Monument to 2008 State Champion Wildcats Placed at Prim Stadium Thursday, January 17, 2019
Wildcats Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Greg Owens said that the 10th year reunion of the Football State Championship was celebrated Thursday with the placing of a monument at the front entrance at Gerald Prim Stadium. Coach Owens said with the renovation of Prim complete, he wanted to honor the great achievement of the 2008 football team. Coach Owens said Tony Bassham of Memorial Monuments made the special stone and erected it with the assistant of a lift from Matt Kitten with Westway Feed.
High School Seniors Can Earn Money in Project Celebration Video Contest
PARIS – High School seniors in TxDOT’s nine-county Paris District can earn some extra dollars for their Project Celebration events by participating in a fun video contest that highlights safe driving.
Students work in teams to write, shoot and produce a short video Public Service Announcement (PSA) that emphasizes the dangers teen drivers sometimes face, such as distracted driving, speeding, not wearing seat belts, or driving under the influence. In doing so, they earn a mini-grant from TxDOT to spend on their celebrations.
“The 1st Place team in our area contest will win $1,500, the 2nd Place team will win $1,250, and the 3rd Place team will win $1,000 for their events,” said Monica Yates, TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist based in Paris. “Teams who participate but don’t place will be awarded $600. We also have mini-grants available for schools that need help funding their Project Celebration events but don’t want to participate in the PSA contest.”
Project Celebration events are conducted by educators, parents and community partners to help keep students safe and alcohol-free throughout the school year, especially during school-related celebrations. The activities provide students ongoing education on the dangers of impaired driving, with concentrated education scheduled around events such as spring break, prom or graduation.
The rules of the PSA contest are simple and easy to follow, but contest entries are due in early March, Yates said.
Those who want to learn more about Project Celebration and the video PSA contest should contact Yates at (903) 737-9292 or [email protected]. More information on Project Celebration is available online at www.txdot.gov, keywords Project Celebration.
Game Day: Wildcats, Lady Cats in Tournament Play Thursday
Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats’ soccer teams return to the pitch for tournament games on this game day Thursday (January 17).
The Lady Cats are playing in a North Forney tournament and their first match is underway. The Lady Cats are playing Rockwall Heath in a pool play match that started at 11:45 a.m. The Lady Cats also have North Lamar and North Mesquite in their pool. The Lady Cats are seeking their first win of the season and they enter play Thursday with a 0-5-2 record.
Meanwhile the Wildcats’ soccer team is playing in the Ice Bowl in Richardson. The Wildcats open play against South Garland at 3:05 p.m. on the B Field at Richardson J.J. Pearce High School. The Wildcats are in the Tundra Pool with South Garland, Dallas Kimball and Sabine. The Wildcats enter the tournament with a season record of 2-3-1.
Both tournaments run through Saturday.
Wildcats’ Wade Attends College Football Combine
Wildcats’ football inside linebacker junior Kylan Wade attended an invitational combine for top college football recruits in Texas held last Saturday (January 12). The combine, sponsored by Dave Campbell’s Football Magazine, took place at L.D. Bell High School in Hurst.
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra said Wade was excited to attend and had a good time. Coach Guerra said Wade wants to have a great senior year and to impress people. He said it was a good chance for Wade to showcase his talents. Coach Guerra called Wade a go-getter. He said like all players he has moments when he needs to settle down some but Coach Guerra added Wade gives tremendous effort, loves the game, is athletic and finds a way to make plays.
Coach Guerra said Wade was excited about the competition he faced during the combine. He said linebackers did stop and go drills and also worked on pass rushing, pass drops and quick foot movement. Coach Guerra said Wade was good in pass coverage for the Wildcats. He said Wade was used a lot more in pass coverage this past season than in previous years.
Wade had a sack this past season and was second on the team in tackles and assists totals. Wade had 42 tackles and 31 assists for a total of 73.
Former Lady Cat to Play Volleyball at SFA
Former Lady Cats’ volleyball player Sheretta “Rita” Hill will continue to play college volleyball at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. After earning her Associates Degree at Tyler Junior College in three semesters, Hill was recruited by SFA and is enrolling this semester.
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness said both TJC and SFA are really, really good programs. He said Stephen F. Austin has an amazing tradition in volleyball and gets a lot of backing. Coach Maness said he looks forward to seeing Hill grow at that level. He said there was a lot of buzz about Hill’s player at TJC. Coach Maness said Tyler Junior College coaches realized that Hill had a high ceiling when she played for the Lady Cats and they were able to hone her skills. He said Rita was hard to stop as a right side hitter for TJC.
Coach Maness said he took his Lady Cats’ team to see Hill play as Tyler Junior College faced Trinity Valley. He said Hill entered the game and preceded to have four kills in a row. Coach Maness said TJC and Trinity Valley are a part of the best JUCO conference in the nation, hands down. He said since Hill was able to compete at that JUCO level, she would do very well at SFA.
