Published in this week’s Howe Enterprise:

On Sept. 22 at 9 am, I walked into the Howe High School gym, for our homecoming pep rally. When I walked into the gym I was touched deep in my heart by an incredible, wonderful, and blessed experience. Every Howe Bulldog in Howe ISD from kindergarten to the senior class along with teachers, administrators, and friends had on a t-shirt bearing my name. Howe ironic, because my heart bears all of their names. My heart gears the names of all my
Bulldogs from 1987-2017. Some were in high school and middle school when I first arrived. My other Bulldogs being members of my famed 36 divisions. All marching through the halls of the Howe Elementary and P.E. program, all marching into Bulldog history and all marching right into my heart.

I don’t know how Pam Kirby was able to organize the event without me knowing. Even my wife Doreen was a soldier of the secret. The pep rally was an awesome event. The cheerleaders, band, athletes, coaches, faculty, administration, employees, family, friends, and all the Howe Bulldogs truly took the flame to the very top.

I would like to thank Pam Kirby for her incredible effort to organize this most incredible pep rally and most meaningful event in my life. I also want to thank my Bulldog cheerleaders for a spectacular portrait of Howe Bulldog history, tradition and love, painted by my own Howe Bulldog,
Jordan Streetman. Thank you, Jordan.

I also thank you for the beautiful flowers that you gave to my beautiful wife, Doreen.  I would like to thank Monte Walker for the introduction to have such a talented Bulldog to provide that

I would like to thank Monte Walker for the introduction to have such a talented Bulldog to provide that introduction was very meaningful. I would also like to thank our wonderful sponsors, Sonic of Howe, Howe ISD, Howe PTA, TLD Design Consulting, Southwest Auction, Texas Farm Bureau – Loretta Anderson, Frantz Group, Howe Family Dentistry, Edward Jones, Griffin Farms, Provider Business Partners, Attorney Micah Belden, Cavender Motors, Howe Athletic Booster Club, and Tom and Debbie Watt.  They provided over 1000 t-shirts.  They also presented me with an amazing watch. Which is inscribed with many special words. The most meaningful word being the word that went from being my title to being my name, Coach.

Above all, to the entire Bulldog Nation and my beloved 36 divisions – I want to thank you for the pride that we have, the joy we share and an entering of love.

Dallas, TX, Oct. 2, 2017 – Seventeen news organizations and their reporters, photographers, and editors were named today as finalists in the first Hugh Aynesworth Excellence in Journalism awards sponsored by the Press Club of Dallas.

The awards, which honor Texas journalists’ work completed in 2016, will be presented at a Nov. 30 dinner at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled to be hosted by WFAA TV sports anchor Dale Hansen. The awards are named for veteran reporter and long-time press club member Hugh Aynesworth, four times a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

The 17 finalists represent news reporting from throughout Texas in seven news organization categories: daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, television, radio, digital news sites and photography/video. Winners and finalists will be announced for work done in investigative reporting, feature reporting, spot news photography and feature photography.

“These finalists represent some of the best work in journalism throughout the state of Texas in 2016,” said press club president Cary Broussard. “It confirms that, despite financial challenges and intensified scrutiny from the public, journalism is an essential and necessary part of a free society.”

The finalists run the gamut from large newspapers and television stations such as the Austin American Statesman and the Dallas Morning News and KXAS TV in Dallas and KSAT TV in San Antonio to weekly newspapers like Howe Enterprise and Brownsville Progress Times.

“We’re really impressed that such a diverse group of journalists entered the first-time competition,” Broussard said. “I think it’s fair to say that journalism is alive and well in Texas.”

Broussard thanked award dinner co-chairs Jo Ann Holt-Caussey and Barry Hoffman for their work. Holt-Caussey is a veteran Dallas editor and reporter whose body of work was recognized by the Press Club of Dallas with a 2016 North Texas Legends Award. She has been an active press club member since 1982. Hoffman, a Dallas native, was a reporter and editor in the Northeast for almost 50 years, both in broadcast journalism and newspapers. He is a past president of the New York State Associated Press Association.     

Judges for the Aynesworth Awards are from the Northeast and West Coast and had no association with any of the news organizations or individuals who entered the contest.

