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  • Group raises funds for scholarships

    051321 fundraiser 1TONY FARKAS| TCNS Heather Stenson serves up a heaping tray of crawfish to a customer at the fourth annual crawfish boil fundraiser for the Trinity Community Fair Association, held Friday at the Trinity Community Center.

    By Tony Farkas

    TRINITY — Hot crawdads, smooth drinks and great tunes help put kids through school.

    The Fourth Annual Trinity Community Fair Association Crawfish Boil Scholarship Fundraiser, held Friday at the Trinity Community Center, netted $10,600 for scholarships.

    Even with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fundraiser ended up being the largest event to date, with the TCFA selling 900 tickets, or 90 tables, and feeding about 1,200 people, according to organizer Tally Jo Stout.

    Stout said that every kid that shows at the Community Fair and generates $600 in the sale — be it through livestock or construction trades — gets a scholarship. That amounts to about 35 a year ranging from $250 to $750.

    “The TCFA is investing in you, whether you go to college or go to trade school,” she said. “We do not care what — college, trade, even gaining a certification — but it has to be school-related. Typically, we generate $10,000 from this event, and we have an endowed scholarship donor who will match that amount.”

    051321 fundraiser 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Taylor Albright begins to dig into her tasty treat.

    Stout said the scholarships go to the child no matter the age; however, if the child is not of graduation age, the money is held in an account with Edward Jones until the child graduates. If students join the military, scholarship funds are held until they separate from service.

    The scholarships are awarded at the awards banquet held each year.

    “Last year, both my children, Valerie and Jace, received scholarships of $1,400 apiece,” Stout said. “We’ve been able to give 15 so far, and the rest are sitting in escrow.”

    As well as food, Double Shot of Livingston provided music for the night, and area distributors donated beverages of both the adult and child variety. The local FFA and volunteers set up tables; a good time was had by all.

  • Groveton celebrates athletes

    052721 banquet 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Powerlifting Coach Mitchell Wheat displays a plaque to be placed with other school sports honors for the lifters who qualified for state.

    By Tony Farkas

    GROVETON — State qualifiers in cross country and powerlifting. District placing in numerous sports, such as track and volleyball. Grit, determination, heart.

    These and more were celebrated at the Groveton ISD athletic banquet, held May 17 at the school.

    Athletic Director Richard Steubing said the banquet was the first one in the five years he has been with the district, and the participants — coaches and players included — would be recognized.

    The coaches all provided accolades to the students, saying that regardless of the wild ride the year was because of weather and COVID cancellations and quarantines, every player showed a competitive spirit worthy of the Groveton Indians.

    Girls Basketball Coach Rogelyn Andrews said the first thing she thinks of when she thinks of her players is determination, since the team went “from the worst team in the district to the best team that Groveton has seen in years.”

    Andrews told the students that grit and determination will follow them throughout their lives.

    052721 banquet 3TONY FARKAS | TCNS The girls softball team giggle as they are introduced to the crowd by Coach Jim Dillard.

    Girls Softball Coach Jim Dillard said that his team was the hallmark of overcoming adversity; Head Powerlifting Coach Jim Wheat said that while the pandemic and the weather made the season a challenge, the lifters were dominating, with all seniors qualifying for regional and four of them making the state meet.

    Cross Country Coach Mary Lankford said that this year was a wild ride, but ended with eight girls participating in the state meet.

    Lankford summed up the season for all sports by saying everyone made the most of the season.

    052721 banquet 4TONY FARKAS | TCNS The boys baseball team introduce themselves at the Groveton ISD athletic banquet, held on May 17.

  • Groveton continues mask policy

    Groveton ISD logoFILE PHOTO Groveton ISD logo

    By Tony Farkas

    GROVETON — the Groveton ISD School Board intends to leave well enough alone by keeping masking requirements in place through the end of the school year.

    At the board’s regular meeting on March 22, the board took no action regarding Gov. Greg Abbott’s order removing any restrictions connected with the coronavirus pandemic.

    Superintendent Don Hamilton said the state gave schools an option regarding masks only, making it a school board decision.

    “(A handout from the state) shows that as boards consider their mask policies, one thing to be aware of is the risk for litigation and grievances for COVID-19-related claims,” Hamilton said. “This is a hot topic — half the people want to do away with it, half the people want to keep it.”

    Hamilton said he spoke with School Nurse Virginia Redden, who pointed out the district was nine weeks away from school being out, and that the students and teachers have done too well to change.

