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San Jacinto County News - Breakout

Tis the season

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Lots of gingerbread houses in the annual parade. (Courtesy Photo)Lots of gingerbread houses in the annual parade. (Courtesy Photo)

Special to the News-Times

SHEPHERD — Parade enthusiasts from across San Jacinto County joined together in Shepherd on Saturday to celebrate the Christmas holiday season

A special thanks to the Shepherd Chamber of Commerce which sponsored the event. The individuals from the Shepherd Chamber have for years given unselfishly of their time and efforts so the members of the community could benefit.

As is customary, members of the law enforcement community and Sheriff Greg Capers were out in force providing for the safety and security for both participants and spectators as well as traffic control.

A broad selection of impressive floats, as well as students from Shepherd ISD to include members of the JROTC presenting colors for the parade, capped off the festivities.

Winning first place in the parade was the city of Shepherd float; second place went to the Community Impact Center; and third was won by the Shepherd Middle School cheerleaders.

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Nominations for ‘Best of’ now being accepted

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DidYouKnow ColumnHead

Coldspring Chamber of Commerce has started preparations for the Best of Banquet Awards which will be in February 2023. The venue and date will be announced shortly.

To vote for your favorite business, police officer, citizen of the year, to name just a few , go to the web site and you can either print a copy of the ballot and fill it in, then drop it off at the Chamber Office or vote online. If you need a hard copy, call the Chamber.

The categories range through everything from pest control to resale shop, from RV park to bank, etc. You can only vote once, and your ballot must have an original signature. Photocopies will be discarded.

120122 didya•Shepherd Library has a wonderful raffle with lots of donated prizes. Hosted by Friends of Shepherd Library, the prizes include a beautiful handmade quilt, a liquor basket, a Roku, electronic cube and Firestick basket, a Tablet and ear buds, a very large stuffed Giraffe and more.

Tickets will be $2 each or 3 for $5 and prizes will be drawn on February 10 which is Super Bowl weekend.

•Over the last few weeks I have noticed a lot of online emails which offer prizes and free gifts. Nearly all of them are scams. When you click on the link, you will be hacked.

To find out if they are for real, go to the email address and beside the last letter you will find a chevron. Click that for the real sender. Usually it will be a long jumble of letters and numbers. The real email address will stay the same. I have had offers from well-known companies which on inspection were scams.

•Marsha Brown is a new member of Coldspring Chamber Board. She is well known for her work with Coldspring Library and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This is doing well with 80 applicants so far in our area. This Library is for very young children and offers free books to ages newborn to 5 years old.

Newborns can’t read you may think, but their parent or older sibling can read to them and when a child is brought up with the habit of looking at and reading books, they have a wonderful start on their education. These books arrive once a month and are free.

To find out more call Marsha Brown at the Coldspring Library (936) 653-3104.

•For some years I have wanted to start a museum which would tell the history of our East Texas area. We have a museum for the Old Jail and other buildings in Old Town Coldspring. This would be a more personal history of some of the people and families who have lived and still live here.

Many are able to trace their ancestors back hundreds of years. Photos, maps, letters and posters are often lost when a person dies, and this history is gone forever.

A photo from Dale Everitt shows the 101-year anniversary of his grandfather Claude Everitt and grandmother Alverta Ellisor’s marriage in Jackson’s Store in Everitt. Dale is one of those who can trace his family way back; the town Everitt is named after them.

So, save those memories when you can and hopefully, one day we will have a museum for them. Recorded histories are also very important. Have your older family members tell their stories.

•Shepherd ’s Christmas in the Park on Liberty Street, by Shepherd Library, is on Saturday, Dec. 3. Come out and enjoy our fabulous musical artists. Santa will be in the Gazebo from 4 to 6 p.m. The parade starts at 6 p.m. but will start lining up at 4 p.m. for judging to begin.

Vendors may set up in the park any time and are responsible for their clearing up and bringing their own set ups.

Dec. 10 is Coldspring’s day. Parade at 6 p.m., vendors round the Courthouse, entertainment all day.

Contact the Shepherd Chamber at (936) 628-3890 or the Coldspring Chamber at (936) 653-2184.

Yvonne Cones is president of the Greater Shepherd Chamber of Commerce, and secretary of the Coldspring Chamber of Commerce.

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District focus still on school safety

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Shepherd ISD Board of Managers, as well as Superintendent Jason Hewitt, were given cards of thanks for their work with the district. Courtesy photoShepherd ISD Board of Managers, as well as Superintendent Jason Hewitt, were given cards of thanks for their work with the district. Courtesy photo

SJNT staff

SHEPHERD — The Shepherd school district continues to shore up its security and will seek additional funds to do just that.

Superintendent Jason Hewitt said that at the board’s meeting on Nov. 17, the Board of Managers gave its blessing for the district to apply for a SPAT (silent panic alarm technology) grant for silent alarms throughout the schools.

Additionally, the school will seek a school safety standards formula grant that allocates $200,000 for safety improvements to the structures and staff training.

In other business, the board:

•approved the annual audit, which came back clean and non-modified;

•heard the regular report on ESSER III funds;

•approved the 2022 tax roll for the district;

•approved the purchase of band uniforms;

•approved the purchase of vehicles from another district to be used for travel or maintenance vehicles to relieve an aging fleet;

•approved a maintenance agreement for a heat pump for the high school; and

•approved putting KBS Law Group put on retainer for school legal services.

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Battalion hosting toy drive

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112422 toy drive

The Shepherd Pirate Battalion is hosting a Toy Drive for the community.

The toys will be held in the Pirate Battalion Toy Chest until Dec. 14.

To donate, toys may be dropped off at Shepherd High School. Toys need to be in the age range be from approximately 3-12, and cost no more than $15.

On Dec 15, the toys will be given to community members at the Impact Center.

The Pirate Battalion is looking to help make a child’s Christmas a little brighter.

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Shepherd FFA places in events

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112422 LDE

Shepherd FFA excelled in Leadership Development Events last week at the Sam Houston District Contest.

Students competed in 13 different events and brought home five banners.

In addition, Shepherd FFA was represented for the first time ever with a Spanish Creed Speaker, and she placed third in the event.

Individual results:

•Senior Creed Speaker — first place and advanced to Area — Thomas Barton

•Junior Spanish Creed Speaker — third place — Julissa Mayorga

•Senior Farm Skills — fifth place — Landon Robbins, Rhys Brown, Keith Owens, Jordan Cutaia

•Junior Farm Skills — sixth place — Bryson Goodman, Koby Cheek, Jagan Aguliar

•Junior Chapter Conducting — sixth place — Alex Orazco, Kylee Tomias, James Hansford, Layla Howton, Leah Phillips, Haley Angel, Hunter Goodman

•Agriculture Issues — eighth place — Samahra Aguliar, Cacee Harper, Alexis Weise

•Senior Chapter Conducting — 10th place — Garrit Burton, Thomas Barton, Bethany Hassler, Mason Palazzo, Krysten Neal, Tangela Yates, Paisley Armstrong

•Job Interview — 11th place — Baylee Windt

•Agriculture Advocacy — 11th place — Jeanna Roberts, Samahra Aguliar, Ronnie Charles, Thomas Arrington

•Senior Quiz — 13th place — Jasmine Skinner, Abigail Lopez, Ellena Claywell, Kaitlyn Gallmeier

•Junior Quiz — 16th place — Kylee Tobias, Charlie Hoffert, Julissa Mayorga, Isabela Gonzales

•Junior Creed — 16th place — Carys Brown

•Radio Broadcasting — 18th place — Garrit Burton, Tangela Yates, Lori Schoppe

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