Candidates for the November 7th, 2023 District 2 Election
Below is a list of the current candidates for the November 7, 2023 District 2 Election. Part of Texas including Hopkins, Hunt, and Van Zandt Counties have been unrepresented since Bryan Slaton was removed on May 9th, 2023. The Texas House unanimously voted to remove him.
Early voting will begin Monday, October 23, 2023.
Kristen Washington
Democratic Party
Jill Dutton
Republican Party
Heath Hyde
Republican Party
Brent Money
Republican Party
Doug Roszhart
Republican Party
Krista Schild
Republican Party
TAMUC Science and Engineering Dean Builds Bridges for STEM Success
COMMERCE, TX—As a young girl growing up in rural Lee County, South Carolina, Dr. Andrea Toney Graham had “big dreams of doing big things.” Since then, she has blazed a pioneering trail through the STEM field, making a lasting impact through her scholarship and leadership.
Graham was the first engineer from her household and the first African American to earn a doctorate in industrial engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). At Texas A&M University-Commerce, she was the first junior faculty member in the Department of Engineering and Technology to earn tenure and the first female tapped to lead the department. In Spring 2023, she became the first African American female to be named dean of the College of Science and Engineering at A&M-Commerce.
Gearing Up
Graham’s parents both worked in manufacturing, sparking her early interest in STEM. The youngest of four, she shadowed her father and brother, tinkering around the house and “taking apart bicycles and everything else.”
She discovered her passion for engineering during her family’s monthly—sometimes weekly—trips to watch air shows at Shaw Air Force Base in nearby Sumter, South Carolina.
“I would sit there for hours, watching the planes take off and land, thinking about how fascinating it was,” she said. “When I got to college, my major was aerospace engineering because I thought I wanted to be a pilot!”
Graham began studying aerospace engineering at Tuskegee University in Alabama, where she uncovered her determination to succeed as a female in a male-dominated field. After struggling in an engineering drafting course, a professor said she wouldn’t make it as an engineer.
“I took that as a challenge,” she said. “I found my wings, my identity. Hope and resilience became my armor.”
While completing her undergraduate work, Graham interned with global aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. During her internship, several mentors speculated that mechanical engineering would offer a broader range of opportunities than the limited confines of the aerospace industry. After majoring in both subjects for a few semesters, she dropped aerospace and went on to graduate at the top of her class with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
She moved to Basking Ridge, New Jersey, in 1996 after landing a job at AT&T.
During her time with the company, Graham worked as a mechanical engineer, managing the lifecycle functions of building elements and developing corporate standards for HVAC system design and maintenance, overseeing multi-million-dollar programs focused on infrastructure repair and replacement and specializing in alarms monitoring and controls for domestic and international infrastructure.
She earned her master’s degree in technology management from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2004.
Career 2.0: From Industry to Academia
After a decade in the private sector, Graham felt something was missing from her career. She liked working in industry but wanted to make a more tangible impact.
She left AT&T in 2004 and moved back to South Carolina to help with her ailing father. She began exploring a second career in education and enrolled at Clemson University to pursue a doctorate in industrial engineering.
Following her father’s passing, she moved to Texas so she and her husband could access better work opportunities. She enrolled at UTA in 2008, became an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow and completed her doctorate in industrial engineering in 2012. She worked as an adjunct instructor at UTA for a short time before accepting a teaching position in the College of Science and Engineering at A&M-Commerce in 2013.
Building Representative Spaces in STEM
In her new role, Graham set out to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
“We’re committed to building purposeful relationships, working together with industry leaders in applied sciences to help them gain a competitive edge and offer experiential learning opportunities for our students,” she said.
She also noticed that first-generation and underrepresented STEM students lacked the family and social support systems to access and succeed in higher education. She recognized the importance of creating representative spaces that inspire these populations to envision themselves succeeding in STEM careers.
To address this issue, Graham worked to acquire funding for middle school girls to attend camps designed to encourage their interest in STEM subjects and careers. Today, she continues her efforts to increase the percentage of females who pursue STEM careers and remain in academia. “There are a lot of places to be for women with a Ph.D.,” Graham said. “We’re doing a better job recruiting young ladies into the field but keeping them in academia is another thing because they don’t see many women in this space.”