    Board President Mark Folds said he could go either way, but since the district has been doing so well, he did not see a reason to change, and the board could take up the matter at a later date.

    In other business, the board:

    • •approved the purchase of a new school bus from Longhorn Bus Sales;
    • •approved changes to school policy based on recommendations from the Texas Association of School Boards;
    • •approved the school calendar for the 2021-22 school year;
    • •approved keeping the District of Innovation description, and appointed a planning committee; and
    • •discussed contracts for teachers.
  • Groveton Invitational Baseball Tournament

    031121 baseball 1TONY FARKAS | TCNS Reece White makes contact with a pitch during the Groveton Invitational Tournament on Thursday. Groveton won its two outings, 9-1 over Trinity and 5-2 over Normagee.

    Thursday Results

    Groveton 9, Trinity 1

    Groveton 5, Normangee 2

    Warren 5, Trinity 3

    Diboll 8, Normangee 4

    Diboll 13, Warren 2

    031121 baseball 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Kaleb Coots brings the heat against a Normagee batter during the Groveton Invitation Tournament on Thursday.

  • Groveton native competes in cowboy competition series

    020421 hunterCOURTESY PHOTO

    TCNS staff

    A Groveton native is set to compete in the Ultimate Cowboy Showdown, a reality competition broadcast on the INSP Network.

    Hunter Arnold, a rodeo cowboy and horse trainer, will be one of 14 people on the program, which is scheduled to air Feb. 24.

    According to a release from the network, Season 2 of Ultimate Cowboy Showdown boasts a diverse group of 14 cowboys (men and women) from all across the country compete for a life-changing prize.

    Arnold said he was approached at the Professional Bull Riders Finals in Las Vegas by some of the show’s producers.

    “They asked if I would like to try out for the show, and I told them that I definitely would be interested,” he said.

    Arnold said wasn’t really sure what to expect, but wasn’t surprised that we had challenges involving ranch work, day work and roping cows.

    “I had put myself in the mindset to be ready for anything,” he said. “When I headed into this competition, I just tried as hard as I could, and gave it my all.”

    Screen Shot 2021 02 01 at 9.16.36 PM

    Arnold has garnered 100 buckles and 20 saddles in roping and rodeo competitions, and has trained more than 100 horses, many of which have gone on to qualify for the World Series of Team Roping.

    “I’ve lived in Groveton for 24 years; I went to elementary, middle and high school in Groveton, and graduated in 2014,” he said. “My Agriculture teacher, Mr. Fortenberry, helped to teach me how to rope. We’re still neighbors today.”

    •In the second season of Ultimate Cowboy Showdown, viewers will watch 14 contestants undergo a series of physical and mental challenges that will test them individually and as teams. The last cowboy standing will walk away with a prize package that includes a herd they can take to market, a Rawhide Portable Corral, an Arrowquip Q-Catch 87 Series Cattle Chute, the coveted Ultimate Cowboy Showdown belt buckle, and a lifetime of bragging rights.

    Ultimate Cowboy Showdown shows at 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 24 on INSP.

  • Groveton project making good progress (VIDEO)

    121720 sidewalk updateTONY FARKAS | TCNS Groveton Mayor Byron Richards shows one of the areas designated for personalized pavers, part of the city’s downtown revitalization project.

    By Tony Farkas

    GROVETON — The project to renovate and replace downtown sidewalks is proceeding rapidly.

    Mayor Byron Richards said that the project should be completed around the end of March.

    “The’ve got quite a bit done, and should have not problem finishing on time,” he said.

    Crews started on the east side of the Square, replacing sidewalks and adding handicapped access and railings; Richards said because of the season, and because there were retail outlets on the west side, work there would begin after the end of the year.

    The west side of the street will be a two-tier setup when completed, and there will be 18 old-style lights placed around the area. Colored contoured cement will be added around the sidewalks for some style and contrast.

    “We’re trying to keep the old town charm, while showing that we’re progressive,” Richards said.

    A new feature to be added will be personalized pavers, and room on both sides of the Square have been added. Richards said that orders have been sparse; however, the deadline is Feb. 28, 2021, and there are 450 spaces available.

    In order to secure a spot, there are order forms available on the city’s website — cityofgroveton.com — or by calling the city at (936) 642-1122.

    With the renovations, “maybe we can get some more businesses to move to the Square,” Richards said. “After TxDOT redid the street, we get a lot of traffic, and we want to make the city impressive.”

