Tag Archives: tvcc

Week of November 21, 2011

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Carol Morton of Keep Athens Beautiful is caught moving into her new office at the new Athens EDC building this week.

Story No. 1 – Moving into Athens EDC building: After more than two years, the first tenants have moved into the building purchased by the Athens EDC (the old Eckerd Drug building on W. Corsicana Street). So far AEDC, Keep Athens Beautiful, and the TVCC Small Business Development Center have taken up residence. The Athens Tourism Department and the Athens Chamber of Commerce will also be moving in.
Why it is important: Because having all those entities under one roof could act like an incubator for ideas and business for Athens … and also because it is your tax dollars that paid for the building.
Extra Info: The building has not been named yet, but several suggestions will likely be on the next AEDC agenda. Our favorite so far is the Athens Partnership Center.
Learn more: This Athens Review story from August marks the start of renovations to the building.

Story No. 2 – TVCC tree lighting: Monday (Nov. 28), Trinity Valley Community College will kick off the holiday season with a Christmas tree lighting at 7 p.m. There will be music and fun and a big elf in a red suit.
Why it is important: All around the county folks are getting ready for Christmas and the New Year. By the time Monday rolls around, decorations will be up on the square. The following weekend is the Athens parade and GBC parade, the weekend after that is the Malakoff parade. With everything going on it is nice to have an official start.
Learn more: Here are some more details from TVCC.

Story No. 3 – Education funding lawsuits: The Malakoff ISD school board this week decided to join a lawsuit against the State of Texas regarding school funding.
Why it is important: School funding doesn’t just touch everyone in the county, the issue goes directly back to the past Legislative Session and the way lawmakers cut the budget. Malakoff is not the only district involved – no, far from it. There are four different groups filing lawsuits, and the biggest one (which includes Eustace ISD but not Malakoff) represents more than 300 districts.
Learn more: The Malakoff story is here.

Story No. 4 – Seven Points settlement: Three separate lawsuit settlements involving the Seven Points Police Department will cost taxpayers $21,500.
Why it is important: First, because hopefully we are seeing the gradual winding down of the problems that have rocked Seven Points over the last couple of years. Second, because the problems that have rocked Seven Points over the last couple of years better be a cautionary tale for other small municipalities around the county.
Learn more: Art Lawler at the Review has been all over this story from the very start.

Story No. 5 – Holiday shopping season opens: The Christmas tree will be going up this weekend for many folks – which means thoughts will be turning not to sugar plums, but to filling up the space under the tree with gifts.
Why it is important: It isn’t just the season to be merry, it is the season to be scammed. The holidays already cost an arm and a leg, make sure it doesn’t cost your identity as well.
Learn more: The Athens PD has some great tips on how to be safe while shopping.

Week of October 31, 2011

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Story No. 1 – Daylight Savings Ends: Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep Saturday night. Officially, daylight savings ends 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
Why it is important: Do you really want to lose an extra hour of sleep? Me either.
Learn more: What’s better than Wikipedia for this sort of explanation?

Story No. 2 – Big Game Saturday: Last week, the TVCC Cardinals and the Navarro College Bulldogs played one of the most entertaining football games of the year, with the Cardinals winning 55-51. The college playoffs start this Saturday and the same two teams will face off at 3 p.m. at Bruce Field.
Why it is important: The Cardinals scored two touchdowns in the final 1:50 last week to pull off the upset and get this week’s playoff game at home. These two teams are primed to put on a show Saturday afternoon, and at $5 a ticket to watch guys who may end up playing on Sundays you can’t beat the price.
Learn more: Get ready for the game by reading Jayson Larson’s wrap up from last week.

Story No. 3 – Cancer Making Noise: Cancer survivors rode into Athens this week to send a statement to Congressman Jeb Hensarling about the importance of cancer research funding. Hensarling is a member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.
Why it is important: From Washington to Austin to Henderson County, government agencies are cutting budgets. Hensarling’s committee has been tasked with slicing $11.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years. Expect to see more such demonstrations from a variety of sources in the coming year.
Learn more: Here’s the Review story on the cancer bus.

Story No. 4 – Deer Season: Saturday, Nov. 5, is the start of white-tail deer hunting season.
Why it is important: Well … it’s deer season.
Learn more: Here is a great column in the Austin-American Statesman about the start of deer season. The Houston Chronicle says more deer, smaller antlers.

Story No. 5 – Changes at Malakoff Food Pantry: The Malakoff Food Pantry is now Faith in Action Outreach. The name change reflects an expanding ministry, and the desire for the non-denominational organization to help more people in more ways.
Why it is important: Faith in Action Outreach helps feed 1,000 people a month, a staggering number of hungry when you think about it. Also, the organization started a weekend feeding program for students at Malakoff and Eustace elementary schools. A similar, but separate, program was already underway at Tool elementary. The economic troubles are causing a greater need in Henderson County.
Learn more: Here is the story about Faith in Action from The Malakoff News. And here is the group’s website.

Week of October 24, 2011

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Story No. 1 – TVCC’s Rip Drumgoole dies: Trinity Valley Community College Vice President of Student Services Dr. W.P. “Rip” Drumgoole passed away Thursday morning after a long battle with cancer.
Why it is important: Rip was truly one of the good guys. He was a part of the TVCC family since 1973 and was heavily involved in the Athens community. He was a member of the Athens Rotary Club, Cain Center Board of Directors, the Athens Economic Development Corporation, the East Texas Arboretum and the Henderson County Girls Softball Association.
Learn more: Here is the story from TVCC.