Challenging the Status Quo
Graham is committed to challenging the expectations for women and minorities in engineering. She said people are accustomed to seeing women in the hard sciences but not so much in the engineering spaces, especially in leadership positions. She recalled several times when someone would dismissively look over her, refusing to acknowledge that she belonged in the engineering workspace.
“I’ve noticed that I have to be bold in these spaces,” Graham said. “I work in an industry full of men, so I’ve learned to be assertive. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say.”
She said the rewards are worth the challenges.
“The best reward is knowing that I’m contributing and bringing my perspective to the table,” Graham said. “Nobody is lessened because I’m in the space, and nobody is more because I’m there. We make each other better.”
She added: “That’s the leadership I want to bring to the table. I want everyone in the space. I want faculty, staff and students to reach their full potential. If you’ve taken the time to come to this space and you’re giving it your earnest time and effort, you should see a return. That’s what I want to see happen for everyone.”
Growing STEM at A&M-Commerce
Graham aims for A&M-Commerce to gain regional and national recognition for its STEM-forward curriculum and impactful faculty- and student-led research. She hopes current and future Lions will help further integrate diversity, accessibility, collaboration and responsive innovation into STEM fields.
She believes the College of Science and Engineering holds the potential to serve as a cornerstone for growth at A&M-Commerce. She encourages faculty to harness innovations around artificial intelligence, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energies, and biotechnology to help advance medicine, infrastructure and other industries.
“That’s what we are here to do … solve problems and make people’s lives better,” Graham said.
Life and Career Advice
Noting the same insecurities she once felt, Graham advises students to believe in themselves and take risks. She remembers the difficult decision to leave the safety and success she experienced at AT&T.
“I learned that money is good but not all money is good money,” she said. “Chase what you’re passionate about and the rest will fall into place.”
Graham recalls fondly the warm calls and messages she received from her Tuskegee classmates after she was named dean of the College of Science and Engineering at A&M-Commerce.
“They reminded me that I manifested this back in 1994,” she said. “Back then, I proclaimed that I would be a dean of engineering someday!”
Staying Grounded
Despite her accolades, Graham said she is still the same small-town girl who dreamed of working in aviation. Her husband, Andrew, and three sons, Joshua, Matthew and Elijah, are her biggest supporters. They remind her each day that she is equipped to do great things.
“I knew I was interested in STEM, but didn’t think it was possible for me,” Graham said. “But with hard work and dedication, it became possible. Now I am working to build bridges that open doors for other young people who dream of becoming engineers and scientists.”
As for her next big accomplishment, Graham said her ultimate dream is to become a university president. If history is any guide, she’s sure to make that happen, too.
About Texas A&M University-Commerce
Texas A&M University-Commerce serves rural and metropolitan East Texas with a dedicated mission to Educate. Discover. Achieve. With an enrollment of 10,754 students, A&M-Commerce is the fourth-largest member of The Texas A&M University System. Students choose from among 135+ academic degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels and learn from world-class faculty who conduct nationally recognized research. A vibrant student experience includes a thriving Greek community and more than 100 student-led organizations. As a member of the Southland Conference, A&M-Commerce features 14 NCAA Division I athletic teams. The university offers classes online and on-site in Commerce, Corsicana, McKinney, Frisco, Mesquite, Bryan (RELLIS) and the newest location at 8750 North Central Expressway in Dallas.
Would You Like Some Peanut Butter with Your Twinkies?
September 11, 2023 – The J.M. Smucker company, otherwise known as Smucker’s, has gobbled up the Hostess Snack Company in a $5.6 billion deal. Smucker’s distributes Jif peanut butter as well as a wide array of jellies and preserves, and now will own the Hostess signature product Twinkie alongside Ding Dongs, Ho-Hos, and Sno-Balls.
Smucker’s will be adding to their assortment of products from pet food Meow Mix to Folgers coffee as the company was worth an estimated $14.6 billion before the acquisition and now adds a plethora of sugary snacks including cup cakes and frosted donuts.
Commerce Church of Christ OJT Senior Citizens Ministries will Hold a Meeting September 23rd
Commerce Church of Christ “On Jesus’ Time” Senior Citizens Ministries will hold a meeting Saturday, September 23, 2023. The meeting will take place from 9:30am to 12:00pm. The meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Commerce Church of Christ. A brunch will be provided. Everyone age 62 and older are welcome.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report 09-04-2023 – 09-10-2023
Arrests:
Murphy, Raymond, 59 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 09-06-2023 for Criminal Trespass.
