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Golden gathering offers ‘inspiration’ for couples
Things were golden at the First United Methodist Church at a Friday luncheon.
The church was honoring couples who have been married 50 or more years. Most were church members, but any couple in the community who had reached their golden wedding anniversary was welcome to participate, said the Rev. Mike Schutz, associate pastor for the church.
“It’s important to honor these couples, because making this sort of commitment to another person is rare in the modern world,” Schutz said. “They serve as an inspiration to younger people struggling to make their marriages work.”
About 40 couples participated in the luncheon, which the church has held for the past 20 years. This year’s theme was “Time Flies,” and clocks decorated the reception area.
“All of you here are shining examples of life, faith and an understanding of the true covenant between husband, wife and God that is formed when a man and woman are united in marriage,” Schutz said.
Don Goodson, a cowboy poet, provided entertainment for the event. He recited his own poems and the works of others, focusing on themes ranging from the humor of rural life to the graces of growing older together.
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What is your secret to a lasting marriage?
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Suspect shot, 13 dead in Fort Hood massacre
FORT HOOD — A U.S. Army psychiatrist facing deployment to one of America’s war zones killed 13 people and wounded 30 others Thursday in a shooting rampage with two handguns at the sprawling Fort Hood Army post in Central Texas. It was one of the worst mass shootings ever at a military base in the United States.
The gunman, who was still alive after being shot four times, was identified by law enforcement authorities as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, who had been in the service since 1995.
Hasan was about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
Clad in a military uniform and firing an automatic pistol and another weapon, Hasan sprayed bullets inside a crowded medical processing center for soldiers returning from or about to be sent overseas.
The victims, nearly all military personnel but including two civilians, were cut down in clusters. Witnesses told military investigators that medics working at the center tore open the clothing of the dead and wounded to get at the wounds and administer first aid.
As the shooting unfolded, military police and civilian officers of the Department of the Army responded and returned the gunman’s fire. Hasan was shot by a first-responder, who was herself wounded in the exchange.
In the confusion of a day of wild and misleading reports, the major and the officer who shot him were reported killed in the gun battle, but both reports were erroneous.
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Do you have friends or relatives stationed at Fort Hood? What should be done to increase security at U.S. military bases in the wake of the shootings?
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Veterans group, community help bring Vietnam wall to area
MINEOLA — About 300 people came to the Mineola civic grounds Thursday for the opening ceremonies of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute and Traveling Wall exhibit.
The event brought to fruition a dream sparked by a retired U.S. Marine who wanted to share an experience that touched his life forever.
After many years, William Hamby finally traveled to Washington in 2007 to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
He pored over the wall’s more than 58,000 names for a couple of hours and was relieved when he did not find names he had dreaded, yet felt compelled, to read.
“I had taken 75 troops through predeployment training in 1965,” Hamby said. “When I got to Okinawa (Japan), I was relieved (of that duty), and I never saw them again.”
It was a profound experience for Hamby, who told the story with emotion in his voice and tears in his eyes.
“I got to thinking about it, what it meant to me, and realized that there are a lot of people around here — I don’t know how many thousands — who would like that experience and are never going to get to get it.”
A retired Marine master sergeant and commandant of Mineola Detachment 1278 Marine Corps League, Hamby thought he might be in a position to do something about it.
Members of the detachment determined to find out how much support they could expect from the community.
“The results were 100 percent positive,” he said. “Not one person got a negative or wishy-washy reaction.
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Are you going to visit the Vietnam wall this weekend?
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More students translate into dollars for districts
More East Texas children are in school.
That’s the message several school districts are sending to the Texas Education Agency this month as they report fall enrollment numbers for Oct. 30 — Snapshot Day.
Snapshot Day gives a first-glimpse overview of public education in Texas, including student attendance, demographics, staff information and budgets. The data primarily affects the district’s funding because schools receive state money based on how many students attend school, said Dewayne Pierce, Longview’s director for information services.
Longview’s increased enrollment is expected to produce more than $500,000 extra revenue for the district, Pierce said. The district had about 100 more students enrolled Oct. 30 compared with one year ago, he said, for a total of 8,350.
“We’re in the process of reacquiring some students who left in the past and are re-enrolling at Longview High School,” said Brian Bowman, district spokesman. “The turmoil that we had in the past with the school board and the superintendent in the mid-2000s contributed to us losing some students. Stuff like that always trickles down, but I think people are starting to see Longview for the way it used to be — it’s a great area.”
Other contributing factors to the increased enrollment include a growing Hispanic population (about half of the new students are Hispanic), new campuses being built and offering a more diverse academic program, including the International Baccalaureate program at the high school, Bowman said.
