61.27 Howe Enterprise November 13, 2023

Grayson Publishing, LLC

Volume 61, Edition 27, Monday, November 13, 2023 The support shown at the Veteran’s Day celebration last Saturday, at Memorial Park was lovely.

The freedom I have to share news and express my opinions openly in this very paper and so many aspects of each of our lives are only available to us due to the personal sacrifices each and every military service member gave and continues to give for us. Thank you to all who have served in the United States Military, not just on Veteran’s Day but every single day.

© 2023 The Howe Enterprise

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Pride of Howe Marches to Finals

It’s the season of Thanksgiving potlucks at the Photo credit: Howe HS Band Staff local churches and that is something to be thank- The journey to the UIL best prepare the band to ful for! Even if you don’t State Marching Contest perform and compete in go to church regularly, or is not an easy feat. It is all of those conditions. ever, dropping in for the hours of individual prac- Back in July, just shy of food is worth it. Think of tice, rehearsals, ball 200 bands started the the best “grandma’s games, and contests in process, and on the evenhome cooking” meal you varying conditions rang- ing of November 8th, ten ever had and multiply it ing from record-breaking 3A bands from all across by the number of ladies heat to unseasonably Texas stood in full-retreat in the church. Not only is cold conditions to galeformations awaiting the there normally enough force winds to torrential final results. The Pride of food for an army but eve- rain and everything in Howe finished 7th in an ry single dish is a recipe between, sometimes all extremely fierce and exyou wish you had– but in one week. It is hours perienced competition. don’t ask for it, a good of planning by directors For those who love stats, Christian woman will and leadership team this year's 3A finals feagive you the shirt off her members in an effort to tured 10 bands, all of back, but asking for her special recipes is pushing it.

whom have been to the finals before with an average of 8.9 appearances in the finals. (This was Howe's 17th appearance in the finals.) Further, four of those bands (Howe, Whitesboro, Mineola, & Holliday) account for a total of 11 previous state championships in the 3A (and former 2A) classification.

When asked about the accomplishment, band director Angie Liss said,

Veterans Honored at Memorial Park Last Saturday, Veteran’s Day, Keep Howe Beautiful honored Veterans at Memorial Park with a ceremony including the presentation of colors, speeches, and the unveiling of the first Freedom Rock in Texas. The speeches honored family and community members who served, gave information about each military branch, included personal experiences, and shared information about those chosen by Keep Howe Beautiful to be specifically displayed on the Freedom Rock in Howe. Mayor McDonald opened the ceremony stating the following

regarding all veterans as part of her speech, “Today is a day of celebration and recognition.

We gather to honor military veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and this great country we live in. The City of Howe would like to thank our veterans for your courage, dedication, hard work, and sacrifices you have made for our country.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans Association, and American Legion were all in attendance to honor and to contribute to the ceremony, including giving

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EDITOR’S NOTE—This column is reserved as an editorial column and may not necessarily reflect the policy of this publication.

Photo credit: Karla McDonald, Presentation of Colors

INSIDE

Lady Bulldog Basketball pg. 3 Howe ISD Health Service pg. 4 City Update and Spotlight pg. 5 Recipes and Miss Adeline pg. 7 Farmer’s Almanac and Peggy’s Porch pg. 8 School Spotlight and Agenda pg. 9 CityCouncil Meeting Agenda pg. 10 Hot Jobs, pg. 11 City info, pg. 11 History/Christian, pg. 12 Local Churches, pg. 13 Patriot Pony, pg. 14-15 Chamber Members, pg. 16 Past front pages, 17-24

READERSHIP Jan. 1 - October 28 2023 Impressions: 240,410 Reads: 43,179 Data—Issu.com Photo views—8,083,552 Data by SmugMug

Photo Credit: Howe HS Band, Left to Right: David Bilyeu, Julie Cook, Charles Turner (percussionist and squad leader), Angie Liss, Brandon Manuel

Photo credit: Karla McDonald, unveiling of the Freedom Rock

HoweEnterprise.com

November 13, 2023

Band Finals

(Continued from page 1)

"The raw emotion I felt and saw on the faces of the kids after our performance was overwhelming. We knew it was our overall best run of the season, and at the end of the day, that's all you can really ask for." Howe was 10th after the preliminary round but jumped up to the 7th position after the finals performance. (Technically, the band tied for 6th but was edged out of that spot on the tiebreaker.)

The band and it's directors would like to thank the Howe ISD administration and teachers for their unwavering commitment to the program and especially thank the band boosters and parents who give so much of their time and resources to help us succeed. The band would also like to thank all those who donated to help sponsor the trip to

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Veteran’s Day

state. Liss said, "I'm not about to name names because I don't want to leave someone out, but it takes a huge village to get us from point A to point B and keep us hydrated and fed and get all of our equipment where it needs to be. We couldn't do it without the WHOLE team! I'm so proud of this organization and all they have accomplished and how they represented our community so well."

The band will now turn its focus to concert season and all that entails, although Liss did say that planning has already started for next year's marching show. "I'm looking forward to a little bit of downtime without contests, rehearsals, etc." Liss said, "but there's not a lot of rest ever in the band world.

We've got to get ready for next year!"

Photo Credit: Staff Photo, Coach Steven Simmons not only contributed a speech but also coached Keep Howe Beautiful’s Vice President, Dee Roessler how to perform a proper salute (Continued from page 1)

away hot dogs to those in attendance.

The local Fire Department attended and displayed a large flag from a fire truck as the backdrop for the event.

The Freedom Rock, a 3 year project

by Keep Howe Beautiful, includes a painting of a large flag, bald eagle, and gives recognition to specific

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individuals and local areas, including Perrin Air Force Station. The painted rock was completed in the weeks leading up to the event. The beautiful tribute of the Freedom Rock and park upgrades can be viewed at Memorial Park in Howe.

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November 13, 2023

Lady Bulldogs Begin Basketball Season

Photo Credit: Coach Ashley Anderson, Lady Bulldogs Basketball Team The Lady Bulldogs began their basketball season this week with an away game at Muenster and a home game against Bland. The results were as follows: Muenster 58-Howe 41 (15-13, 31-22, 38-31, 58-41) Points Scored: Kendall Griffin 16 points Emery Snapp 9 points Tori Williams 7 points Reese Smith 3 points Matalee Stewart 3 points Aubrielle West 2 points Presley Shockey 1 point

Howe 37-Bland 35 Bulldog Performance Results: Presley Shockey 12 points, 9 rebounds Kendall Griffin 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists Reese Smith 6 points Aubrielle West 7 points, 5 rebounds Matalee Stewart 4 rebounds Emery Snapp 4 points, 6 rebounds Tori Williams 2 points Next week’s games will be on the 14th at home against Honey Grove and an away game on the 17th against Community. Both games begin at 5 p.m.

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November 13, 2023

Howe ISD Offers Local Mammography Service What is the cost for those without and without insurance?

Most insurances cover this at %100 as preventative care. Cash pay I do not have the price as they can work with each person individually.

be sent directly to their PCP. The phone number is the only option to sign up. The ladies on the phone are very informative and can answer all questions about insurance/cost/ service.

How long does the service take?

The service itself should last about 30 minutes. They are scheduled every 1530 minutes.

What do I need to know beforehand?

When registering you need to have your insurance card and personal information ready. This is not for follow -up for problems already diagnosed. Women 40 years old and up who have not had their mammogram this year can sign up. Shirt tops should be worn, no jumpers or one-piece type suits. No deodorants or perfumes are to be worn prior to the exam.

What is the benefit to having this service done via this mobile option versus going to a primary care physician?

This service is provided as a local convenience in addition to their routine care. No order needed from a physi cian with most insurances. Results can

HoweEnterprise.com

What’s new at City Hall?

The purpose of the “What’s New at City Hall” column is to inform the public of what is happening at The City of Howe and encourage transparency in The City. With increased knowledge of general happenings, citizens are more equipped to be able to ask questions and elicit changes in Howe that are important to them through appropriate avenues. One avenue for citizens to make concerns, comments, etc. heard is to attend monthly City Council Meetings.

The next City Council Meeting will be held this Tuesday, November 14th at 6 p.m. at Summit Gardens. At the beginning of most meetings time is set aside by the Mayor and City Council for the following, “The City Council invites citizens to speak to the Council on topics not already scheduled for public hearing or on the agenda. Citizens may address the Council for a maximum of two minutes. The Council is unable to respond to or discuss any issues that are brought up during this section that are not on the agenda, other than to make statement of specific factual information in response to a citizen’s inquiry or to recite existing policy in response to the inquiry.”

