Hughes Springs

The Walmart Express pilot program will come to an end, following a decision by Walmart to close 269 stores worldwide, including 102 of the smallest format stores, according to a company statement on Jan. 15. 154 locations across the United States will be closed, including three local Neighborhood Market stores. The company made the decision following a review of Oct. 2015 review, which took into account a number of factors, including financial performance and strategic alignment with longterm plans. “Actively managing our portfolio of assets is essential to maintaining a healthy business,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “Closing stores is never an easy decision, but it is necessary to keep the company strong and positioned for the future. It’s important to remember that we’ll open well more than 300 stores around the world next year.

The Hughes Springs Mustangs split two close games in the past week, to Paul Pewitt and Chapel Hill. On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the Mustangs visited the Paul Pewit Brahmas. After being outscored, 9-13, in the first quarter, the Mustangs were able to outscore their opponents in each following quarter, to win the contest, 49-45. Austin King was the leading Mustang, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Kody Burns added 13, for the Mustangs, while Lucky Chism contributed nine points. In a true team effort, Jaren Jones added five points, and Sean Starks and Alex Bruce each added two points in the win for Hughes Springs. Friday, Jan. 15 brought the Chapel Hill Red Devils to town. After again being outscored in the first frame, Hughes Springs kept the Devils close in quarters two and three, before unloading for 18 points in the final quarter. Unfortunately, the outburst was not quite enough, as the Devils squeaked out a 47- 42 win.

By Daniel Bramlett, Pastor

First Baptist Church, Hughes Springs