Bright Star Baseball Delays Opening
The Bright Star Baseball League for children with special needs has decided to start their season one week later than scheduled due to wet field conditions and with more rain in the forecast this week. They’ll now open play on Monday night, March 30 at 6 p.m. at Bronson Field in Buford Park. Games are expected to continue on Monday nights through May 4 for children ages 5 through 18
Lady Cat Softball Defeats Marshall 16-3
The Lady Cats’ softball team pounded out 14 hits and scored 16 runs in a ten run rule, 16-3 win at Marshall Monday night to go 2-0 in district play. The Lady Mavs should have prayed for rain. The Lady Cats scored the games first 8 runs, then when Marshall got three runs back, the Lady Cats put the game away with an 8 run fifth inning. Makayla Glosson knocked in 5 runs and Molly Johnston 4. Summer Wyatt got the pitching win.
Tough Senior Night for Lady Cat Soccer
The Lady Cats’ soccer team had a tough night on Senior Night Monday as Texas High claimed a solid 5-0 win at the Track and Soccer Complex. The Lady Tigers scored four first half goals and coasted home in the second half. The result sets up the Lady Tigers to play Longview for the district championship while the Lady Cats probably face a must win scenario to reach the playoffs at Hallsville Friday night.
JV Ladycats Blank Marshall
In a game that had been postponed from Friday, the JV Ladycats, met with the Lady Marshall Mavericks on Monday afternoon. It was never even close, with the Ladycats getting on the board early, and pulling ahead 10-0 in only the second inning. With the Mavericks facing pitching problems, the Ladycats kept putting points on the board until ultimately winning 17-0. The Varsity Ladycats play the late game on Monday night.
Winnsboro Police Report for March 9-15
Winnsboro city police responded to 136 calls for service, issued 27 citations and 24 warnings during the week of March 9-15. No accidents were reported during the week and two individuals were arrested. On Tuesday, Kennith Ellis, 31, of Winnsboro was arrested for a warrent for Violation of Probation. Stephen Thorp, 34, of Winnsboro was arrested Friday for Municipal warrants for the city of Winnsboro.
Mt. Vernon Plans For Heritage Tourism
Mt Vernon will explore the city’s heritage and plan for future celebrations of its heritage Thursday, March 19. Seminars on various heritage tourism topics will be conducted from noon until 4:30 p.m. in various rooms of the 1894 Cotton Belt Depot. The seminars will be followed by a reception from 5 until 7 p.m. The reception will include craft beer tastings of a wide variety of Texas beers, tamales prepared in Mt. Vernon (pork tamales and queso and chile tamales) and lemonade and cookies to round out the family friendly atmosphere. The depot’s model trains will be running during the reception.
At 5:45 p.m. there will be a brief introduction of tourism and economic planners in the depot freight room, according to B. F. Hicks. Hicks invites the public to come for all or part of the event. Registration will be conducted at the door and participants may claim a free Mt. Vernon-Better Than Botox coffee mug and pick up a Driving Mt. Vernon booklet setting out the history of the town and its houses (with details on the haunted houses).
According to Hicks, Mt. Vernon is one of three Texas cities selected to participate in the State’s Bankhead Highway Project. The Bankhead Highway was the second transcontinental route for automobile traffic. The Bankhead stretched from Washington, D.C. to San Diego, California. The highway’s centennial will be celebrated in 2016 and Mt. Vernon’s Main Street lies directly along the original highway route. The highway remained the principal thoroughfare across the American south through 1939. The Texas Historical Commission team aims to promote this highway route for heritage tourism in a fashion similar to the promotion for US Route 66.
Mt. Vernon has also been selected for a pilot program for The Texas Courthouse Square Initiative. The Initiative project is designed to promote recipients of courthouse restoration grants. The Texas Historical Commission has assigned a team of city planners for marketing and business development; professionals who focus on curb appeal, public spaces, events and retail displays to attract and return people to the courthouse square.
NRA Names Flynn Legislator of the Year
On March 7th in Austin, the Texas State Rifle Association, the NRA state affiliate, honored State Representative Dan Flynn (HD2) of Van, Texas, as their 2014 Legislator of the Year, during the association’s annual members meeting. House District 2 includes Hopkins, Hunt, and Van Zandt Counties
Several years ago, the Texas Department of Public Safety ran critically behind in processing and issuing Texas concealed handgun licenses. Representative Flynn stepped up to the plate and began working to make changes to Texas law to fix problem plus to streamlining the licensing process in general.
During the 2013 session, Flynn passed HB 48, providing Texas licensees with an online renewal process, thereby eliminating both the cost and time of a renewal class. The immediate impact has been to provide licensees with an almost “perpetual CHL” and still benefits of having a nationally recognized concealed handgun license: ease of travel across states, substitutes for the NICS check when purchasing a firearm. The renewal is now accomplished with a click instead of the previous time-consuming, scavenger hunt.
Also, during the 2013 session, Representative Flynn worked to pass legislation to lower the number of classroom hours required to obtain a concealed handgun license.
HB 47 by Flynn reduced the number of classroom hours without impacting time spent qualifying on the shooting range. This has made the Texas concealed handgun license more accessible to busy adults while protecting public safety.
City meets with TXDOT about the Wayfairing Signs
The Sulphur Springs City Council has a special meeting at noon Tuesday that involves an agreement with TXDOT that get the city closer to having some way finding signs pointing the way to downtown Sulphur Springs and Celebration Plaza. I talked with City Manager Marc Maxwell Monday morning
Mother Shoots Son
A mother was arrested for shooting her son in the thigh with a .22-caliber pistol during a disturbance Sunday night in Hopkins County just after 6 p.m. A 20-year old Brashear man was also arrested for assaulting the woman’s son during a fight. The disturbance, which occurred in the Bonanza community on County Road 1165 near Highway 19 South, reportedly involved a biting incident between a dog and a horse. The gunshot victim , Cody Belz, was care flighted by helicopter to an out of town hospital. 50-year old Cina Kay Elliott of Hopkins County was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before Justice of the Peace B.J. Teer who set bond at $70,000. Gus Henery Crist was charged with assault before JP Teer who set bond at $15,000.
Four Seek Two Seats on WISD School Board
March 16, 2015 – Four candidates seek the two open places on the Winnsboro ISD School Board, according to Milinda Martin, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent.
Two incumbents seek re-election. Clara Ziegler, who has been on the board since 1998 and is the current Secretary of the board, and T. R. Mills, who has been on the board since 2006 and is the current board president, will seek re-election. Also running for the two open seats are Lincoln Banks and Ken Goodson.
The Winnsboro school board is an open board and therefore the two candidates receiving the most votes will be elected.
Early voting for the Winnsboro ISD school board race begins April 27th at the Administration building board room, 208 E. Pine in Winnsboro. Early voting hours are Monday through Friday 8-4. Early voting ends May 5th.
Election Day is May 9th with voting at the Winnsboro City Auditorium on Wheeler Dr. The voting place will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
