WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013
KILGORE NEWS HERALD
ONE SECTION, 10 PAGES
VOL. 82, NO. 13
AMERICA’S NO. 1 SMALL CITY
CAPITAL OF THE EAST TEXAS OIL FIELD
City's sales tax revenues net another $1 million month By JAMES DRAPER news1@kilgorenewsherald.com
Call it a late Christmas present – sales tax collections in December translate to a $1 million-plus check for Kilgore’s monthly allocation from the state. At $1,151,894.23, the city’s share of the sales tax revenue is its thirdlargest allocation ever, the largest
KILGORENEWSHERALD.COM
Maude Laird Middle School UIL Coach Dana Sneed hangs another medal on 7th grader Austin Adams during the school's UIL awards luncheon Monday. SEE PAGE 3
since October 2011 and the third check of five this Fiscal Year to break the million-dollar threshold. “I am very pleased,” Kilgore Finance Director Lawanna Williams said. “I am very pleased that we did better than Longview – they went down.” Kilgore’s neighbor to the north had a larger allocation at $3.36 million
NEWS HERALD photo by AUSTIN KING
See SALES TAX, Page 5
INSIDE SPORTS: Kilgore High School's girls soccer team is state-ranked; KC football program signs 31. See Page 10 SHOPPING SMART: Look inside for money-savings specials from Atwoods, Bealls, Char-Burger Stockade, Conaway Homes, DirecTV, East Texas Hardware, Fred's, Good Shepherd Medical Center, Johnny's Ozark Fried Chicken and Walmart.
KILGOROUND BILL WOODALL WITH A HUNDRED OR SO others, we met Debbie Reynolds Saturday night. THE other Debbie Reynolds – the one who never danced in “Singin’ In The Rain.” MS. REYNOLDS, executive director of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, was the speaker and expert at a Texas wine pairing event at Christ the King Catholic church. THE evening was officially part of the local congregation’s effort to raise $2.2 million for a significant expansion of the sanctuary – already they’re more than a fourth of the way there and Saturday’s crowd mostly heightened awareness of the campaign. UNOFFICIALLY, the event was an entertaining way to sample five Texas wines paired with samples of mango salsa, prosciutto, roast beef and a chocolate cookie. WE’RE assured by parish administrator Rev. Daniel P. Dower the congregants are already See KILGOROUND, Page 4
INDEX Classified ................. 8 Crossword ................ 9 Daily Digest ............. 4 Horoscope ............... 9 Obituaries ............... 4 Sports .................... 10
NEWS HERALD photos by JAMES DRAPER
Chip Hale's production team from Overton Films prepares to interview Kilgore College freshman Rangerette Robin Richardson (center) Tuesday morning in the Rangerette Showcase museum.
In THE LInE-LIGHT By JAMES DRAPER
news1@kilgorenewsherald.com
Through the decades, the Kilgore College Rangerettes have steadily fueled their worldwide reputation – it’s time, filmmaker Chip Hale says, to remind moviegoers how far the dance line has come. With a nod to his roots in his Overton Films production company, Hale and a handful of producers and cinematographers the first steps in their silFilmmaker took ver screen portrait of the dance turns camera's line this week, sitting down current and former Ranglens on KC's with erettes as they began to tell the World Famous squad’s “World Famous” story. “As a kid in Overton, we Rangerettes used to come to Kilgore for stuff to do. I really feel like Kilgore is my second home,” Hale said. With the new documentary budgeted at $130,000, “The biggest project of my career, so far, I come home to do. I think it’s very serendipitous.” According to Hale, he originally came up with the idea while reading the book “The Last Boom: The Exciting Saga of the Discovery of the Greatest Oil Field in America” by James Anthony Clark and Michel T. Halbouty. Unable to attain the film rights to that story, Hale realized he’d already begun work on another. “I’ve been very active with the Rangerettes for the past four or five years, helping with the Rev-
els,” he explained. Developing the idea, shopping it around and gathering support, Hale saw the pieces begin falling into place. “All of you know how supportive former Rangerettes are. See DOCUMENTARY, Page 3
Hale tests his monitoring system before Richardson's interview, one of several the team is shooting this week in the first round of local filming for a feature-length documentary on the dance line.
50 CENTS
Municipal judge helps state review legal policy By JAMES DRAPER news1@kilgorenewsherald.com
Kilgore Municipal Judge Glenn Phillips confesses himself a little bit surprised – after more than a decade offering his plainspeaking opinions to the Texas Judicial Council, they still want him on board. “I’m outspoken sometimes,” he explained recently. “Honestly, I’m proud they think enough of me to say, ‘Hey, hang around four more years – we want to listen to you complain.” Created by state legislators, the judicial council meets quarterly in Austin as the policy-making body for all of Texas’ courts, drafting recommendations to the legislature on laws, policies and procedures that need to be reGlenn Phillips vised, updated, struck or created. The group includes two judges from every level of the court system as well as See PHILLIPS, Page 6
College brings firms on board for new health science center By AUSTIN KING news2@kilgorenewsherald.com
Though negotiations continue for Kilgore College’s health science center project, an architect and engineering firm have been approved to consult KC in the process. “That’s still a work in progress,” said Dr. Bill Holda, KC president. “We’re still going through lease negotiations.” The board originally approved KC’s pursuit of a hospital training facility in December, along with the approval of an engineering and architectural firm. Since then, the school has been discussing the possibility of renting space at Allegiance Specialty Hospital for college use. ”Part of the original motion was the approval of the hiring of the firms for the project,” said Dan Beach, director of special project and board liaison. Pirtle and Associates Engineering of Shreveport and CVB Architects of Lakeway were selected to See BOARD, Page 5
Company encourages locals to ante up in fight against cancer By AUSTIN KING news2@kilgorenewsherald.com
Relay for Life can always benefit from a full house. Martin Resource Management Corporation plans to hold another series of Texas Hold ‘Em poker
tournaments, the first to be held Friday. “It’s Texas Hold ‘Em, like always,” said Tabitha Staley of Martin Resource. “This is our fifth year holding the tournament. Last year we raised around $5,500 through both tournaments.”
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Proceeds from Friday’s tournament and the second tourney in March will benefit the local Relay for Life team and American Cancer Society. The entry fee for Friday’s tournament is $25. The second tournament in March has an entry fee of $100. For every
10 participants in Friday’s tournament, one participant will have his or her entrance fee paid. The grand prize of March’s tournament is a trip for two to Las Vegas. “We’re going to pay one entrance See BET ON LIFE, Page 2
DOING OUR BEST FOR DO-IT-YOURSELF WWW.ETXHARDWARE.COM