They include Jean Patman, who directed Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign coverage for the Long Island newspaper Newsday; Tim Smart, executive editor of US News and World Report; Stephani Shelton and Andrew Fisher, veteran reporters and writers for CBS and NBC television news operations; Ed Tobias, former assistant managing editor of Associated Press Radio in Washington, DC.; and Robert Rodriguez, photo editor of the US headquarters of The Daily Mail in New York City.  A complete list of judges is available at the Press Club of Dallas website – http://pressclubdallas.com/ — under the heading “Aynesworth Awards.”

There are a limited number of tickets to the Thursday, Nov. 30 awards dinner. The cost is $50 and includes food and beverage. The tickets go on sale Oct. 5, and those interested in buying them can do so also under the heading “Aynesworth Awards” at the press club website.

Here is a list of finalists for reporting and photography in 2016:

Investigative Reporting

Daily newspapers

The Austin American-Statesman Investigates team, Oct. 21, 2016
“Silent majority: Texas’ booming Hispanic population deeply underrepresented in local politics”

Miles Moffeit and Sue Ambrose, the Dallas Morning News, Dec. 2, 2016
“Bled Dry: How a hospital died under the care of a Texas doctor”

Television
FOX4 KDFW Dallas/Ft. Worth
“Broken System Fails Abused Animals” May 16 and 17, 2016 
Reporter – Lori Brown; Investigative Producer – Vicki Chen

NBC5/KXAS TV DFW
Reporter – Scott Friedman; investigative producer – Eva Parks; photographer – Peter Hull; law enforcement expert – Don Peritz
“Big Buses, Bigger Problems,” first reporting in a continuing series aired Oct. 4, 2016

KSAT 12 San Antonio
Investigative Reporter – Myra Arthur; Investigative Producer – Dillon Collier; Investigative Photojournalist/Editor – Josh Saunders
“When Moments Matter” aired Nov. 10, 2016

Radio
KERA, Dallas
Reporter: Lauren Silverman,
“Pastoral Medicine Credentials Raise Questions In Texas” April 6, 2016

KERA, KUHF,
Reporters: Stella Chavez, KERA; Laura Isensee, KUHF
“Latino Superintendents Lead School Districts In Texas’ Eight Largest Cities”, Sept. 20, 2016

Magazines

The Advocate Media Magazine, Oak Cliff
Reporter: Keri Mitchell
“Why do so many suburban students attend Dallas ISD’s top magnet schools?”
Nov. 18, 2016

Fort Worth Magazine
Reporter – Sean Chaffin
“Tarrant County Cold Cases Await Evidence, Witnesses”  December Issue 2016

Digital news site
The Arlington Voice
Reporter – Mike McGee
“City, mum on alleged police quota system, refusing document releases”
July 21, 2016

Feature Writing

Daily Newspapers

Phil Jankowski, Austin American-Statesman
“A Rambler’s Life”   Dec. 1, 2016

Weekly Newspapers

Brownsville Progress Times
Reporter: Jose De Leon III
“Samaritans donate new abode to Mission octogenarian,” Dec. 9, 2016

Howe Enterprise
Reporter – Monte Walker
“EF1 Tornado; EF5 Community” May 2, 2016

Radio

KSTX San Antonio Public Radio
Reporter David Martin Davies
“Lessons Learned from a night in the Bexar County jail” Oct. 21, 2016

KSTX, San Antonio Public Radio
Reporter Paul Flahive
“Ease In Anti-Overdose Drug Access Leads To More Lives Saved” June 24, 2016

Newspaper Photography

Spot News
Robert Moore, Dallas Voice, July 7, 2016
“Dallas police officer showing stress from mass shooting”

Feature photography
Jay Janner, Austin American-Statesman
“South by Southwest Music Festival photo essay” Oct. 1, 2016

The Howe Enterprise was informed on Wednesday that an article published in 2016 was a  finalist for the Hugh Aynesworth Award from the Press Club of Dallas.  The article was entitled, “EF1 tornado; EF5 community”, written in Volume 53, Edition 50, May 5, 2016, after the twister ripped through Howe late on a Tuesday spring night.