Rutledge, Ethan, 22 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 09-05-2023 on 2 Wood County Warrants for Interference with an emergency call and Assault causes Bodily Injury Family Violence.
Orr, Joshua, 40 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 09-05-2023 for DWLI w/previous convictions- No insurance, a Wood County warrant for Possession of Marijuana<2oz. in a Drug Free Zone and 2 Winnsboro Municipal Court Warrants for DWLI and possession Drug Paraphernalia.
Calls for Service:
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 117 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations:
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 37 citations and 39 warnings during this reporting period.
Watercolor Painting Rescheduled This Month
September 11, 2023 – Watercolor painting will be moved to a different date this month. Instead of it being held on the 13th, it will take place on the 20th at 3:30PM.
If you have never been, try something new at The Sulphur Springs Senior Center.
Will Our Trees Recover? From Master Gardener David Wall
September 11, 2023 – We’ve discussed soil, water, and sun in terms of their effects on our gardens. It would be shortsighted, however, to ignore the effect of these items on our trees which, under our current conditions, are little effected by the soil itself, as they were born, grew, and currently survive in the same soil. On the other hand, they’re affected by the sun, associated temperatures, and especially by water availability.
Trees have varying abilities to store food-energy (sugars) in the root system but have only a limited ability to conserve energy. Triple digit temperatures combine with severe drought wreaks havoc on the available water supply. Trees do what they can to cope, but coping doesn’t alleviate the need for water.
Leaves can curl to save water, stomates can close, leaves can wilt, turn yellow or brown, and without further relief, drop from the tree. Basically, the trees pretend it’s winter and live off stored sugars. Doing this once may have little long-term effect on mature trees, but when it recurs for several years, trees are left in worsening health each fall, because they haven’t had time to replace sugars lost from previous years’ drought(s). Further, young trees and saplings started with only a few sugars to fall back on. You can also get sudden limb drop where a large limb suddenly snaps in two with no warning.
Urban yard trees need additional water as well as our gardens. Providing 1-2” of Water weekly out to the drip line will provide great relief to soil cracking and root nourishment.
Current conditions which have existed for at least four years show no signs of abating. Rather than being the exception, summer drought in NETSEO appears to be the norm. Further, weakened/stressed trees in a cold winter do not make for a long life.
Patriot Day Monday on Celebration Plaza
Monday September 11 the Hopkins County Marine Corps League Detachment 1357 will be lowering the flags on Celebration Plaza. The remembrance starts at 11 AM.
A “short but emotional and important ceremony” will be held as the flags are lowered. The Hopkins County Marine Corps League Detachment 1357’s Judge Advocate will offer a presentation to honor those lost as a result of the tragic attack on our nation 22 years ago.
SSHS Athletics Prepare to Induct Three into Wall of Honor
Three former Sulphur Springs High School athletic greats will be inducted into the Wildcat Hall of Honor during a pre-game reception and on-field presentation before the Sept. 15 football game.
All-State offensive lineman Mason Y’Barbo, Division I athlete Fred McGill and tennis state qualifier Betty Sue Chubb Gooch have earned recognition in the Hall of Honor
A reception will be held in their honor beginning at 5:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, in the Hopkins County Civic Center. Family, friends, classmates and fans are invited to attend the reception. The trio will then be announced on the field before the home football game against Van Alstyne.
Mason Y’Barbo, Class of 2010
Mason Y’Barbo was a three-year varsity starter on the Wildcats’ offensive line, including being an All-State player when the Wildcats won the 2008 Class 4A state championship. He was a key member of the line that paved the way for an offense that averaged 43 points per game in 2008 and 406 yards per game.
In his three-year varsity career, the Wildcats won 33 games. He was named Third Team All-State by the Texas Sports Writers Association and Honorable Mention All-State by the coaches association. He was a two-time First Team All-District selection. He also lettered in track and was a four-year member of the powerlifting team and an alternate at the state powerlifting meet as a senior.