  • Groveton rocked by mayor’s death

    mayorCOURTESY PHOTO Mayor Richards of Groveton

     
    By Tony Farkas

    GROVETON — Mayor Byron Richards of Groveton passed away on Monday from complications due to COVID-19.

    Funeral services are pending.

    Mayor Pro Tem Ralph Bennett said that Richards died last night, but he was not aware of it until he received a call at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday from a fellow City Council member.

    “This is a shocking development,” Bennett said. “It’s hard for me to believe that he’s gone. We were aware he had possibly contracted the virus, and he had taken himself and his wife to CHI St. Luke’s Hospital in Lufkin.”

    Bennett also said that Richards contacted him Monday afternoon.

    “He told me over the phone that he wasn’t going to make it,” Bennett said. “It was a hard phone call to get. I’m still shook by it.

    “He thanked the secretaries for the job they’ve done for the city, and thanked the Council for backing him 100 percent,” Bennett said. “He said that I would do a good job for the city.”

    County Judge Doug Page, who also serves as the county’s Emergency Management director, called the news shocking.

    He said that Richards found out he had contracted the virus on New Year’s Eve.

    “As long as we’ve been dealing with the coronavirus, it’s the quickest I’ve heard of it taking someone down,” Page said. “It’s hitting close to home, and we will react appropriately at the county level.”

    Bennett said Richards’ wife, Sandi, also had contracted the disease, but has improved and been taken home.

    Bennett described Richards as a very humble man who was extremely passionate about Groveton.

    “The projects with the downtown renovations and changes with the water well, Richards was adamant about getting that done for the betterment of the community,” Bennett said.

    Bennett said the city plans to carry out all current projects.

    “We shouldn’t lose any continuity in those. I have a good idea of what to do,” he said. “It was always a dream for the council to bring about change the city, and the mayor was the perfect face for that.”

    Bennett said he will assume mayoral duties.

    Page said the county will continue to follow all state edicts regarding COVID-19.

    He also said there will be a free coronavirus testing from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Thursday at the Volunteer Fire Department in Trinity.

  • Groveton school board OKs improvement plan

    Groveton ISD logoFILE PHOTO - Groveton ISD logo

    TCNS Staff

    GROVETON — The Board of Trustees for Groveton ISD again approved an improvement plan for the elementary school.

    The need for the approval was because the submission form had changed; the state requires a three-year plan be in place.

    One part of the plan includes using test scores to drive instruction. Also, items were adjusted because of the affect of COVID-19.

    In a separate matter, the council denied a request for appeal from a resident of the district over a decision made regarding a student.

    No details about the incident, including the student’s name, were revealed because of privacy laws.

    The appeal was rejected because it was not filed in a timely manner, according to Board President Mark Folds.

    The decision was first appealed to the High School principal, who upheld the decision; then to Superintendent Don Hamilton, who also denied it.

    In other business, the board:

    • approved a missed school days waiver, as the district missed more days than were allowed for on the previous calendar; and
    • approved the Dec. 17 board meeting to be the date for the superintendent’s evaluation.
  • Groveton selects top superintendent candidate

    021821 hamiltonTCNS FILE PHOTO Groveton ISD Superintendent Don Hamilton (right) will be retiring effective Aug. 31, and Board President Mark Folds (left) and fellow board members selected Assistant Superintendent Jim Dillard as his replacement at a special meeting on Feb. 8.

    By Tony Farkas

    GROVETON — The Groveton ISD School Board settled on a finalist for the upcoming superintendent vacancy at a special meeting on Feb. 8.

    Jim Dillard, who currently serves as the district’s assistant superintendent, will assume the top spot in September, after the retirement of current Superintendent Don Hamilton.

    Board President Mark Folds said Hamilton had some challenges and tough calls, but he had the backbone to make them.

    Folds cited the improvements to the baseball fields, the cafeteria and other items as proof of Hamilton’s dedication and service.

    “We are pleased with his work,” Folds said.

    Don Hamilton is retiring Aug. 31 after eight years as superintendent and 34 years as an educator, 31 of which were in the Groveton district.

    “I told them 2 years ago (when my contract was renewed) that this would be my last year,” he said.

    Hamilton said he was looking for a little time off, mostly to spend working on his ranch and spending time with grandsons.

    “We have done a lot of construction on the facilities, and we were named one of the top schools in America by U.S. News and World Report,” Hamilton said of his accomplishments. “We’ve had FCCLA students who have advanced to nationals, and won, we’ve had ag students excel at Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show, and Beta Club has advanced to nationals several times.

