Daily Brief: Monday, Jan. 7

State Sen. Robert Nichols speaks with a staff member in this file photo. (Courtesy Photo)
State Sen. Robert Nichols speaks with a staff member in this file photo. (Courtesy Photo)

Welcome back to school for administrators, teachers and students. Hope you all had a great holiday.

The rest of us need to be very careful this week as kids and buses return to the roads for the first time in nearly a month.

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The 83rd Texas Legislature will convene tomorrow and will play a big role in the news over the next few months.

In Henderson County, we have three lawmakers representing us in Austin. State Sen. Robert Nichols,

State Rep. Lance Gooden, and State Rep. Jim Pitts.

While Gooden represents most of the county, Pitts portions around Cedar Creek Lake during redistricting.

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Gas prices are still rising:

Average retail gasoline prices in Texas have risen 5.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.16/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 13,114 gas outlets in Texas. This compares with the national average that has not moved in the last week to $3.26/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com. Including the change in gas prices in Texas during the past week, prices yesterday were 4.2 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 6.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has decreased 9.3 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 6.8 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

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The Malakoff Athletic Booster Club will be holding a meeting 6 p.m. tonight in the coaches office to discuss the upcoming powerlifting meet.

In just a few years, Malakoff has made this meet one of the best in East Texas. If you are in Malakoff, think about helping out. If you are not in Malakoff, think about attending.

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For those who heard my anguished cries Friday on our Facebook Page, you know that our website was deleted in an industrial accident. I believe there were explosions and fire and mayhem involved. (Actually, we managed to copy over the database files, thereby erasing the site.)

We are back up and running and will continue to tweak the site of the next few months to try and bring you the best completely free news site in the county.

One of the modules lost was the one that emailed the Daily Brief to those who registered. I have not rebuilt that module yet, but will be working on it this week. I apologize for the inconvenience.

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Have a great day and remember, ALWAYS backup your files.

AGRIVIEW: Prune correctly

Rick Hirsch, County Extension Agent

Late winter is the time to complete most pruning chores around the landscape. The fastest period of wound healing is in the spring so pruning done now will soon be on its way to healing. Pruning cuts are often done incorrectly.

Leaving a stub results in a dead piece of branch that prevents the wound from being able to close. The dead stub becomes a route for decay to enter the tree. Cutting flush up against the trunk or another branch removes the natural collar around the branch that results in fast healing. It also creates a larger wound than is necessary. Thus it takes a lot longer for the wound to heal.

Different plants often require different pruning techniques. Factors such as deciduous, evergreen, spring blooming, upright shrubs and arching shrubs, all affect the type and timing of pruning. There are many resources online and from your local Extension office to illustrate proper pruning practices. Take advantage of these cold days to brush up on your knowledge before heading outside to prune.

As a general rule, if an ornamental plant blooms only in the spring wait to prune it until after the blooms are gone. Otherwise late winter is the time to get the job done.

This is also a good time to plant woody ornamental trees, shrubs and vines. The sooner you get them in the longer they have to establish roots into the surrounding soil so that when hot dry weather arrives they have a better chance of survival. As with pruning, planting can be done correctly or incorrectly. There is plenty of information available to help you do it right. This will help protect your investment in time and money.

Insect Problems

The start of the growing season is just a few short weeks away and that means insect problems are sure to follow.

Producing your own vegetables can be challenging. One of the greatest challenges is to successfully control insect pests. Fortunately, there are numerous management alternatives that vegetable gardeners may consider when dealing with insects and other pests. These include cultural, biological, and management controls and, last but not least, chemical controls. If you are looking to deal with pests in your garden or home, you may want to check out something like Kansas City Pest Control for an effective extermination of any invasive pests.

There are approximately 30,000 insect species in Texas. Fortunately, fewer than 100 species are routine pests in vegetable gardens. Most insects found in the garden are either incidental or beneficial, contributing to pollination, the balance of nature, or recycling of organic matter. A garden with an abundant supply of insects actually may be quite healthy and productive. However, insect pests can reduce the quantity of quality of the vegetables produced and may transmit plant diseases. Consider using control measures when insects threaten the garden.

Identify the insects in your garden to determine if they are beneficial, incidental or pests. Learn to recognize the common insects in your area, especially the pests and learn to recognize the type of damage associated with pests.

Insect pests can enter vegetable gardens by walking or flying. Flight allows many insects to have great mobility and their movement in large numbers is possible. Also, certain pests, like aphids and mites, reproduce about once a week under good conditions and their populations can increase rapidly. When pests seem to appear in large numbers almost overnight, they have either moved in or are rapidly reproducing.