He earned a full ride football scholarship to the University of North Texas, where he was a four-year starter on the offensive line and finished his career tied for the second-most consecutive starts in the UNT football program history with 49. He was also a four-year member of the leadership committee for UNT football and a two-year captain, including the 2013 season which ended with a victory over UNLV in the PlainsCapital Bank Heart of Dallas Bowl played in the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Y’Barbo earned All-Conference and national honors as he anchored an offensive line that finished number one in the nation for fewest sacks allowed in 2012, and number one in the country for the 2012 and 2013 seasons combined. His parents, Mitzi and Hank Y’Barbo, live and work in Sulphur Springs. Mason’s family attended First Baptist Church while he was growing up, which he says laid the groundwork for the faith and discipline that would be required to have success on the football field.
He has one brother, Matthew, who is married to Morgan Y’Barbo, and the two are expecting their first child together. Mason began coaching football on the division one level as a graduate assistant at his alma mater immediately following his playing career. He then moved on to the junior college level making stops at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Oklahoma.
Mason’s last college coaching stop was in the SEC at the University of Missouri in 2019. He then returned to Texas and coached one year at Denton High School, followed by two years at Commerce High School. Mason currently resides in Sulphur Springs and is employed as a Business Development Manager for
Signature Solar.
Mason’s presenter will be his high school head coach, Greg Owens.
Fred McGill, Class of 1987
Fred McGill was an outstanding quarterback and two-time All-District selection for the Wildcats who earned a full football scholarship to the University of Arkansas after his senior season.
At Sulphur Springs High School, McGill was named District MVP in football his senior year and was also selected as the team MVP in football. With McGill at quarterback, the Wildcats went to the playoffs his junior and senior seasons. Though he played quarterback, it was not unusual for him to also be a lead blocker on the “Wildcat Convoy” running plays. During his Wildcat career, Fred was well known for his athleticism, toughness and leadership abilities.
After being recruited by several Division 1 universities, Fred chose the University of Arkansas, where he played running back for the Razorbacks, averaging almost 4 yards per carry his final season. He was a member of the Razorback teams that competed in back-to-back Cotton Bowl Classics in Dallas in 1989 and 1990. He is a current member of the Athletic Club at the university.
Fred has stated that his success wasn’t an individual accomplishment, and he is quick to credit fans and his teammates as being very instrumental in his success. Fred now lives in Aubrey, Texas. After working for FedEx for 19 years, he has been employed with PepsiCo for 11 years, the last eight years with PepsiCo/Fritolay.
His hobbies include playing basketball, working-out, vacationing, and spending time with family, and he is involved with the St. Jude’s Children Hospital charity.
He is widowed from his loving wife, Dana McGill. They have a total of nine children, whom he refers to as the “Brady Bunch”, and 12 grandchildren. Fred’s parents are Louis and Linda McGill of Sulphur Springs and Mary Fort of New York, who have been instrumental supporters in his life.
His presenter for the induction ceremony will be his former coach, Doug Evans.
Betty Sue Chubb Gooch, Class of 1981
Betty Sue Chubb Gooch was a multiple-sport athlete who was best known for her tennis abilities that produced three trips to the regional meet and two appearances in the state tournament.
She earned a state tournament berth as a junior and senior, each time losing to the eventual state champions. As a sophomore, she and Susan Reynolds were the third place doubles team in the region, and her junior year, they placed second in region and advanced to state. As a senior, she was district singles champion and placed second in the region, where she again earned a state tournament berth. She was awarded team MVP in tennis her senior year. Betty Sue was also an outstanding volleyball player, being named First Team All-District Hitter as a sophomore, junior and senior. She was the team MVP in volleyball in 1980, when the team won the district championship.
She signed a tennis scholarship with East Texas State University in Commerce, where she qualified for the NAIA Collegiate Nationals in both singles and doubles in 1982. The team finished third at Collegiate Nationals that year. In 1983, she was runner-up in women’s doubles in the Lone Star Conference Tournament. That same year, she qualified for the NAIA Collegiate Nationals in both singles and doubles and advanced to the third round in each bracket. The team finished fourth at Nationals that year. She was awarded the 1983 ETSU Women’s Tennis MVP and was named to the Dean’s List and All Lone Star Conference Academic Team. Betty Sue was also named the Women’s Tennis MVP for 1985 and was
listed in Who’s Who in American College and Universities.
During her time at ETSU, she was elected to the university’s Homecoming Court, was selected for the President’s Disciplinary Board and the Golden Leos and was a member of Chi Omega. She also worked at John Newcombe’s Tennis Ranch as a teaching pro during the summers.
