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This year's annual Tyler County Harvest Festival was held October 14 and 15 at Heritage Museum in Woodville, Tx. The weather was perfect, as was the entertainment and demonstrations celebrating Tyler County history.
Booster photopher Jim Powers wondered around out there both days, and came back with a few photos.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF BAD SNEAKERS
Bad Sneakers, Houston’s own Steely Dan tribute act, will appear in Woodville at the Emporium Stage on Sunday, Oct. 15. The group features Woodville’s own “Wild Bill” Spurlock (center) on guitar and vocals. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the band goes on at 5. Tickets are $25 for reserved seating and $20 general admission. For tickets, call Judith Haney at 409-200-4759.
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Kim belts out a tune during the blind audition on The Voice. Image courtesy of NBC | The Voice
By Chris Edwards
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The term “overnight sensation” is fraught with the fault of a fickle public’s perception. For every artist, band or performer who seems to emerge from nowhere to top the charts or reach the heights of viral YouTube stardom, there’s been years, decades even, woodshedding their artform.
Woodville native Kim Cruse managed to capture the nation’s attention with her soul-stirring performance on Monday night’s episode of The Voice, but she has been a professional musician now for several years and has not been shy about demonstrating her powerful voice, since her childhood.
Cruse, who played hostess to a full house of family and friends on Monday night at the Emporium in Woodville at a watch party, said the show could prove to be a pivotal moment in her life.
In her first appearance on the popular show, Cruse sang “The Best Part”, originally recorded by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R., and got the attention of all four celebrity judges, all of whom turned their chairs around and vied for her to choose them as her coach for the season. Cruse ultimately chose R&B/pop singer-songwriter John Legend as her coach.
Legend remarked about her voice that her “tone immediately got me,” and said “I can’t wait to work with her.”
No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani, who is one of the four judges, called Cruse’s voice “so unbelievably pretty,” and added that she did not even think she could talk after hearing her sing.
The charismatic 30-year-old artist has already achieved viral video stardom prior to her star turn on television, and has toured the country, both as a solo act, as well as part of other artists’ shows. She has also proven herself as a songwriter and recording artist, with the 2021 release of an eponymously titled five-song EP.
Before all of that, Cruse grew up in her father’s church, Little Baptist Church, in Woodville, where she sang as often as she could from an early age. She credits her parents, the beloved Rev. Bobby Cruse and Ramona Cruse, as her biggest inspirations to sing and perform.
“They’ve worked so hard to help make everything happen for me. I want to be able to give them the world and more,” she said.
In an on-camera interview, on the show, Rev. Cruse recalled a time when his daughter was three years old and sang before his flock. The interview Rev. Cruse gave was accompanied by footage of a very young Kim singing with the church band.
“My first public performance has to have been at church. We would have musicals at our church quite often. I believe I sang a song called ‘Mississippi Poor Boy’ with a quartet that my dad invited out,” said Kim.
She also recalled, fondly, how she would stand in her front yard as a small child and sing whatever her favorite song happened to be at the time. “Waking my lovely neighbors up on Saturday mornings” is a fond memory she recalled from growing up in Woodville.
From her childhood filled with singing and music to numerous classical choir competitions in high school, Cruse worked steadily at her craft. She took up songwriting during her high school years, and auditioned for several television shows, such as American Idol and Sunday’s Best, as well as a prior audition for The Voice.
In an interview with the Booster around the time of her record release in 2021, Cruse said she went to Los Angeles to try out for the show but was not chosen at that time. That incentivized her to go ahead and try her hand at putting out some of her own music.
Through her career, Cruse has already earned comparisons to classic women of song, such as Nina Simone and Etta James, and since her appearance on The Voice, some critics have stated that her vocals give the same type of emotional conveyance as the great Billie Holiday.
At Monday night’s watch party, the crowd gave a room-filling cheer each time Kim was on camera, as the episode was projected onto the Emporium stage wall.
Another classic songstress, Madonna, once said that her ambition was “to rule the world,” early in her career. In spite of her already present star power, Woodville’s own Kim Cruse comes across as the same humble, friendly soul she’s always been. Her ambition might not include world domination, but she will certainly let the world around her know of her immense talent.
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User Rating: 5 / 5
By Tony Farkas
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TRINITY COUNTY — Three Trinity County residents were killed on Oct. 6 as the result of a house fire.
Emily Gideon, 36, and two daughters, Braley, 10, and Annabelle, 7, were killed.
According to a release from Sheriff Woody Wallace, emergency personnel were notified at about midnight on Oct. 6 about a house fire in the Camp Branch subdivision on Rustling Wind Street.
When firefighters and deputies arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames, he said.
Multiple fire departments, including 356 Volunteer Fire Department, Onalaska Fire Department and Trinity Fire and Rescue were on scene battling the blaze.
Emergency personnel spoke with a 14-year-old resident of the home who escaped the fire through a window. He told officials he ran to the back of the house and tried to break windows to rescue his mother and two sisters but was unsuccessful; he then ran to the neighbors and asked them to call 911.
Emergency personnel arrived too late to rescue the other occupants.
Wallace said that the cause of the fire is currently unknown and is under investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.
Wallace also said that people should discuss with children a fire escape plan and check batteries in smoke detectors.
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LUFKIN – It will be more challenging to see pedestrians as days get shorter during the fall and winter months. That’s why TxDOT’s “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” pedestrian safety campaign is kicking off National Pedestrian Safety Month today, reminding drivers and pedestrians to stay alert and watch out for each other.
Pedestrian traffic fatalities increased by 15% in Texas in 2021. The state saw 5,366 traffic crashes involving pedestrians, resulting in 841 fatalities and 1,470 serious injuries.
“The fall season means not only a shift to cooler temperatures but also fewer hours of daylight, and visibility becomes an issue,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “It’s important for motorists to pay attention and look out for people walking, and for pedestrians to make sure they take steps to be seen.”
TxDOT’s pedestrian safety campaign includes TV and radio spots, billboards and digital advertising. TxDOT will also be hitting the streets and bringing its walking billboards—street teams wearing sandwich boards—to the 10 districts that saw the highest numbers of fatalities from pedestrian-related traffic crashes. To address the high number of pedestrian-related crashes and fatalities in these areas, TxDOT is deploying more than 30 street teams to display pedestrian safety messages in places where vehicles and pedestrians share the road.
“In the Lufkin District in 2021, there were 49 traffic crashes involving pedestrians, resulting in 18 fatalities and 17 serious injuries,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “That number continues to rise this year. We urge motorists to stay alert and pedestrians to observe all safety protocol for walkers, especially as the days get shorter.”
TxDOT encourages everyone to follow these safety tips to prevent a deadly encounter:
For drivers:
Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
When turning, yield the right of way to pedestrians.
Be cautious when passing stopped buses or other vehicles.
Pay attention and put your phone away, so you’re always prepared if pedestrians enter your path.
Follow the posted speed limit and drive to conditions.
For people walking:
Cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks. Look left, right, then left again before crossing.
Make eye contact with drivers before crossing. Don’t assume drivers see you.
Follow all traffic and crosswalk signals.
Use the sidewalk. If there isn’t one, walk on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic.
When walking, put away electronic devices that take your eyes and ears off the road.
Wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.
TxDOT’s “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” pedestrian safety campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (936) 633-4395.
The information contained in this report represents reportable data collected from the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (CR-3). This information was received and processed by the department as of May 4, 2022
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