As insects grow, they change in size and shape. This process is called metamorphosis. Some insects damage plants in both the immature and adult stages.

Because insects change, they may be difficult to identify and the type of damage they cause also may change. Young caterpillars may barely scrape the surface of a leaf when feeding, while the same caterpillar may eat great chunks of leaves when mature.

An insect’s mouthparts can be a key to understanding the type of damage caused by a pest. Insects with sucking mouthparts feed by piercing leaves or fruit. Damage appears as pock marks or mottled leaves. Insects with chewing mouthparts chew holes in plants. If you can recognize the type of feeding, you can select the proper insecticides (I. E. stomach poisons for chewing insects).

When planting a vegetable garden, anticipate the pests that may occur during the year. Consider all management practices that will help deal with the pests before they become problems. Then, develop a management plan and put it into use before problems occur. Use your past experience as a guide in anticipating pests for the upcoming season.

Integrated pest management, IPM , is a philosophy of managing pests using multiple control techniques. IPM balances the goals of economic production and environmental stewardship when implementing control practices. IPM is the overriding strategy for most of production agriculture today and is rapidly being adopted in home gardening as well.

Monitoring or scouting crops for the presence and abundance of pests is an important part of IPM. Most IPM programs reserve the use of insecticides for situations when the pest is present in large numbers and the cost of return on the investment in control practices can be justified.

Many specific insect control practices can be implemented as part of an IPM program; generally the use of insecticides is included as a control option. When alternate control practices are substituted for insecticides, the IPM approach is similar to organic gardening.

New Year’s Resolution

Farm and ranch safety should be a resolution at the top of the list for farmers and ranchers. Accidents and work related illnesses cost time, money and sometimes life. So, protecting safety and health should be a top management goal. There are several guidelines that you can follow in helping to insure that you and those around you remain free from harm.

Manage to prevent accidents and work-related illnesses. Make safety part of every farming operation.

Train new and/or inexperienced workers.

Buy quality products and take proper care of them. Read and heed instructions in operator’s manuals, on labels and containers.

Establish an on-farm/ranch safety program that includes regular inspection of all equipment, tools and facilities.

You budget money for fuel, seed and other farming inputs. Adding a little more for safety devices can help protect you.

Be prepared for fire, weather, medical and accident emergencies.

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Rick Hirsch is the Henderson County Extension Agent – Agriculture for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Visit our web page at http://henderson.agrilife.org/.

Kendall Sanders: Humility, Honesty, Hunger

Kendall
Kendall Sanders concentrates on the ball during practice in Austin.

You are a freshman at the University of Texas, and you just played a part in the Longhorns’ thrilling 31-27 come-from-behind win over Oregon State in the Valero Alamo Bowl. What do you do now?

If you’re Kendall Sanders, you come home to Athens.

The 6-foot, 183-pound former Hornet visited with Henderson County Now this week to talk about what it’s like to play football in Austin — and to no one’s surprise, it’s amazing.

“Just being there, the atmosphere will open your eyes,” he said. “Practice is like Friday nights here.”

“I (stand in awe) a lot,” Sanders said. “When I first got there, I’d do that in practice. Then I got used to it, and we started bowl practices and it hit me again. It’s my first bowl game and I’m at Texas.”

He also learned quickly that he was playing on a different level, talent wise.

“At the All-American game, that’s when I got perspective (on talent),” he said. “Because all those people were All-Americans, all those people were great. I thought, that’s where I’m going to, Texas, where everyone is great, so I just kind of prepared myself there so I wouldn’t be (overwhelmed) when I got to Texas.”

He might have known he was on a different level, but grabbing two interceptions in that U.S. Army All-American Bowl last year also proved he belonged on that level.

He proved it again when he got to Austin and earned a spot on special teams as a true freshman. He also earned time at wide receiver. His first catch came against Wyoming in the season opener and yes, he heard the crowd.

“When I caught that ball, I felt like I had never played football before in my life,” he said with a laugh. “When I caught the ball, I didn’t know what to do. I heard the crowd (roar) and I stopped, and then I went on with the play.”

Like any season, Sanders’ freshman year had ups and downs. Even though he was playing, it was much less than in the past.

“But at the same time, it was a learning experience because I never played just that position,” he said, “so i was learning from the guys in front of me.”

Sanders said that positive spirit comes from God and his family.

My family instilled the three “H’s” in my life: Be Humble, Honest and Hungry,” he said. “So I just try and live by that.”

That ethic also helped Sanders nail down a solid “B” average in the classroom.

And believes he’s at Texas for a reason.