During this Tuesday’s meeting there will also be a “public hearing”, which means citizens will also be given the opportunity to speak at that time, about the following ordinances, “ORDINANCE NO. 810: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HOWE, TEXAS, AMENDING HOWE’S ZONING ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, TO REZONE A TRACT OF LAND, CONSISTING OF 0.9504± ACRES OF LAND LOCATED IN THE J HANING

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November 13, 2023

SURVEY, ABSTRACT NO. 544, GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS, IN THE CITY OF HOWE, GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS, HERETOFORE ZONED SF-2; PROVIDING THAT THE TRACT IS HEREBY REZONED AS TF (TWO FAMILY); DESCRIBING THE TRACT TO BE REZONED; PROVIDING A SAVINGS AND REPEALING CLAUSE, SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION HEREOF.” And, ORDINANCE NO. 809 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HOWE, TEXAS, AMENDING ORDINANCE No. 806; THE ORIGINAL BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2023, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, FOR THE CITY OF HOWE, TEXAS, FUNDING ACCOUNTS IN BUDGET DUE TO UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS; CONTAINING FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR SAVINGS AND SEVERABILITY. The full City Agenda for this month’s meeting can be found in its entirety on Page 10.

The following is what has been submitted by current City Administration regarding happenings in The City this week: -Completed Intermediate Incident Command System FEMA courses 300 and 400 that took four days in class to complete.

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City of Howe Employee Spotlight This week’s City of Howe Employee Spotlight is Fire Chief Robert Maniet.

What is your professional/personal background?

I am a TCFP Master Firefighter and a EMT. I have been certified for 15 years and have been with Howe for 15 years. I became Fire Chief in 2012 of Howe FD. I have been married to my wife Kristi since 2016 and have 4 boys: Jaycob, Kaleb, Noah and Luke

Photo credit: Howe Fire Department Facebook Page

What do you enjoy about your job?

I love being a Firefighter because I get to help people in their worst times and be there for them when they need help, being able to put fires out and do our best to save property and lives.

Having the best crews make my job so much better and fun.

What are your future personal and professional goals?

My future goals are to teach people how to be their bests at what they do.

To raise my boys to be the best they can be at what they decide to do in life. And to be the best fire chief for this community and citizens that they deserve!

In a separate spotlight series at The Fire Department the following was quoted regarding Chief Maniet, “Under Chief Maniet's leadership, our department has achieved numerous milestones, and the latest jewel in our crown is the successful launch of our full-time EMS program. Chief Maniet embodies trustworthiness, honesty, and unwavering dedication, setting a high standard for all of us to follow. His dedication to helping others is truly inspiring, and we couldn't be more grateful for his invaluable contributions to the Howe Fire Department and the residents of Howe.”

Thank you, Chief Maniet for all of the hard work you put forth into the community!

HoweEnterprise.com

November 13, 2023

City Hall Update (Continued from page 5)

location as well as tax and budget information.

-Completed three PIA requests

-Had development meetings with the Cope Group

-Initial discussions with another group that showed interest in Hilltop

-Will be implementing costsaving measures with itemized expenditures by looking at cutting back on overtime hours as much as possible and eliminating vehicles being used as takehome vehicles.

-Sent a Will Serve Letter to Cope Equities for 135 water and sewer taps for the townhome development in Silicon Valley.

-Participated in a CGMA biannual meeting.

-Getting requests for food truck permits and am putting together a structure for that.

-Reviewed all current fees and am working on an updated fee schedule for all permits and developments.

-Developed job description and job posting for Paramedics and EMTs. We want to delay the hiring and now have a new targeted start date of April 1.

-Met with Jason Laumer of Willdan about PID and TIRZ management.

-Updated the city website with all the agendas/minutes in one

-The 2022 audit is still incomplete. The last entered information took place Oct. 24.

-Our team has been heavily involved with discussions with Noble Ridge and their development and improvements.

-The city’s sales tax receipts for August are $58,913.64. Of that amount, $14,728.41 belongs to the Howe Community Facilities Development Corporation. The city’s total for the fiscal year is $112,077.15 and the HCFDC’s total is $28,019.19. At the end of September, the HCFDC has $205,112.97 as a bank balance and a CD investment balance of $51,030.94.

(Continued on page 7)

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November 13, 2023

Recipes Armadillo Eggs

Hello Dolly Bars

Servings: 6

Servings: 24

Submitted by: Karla McDonald

Submitted by: Karla McDonald

Ingredients

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) yellow cheddar cheese, shredded • 1 clove garlic minced • 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin • Salt to taste • 6 medium-sized jalapeños • 2 pounds breakfast sausage, removed from its casing • Buttermilk dressing, for serving • Salsa, for serving = •

Instructions • •

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Preheat the oven to 375° F and lightly grease a baking sheet.

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Instructions •

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

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Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat. Pour the melted butter into an 11×7 or 8×8 cake pan.

Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs into pan, and mix well with the melted butter to form a crust.

Mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, cilantro, and cumin until well blended.

Taste and add salt, and adjust seasonings.

Remove the stems from the jalapeños and cut in half lengthwise.

Scoop out the seeds and then cut the sliced jalapeños in half, horizontally.

Place about a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling in each jalapeño quarter. Divide the sausage into 24 equal-sized portions and pat each into a 3-inch circle then place the stuffed jalapeño in the center of the sausage. Wrap the sausage around the stuffed jalapeño until it’s completely covered, and form into an egg shape.

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Place sausage-wrapped jalapeños on the sheet, about an inch apart.

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Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked.

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For additional browning on top, you can place the sheet under the broiler for 2-5 minutes.

½ cup butter 1 ½ cups cinnamon graham crackers (about 8 ) 2 cups chocolate chips 1 ½ cups coconut 1 ½ cups pecans 1- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

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Layer on top of the grahamcracker crust the chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Evenly pour sweetened condensed milk over everything.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is light brown. Let cool in pan for at least half an hour, then cut into bars and serve

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Miss Adeline

Dear Miss Adeline, I’m really stressed out because Christmas is coming up soon and I need to buy my family and friends presents. I’m stressed because I really can’t afford to buy everyone gifts and I feel obligated to do so cause I know everyone is going to buy me gifts. I don’t know what to do.

Help! I’m freaking out about Christmas and it’s not even December yet!

From, Someone who is broke!

Dear Mr./Ms. Broke, Christmas can be a stressful time of the year for many people because there can be an expectation attached to the holiday.

There is the expectation to be the perfect gift giver and/or shopper, the perfect cook/baker, the hallmark family, etc. Additionally, many people struggle with busy schedules because they are working to provide basic needs for their family, taking care of children, or taking care of aging parents. Many people suffer from lack of time to shop or

cook, and many people lack the finances needed to buy gifts. All these things can increase the amount of stress an individual feels during the holidays. My suggestion would be to have a conversation with your friends and family ahead of time and discuss putting a dollar limit on gifts this year and/or have a theme for gift giving. Exchange homemade gifts/crafts, exchange Christmas ornaments, swap a batch of cookies and the recipe, or agree to draw names so everyone only buys for one person instead of everyone. The financial struggles are felt by everyone so I imagine others will appreciate the gesture to be more frugal this year. Getting creative with gift giving can be fun and it can help everyone focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Yours truly, Miss Adeline If you would like to send a question to Miss. Adeline, email askmissadeline@gmail.com

City Hall Update (Continued from page 6)

-We were not able to obtain the EDA grant for a sewer project.

-Tufner Weighing Systems has a conceptual plan of a 22-acre redevelopment.

-Summit Gardens has collected $12,780 in 2023 including $3,710 in October. Future invoiced events for 2023 are scheduled for Nov. 17, Nov. 18, Nov. 22, Nov. 25, Dec. 2, and Dec. 3.

-The operating account (Collins Memorial Fund) has a balance of $12,706.54. There’s still $1,500 left in the approved expenditures for upgrades to Summit Gardens.

The bell tower leak has been fixed by Rick Owens Construction. Any expenditure above $1,500 will be paid for by the Chamber of Commerce up to $6,000.

-The Chamber of Commerce will host the Silver & Gold Christmas Parade Dec. 9 at 4:30 pm. Hopefully all council members and departments can participate in the parade.