The article was submitted in March of 2017 and has made it to the final two in the “Weekly Newspaper” category with a South Texas weekly publication.  An awards dinner will be held on Nov. 30 at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas where winners will be announced for each category.  Those categories include:

• Daily newspapers – 3 circulation groups
• Television stations – 3 market areas
• Radio stations – 3 market areas
• Weekly newspapers
• Magazines
• Digital news sites

EF1 tornado; EF5 community

On Tuesday night as Howe was getting ready for bed, smartphone apps started buzzing for local residents to take shelter immediately. Howe has not seen a destructive tornado in 45 years when a northwestern traveling twister destroyed homes in Howe on March 12, 1971.

This Texas tornado was on a different course than its 45-year-old predecessor, traveling northeast at 95- 100 miles per hour and was classified as an EF1. An EF1 tornado is considered a weak tornado, but don’t tell that to the Calhoun family on Ponderosa Rd, or the Clements family, or Linda Rae on Stark Lane. Between 1950 and 2014 in the United States, 222 people have been killed by EF1 tornadoes, and 21 have been killed by EF0 tornadoes. Even the weakest tornado can kill, but fortunately for Howe there were no fatalities.

Gene Marshall, a truck driver making his way through Howe had his truck parked across from Howe High School. The tornado picked up his truck and threw it across the road which pinned him inside. Marshall said he only had time to sit and pray. Before the storm hit, he took a ‘Zapruder shot’ of the EF1 that would later take out his truck and so many houses.

Howe High School was damaged enough to have A/C units blasted from the top of the buildings which created holes above the gymnasium and other areas. This caused Howe ISD to cancel school for Wednesday and Thursday. To go along with the damage to the structures, power was out from Tuesday night until approximately 7 pm on Wednesday evening.

The heaviest damaged areas were the Tapia home on Smith Road just west of Summit Hill and on Stark Lane in northeast Howe.

“When mother nature comes, you can’t do anything. When it comes, it comes and you can’t do anything about it,” Jose Tapia told CBS 11.

Maria Tapia was hospitalized with a back injury just after the tornado struck the home but was cleaning up the property the following morning. Her sons Marcos and Antonio were scared Tuesday after the storm but were enlightened to tell the story of how they saved their six puppies that were under a woodpile.

Terry and Terri Calhoun’s home was also one of the worst. “All of a sudden you heard the pop pop pop and then the suction started and my husband grabbed me,” said Terri Calhoun.to ABC News in Dallas. ”

Local television, DFW television and even national TV crews were in Howe to cover the story. What they found was that the story wasn’t so much the destructive damage of the tornado, but the love and support from the community members that helped those that were in need.

Immediately after it was announced that Howe had suffered significant damage, the Howe Church of Christ became a “command post” and donated items started to pour into the church. Howe Church of Christ Pastor Toby Soechting said that as of 8:00 am Wednesday morning there had been no real need for shelter for local families. However, emergency relief and work crews had been at the building since early that morning and continued to use the church building for various matters (meals for crews, communication, etc).

While the local Church of Christ was preparing for the worst, the community was giving their best. Howe ISD Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Zack Hudson had his athletes and many other students on Stark Lane cleaning up the debris from homes. Arriving at 7:30 am, Hudson found seven or eight Howe students helping people that they didn’t know.

“It’s a sad situation. You see some of these people that you go to church with and you work with – it’s a sad situation,” said Hudson on NBC News of Dallas.  “We went house to house – about 30 of us at a time with chainsaws and trailers and tried to put some normality back into their lives.”

Four individuals were taken to a nearby hospital including one driver with serious injuries after a tree uprooted and landed on her car.

Volunteer workers, such as Howe Bulldog junior football player Mike Helpenstell, continued to help on Stark Lane. “This is my
hometown. I’d do anything I can to keep it together.”

Even middle schoolers such as Tate Harvey was on-site working to help those in need. “I think it’s important for people to come out and help the community,” said Harvey to KXII.

Some people think that you can’t do as much in small towns – as much as other big towns can do – but we’ve really seen our small town come together and we’ve shown you ‘Howe’ we do it,” said Catherine Honaker to KXII.