“I believe God led me to Texas. He sets my whole life, and so I’m just following his footsteps,” he said.

Looking forward, the path seems ready for Sanders to take on a bigger role in the offense for the Longhorns next season.

The 18-year-old isn’t surprised, but still manages to be both humble and confident about the future.

“Like I said, God is setting up my road,” he says.

DA releases Grand Jury Report

Henderson County District Attorney R. Scott McKee reported the July Term, 2012, Grand Jury met on Dec. 27 and returned 96 True Bills, including the following:
1. Frankie Lee Pratt, W/M, 45, from Tool, indicted for Theft of Property Over $1,500;
2. Gary Lee Hopkins, W/M, 42 from Murchison, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
3. Barton Louis Royse, W/M, 47, Eustace, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
4. Sean Issac Harrell, W/M, 19, from Hillsboro, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
5. Gregory Scott Hill, W/M, 45 from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
6. Paul Wayne Simpson, W/M, 54, from White Oak, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
7. Cody Tramaine Carter, B/M, 21, from Athens, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
8. Michael Lee Wooton, W/M, 52, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
9. Bolton Daniel Patterson, W/M, 30, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
10. Bobby Joe Ross, W/M, 53, from Eustace, indicted for Burglary of a Building;
11. Rickey Ramone Jackson, B/M, 30, from Athens, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
12. Shawn Michael Gautney, W/M, 29, from Mabank, indicted for Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle;
13. Donna Arrender Schultz, W/F, 44, from Eustace, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
14. Donna Arrender Schultz, W/F, 44, from Eustace, indicted for Tampering with Physical Evidence;
15. Trude Fay Welch, W/F, 36, from Athens, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
16. Windell Robert Robinson, W/M, 53, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
17. Kenneth Leonard Givens, Jr., B/M, 26, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Prohibited Substance in a Correctional Facility;
18. Amy Suzanne Lewis, W/F, 46, from Eustace, indicted for Prohibited Substance in a Correctional Facility;
19. Reina Gay Cole, W/F, 46, from Athens, indicted for Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information;
20. Reina Gay Cole, W/F, 46, from Athens, indicted for Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information;
21. Jacob Edward Kovarik, W/M, 33, from Frankston, indicted for Failure to Appear;
22. Jacob Edward Kovarik, W/M, 33, from Frankston, indicted for Failure to Appear;
23. Jacob Edward Kovarik, W/M, 33, from Frankston, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
24. Ervin Wren Bynum, W/M, 37, from Canton, indicted for Intoxication Assault;
25. Jay Martin Legallee, W/M, 62, from Caney City, indicted for Aggravated Assault Family Violence with a Deadly Weapon;
26. Jay Martin Legallee, W/M, 62, from Caney City, indicted for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon;
27. Jay Martin Legallee, W/M, 62, from Caney City, indicted for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon;
28. Jay Martin Legallee, W/M, 62, from Caney City, indicted for Burglary of a Habitation;
29. Craig Mylan Lovell, W/M, 25, from Mabank, indicted for Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle;
30. Laura Joann Mannon, W/F, 45, from Athens, indicted for Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information;
31. Laura Joann Mannon, W/F, 45, from Athens, indicted for Credit Card/Debit Card Abuse;
32. Donald Ray Green, B/M, 50, from Malakoff, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
33. Donald Ray Green, B/M, 50, from Malakoff, indicted for Tampering with Physical Evidence;
34. Lisa Ann Bambeck, W/F, 32, from Elkhart, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Drug Free Zone;
35. Lisa Ann Bambeck, W/F, 32, from Elkhart, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Drug Free Zone;
36. Lisa Ann Bambeck, W/F, 32, from Elkhart, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Drug Free Zone;
37. Timothy James Cubine, W/M, 44, from Athens, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
38. Helen Delena Tedder, W/F, 50, from Kemp, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
39. Joleta Amber Malone, W/F, 33, from Chandler, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
40. Gerald Wayne Sandidge, W/M, 57, from Payne Springs, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
41. Ty Jon Neal, W/M, 51, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
42. Eugenia Kay Neal, W/F, 55, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
43. Desmond Wayne Pugh, W/M, 60, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
44. Jeremy Lee Nelson, W/M, 21, from Mabank, indicted for Burglary of a Habitation;
