THE SONG THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE SOUTH

During the Civil War soldiers were forbidden to sing Lorena because the words were so sad it caused many of the men to desert and go home.

Written in 1856 by the Reverend Henry D.L. Webster, Lorena is an antebellum song with Northern origins. It was based on a poem that, Webster, a poor minister wrote about his love for a Zanesville, Ohio girl named Ella Blackstock. She was forced by her family to break off the relationship and marry someone else of greater social standing. He changed her name in the poem and a friend, Joseph Philbrick Webster, wrote the music.

Lorena became a favorite of both Federal and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War who thought of their wives and girlfriends back home when they heard it. In fact, according to Wikipedia, "one Confederate officer even attributed the South's defeat to the song. He reasoned that upon hearing the mournful ballad the soldiers grew so homesick that they lost their effectiveness as a fighting force."

Here is a link to the song, but beware, it's one of those songs that you can't stop humming once you hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyskZquf0ac

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A SECOND CHANCE

Ask any local law enforcement officer about John Smith (not his real name) and you would learn that he has been a source of continuous criminal activity complaints since he was a youth. A street level drug pusher, his life of crime continued on into adulthood and ultimately he wound up on probation where he is today.

On November 9, 2011, Rockingham County held its first call-in. 14 offenders with extensive criminal records and gang affiliations were confronted by members of the community as well as local, state and federal law enforcement officers about their criminal behavior. John Smith was one of these offenders. All were given a choice - change your behavior and we will help you or plan on spending a long time locked away from society. After that representatives from such local agencies as Project Reentry met with these offenders to tell them about their services and to offer assistance in helping them turn their life around.

Now, three months later, how are those who were notified doing? 
Sadly, not all have done well. Although no offender has committed a prohibited offense yet, one has been revoked and five have pending violation hearings. However, John Smith's probation officer reports that after the notification John told him he was glad he had been chosen to be notified. He hadn't known about the different agencies that could help him and that he was ready to turn his life around. Today, his probation officer reports that he is working, paying his fees and staying out of trouble. John is not the only one who has taken this opportunity to make changes in his life so from time to time, we will focus on a success story from the Notification to share with you. In the meantime, we are pleased to report that planning has begun for the second notification scheduled for May 22, 2012.