-The Chamber will hold its yearend “Howe Hump Day” of the year on December 6 at Summit Gardens Howe Mercantile is the sponsor. Suzy Sauls will be catering the event. The chamber has 80 overall members.

-The chamber had a good crowd good profit from the Downtown Howe-lloween Festival which was delayed a couple of days due to weather. The Monday event was so successful that we will continue to host in on Monday nights going forward. HUGE thank you to the fire department and public works for participating.

HoweEnterprise.com

Farmer’s Almanac for Zone 5/ South Central States 11/13-11/14 Fishing: Poor Monday evening, Poor Tuesday evening Weather: Heavy showers through NM and TX Gardening: Monday and Tuesday are poor planting days 11/15-11/16 Fishing: Poor Wednesday evening, Fair Thursday evening Weather: Heavy showers through NM and TX, then fair and cold for the MS Valley, points westward Gardening: Wednesday is a poor planting day. Thursday is a good day for planting peas, squash, corn, tomatoes and other aboveground crops in Southern Florida, Texas and California.

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November 13, 2023

11/17-11/18 Fishing: Fair Friday evening, Good Saturday evening Weather: Fair and cold for the MS Valley, points westward.

Gardening: Friday is a good day for planting peas, squash, corn, tomatoes and other aboveground crops in Southern Florida, Texas and California. Saturday is a good time to kill plant pests or do plowing but is poor for planting.

11/19 Fishing: Good Sunday evening Weather: Fair and cold for the MS Valley, points westward.

Gardening: Sunday is a good time to kill plant pests or do plowing but is poor for planting.

Peggy’s Porch Hosts “Christmas Store for Kids” Peggy’s Porch Community Clothes Closet will be collecting small gift items (suggested $10-20 value) from November 1 through December 6 so that local needy children will have the opportunity to give their parents or siblings a gift for Christmas. They will be able to choose a gift for free from the Christmas Store. Donations of new or nice, gently used gift items or monetary donations will be greatly appreciated so that we can create a memorable Christmas Store environment for these youngsters.

Please call or text 903-814-9994 or message Peggy’s Porch on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ Peggysporch?mibextid=LQQJ4d) if you have questions or would like to donate money for us to purchase small gifts.

Gift item donations can be dropped off at Peggy’s Porch on Saturdays from 9-11 a.m., at the Howe Middle School office, or by arranging a drop off time through the contact options above. Peggy’s Porch volunteers are also actively collecting donations for the Christmas Store. Please note: This is not the same effort as Angel Tree.

Gift item ideas might include housewares, home decor, jewelry, fragrance, makeup mirrors, candles, boxed candy,

calendars, frames, blank journals, gift cards, coffee mugs, metal water bottles, travel cups, jewelry boxes, car accessories, electronics, small appliances, sports-themed gifts, shaving kits, handbags, wallets, and more!

No wrapping or identification is needed. This is a terrific opportunity to share some good things that you no longer want or need but would be appreciated and enjoyed by someone else.

Think about the joy you will give to a child when they are able to give a gift to their parents or siblings on Christmas morning!

Peggy’s Porch is located directly behind Howe City Hall at 116 E. Haning Street in Howe, Texas. It is the white building between E. Haning Street and E. Davis Street, across the street from the First Baptist Church of Howe.

- Peggy’s Porch Leader

HoweEnterprise.com

Howe Middle School Employee of the Month The Howe ISD spotlight this week is on Ms. Jennifer Ramos, who was nominated as the Employee of the Month at the Middle School. Here are a few things she was willing to share about her role at the school.

What is your role at the school?

Instructional Aide How many years have you been with Howe ISD? This is my first year with the district What is your favorite thing about your role at the school?

The relationships I am building with the students and the staff.

What makes you proud to be a Bulldog?

I am proud to be a bulldog because of the spirit and pride this community has.

What is your favorite pastime/hobby?

Spending time with my family and friends. Coaching and helping my daughter with volleyball.

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November 13, 2023

Photo credit: Howe ISD, Ms. Jennifer Ramos Welcome to the Howe School District, Ms. Ramos and Congratulations on being awarded Howe Middle School’s Employee of the Month!

Upcoming School Board Meeting Agenda Agenda of Regular Meeting The Howe ISD Board of Trustees A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Howe ISD will be held on November 13, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Howe ISD Administration Office located at 105 W. Tutt St, Howe, Texas.

I. CALL TO ORDER/ DETERMINATION OF QUORUM II. INVOCATION/PLEDGES III. STAFF RECOGNITION IV. PUBLIC FORUM V. REPORTS A. Administrator Reports B. Superintendent Report 1. Enrollment 2. Personnel 3. Safety and Security 4. Report on Purchases Outlined in CH(LOCAL) 5. Legislative Update 6. Team of Eight Training – December 4 7. Sanitary Sewer Easement at HHS 8. Other Information VI. PUBLIC HEARING A. Presentation of the Howe ISD 2022-23 FIRST Rating and Financial Management Report B. Public Comments on the 2022-23 FIRST Report VII. THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER, DISCUSS, AND/OR TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE FOLLOWING: A. Consent Agenda Items 1. Minutes from Regular Meeting on October 16, 2023

2. Monthly Financial Reports 3. Update Vendor List 4. 2023 Tax Roll Values 5. December Board Meeting Status B. Budget Amendments C. Resolution to Cast Votes in Election for the Board of Directors of the Grayson County Appraisal District VIII. ADJOURN If, during the course of the meeting, discussion of any item on the agenda should be held in a closed meeting, the board will conduct a closed meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Government Code, Chapter 551, Subchapters D and E. Before any closed meeting is convened, the presiding officer will publicly identify the section or sections of the Act authorizing the closed meeting. All final votes, actions, or decisions will be taken in open meeting. Consent agenda items are considered to be routine by the School Board and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussions on items unless a school board member so requests, at which time the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and will be considered as a separate item on the Agenda.

This Agenda posted Friday, November 10, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

HoweEnterprise.com

November 13, 2023

City Council Meeting Agenda

AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING November 14, 2023 6:30 pm Summit Gardens – City Council Chambers 100 E. O’Connell Street, Howe, Texas 75459 Citizens may appear before the City Council to address items not listed on the agenda, in accordance with procedural rules as determined by the meeting Chair and by submitting a “Public Comment Form” to the mayor no later than the conclusion of Agenda Item (Call to Order).

CALL MEETING TO ORDER INVOCATION PLEDGE TO FLAGS “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

“Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.”

CITIZEN COMMENTS: The City Council invites citizens to speak to the Council on topics not already scheduled for public hearing or on the agenda.

Citizens may address the Council for a maximum of two minutes. The Council is unable to respond to or discuss any issues that are brought up during this section that are not on the agenda, other than to make statement of specific factual information in response to a citizen’s inquiry or to recite existing policy in response to the inquiry.

CONSENT ITEMS: These items consist of non-controversial, or “housekeeping” items required by law.

Items may be considered individual by any Council member making such request prior to a motion and vote on the Consent Items: 1. Discuss, consider, and approve consent items which are marked by an *. *Approve Minutes of Regular Council Meeting October 17, 2023. *Approve the bills being paid for the month. *Grayson County Library Services Contract ANNOUNCEMENTS / UPDATES 1. The REGULAR City Council meeting on November 21, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. will be canceled because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

2. Meet Santa at the Howe Community Library is Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 10 am.

3. The first Wednesday of each month is the Howe Hump Day Breakfast from 8 - 9 am. Howe Hump Day Breakfast is an opportunity for business members to network. The next breakfast will be held Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

4. The Howe Silver & Gold themed Christmas Parade is on Saturday, December 9, 2023, beginning at 4:30 pm. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate by entering a float. Please contact the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce for more information.

5. The City of Howe will hold their employee Christmas Party Thursday, December 14, 2023.

2 Agenda City of Howe November 14, 2023 ACTION ITEMS: 1. Discuss, consider, and act upon the zone change request by property owner Frederick Price of 302 W. Duke Street, Howe, TX 75450 to change property zoning from SF-2 to TF (Two Family) and adoption of Ordinance No. 810 affirming same.

Property also identified as: GCAD Property ID # 152612, PRICE FREDERICK ETUX JESSICA BURNS, Approx. Legal Acreage: 0.9504.