Story No. 2 – BIG Friday of football: There are two huge football games Friday night. Both the Athens Hornets and the Malakoff Tigers will clinch playoff spots with wins Friday night. Both teams would be entering the postseason for the third consecutive year. In both cases, it would be for the first time in school history. Malakoff will be on the road in Elkhart. Athens will be home to host Rusk, with White-out scheduled.
Why it is important: Come on, this is Texas. Do I really have to answer that?
Learn more: Here is info on the Athens White-out.
Bonus: If you don’t get enough football on Friday night, then No. 9 TVCC will be taking on No. 6 Navarro at Bruce Field 3 p.m. Saturday. And if you STILL need more, the Cowboys will be in a divisional battle with the Eagles Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.

Story No. 3 – Burn Ban extended again: Tuesday morning, Henderson County Commissioners’ Court extended the burn ban on a 3-1 vote.
Why it is important: How can this be a top story considering that the burn ban has been in effect continuously since April? Because it could be coming to an end, if only temporarily. This week marked the first time the vote wasn’t unanimous (Ronny Lawrence voted no), and the Keetch-Bynum Index is at its lowest in several weeks – and that was before rain fell Thursday. But if the ban is lifted you better be ready to take care of business because it probably won’t be off for long. Everybody and their uncle in the weather game is saying the Texas drought will extend into next year.
Learn more: Here is the Athens Review story and The Malakoff News story.

Story No. 4 – Monarch Utilities water/sewer rate case: How would you like to pay more than $200 a month for your water and sewer? Neither do Monarch customers. Both State Rep. Lance Gooden and State Sen. Robert Nichols have written letters supporting the nearly 3,000 Henderson County customers in their rate case.
Why it is important: Decisions made in this case could have a far reaching impact on legislation the next time lawmakers meet in Austin.
Learn more: The Malakoff News has a story.

Story No. 5 –  Former Eustace Principal Karen Mullin named Region 7 Principal of the Year: Karen Mullin was named the Region 7 Principal of the Year. I can’t say “Principal Karen Mullin” because the Eustace ISD school board removed her from her position after a 7-year-old photo of her mooning someone came to light. Oh, and EISD has to pay her twice as much to not be the principal. To add to the fun, the old photo was found by a former member of the Eustace City Council, who then shared it with the school. Lawsuits are pending all around.
Why it is important: Someone is going to end up with egg on their face in this situation. It is an object lesson in how things can quickly go wrong.
Learn more: The Athens Review has the story.

Bonus Story – The Texas Rangers: By Saturday morning, the Texas Rangers will either be World Series Champions or they will forever be the team that was twice just one strike away from their ultimate goal and failed. Let’s all hope next week we’ll be talking about the Rangers parade.

Week of October 17, 2011

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Story No. 1 – Fugitive Chase in Tool: A suspect fled from a narcotics search in Tool Wednesday night and stayed on the loose, hiding in the woods, until early Thursday morning. Police called in US Marshals, the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force, DPS Air from Garland, Texas DPS, and the TDCJ dog teams to help with the search.
Why it is important: The incident was connected with methamphetamine production in the county and will no doubt spur another round of questioning why drugs are so prevalent here.
Learn more: The Athens Review story is here. The Malakoff News story is here.

Story No. 2 – Smoking Ordinance: On Wednesday, the Athens City Council started discussing a possible smoking ordinance in the city. One council member said the process is just beginning, but could include bans in local restaurants and public buildings.
Why it is important: Whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, everyone shares the same public space.
Learn more: There have been no stories about this issue yet in the local newspapers, but there was an interesting conversation about it on The Malakoff News Facebook Page.

Story No. 3 – Texas Rangers: The World Series is coming back to Texas with the series tied 1-1. The Rangers now have three consecutive games at The Ballpark in Arlington, playing by American League rules.
Why it is important: By winning Game 2 – in dramatic style, with a 9th inning comeback – the Rangers flipped the home field advantage. This is now a five-game series, with three in the Ballpark. Make sure you are near a TV Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights.
Learn more: Best place to check out the World Series is the official site of Major League Baseball.

Story No. 4 – Randall Wayne Mays: The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to review a petition by Randall Mays, the convicted killer of sheriff’s deputies Tony Ogburn and Paul Habelt. The two deputies were gunned down by Mays during a 2007 standoff in Payne Springs.
Why it is important: That day in 2007 was devastating to local law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office still carries around the memory of Ogburn and Habelt. Anything that stops the march to the executioner would not go over very well in Henderson County.
Learn more: Here’s what the Athens Review had.

Story No. 5 – TVCC Rankings: The local college has three teams with national rankings right now. The Cardinal football team is ranked No. 11; the Cardinal basketball team is starting the year at No. 6; and the Lady Cardinal basketball team is at the top at No. 1.
Why it is important: You want quality sports, don’t you? Or how about the chance to see future professionals on the field or on the court right in Athens? Former TVCC players have landed in the NFL, NBA, and WNBA.
Learn more: Check out Cardinal football here; basketball here; and women’s basketball here. Here is a story by Jayson Larson from this week’s Region XIV media day.