Texas A&M University-Commerce Honoring Those Who Served at 34th Annual Veterans Vigil
October 24, 2024 – This year’s annual installment features guest speaker U.S. Navy Chief Gunnersmate Vic Tornero (Ret.)
COMMERCE, TX, October 24, 2024—Texas A&M University-Commerce continues its tradition of honoring our nation’s veterans with the 34th installment of the Veterans Vigil, scheduled for Friday, November 8 at the Rayburn Student Center (RSC) on the university campus. The public is encouraged to attend.
Schedule of Events
The vigil will begin with a light breakfast reception at 10 a.m. before the opening ceremony begins in the RSC’s 2nd-floor conference rooms at 10:30. The A&M-Commerce Chorale will perform, and the Princeton High School Naval JROTC will provide color guard duties.
The ASTP Memorial Scholarship, which is given each year to an A&M-Commerce student veteran, will also be awarded during the opening ceremony. This year’s recipient is Melody Carmack, a U.S. Army veteran.
The opening ceremony will conclude outside of the RSC with the lighting of the vigil flame by Dr. Chris Myers, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) and A&M-Commerce professor of marketing and business analytics. The flame will burn until the closing ceremony at 4:30 p.m. that day. The closing ceremony will also feature a 21-gun salute by the Hunt County Veterans Honor Guard.
Vigil Guest Speaker
This year’s guest speaker is U.S. Navy Chief Gunnersmate Vic Tornero (Ret.). A native of El Paso, Texas, Tornero graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in geology. Tornero proudly served two tours in Vietnam and was released from active duty in June 1968. After a break in service, he re-affiliated with the Naval Reserve program in September 1968. He drilled at the reserve center in El Paso until May 1980, when his civilian job transferred him to Fort Worth, Texas.
His assignments while in the Naval Reserve included Navy counselor, Navy instructor, reserve recruiter, petty officer indoctrination team leader and reserve retention officer. As a reserve retention officer, he conducted all-hands career information seminar briefings to more than 1,500 personnel at the Fort Worth NAS/JRB base theater.
Tornero’s unfailing team spirit led to his selection as the nation’s “Recruiting District Assistance Council Chairperson of the Year” in 1999. He credits this honor to his fellow RDAC members, who supported him during his tenure.
He has received numerous other awards, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), the Vietnam Service Medal (two awards), the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and several other Navy service awards and ribbons.
Other Veterans Activities
Other activities surrounding the vigil include a free lunch for veterans at the A&M-Commerce Lions Mane Cafeteria the following Monday, November 11, with the presentation of a military ID, DD214, veteran’s card, or VFW or American Legion card.
In addition, from November 8 to 11, veterans will receive a 10% discount on all items at the University Bookstore.
Learn more about Veterans and Military Services at A&M-Commerce.
Mealybugs Inside Your Home From Master Gardener David Wall
October 24, 2024 – Mealybugs (there are 4 varieties) are tiny scale insects resembling tiny puffs of cotton that suck sap from the flower and vegetable plant leaves and stems. In small invasions, they are hardly visible, cause no noticeable damage and can be removed by a strong stream of water, something not possible in larger infestations. As they multiply, however, the “cotton” appears to grow, with enlargement visible on a daily basis. They cannot fly, but plant crowding makes it easier for them to spread to other plants.
In larger numbers, they can overwhelm leaves causing them to die and drop, eventually killing the plant. They can occur anywhere on the plant, but are usually more noticeable on leaves. They can be particularly dangerous as you decide to move plants inside for the coming winter, an ideal environment for multiplying and destroying.
Mealybug prevention is best and can be achieved by having strong, healthy, resilient plants. Mealybugs like plants with a high nitrogen content and lots of new growth. Too much water and too much fertilizer make infestations worse. If you notice any white spots on plant stems or leaves, pick them off and squish them, or if indoors, drop in a waste basket.
The simplest way to kill mealybugs in your home is spraying the plants with a 50-50 mixture of water and alcohol in a spray bottle. Dusting infected plant with diatomaceous earth works very well, but you might want to take the plant outside first!
