn, Rose Tire, John Greer State Farm Insurance, Manheim Auto Auction, Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, Crystal Couture and Lebanon City Hall -- $10 for adults and $8 for children. Tickets will also be available at the door on both nights of the event -- $15 for adults and $12 for children.

A Wilson County woman is charged with TennCare fraud for filling fraudulent prescriptions and using TennCare to pay for them.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), along with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department, on Wednesday announced the arrest of Tiffany N. Ferguson, 27, of Lebanon. 

Ferguson is charged with two counts of TennCare fraud and two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The charges against Ferguson allege that on two separate occasions she presented an altered prescription for the painkiller Percocet, using TennCare to pay for certain services.

“Our message is clear: if you commit fraud against the TennCare program – and the taxpayers – you’re going to be caught and prosecuted,” Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. “Local officials, providers and law enforcement, as well as citizens, are behind us and assisting us in our efforts across the state.”

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge. Obtaining a controlled substance by fraud is a Class D felony that carries a sentence of up to four years in prison per charge. District Attorney Tom P. Thompson is prosecuting.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $3.5 million paid in restitution and recoupment to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $173 million for the TennCare program, according to latest figures. To date, over 1,700 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions.  Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig and follow the prompts that read "Report TennCare Fraud."