Walker County Press 01-07-2021

VOL 5 ·ISSUE 10

WALKER COUNTY

PRESS

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Permit #60 WINNIE, TX

Thursday January 7, 2021

E l e c t e d O f f i c i a l s Congratulations Hornets S w o r n I n t o O f f i c e on a Great Season

The Honorable David W. Moorman(left) is sworn into office by retiring District Judge Don Kramer(right).

By Wade Thibodeaux The Walker County Swearing In Ceremony for elected officials took place on Friday, January 1, 2021 at 10:00 am. in the District Courtroom of the Walker County Courthouse.

First on the agenda was David Moorman who was sworn into the of-

fice of the 12th Judicial District Judge by retiring District Judge Don Kramer. After Moorman was the Walker County Commissioners Danny Kuykendall, Precinct 1, and Bill Daugette, Precinct 3, followed by Walker County Constables John Hooks(Precinct

1), Shane Loosier(Precinct 2), and Steve Hill(Precinct 3). Sheriff Clint McRae, Tax Assessor-Collector Diana McRae, and Constable Gene Bartee(Precinct 4) had all been sworn in earlier at a ceremony in the County Judge’s office.

By Wade Thibodeaux Protesters greeted Walker County Commissioners as they came into the Courthouse

last Monday, January 04, 2021. The protesters held up signs that showed their displeasure with the Commis-

sioners for their vote on leaving the monument on the North lawn of the Walker County Courthouse. Sev-

Protesters Greet Walker County Commissioners

By Wade Thibodeaux The Huntsville Hornets varsity football season came to an end last Saturday as they fell to the Crosby Cou-

gars 29-32 in overtime in the Regional semi-final game played at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah, Texas. Congratulations

Hornets on a great season and on being a great group of young men that gave it your all and left it all on the field.

Go Hornets!!!!!!!

eral of the protesters made their way into the Courthouse and spoke during the Citizen In-

put section of Commis- last Court that approved sioners Court, voicing a motion to leave the their concern with the monument in place. vote taken during the

Thursday January 7, 2021

Community

TV’s “American ____” 35. Russian mountain range 37. Urban haze 39. Spiral-horned African antelope 40. Aggressive remark 41. 10 percent to charity, e.g.

43. Milk choice 44. Burnt ____ 46. “Nobody ____ It Better” 47. London art museum 48. Evening party 50. Boll weevil, e.g.

52. Dianne Feinstein, abbr.

53. Windmill blade 55. “... ____ he drove out of sight” 57. *It’s battered and fried THEME: INTERNATIONAL MENU Solution on page 11 61. *Cheese and ACROSS novel “Bel ____” 21. *Raw fish potato dumplings 1. Arithmetic oper- 16. Parallel 23. Like Second 65. Loudspeaker ation grooves Testament noise 6. Romantic get17. New Zealand’s 24. Archipelago 66. Sheep sound away destination bygone bird unit 68. Frank Wright’s 9. “Hold on!”

18. Daisy-like 25. Fool’s Day middle name 13. Foolish bloom mo.

69. Atones, archa14. Unit of electri- 19. *En ____, 28. “Days” in Haic cal resistance cooked and served vana 70. Days of ____ 15. Ann Patchett’s in individual pot 30. Just one of

Walker County Press-Page 2

71. Containing fat 72. Cut the crop 73. College degrees 74. Stainless material DOWN 1. Catchall abbr.

2. Gung-ho about 3. DEA agent 4. Jimmy Hoffa’s organization 5. Position while landing 6. A few 7. *Vietnamese soup 8. Accumulate 9. Done in loads 10. Opposing prefix 11. Unit on a list 12. Torus, pl.