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What do you think about the enrollment numbers at your school district?
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LISD bond funds grow
Longview Independent School District expects to add more than $3.7 million to its balance of unused bond money.
School trustees Wednesday learned the guaranteed maximum price of Judson Middle School came in $3,767,469 under its total $30,927,207 budget. Judson’s maximum price tag is $27,159,738. Trustees on Monday will consider accepting the dollar amount.
The district already was about $5 million under budget on other bond projects, and Superintendent James Wilcox has said all leftover bond money will be returned to taxpayers either by changing the tax rate or by applying the extra money to pay off the district’s debt sooner.
“We were significantly under budget,” said Tom Lueck with Huckabee and Associates, the firm overseeing the district’s bond projects. “We carried a large contingency because of the renovations with this project.”
The district also budgeted about $500,000 extra for a sewer line extension the Longview Economic Development Corp. has offered to do, Lueck said. The district is responsible for paying for the portion of the sewer line that runs from the school building to the district’s property line, Wilcox said.
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What should be done with the extra funds?
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Gregg County voters approve 10 of 11 amendments
Gregg County voter turnout in Tuesday’s election was low, but Elections Administrator Kathryn Nealy said that’s to be expected in an off-year, amendment-only election.
“There was no one issue that was a big draw, so we weren’t surprised that not too many people came out to vote,” Nealy said.
A total of 3,870 people voted either Tuesday or during early voting, a number comprising only 5.69 percent of the county’s 67,977 registered voters. They passed 10 of the 11 amendments on the ballot, defeating only Proposition 4, which would create a national research university fund.
The results are:
Proposition 1: 54.8 percent for, 45.2 percent against;
Proposition 2: 77.3 percent for, 22.7 percent against;
Proposition 3: 64.24 percent for, 34.76 percent against;
Proposition 4: 45.96 percent for, 54.04 percent against;
Proposition 5: 61.38 percent for, 38.62 percent against;
Proposition 6: 63.05 percent for, 36.95 percent against;
Proposition 7: 75.89 percent for, 24.11 percent against;
Proposition 8: 70.43 percent for, 29.57 percent against;
Proposition 9: 72.46 percent for, 27.54 percent against;
Proposition 10: 71.46 percent for, 28.54 percent against;
Proposition 11: 84.08 percent for, 15.92 percent against.
How do you feel about the election results?
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Multipurpose Center
Nearly a year after pausing on plans for a multipurpose entertainment venue in Gregg County, city and county leaders are still waiting for economic storm clouds to clear up.
I’m not a doomsday sayer, but from where I sit, I’ve got to be realistic,” Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt said. He said the county has several capital and infrastructure projects to consider.
“Ive got a lot of wants that we want, but we’ve got to be realistic about our needs.”
No timetable is set, but Stoudt and Mayor Jay Dean said the city and county might consider building a new covered or indoor livestock pavillion first, before coming back at a later date to complete the full multi-purpose center project.
County commissioners in November paused on the project.
What do you think about the stalled plans for the entertainment venue?
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More rain forecast, as October record nears
Heavy rain and the threat of flooding Thursday prompted Gov. Rick Perry to deploy 12 military personnel and five vehicles to Longview.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for most of East Texas through this morning, and officials said they might extend it into the weekend. The Longview area is expected to get more than an inch of rain today.
The governor’s office said the deployment was a precautionary measure.
“The ground is saturated, and there’s nowhere for the water to go,” said Brandi Richardson, Shreveport National Weather Service meteorologist.
Several East Texas counties Thursday also were under a tornado watch, including Gregg and Harrison. Portions of Harrison and Panola counties, including the city of Carthage, were under multiple severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.
There were no immediate reports of severe storm damage.
Afternoon high winds in Gregg County resulted in about 675 Longview electricity customers without power, according to AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co. There were no reported storm-related outages as of around 8:30 p.m.
“There still could be more outages depending on what this weather does,” said Keith Honey, SWEPCO’s general manager of external affairs.
A cold front moving east was expected to bring heavy rain and lower temperatures Thursday night. Temperatures could drop into the upper 50s today with continued high humidity, Richardson said.
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Are you ready to dry out?
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Few people show for H1N1 vaccine
Turnout was low during the first day of Gregg County’s H1N1 vaccine clinic, but health department administrative assistant Michelle Skyrme said she prefers it that way.
“We’ve had a slow, steady stream of people coming in for the vaccine,” Skyrme said. “There was a crowd waiting when we first opened the doors, but we got the initial patients processed pretty quickly, and those who came in later didn’t have much of a wait.”
