Author: Howe Enterprise

HOWE, Texas – The Howe Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a convicted sex offender who is wanted for Failure to Comply with Registration Requirements.

Michael Wade Lively, 33, a convicted sex offender, was living in Howe and did not register with the police department as required by law. 

Lively was convicted in Oklahoma in 2008 for Lewd Molestation of a Person under 16 years of Age and labeled a lifetime registrant, and he has been convicted twice since then in Oklahoma for not registering with local law enforcement. According to Oklahoma state officials, Lively has not registered with authorities since January 2017.  He was last seen Friday, May 3, in Sherman.

Lively is a white male who stands 6’ tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. He has thinning brown hair and blue eyes, and usually has a beard or goatee. He has several tattoos: the name ‘Georgina Fuersen’ on his chest, a heart on his left upper arm, a dragon on his right shoulder, a cheetah on his right forearm, flames on both forearms, and the words ‘hard hands’ on either his hands or wrists. Lively has ties to Denison and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

There is no reason to believe Lively acted inappropriately with any Howe residents.

Anyone with information on Lively’s whereabouts is asked to call Howe Police Sergeant Keith Milks at 903-532-9971, or if they see Lively, call 9-1-1 immediately.

On Sunday, May 5 at 4:48 pm, Howe Police Officer Brandon Ozuna stopped a vehicle on northbound U.S. Highway 75 at Haning Street for a traffic violation and found that the 25-year-old driver, of Dallas, was wanted on outstanding Dallas County warrants for Theft of Property > $2,500 and Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle.  Ozuna arrested him and then spoke with the other occupants of the vehicle.  While doing so, Ozuna smelled the odor of Marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.   A subsequent search revealed a useable amount of Marijuana.  The 24-year-old passenger, also of Dallas, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana < 2 Oz.

Expectations for Howe’s Annual Founders Day Festival have never been higher. The event that starts at 2 pm on Saturday will see a record number of vendors that will be set up all over the two-block area of downtown stretching from O’Connell Street to Davis Street. Vendors will not only be on the sides of Haning Street downtown, but also in the middle of the street. All in all, nearly 80 spaces will be filled with those selling all kinds of items from jewelry to funnel cakes. Two bands will provide entertainment during the event’s entirety and kids will have bounce houses, and a kid train to keep them occupied.

This year’s event will feature a Summit Gardens BBQ dinner (to be held at FBC Howe), silent auction (held at Summit Gardens), and live auction (at the EDC/Chamber office). Also, there will be a 6U Ferguson Field Founders Day Classic game between two Howe teams. Former Howe Youth Baseball Commissioner Ray Bledsoe will be recognized before the game for his contributions to Ferguson Field 48 years ago.

But for the fifth consecutive year, the Founders Day Festival will actually kick off tonight with the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce’s Howe Hall of Honor and Awards Celebration at 6:30 pm. Donna Jarma, Bobby Sollis, Marion Allison, and Lowell Thompson will be enshrined into the illustrious Hall of Honor just after the chamber announces awards such as the Norma J. Citizen of the Year, the Business of the Year, and the Volunteer Organization of the Year. That event will take place in the Howe EDC/Chamber office at 101 E. Haning St. and tickets are $15.

On Saturday night at 7:30 in the same location, the Summit Gardens organization will hold their final live auction with Clint Catching serving as auctioneer. The chamber wants to thank all of the sponsors that are helping make this a great looking Founders Day Weekend. Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door have sponsored the main stage area where the bands will perform. Baker A/C & Heating is the sponsor for the 65′ inflatable obstacle for the kids. Sandy Setliff of JP & Associates is the sponsor for the bounce house for the kids. Star Auto Body of Howe is the sponsor for the Interurban Kid Train that will run the same route as in year’s past. Advantage Business Machines has once again sponsored the lawnmower race, but a location for the race has yet to be determined due to large amounts of vendors.

The Founders Day Festival sprung its roots from the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial celebration. First held on May 10, 1986, and organized by the Sesquicentennial Committee headed by Jim Utley, the celebration featured a parade, horseshoe tournament, a one-mile run, a 5-mile run, and egg toss, a tobacco spitting contest, bubble gum blowing contest, cow chip throwing contest, and a beard contest.

Since then, Howe’s Founders Day has been a staple each May, but there were a few years that it was canceled due to either weather or to not enough interest. But since 2014, the event has grown each year and has been the largest attended to date. This weekend the streets will be full of people.

Schedule of events:

Friday at 6:30 pm – Howe Hall of Honor and Chamber Awards

12 pm – Haning Street is blocked off and vendors begin set up

2 pm – Founders Day Festival Begins. Bent Creek begins playing on the to Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door Stage.

Summit Gardens silent auction begins at Summit Gardens

Star Auto Body Interurban Kid Train begins route

3 pm – 6U Howe Baseball players parade through downtown from Ferguson Field and back.

3:30 pm – Festivities begin at Ferguson Field recognizing former Howe Youth Baseball Commissioner and former Mayor Ray Bledoe. Hall of Honor inductee Donna Jarma will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

4 pm – Founders Day Ferguson Classic begins.

4:30 pm – Limbo contest in front of the Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door Stage.