15. Milk protein 20. *Cocktail garnish 22. Mont Blanc, e.g.

24. Heavy hydrogen, e.g.

25. *With jus 26. First-rate 27. Browning’s “____ ben Ezra” 29. In the thick of 31. Benign lump 32. New Zealand parrots

33. Like NCAA’s eight 34. *Japanese noodle soup 36. Suggestive look 38. *Clarified butter 42. Ruhr’s industrial center 45. “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show” 49. Lobe locale 51. Ogres of the Norse 54. Bigwig in the Orient 56. Approval of the audience 57. Tow rope alternative 58. River in Bohemia 59. Comedian Rudolph 60. “Dead Poets Society” school, e.g.

61. Cowboy’s prods 62. Apple leftover 63. Jekyll’s alter ego 64. Bucolic poem 67. *____ ____ mode

Walker County Press-Page 3

Business Directory

Thursday January 7, 2021 2801 Old Houston Road 936-435-0303 www.tomorrowspromise.com email: tpms1@msn.com fax: 936-730-8278

TEXAS MEDIA CORP Huntsville

Wade Thibodeaux (936) 581-5161

P.O. Box 149

Huntsville, Tx 77342

wade@txmediacorp.com

Auto

Tomorrow’s Promise

Covid may have changed things, but children still learn the same way!

Our hours have changed to 5:00am - 6:30pm

Home

Texas Tidbits From Historic Tours of Texas

Commercial

Sam Houston was baptized twice?

Life Health Office: 936-295-6000 Email: huntsvilleoffice@ rolloinsurance.com Steven R. Gregory - Agent www.rolloinsurance.com 1010 University Ave. Huntsville, TX 77320

Did you know...?

The rest of the answer can be found at historictoursoftexas.com

Thursday January 7, 2021

Arrest Report

Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home -All Prearranged Services Honored -Prearranged Funeral Sales

Joetta’s

Women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories Home Decor and gifts Tyler Candles and Glamour Wash

office: 936-661-6125 www.joettas.com

Walker County Press-Page 4

1700 Normal Park Huntsville, TX 77340

Located in West Hill Mill

936-291-7300

From the office of Walker County Sheriff

Clint McRae Twenty-Six individuals were arrested and booked into the Walker County Jail between Monday, December 28 and Thursday, December 31. Con-

tinued indictments from last week are also as followed.

The individuals named have been magistrated and formally informed of the charges

against them. However, just because these individuals were arrested and magistrated does not mean they are guilty of the crimes they are charged

with committing. Also not everyone charged with a crime is alleged to have committed the crime in Walker County, but perhaps was simply ar-

rested in Walker County on outstanding warrant(s) while in Walker County.

In instances in which individuals were arrested on out-

standing warrants, their original conviction and the reason they are on probation or parole, if available, is included in parenthesis set.

Walker County Press-Page 5

Arrest Report

Thursday January 7, 2021

Personalizing Your Events...Since 1957 www.huntsvilleheartfieldflorist.com office: 936-295-5448

Baptist: -University Heights Baptist Church worship services every Sunday at 9:30am and 10:45am -First Baptist Church Hunts-

ville every Sunday bible study at 9:30am, worship at 10:50, and 6:00pm Catholic: -St. Thomas the Apostale Catholic Church Rosary

Church Services

at 5:00pm and 5:30pm (English) every Saturday and every Sunday at 7:45am (English), 10:45am (English, and 12:30pm (Spanish)

Methodist: -First United Methodist Church worship every Sunday at 8:30am, 9:45am and 11:00am

Presbyterian: -First Presbyterian Church Huntsville classes every Sunday at 9:15am and worship at 10:30am

Corner of 16 and 31 Sam Houston Ave.

Non-Denominational: -The Ark Church. 10:30 am service. Loman’s Student Center, 1717 Avenue J. Lead Pastor - Luke Cunningham. 936-463-8416

Thursday January 7, 2021

Community

Walker County Press-Page 6

Covid-19 Update by Darren Grant

Walker County ended 2020 with a bang, Covid-wise, as cases exploded throughout the county. December saw 199 probable cases and 952 confirmed cases, as reported by the state, our worst month yet. We are approaching 100 deaths from the virus as well.

