Click any story headline to open the article and share it using social media: Facebook, Twitter.
April 3 - April 7
PG Movie ends 8:30pm
Closed Wed. & Thurs.
Box office opens 7pm
Admission:
Adults $8, Children $7
Senior Citizens (Mondays) $6
936-598-3864
Around Town
May 1, 2017 - Weather statistics for April, 2017 prepared and submitted by Ann Forbes, U.S. Weather Service Observer.
Highest Temp was 89 degrees on 4-28-2017
Highest Temp on Record was 94 degrees on 4-10-1963; 4-21-1987; & 4-19-2011
Lowest Temp was 44 degrees on 4-07-2017
Lowest Temp on Record was 28 degrees on 4-03-1971 & 4-01-1987
Rainfall Recorded was 4.60 inches
Average Monthly Rainfall is 4.16 inches
Above Average by 0.44 inches
Highest Recorded for this Month was 14.10 inches in 1991
Lowest Recorded for this Month was 0.57 inches in 1987
14.46 inches Rainfall end of April
18.16 inches Rainfall is Average at end of April
3.70 inches Below Average end of April
Full weather report - click here.
Click image to enlarge
April 28, 2017 - M & M Construction's new member ribbon cutting at their new office location, 408 Shelbyville Street in Center, was well attended by Chamber Ambassadors, community members, family and friends.
Andi Foster addressed M & M Construction, "On behalf of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, we extend our appreciation to you for becoming a Chamber member and opening your doors to our community."
Before cutting the ribbon, Mark Miller and Daniel Matthews each spoke. Matthews introduced his wife Talia and three boys and spoke about the business, "We offer all kinds of services, we'll do anything that has to do with a house, a building, industrial, commercial, residential - we'll start a house and we'll finish it from start to end. If there is stuff that we can't handle, we will get someone in there that can."
Miller introduced his wife Sherry and their children. He told a little about his life being a contractor going from job to job working for different construction companies. Once the job was done, I would be out of a job. Miller said, "One day I was sitting home, unemployed, and I decided to build a front porch on my wife's house. And I built it and it turned out good. We got a lot of compliments on it, so I decided to start it up." Miller then spoke to Daniel and they became partners.
M & M Construction offers construction of decks, new homes, remodels, carports, fencing and landscaping. For more information on other construction projects, they may be contacted at 936-488-9306.
April 28, 2017 (More Photos) - Michelle Covington-Richards and Adam Ramirez both received top honors at the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Teacher Appreciation Reception held Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at the John D. Windham Civic Center.
Mary Lynn Tinkle welcomed teachers and administrators from across the county before presenting a new award, Friends of Education Award. Tinkle, with heartfelt praise and gratitude, was honored to recognize Pam Phelps for her years of work helping to recognize educators for their dedication. She spoke about Phelps and her various achievements over the years, "When some advised [Pam Phelps] to put only older more experienced people in chamber offices or in committee positions instead of younger people, Mrs. Phelps said 'well why not put younger people in?' Now young adults serve in every capacity in the chamber, are role models for our youth to look up to, and know they can have a place in serving in our community. When someone said everybody in Shelby County knows all they need to know about Shelby County, there is no reason to teach them anymore. The teacher inside Pam Phelps said 'why not.' She developed a unique program called Leadership Shelby County where team members learn about Shelby County's unique history, it's civic organizations, they visit schools and businesses and become equipped with knowledge and passion to share all the benefits of living and working in Shelby County."
Mary Lynn Tinkle ended saying, "Mrs Phelps is the true definition of a servant leader. She puts the needs of Shelby County and it's residents foremost and worked tirelessly to promote the towns and the people of Shelby County. For all she does for our Shelby County youth, Pam Phelps is the first recipient of the Friends of Education Award. Why Pam, why not, no one deserves it more." Accepting the award on behalf of Pam, who was unable to attend, was her daughter-in-law, Amber Phelps.