About 40 people received the vaccine Thursday. The county has 400 doses available. It will probably receive additional vaccines at a later date, but there is no timetable, she said.
Josh Pennington, a 16-year-old junior at White Oak High School, was one of the people vaccinated. His mother, Bobbie Pennington, said he was eligible because he has asthma.
“I think it’s wonderful that they’ve made this available,” she said. “I’ve been very anxious about him possibly contracting H1N1 flu, and this relieves my mind.”
Josh Pennington said the shot didn’t really hurt and he was glad not to have to wait a long time for it.
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Have you received a vaccine?
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Benefits justify athletics expenses, districts say
Local school districts spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on sports programs, but revenue from sporting events and its impact on students make it a worthy investment, school officials said.
“Athletics are just an integral part of education,” said Pat Collins, Longview Independent School District’s director of extracurricular activities.
The Longview district offers 20 sports programs for boys and girls, and Collins said about 2,000 students usually participate in athletics throughout the year.
Excluding the salaries of coaches, Collins said the district makes money from its athletic department, essentially providing sports training for students while generating extra money to spend elsewhere in the district.
Longview’s school board authorized about $423,000 for athletics for the 2009-10 school year, according to information provided by the district. The athletics budget includes materials, equipment, food, transportation, game officials’ fees, security and employee labor when district sporting facilities are rented.
“It all costs money,” Collins said.
Longview is the city’s only district to turn a profit on its sports programs, according to figures provided by the three districts. From games and facility rentals, the district expects to earn about $475,000, a profit of about $52,000. Collins said the money goes directly into the district’s general fund balance.
“It helps justify our budget,” he said.
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Do you think the school district’s athletics department is worth the expense?
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Slow down, all day long
All-day school zones are being added around Gilmer High School.
The Gilmer City Council decided Tuesday night to move forward with plans to create two 20 mph zones that would last from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, City Manager Jeff Ellington said Wednesday. The council must adopt a resolution at a future meeting and signs must be in place before the zones would take effect.
The plan calls for Bradford Street from Buffalo Street to First Street and for Buffalo Street from Bradford Street to REA Road to be 20 mph during the day. Buffalo Street runs by the gym and Bradford goes by the football field.
“From time to time, there are people who come through too fast,” Gilmer Police Chief James Grunden said. “This will make it safer.”
Right now the school zones last from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Grunden said. There haven’t been any specific incidents that sparked the decision, Grunden said.
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What do you think of the school zone plans?
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New facility will impact region, official says
TYLER — University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler officials Tuesday broke ground on a $67 million, 81,000-square-foot academic center.
The center is set to open in 2011.
“We’re bringing important research dollars and research jobs to this region,” said Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, president of the health science center.
The center, to be built in two phases over five years, will make the campus more of a destination point for those seeking educational opportunities, participation in advanced innovative research and excellent clinical care, Calhoun said.
It will also serve more than University of Texas students, Kilgore College President Bill Holda said. Students from nearly every East Texas public two-year college use the health science center as a clinical site for nursing students, Holda said.
“It is my understanding that there are at least discussions between UTHSCT and Good Shepherd Medical Center, where Good Shepherd will be a teaching core site, where (physician) residents can do residency at Good Shepherd,” Holda said. “(Tuesday’s ground breaking) has a real regional impact.”
Victoria Ashworth, spokeswoman for Good Shepherd, said the hospital has talked with health science center officials about advanced training for Good Shepherd’s registered nurses. Center officials have talked with all East Texas hospitals, but there have been no discussions about Good Shepherd becoming a core teaching site, Ashworth said.
Calhoun was joined Tuesday by about 400 people, including several East Texas dignitaries, lawmakers and Francisco G. Cigarroa, chancellor of the University of Texas System. Cigarroa called the Academic Center a “state-of-the-art building for a state-of-the-art institution that is finally coming into its own.”
“This ground breaking today is a reflection of the successful efforts to refocus the staff,” Cigarroa said, “and to earn the respect and admiration of this community as we see here today.”
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What do you think about the new academic center?
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911: Rural areas may have coverage gaps
When Amy Randall’s vehicle hyrdroplaned and flipped off of an Upshur County bridge, it wasn’t a call to 911 that saved her life.
A couple driving Oct. 4 on FM 2263 behind her Buick LeSabre saw the wreck and stopped to help. They tried calling 911, but the call would not connect. They called the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department instead, and rescuers responded to save Randall from her flooded car.
“911 doesn’t work everywhere,” said Trev Powell, the motorist who made the call.