ORDINANCE NO. 810 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HOWE, TEXAS, AMENDING HOWE'S ZONING ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, TO REZONE A TRACT OF LAND, CONSISTING OF 0.9504± ACRES OF LAND LOCATED IN THE J HANING SURVEY, ABSTRACT NO. 544, GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS, IN THE CITY OF HOWE, GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS, HERETOFORE ZONED SF-2; PROVIDING THAT THE TRACT IS HEREBY REZONED AS TF (TWO FAMILY); DESCRIBING THE TRACT TO BE REZONED; PROVIDING A SAVINGS AND REPEALING CLAUSE, SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION HEREOF Public Hearing for Requested Zone Change and Ordinance No. 810 2. Discuss, consider, and act upon moving $50,000 from the General Operations Reserve to the Pool Fund. The General Operations Reserve has a current balance of $109,696.85.

ORDINANCE NO. 809 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HOWE, TEXAS, AMENDING ORDINANCE No. 806; THE ORIGINAL BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2023, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, FOR THE CITY OF HOWE, TEXAS, FUNDING ACCOUNTS IN BUDGET DUE TO UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS; CONTAINING FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR SAVINGS AND SEVERABILITY.

Public Hearing for Ordinance No. 809 3. Discuss, consider, and act upon approving the Street Closure for the Christmas Parade, December 9, 2023, from 4:00 PM to 5 PM. This affects 300-400 block of Beatrice Street, 300 block of Roberts Street, 100 block of E. Duke Street,100-400 block of S. Denny Street, 100 block of Davis Street, 100 block of S. Hughes Street 100-300 block of E. Haning Street, and 100200 block of King Street.

4. Noble Ridge presentation for the proposed Road Rehab Program for Smith Road and Young Street.

5. Discuss, consider, and act upon approving the preliminary parkland plat for Connections Park.

6. Discuss and consider repair and road closure issues and options for Bethel Road.

7. Discuss, consider, and act upon Grayson Central Appraisal District’s Resolution No. 2023-02 for Grayson Central Appraisal District to construct or renovate a building or other improvements as necessary to establish and operate the appraisal office.

8. Discuss, consider, and act upon entering an interlocal agreement with Grayson County for three separate street repairs. $10,626 for the stretch of Young Street between Highway 5 and Hughes; $36,865.40 for the stretch of Duke Street from South Collins Freeway to Highway 5; and $42,024.40 for the stretch of Quinlan Street from East Young Street to East Davis Street. The total for all three projects equals $89,515.80.

9. Departmental Reports: i. Police Department ii. Fire Department iii. Code Enforcement iv. Public Works v. Economic Development 3 Agenda City of Howe November 14, 2023 vi. Municipal Court vii. Administration viii. Utility Department EXECUTIVE SESSION: The City Council will convene in closed session pursuant to the provisions of the Open Meeting Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code. Executive Session as authorized by Texas Government Code Sec. 551.071, Consultation with Attorney on a matter in which the duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this chapter (Open Meetings Act); Texas Government Code Section 551.072-Deliberation regarding real property; Texas Government Code, Section 551.074 – Personnel Matters.

Howe Commercial LTD Development Agreement/ Amendment Petition for Release (ETJ) Saddleback (Connections Park) Real Estate Matters Roadway Procedures.

Interviews and procedures for City Administrator Position Interviews and procedures for City Fire Chief Position Personnel i. City Secretary ii. Police Department END EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RETURN TO OPEN SESSION 10. Discuss, consider, and act upon any items listed under closed or executive session, if needed.

11. Discuss, consider, and act upon Grayson County 147, LTD petition for release (ETJ).

12. Discuss, consider, and act upon hiring a fulltime City Administrator.

13. Discuss, consider, and act upon hiring a fulltime Fire Chief with the start date of January 1, 2024.

ADJOURNMENT: Respectfully submitted, Karla McDonald, Mayor City of Howe I the undersigned authority, do hereby certify that the above Notice of Meeting of the City Council of the City of Howe, is a true and correct copy of said Notice: and that I posted a true and correct copy of said notice on a bulletin board, located at a place convenient and readily accessible to the general public at all times at HOWE CITY HALL located at 116 EAST HANING STREET Howe, Texas a place convenient to the public, and said Notice was posted no later than the 10 th day of November, 2023 at 5:30 P.M. and remained so posted for at least 72 hours preceding the scheduled time of said meeting.

Dated this 9 th day of November 2023

10

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Job Title DIRECT SUPPORT ASSOCIATE workintexas.com Posting ID16283819 Location Sherman Posting Close Date 2/16/24 Posting Link https://bit.ly/40uIrfq Description A local company is looking for a DIRECT SUPPORT ASSOCIATE who will help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain life skills, build confidence and live as independently as possible following through on their individual plans of care.

This position requires a High School Diploma or Equivalent.

November 13, 2023

11

Job Title DIE CASE OPERATOR workintexas.com Posting ID16217607 Location Denison Posting Close Date 12/29/23 Posting Link https://bit.ly/3u4z49X Description A local company is looking for a DIE CASE OPERATOR who will be responsible for operating a numbers manual, semi-automatic, and automatic die casting machines which produce a variety of die-cast parts.

The operator will be responsible for the removal, installation, and operation of die-cast dies.

This position requires a High School Diploma or Equivalent, and a minimum of 6 months of related experience.

Bulk Trash Pickup 2nd Friday of each month in Howe.

City of Howe SECONDS COUNT IN AN EMERGENCY! That's why the City of Howe has instituted the CodeRED Emergency Notification System - an ultra high-speed telephone communication service for emergency notifications. This system allows us to telephone all or targeted areas in case of an emergency situation that requires immediate action (such as a boil-water notice, missing child or evacuation notices). The system is capable of dialing 60,000 phone numbers per hour. It then delivers a pre-recorded message describing the situations to a live person or an answering machine in the affected area possibly including instructions requiring action on the part of the recipient. Once the situation is remedied, another call will be placed to the area signaling that the issue has been addressed and that normal activities can be resumed.

The following information is required to add a telephone number into the "CodeRED" database: first and last name; address (physical address, no P.O. boxes); city; state; Zip Code; and primary phone number. The system works with cellular phones but requires a valid street address. When entering information, please fill out all of the screens because the newest data entered will replace the old data. Sign up by visiting http://www.co.grayson.tx.us/page/oem.cred

2022-23 Local taxation State Sales Tax General Revenue Sales Tax Economic Development (Type B) Sales Tax Total

6.25 % 1.00 %

City of Howe Tax Rate Howe I.S.D Tax Rate Grayson County Tax Rate Grayson College Tax Rate Total (per $100 valuation)

$0.54 $1.27 $0.31 $0.15 $2.27

1.00 % 8.25 %

City Hall 116 E. Haning St., 903-532-5571 Mayor: Karla McDonald City Council: Michael Hill, Rodney Hough, Billie Ingram, Sarah Myrick, Joe Shephard City Administrator (interim): Monte Walker City Secretary: Regina Harris Utility Billing and Municipal Court 116 E. Haning St. 903-532-5571 Utility Clerk: Beccy Roberts Court Clerk: Tammy Grisolia (After hours night drop available) Public Works 317 S. Hughes St. Public Works Director: Mickey Phillips Code Enforcement 317 S. Hughes St. Code Enforcement Officer: Benjamin Fuhr Howe Volunteer Fire Department 118 E. Haning 903-532-6888 (nonemergency) Fire Chief: Robert Maniet Howe Police Department 700 W. Haning St. 903-532-9971 (non-emergency) Dispatch 903813-4411 Police Chief: Carl Hudman Economic Development 100 E. O’Connell St. 903-532-6080 EDC Director: Monte Walker City Council meets third Tuesday at 100 E. O’Connell St. at 6 pm.

Planning & Zoning Commission Meets third Monday as needed Howe Community Facilities Development Corporation Meets as needed For more information visit the city website www.cityofhowe.org

Cityofhowe.org City of Howe Water, Sewer, Refuse collection rates - one bill

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November 13, 2023

Texas History Minute Ken Bridges

In one of the most delicate moments in the history of Texas, Anson Jones stood at the center. When Sam Houston became president of

the Texas Republic a second time in December 1841, he quickly named Jones as secretary of state. Looking at continuing skirmishes with Mexico and failing finances, Houston hoped to try annexation a second time. Jones, a physician by training, had to navigate the chaotic diplomatic waters.

