Tyler County News - Breakout

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Motorcycle enthusiasts with the Circuit Riders and Radical Disciples get to work building a playground for residents of Castillo’s Children’s Center. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB

By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – Whenever one hears the term “biker,” certain trappings and connotations spring to mind: lots of tattoos, leather and beautiful American-made motorcycles on the open road, with adventures soundtracked by heavy metal guitars or outlaw country sounds.

Members of the Circuit Riders and the Radical Disciples have some of those pre-requisites, but instead of honoring the stereotypical rambling and rough-riding ways many call to mind when thinking of groups of motorcyclists, they all have hearts of service in common, and use their passion for motorcycles as a vehicle for a ministry.

The two groups joined forces on Saturday morning to construct a playground for the children of Castillo’s Children’s Center in Woodville.

The Circuit Riders are a national motorcycle ministry, that, according to its website is “dedicated to preaching of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ,”with “members [who] are passionate about spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

Woodville has a chapter of Circuit Riders (the Crossroads Chapter) that meets at Fellowship Church. The Radical Disciples, out of Dayton, is a similar outfit, with its love of motorcycles and fellowship a conduit for sharing the Gospel.

With a pile of sand, several railroad ties, playground equipment and some heavy equipment to get the job done, members of both groups spent their morning and afternoon, last Saturday, volunteering to make sure that the children who call the facility home have a safe and fun playground environment.

The project was truly a community effort and one born of love and care from all involved parties.

Marcia Weigle, with the Radical Disciples, said “I would just say that our brothers in Christ and the community banded together to make this possible, and nothing would be possible without Jesus.”

The Neptune Society donated the playground equipment, while Kirkpatrick Construction of Woodville donated the sand. Fellowship Church and Woodville Hardwoods contributed the railroad ties and the City of Woodville allowed the use of some of its equipment fleet for hauling purposes.

Jimmy Goodman, with the Circuit Riders, said it was an awesome day. “Thanks to all my brothers and sisters from the Radical Disciples Motorcycle Ministry for all the help,” he said.

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Retirees, pictured left-to-right: Jimbo Swinney; Dr. Tammy Boyette; Robyn Glosson and Beverly McKee enjoy their new rocking chairs. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB

By Chris Edwards
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WARREN – At its regular monthly meeting on Monday evening, the Warren ISD Board of Trustees recognized four retirees, whom the district’s CFO Terry Ling said represent more than 100 years of combined service in the educational field.

Ling announced the four retirees, and had them each pick out a rocking chair, which were set up in the boardroom, in front of the trustees’ bench, and were a gift from the school board.

Beverly McKee, who has been with Warren ISD for 29 years;Robyn Glosson, who served the district for 23 years and Jimbo Swinney, who has been at Warren for 27 years, were celebrated along with retiring superintendent Dr. Tammy Boyette, who was named superintendent in 2019, but has more than 30 years of service in education.

Following the presentation, a reception with refreshments, including a sheet cake honoring each retiree, was held.

It was a night of celebrations for the district, and in one last “Tribe Tribute” presentation as Warren HS Principal, Swinney presented the award to another long-serving faculty member, agriculture instructor Rex Currie.

Swinney said that when he was in high school at Warren, Currie was beginning in the district as a student teacher, and had come from Kennard, where he’d been a high school basketball star. In college, Currie had either wanted to be a basketball coach or an ag teacher, according to Swinney.

Forty-eight years later, Currie “still has a burning desire to teach and to connect with the kids,” Swinney said.

Swinney noted that Currie has worked his entire career at Warren ISD.

Before presenting him with the commendation from the board, Swinney shared a story about Currie from an observation of one of Currie’s classes he conducted, and he said it was one of the best lessons he’d witnessed.

Currie spoke before being honored, in order to give recognition to the WISD Future Farmers of America chapter and its ag program.

He said this has been “a fantastic year all the way around,” and mentioned the addition to the faculty of Jacob Spivey. In competitions, several students made it to area-level, while two made it to state.

“I’m proud of all our successes,” Currie said.

He mentioned that Ellen Meredith, who is the incoming Warren FFA President, is an area officer.

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Coach George Taylor and family. MOLLIE LASALLE | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle
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COLMESNEIL – The Colmesneil ISD board of Trustees met Monday evening at a special called meeting for the purpose of naming the district’s new athletic director/head football coach.

The meeting was called to order, and Superintendent Dr. Scott Davis immediately called the board into a short meeting in closed session. After 12 minutes, the board returned to open session.

Davis wasted no time in recommending the hiring of George Taylor to replace Cody Day, who accepted a position at Carlisle ISD to be their new Athletic Director.

Taylor comes to Colmesneil from West Hardin, where he was the AD for a year and a half, and the head football coach for the last four years Taylor and his wife Michelle have four children, two sons and two daughters. The Taylors are an all-in family when it comes to school and sports. Coach Taylor has spent the past 18 years in public education and has an administrative graduate degree and certification.

Davis said “he will fulfill the role of athletic director and be a vital member of our staff. He has a well-written and organized transition plan for CISD;

that level of forethought earned my respect.”

Taylor is committed to all levels of the athletic program, girls and boys, at every student level. He is also committed to naming a girls’ coordinator for the improvement of their programs.

Taylor highlighted the community feel and support he has witnessed when West Hardin would play Colmesneil in football. He referenced the work ethic he noticed every time his kids came to town, and that was a major draw for him. Having grown up in Anahuac, Taylor is a small- town guy, and Colmesneil was very attractive as a place to live, work, raise a family and grow student athletes.

Davis added, “ I had an overwhelmingly positive conversation with his previous boss, and his connections with current coaching staff and other quality teachers and coaches in the entire southeast Texas are is important to us as we no doubt will have possible openings coming and will want to fill them with professionals who will add value to our mission at the team spirit in Colmesneil, Texas.  I recommend that we extend a contract to Coach Taylor as our new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach.”

The board voted unanimously to extend a contract and hire Taylor as Colmesneil’s new Athletic Director and head Football Coach.

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The bell at the Tyler County Courthouse was reinstalled in its belfry on Wednesday afternoon. It had been taken to its original foundry in Missouri to be restored. MOLLIE LASALLE | TCB