Candlelight vigil held for Jacob Smith

Photo by Shari Harris
Friends and family members of Jacob Smith, who passed away at the age of 19 on September 12, 2026, gathered in his memory for a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening, September 26. This young man had just begun his senior year of high school and was described by teachers and friends as “a good guy.” He had completed basic training for the National Guard over the summer and was looking forward to finishing his senior year and continuing on to AIT to train as a mechanic. The vigil was held at a memorial that has been set up in his honor, at the location where he parked in the gravel parking area, just south of the Licking Junior High building.