Some of it has to do with visits to family over Thanksgiving. Getting a lot of people together in close quarters is a sure way to spread the disease. Those people would test positive in early December and then spread it to others who would test positive in late December.

Sam Houston State University didn’t help.

Many universities ended all in-person experience before Thanksgiving, so you wouldn’t have students going

home to pick up the virus from their families and come back to spread it to their roommates. But SHSU held Thanksgiving as usual and then resumed in person classes for—get this—three days afterwards, followed by exams. Not smart.

But I think the main reason for last month’s explosion in cases is simply the weather.

It got cold, so people spent more time inside, where the virus finds it easiest to spread. Ventilation is the enemy of the coronavirus, and there is less ventilation when the weather gets cold.

You can see this in the state that has done best on the virus: Hawaii.

The weather there is in the 70’s almost all the time and there are practically no bugs—it’s un-

believable. Everyone’s windows are open.

One time I walked into a hotel and there was no door—it was just perpetually open to the outside.

In that kind of environment, you spend a lot of time outside, and even when you are inside, there is ventilation. The virus can’t build up and transmit to another person. As a result, Walker County has had more coronavirus cases and deaths than the entire state of Hawaii—by far.

You can also see the effect of weather in Texas. In April, a friend told me things would get better in the summer, because sunlight would kill the virus.

He had it backwards.

The heat drove people inside where the virus spread. Last summer, Texas had one of the highest Covid rates in the country. As the weather improved, cases tapered off.

What this means for us in Walker County is that the worst may be ahead.

The weather is usually colder in January than December, and the first half of February can be the worst of all. And there are already a lot of cases walking around right now.

So be careful out there.

Treat the next six weeks as some of the most dangerous of your life.

Small Business Breakfast Information

The Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Breakfasts (SBB) are one of our monthly networking events, providing an opportunity for YOU to get to know fellow chamber members and community leaders. SBB is all about building business relationships and having fun while you are doing it! Enjoy a delicious breakfast prepared by Farmhouse Café and share an “infomercial” to build your business!

The next breakfast, sponsored by Sweet Karoline’s Floral Shop, will take place on Thursday, January 14th and will be held at the Farmhouse Café located at 1004 14th Street in the Midway Plaza.

Social distancing will be practiced as well as breakfast served by Farmhouse staff.

Cost is only $10 for Chamber Members, $15 for potential members and is payable at the door.

Market your business

even further by bringing literature/flyers/ etc to display on our member table AND you can donate a door prize announced from the microphone!

Doors OPEN at 7:30 a.m., program begins at 8:00 a.m.

Please call the Chamber at (936) 295‑8113 for more information.

Remember make your chamber membership work for you..

GET involved, GET connected and GET results!

For the last few years, it seemed at times as if a black, ominous cloud has hovered over

the defending World Champion.

The pursuit of a historic second gold buckle

seemed to be a distinct possibility for Jess Lockwood in 2020 before he sustained a ca-

Leme’s Path to Potential PBR History in 2021 Begins in Ocala

Thursday January 7, 2021 reer-threatening torn left hamstring at the beginning of March that would keep him out of competition for six months.

Two years earlier, Lockwood’s first attempt at winning back-to-back world titles ground to a halt when he tore his groin in the summer.

2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco’s defense of his world title came to an unceremonious end in June 2019 when he sustained a season-ending injury by landing on his elbow at a PBR Brazil event.

Lockwood and Pacheco are just the latest World Champions who have failed to accomplish what only one man in PBR history – Silvano Alves – has ever done.

Win back-to-back world titles.

By no means is the reigning World Champion cursed once he leaves the PBR World Finals with a gold buckle and $1 million.

Rather, the 17 previous World Champions not named Alves are reminders of just how hard it is to win a championship in the toughest sport on dirt in back-toback seasons.

Mauney.

Moraes.

McBride.

Shivers.