Texas Rangers Fan Fest 2019
2019 Fan Fest Presented by Dasani will feature autograph sessions with current Texas Rangers players with individuals signing in the Capital One Club, Hyundai Club, Visitors Clubhouse and Jack Daniel’s Club.
Other highlights of the 2019 Texas Rangers Fan Fest Presented by Dasani:
–Interactive Question & Answer sessions with Rangers executives, players and announcers in the All You Can Eat Porch
–Behind the scenes look and informational sessions of the construction at Globe Life Field
–Whiffle ballpark and inflatables on the concourse
–Free tours of the Rangers clubhouse and dugout
–Free play in the Rangers Kids Zone and autographs by Rangers Captain
–Rangers Baseball Foundation Sale
–Food and beverages on sale at The Short Stop Grill, The Chipper, Rebecca Creek Saloon, and other Ballpark concession stands
–Merchandise on sale at the Grand Slam Gift Shop in centerfield and Pro Shop at Home Plate.
— Free access to the batting cages
You can win free tickets to this event. To enter, like this post on Facebook, and make sure you like KSST’s Facebook page. Tickets must be picked up at the KSST Studios, 717 Shannon Rd east. Winners will chosen at random, and announced via Facebook. Winners will be contacted via Facebook as well.
Local Artist Displaying Western and Wildlife Paintings Around State
Edgar Sotelo, a long-time resident of the Shirley Community in Hopkins County, is receiving increasing recognition in art circles across the state. About 20 of Sotelo’s Western paintings remain on display in a one-man show through January 2019 at the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame and Museum in Amarillo. And this is not his first display at the AQHA Headquarters. He has been the featured artist in their annual “America’s Horse in Art” project since it’s inception a few years ago. Back in 2015, he was invited to hold a solo show at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock. Now, Sotelo’s talent is being recognized in another field of painting.
Starting January 17, several of his newest oil-on-canvas works featuring African animals will be on display during the Dallas Safari Club’s annual Expo. The Expo is being held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. His work is also featured in print; as a featured artist in Cowboys and Indians magazine, and in the 2018 Texas A and M University Press publication “Horses in the American West”. Locally, you can get a glimpse of Sotelo art inside the Connally Street Gallery in downtown Sulphur Springs.
Originally from Durango, Mexico, Edgar Sotelo was born into a family of artists that went back back four generations. His first memory of art was an early one, of sketching horses, cowboys and Indians while his dad worked nearby. Today, his wife, Michelle Sotelo, trains horses on their farm and their daughters are on their way to becoming a fifth generation of artists.
Cold, Wet Weather Does Not Stymie NETBIO Sale
Cold, wet weather didn’t keep the producers and buyers away from the January Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization’s pre-conditioned calf and yearling sale held Wednesday at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission.
The sale enjoyed good buyer attendance and “the cattle sold very well,” according to Livestock Commission co-owner and NETBIO board member David Fowler.
Cattle producers and buyers are checking in with Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission staff prior to the NETBIO sale held Wednesday at the market center.
“We had a lot of good quality cattle and the buyers recognized that,” Fowler said. “Most of the cattle will go to the feed yards in the Panhandle and to grazing out west.”
Fowler added that there was a lot of bidding over the Internet from buyers watching the sale live. Nearly 1,000 head went to those Internet buyers.
Consignors shipped in 5,770 head of calves and yearlings to the sale, and 33 buyers paid an average of $786.59 per head for the cattle.
TAKING BIDS
Auctioneer and Livestock Commission co-owner Joe Don Pogue takes bids on a ring full of cattle during the January NETBIO sale held Wednesday at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission.
“The buyers who come to the NETBIO sales look for quality cattle and despite the weather conditions lately these pre-conditioned cattle held up very well. It was again evident that our producers are doing a great job of pre-conditioning and getting their cattle ready for this sale,” Fowler said.
NETBIO members are already conditioning their cattle the next sale to be held on Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. in the Sulphur Springs Livestock Auction. Those calves will have been weaned by Jan. 6 and have a booster shot deadline of Jan. 21.
Producers are also preparing for a sale to be held on March 20. They will be weaned by Feb. 3 and given final booster shots by Feb. 18.
For more information about the NETBIO organization or the sales, call Fowler or Joe Don Pogue at 903-885-2455 or email them at [email protected].
Hearts of Life Presents Sara for Adoption
Sara is still searching for her forever home! Sara is approximately 7 years old. She is great with children but she is a little particular with other dogs. She is great on a leash, not too rowdy and loves to prop her nose on anything that’s handy! When she’s excited, she’ll twirl on her hind legs!
Her adoption fee is $100.00 which includes all previous vetting, shots, spay and rabies. Please contact Hearts of Life Animal Rescue to meet this sweet girl! Call 903-439-5019, email [email protected], Facebook.com/heartsoflife or find us on Petfinder.com!