Horticultural oil sprays, insecticidal soap sprays, and homemade sprays will all kill mealybugs, but check with your county extension agent for mixture ratios. You can purchase ladybug beetles to feast on the mealybugs. Each beetle can consume up to 250 mealybugs during its lifetime. A Neem oil spray will repel but not kill them.
Chamber Connection – October 23, 2024
By Butch Burney
Don’t stand in line at the 55th Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest, sponsored by Alliance Bank, on Saturday, get your tickets online or at any of the local banks and credit unions.
Tickets are available online at HopkinsChamber.org as well as the Chamber of Commerce office at 110 Main Street.
Tickets are $8 each for those 13 and older and free for children 12 and under, thanks to sponsorship from Signature Solar.
Whether you’re in the market for a Stew T-shirt, hoodie, mug, tumbler, sticker, towel or other merchandise for the 55th Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest, you can find it at the Chamber of Commerce at 110 Main Street.
Stop by the Chamber office and get your gear for the Stew Contest on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Buford Park.
You also don’t want to miss the Fun Zone, sponsored by One Church, which will be free to kids to play Gellyball and enjoy bounce houses the day of the stew contest.
On Friday night, come out after the home football game to enjoy a concert by Dubb and the Luv Machines, sponsored by City National Bank.
Cocktails and Conversation
Join us for our next mixer at noon on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Vino Lounge at 223 Main Street, from 5-6:30 p.m.
You don’t have to be a Chamber member to take part in the Cocktails and Conversation event. It is open to everyone to enjoy the atmosphere, cocktails and refreshments.
Region 4 Rodeo
The Region 4 High School Rodeo will come to the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center the first weekend of November.
The action will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, and Sunday, Nov. 3.
Ribbon Cuttings
Advanced Heart Care will have a ribbon cutting at their office located at 601 Airport Road Suite 101. We hope you can join us for this event at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Special Strong will have a ribbon cutting at Anytime Fitness, 1185 South Broadway Street, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Please join us.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs will have a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new Cardiology Clinic, at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 113 Airport Road, Suite 301.
Clay Hollis November 2nd Concert part of Paris Junior College 100th Anniversary Homecoming
October 24, 2024 – Clay Hollis is a Texas-native, born in the Rio Grande Valley and raised in San Antonio. He’s also only one remove away from being a native Parisian, as the grandson of the late H.L. “Hub” Hollis. Last spring, Hollis came by to visit the Paris Junior College Hub Hollis baseball field and Saturday, Nov. 2, he’ll perform at the Love Civic Center as part of PJC’s 100th Homecoming weekend.
Growing up in Texas, Clay began pursuing music at a young age. At just seventeen, Hollis hit the road, selling merchandise for Jon Wolfe. While on tour with the Texas-country star, Clay discovered a career in music, and touring was his passion. He soon left Wolfe’s team to begin his own journey.
In 2017, Clay Hollis released his self-titled debut EP. With help from Nashville hit writers, like Bart Butler and Jon Pardi, Clay found radio success with four top ten singles: Look Who’s Hurting Now, Hard Headed Heart, Can’t Let a Good Thing Get Away, and Strait to Jones. With a few radio singles and an old guitar, Hollis hit the road to play honky-tonks across Texas.
In 2020, Clay released Honkytonk Highway, a strong 6-track EP that highlights his rich vocals and appreciation for honky-tonk driven guitars. At 21-minutes in length, Hollis covers a lot of territory. The EP includes slow burners like “Ask Me Again” to upbeat tracks like “Here I Go Again.” Inspired by ‘90s country foundations, with a modern country sound.
His newest effort, No Apologies, is Clay’s first full-length album. The 11-song collection, eight of which co-written by Hollis, centers around Clay’s personal life story, with each track giving you a glimpse into who Clay Hollis is.
Over the years, Hollis has been captivating fans playing alongside country music mainstays, Randall King, Kevin Fowler and many more.