    “I hope I left the place better than when I got here,” he said.

    Folds said that aside from Dillard being the lone finalist, he also was the lone applicant, but has the board’s full support.

    Dillard has been in education since 2014, and started in the Groveton district as assistant principal for the junior/senior high school.

  • Groveton takes second at 20-2A district meet

    IMG 2644LARRY LAMB | HCC Groveton’s Haden Lee competes in the 800-meter run at the District 20-2A Track Meet in Centerville.

    By Larry Lamb
    Polk County Publishing

    CENTERVILLE — The Groveton Indians pulled off a second-place finish at the District 20-2A track meet, even though the competition required an extra day to complete due to inclement weather.

    Groveton tallied 135.5 points, just behind the Centerville Tigers, who racked up 181 points to claim the title. The Lovelady Lions were hot on the Indians’ heels with 134 points, followed by Grapeland (66), Jewett Leon (46.5), Latexo (30) and Slocum (0.

    Field events, running prelims and 3200-meter races took place April 5 at Tiger Stadium. Athletes returned Thursday for the running finals, but just over an hour into the session threatening weather prompted meet officials to call a 30-minute lightning delay. Subsequent threatening weather in the area forced the delay to be extended and eventually the remaining six events were postponed until Friday morning.

    District 20-2A Track Meet

    April 5-9

    Varsity Boys

    Team Standings: 1, Centerville 181. 2, Groveton, 135.5. 3, Lovelady, 134. 4, Grapeland 66. 5, Jewett Leon 46.5. 6, Latexo 30. 7. Slocum 0.

    100 dash

    Fifth, Phoenix Bowman, Groveton, 11.57.

    400 dash

    Fifth, James Williams, Groveton, 56.68.6, Halston French, Centerville, 56.75.

    1600 run

    Second, Jarrett Loftin, Groveton, 5:21.59; sixth, Caden Alexander, Groveton, 5:26.56.

    3200 run

    Second, Jarrett Loftin, Groveton, 11:52; fifth, Caden Alexander, Groveton, 12:07.

    110 hurdles

    Fourth, King Jones, Groveton, 18.56; fifth, Ian Utz, Groveton, 19.18.

    300 hurdles

    Fourth, King Jones, Groveton, 45.37. 5, Tuff Reynolds, Groveton, 46.34.

    4x100 relay

    Third, Groveton (Phoenix Bowman, Byron Thomas, David Ayala, Malachi Stewart), 45.31. 4.

    4x200 relay

    Second, Groveton (Navid Pat, Bryon Thomas, David Ayala, Malachi Stewart), 1:36.88.

    4x400 relay

    Third, Groveton (David Ayala, Navid Pat, Chase Blair, Haden Lee), 3:47.52.

    Long Jump

    Sixth, James Williams, Groveton, 17-9 ¾.

    Shot put

    First, Tyler Allen, Groveton, 40-2.

    Discus

    Third, Tyler Allen, Groveton, 99-10 ½.

    Triple jump

    Third, Chase Blair, Groveton, 37-2 ½; fourth, Navid Pat, Groveton, 37-1; fifth, James Williams, Groveton, 36-11 ½.

    High jump

    Fourth, Malachi Stewart, Groveton, 5-8; fifth, Chase Vycital, Groveton, 5-6.

    Pole vault

    Second, Dalton Chandler, Groveton, 10-0; third, Haden Lee, Groveton, 9-0.

  • Hanging it up (VIDEO)

    122420 bell 1TONY FARKAS | TCNS Joe Warner Bell talks about his tenure as County Attorney for Trinity County. His last day in office is Dec. 31.

    Trinity County attorney retiring after 43 years

    By Tony Farkas

    GROVETON — When Joe Warner Bell first took office as Trinity County Attorney, cases were entered on typewriters, and the only places to buy liquor in the area was Houston, Huntsville and even Groveton.

    The “mostly” Trinity County native has been County attorney 43 years, 3 months 16 days and 2 hours, give or take. He got into the position because he was appointed; Bell was in private practice in Trinity for six years prior to taking the county job.

    “I was in general practice, which means I did anything that came my way, which is pretty much what I do now,” he said.

    When the 258th Judicial District was created, they needed to fill three positions — district attorney, district judge and county attorney, and Bell got the nod.

    He kept with it, though, for the simplest of reasons — it was a steady paycheck.