45. Jeremy Lee Nelson, W/M, 21, from Mabank, indicted for Burglary of a Building;
46. Jeremy Lee Nelson, W/M, 21, from Mabank, indicted for Burglary of a Habitation;
47. Jeremy Lee Nelson, W/M, 21, from Mabank, indicted for Burglary of a Building;
48. Jeremy Lee Nelson, W/M, 21, from Mabank, indicted for Burglary of a Building;
49. Daniel Lee Christian, W/M, 28, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Burglary of a Habitation;
50. Douglas Wayne Cousin, W/M, 53, Frankston, indicted for Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle;
51. Renato Olvera-Zuniga, W/M, 33, from Kemp, indicted for Assault Family Violence;
52. Wayne Dale Martin, Jr., W/M, 36, from Tyler, indicted for Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information;
53. Ray Calloway Terry, W/M, 41, from Fling, indicted for Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information;
54. Steven Joe CLowdus, W/M, 30, from Mabank, indicted for Burglary of Habitation;
55. Shannon Paul Ramsey, W/M, 31, from Athens, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
56. Alejandro Quintana Montes, W/M, 24, from Athens, indicted for Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger;
57. James Russell Powell, W/M, 63, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Theft by Check Over $1,500;
58. James Russell Powell, W/M, 63, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Theft by Check Over $1,500;
59. James Russell Powell, W/M, 63, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Theft by Check Over $1,500;
60. James Russell Powell, W/M, 63, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Theft by Check Over $1,500;
61. Richard Evan Cernoch, W/M, 46, from Bullard, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
62. Elasha Jo Berry, W/F, 32, from Eustace, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
63. Jesse Dean Jones, W/M, 57, from Athens, indicted for Forgery;
64. Justin Curtis Daniels, W/M, 31, from Nome, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
65. Justin Curtis Daniels, W/M, 31, from Nome, indicted for Tampering with Physical Evidence;
66. Sharonda Rochelle Sparks, B/F, 40, from Malakoff, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
67. Dennis Joe Vaught, W/M, 37, from Athens, indicted for Burglary of a Habitation;
68. Henry Lee Evans, W/M, 26, from Kemp, indicted for Theft of Property Over $1,500;
69. Michael Shane Hickman, W/M, 32, from Chandler, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
70. Crystal Nicole Rodgers, W/F, 29, from Palestine, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
71. David Clarence Musick, W/M, 51, from Athens, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
72. Amye Michelle Brown, W/F, 40, from Mabank, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
73. Savannah Rae Marlan, W/F, 26, from Mabank, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
74. Roger Dale Cullum, W/M, 63, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance;
75. David Wayne Donaldson, W/M, 42, from Athens, indicted for Burglary of a Building;
76. David Wayne Donaldson, W/M, 42, from Athens, indicted for Theft of Material Over $1,500;
77. David Wayne Donaldson, W/M, 42, from Athens, indicted for Unlawful Use of a Criminal Instrument;
78. Brandon Derrell Nemons, B/M, 29, from Teague, indicted for Tampering with Physical Evidence;
79. Hibby Marie Zelanick, W/F, 31, from Athens, indicted for Driving While Intoxicated with Child Passenger;
80. Hibby Marie Zelanick, W/F, 31, from Athens, indicted for Driving While Intoxicated with Child Passenger;
81. Justin Ryan Smith, W/M, 18, from Grand Saline, indicted for Criminal Mischief Over $1,500;
82. Richard Gerald Eckert, Jr., W/M, 34, from Longview, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
83. Richard Gerald Eckert, Jr., W/M, 34, from Longview, indicted for Tampering with Physical Evidence;
84. Toby Wayne Risinger, W/M, 17, from Trinidad, indicted for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle;
85. John Patrick Tuttle, W/M, 20, from Chandler, indicted for Burglary of a Habitation;
86. Jeffrey Glen Stokes, W/M, 49, from Malakoff, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
87. Keith Allen Beasley, W/M, 49, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Possession/Transport Anhydrous Ammonia;
88. Billy Shane Day, w/M, 31, from Gun Barrel City, indicted for Credit Card/Debit Card Abuse;
89. Yvette Michelle Manios, W/F, 27, from Mabank, indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance;
90. Rodney Allen Broach, W/M, 44, of Seven Points, indicted for Theft of Property Over $1,500;
91. Bryson Demond Bowman, B/M, 17, of Athens, indicted for Robbery;
92. Bryson Demond Bowman, B/M, 17, of Athens, indicted for Aggravated Kidnapping;
93. Lamontoe Daquon Rodriguez, B/M, 18, of Athens, indicted for Robbery;
94. Lamontoe Daquon Rodriguez, B/M, 18, of Athens, indicted for Aggravated Kidnapping;
95. Al Gene Fulton, B/M, 29, of Athens, indicted for Robbery;
96. Al Gene Fulton, B/M, 29, of Athens, indicted for Aggravated Kidnapping.