The primary reason for the reception then started with each Shelby County School Principal coming to the stage to recognize and present their campus Teacher of the Year with a certificate. 2017 Campus Teachers of the Year are Mary May - Excelsior ISD; Casey Gamble - Joaquin Elementary; Amanda Freeman - Joaquin Junior High; Lisa Barton - Joaquin High School; Michelle Covington-Richards - F.L. Moffett Primary; Kimberly Hearn - Center Elementary; Kathy Johnson - Center Intermediate; Sharon Rice - Center Middle School; Adam Ramirez - Center High School; Monica Caldas - Center Christian Academy; Rose Jones - Shelbyville S.W. Carter Elementary; Anita Sheppard - Shelbyville Middle School; Nichole Tindol - Shelbyville High School; Cindy Bush - Timpson Elementary; James Foster - Timpson Middle School; and Danielle Smith - Timpson High School.
The Campus Teachers of the Year were commended for their dedication to the students including their heart for educating and pushing their student to achieve in all things. The teachers work to instill character and values in their students prepares them to achieve success in the classroom and in life.
Before announcing the Shelby County Teachers of the Year, Tinkle said, "Every year when the committee gives me their two choices, they always talk about how difficult the decision was and we can see through the wonderful presentations of our principals made today about their teachers, so heartfelt, that truly we are blessed in Shelby County to have such fine, outstanding educators."
"A student of our Elementary Teacher of the Year describes this teacher as 'sweet, helping me learn new things and she encourages us to be nice and to trust each other. [She] says her class is so much fun and that she learns so much.'" Tinkles continues, "Even after 20 years in the teaching profession she continues to be excited about what she teaches and she describes her job as the noblest of all professions. She is the teacher, truly that every parent wishes they had in school and the teacher they want for their own children to have. She strives everyday to be the kind of teacher to her students that she would want for her own three boys to have. Even when she has faced personal tragedy, it was with her own family, her students, and her school family that she found comfort and the desire to carry on with the teaching knowing that she was building the future one student at a time. I am honored to announced that Ms. Michelle Covington-Richards is the Shelby County Elementary Teacher of the Year."
Tinkle then announced the Secondary Teacher of the Year, "After graduation from Center High School in 2000 he attended Panola College and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Graphic Design. With these skills he was prepared to leave small town living behind and move to the business world for work in Houston as senior exhibit designer for Skyline Displays of Houston for seven years. It was then after seven successful years in the business he felt the desire to return to the place from which he came and begin a new career. A career for which he had true passion and a tremendous talent and skill - teaching."
"He knows however that the students don't care how much he knows until they know how much he cares. He cares deeply for each of his students and believes that showing respect and trust for his students are key characteristics in creating a favored environment both inside and outside the classroom." Tinkle continued, "The best thing about our Secondary Teacher offers his students is himself. He's an outstanding role model that is proof positive that through hard work and determination goals and dreams can be achieved. And that the American Dream is within reach of all students who are willing to work hard enough. He also is a role model to show that self confidence is the foundation of all great success and achievement and he wants all of his students to have that confidence in themselves. And finally where your heart is there is where you will find your treasure and for our Secondary Teacher of the Year his treasure is his students. It is my honor to present to you our Secondary Teacher of the Year Adam Rameriz."
Shelby County School District Superintendents and Principals were recognized. Gold Sponsors of the the event were Farmers State Bank and Shelby Savings Bank. Silver Sponsors were Dr. James Hockenberry, Boom Boom Photo Booth, and Bird & Crawford Forestry. Sabine State Bank presented both Shelby County Teachers of the Year with a special gift basket.
April 28, 2017 - Larry Hume, VFW Post 8904 Quartermaster, is looking for a family member(s) of Forrest Pierce Jones (1899-1958) who served in World War II and is buried in the Antioch Cemetery. His wife was Ora O. Summers Jones (1896-1931) and children Eiland Jones (1921-1988) and Frances Marie Jones Reynolds (1924-2010).
If anyone has any information please contact Larry at 936-598-2976 or email: chief@chiefimaging.com.
April 28, 2017 - The U.S. and Texas flags fly high each morning at the F. L. Moffett Campus. Students at F. L. Moffett proudly recite the pledges to both flags each morning. The students pictured are shown holding the new flags donated with the help of Mrs. Leigh Porterfield. Mrs. Rogers mentioned to Leigh Porterfield that the campus was in need of new flags and Mrs. Porterfield arranged for a gift of flags from the Shelby County Republican Party. Mrs. Porterfield has supported CISD for many years and enjoys opportunities to help our schools and children whenever she can. She says, "God bless our kids and long may the flags wave!"
