Panola College
April 14, 2015 - Monday morning, Panola College hired Grant McMillan as its new Men’s Head Basketball Coach. McMillan comes to Panola from Northwest Florida State College where the Raiders just won the 2015 NJCAA National Basketball Championship. Prior to Northwest Florida, Coach McMillan has been at Independence Community College, Howard College, TCU, and Texas A&M. He has a bachelors from Texas Christian University and earned his Masters Degree from Texas A&M University.
“Coach McMillan has had the opportunity to work for some of the best programs and coaches in the country and has a history with winning programs. We are excited about what he will bring to Panola College as we begin a new era in our basketball program,” states Don Clinton, Vice President of Students Services and Athletic Director of Panola College.
This year at Northwest Florida State College they compiled a 33-2 record and won the Panhandle Conference Championship, then the Florida State Championship on their way to winning the NJCAA National Championship.
At Independence Community College the program won the Jayhawk Eastern Division title with a record of 11-1. This was their first conference title in fourteen years. At Independence CC, McMillan recruited and coached three Division I signees including Jimmie Duplessis (Southeastern Louisiana), Chris Ikuneobe (Texas Pan-American), and Jayhawk East Player of the Year and All-American Tarik Phillip (West Virginia).
McMillan worked at Howard College during the 2012-2013 season under National Coach of the Year, Head Coach Mark Adams. The Hawks won the Western Athletic Junior College Conference Championship and posted a record of 30-6 overall and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament making it to the Elite Eight Round. At Howard, McMillan coached Region 5 Player of the Year Cameron Forte (University of Georgia), Dashaun Wiggins (Portland State), Karim York (Prarie View A&M), Ladon Carter (Tennessee Tech), Jamal Reynolds (Canisius), Marcus Fuggins (Morehead State), and David Joseph (Bowling Green).
Prior to Howard, McMillan was a graduate assistant in 2011-2012 at Texas Christian University, his alma mater, under current Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian. The Horned Frogs made the postseason for the first time in a decade, reaching the second round of the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.
McMillan received his start as a student assistant at TCU under the late Neal Dougherty in 2006.
McMillan is from Van, Texas where he was a point guard on the 2005 Texas 3A State Championship team that finished 38-2.
“There are lots of people that have helped me on this journey, I am forever grateful for that. Panola College is a place I believe that has unlimited potential where we can be successful on and off the floor, stated Coach Grant McMillan.
April 10, 2015 - Ponies starter Hunter Stevens doesn't need much run-support when he is on the bump and he showed it on Wednesday at Carthage, TX against Bossier Parish Community College (CC). Seven strong innings by Stevens lifted Ponies to a 2-1 victory over Bossier Parish CC.
Jake Arledge helped Ponies pull ahead for the duration in the eighth inning. With the score tied at one, Jake Arledge came to the plate and singled, plating Dalton Etheredge.
Jake Arledge paced Ponies at the plate going 3-4, drove in one and scored one run.
Kyle Black got the win for Ponies . He pitched two shutout innings. Black struck out one, walked two and gave up one hit.
April 6, 2015 - The ETMC Auxiliary awarded three Panola College Associate Degree Nursing students academic scholarships for spring 2015. Pictured left to right on the back row, Auxiliary members Dr. John Solan, Martha Arnold, Ellen Stokes, Lynda Albers, Bonita McElroy, Marge Wilkerson, and Lynn Getsay. Front row: Scholarship recipients Kellen Bass, Shelby Johnson, and Sarah Shadowns, and Panola College Dean of Nursing, Dr. Barbara Cordell.
April 2, 2015 - With more people dying senselessly on Texas roads due to distracted driving, the Texas Department of Transportation kicks off its annual “Talk, Text, Crash” campaign to urge drivers to give their full attention to the road. Tx DOT’s campaign coincides with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April.
“Nearly 1 in 5 traffic crashes in Texas is caused by a distracted driver,” said TxDOT Deputy Executive Director John Barton. “Last year, 468 people were killed because someone took their attention off the road. How important is a fleeting distraction when it could end in the death of someone, perhaps even one of your loved ones?”
Distracted driving-related crashes in Texas are highest among 16- to 24-year-olds. In 2014, there were 100,825 crashes in Texas involving distracted driving — up 6 percent from the previous year.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers using a mobile phone are four times more likely to cause serious injury in a crash. Text messaging is particularly dangerous. New research conducted last year by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute showed it takes a driver double the amount of time to react when they are distracted by text messaging. Additionally, sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while blindfolded.
While mobile phone use is the most recognizable driving distraction, any type of behavior that draws a motorist’s attention away from driving is dangerous. TxDOT urges drivers to refrain from:
• Texting or checking email
• Eating and drinking
• Programming a navigation system or adjusting music
If a distraction absolutely requires immediate attention, TxDOT reminds drivers to pull over to a safe location and come to a complete stop before diverting their attention.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or (936) 633-4395.
April 2, 2015 - On March 26th, the Panola College Center LVN students participated in the 8th Annual 
Shelby County Health and Fitness Fair in Center, TX.
The students provided teaching on heart awareness, provided manual blood pressure checks, and helped with health screenings at the Nacogdoches Medical Center Booth.
