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Around Town

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August 21, 2017 - The final countdown has begun for with the eclipse being just hours away. According to Courier-Journal, the moon will be in the sun's path starting at 11:46am and continue for 2 hours 59 minutes.

Don't look at the sun without looking through a protective solar eclipse filter. The sun can damage the eye.

Below is a schedule for the best time to see the peak of the eclipse locally.

  • Center, Texas - Expect to see the moon cover 75.3% of the sun. The best time to see the peak of the eclipse will be at 1:17pm.
  • Joaquin, Texas - Expect to see the moon cover 76.2% of the sun. The best time to see the peak of the eclipse will be at 1:17pm.
  • Shelbyville, Texas - Expect to see the moon cover 75.6% of the sun. The best time to see the peak of the eclipse will be at 1:18pm.
  • Tenaha, Texas - Expect to see the moon cover 76.1% of the sun. The best time to see the peak of the eclipse will be at 1:17pm.
  • Timpson, Texas - Expect to see the moon cover 75.6% of the sun. The best time to see the peak of the eclipse will be at 1:16pm.

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August 18, 2017 - The Center High School Alumni Association is pleased to announce our 2017 Hall of Honor Award winners!  After careful consideration from one of the largest groups of nominees ever, the Committee has selected:

  • Luke Motley III, representing the Class of 1957 (celebrating their 60th Class Reunion)
  • Joy Ann Weaver Harvan, representing the Class of 1967 (celebrating their 50th Class Reunion)

The CHS Alumni Association would like to congratulate our newest Hall of Honor Inductees. Their awards will be presented during the Annual CHS Alumni Association Meeting that will be held on Saturday, September 16th at the Windham Civic Center from 9am until noon.

More information about the recipients will be coming soon.

August 18, 2017 (More Photos) - More than 300 kids attended the 3rd Annual Back to School Bash held August 12, 2017 at the First Baptist Church in Tenaha.

The event provided families with much needed school supplies. Education is important and giving kids the tools they need to learn is priceless.

Kids enjoyed art projects, a bouncy house, and food which included hotdogs and popcorn.

Volunteers who came out to help included school board members Tracy Collins and Aaron Roland along with their spouses who worked the concessions table, school board member Vickie Jernigan, City of Tenaha Mayor Carl Jernigan, youth director of Tenaha FBC Austin Barna, youth director of Ramah Church Cord Sheard, FBC Youth Center President Jimmy Bowlin and wife Jean, Tenaha HS cheerleaders, volunteers representing business sponsors, and community members.

Banner sponsors of the event were Tyson Foods, Apex Dental, and the Hope Project. Thank you to all the contributors.

Club President Scott Stanfield presents check for Catherine Pinkston Roughrider Scholarship Foundation to Jerry Pinkston

August 18, 2017 - The Center Rotary Club presented a $32,000 donation to the Roughrider Scholarship Foundation (RSF) at their August 15, 2017 meeting. The donation money was raised during the club's Fun for Funds Benefit Auction.

Prior to the check presentation, Jerry Pinkston spoke to the Rotary Club of Center to give an update on the scholarship foundation.

The Catherine Pinkston Roughrider Scholarship Foundation initially started in 1989 with limited funds. However, with the support of the community and the Rotary Club, the funds have grown to $2.4 million.  Of the $2.4 million, the Rotary Club has donated $1,148,637 through its Fun for Funds Benefit auction it hosts in the spring of each year.

Pinkston gave a brief history about how the foundation started, "In 1989, the first year we started recording [the scholarships], what happened is we had this money donated when they sold the old youth center building - that's city hall today. And they sold it and they didn't know what to do with the money because the bylaws of the Roughrider said it had to be given to the Center ISD students. It's their money, their building so we honored that. When they found a checking account they had from when they ran the old youth center and nobody had ever spent, that was $38,000 more, so well we will use that too. And we started and then a couple of years later the Rotary Club started kicking in [in 1991]."

The first year the foundation gave 19 scholarships totaling $15,000. Last year the foundation gave 120 scholarships to Center graduating seniors totaling $120,000. In 2014 and 2015 each scholarship was $1,200; however, as the class sizes continue to grow, the scholarship amount was lowered back to $1,000. Over the recorded 28 year history of the RSF, the organization has given 1,771 scholarships to graduating seniors which totals $1,462,200.

Pinkston finished by saying thank you to the club on behalf of the RSF and advised them, "We have taken good care of your money. And we've retained every penny of it." Today, scholarship money given is from interest earned off of the money managed by the RSF which ensures the longevity of the program.

August 18, 2017 - Travelers who may be heading to Tenaha as their final destination of travel, or who are stopping off in the city during their journey to another location, won't be confused about where they are as a new welcome sign has been erected.

In appreciation of the support of the Tenaha Business Men's Club in achieving this goal, club president Claudine Howard has announced the placement of the sign and thanks to the club:

"Thanks to the Tenaha Business Men's Club for the new Welcome to Tenaha, TX. sign. We want to thank James Grimsley and Roland Cross for all the work and effort put into getting it erected. It is located on 84 West in Tenaha near the Loop.

Thanks
Claudine Howard/President"

Click image to enlargeAugust 15, 2017 - Cat Spec Specialty, a Stronghold Company specializing in Oil and Gas refineries across the United States, is hosting a job fair at the Carthage Civic Center Friday, August 18th and Saturday, August 19th.

The job fair starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Cat Spec Specialty is currently interviewing and hiring for work to begin now and throughout the year.

The Carthage Civic Center is located at 1702 S. Adams Street, Carthage, Texas 75633. Contact Melvin Crouch for more information at 1-361-537-2877.