Howe Superintendent Kevin Wilson also told the local TV station that it’s a testament to the Howe community and that the locals have each other’s back.

Speaking of back, the backbone of the entire situation were the local churches and the Howe Church of Christ in particular. FBC Howe canceled Wednesday night services and took their group to help clean up and provided Gatorade for workers.  New Beginning Fellowship worked with FUMC to coordinate deliveries of food and drinks and supplies to the work area. Kings Trail Cowboy Church set up a “General Store” area near the middle of the disaster area on Stark Lane. The shuttle crews of were delivering sandwiches, water and everything that workers and tornado victims might need. The majority of the items came from the Howe Church of Christ who had ladies working full staff trying to prepare meals and take in donated items. Over 200 and maybe even 300 sack lunches were made both Wednesday and Thursday. A representative from the church said that people from all over the area came to see what was needed to provide the meals. Individuals came from Van Alstyne, Tom Bean, Sherman, and elsewhere. Some of the people from out of town even stayed and helped make the lunches. Of course, the church had no power on Wednesday as did the rest of the city, so Pastor Wallace Rains of New Beginning Fellowship brought a generator to the church across town so that the work could get done. The deliveries were organized by Danny Watson and Darrin Savage.

People brought enough food and the ladies made enough sandwiches that they had too many left over and ended up taking them to the crisis center.

During the relief efforts, many businesses stepped up and offered to help. Lowes donated boxes of tarps for the houses, boards, lumber, hammers, nails, etc. Magni-Fab delivered four dozen work gloves. Douglass Distributing brought a truckload of Subway sandwiches and gas cards for the generators. Walmart sent two volunteers door-to-door to get a list of immediate needs in which they delivered. Walmart delivered chainsaws, 2-cycle oil for chainsaws, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, towels, wash cloths and sheets. Tyson Foods is making a contribution along with Walmart to a fundraiser that is in the works for the immediate future. Abby’s Restaurant will have an $8 spaghetti dinner that will go towards relief efforts on May 11 from 5 pm – 8 pm. T-shirts can also be purchased as a fundraiser. FUMC has set up an account that will house the tornado relief funds.

***********************************************************************************

Hugh Aynesworth has been a journalist for almost 70 years, plying his trade in newspapers, magazines, and broadcasting.

He is perhaps best known, as the title of his book says, as a Witness to History, because Aynesworth is the only person known to have witnessed all three events between Nov. 22 and Nov. 24, 1963 – the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald at the Texas Theater, and the fatal shooting of Oswald by Jack Ruby beneath Dallas Police Headquarters.

Aynesworth’s diligent and tireless efforts to determine whether there was any truth to all the conspiracy rumors behind the JFK assassination established him as an authority on this unique and tragic moment in American history.

In fact, the first editor of Texas Monthly, William Broyles, described Aynesworth as “one of the most respected authorities on the assassination of John F. Kennedy”.

Aynesworth, who has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist for investigative reporting, has also written books about serial killers Ted Bundy and Henry Lee Lucas.

He is an active member of the Dallas Press Club and still writes freelance articles, often for the Dallas Morning News, his employer on that fateful 1963 November afternoon.

On September 22, 2017 at 9:52 pm, a Howe police officer saw a silver Chevy Cobalt without a tag light traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 75 at Farmington. The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and spoke with the driver 24-year-old Tyler Wade Hamilton of Durant and passenger 26-year-old Marcos Torres Martinez of Durant. The officer conducted a consensual search of the vehicle where cocaine was found in the passenger seat. The officer located 17.6 Grams of cocaine on the ground by Martinez’ feet.   Officers said the cocaine was stepped on and looked like someone had tried to destroy it by scooting It across the ground.  Both subjects were checked through Grayson County dispatch who advised that Hamilton (driver) had a JP-2 Warrant. Martinzes (passenger) was arrested for PCS PG1 > 4g < 200g and Tampering with Evidence. Hamilton was arrested for the warrant.

 

 

Howe sixth-grader Jesse Portman has become a community celebrity with his yearly videos during football season.  A year ago, Portman teamed with seniors Tyler Grisham, Jaden Matthews, and Landry Rhoten to remake the video from Rick Springfield’s hit, “Jessie’s Girl.”