    “It didn’t have a lot of benefits at the time, but I felt I could do more here than I could (in private practice),” he said.

    Was appointed to the position first, then had been running for reelection since then.

    In addition to the changes in liquor sales and technology, the courthouse has changed, including his office location, which was moved six or seven times over the course of his career.

    Bell said the population of the county has doubled, and the jail, which has room for seven people and was almost never full, is full now almost all the time, with up to 40 inmates at a time.

    The most contentious commissioners’ court Bell said he has advised was the first one he served with, since it had two commissioners who were related and on opposite sides of the political spectrum, another development that is mirrored in politics today.

    Video interview with Joe Bell

    “There was one commissioner that I had prosecuted three times for DWI,” Bell said. “In fact, on the filing day for election, he was sitting in jail.”

    The things his office has had to deal with over the years has been varied, but one set of cases in particular stands out, and echoes some of the issues of today: election fraud.

    “We had some guys that … liked to play the edge,” Bell said. “At that time you had to have an excuse to vote absentee — either you were elderly or were going to be out of town. (Apparently) there were many people who had never left Trinity County in their lives were going to be out of town on election day.”

    Bell said there were ballots with forged signatures on them, and even a few of them were marked for people who were in nursing homes. Several elderly women voted twice; they had voted early, but were hauled to the polls on election day and were made to vote again.

    “I didn’t grasp the depth of the problem until I got into office,” he said. “People have said that there’s nothing wrong with mail-in voting; I voted mail-in one time and it got lost. My mother, who was over 65, voted, and her vote was tossed out because they said she was a crazy old woman. What it was, the person she voted for, they didn’t want that vote counted.”

    The more heartbreaking cases Bell said he has dealt with involves child abuse, especially when, as it happened in one case, involves the parents and stepparents. However, he said that the most rewarding part of the job was finding homes for neglected and abused children, and getting women away from abusive partners.

    Also, when Bell took office, there was a civil suit against the county over county districts, which were said to have disenfranchised African American voters; Bell got the suit delayed until new district lines could be drawn, which led to the suit being dropped.

    Bell said his position is to act as the attorney for the county, but there’s a difference between his office and district attorneys: the DA prosecutes felonies, and everything else falls under the purview of the county, except child support which goes to the attorney general.

    122420 bell 2COURTESY PHOTO Trinity County Attorney Joe Warner Bell is presented with a plaque of appreciation by representatives of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments on Thursday. Bell has been a member of the DETCOG board for 42 ½ years, since July 1, 1978, which DETCOG Executive Director Lonnie Hunt described as “some kind of record.

    “Also, we’re in charge of eminent domain, when the government comes to you and tells you they’re going to take your land,” he said. “We’ve only done that a couple of times; most landowners don’t mind giving up a little strip of land to make roads better or fix the bridges.”

    Bell said his office represents the state in child protective services cases, as well as adult protective services cases.

    “We’ve had a lot of fun,” Bell said. “I’m going to rest a bit, but I still have some work to do for the county. They’ve contracted me to do any redistricting (because of the 2020 Census).”

    Bell said that the bulk of his job has been answering questions, then, after a long chuckle, Bell said of his successor, Colton Hay: “Be ready for it, it’s coming.”

  • Inking fame

    021121 inked 2COURTESY PHOTO Trinity County resident, Destiny Sigford, competes to be cover girl for Inked Magazine.

    By Tony Farkas

    TRINITY — A Trinity County girl is hoping to grace the cover of a magazine that focuses on the art of tattoos.

    Destiny Sigford has made the Top 15 in her group, even claiming the top spot, and hopes by Thursday to make the Top 5 and enter the quarterfinals of the Inked Cover Girl competition.

    Sigford got her first tattoo at 17, saying it was a spur of the moment thing. She said they can make you feel more confident in the same way that makeup makes women feel more confident.

    “The only difference is you don't have to reapply (tattoos) every day,” she said.

    Sigford decided to enter the competition for several reasons, but most importantly because she said she has been her own worst enemy.

    “I have stood in my own way most of my life,” she said. “If I think there’s even the slightest chance I might fail at something or disappoint my kids or my family, I let those doubts keep me from trying. I am trying to approach opportunities like this with a different mindset. At the end of the day, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

    Sigford attended school in Trinity off and on growing up, and eventually her family purchased property near the county line a few years back.