April 24, 2017 - Time is running out! The Fannie Brown Booth Library book sale will soon be over! Friday, April 28, all books will be half price.
This means paperbacks will sell for 25 cents and hardback books for 50 cents. Saturday, books will sell for $1 a bag. Buying books helps our local library buy more books.
The library is located at 619 Tenaha St. Call 936-598-5522 for more information.
Thank you,
Friends of the Library
April 27, 2017 - On April 26, 2017, the Panola College Foundation held their final board meeting for the academic year where Brenda Giles, Chair of the Foundation, presented board members who had completed their term with a token of the Foundation’s appreciation. Board members serving their final term included Sandy Payne, Fannie Watson, and Matt Pool (not pictured).
“We appreciate the dedication, hard work, and generosity these board members have contributed to the Panola College Foundation over the past six years,” said Brenda Giles.
April 26, 2017 - Brinson Stewart, FNP-C, announces his candidacy for Timpson School Board. He is a graduate of Timpson High School and SFA and has two children who attend Timpson ISD.
Stewart is the Nurse Practitioner for Dr. Kavita Vyas in Nacogdoches and Center. He earned his FNP-C from the University of Texas at Galveston.
Early Voting will be from April 24 to May 2, 2017 at the Timpson Administration Building. Election Day is May 6, 2017 and voting will be at the high school gym.
April 26, 2017 - Delta Gamma members prepared fleece blankets at their April meeting to be finished at the State convention in Houston in June. They will be given to Child Advocates to distribute to children as needed. Pictured are Madeline Gill, Gail Sholar, and Fannie Watson.
Submitted by Nora Robinson
April 25, 2017 - Neal Murphy presented to the Shelby County Museum Tuesday, April 18, 2017 a program on Serendipity. Serendipity means a "fortunate happenstance" or "pleasant surprise" while searching for something else.
Mr. Murphy is a native of San Augustine and is the author of several books and over 40 short stories covering his years growing up in San Augustine County. He earned a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin, a Master degree in general insurance and sold insurance for more than 40 years. Mr. Murphy began his writing career in 2005 after retiring in 2001. His current book is titled “East Texas Serendipity.”
One of the stories shared was titled “The Texas UFO”. He stated unidentified flying objects have been around for a long time, the most notorious of these being the Roswell, New Mexico event. On July 7, 1947, a UFO crashed near Roswell on a cattle ranch, scattering debris over a wide area. Several bodies of extraterrestrial beings were reportedly recovered and autopsied. This event was explained by the military as a weather balloon crash, no beings being recovered. This was the beginning of the most notable cover up in American history.
Before this event, some fifty years earlier, a UFO crashed in Aurora, Texas. The UFO was seen flying over Missouri and Arkansas before it crashed. Around 6 am on April 17, 1897, the UFO crashed near the small town of Aurora, Texas. Remember this was five years before the Wright brother’s first flight.
There were numerous eye witnesses of this crash in Aurora. One eye witness account stated “it sailed over the square finally hitting the tower of Judge Proctor’s windmill and went to pieces, scattering debris over several acres wrecking the windmill and water tank and destroying the Judge’s flower garden.”
The pilot of the UFO is supposed to have been the only one on the vehicle and enough remained to show he was not an inhabitant of this world. Many thought he may be a native of Mars and the ship was made of an unknown material and thought to be a mixture of aluminum and silver. The pilot was given a Christian burial with his grave marked with a large stone.
To add to the mystery, Mr. Oates who had purchased the property in 1945, cleaned out the well to use as a water source. He soon developed a severe case of arthritis which he claimed was caused by the contamination of the debris placed in the well after the UFO crashed. Oates sealed up the well with a concrete slab in 1957 with many forgetting about the crash. Many citizens of Aurora later developed a hoax theory about the crashed. The event was resurrected by a local TV station in Dallas in 1998. The investigation revealed that something had crashed in 1897 but could find no evidence of an extraterrestrial being. The cemetery association refused exhumation of the body and an unmarked grave near other 1890’s graves was found in the area. The grave was so badly deteriorated that further investigation of the grave was not able to reveal any additional information.