August 11, 2017 - Start testing out your Chicken Recipes for the 41st Poultry Festival Cooking Contest sponsored by Tyson Foods. Chicken dishes can be grilled, baked, fried, in a casserole, in a dip – any way you love to cook and eat chicken. The Chicken Cooking Contest is open for participation in three categories: Youth (ages 8-13), High School Youth (ages 14-17) and Adult (age 18 and above). Trophies and cash prizes are presented to the winners in each category. So, crank up the grill, heat up the oven and start searching for unique and delicious chicken recipes or fine tune that family favorite.

The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and the 41st East Texas Poultry Festival Steering Committee extends a special note of appreciation and gratitude to the Poultry Festival Presenting Sponsor Farmers State Bank, and Gold Sponsors City of Center and Tyson Foods.

The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce is organized to promote and advance economic enrichment and development, tourism, and the social and civic interest of Shelby County and adjoining areas. For additional information, please call 936.598.3682, email info@shelbycountychamber.com or visit www.shelbycountychamber.com

August 8, 2017 - Center FFA Officers cut the ribbon for the Center ISD New Ag Science Building before those attending toured the 10,500 square foot building which houses specialized classrooms for agribusiness, animal science, floral design, power, structure, and technical systems, and a meeting room.

FFA Chaplain Makayla Mayo lead the invocation at the ribbon cutting for the Center ISD new Ag Science Building 1 before Center FFA Chapter President, Kaden LaRock spoke, "On behalf of the Center FFA officer team, I would like to thank all the people that came to support us and all the people that made this happen for us. And we can promise you that great things will be happening in this building."

Superintendent James Hockenberry spoke about how this event came to be, "It was approximately 6 to 7 years ago that we were discussing the future of our CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs and where the student interests truly laid. And at that time we conducted a student survey and overwhelmingly the students wanted to see an expansion of the Agriculture Science programs." He went on to say one of the first programs to emerge from the survey was the vet-tech program which had to be housed inside the Center High School main campus in the old homemaking room and how the armora of program made it evident that animals were in the building.

Hockenberry, "I do want to talk about the moment the decision was made to start construction here... You know the board president and superintendent relationship is unique. You spend a lot of time with each other and Mr. (James) Greer and I over the last several years had many conversations, almost daily, and they revolved around school, agriculture, and Texas A&M. And if it wasn't those three topics, I'm not sure if we were really talking about anything. But his heart was for kids. His heart was for agriculture and he loved this school. And this building is the intersection of agriculture and the school and he wanted to see it happen. So, it was April of 2016, and we had a couple of students recite the FFA Creed at a board meeting and we also had a couple of concepts for buildings, this one and the tennis courts that were being presented that night. And it was his efforts and his will to push the concepts, not only from a drawing, but to what you see here today." Hockenberry then asked for a few moments of silence to remember Mr. James Greer and the impact that he had and his legacy that he will leave as we walk through the hallways of this building today. "We're going to miss him."

"Never the less, this is a happy day. This is for the students today, tomorrow and well into the future. This building has allowed for Center ISD to expand their offerings, to have those specialized classrooms we so desperately needed to meet the future needs of our students and the programs. No longer will we have dogs and other animals walking the halls of the main campus, they will be out here," said Dr. Hockenberry smilingly before inviting everyone to tour the building.


Makayla Mayo (Chaplain), Mallory Fausett (Historian), Jaylee Sims (Sentinel), Kalei LaRock (Reporter), Maddie Russell (Treasurer), Madison Kirby (Vice President), and Kaden LaRock (President). Not pictured: Carsen Vickers (Secretary)


FFA Officers inside their main meeting room.


From left: Kelly Reed-Hirsch, Cancee Lester, and Dr. Billy Adams

August 8, 2017 - Shelby Regional Training Center hosted a welcome reception for Cancee Lester, Dr. Billy Adams, and Kelly Reed-Hirsch which was well attended by members of the community, City of Center Mayor David Chadwick, Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison, Chamber of Commerce, and Center ISD employees on Tuesday, August 8, 2017.

Cancee Lester took over the position of Director of Shelby County Operations on July 5, 2017 where she is responsible for the overall direction and administration of the programs and services provided by the College in Center, Texas.

“We are pleased to have Mrs. Lester join the Panola College team full-time. The partnership between Shelby County and Panola College is important and longstanding,” said Dr. Greg Powell, President of Panola College. “I know Mrs. Lester will continue to ensure that the educational and training needs of our Shelby County students and businesses are met.”

Dr. Billy Adams assumed the Vice President of Instruction position on July 5, 2017. "We are delighted to have Dr. Adams join our team," said Dr. Powell. "Adams has extensive leadership experience in the areas within higher education instruction and will be a great benefit to Panola College."

Panola College was also pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Kelly Reed-Hirsch as the Dean of Health Sciences and she assumed the position on July 1, 2017. "With her previous leadership roles and her extensive background in the health science field, we are confident that Ms. Kelly Reed-Hirsch will be an outstanding leader for Panola College in the coming years," stated Dr. Powell.

Together, they will work closely consulting on courses and procedures in the academic and technical areas of the Shelby County Operations of Panola College.

August 8, 2017 - The Center Athletic Booster Club is holding a raffle with a 2017 Polaris Ranger "Camo" Crew 900 as the prize. 

Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100 and may be purchased at the Athletic Office located at Center High School or from any Booster Club member.

The drawing will take place at the final 2017 Varsity Football game versus Kilgore on November 3rd.

The Polaris is currently located at The Shelby Savings Bank on Selma Street for viewing.

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