In the spring of 2023, Hollis and his family stopped to visit PJC’s Hub Hollis baseball field and he joined that year’s baseball players on the field to throw some balls. In addition to the 100th Anniversary for Paris Junior College, this is the 50th Anniversary of the Hub Hollis Baseball Field, making the concert doubly special.
Hub Hollis was PJC’s first Athletic Director and Head Football Coach in 1925. He was inducted into the Dragon Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Dragons are honored that the baseball complex bears his name.
The concert will start at 8:30 p.m. at the Love Civic Center on Saturday, Nov. 2. Tickets are $10 at the door. Those with a current PJC ID will get in free.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Initiative Relieving Congestion Through Texas Starts Soon
Oct. 22, 2024 – By Adam Hammons – AUSTIN – A statewide initiative to address highway chokepoints in Texas is making major progress this fall with multiple projects breaking ground.
TxDOT is making huge strides to help address congestion in major cities through its Texas Clear Lanes initiative. Three major projects getting under construction include:
- North Houston Highway Improvement project in Houston
- Capital Express Central in Austin
- I-30 in Fort Worth
All of these projects received funding through Texas Clear Lanes, a statewide strategic initiative to provide congestion relief through non-tolled roads focusing on five metropolitan areas: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.
Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Bruce Bugg Jr. started the initiative after direction from Gov. Greg Abbott in 2015.
“We are proud to be here, opening this huge benefit for the people of Houston today and for future generations,” Bugg said during the NHHIP groundbreaking, emphasizing the project’s role in addressing the city’s transportation needs. “We’re making big plays. Getting Texans moving and out of traffic faster and safer is our goal.”
Since 2015, TxDOT has dedicated more than $35 billion of funding toward nearly $80 billion worth of projects on Texas’ 100 Most Congested Roadways list. The 2025 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) also features an additional $1.9 billion of funding for these Texas Clear Lanes projects.
That funding has made a significant impact. TxDOT projects helped Texas drivers save around $3 billion in commuter time in 2022. That’s while the Texas population is growing by 1,300 people every day with motorists driving more miles compared to years before. TxDOT’s roadway construction and expansion projects like those in Texas Clear Lanes are helping make travel smoother and more efficient.
This recent spike in shovels meeting dirt isn’t new. In 2024 there have been 31 Texas Clear Lanes projects under construction with 21 completed. Next year, it’s set to grow even more with an expected 27 projects under construction and 29 projects completed.
Traffic congestion creates a ripple effect that impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, whether we drive or not. Where we live, where we work, where we shop and where we play are all affected by traffic congestion.
That’s why Texas leadership, the Transportation Commission, and TxDOT are committed to addressing this serious issue.
Want to learn more about projects near you? Check out the Texas Clear Lanes page on txdot.gov.
Texas Secretary Nelson Reminds Voters to Check Ballots Before Finalizing Your Vote
October 24, 2024 – As Texans go to the polls for early voting ahead of the November 5 election, Secretary Nelson encourages voters to double-check their precinct numbers and candidate selections before casting a ballot.
“Texas has more than 18 million registered voters, and we want to make sure every eligible vote counts. All voting systems in Texas are designed to give voters an opportunity to review their selections before casting their ballot,” said Secretary Nelson. “I encourage Texas voters to use this built-in opportunity to double-check the selections.”
Voters can find their precinct number by using My Voter Portal, which they can navigate to through VoteTexas.gov. Additionally, precinct numbers are printed on voter registration cards.
In counties with digital recording machines, voters will see a review screen with all of their selections before pushing a button to cast their ballot. In other counties, voters will receive a printout of their selections to review before depositing the ballot.
For other tips and additional information about voting in Texas, visit VoteTexas.gov, the state’s official online voting resource.
Hopkins County Sheriff Tatum Makes Plea to Residents In Effort to Prevent Car Burglaries
October 24, 2024 – In a recent press release to KSST News, Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum encourages residents to do their part in preventing car burglaries.