    “I studied nursing at TVCC in Palestine and Angelina College in Lufkin,” she said. “Nursing was never my dream career though so when I was offered a job as a field clerk for an oil and gas company in South Texas a month after I turned 18, I decided to take it.”

    Still, the journey wasn’t easy, which led to some personal struggles.

    “I struggled with a reliable vehicle and was living in government housing,” Sigford said. “Fast forward 10 years later, and I have moved over from the contractor side of things to inspection. I still reside in Trinity technically, but I rarely get to go home. I love my job, but everything is so unpredictable in this field and I'm tired. My girls are tired of living out of an RV and switching schools constantly.”

    After struggling with depression and self-acceptance, Sigford started a fitness journey; that, combined with her love for tattoos, became a good way to celebrate her transformation.

    “I feel like if I won, it would send a powerful message to other women or struggling mothers like me to go after their dreams,” she said. “Don’t be a victim to your own doubts. It doesn't matter if you are the underdog or the deck is stacked against you; if it could change your life and you have nothing to lose by trying, go for it.”

    Aside from facing personal challenges, the competition itself will be tough for “just your everyday small-town gal from Texas.”

    “I’m going up against women who are popular influencers on Instagram or already modeling for other companies and have a huge following across multiple social media platforms,” she said.

    Sigford said that if she won the competition, the money would let her go back to college to be a civil rights attorney, or perhaps taking a course at Texas Laser Institute to get certified in micro-blading and shading and possibly opening up a small business.

    “I hope that I could make enough money doing that to get me through law school,” she said. “I'm going to need all the support I can get, and every vote is going to matter as the competition progresses.

    “I never expected the amount of support I have gotten since public voting started on Jan. 18,” Sigford said. “Even if I don't take anything else away from this, it will still have been worth it to me.”

    According to the Inked website, thousands of models registered for their chance to take home a $25,000 grand prize and be featured on the cover of the tattoo lifestyle magazine.

    To vote for a model, individuals with a valid Facebook account may use that account to vote once every 24 hours for free, as well as purchase additional votes for $1 each. A portion of the proceeds will go to the MusiCares Foundation, which helps musicians in health or financial crises.

    Voting for the Top 5 runs Feb. 4-11, followed by voting for group winners, which runs from Feb. 11-18. Group winners advance to the quarterfinals; that voting runs Feb. 19-25; semifinals run from Feb. 26-March 4; and finals voting starts March 5 and ends March 11.

    To vote for Destiny, or to find out about her standings, visit https://cover.inkedmag.com/2021/destiny-sigford.

  • Lady Tiger wins state meet

    032521 powerliftingCOURTESY PHOTO Kailyn Fisher displays her first-place award for taking top honors at the State 3A Powerlifting meet on March 16 in Corpus Christi.

    News-Standard staff

    CORPUS CHRISTI — Kailyn Fisher took top honors at the State 3A Powerlifting meet on March 16.

    The Lady Tiger lifted a personal best squat of 520 pounds, did a 285-pound bench press, a personal best 450-pound deadlift and hit a new state totals record of 1,255 pounds.

    Her efforts put Trinity at seventh in the team standings, which was won by Edinburg Idea College Prep.

    At the 1-2A State Meet held March 15, Groveton’s Jadan Alsip took eighth place and Lexia Blanks brought home 10th-place hardware.

    Kylie Voelker and Chloe Meshell bombed out on squats, which ended their competition for the season.

  • Lady Tigers advance 5 to regionals (VIDEO)

                                   JASON CHLAPEK I TCNS Trinity athlete Shelby Walters clears her height during the Districts 23/24-3A Area Meet on April 12 in Coldspring. Walters won the event with a vault of 9 feet.

    By Jason Chlapek

    COLDSPRING — April 12 was a banner day for Trinity athletes Shania English and Shelby Walters.

    English was part of a trio of fourth-place finishes and Walters won her event at the Districts 23/24-3A Area Meet last week in Coldspring. The top four finishers in each event qualified for the Region III-Class 3A Meet Friday and Saturday at Midway High School in Waco.

    English finished fourth in the girls high jump (4 feet, 10 inches), 400-meter run (1:06.38), and ran a leg on the fourth-place 400-meter relay team (53.60). Joining English on the 400 relay were Yasmin Moore, Anaya Weathersby and MyOna Wilson.

    Walters won the pole vault with a vault of 9 feet. She didn’t start vaulting until the height reached 7 feet, and Walters cleared the height with ease to clinch the area title in the event.