Betty Sue coached varsity tennis for four years from 1985-1988 at Grand Saline and Boswell High School, with 20 of her players going to region and 10 to state. She also coached volleyball and track and taught in high school and middle schools for 30-plus years. After retiring from Birdville ISD in 2016, she joined the
coaching staff at Sulphur Springs High School in 2019 as an assistant tennis coach.
Her parents are the late Sue and Jack Chubb, former principal at Sulphur Springs High School. She has a brother, Jack Chubb, and two sisters, Diana Beverly and Patti Williamson. She has one son, Geoffrey Chance Gooch, daughter-in-law, Kristin, and a granddaughter, Kinlee. Chance is a Texas A&M graduate and is an attorney in Fort Worth.
Betty Sue’s presenter will be her high school coach, Steve Armstrong.
Biographies prepared and written by Butch Burney.
Ideal Time for Planting Cool Season Forages by Mario Villarino
September 9, 2023 – Late September-early October is the ideal time for planting cool season annual forages such as annual ryegrass, small grains (rye, wheat or oats) and/or cool season annual legumes. Anytime we are incorporating new forages into our production systems it is important to make sure to match the forage species to your location (soil type, average annual rainfall, intended use, etc). Three methods for establishing cool-season annual grasses include planting into a prepared seedbed, the light disking method and over-seeding or sod-seeding into undisturbed soil.
Over-seeding warm-season perennial grasses with cool-season legumes offers several benefits: Grazing can begin 4 to 6 weeks earlier grazing in the spring, which reduces the winter feeding period. Legumes typically have higher nutritive value than do most grasses. Legumes fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and make it available to the pasture system. A good stand of legumes can help control spring weeds by competing for space, water, sunlight and nutrients.
There are three methods for establishing cool-season annual grasses include planting into a prepared seedbed, the light disking method and overseeding or sodseeding into undisturbed soil. Planting annual grasses into a prepared seedbed involves destroying the existing vegetation by disking and then rolling (packing) the ground to provide a firm surface for planting and moisture retention. Plant cool-season grasses into prepared seedbeds from mid-September to early October. It is best to plant just before rainfall is expected. For best results, have the soil tested to assess the need for limestone, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or other nutrients. Phosphorus and/or potash fertilizer can be applied before or at time of planting. Nitrogen fertilizer is usually split-applied, and depending on soil test recommendations, may require one to three split applications at 50 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Delay initial nitrogen application until after the grass emerges.
The light disking method is for use on bermudagrass and bahiagrass stands and involves grazing, harvesting, or mowing the pasture to less than 4 inches tall, then turning the soil 1 to 2 inches deep. This reduces competition from the warm-season grass and provides loose soil to cover seed. For this method plant cool-season annual grasses 4 to 6 weeks before the average first killing frost, which usually occurs in November. Plant seed with a drill or broadcast then use some type of pasture drag to cover seed. Apply phosphorus and potash according to soil test recommendations. These may be applied at or before planting time, or 2 to 3 weeks after the grass emerges. Delay initial application of nitrogen fertilizer until after the cool-season grass is established and cool temperatures have reduced warm-season grass growth. The need for nitrogen fertilization will depend on the soil test and may be split into one to three applications of 50 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
Overseeding or sodseeding into undisturbed sod requires only that warm-season grass be grazed, harvested or mowed to less than 4 inches high. Broad-casting onto an undisturbed sod is usually limited to annual ryegrass and small seeded clovers such as ball or white clover. Use a sod seeder (no-till drill) or a fertilizer truck if planting small grain. If broadcasting cool-season grasses, increase the seeding rates 25 to 30 percent. The planting date for overseeding/sodding is several weeks later than other methods to reduce competition from warm-season grasses.
Do not apply nitrogen fertilizer until after the cool-season grass is established and lower temperatures have reduced warm-season grass growth. Nitrogen fertilization may be split into one to three applications of 50 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Apply phosphorus and potash fertilizer according to soil test recommendations. Cool-season annual grasses are best for young growing animals such as stocker calves, replacement heifers, first calf heifers and creep grazing fall calves.
For fall calving cows, limit grazing to 2 hours per day or 4 hours every other day during fall and winter as a protein and energy supplement. As growth rate increases in early spring, increase the number of hours per day on pasture. Can be used for fall or winter calving cows. Should not use for dry, mature cows due to its high production cost.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