Press Release:
Recent Car Burglaries:
I need all residents to be vigilant about locking their vehicles. Please take any weapons and all
valuable items out of the vehicles. The same group that burglarized our county and surrounding
counties are sending more crews through burglarizing vehicles again. More than 12 counties
south of us have been victims of this as well.
They have hit our county once but we expect them to come back. They were south of Hopkins
County in Wood County, Rains County and Nacogdoches County on Wednesday night October
23rd until early morning on Thursday 24th.
Some of the firearms stolen from the first crew’s burglaries have already been located as they
were attempting to smuggle them back into Mexico. They are considered armed and dangerous.
Please do not attempt to confront these suspects, as they have used deadly force in recent
burglaries.
I’m sorry we have to deal with this situation, but until our border is secure, these are the true
facts of what is to come with open borders. We are going to have to take care of our county, we
cannot rely on the Federal Government to protect us.
We received information the suspects are currently driving a dark colored Ford 3⁄4 ton truck.
They are known to change vehicles at any time. All residents should check their license plates as
they have been swapping those. We will be out in force to help prevent any burglaries in our
area. If you see anything suspicious, please, do not hesitate to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (903)438-4040.
Sheriff Lewis Tatum
Honda Recalls 2.4 Million Vehicles For Various Issues
October 23, 2024 – In two seperate recalls this month, Honda has recalled a total of 2.4 million vehicles of their late model vehicles. Earlier this month, Honda recalled 1.7 million vehicles for steering issues. It seems there was a manufacturing issue that could make it difficult to steer the vehicles and lead to crashes. The safety recall order from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, potentially causing “excessive internal friction” that could make the vehicle difficult to steer and increase the likelihood of a crash. The vehicles covered in the recall were from model years 2022 to 2025 and include certain Acura Integras, Honda Civics, Honda CR-Vs and Honda HR-Vs.
Later in the month of October, Honda recalled an additional 700,000 vehicles for fuel pumps that could leak. The recall includes the Accord and Accord Hybrid 2023-2024; the Civic and Civic Hybrid 2025 and the CR-V Hybrid 2023-2025. Honda said that it has had 145 warranty claims, and no reports of injuries or deaths related to the issue from February 2023 through September 2024. The automaker said that dealers will inspect and replace the high-pressure fuel pump as necessary and for free. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 4. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Learn About Cooper Lake’s October 26th Fall Hike on A Second Cup Of Coffee
On this episode of KSST’s A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey, John Mark sat down with Cooper Lake State Park Supervisor Aron Maib. John Mark and Aron chat about the Fall Hikes being held at Cooper Lake October 26, 2024. They also talked about a new shade shelter at the playground at Cooper Lake State Park, they discussed the upcoming Christmas plans at Cooper Lake, and so much more. Find out what’s going on at Cooper Lake State Park on this episode of A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey.
Controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir on Agenda at Region D Water Planning Group Meeting
WHAT: The Northeast Texas Region D Water Planning Group is meeting to discuss the controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir in the state water planning process. Leaders from the Dallas – Fort Worth area (Region C) will be in attendance to hear firsthand from Northeast Texas residents about the impact of Marvin Nichols. This meeting will include a presentation by a Region D Technical Consultant on the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir , a discussion and comments from Region C, a discussion and comments from Region D, and a public comments period in which 5 minutes for each speaker will be allowed.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 1:00 p.m .
WHY : The reservoir, proposed more than 50 years ago, would dam the Sulphur River in Northeast Texas and use eminent domain to take 200,000 acres from private ownership to be flooded or used for environmental mitigation. At least 80% of the water would be pumped to the Dallas – Fort Worth region. Recently , at the direction of the Texas Legislature, the Texas Water Development Board published a draft report on the feasibility of the reservoir and invited public comments through October 25 , 2024.
WHERE: Region 8 Education Service Center 4845 US 271 N Pittsburg, TX 75686
WHO: All Northeast Texas residents concerned about Marvin Nichols are invited to come speak about how the proposed reservoir would impact them.
www.PreserveNortheastTexas.org
