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Board honors Richard Earl Carden and recognizes Citizens Academy participants
Summary
The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution honoring Richard Earl Carden for his service to southern gospel music and recognized Citizens Academy graduates; the board and family exchanged remarks and the county presented a framed resolution.
The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners read and adopted a resolution honoring Richard Earl Carden for decades of service to southern gospel music and acknowledged participants in the county's Citizens Academy and Citizens Night community event.
Former Commissioner Don Powell read the resolution, recounting Mr. Carden's musical contributions and his role supporting the Downeast Boys quartet; the resolution text in the record lists Carden's birth date (09/10/1950), his family ties and the band's achievements. The reading concluded with the line "Adopted May 2026," and family members were invited forward to receive the original resolution for framing.
A family member thanked the board. "He loved this county. He loved the music. He loved the Lord, and he loved people," the family speaker said, offering gratitude for the recognition.
Earlier in the meeting, Daniel Cruz, the county's public information officer, briefed commissioners on Citizens Academy (an eight-week program) and summarized Citizens Night, a recent community event that Cruz said attracted more than 500 attendees and included a cruise-in, food trucks and local-business partners.
The board thanked staff and volunteers for organizing the programs and the presentation guests for attending.
