News

The Bowie County and Miller County, Ark. Extension offices will be hosting the 2014 Four States Agricultural Exposition and Conference on Thursday, Feb. 6.  The conference, held at the Four States Fairgrounds in Texarkana, Ark. (3700 East 50th St.), is the largest gathering of farmers and ranchers in the four states area.
The conference begins with registration at 8 a.m. followed by concurrent sessions at 8:30. The conference will conclude around 3:30 p.m.  Lunch is provided to attendees.

The Daingerfield Junior High math team competed at the Atlanta Middle School meet Jan. 18. The team had several individuals to place in the top 10.
In Number Sense seventh graders Zach Gilmore placed seventh with Justin Bailey placing eighth. In sixth grade, Justice Dorman captured first place with Victor Gonzalez with sixth.  
Seventh grade Calculator winners were Hannah Welch in fourth, Zach in fifth, and Justin in sixth; and sixth grade Calculator winners were Justice in first, Hailey Byrd in fourth, Jamie Nix in fifth, Victor in sixth and Ryan Lewis in seventh.

Read more in our e-edition:http://www.etypeservices.com/SWF/LocalUser/Daingerfield1//Magazine44805/...

Margaret Durrum will perform at the Opera House Theatre Players in Jefferson on Feb. 9. Mrs. Durrum got her first guitar on her 45th birthday party from her husband, Jim, a native of Jefferson.  She said his faith in her ability to learn how to play - and the large amount of money he spent on the instrument - inspired her to dive in and take on the task of figuring it out on her own.  And it wasn’t easy, she said.
She spent many months with instruction books and practiced resolutely until one day she realized that she had a repertoire of about 50 classical and rock songs, plus a few Beatles tunes to entertain herself, her family and friends with. Since then she has done just that including a stint at a Longview restaurant and at public events similar to the one she will be the featured entertainer at during the Opera
House Theatre Players popular fund-raiser ‘Chocolate Sunday’ scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 at the DB Franchise Restaurant.
 

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Northeast Texas Traffic Safety Coalition are sponsoring a contest for local schools to raise funds for their Project Graduation program this year.  Schools will be invited to participate in a public service announcement contest promoting driving safety. Winners will able to win up to $1,000 for their Project Graduation program.
Schools participating in the contest will create their own one-minute PSA on a traffic safety issue, which could include driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, distracted driving, seat belt use, dangers of speeding or other safety issue aimed at school-aged drivers. Winners of the contest will be announced at the end of February. Local news media reporters will be asked to judge the competition.
 

Sheryl Lozicki is a Registered Dietitian at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and the Director of Nutrition and Wellness. Today’s “On the Menu” segment is a review of the “Top 5” ways to boost your immunity during the cold and flu season.
Right now we are in the perfect storm following the holidays: increased stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet, and for some, too much alcohol.
1. Frequent Hand Washing and Don’t Touch Your Face. To catch a cold or the flu, the virus needs to get in through your eyes, nose or mouth. Every time you touch your face, you increase your chances of getting sick and the average person touches their face 16 times in an hour! Frequent, correctly washed hands will reduce your chances of getting sick, so say the alphabet or count to 20 as you wash and make sure the soap covers your entire hands including between your fingers and beneath your nails.

Hughes Springs Public Library one of 75 rural libraries nationwide to offer book/video discussion series. The library has received a $2,500 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to host “Pushing the Limits: Making Sense of Science,” a four-part reading, viewing, and discussion series for adults in communities served by rural libraries. Hughes Springs Public Library is one of 75 public libraries nationwide chosen as sites to host the series.

Texans take great pride in their beautiful, scenic state.  They also like to boast about its nationally renowned highway system with its many varieties of wildflowers.  
During campaign season, however, the landscape blooms with a different flower—the political sign.  On private property, they can be a thing of beauty to supporters.  On public lands, they are illegal.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) would like to remind candidates and their supporters of a few things when erecting political signs:
·         Do not place campaign signs on or within any public right of way as State law specifically prohibits this.  This includes trees, telephone poles, traffic signs, and other objects on the right of way.  Signs in violation will be removed by TxDOT employees, a county sheriff or a constable, depending upon the jurisdiction.

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
 
As a follow up to the Jan. 6, public hearing in the Morris County Commissioners’ court, the commissioners discussed approving a law firm to handle the possible $118,000 plus that could be received by the county through County Energy Transportation Reinvestment Zones (CETRZ). The proposal died for lack of a second after Morris County Judge Lynda Munkres made the motion for approval at the Jan. 13 meeting.
The commissioners looked at hiring Allison, Bass & Associates LLP to handle the legal information on the CETRZ. This money is authorized by the Texas legislature to promote one or more infrastructure projects to be located in the county to be funded by CETRZ.
Judge Munkres said the commissioners have 30 days after this date to take appropriate action on the matter.
“We can ask for three times this amount if we wish,” Judge Munkres said.

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
 
“I love animals as much as anyone else,” Daingerfield Mayor Lou Irvin told the council at its Jan. 13 meeting. “This is not possible with these shelter plans.”
Mayor Irvin was referring to drawings and costs for a new animal shelter for the city. Bob Stinson had brought the drawings and information and informed the council of the $373,000 cost for the building and all that it entails.
“There are things in the drawing that you may or may not want to do,” Mr. Stinson said. “Once you set it all up, you are just shy of $500,000. There are generators and flagpoles and other things that can be taken out to lower the cost. Just the back half with a shell of a building with utilities will cost about $75,000. If you want to build up the back part, it is roughly $130,000. If you want to do a full acre, you are right at a half a million dollars.