Another story shared was the story of the giant, titled “The Confederate Giant”. One would only imagine what Union soldiers thought at the sight of a giant wearing a confederate uniform. Henry Clay Thruston may have been the tallest man in the world at the time he lived. He towered over everyone at a height of 7 feet 7 ½ inches with the average height of the Union soldier being 5 feet 8 inches. This Rebel soldier towered over all the other fighting men like a pine sapling.
Henry was born May 4, 1830 in Greenville, South Carolina but his family soon moved to Missouri. When the Civil war broke out, Henry joined the Confederate Calvary. Thruston survived the war with only a couple of minor wounds. He became a prisoner of war late in the conflict, but did not spend long in confinement, being paroled June of 1865.
After the war, Thruston with his family migrated to Texas, stopping when he got to Titus County. There he purchased 100 acres of land east of Mount Vernon, Texas, and spent most of the rest of his life there.
For years after the war, he traveled with a circus, and was always billed in the side shows are “The World’s Tallest Man. To accent his height, he wore a tall beaver hat, high-top boots, and long coat making him look ten feet tall.
The next story share was titled “Sergeant Stubby”. Everyone loves a dog story. Dogs are specially trained to do amazing thing. The military now trains dogs to use in battle. A few dogs were used in WWII, but it was unusual for them to see action in WWI as Sgt. Stubby did. Sgt. Stubby was the most decorated war dog in WWI, and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat.
The story is about a stray, a homeless mutt who saved more lives, saw more combat, and performed more feats of heroic greatness than most humans. Stubby was a Pit Bull Terrier who started his humble life as most stray animals do – hungry, cold, alone, and stranded in New Haven, Connecticut. Stubby stumble onto the parade grounds of Yale University where the men of the 102nd Regiment, 26th Infantry Division were training to fight in WWI.
The little dog was adopted by a soldier named John Robert Conroy who named the puppy “Stubby” because of his stump of a tail. Conroy started leaving food out and let the little guy sleep in the barracks from time to time. It was not long before every soldier in the 102nd adopted the dog as their mascot.
Not long after hanging around the drill field watching the soldiers do their things, Stubby learned the bugle calls, could march with the men, and was trained to salute superior officers by raising his forepaw to his brow.
Conroy smuggled Stubby on board the ship when the 102nd was ordered to ship out to battle in France. Conroy waited until they were safely out to sea, before he brought the dog out and all the sailors decided this dog was so great they had a machinist mate make him a set of dog tags to match the ones worn by the soldiers.
Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th Yankee Division in trenches of France for 18 months and participated in 4 offenses and 17 battles. He entered combat on February 5, 1918 at Chemin des Dames and was under constant fire, day and night for over a month. April 1918, during a raid, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans. He was sent to the rear for convalescence, and was able to improve the morale of wounded soldiers.
When he recovered from his wounds, Stubby returned to the trenches.
Stubby was injured by mustard gas. After he recovered, he learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, locate wounded soldiers, and since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans — became adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover.
Stubby was solely responsible for capturing a German spy hiding in the trenches by biting the spy in the posterior and holding on until captured by American soldiers. It was told he could tell the difference between German and English. Following the retaking of Chateau by the US, the women of the town made Stubby a coat on which were pinned his many medals. For his action, Stubby was promoted to the rank of sergeant which made him outrank his owner who was only a corporal.
After the war, Conroy smuggled Stubby back to the states where he became an instant celebrity. He was inducted into the American Legion, offered free food for life from the YMCA, and toured for the war bond effect where hotel would relax their “no dogs allow policy”. He visited the White House twice, met 3 presidents, and in 1921 Commander Black Jack Pershing pin a “dog hero” dog medal on Stubby’s military jacket.
Sgt. Stubby, American war hero, died in 1926 at the age of 10. He was stuffed and preserved by taxidermist and is featured at his own exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
Pages