All legendary champs who also failed to pull off what Alves did in 2011-12. In fact, Alves is the only defending

Local News World Champion in the last 20 years to even finish runner-up in his title defense season.

In 2021, the pursuit of back-to-back glory falls onto the shoulders of the 18th different World Champion in PBR history – Jose Vitor Leme.

Leme’s pursuit of a second consecutive world title will begin when the 2021 Unleash The Beast: American Roots Edition begins on Jan. 16 in Ocala, Florida.

The two-day PBR Monster Energy Invitational is the beginning of the 2021 premier series, and it will be Leme’s first event back in the United States since he returned home to Brazil for the offseason.

Leme ended 2020 with a league-high seven UTB event wins, 16 round victories and a league-best 67.69% riding average (44-for-65).

The 24-year-old may have won his first world title in 2020, but he has been one of the best bull riders in the world since winning the PBR World Finals in 2017. Leme finished runner-up in back-to-back seasons before his year of dominance this past season.

Leme heads into his fourth full season on the PBR’s premier series 142-for-240 (59.17%) with 29 90-point rides and 13 event wins in his career.

Alves’s focus and drive never wavered during his back-to-back cham-

pionships. He also had the good fortune of a clean bill of health, which is always a rarity in a sport of man versus beast. Ultimately, health always will play a factor in a rider’s pursuit of history.

Riders often end a World Championship run with torn ligaments and broken bones.

Many leave their sweat, blood and tears on the dirt during their gold buckle journeys. Twotime World Champion Justin McBride needed reconstructive shoulder surgery after he won the 2007 world title. He finished sixth in 2006 after winning the 2005 gold buckle.

Leme has already voiced publicly his desire to win multiple world titles. His determination is likely not going to waver in 2021, and he will also begin the new year in good health. The only thing that slowed Leme down during the second half of 2020 was a minor thumb injury and then the PBR’s COVID-19 protocols, which prevented him from competing at two events when he was exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus. Leme missed two events in the first half because of broken ribs, but he otherwise was fully healthy in 2020.

Leme also may be prepped to handle the mental grind that comes

with being the defending World Champion seeing as he spent the final seven and a half months of the 2020 season as the No. 1 bull rider in the world.

During that time, Leme became the focal point of interview requests, spending a fair amount of time discussing his previous world title

Walker County Press-Page 7

shortcomings, and he was the sole focus for every rider in the world attempting to run him down. Therefore, Leme may be well-seasoned to handle the added attention and responsibility of being the champ.

Alves may be the only successful back-to-back World Champion so far in PBR history, but two

previous world title winners were close to defending their thrones in the last five years.

Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney, as well as 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis, finished third in the world standings during their title defenses.

Delicious Ideas for Big Game Sunday

(StatePoint) With just a grill and a bit of smoke, your menu will be the real MVP of the Big Game.

“The key to making snacks and appetizers more flavorful is with hardwood pellets, which can add rich, wood-fired flavor to just about anything.

And, with a few modifications, you don’t even need a pellet grill

to achieve that delicious wood-smoked flavor,” says Ben Madden, product manager at Bear Mountain BBQ Woods, crafter of gourmet, hardwood pellets.

Below, Madden shares his winning tips and game-day recipes.

Smoked & Roasted Wings From classic Buffalo hot sauce to sweet teriyaki, chicken wings are

always a crowd-pleaser, especially on game day. Take their flavor to the next level with this recipe for Smoked and Roasted Chicken Wings: Prep time: 5 min Cook time: ~ 2 hours depending on size and amount of wings Ingredients: • Essential BBQ Rub or poultry seasoning • Chicken wings • Sauce of choice • Bear Mountain’s Savory BBQ Craft Blends pellets Preparation: 1. Lightly coat wings in seasoning.

