admin, Author at Henderson County Now

Daily Brief: Jan. 15

I’m still hoping to get some more information on The Ned Show coming to Bel Air this Friday … but here’s the poster while I’m waiting on a call back.

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The Malakoff community is still in pain today following the deaths of 16-year-old MHS sophomore Jamiya Givens Williams and her 11-month-old daughter, Alahna, in a car wreck Sunday.

According to a story by Jayson Larson in the Athens Review:

According to Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Kyle Bradford, a public information officer stationed in Garland, Williams and her daughter were in the backseat of a Chevrolet Cavalier headed east on Hwy. 175 when the accident happened. Reports state the Cavalier, driven by Williams’ mother, Cheryl Givens, 40, had a tire blow out as the car traveled down the road.

Givens slowed to around 10 to 15 miles per hour on the highway preparing to exit off a nearby ramp. Before she reached the ramp, the Cavalier was hit from behind by a Ford F-150 truck.

Services are pending.

A fund has been set up through FBC Malakoff to help the Givens family with funeral related expenses for Jamiya and Alahna, such as the Caskets and funeral directors. The cost of a funeral is normally in the thousands, meaning that some families will need as much help as they can get to fund a funeral service. As their family will want to give Jamiya and Alahna a great funeral, they have allowed a fund to be opened to help them cover the costs. If you’d like to donate, checks can be made payable to FBC Malakoff and designated for “Jamiya Givens Williams.” As they seem to be struggling with the cost of the funeral, it might suggest that Jamiya wasn’t paying for life insurance. Many people seem to disregard life insurance until they’re older as they feel that nothing will happen to them in their younger years. However, life can be unpredictable and events like this can occur. By paying life insurance, families can receive money for the funeral. For those who want to know more about the benefits of life insurance, it might be worth visiting PolicyMe.com or another website similar. That should help people learn more about the insurance option.

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Betty Waters at the Tyler Paper had a cool feature story about Henderson County Tax Collector Milburn Chaney’s sports autograph collection.

It is a fun read. rch

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The Texas House and Senate both filed budget bills yesterday, sparking instant debate.

This debate is also important to us, but this session Henderson County is a little closer to the middle of things. State Rep. Jim Pitts, who now represents a portion of Cedar Creek Lake, is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

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LOOKING FOR A DEAL: Store closing sale … the following is from Jessica Crye of My Favorite Things:

Big sale in Malakoff (one block south of light in the right 202 S Terry St) Store closing!!!!
Kitchen items/tables/chairs, dishes, glassware, china, Christmas, kid items, home decor, furniture, outdoor items, construction materials, commercial kitchen equipment
TOO much to list, 5000 sq ft!!!!
Wed-Fri 9-2 Sat 9-4
Mon-Fri 9-2. Sat 9-4
Will meet evenings if interested in bulk buying
903-340-4921

Eustace City Council fires police chief

EUSTACE — The Eustace City Council terminated Police Chief Troy Tucker Monday night on a 3-2 vote following extended deliberations in open session before a standing-room-only audience.

The discussion was held in open session at Tucker’s request.

Chuck Powers, Marlin Chambers and Robert Pickle voted in favor of the termination. Chris Wood and H.A. Graves voted no.

Mayor Elicia Sanders did not vote, but told council members she was in favor of termination.

The action came based on three separate incidents which occurred between late November and early January. The incidents — which were not clearly described during the meeting — included situations both in the field and in the office.

One thing that was clear was that the council agonized over the decision. Multiple times, council members talked about struggling with the issue.

“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” said Chambers.

Wood said, “I am absolutely torn in two.”

Sitting on the front row with his attorney, Tucker admitted to making mistake and said he “could have had better judgement.” But he also pointed to all the progress made by the department in the 16 months he’d been chief.

Many in the audience — and council members — agreed with Tucker, saying he had a significant impact on the drug problem in the city.

But some officials, including the mayor, said they felt irreparable damage had been done to the department, and said they believed if Tucker stayed the department’s other two officers would leave.

“What’s the effect on the department with all of this?” Powers asked. “There’s going to be fallout either way.”

Eustace officers Brian Hetzer and M. Trahern attended the meeting, standing in the back, but did not speak and declined to answer questions.

In the end, the three council members who voted to terminate Tucker seemed to believe there was too much damage to the work atmosphere in the police department, and the city would be too susceptible to a possible lawsuit, to bring him back.