The entire question of Texas’s fate hinged on the increasingly tense debate over slavery in the United States. Slavery was still legal in Texas. Northern abolitionists were horrified at the prospect of admitting such a large slave territory into the Union, one that they feared would wreck the delicate political balance in the country. Talk of splitting Texas into smaller states, expanding the South’s Senate influence even further, frightened abolitionist politicians. President Andrew Jackson favored annexation, but with his term in office ending in 1837 and Mexico threatening war with the United States over the issue, he decided not to pursue it. Jackson would not enter a fight he could not finish. His successor, President Martin Van Buren of New York, increasingly moved against slavery and saw interest in Texas annexation fading. President William Henry Harrison of Indiana never had time to weigh in on the Texas question in his one month in office in 1841. All this had left Texas alone in the wilderness.

By 1842, President John Tyler of Virginia began expressing interest in Texas again. Houston and Jones knew annexation was not assured. Both worked to maintain healthy trade relations with Europe, hoping that expanding them might make the U. S. more inclined to bring in Texas. On April 12, 1844, an annexation treaty was signed, but it faced ratification in the U. S. Senate. On June 8, it failed by a vote of 1635. Tyler pursued a simple bill to admit Texas, which would require both houses of Congress. But 1844 meant presidential elections in the U. S. and in Texas. In the U. S., James K. Polk of Tennessee won a close contest where Texas annexation figured prominently.

In Texas, the 1844 presidential election pitted Jones against Vice-President Edward Burleson. Texans were heavily in favor of annexation. Burleson charged Jones with being against annexation because of his diplomatic overtures to Europe, a charge Jones denied. In the close contest, Jones prevailed by a margin of 7,037 to 5,668.

When Jones assumed office in December, he knew annexation was far from certain. Mexico still threatened Texas, Texas was near bankruptcy, and trade with Europe faltered as negotiations with the U. S. continued. Jones said nothing about annexation in his inaugural address. Inflation had made

the Texas currency all but worthless. Nevertheless, Jones pursued construction of a 75-foot lighthouse as well as a hospital on Galveston Island. He pushed a policy of peace with the Native American tribes, securing a peace treaty with the 11 major tribes of Texas by February.

In January 1845, the U. S. House passed an annexation bill, one that passed the U. S. Senate by a one-vote margin a month later. Tyler signed the bill on March 1, just before he left office.

Mexico tried to derail annexation by offering a peace treaty and recognition of Texas which attracted little interest in Texas. Jones pushed the Texas Congress to support annexation and a state constitutional convention. Congress approved the measures in June. His vice-president, San Augustine lawyer Kenneth Anderson, died suddenly in July 1845 at age 39. The office would never again be filled.

Texas statehood was made official on December 28. On February 19, 1846, statehood was made official. In a solemn ceremony, Jones turned over his office to the state’s first governor, J. Pinckney Henderson. He told the gathering, “The final act in this great drama is performed. The Republic of Texas is no more.”

After his presidency, Jones co-founded the Texas Medical Society in 1853. He bought a large plantation near Washington-on-the-Brazos, which he named Barrington, after his home town. While his plantation remained prosperous, he grew increasingly frustrated and despondent that his political career had come to a halt. His attempts at a political comeback were repeatedly thwarted, and he sank into depression. The state legislature, increasingly frustrated with Houston’s performance as a U. S. Senator, prepared to vote to replace him in January 1858. Jones hoped to secure the position but lost decisively. Despondent, Jones went to the site of the old Texas capitol in Houston and, on January 9, took his own life. He was 59.

In 1884, the state legislature named Jones County in his honor. Several schools across Texas have also been named for him. His homestead in Washington County has since become a state historic park and acts as a historic living farm for tourists. Jones is buried in Houston.

12

God is not only watching, He intervenes

Late one stormy London night in 1763, a man filled with despair was determined to end his life.

He hired a driver to take Dr. Billy Holland him to the river and was convinced that if he could only cast himself into the depths of the Thames, his agony could be finally put to an end. He was unwavering in his resolve as he stepped down from the carriage and as it pulled away; he walked through the fog toward the pier and suddenly noticed a strange figure sitting there, staring at him as if he had been expecting him. In the awkward silence, he also observed the tide was extremely low and decided that maybe he should try something else. Returning home, the desperate man decided to poison himself with an overdose of laudanum, a potent drug derived from opium. But he couldn’t raise the bottle to his lips. He tried again and again, however each time; it was as if an invisible hand was pushing it away. Finally, he attempted to hang himself from the door frame, but after losing consciousness the rope snapped, and his housekeeper revived him. For reasons he could not conceive, it seemed something was trying to prevent him from ending his misery. That man was William Cowper, the famous English poet, and this had not been the first time he had contemplated suicide, only to be held back by peculiar forces.

Cowper battled depression and felt that he was unworthy in the eyes of God. His parents introduced him to a therapist who was a Christian where he presented the gospel to Cowper and often prayed with him. One day, while reading the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John chapter 11 and about faith and salvation in Romans chapter 3, God opened William’s eyes to the reality of the grace and hope that God was offering. Here is what Cowper wrote in his journal about his experience. “Immediately I received the strength to believe in Christ, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood and all the fullness and completeness of His justification. In a moment I believed and

received the gospel…my eyes filled with tears, and my voice choked with transport; I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder.” He accepted God’s grace, leaving him in awe and filled with joy.

Soon after, he sought a fresh start and moved to a village called Olney where he met another man who had also experienced God’s mercy in a season of great desperation. It was John Newton, the celebrated Anglican minister who had earned a reputation for the convicting power of his preaching. Cowper moved into a house next to Newton and experienced a sense of peace from Newton’s friendship and care. Newton understood that for the fragile poet’s life to find purpose, writing would need to be a part of his recovery. He encouraged Cowper to turn his creative talents to composing Christian songs, and the two collaborated on a collection of nearly 350 works known as the Olney Hymns. Through the years, countless souls have found spiritual comfort in the beautiful music written by these two men. Newton is best known for his most famous work, “Amazing Grace” inspired by his miraculous rescue at sea.

Cowper is not only remembered as one of England’s greatest poets but also composed many hymns of his own including,“There is a fountain filled with blood” and “God moves in a mysterious way” which proclaim the merciful intervention of a God that loved him and wanted to save him.

Cowper knew first-hand that our journey is filled with constant warfare, and confirms what John Bunyan said referring to this life as, “A valley of tears.”

For those who sense that doubt has overtaken hope or maybe you are just feeling lonely and sad today, be encouraged to know that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

The Lord designed your destiny before you were born which included a very special mission that He is trusting you to accomplish for Him. Do not allow your emotions to deny the joys of God’s truth. A line from Cowper’s Mysterious Way poem, “For God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain, in His own time, and in His own way.”

Read more about the Christian life and order your books for the holidays at billyhollandministries.com.

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November 13, 2023

Attend the Church of Your Choice

Each Sunday...

Times are subject to change. Please check with each church for any possible changes

First Baptist Church Dorchester Zach Poling, pastor 11831 FM 902, Dorchester, TX 75459 903-476-5525 Wednesday 6:30 pm - Worship service Sunday 9:00 am - Men's Prayer Time 9:45 am - Sunday School 10:45 am - Worship Service 5:00 pm - Evening Service Summit View Church Brett and Deb Hetrick, pastors

Community Bible Fellowship Jeremy Moore, pastor

Howe Methodist Church of Howe JB Bryant, minister

415 S Collins Fwy, Howe, TX 75459 Wednesday 6:30 pm - Food and Fellowship 7:00 pm - Community Kids (ages 3 6th grade, nursery available) 7:00 pm - Youth and Adult Bible Study Sunday 10:30 am - Worship Service

810 N Denny St, Howe, TX 75459 903-532-6718 Tuesday: 8:30am - 1:00pm WeeCare Daycare (Registration needed) 9:30am - Women's Bible Study 6:30pm - Boy Scouts Wednesday: 9:00am - Wednesday Workers 6:00pm - 1st and 3rd Wednesdays Family Night Thursday: 8:30am - 1:00pm - WeeCare Daycare (Registration needed) Saturday: 9:00am-12:00pm - Feed My Sheep (1st & 3rd Sat. of each month) Sunday: 8:30am - Coffee and Donuts 9:00am - Sunday School 10:00am - Worship Service 3:00pm Cub Scouts

First Baptist Church Howe Roger Tidwell, pastor 100 E. Davis St., Howe, TX 903-5325504 Wednesday 5:30 pm—Free Meal 6:30 pm - Team Kid 6:30 pm - Youth Ministry 6:30 pm - Adult Bible Fellowship Sunday 9:15 am - Bible Fellowship 10:30am - Worship Service 6:00 pm—Potluck Fellowship and Bible Study