    The second-place finisher in the girls pole vault cleared 6-6, but failed to clear 7 feet. The top two finishers and top third-place finish statewide in each event at the region meet qualify for the state track and field meet May 6-8 in Austin.

  • Lifter taking next step up the mountain

    042221 powerlifter 2COURTESY PHOTO Kailyn “KK” Fisher show off the hardware she’s won during her journey to becoming the state champion powerlifter this year.

    By Tony Farkas

    TRINITY — Kailyn Fisher said it’s good to be at the top, especially for a state as grand as Texas.

    The Trinity High School junior won’t be stopping there, as she has set her sights on a national competition, set for June 2-3 in San Antonio.

    Kailyn, or KK as she’s known, is following in her older sister Deanna’s footsteps after watching her lift, and her happiness doing it.

    “I love doing what I do, and I love making people happy,” she said.

    Powerlifting Coach Forrest Reddick said he had the privilege of coaching both sisters. At a recent school board meeting, he listed her numerous accomplishments.

    “Deanna was my first star,” Reddick said. “We would be down on the floor getting ready to lift, and we’d look up in the stands and there would be this kid, laying across two or three sets of bleachers, dead asleep. Four years later, KK’s freshman year, she went undefeated in her regular invitational meets, came in second place at regionals and came in third at state behind some senior girls.”

    In her sophomore year, KK went undefeated in all invitational meets, became regional champion and set three records for bench, deadlift and a totals record with 1,230 pounds.

    Reddick said Kailyn qualified for the state meet, but that was cancelled because of COVID.

    For this year, she again was undefeated in invitational meets, again was regional champion where she was named most outstanding lifter, and at state set a personal best with a squat of 520 pounds, benched 285 pounds, and deadlifted a personal best of 450 pounds to break the state record of total weight of 1,255 pounds.

    “I knew I would do well, I was confident,” Kailyn said. “We were looking at the stats going in to the tournament, and knew I would do well, but I didn’t think I would outdo everyone from 1A to 6A.”

    042221 powerlifterCOURTESY PHOTO Kailyn Fisher poses with her coach, Forrest Reddick, after the state meet this year.

    Reddick said that he went back through all the totals, and KK had the best lift of all weight classes this year.

    Trinity School Superintendent John Kaufman praised Kailyn’s accomplishments, but also said he was a role model.

    “Ms. Fisher has accomplished a task that no one in Trinity has accomplished,” he said. “I am extremely proud of her, and I’m even more proud of her as a student leader.”

    With all of her success competing this year, Kailyn, after at the Scarlet Showdown in New Caney on April 10, was invited by the U.S. Powerlifting Association to compete at the national level.

  • Lit team heads to state

    051321 literaryCOURTESY PHOTO Kayley McCrory

    Special to the News-times

    GROVETON — the Groveton High School Literary Criticism team, earned its sixth consecutive trip to the state contest, with junior Kayley McCrory advancing as an individual.

    The team is coached by Jeremy Gentry.

    In a non-COVID year, the whole team would have qualified, as they would have earned the wildcard slot for being the highest second-place team in the state after the regional contest; they were the second highest team in the state, beating the first-place teams in three of four regions.

    The UIL Literary Criticism Contest is a 90-minute test in which students are assessed on their knowledge and application of college-level literary analysis, as well as a familiarity with authors and thematic concerns of the Western literary canon.

    The test consists of four parts: knowledge of literary terms and literary history; the UIL reading list (different authors are selected each year); ability in literary criticism; and the required tie-breaking essay.

    At the state contest, Kayley won the silver medal, coming in just two points short of the gold-medal winner. Her score is the highest ever scored by a GHS student in Literary Criticism at state.

    Her score also was high enough to have earned her a spot in the top three had she competed in any of the divisions, from 1A to 6A.

    Kayley is the daughter of GHS alumnus Shane McCrory.

  • Master gardener Sandra Cluck dies at 78

    cluckCOURTESY PHOTO Sandra Cluck

    Aug. 28, 1942-Dec. 5, 2020

    Sandra Lee Anderson Cluck of Vidalia, La., 78, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Natchez, Miss. Sandra is survived by her husband, Jack Cluck of Vidalia; one daughter, Cassy Muscalino and her husband, Joseph Muscalino, of Vicksburg, Miss.; one son, Jason Cluck and wife, Fran Cluck, of Shreveport, La.; and a brother, Thomas Anderson Jr. Sandra is also survived by one granddaughter, Courtney Davis, and husband, Mark Davi,s of Vidalia; and nine more grandchildren and 27 great-children. She is preceded in death by her son, Trace Cluck, and grandson Mason Cluck.