"We are excited to have an opportunity to promote health and wellness in Shelby County" said Shelbea Comer, RN, Associate Chair of the Vocational Nursing Program.
March 30, 2015 - Panola College Board of Trustees is proud to announce the naming of the Frances B. Ross Ballroom, located in the new Charles C. Matthews Foundation Student Center and the Frances B. Ross Lecture Hall, located in the new Health and Natural Sciences Building. These rooms are named in honor of Mrs. Frances B. Ross’s many years of support and generous financial contributions to Panola College and the Panola College Foundation.
Over the years, Ross gifts to Panola College have made it possible for Panola to purchase a stage which has been used for numerous ceremonies and performances, acquire new tables and chairs to outfit a science lab, and replaced many aging musical instruments. Ross has also established two scholarships that will continue to help students in perpetuity. Dr. Gregory Powell, President of Panola College commented, “Mrs. Ross is a tremendous supporter of our community; nowhere is that support more evident than Panola College. I am pleased to see the Panola College Board of Trustees honor Mrs. Ross through the naming of these two highly visible spaces in our new buildings. She is most deserving.”
Frances B. Ross is a lifetime resident of PanolaCounty. She was married to Mr. Elvin Ross, a rural mail carrier, for 32 years. Together they had one son, Daniel Lloyd Ross. In 1973 Ross became co-owner of the Hobby Horse Gift Shop in Carthage, Texas. For twenty-one years, her entrepreneurial spirit and energetic demeanor was seen in the success of the Hobby Horse. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church, and her accomplishments in life are easily seen in the admiration and respect of her friends and those around her.
March 24, 2015 - Panola College's Workforce and Continuing Education Department is proud to announce the successful completion of the first Licensed Massage Therapy Class. These students have worked hard to complete the 12 month program and are ready for the state licensing exam. Panola College would like to congratulate each of these students and wish them much success!
Listed from top to bottom are: Hailey Miller, Massage Therapy Instructor, Gina Smith, Massage Therapy Instructor, Layni Gonzales, Brianna Washington, and Holly Anderson.
For more information concerning the Licensed Massage Therapy program, contact Panola College Workforce and Continuing Education at 903-693-2067 or ce@panola.edu.
March 24, 2015 - Panola College Rodeo team was in Bryan, Texas March 20th & 21st for the 8th out of 10 Southern Region Rodeos .
Bareback rider Wyatt Denny of Minden, NV has had a record breaking year. Wyatt won the first round of competition by scoring 77 points, followed by a second round score of 78 points, to win the average race by three points. Denny is on his way to a dominating Southern Regional title where he leads the rest of the field by over 400 points.
Caleb Cogbill, freshman at Panola, placed in the steerwrestling, with a great time of 5.7 seconds. The steerwrestling is an event which is usually dominated by athletes over 200 pounds. Caleb, 160 pounds soaking wet, was able to maintain perfect form, and compete with the giants of rodeo.
Nicole Reeves and Kagen Cassaday performed well in the team roping, turning a great time of 7.9 seconds in the first go round and 18 seconds in the short round. Reeves and Cassaday have just began to rope together, and we are looking for great things from them in the future. Reeves an outstanding athlete, competes in several womens events in rodeo, and has a very realistic shot at making the C.N.F.R. in Casper, WY.
Bull Rider Gannon Ivy, made an outstanding ride for a first round score of 74 points, to win a 3,4 place split. Gannon moved to second place in the regional standings by a close 25 points between him and the number one spot. Gannon, a sophomore at Panola, from Hampton, AR is working on a degree in Petroleum Technology.
Panola will be back in action at the next regional rodeo held in Hillsboro, TX, April 17-18.
March 3, 2015 - Wyatt Denny, of Minden, NV, is setting the bar high for the bareback riders in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Currently, Wyatt is ranked #1 in the nation and leading the Southern Region by 369 points.
This past weekend at the Texas A&M - Kingsville Rodeo he made two outstanding rides to win the rodeo. This was the 7th of the 10 rodeos for the college circuit in the Southern Region. His sights are set on qualifying for the National Finals in Casper, Wyoming on June 14-20. The top three in each event will qualify for the CNFR.
February 17, 2015 - Panola College bareback rider, Wyatt Denny, increased his lead in the Southern Region Standings with two outstanding rides this past weekend in Athens, Texas. Denny, scored 79 points on Friday and 80 points Saturday night to move to a remarkable lead over the rest of the bareback riding competition. Denny, has been extremely hot throughout the season and finds himself with a 300 point lead in the Southern Regional Standings.
Cody Gibbs placed 5th in the Steer Wrestling event to help add 60 points to the team’s efforts. Gibbs has been working extremely hard and is starting the spring season off right with his finish in Athens.
Bull rider, Randy Myers, made a great 78 point bull ride Friday night to finish second place in the long go round and second in the average. Myers increased his placing in the Southern Region Standings and is now ranked 5th.
Out of the top 5 bull riders in the Region, Panola College holds 3 places. Gannon Ivy is 2nd, Fulton Rutland is 4th, and Randy Myers is 5th.
The Panola College Rodeo Men’s Team had a tough rodeo in Athens, but pulled out a 5th place finish. The next College Rodeo will be held in Kingsville, Texas, February 27th and 28th.
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