910 S Denny St, Howe, TX 75459 903-532-6828 Wednesday 7:00 pm - Radiate Youth 7:00 pm - Sanctuary of for prayer Sunday 9:30 am - Sunday School (kids, youth, women, men) 10:30 am - Worship Service 10:30 am - Kids Church Howe Church of Christ Aaron Alsbrook, minister 1205 N Collins Fwy, Howe, TX 75459 903-532-6441 Wednesday 7:00 pm - Bible Classes (all ages) Sunday 9:00 am - Bible Classes (all ages) 10:00 am - Worship Service 5:00 pm - Worship Service

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:15-16

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Novembera13, 2023

14

The Patriot Pony Eventbrite in hot water with Disinformation expert laments conservatives after removing Riley loss of power over speech on social media leading up to 2024 Gaines event on women in sports elections Former Twitter executive says that the pendulum is swinging against the disinformation policing industry, according to a new report from the Foundation for Freedom Online. That industry has become a multi-million dollar business and has been accused of collaborating with the Biden Administration to suppress platforms that do not follow the party line By: Steven Richards

A disinformation expert is lamenting that social media platforms have less control over speech as the 2024 elections approach, while conservatives notch wins against the industry and the Department of Homeland Security's calls for greater censorship.

This comes as the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released yet more evidence this week on nexus of the federal government, universities, and Big Tech that worked to censor Americans during the 2020 election.

The House Judiciary Committee also held a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to increase censorship through the Election Integrity Partnership.

The new report by the Foundation for Freedom Online (FFO) shows how former Big Tech employees and censorship experts are lamenting their shrinking influence as the presidential election approaches next year. Pressure from a Republican House and some journalists discourages the federal government from collaborating with the Big Tech companies as it did during the 2020 election. Some federal courts have weighed in, finding the collaboration unconstitutional.

“Yoel Roth has been on a public speaking tear, sounding alarms to fellow censorship industry insiders that they've lost the control over 2024 election speech they once had in 2020,” Mike Benz, executive director of FFO posted to X on Monday.

Recently, former head of Trust and Safety at Twitter, Yoel Roth has given public presentations alongside other pro-censorship experts on the state of play in the industry ahead of 2024.

Roth told an audience at a UCLA presentation that “the pendulum” is swinging against censorship on social media and in the public square because advocates against “disinformation” have stopped pressuring platforms to take action.

“I would argue it’s swinging because of exactly those same dynamics of public pressure that prompted the in-

vestment in the first place… And I mentioned that because on one hand that’s great, it sounds like all of the pressure on platforms really drove a meaningful impact. But we’re now seeing it swing in the exact opposite direction,” Roth said.

“And it’s not just Elon Musk firing everyone, like sure he did that, but why did he do it? He did it because we took our foot off the gas,” Roth said of anti-disinformation advocates.

Some of the public pressure that Roth spoke about has come from the House Judiciary Committee and its Weaponization of the Federal Government Subcommittee. The committee previously held hearings on the revelations from "The Twitter Files", a series of exposés published primarily by journalists Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, and Michael Shellenberger, which showed the extent of Twitter’s cooperation with the federal government to censor individual tweets and accounts that were deemed misinformation by the “experts.”

The pressure has continued since the release of the Twitter Files. This week, the House committee released a report on what it described as “censorship laundering” by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA created the Election Integrity Partnership, allegedly formed to circumvent legal issues that would prevent federal government from directly monitoring speech, according to a report from Just the News.

Roth was one of the central figures that appeared in "The Twitter Files." One of the most prominent examples, which Taibbi highlighted in the first installment of the files, was Twitter’s decision to ban the New York Post’s October 2020 piece on emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop, one of the first times that content from the first son’s abandoned computer was made public by the media.

The New York Post article in question was an embarrassing exposé on Hunter Biden’s dealings with CEFC China, which the Post described as China’s largest private energy company. The emails that the Post obtained and published for the first time came from a laptop that Hunter Biden abandoned in a a Delaware repair shop.

The Biden camp went into full spin

(Continued on page 15)

The event and ticketing company could face a conservative boycott the likes of which dethroned Bud Light this year as Virginia's Governor Youngkin tells his operations to stop using the service. Eventbrite's co-founder and Chairman, Kevin Hartz ended a message to those raising the issue by saying “Please go f*** yourself!”

By: Steven Richards

The online ticketing and event management company Eventbritenotified prominent women’s sports personality Riley Gaines that her event advocating against allowing transgender individuals in women’s sports would not be permitted on their website for violating its community guidelines while at the same time maintaining other event pages that may violate the rules.

The incident has put the company in hot water with conservatives, including the Republican Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin, who directed his office and political committee to cease using Eventbrite to advertise events.

Last week, Gaines posted a communication to X that she received from Eventbrite notifying her that her event, “Protecting Women’s Sports with Riley Gaines,” would be removed from its website for "violating community guidelines and terms of service."

“Specifically, we do not allow content or events that—through on- or offplatform activity—discriminate against, harass, disparage, threaten, incite violence against, or otherwise target individuals or groups based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, or disability,” the notification read. “As a result, your event has been unpublished,” Eventbrite declared.

In the same post, Gaines called for a boycott of the company over the removal of her event. “I love all the people in my comments saying they’ve deleted their Eventbrite account,” Gaines wrote. “Give ‘em the Bud Light treatment.”

Preventing students who identify as transgender from competing in women’s sports has become an increasingly important issue in conservative circles under the umbrella of fighting "woke ideology.” Conservative politicians often refer to these efforts as “protecting women’s sports” because far-left ideology supports genetically male athletes competing in women's

sports where they have an unfair physiological advantage.

Earlier this year, conservatives led a boycott against Bud Light brand beer after AB InBev, which owns the product, partnered with transgender personality Dylan Mulvaney, which they argued was contrary to their values. The boycott severely hurt the brand and it lost its spot as the top-selling beer in the United States this summer. AB InBev’s sales decreased 13.5% in the last quarter, according to the New York Post.

This is not the first event that used a traditional definition of women as an excuse to be removed from the site.

Earlier this year, Eventbrite removed an event sponsored by the Independent Women’s Network, an organization for women who are dedicated to restoring “civility and common sense” when discussing issues. The organization specifically calls for “informed, open, and civil” debates. In July, Eventbrite banned the “Let Women Speak Austin” event page, organized by the IWN Austin chapter for allegedly violating the same rules as Gaines.

Attendees at the event discussed women’s rights issues, including sex-based protections. “Raising awareness of how female inmates are being forced to share cells with convicted sex offenders and sometimes raped and violently assaulted is not hateful—it’s empowering,” Senior Policy Analyst at IWN Carrie Sheffield wrote in the New York Post.

After Eventbrite removed Gaines event, Youngkin directed his office and his political committee to cease using the platform, citing the platform’s hypocrisy in permitting what he calls “pro-Hamas” events while going after women’s events for violations of the rules.

“Hamas is a terrorist group that invaded Israel and conducted barbaric attacks on women and children, there’s no place to sit on a fence here. Yet, Eventbrite allowed pro-Hamas events while proactively terminating an event for Riley Gaines,” Governor Youngkin

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November 13, 2023

The Patriot Pony Eventbrite

Disinformation (Continued from Page 14)

mode, and then-Biden campaign staffer, now Secretary of State Anthony Blinken helped convince former intelligence officers to sign a letter implying that the laptop -- and thus any information derived from it -- was "Russian disinformation."

Among the signatories to that letter was Ret. General Michael Hayden, who is now an advisor for NewsGuard, a for-profit company with federal government contracts that claims to ferret out disinformation and rate news platforms for accuracy.

Biden's own disinformation campaign worked, and large news organizations refused to acknowledge even the existence of the laptop until after the election. The New York Times did not admit that the laptop was legitimate until March of 2022.

Sourced from the laptop, this story was particularly sensitive because its release was immediately before the 2020 presidential election. Hunter Biden was going to hold a 10 percent stake in a planned foreign venture for “the big guy,” which Hunter’s business partners have said is a reference to Joe Biden.

Twitter and other social media locked the New York Post's account, and blocked any news stories about or derived from the laptop. “Twitter took extraordinary steps to suppress the story, removing links and posting warnings that it may be “unsafe.”

