Issue # 19: Backstage at the Fireworks; Become a Founding Member; Bridge to Riverbend Funded
Published 6 days ago • 3 min read
Issue #19
July 8, 2025
Behind the Scenes of a Fireworks Show
As the sun sets on July 4 each year, anticipation for the fireworks show builds. Families grab blankets or lawn chairs and claim a spot to watch the colorful display light up the sky.
But for the crew setting up and firing the fireworks, it’s a totally different experience. Smithville Texas News joined the team behind this year’s Fourth of July Celebration fireworks to show you what goes into ensuring a fun, safe, and colorful July 4.
We've got a great video of fireworks legend Chester Davis explaining the layout before the show, edited with those fireworks going off that night, and the Smithville Volunteer Firefighters putting out the embers after the finale.
For over a decade, Smithville has been without a newspaper. That’s over 10 years of no one covering city council and school board meetings, no one tracking the budget, no one celebrating our Tiger and Lady Tigers’ wins.
That’s why we started Smithville Texas News—to be a watchdog, a connector, and a storyteller for our community.
But a free press isn’t a luxury. It’s a safeguard. It’s the first line of defense against corruption and the first thread that ties a community together.
And this kind of journalism doesn’t fund itself.
We invite you to become a Founding Member of Smithville Texas News. Founding Members don’t just support journalism, they shape its future.
Membership tiers start at $50/month and include special perks like off-the-record briefings, video shout-outs, and VIP news alerts.
These are not your typical newspaper subscription (those are coming soon), but an opportunity to be part of something bigger. To help restore the accountability, transparency, and connection Smithville enjoyed for over 100 years.
This is our chance to rebuild something Smithville never should have lost.
Today, if you want to get to Riverbend Park from inside the City of Smithville, you have to get in your car and get on the highway.
But soon Smithville residents will be able to walk, bike, or golf cart their way straight to Vernon Richards Riverbend Park, thanks to a $10 million allocation in the state budget for a new pedestrian bridge.
Details on the project are still sparse, but check out our short story to see what we know so far.
Who Are the Flag Fairies?
Every year for the last 12 years, a few days before July 4, someone plants American flags by the mailboxes of homes in the city’s center. Many in the community take to Nextdoor or Facebook to thank the “flag fairies.”
But who is actually delivering this annual dose of patriotism?
Did you know the City of Smithville has an Ethics Policy? It was passed by the City Council in March of this year with the goal of ensuring ethical conduct by elected and appointed officials to maintain public trust.
We think this is a handy tool every resident should be aware of, so look for a video on that on our YouTube channel later this week.
I’d like to take this space this week to give a huge shout out to Smithville football players Corbin Davis, Garrett Wilhelm, Trip Davis and Stoney Bittick, as well as Coach Layne Neumann and his son, Memphis Ranger Neumann for helping me move at the end of June.
My sister and her husband came on a Sunday and got all the lighter stuff and the boxes, but we had six heavy pieces we couldn’t get. I called up Coach Neumann and asked for some help and he brought some Smithville football muscle the next day.
These guys participated in their voluntary summer workouts at the high school and then came over to do even more heavy lifting. They came with their trucks, southern manners, and a positive attitude (even when they realized the new house was on the second floor).
Trip Davis, who is vying for the starting quarterback job this year, had a little mishap when we got to the new house. But he didn’t let it phase him, fixing the problem and marching on.
When we were almost done he had to get a recliner to a back bedroom, which required it be turned a certain way to fit through the doorway. Even though he was tired and hot, he continued to work the puzzle without complaint until we got it through.
Our quarterback is our leader, and seeing that young man persevere and not get rattled when things got tough or didn’t go his way was a great sign for our team this upcoming season. It’s great to see we are raising our kids right in this community!
So thank you again to our football players, Coach Neumann, and my sister and brother-in-law. I could not have done it without you!
I can’t wait to see what our Smithville Tigers do on the field this fall!
GO TIGERS! ~K
Looking forward to see what we can build together,
~K Kristen Meriwether Publisher, Smithville Texas News
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