5:20 pm – Lawnmower race to begin at Ferguson Field (sponsored by Advantage Business Machines).

5:30 pm – Summit Gardens (Save the Church) BBQ dinner begins at FBC Howe’s Fellowship Hall.

5:30 pm – Montecito begins playing on the Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door Stage.

7:00 pm – The Star Auto Body Interurban Kid Train shuts down.

7:00 pm – Summit Gardens silent auction ends

7:30 pm – Summit Gardens live auction begins at the EDC/Chamber office downtown.

NORMAN EDWARD DICKEY was born Jan 24, 1940 in Gunter, Texas in a small home on his grandfather Reed’s land. His parents were James E Dickey and Alla Jean Reed Dickey. He was raised in Gunter in a simple manner that instilled and incorporated his love of God, life, family, and sports. After working on the farm, milking the cow, hauling hay, and picking cotton, Norman chose to go to college to be able to always be near his love of sports by becoming a coach.


After a successful athletic career at GHS, he graduated in 1958 and went to Cisco Jr. College on a football scholarship. After playing college football for 2 years, he transferred to and worked his way through Austin College and played football and baseball on scholarship there for 2 more years. He graduated from Austin College in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. His first teaching and coaching job was in Mesquite High School, Mesquite, Texas. Howe ISD school board sought him out for head coach and athletic director in 1964 and so he started his 31-year stint at HHS. There he became the “winningest coach in HISD history” and was recently recognized at a community pep rally for that honor.



During his career at HISD he taught math, coached, and served as interim principal and superintendent, was Director of Special Services, and retired as Assistant Superintendent. The first Howe athletic field house was built during his tenure and he loved caring for and improving the Howe football field.



In 1965, Norman married Joanne Berglund Dickey whom he met at Austin College. They’ve been married nearly 55 years. Their children are son, Gary Don Dickey (Retired US Army Lt. Col.) and Lisa Joy Dickey Newton. He is survived by wife, Joanne of Howe, son Gary Don Dickey (Susie) of Killeen, Texas; daughter, Joy Dickey Newton (Mike) of Diana, Texas; Grandchildren: Michael Dickey of San Antonio, Texas, Kaydee Dickey of Killeen, Texas, Jess Newton, Joelle Newton, Jaymin Newton of Diana, Texas; sisters Ladonna Lue Dickey Sparks of Italy, Texas, Calla Dickey Robinson (Gary) of Denison, sister-in-law Libby Dickey of Gunter; Derenda Dickey, mother of Michael and Kaydee; sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Bill Worthley of Arkansas; many cousins and nieces and nephews and cherished friends. He was predeceased and joins in heaven his parents and beloved brother and fellow athlete Don Dickey, grandparents Lee and Laura Reed and James Epp and Lillie Dickey.



Norman’s simple pleasures in life included enjoying a good meal, watching sports both live as well as on tv, visiting with friends and family, playing dominoes, playing outlaw volleyball, church basketball, fast pitch softball, working outside, staying busy, and his favorite, being with or even just calling the 5 grandkids of whom he was so proud. That simplicity in life is to be admired as his life brought glory to God. Because he was a Christian, he often referred to “The Good Lord’s plan”. That faith and the resulting strength and peace will be missed.



Visitation will be Wednesday, April 10, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00. p.m. at Scoggins Funeral Home in Van Alstyne, Texas. Memorial service will be Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 2:00 at First Baptist Church. Burial will be at Gunter Cemetery following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church Howe, PO Box 247, Howe, Texas 75459.

Funeral services are under the direction of Scoggins Funeral Home & Crematory, 637 W. Van Alstyne, Pkwy. Van Alstyne, TX; 75495. 903-482-5225. You may sign the online register book at www.scogginsfuneralhome.com.

It was confirmed today that Norman Dickey, former Howe Bulldogs football coach and athletic director has passed at approximately 4 pm Sunday afternoon, April 7, 2019.

Dickey was hired by Howe schools in 1964. He took a football program that was on the verge of collapsing due to the lack of willing participants and grew it to a district, bi-district and regional champion team just six years later. After 12 years as head coach of the Howe Bulldogs, he holds the most wins of any football coach in school history with 51.

After spending time as a coach, math teacher, counselor, interim principal, interim superintendent, and three-time interim athletic director, Dickey retired from the school district in 1996. In addition to his accomplishments, Dickey spent countless hours mowing Bulldog Stadium, working on the scoreboard, running the clock, officiating junior high games, keeping the stats and everything in between.

Dickey was raised in Gunter, Texas and graduated from Gunter High in 1958. After earning his first degree at Cisco Junior College, he transferred to Austin College where he played football.

The Howe Bulldogs were built by Dickey in the 1960s where he recruited 24 kids to play football his first year at Howe. Two years later, the Dogs kicked off a stretch of six seasons without a losing record including a regional championship in 1970 which was as far as a team could advance.

In 2016, Dickey was named to the Howe Hall of Honor. In August, he was recognized by former Howe Bulldogs Head Coaches at the Howe Community Pep Rally. The Norman Dickey Award was established many years ago to recognize the most outstanding female and male athlete of the year.

Obituary can be found here