2. Arrange wings on smoker or grill at 225 degrees with at least 2 inches of space between.

3. Smoke for 1 to 1.5 hours.

4. Turn up grill to 350 degrees to finish. Start brushing on sauce and turning wings periodically.

5. Once wings hit an internal temperature of 165, remove from the smoker or grill and toss

Community

Thursday January 7, 2021

Community Calendar

The Huntsville Public Library will reopen to the public on Monday, October 26, 2020, under the modified hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Mondays through Fridays, following the guidance of City officials.

The facility, located at 1219 13th Street, will only be able to accommodate 50 patrons inside the

building at one time.

Per Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order 28, all persons must wear a mask unless they are under the age of 10 or have a medical condition.

Citizens will also be able to take advantage of the library’s book sale which will be also reopened.

Computer access will be available on a first-come, firstserved basis with

limited use to social distance. In light of the safety of staff and citizens, personalized computer assistance will be offered on a limited basis.

Unfortunately, the ever-popular meeting rooms and study room reservations will not be available, and the library’s reading furniture will be inaccessible.

For more information, call 936-291-5472.

Obituaries

Boyce Dean Stalter Sr.

Boyce Dean Stalter Sr was born in Athens, Texas on December 18, 1944 and died at Memorial Herman Hospital in the Woodlands from a complication of a knee infection from a total knee replacement done on October 26th, 2020.

Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home of Huntsville, Texas will have a visitation on Tuesday, 12/29/2020 from 5:00pm-7:30pm and

a Memorial Celebration of Life Wednesday 12/30/2020 at 2:00pm. Survived by his wife Sally Jane Stalter of Huntsville, Tx, son Boyce Dean Stalter Jr of Houston, step sons Ted Edward Cole of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Kent James Cole of Huntsville Tx. Three granddaughter McKenzie Marie Stalter of Montgomery Tx, Kailie Rene Stalter and Allison Dean Stalter of Houston Tx and 4 great grandchildren Wyatt Keith Sellars, Leovanni Skye Ramirez, Emma Gracie Marie Cooley, Wesley Theodore Cooley. In addition to ALL are many supported friends. Boyce

was proceeded in death by his father, Freeman Stalter and mother Allie Mae Chambers, sister Sue Ella Williford and special Aunt Ruby Lee Tevebaugh.

Boyce attended Lee College in Baytown where he obtained his Associates Degree. He was employed by DuPont Chemical Plant for 37 years both at the Orange, Texas plant and the La Porte, Tx plant and retired from these as the Production Supervisor over the Sulfuric Acid Division.

After retirement he and Sally moved to their beautiful retirement farm on 20 acres in Huntsville, Tx. Not yet completely ready for retirement Boyce

continued to work for the next 5 years for the State of Texas TDCJ, Region 1 as their Maintenance Supervisor. Then he worked at Bauer, a German based drilling company in Conroe, Texas. Last but not least Boyce worked for the Sam Houston Funeral Home as an Assistant to the Funeral Director.

In lieu of flowers donation can be made to Shriners Hospital for Children815 Market Street, Galveston Tx 77550.

Dorothy Lorine Hoke

Dorothy Lorine Norwood Hoke went to be with the Lord on December 21, 2020. She was born in Huntsville on June 10, 1926 to William Chester and Maggie Allen Norwood. She is preceded in death by her parents, three brothers; Geroge, Lester, and Carl and one sister; Velma Lee Norwood. Per her wishes, Dorothy passed away in the home she and her husband Sterling

Walker County Press-Page 8

Hoke built. Dorothy and Sterling were married for 50 years, Sterling passed away in 1997. Dorothy is also preceded in death by her daughters-inlaw Brenda Jo Hoke and Tammy Hoke.

Loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt, she was known to everyone as Mama or Ma Hoke.

Her door was always open to her “babies” and if she knew you were coming to visit your favorite food would be on the table. She loved to cook and bake and her chocolate pies were requested at every family/church gathering. Dorothy was an accomplished gardener; she loved plants and flowers and could take a twig and turn it into a beautiful gardenia bush.