    Sandra was born in San Antonio on Aug. 28, 1942, to Teddy Jo Burnett and Thomas Anderson Sr. Sandra graduated from Pasadena High School with honors and attended Rice University. Sandra met and married Jack Cluck on June 30, 1961.

    Sandra was a devoted mother, grandmother and a master gardener in her garden club in Oklahoma and participated in numerous flower shows. Sandra enjoyed fishing, painting and caring for her family. Sandra, along with her husband and family, had the opportunity to live in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, back to Texas then finally to Louisiana to enjoy time with family.

    A private service will be held for the family.

  • New building, new business

    IMG 0418PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP SCHMITTEN

    By Philip Schmitten
    TCNS correspondent

    TRINITY — Got a hankering for something sweet to start your day? Then just mosey over to the newly opened Spitfire Donut Shop in Downtown Trinity for the freshest donuts in town.

    Dyna Hout and Pat Sokol are co-owners of the recently opened sweet shop. They own Spitfire Convenience Store in Pennington, as well.

    "We love Trinity and thought that it needed us," said Pat Sokol. “We hired local employees from Trinity and are doing what we can to help the local economy.”

    They offer breakfast, lunch and anytime smoothies. The hours are 4:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

    IMG 0426PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP SCHMITTEN Chrissy Stephens picks out a donut for a customer at the Spitfire Donut Shop.

  • New restaurant takes up old haunt

    032521 restaurant 1PHILLIP SCHMITTEN | TCNS CORRESPONDENT Maria Casas prepares some pico de gallo for the arriving customers.

    By Philip Schmitten
    TCNS correspondent

    GROVETON — Very recently a new restaurant opened in Groveton; Habaneros is the name, and you can find it next door to Los Jalapenos Restaurant next to B&B Grocery.

    The restaurant, formerly known as Wagon Wheel has some new owners, Edgar and Lori Abshire, and they serve up some excellent Tex-Mex food.

    Manager and co-owner Lori Abshire sends out a big thank you to the residents of Groveton, who have been so wonderful with their support and patience while the new eatery gets settled.

    “The folks here have been absolutely wonderful to us,” Lori said. “We plan on staying as long as Groveton will have us.”

    The Abshires have been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years and bring their excellent venue to Groveton.

    “We love the town and the people are so very friendly,” Lori said.

    They offer seating for up to 70 and have a party room for those special occasions. Lori Abshire wants to thank Groveton for making them feel so welcome and look forward to many years of service.

    “We have applied for a liquor license and are look forward to adding Margaritas to our menu real soon,” she said. “We are currently looking for local help as of now all of our staff comes from Lufkin and we would really like to hire some local talent.”

    So, if you are in the mood for some fantastic Tex-Mex, look no further than Habaneros.

  • Now it looks a lot like winter (GALLERY)

    jillian phillips steptoePHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN PHILLIPS STEPTOE A winter storm blew through Trinity County on Sunday, chilling noses and toes and creating pastoral scenes.

    Special to the News Standard

    A winter storm unloaded more snow in Texas than some areas have received in decades at the end of the weekend.

    The snow, stretched all the way from the northernmost parts of Colorado beginning Saturday, to eastern Texas by Sunday, according to Accuweather.

    The swath of heaviest snow, with 6-9 inches of accumulation in 24 hours, stretched from near Lubbock to Abilene and just west of Waco, which received 4.4 inches of snow on Sunday, making it the highest snowfall total the city has received since 1982 and the 10th highest 24-hour snowfall total on record, according to the National Weather Service.

    Snow-covered, slippery roadways were reported throughout the region, including along some of the major highways such as interstates 20 and 35.

    But for those who didn't need to travel, the snow was mostly fun and games.

    AccuWeather National News Reporter Bill Wadell interviewed some residents of Stephenville, Texas, who told him they haven't seen this much snow in years. Some residents were seen using the hood of a car as a sled for multiple people. Stephenville reported 8 inches of snow by Sunday evening.

    The worst of the storm stayed to the south of Dallas, where a rain and snow mix throughout Sunday led to only a trace of snow accumulating.

    Farther south, however, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted a video on Twitter showing snow covering the grounds of the Governor's Mansion in the capital city of Austin. The city officially reported 1.3 inches at the Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, but just north of town, 3-5 inches of snow was reported.

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