They even blocked its transmission via direct message, a tool hitherto reserved for extreme cases, e.g. child pornography,” Taibbi wrote in the first installment of "The Twitter Files", in a thread posted to the platform, now called X. Among the actions that Twitter took surrounding the story, the platform locked White House spokeswoman Kaleigh McEnany out of her account.

The files obtained by Taibbi show that Twitter's staff was in disarrayabout the reasoning behind censoring the story. A general warning from federal law enforcement about expected foreign hacks had been passed to Twitter and others the summer before the election, but the decision to censor appeared to be internal to the company, according to Taibbi’s reporting.

“They just freelanced it,” one former employee told Taibbi. “Hacking was the excuse, but within a few hours, pretty much everyone realized that it wasn’t going to hold. But no one had the guts to reverse it.”

Regardless of how the story came to be censored, Roth himself later admitted that blocking the story from being shared on the platform was a mistake.

“We didn’t know what to believe, we didn’t know what was true, there was smoke — and ultimately for me, it didn’t reach a place where I was com-

fortable removing this content from Twitter,” Roth said at a conference in 2022.

(Continued from page 14)

Elon Musk’s acquisition of what was formerly called Twitter, which also prompted Roth’s resignation, has changed the dynamic at that company. Musk calls himself a “free speech absolutist” and has generally implemented company policies that encourage this, including a new community notes feature.

“As a result, my political committee and the governor’s office is no longer using Eventbrite. We’ve fired Eventbrite,” he continued.

Now, three years later, Roth told the audience in his presentation at UCLA that he is concerned about the fight against “disinformation” and laments reduced investment in the very industry that fumbled the Hunter Biden story censorship. “We took our foot off the gas,” Roth said of "social media integrity" advocates. “We’ve stopped treating election security like an existential question.”

He then described his worry about the 2024 elections, given that the major platforms have largely disbanded or reduced their disinformation policing staff. “I’m worried about the fact that in 2024 platforms will have fewer resources in place than they did in 2022 or in 2018 and what we’re going to see is platforms again asleep at the wheel,” Roth told attendees.

Roth did not respond to a request for comment from Just the Newsasking why disinformation policing should be expanded and what disinformation teams have learned from their fumble of the Biden laptop story.

In addition to government and journalistic pressure, Roth told Vox Media that the threat of lawsuits also hangs over the heads of tech companies. “Nobody’s talking. The strategy works even when it loses in court, and that’s really what worries me. It’s a chilling effect,” Roth said in an interview. “You don’t actually need to prohibit [the] government from talking to platforms, you just need to scare them into not doing it.”

Recent court rulings in Missouri v.

Biden have restricted the federal government’s ability to communicate with tech companies about misinformation. The Supreme Court temporarily lifted that restriction late last month when it agreed to take up the Biden Administration’s appeal, but is set to rule on the constitutionality of the federal government's engagement with tech companies on misinformation.

told Just the News.

Indeed, sports media company OutKick—which employs Gaines— pointed out the hypocrisy of Eventbrite servicing some of these proPalestine events while banning Riley Gaines.

One event advertised on Eventbrite after Gaines’ event was banned, was called “Stop the Genocide! Free Palestine!” Hosted at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City. The organizers or Eventbrite have since removed the page, but an archived version called Hamas terrorists “resistance fighters” and accused Israel of conducting a “total war” against the citizens of Gaza. The organization also called any force used by Israel “settler-colonial violence.”

After it highlighted the Eventbrite’s hypocrisy, OutKick noted that the organization removed pro-Palestine rally listings, including the one described above.

Why did Youngkin act so quickly?

Fighting what Republican politicians label “woke ideology” has become an increasingly important issue for GOP primary voters. A Wall Street Journal poll from April showed that Republican primary voters prioritize “fighting woke ideology” over “protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits from cuts.” This is something that conservative Governor Youngkin, and others like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have made central parts of their campaigns.

Early in his administration, Governor Youngkin signed an executive order which prohibited the teaching of “divisive concepts”—especially critical race theory—in Virginia schools.

This issue was one of the pillars of his gubernatorial campaign in 2021.

Youngkin’s administration also authored new guidance on transgender students for Virginia schools this year which among other things, directed that students should use bathrooms and locker rooms based on gender assigned at birth rather than any selfchosen identity.

Florida Governor DeSantis has also been active in ensuring transgender athletes do not compete in women’s sports and outlawing transgender surgeries or treatments for minors in his state. The Florida Governor has also been engaged in a protracted legal battle with Disney, one of the largest corporations in his state, over its efforts to fight socially conservative legislation coming out of Tallahassee, the state capitol, drawing parallels to Eventbrite’s seemingly selective en-

forcement of its rules.

“Ron DeSantis has always stood for truth and has acted to protect women's sports in Florida, remove indoctrinating gender ideology from schools, and protect children from harmful chemical or physical sex change mutilations,” Bryan Griffin, Press Secretary for DeSantis’ presidential campaign told Just the News. "He has also led the conservative movement on fighting back against large corporations that push social transformation without representation, blazing a trail on this front in his successful battle against Disney,” he continued.

Eventbrite did not respond to a request for comment from Just the News about its decision to remove Gaines’ listing from their website and about the pro-Palestine events that were covertly taken down.

The company’s co-founder and Chairman, Kevin Hartz, posted his thoughts about the episode to X in response to a post by OutKick, where Gaines is a host. “I am the Co-Founder and Chairman of Eventbrite and to accuse Eventbrite of being Pro-Hamas is egregious and moronic. How could you make an unsubstantiated slander that I support these genocidal maniacs?”

“Please go f*** yourself!” he added, with a disclaimer that the statement only represented his individual views and not those of Eventbrite.

REAL ESTATE Bill French Properties 315 N Travis Suite B-3 Sherman TX 75090 billfrenchproperties.com 903-893-BILL (2455) bill@billfrenchproperties.com

ADVERTISING/MARKETING Howe Enterprise P.O. Box 595 Howe TX 75459 howeenterprise.com 903-339-0100 news@howeenterprise.com AGRICULTURE Norman Farms 4871 Mackey Rd Howe TX 75459 903-815-5545 ajnorm4@aol.com ANTIQUES Howe Mercantile 107 E. Haning St Howe TX 75459 facebook.com/Howe-Mercantile1639767196252428/ (817) 313-2168 georgiacaraway@aol.com

CHILDCARE Koti Academy of Howe 105 Doyle Street Howe TX 75459 https://www.kotiacademy.com/ 903-532-9663 cassie@kotiacademy.com CHURCHES First Baptist Church Howe 100 W. Davis Howe TX 75459 http://www.fbchowe.org/ 903-532-5504 info@fbchowe.org First United Methodist Church 810 N. Denny St. Howe, TX 75459 903-532-6718 Church@fumchowe.org https://www.fumchowe.org/ Summit View Church 910 S. Denny St., P.O. Box 295 https://summitviewhowe.com/ info@summitviewhowe.com

AUTO

CONSTRUCTION/BUILDING SERVICVES

Bob Utter Ford 2525 Texoma Parkway Sherman TX 75090 bobutterford.net 903-892-3555

DIFY Home Services 204 Tate Circle Sherman, TX 75090 9037440435 ernie@difyhs.com

BANKING

Hunter Knephsield of Texas, LLC P.O. Box 759 Van Alstyne, TX 75495 https://www.hkparkandplay.com/ 8004514138 (Main) hktexas@flash.net (Main)

Independent Financial 100 South Denny Howe TX 75459 independent-bank.com (903) 532-5521 aanderson@ibtx.com Legend Bank 201 W. Grand Whitewright, TX 75491 legend-bank.com 903-532-4778 Brandon.grooms@legend-bank.com First National Bank of Tom Bean 109 S. Britton St. Tom Bean, TX 75489 https://www.fnbtb.com/ 903-546-62752 rbridges@fnbtb.com First United Bank 2011 Texoma Parkway Sherman TX 75090 firstunitedbank.com 903-813-5760 sarah.myrick@firstunitedbank.com BARBER SHOP Good Fellas Barber Shop 105 E. Haning Howe, TX 75459 9725020559 goodfellasbarbershoptx@gmail.com BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Provider Business Partners 106 W. Young St. Howe TX 75459 providerbusinesspartners.com 903-487-2248 sharla@ providerbusinesspartners.com Smith-Garner, PC 609 N. Denny St., P.O. Box 1019 Howe TX 75459 http://www.howecpa.com/ (903) 532-1040 amanda.garner@howecpa.com BUTCHER Don’s Smokehouse 111 E. Haning Street Howe, Texas 75459 Donssmokehouse.com (214) 881-8377 DonsSmokehouse@gmail.com CATERING Tracy Events Catering & Carryout Shop 211 S Preston Van Alstyne, TX 75495 Tracyevents2006@gmail.com