Portman will have a new video out each week to promote his team which has won 34 of their last 39 games, and are undefeated with two Super Bowl championships when paired with the fifth-grade class.  Here’s the first release which talks about his quarterback Jacob “Clyde” Campbell and receiver Cooper Jones and their ESP abilities:

Archives

“Jessie’s Girl” from 2016

“Mean Jessie Portman” – With Tyler Grisham from 2015

Sherman, Texas – Surrounded by his fellow commissioners, Bill Magers formally announced his re-election bid for Grayson County Judge.

“I am honored to be joined by my fellow commissioners court members in announcing for re-election. This is the most fitting manner in which to announce because our success at the county is due to great team work,” said Judge Magers. “We work hard to put personal politics aside in order to serve the taxpayers and the results speak for themselves.”

The former mayor of Sherman was elected Grayon County Judge in 2014.

“By continuing to make smart infrastructure investments and living within our means, Grayson County citizens are benefiting from our growth and enjoying a great quality of life,” said Judge Magers.

Judge Magers is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), is active in numerous civic organizations and serves as a volunteer coach for youth sports. He and his wife, Angela, have also served as delegates to Republican Conventions and supported numerous conservative candidates and causes at the local, state and national level.

Judge Magers and Angela own the Montessori Academy of North Texas, where Angela oversees all the day-to-day operations. Bill is also an investor in commercial real estate.  They reside in Sherman with their 4 sons and are active members of First United Methodist Church.

Reggie Smith has officially entered the State Representative race with three others for the soon-to-be vacated seat held by Republican Larry Phillips since 2003.   Others that have announced their candidacy are Kevin Couch, a former Sherman City Councilman and Brent Lawson, an electrical engineer from Van Alstyne.

Reginald “Reggie” B. Smith, Jr. formally announced his candidacy for the position of Texas State Representative, District 62 on the steps of the Grayson County Courthouse.

Smith is no stranger to District 62 or to the conservative battlefield of fighting for less government, lower taxes, Texas jobs, and secure borders.  He descends from a sixth generation Grayson County pioneer family.

“My family came to Grayson County long ago in search of a better life and economic future and together, with friends and neighbors, helped build what we have today.   These are transformational times and I want to do my part to ensure we keep the blessings that have been handed down to us,” Smith said.

Smith is also the founder and owner of Reginald B. Smith, Jr. PLLC, a general practice law firm which he established in 2003. He is a two term chairman of the Grayson County Republican Party and currently the Northern Regional Director of the Texas Republican County Chairman’s Association.  He has also served on the ballot security team for the Texoma Patriots providing election law advice to the local tea party organization in local elections.

In 1991, Smith received his B.S. in Political Science from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society.  In 1994 he earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas.  Upon graduation, he returned home to practice law.  Smith is licensed to practice in Texas and admitted to practice in federal court including the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He has been recognized, locally, as the “Best in Texoma” in the field of Family Law for the last three years.

Smith’s involvement in conservative political causes spans more than two decades.  From his involvement at Austin College as an officer in the college Republican Club, to his service as a delegate to Republican County and State Party Conventions, he played an important role in the transformation of Grayson County from a Democrat to Republican county.  Smith is also a member of the National Rifle Association.

Smith has been active in various local charitable and service organizations. He has served on the board of directors of Big Brother Big Sisters, Friends of Scouting with the Texoma Valley Boy Scouts and The Rehab Center among others.  He has coached little league teams and devoted much of his personal time with wife, Stephany, to raising their three children.

“I think it is important to have widespread local support across all of District 62, Smith said.  “I am pleased to have the support of the mayors of Sherman and Denison, the Sheriff of Delta County, Sheriff and District Attorney of Fannin County and legendary Sheriff and Retired U.S. Marshal Keith Gary to name just a few,” he said.  “I am also pleased that Representative Larry Phillips is a supporter,” Smith said.  “Representative Phillips is a good man who has served District 62 very well.”

Smith and his wife currently reside in Van Alstyne, Texas with their three children and are active members of the First Baptist Church of Van Alstyne.

District 62 is comprised of Grayson, Fannin and Delta Counties.