Dorothy is survived by her children Rita Craft of Diboll and husband Gordon, Cecil Hoke of Huntsville and wife Terri, Jimmy Hoke of Huntsville, and Marilyn Phillips of Conroe and husband Hal. Rita and Gordon’s children Kevin Craft and wife Mary, Brian Craft and wife Christine, James Craft and wife Lori Lea. Jimmy’s chil-

dren Tonya Griffin and husband James and April Frodsham and husband Les. Marilyn’s children Shelly Owens and Clint Cowart and wife Cara. Dorothy is also survived by a dozen great-grandchildren, many nieces, and nephews, and a multitude of friends in Huntsville, A special thanks to all the of people who helped care for Dorothy including JoAnn Norwood, Pat Oliphant, Dorothy Harrison, the First Choice hospice staff. The family wishes to express deepest gratitude to Dorothy Harrison for the loving way she cared for our mother during the last months of her life.

Sharon Kaye Durbin

Sharon Kaye Heartfield Durbin was born in Huntsville, Texas to Blanche Wyser and G. A. Heartfield, Sr. She was the youngest of their four children and enjoyed an idyllic childhood in the family home on Avenue N

Local News

Thursday January 7, 2021

and later the Heartfield Farm on HWY 30. She and her family were longtime members of First Christian Church.

In her senior year of high school, Sharon was named a Duchess in the Neches River Festival in Beaumont, Texas. She graduated from Huntsville High School in 1966, having been named a Class Beauty and HHS Twirler her junior and senior years. Throughout high school Sharon worked at her mother’s business, Heartfield Florist. While she was in school she met and began dating her future husband, Denny Durbin.

Sharon attended Sam Houston State University and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. In 1968 she married Denny and after several moves settled in Panama City, Florida. Sharon began her working career as Assistant to the President of the Angleton Bank of Commerce, Angleton, TX. and continued in banking with a move to Huntsville National Bank, Huntsville, TX. In Florida Sharon accomplished a personal goal and graduated from Gulf Coast State College with honors in Accounting.

Sharon had a tender spot in her heart for dogs. There was not one she could not love and bring into her home. She was also an accomplished gardener and especially known for her African Violets and orchids.

She was an excellent cook and loved to make family members laugh out loud. Sharon had a natural talent in fashion design and was known to find the best bargains when shopping. She will truly be missed by many.

Sharon is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, G. A. (Jerry) Heartfield, Jr., her sister, Patricia Heartfield Pierce, and her in-laws, Johnny and Eldena Durbin. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Denny, her brother, Bob (Anne), her brotherin-law, Chuck (Jane) Durbin, and numerous nieces and nephews who all lovingly called her “Aunt Kaye.” She is also survived by her beloved dog, Baby.

Patricia Beaty Blevins

Patricia Betulia Elizabeth Beaty Blevins, 84, of Huntsville, Texas was called home by the Lord on Friday, December 25, 2020, there to rest in Him with peace and joy until the great Resurrection Day. Patricia was born May 20, 1936 to Flavious and Pearl Beaty.

Before graduating high school early she already met the love of her life, Harold Blevins. They married in 1952, and together over the next 59 years raised seven children, gained three more daughters and two sons through childrens’ marriages, and saw the blessing of a multitude of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Patricia (also known as Mama or Granny) was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and servant of God. She was a member of the Primitive Baptist church for most of her life; joining the Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church in Ider, Alabama, and then the Grace Primitive Baptist Church in Houston and Fellowship Primitive Baptist Church in Madisonville, after she

and Harold moved to Texas. She loved everyone deeply, and sought to treat everyone as a child of God. In addition to her service to her immediate family and loved ones, she also loved to serve the children of the Huntsville ISD through the food service, from 1984 to 1995, retiring in that year.