RockExpress, LLC 1434 Schneider Rd Howe, TX 75459 https://rock-express-llc.business.site/ 903-818-2386 rockexpressllc@gmail.com TLD Design Consulting LLC 103 E. Haning St. Howe TX 75459 http://www.tld -dc.com/ 903-436-4601 tdefrange@tldconsulting.net CONVENIENT STORES Quick Check #4 411 W. Haning Street Howe, TX 75459 903-532-5265 zackwilks82@yahoo.com DENTAL Anna Kids Dentistry 2016 W. White St. Anna, TX 75409 214-831-2400 Annakidsdentistry.com info@annakidsdentistry.com Howe Family Dentistry 100 S. Collins Freeway, PO Box 960 Howe TX 75459 howefamilydentistry.com 903.532.5545 EDUCATION Howe Community Library 315 S. Collins Freeway Howe TX 75459 www.howeisd.net/Page/83 903-745-4050 atchison.melissa@howeisd.net Howe Independent School District 105 W. Tutt St. Howe TX 75459 howeisd.net/ (903) 745-4000 ELECTRIC Rapid Electric, LLC (903) 421-8100 http://www.RapidElectricCo.com/ brent@rapidelectricco.com ENTERTAINMENT Chill Out Shaved Ice Howe, TX 75459 Chillout903@hotmail.com 903-436-0708

FINANCIAL Rethink Wealth—Kristen Harkless 559-681-7461 Kristen.Harkless@rethinkwealth.com FIREARMS Guns N More 281 Celtic Road Howe, TX 75459 GunsNMore.net (903) 267-1091 jared.c@gunsnmore.net FUNERAL HOME Scoggins Funeral Home & Crematory 637 W. Van Alstyne Parkway Van Alstyne TX 75495 scogginsfuneralhome.com 903-482-5225 tommywscoggins@hotmail.com HAIR SALON Good Fellas Barber Shop 105 E. Haning St. (972) 502-0559 goodfellasbarbershoptx@gmail.com HEALTHCARE ER of Texas 115 W. Travis St Sherman, TX 75092 http://oroftexas.com/ 903-770-9099 tiffanyr@eroftexas.com HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING Baker A/C & Heating, Inc. 215 N. Denny St. Howe TX 75459 903-532-6225 bakerac.mark@yahoo.com Essential Home Performance, LLC 509 Borrow Way Van Alstyne, TX 75495 https:// www.essentialhomeperformance.com/ 14695459125 Info@essentialhomeperformance.com HOUSING Bainbrook Apartments 511 S. Collins Fwy Howe, TX 75459 (469) 712-4082 bainbrook75459.com

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Loretta Anderson – Agent 1363 S Waco St Van Alstyne TX 75495 https://www.txfb -ins.com/ insurance/agent/grayson/ 23242/lorettaanderson 903-819-1041 landerson@txfb-ins.com INTERNET TekWav 223 N. Walnut St. Sherman TX 75090 http://www.tekwav.com 903-375-9787 jj@tekwav.com IT/DATA Texas Data and VoIP Security 109 W. Tilton Blue Ridge, TX 75424 https://www.tdavinc.com/ (972) 924-5010 dana@tdavinc.com MORTGAGE The Wood Group of Fairway – Lacey Tucker https://homeloanbylacey.com/ 469-910-0375 lacey.tucker@fairwaymc.com NON-PROFIT Goodwill Industries of Northeast Texas 2206 E. Lamar St. Sherman, TX 75090 goodwillnorthtexas.org spierce@goodwillnorthtexas.org United Way of Grayson County 713 E. Brockett P.O. Box 1112 Sherman, Texas 75091 903.893.1920

Sheryl Bentley, Coldwell Banker (903) 821-7653 yourrealtorsheryl@gmail.com Maureen Kane, REALTOR®, Paragon-REALTORS® 614 E Lamberth Rd Sherman, TX 75090 402-202-1540 maureen@paragonrealtors.com Michael Taylor – Keller Williams Realty P.O. Box 575 Howe TX 75459 mtaylor@kw.com Nicole Faye Sells Texas, LLC 215 N Quinlan St Howe, TX 75459 https://nicolefaye.fathomrealty.com/ 972-872-0529 nicolefayesellstexas@outlook.com The Llama Realty Group Dana Thornhill 204 Tate Circle Sherman, TX 75090 903-821-6890 llamarealtygroup@gmail.com RESTAURANTS El Patio Escondido Mexican Restaurant & Cantina 495 W. Van Alstyne Pkwy, P.O. Box 637 Van Alstyne TX 75495 elpatioescondido.com 903-482-5538 williampacheco519@yahoo.com Palio’s Pizza Cafe 303 W. Haning St. Howe TX 75459 https://www.palioshowe.com/ 903-532-0390 paliospizza@att.net ROOFING

PARTY RENTALS/DÉCOR Chase’s All Time Jumpers 2519 CR 4215 Bonham, Texas 75418 https:// www.chasesalltimejumpersllc.com/ 903-227-6488 Coltonlawrence24@yahoo.com PERSONAL SERVICES AND CARE

Definitive Roofing & Specialty Coatings, LLC 1094 Marlow Rd Bells, TX 75414 9038202110 roofingsc1@gmail.com

M&M Properties 901 N. Denny St Howe TX 75459 903-815-8355 mariecurtis16@gmail.com.

Debby Edwards Pink Zebra 1403 S. Travis St. Sherman, TX 75090 https://pinkzebrahome.com/ debbyedwards 903-820-8914 debbyedwards2@gmail.com

INSURANCE

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cory Hernandez State Farm 2114 Texoma Parkway Sherman, TX 75090 http://insurancequotetexoma.com/ 9038938400 cory@insurancequotetexoma.com

Beyond the Barn Photography 3354 FM 902 Howe, TX 75459 469-951-4054 Sara@beyondthebarnphotography.co m

Ed Meacham, State Farm 1303 N Sam Rayburn Frwy, Ste. 200 Sherman TX 75090 https://www.statefarm.com/ agent/US/TX/Sherman/EdMeacham-3TGY5753JAK 903-892-3923 ed@mredinsurance.com

PLUMBING

STORAGE

Brother Plumber 708 Maple St. Howe, TX 75459 469-968-4487 trent@brotherplumber.com http://Brotherplumber.com/

Howe Mini-Storage 609 N. Denny St. Howe TX 75459 903-532-7867 amanda.garner@howecpa.com

Jesse Brown Farmers Insurance 403 W. Haning St. Howe, TX 75459 https://agents.farmers.com/tx/howe/ jessie-brown 9034824063 jbrown9@farmersagent.com

Torque Plumbing 102 S. Collins Frwy Howe TX 75459 (972) 658-1515 torquemayes@yahoo.com

Kathy McGarry, Mayo Agency 215 S Ray Roberts Pkwy, P.O. Box 519 Tioga TX 76271 940-437-2378 kathy.mayoagency@gmail.com

Atmos Energy 5111 Blue Flame Rd. Sherman TX 75090 http://www.atmosenergy.com/ 1-888-286-6700 (Main) 1-866-322-8667 Natural Gas Emergency Jan.Rugg@atmosenergy.com

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Darren Foster – Agent 1363 S Waco St Van Alstyne TX 75495 https://www.txfbins.com/ insurance/agent/grayson/ 32707/darrenfoster 903-436-2470 dfoster@txfb-ins.com

PUBLIC UTILITIES

Grayson -Collin Electric Cooperative, Inc. P.O. Box 548 Van Alstyne TX 75495 www.grayson-collin.coop 903-482-7100 mmcginnis@gcec.net

HIT Exteriors, LLC Howe, TX 75459 972-977-1523 sergio@hitexteriors.com Southern Cross Remodeling & Roofing Howe, TX 75459 Roofingbysoutherncross.com 972-800-9383 roofinbysoutherncross@gmail.com

TV SERVICES Cavender Home Theater DISH 6202 Texoma Parkway Sherman TX 75090 http://www.cavendertv.com/ 903-892-3499 chris@cavenderht.com TOWING Adams Automotive & Towing 85 Redden Rd Van Alstyne TX 75495 adamsautotow.com 903-482-5784

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