News

After more than a year of sharing venues and basing their productions and activities on the availability of other areas, The Community Theatre of East Texas has found a home to call its own. After its inception in March of 2015, CTET used whatever space it could
find for rehearsals and performances. This meant the group would use the Hughes Springs High School auditorium for rehearsals, and then use another venue, such as The Legacy, for performances. Using different venues for rehearsal and performances meant moving sets, and sometimes rearranging scenes the last week of rehearsal, due to the difference in the venues.

Following the police shootings in Dallas in the last few weeks, communities across Texas, as well as the nation, have looked for ways to honor, recognize, and support their local police departments and law enforcement officials. Morris County gathered on Friday, July 15 to show their support for the families of the fallen officers in Dallas, as well as to show support of local law enforcement. Plans began as early as Saturday, July 9, for a “Back the Blue” event. Organizer Eva Wilbanks felt the need to do something for local law enforcement in the wake of the shootings. “God really just laid it on my heart to do this for our officers.” Wilbanks spoke to Travis Pool, who runs a Facebook page that reports scanner calls, in an effort to get her idea out to the general public. “I told Travis about it, and within just a few hours of posting it on his page, we had more comments than we expected. That is when we created the Facebook event to get the word out,” said Wilbanks.

On July 1, Officer Brandon Fulcher received a call of a drunk driver. Officer Fulcher made contact with driver, Stormy Cline, a 25-year-old from Naples. During the investigation, Officer Fulcher determined the driver to be intoxicated, for which she was arrested. Cline was charged with Driving While Intoxicated with a child under 15 years of age, which is a state jail felony.

On July 5, Sergeant Corey Parr received a call in regards to a suspicious vehicle. Upon making contact with the driver Charles Douglas, a 54year-old from Naples, Sgt. Parr determined that Douglas was intoxicated. Douglas was arrested and booked for Driving While Intoxicated, a Misdemeanor B and Resisting Arrest or Transport, which is a Class A Misdemeanor.

Randy and Linda Taylor, of Daingerfield, would like to announce the engagement and approaching marriage of Katelyn Rae Wall to their son, Clay Randall Taylor. The prospective bridegroom graduated from Daingerfield High School, and earned an Associates of Science and Nursing at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant. He is employed as a Registered Nurse at Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant. The bride-elect is a graduate of Nashville High School in Nashville, Ark., and earned an Associate of Business Management from Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas. She is the daughter of Mark and Danita Wall of Nashville. The wedding will be at 4 p.m., Saturday July 30, at the Gospel Tabernacle in New Boston.

Six students recently completed the fire academy at Northeast Texas Community College. They were honored during a graduation ceremony held in the Whatley Center foyer. The graduates and instructors are pictured (from left): Captain Danny Beard and Otis Clark, instructors from the Mount Pleasant Fire Department, Noah Pirtle of Daingerfield, Randle Phifer of Mount Pleasant, Kolby McCullough of Mount Pleasant, Aaron Johnson of Talco, James Parkerson of Mount Vernon, Frank Ramage of Daingerfield and Larry McCrae, Chief of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department and Fire Academy Coordinator. These students are now eligible to take the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Exam to complete certification. NTCC is currently enrolling students for the 2017 Fire Academy. For more information contact the NTCC Continuing Education office at 903- 434-8134. Limited financial aid may be available.

Most local folks know about Harris Mercantile of Avinger, where one can buy just about anything from tshirts to teapots, key chains to chain saws, hosiery to garden hoses. Harris has been in its #15 Main Street location for 13 years. In November 2015, Phil and Kathie Harris opened a second location, and on July 7, the Avinger Chamber of Commerce named the other Harris Mercantile as their featured business for this quarter. This store, also on Main Street, just north of the intersection of Hwy. 49 and Hwy. 155, offers much of the same variety as its flagship store. Just a brief stroll through the inviting, brightly-lit aisles reveals dinnerware, furniture, magazines, bamboo bedding, and vintage toys and magazines. In the rear of the store is a generous selection of work clothes and uniforms and, depending on the season, one may find a nice selection of homegrown tomatoes, zucchini and watermelon.

The following local residents have been sentenced to jail sentences, according to Cass County Criminal District Attorney Randal Lee. These cases were disposed in the Fifth Judicial District Court with Judge Bill Miller presiding.

Mario Hector Reyes, Jr., of Hughes Springs, was charged with Aggravated Assault causing serious bodily injury, and Evading Arrest or Detention with a vehicle. Reyes had his community supervision revoked, and was sentenced on June 6 to seven years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Daniel Gregory Sell, of Naples, was charged with two counts of Criminal Trespass and one count of Possession of a Dangerous Drug. Sell was sentenced on June 6 to 60 days in the county jail.

The Steel Country Bee has served the Daingerfield, Lone Star, Hughes Springs, and surrounding areas for over 50 years, and we are asking for your help.

We are a community newspaper, and want to cover the community news that matters to our readers. This is where you can help us. If your church has a reception for your pastor, or you land the catch of the day at a local fishing hole, send it to us.

We are looking for any type of news. From birth and wedding announcements, to honoring color or military graduates, we want those things that make an impact in your life.

Many times, we are informed of big, community events ahead of time, and can attend those. However, when one of our many volunteer fire departments have a fundraiser, or the local ball team makes it to the state tournament, we may not hear about it. So send your snapshots and information about the photo to us to share with our readers.

 Thanks to legwork done by Officer Brett Gutierrez, the Lone Star Police Department has received a grant for new vehicles.

“Officer Gutierrez actually wrote the grant and did the legwork,” said Chief Larry Fleet. The grant, originally written for $80,000, was approved by the Ark-La-Tex Council on Governments, but there were not enough funds for that amount, so the department is receiving $40,500 to go toward the purchase of vehicles.

Fleet said that they are in an agreement with another department that purchases new vehicles periodically, so in or around December, the Lone Star Police Department will be purchasing two used Dodge Durangos from that department. Thanks to the grant, these new vehicles will be at no cost to the citizens of Lone Star.

Fleet said, even though the vehicles will be used, it still will give the department better vehicles, with more room and a better trade in down the road.

 Thanks to legwork done by Officer Brett Gutierrez, the Lone Star Police Department has received a grant for new vehicles.

“Officer Gutierrez actually wrote the grant and did the legwork,” said Chief Larry Fleet. The grant, originally written for $80,000, was approved by the Ark-La-Tex Council on Governments, but there were not enough funds for that amount, so the department is receiving $40,500 to go toward the purchase of vehicles.

Fleet said that they are in an agreement with another department that purchases new vehicles periodically, so in or around December, the Lone Star Police Department will be purchasing two used Dodge Durangos from that department. Thanks to the grant, these new vehicles will be at no cost to the citizens of Lone Star.

Fleet said, even though the vehicles will be used, it still will give the department better vehicles, with more room and a better trade in down the road.