About 99 percent of the country’s population is covered by 6,183 emergency dispatch services, according to information from the National Emergency Number Association. Sally Rees, Longview’s public safety communications manager, said people without access to 911 service live in sparsely populated areas. She said she is not aware of any such area in East Texas.
The 911 emergency number was created in 1968 by AT&T after representatives from the federal government and the Federal Communications Commission requested a universal emergency reporting line, according to the National Emergency Number Association. The use of the line spread through the country and has been adopted by other countries.
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Have you ever experienced gaps in 911 coverage? Do you feel safe?
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Dear clouds: More rain — are you serious?
East Texans woke up Monday to widespread rain showers.
After about two days of sunshine, this region might see a repeat on Thursday and Friday, meteorologists say.
The National Weather Service in Shreveport reports that, after partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies Tuesday and Wednesday, thunderstorm chances increase to 60 percent on Thursday and Friday.
Rainfall could impact area waterways already under flood warnings. Monday morning, the Sabine River was at least three feet above flood stage near Beckville and more than eight feet above flood stage near Gladewater.
How sick of the rain are you? Feel free to go ahead and vent.
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Ethnic diversity sparse among city employees
Bonita Hall remembers students of several different ethnic backgrounds, including black women like herself, when she attended the University of North Texas’ School of Public Administration.
After working in five cities, she’s yet to see that diversity in Texas municipal governments.
“Public service is not about getting wealthy,” said Hall, a former city of Longview human resources director who left in 2006. “I was the only person of color there for a while as far as directors … and probably one of the only females.”
Not much has changed in three years. Nearly nine out of 10 of the city’s 174 crew leaders are white.
Among top level city executives, statistics of ethnicity are more striking. Fire Chief Michael Pruitt is the only non-white Longview City Council appointee.
And while Hispanics make up more than 10 percent of Longview’s population, only 26 — less than 3 percent — of the city’s 908 employees are Hispanic. There are no Hispanic administrators, no Hispanic council members and two Hispanic crew leaders.
Human Resources Director Karri Hyko said the city has received no formal complaint about ethnic breakdowns among supervisors.
“It can be pretty lean. Most of our job requirements require at least a bachelor’s degree at that level and I would say four to five years of experience,” Hyko said. “In East Texas, the pool of candidates is limited.”
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What do you think of the stats for city employees?
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‘Ghosts’ among us
Now is not a good time to be an illegal immigrant.
The demand for unskilled labor has shrunk along with the rest of the U.S. economy, and as jobs disappear across the board, undocumented workers are said to be increasingly viewed with suspicion and animosity.
Illegal immigrants in Longview say they know they aren’t always welcome. But they are here, and they say they aren’t leaving.
Social services providers arranged for the News-Journal to interview a handful of undocumented workers in Longview. In exchange for candid comments about why they are here and other issues, the News-Journal agreed not to use their real names and conducted interviews away from their homes and jobs.
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What do you think about illegal immigration, especially in the Longview area?
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Spirit quest: Do ghosts hang around local cemeteries?
There will be tears tonight.
There will be voices in the cemetery — a child’s laughter, a whispered threat.
On a cool, damp night in Longview, paranormal investigator Misty Richardson says she will not fear the spirits she expects to encounter during research of a local burial ground.
“Me, what I believe is that I have the Lord with me,” she says. “We say a prayer and feel that He protects us. Some of them do try to possess you, so you have to do it with a clear head. If you act relaxed and peaceful, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
If you give in to panic, on the other hand, you become vulnerable. You must not panic.
Otherwise, “something can actually attach to you, and you can take it home,” she says. “It’s very, very rare, but it has happened.”
Richardson knows. She’s one of a handful of local investigators who form Above & Beyond Paranormal, a research team that is registered and open for business in Gregg County.
“We’re here to prove there is life after death here,” Richardson said.
“Basically, we ghost hunt. Anybody that allows us to either go in their homes or cemeteries, we’ll go in overnight. We’ll investigate by pictures, videos, voice recordings. It’s actually pretty neat.”
They aren’t afraid of ghosts, she says. But that’s about to change.
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Do you believe in ghosts or other paranormal activity?
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Be alert around buses, school, law officials say
Cars halted along Texas 149 on Thursday morning as a stop sign popped out and a school bus signaled flashing red lights.
“Everybody is required to stop when the red lights are on,” said Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Jonathan Anderson. “If I observe anybody passing the lights, I will call my co-worker, and he’ll take care of business.”
