The early 1990’s saw the import of a new breed of goat to the U.S. The Boer (the Angus Cattle of the goat industry), has quickly grown to become a viable option for small farmers in Texas to diversify their operations and become more sustainable. Unfortunately, due to the newness of the industry and few sources for research-based information on care and handling of the meat goat breed, many producers that have invested their time and money into starting operations that have been anything but sustainable.
Recognizing this lack of readily-available information applicable to farms in East Texas, the Northeast Texas Community College Agriculture Program has expanded its operation to include a commercial Boer goat herd on its instructional farm. The goats were added this August.
The Bronx Wanderers are “One Part Oldies, Two Parts Rock N’ Roll” and they are headed to northeast Texas to shake up the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts! The group will perform on the campus of Northeast Texas Community College on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
The Bronx Wanderers are the ”perfect musical storm”, effortlessly creating the perfect level of synergy between generations and the music, the family and the rockin’ band that pulls it all together. United by their passion for great music (regardless of the decade), former gold record producer Yo’ Vinny and sons Vinny “The Kid” and Nicky “Stix” form the heart and soul of this pitch perfect band that delivers a non-stop barrage of hit after hit after delicious hit.
“I have seen The Bronx Wanderers perform several times and I promise that you will not be disappointed! They bring a high-quality show filled with songs we all know and love,” Carolyn Franks, director of the Whatley Center, said.
Hope For Housing Inc. is offering free day care for two weeks to help parents who are applying for jobs. In the state of America’s financial situation, and closer to home in Pittsburg, Loretta Gaines-Bryson, founder and president of Hope For Housing Inc., said she felt they needed to do their part as a non-profit to help.
“Our goal in this mission is to allow a parent or guardian the time to go out and look for a job and not have to worry about how they will pay a babysitter,” Ms. Bryson said. “At the Scout’s Learning Center-Day Care, we felt that we could offer a helping hand in the employment process, and provide a Christian loving day care center where you could leave your child as you pursue employment opportunities. This is not a handout, just a little love and helping hand.
The Marietta Community Association is holding its annual 27th Fall Fun Food Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19. Registration for the antique cars show begins at 8 a.m. and the registration for the parade begins at 9 a.m. at the MCA building (Old Marietta School). The parade begins at 10 a.m. This year’s grand marshals are Chas and Amy Carlisle. The parade includes the American Legion Color Guard, emergency vehicles, beauty queens, antique cars, decorated floats, covered wagons and much more.
Anyone wishing information regarding the parade or festival may contact Judy Robison at 903-835-2351 or by email at robison47@windstream.net. The theme for the Festival is “Autumn Days.”
It’s time to put on your best Halloween costume, dust off your trick-or-treat basket and head out to Northeast Texas Community College for the 26th annual Scare Affair.
The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 on the plaza of the main NTCC campus (located on FM 1735 near Chapel Hill ISD). There will be free candy for all trick-or-treaters, low-cost games for all ages, a costume contest with cash prizes and much more! A haunted house will be open until 10:30 p.m.
“Scare affair is NTCC’s biggest community event of the year. We hope everyone will come out and join us for an evening of safe fun,” Rico Willis, NTCC Director of Student Activities and Multicultural Affairs, said.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced funding for projects in seven states, including Texas, to improve electric service for about 7,000 rural customers. Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino made the announcement on the Secretary’s behalf during a regional meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The loan guarantees are made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service. They include more than $5 million for smart grid projects and nearly $3 million to improve electric service.
Texas duck hunters are bracing for another warm and dry early teal season opener. The teal are doing likewise.
Current observations indicate good numbers of blue-winged teal still remain in the northern breeding grounds, but those birds are expected to begin moving this way as cool fronts start to develop and hunting seasons in those regions get under way.
New this season, Texas hunters can take up to six teal daily, an increase in the daily bag limit of two from previous seasons. The possession limits for all migratory game birds has also increased and is now three times the daily limit, which cannot be applied obviously before the third day of the season. For ducks, including teal during the early Sept. 14-29 season, the possession limit is 18.
Traffic relief is now at hand for 180,000 motorists per day thanks to the completion and opening of the Dallas-Fort Worth Connector. The Texas Department of Transportation, joined by local partners and state/federal officials, marked the occasion with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and signing of a project banner originally displayed when construction of the $1.1 billion DFW Connector project began in early 2010.
TxDOT and project partner NorthGate Constructors completed the design-build project nine months ahead of the original completion date. The project, TxDOT’s first public-private partnership to open to traffic in North Texas, doubles the capacity of the existing highway from 12 to 24 lanes. It also will ultimately add TEXpress managed lanes in the area where multiple state roadways converge north of DFW International Airport.
A Morris County Jury handed down two sentences of 75 years each this morning after they found Kivean Deshai Coffey, 19, guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual assault. The guilty verdict was rendered after two days of testimony in the 276th Judicial District Court with Judge Robert Rolston officiating.
Read the story in its entirety in the next issue of the Steel Country Bee.
Several students gathered at the flagpole in front of Hughes Springs High School for Meet Me at the Pole on Sept. 25.
Hughes Springs High School students held the annual Meet Me at the Pole last Wednesday morning. Students leading the singing, from left, are Shawn Pope, Blake Smith on guitar, Levi Hawkins, Jordan Debord, and Andy Nolan.