Powers said if the council kept Tucker and another incident occurred, the city could be “down and out, and it’s not Beverly Hills, it’s Eustace, Texas.”

The council did not name an interim police chief at the meeting.

TVCC Sports Notes: Wednesday doubleheader on tap

By Benny Rogers, TVCC Sports Information

BASKETBALL

The Lady Cardinals and Cardinals are scheduled to be at home for a rare doubleheader Wednesday. Kilgore College is scheduled to be at Cardinal Gym for games at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Coach Elena Lovato’s Lady Cardinals are 16-1 overall and 3-0 in Region XIV Conference play after scoring a hard-earned 63-51 road win Saturday against Paris, which fell to 6-10 and 1-3.

Shlonte’ Allen knocked down 16 points to lead the Lady Cardinals. Krystle Henderson added 14 and Shannon Smith netted 13. The trio hit two three-pointers each.

The Lady Cardinals led 31-26 at halftime.

Kilgore brings 7-4 and 2-1 records into Wednesday’s game.

Coach Kris Baumann’s Cardinals suffered a 74-64 loss to Coastal Bend in a game Saturday at Cardinal Gym. Coastal Bend jumped out to an 18-4 lead and held off the Cardinals in the second half.

The Cardinals saw their season record slip to 13-5 with the loss. They are 4-3 in conference play. Coastal Bend improved to 11-3 and 5-2.

Jarion Henry was the Cardinals’ top scorer with 15 points. Karon Phillips and Octavius Ellis also scored in double figures with 12 each. Dominique Elliott had eight.

Kilgore is 15-2 on the season and 5-2 in the conference coming into Wednesday’s game.

Saturday, the Lady Cardinals and Cardinals travel to Tyler for games at 2 and 4 p.m.

FOOTBALL

Former Cardinal Matt Bryant kicked a 49-yard field goal with eight seconds left Sunday to lift the Atlanta Falcons to a 30-28 win against the Seattle Seahakws. The win moved Atlanta into the NFC Championship game this week against the San Francisco 49ers.

Bryant was the kicker for the Cardinals in the college’s first national championship season in 1994. He went on to play at Baylor before beginning his long and successful NFL career.

Here is the link to a TV story with Bryant’s wife and mother talking about the winning kick.

ON THE AIR

The Cardinal Sports Network will present its first webcasts of the season Wednesday when the Lady Cardinals and Cardinals take on Kilgore College at Cardinal Gym.

You can watch the games at www.tvcc.edu. Pregame programming starts at 5:20 p.m.

Also, Saturday’s games at Tyler will be carried by Palestine radio station KYYK (98.3 FM). The games will also be streamed (audio) at www.youreasttexas.com.

Obituary: Maxine Starkes

Memorial services for Maxine Starkes will be Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at noon at the Faith Community Baptist Church with Bro. Dale Norris officiating.

Maxine, 86, went home to be with her Lord on Jan. 14, 2013 in Malakoff. She was born to W.E. Scott and Myrtle Decker Scott on Oct. 11, 1926 in Vernon, Texas. She was one of eight children.

Maxine was a talented pianist. She loved using that talent to serve her Lord as the pianist for Faith Community Baptist Church where she was a blessed member.

She is survived by her daughter, Judy Burnett of Corsicana, and son Richard and wife Teresa Murray of Allen, Texas. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Angela Howard, John A. Burnett, Hannah Burnett, Brandon Murray, Nicki Spears, and Amy Raidt. Her legacy continues with seven great-grandchildren, Alexis Spears, Cody Spears, Alexandra Davis, Alexander Davis, Rian Howard, Miranda Burnett, and Payton Burnett.

Maxine is preceded in death by her husband, Buster Leon Starkes; parents W.E. and Myrtle Scott; four brothers, three sisters; and son-in-law John C. Burnett.

Online condolences can be made at www.tomlinsonfuneral.com.

Fund started to help Jamiya (Givens) Williams family

First Baptist Church of Malakoff has established a fund in the name of Jamiya (Givens) Williams to help the family pay for funeral expenses.

Jamiya, a sophomore at Malakoff High School, and her infant daughter Alahna were killed in a car crash Sunday near Crandall.

Checks can be sent to the church, made payable to the church, and designated for Jamiya.

First Baptist Church of Malakoff, 220 W. Mitcham St., Malakoff, TX 75148 … 903-489-0228.