Today is the last day of National School Bus Safety week, during which highway patrol officers have been riding buses looking for drivers illegally passing. About 35,000 school buses transport 1.4 million Texas children daily, and account for less than a half of 1 percent of Texas roadway crashes.
Anderson rode a Longview Independent School District bus Thursday morning while another trooper followed in a car from a distance. Anderson didn’t catch anybody illegally passing the bus.
“The only time people don’t have to stop for a school bus is if they’re separated by a physical barrier, such as a concrete wall or a grassy median,” he said.
Passing a school bus can carry a fine of up to $1,000.
Longview bus driver Donna Bookil said another concern of hers is when drivers go around the bus on a two-lane road in a no passing zone.
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How can schools improve bus safety?
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Workforce Solutions to cut staff
Workforce Solutions East Texas plans to cut about 40 percent of its employees in response to two consecutive years of funding cuts.
“We’ve delayed the inevitable as long as possible,” said David Cleveland, executive director of the East Texas Council of Governments, which oversees the agency’s finances.
The agency’s total budget, which includes funds it funnels directly into workforce programs, fell from about $30 million in fiscal year 2008 to about $24.8 million in fiscal year 2009. The agency has about $27.2 million in revenue for the 2010 fiscal year, but its budget includes about $5 million in stimulus funding.
Workforce Solutions East Texas provides services and training to people searching for employment in the area, according to its Web site. Its operating budget has fallen from $8.6 million in fiscal year 2008 to $6.7 million for fiscal year 2010.
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How do you feel about the cut in funding and staff?
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GOP group seeks county clerk’s ouster
Some Upshur County Republicans are considering efforts to get County Clerk Peggy LaGrone removed from office for what they believe might be violations of the law, officials said Wednesday. LaGrone says the discussion amounts to a personal and political vendetta against her.
“Some people in the Republican Party have contacted me about looking into possibly removing her from office because of what they believe are violations of the law and misconduct in office,” District Attorney Billy Byrd said. “I have no type of investigation going on or petitions being pursued.”
Republican Party Chairwoman Brenda Patterson said the group has not taken any official action against LaGrone since censuring her June 29. For someone to be removed from office, the district attorney would have to file a civil lawsuit against the elected official in a district court, Byrd said. Ultimately a judge would decide, he said.
Byrd said the primary complaint he’s received is that LaGrone did not strictly comply with the Texas Election Code in conducting early voting this week.
“We just have a concern with her abuse of powers in her office,” Republican Commissioner James Crittenden said about the early voting situation.
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What do you think of efforts to remove Patty LaGrone?
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Brewery’s closing a blow to local economy, families
It’s been about 10 years since the hops stopped flowing and the beer bottles stopped clinking down the assembly line at the former Stroh Brewery in Longview.
“It was devastating,” said Frank Skaggs, who worked at the brewing operation nearly 25 years. “It was bad. I was close to retirement as were a lot of the workers. It was a scary time.”
The demise of the national company with major operations at 1400 W. Cotton St. was a major blow to the local economy. Hundreds of jobs were lost, a major taxpayer packed up and left town and the lives of those who worked at the facility were changed forever.
Skaggs started work at the former Continental Can plant in Longview and transferred to the then Schlitz Brewery about a year later. He held a variety of positions over the years but felt secure in knowing that Schlitz, and later Stroh Brewing, were well established companies each with more than 100 years of history behind them.
“I never thought people would quit drinking beer — and they didn’t — but the business changed,” Skaggs said. He considers himself one of the lucky alumni from the former brewery.
“A lot of them had trouble finding work, and some of them still haven’t found jobs they like,” he said. “When you get to a certain age, it’s hard to find work.”
Less than a year after Stroh closed its Longview plant, Skaggs got a call from a new firm in town that had leased part of the former brewery for a warehouse and shipping operation, Sam Dunn Enterprises.
“They were looking for people to work in their warehouse, and several of us came to work here,” he said. Skaggs, 65, still works in the warehouse at Sam Dunn.
“It’s like coming home to work here, I’ve been working in this warehouse close to 34 years now,” he said Tuesday
Click here to read the entire article.
What are your memories of the former Stroh Brewery?
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Nice blog as for me. I’d like to read a bit more concerning that topic.
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At least Major Hasan did not commit a “hate crime”. Now that would make Congress mad!
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This is a very sad day in US History! I am so very sorry for the people that serve our country. The war that was being fought in the desert over the 9/11 attack has come even closer to home.
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We have censored no comments on this blog entry. We have had no comments to censor. Our hope in posting this as a blog entry and offering visitors to comment, was that they might offer thoughts, condolences or prayers for the victims in this tragedy.
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