Patricia was preceded in death by both of her parents, her brothers Loma and Khomer, her sister Murial, her husband Harold, her son Anthony, and grandson JD Grant. She is survived by her children: Priscilla (Blevins) Hawks (wife of Anthony) of Belton, Texas; Allan and wife Patsy of Huntsville; Lindsey Blevins of Huntsville; Lisa (Blevins) McDonald and husband Thomas of Sadler, Texas; Stephanie (Blevins) Colunga and husband Richard of Centennial, Colorado; Christopher Blevins and wife Catherine of Anna, Texas; and Jonathan

Walker County Press-Page 9

cliff went home to be with the Lord on December 29th, 2020 at age 60.

Jeanette was born to Glenn and Lois Ratcliff on October 25th, 1960 in Houston, Texas.

Jan is preceded in death by her parents, Lois and Glenn Ratcliff; and brothers Glenn Wayne and Jerry Melvin Ratcliff. She is survived by her sister, Sandra and husband Buddy Lorenz; sister, Peggy and husband Danny Kay; and several nieces and nephews.

Jan had a love for life and people, and a smile that never went unnoticed.

Some of her favorite things to do involved fishing, dirt track racing, singing, and dancing.

The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at Adar Healthcare & Wellness Center for Jeanette Ratcliff their care and comJeanette (Jan) Rat- passion.

Blevins of Huntsville, Texas. She is also survived by many grandchildren: Paula Valdez and husband Dario; Olivia Powell and husband Kevin; Amanda Lee and husband Jack; Donnie Grant; Stan Miller; Pamela Weiland; Angela Smith; Virginia Innes and husband Paul; Thomas A. McDonald and wife Mindy; Melissa Colunga and Hai Truong; Sarah Joyce; Elizabeth Colunga; Emmeline Blevins; Abigail Blevins; Elijah Blevins; Asher Blevins; Ella Blevins; many great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends she counted every bit as family.

Sam Houston Memorial

Funeral Home

1700 Normal Park Huntsville, TX 77340

936-291-7300

Thursday January 7, 2021

Local News

Ideas for Big Game Sunday (contd)

in a bowl with remaining sauce. Then they’re ready to serve!

No pellet grill or smoker? Try using Smoke ‘Ems wood pellet packets in this recipe in the following way: • On one side of grill, turn burner to medium-high heat or fire up charcoal and place Smoke ‘Ems packet directly over heat until it starts smoking.

• Place wings on other side of grill over medium heat until Smoke ‘Ems has stopped smoking. Note: For more smoke flavor, use a second packet after first has been used.

• Increase temperature under wings and continue with Step 4 above.

Beer Cheese Dip Bring your appetizer game to a new level with this delicious recipe for Beer Cheese Dip with Pretzel Ring, from Bear Mountain BBQ ambassador, Jennifer Danella: Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated • 1/2 cup gruyere cheese grated • 8 ounces cream cheese softened • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 1/2 of a 1-ounce Hidden Valley Ranch Packet • 2 tablespoons green onions chopped.

• 1/4 cup German lager beer • 2 tablespoons baking soda • 1 can biscuits • 1 large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing biscuits • 12-inch cast iron skillet • Bear Mountain’s Bourbon BBQ or Savory BBQ Craft Blends pellets Preparation: 1. Preheat pellet grill to 350 F. 2. In large bowl, combine 1 cup cheddar, gruyere, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, beer and 1 table-

spoon green onions.

Mix evenly.

3. Cut biscuits in half.

Roll each half into a ball, then slice an X across top.

4. Boil 2 cups water in medium saucepan.

Once boiling, add baking soda and mix immediately.

5. Add biscuits in batches and cook until puffy, approximately 1 minute. Remove and transfer to skillet, forming ring along inside edge.

6. Brush biscuits with egg wash. Sprinkle with salt.

7. Transfer dip to center of skillet. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar.

8. Bake until biscuits are golden and dip is bubbly, 30-35 minutes.

9. Garnish with remaining green onions.

Serve!

For more recipe ideas and grilling tips, visit bearmountainbbq.com.

By adding smoke to your Big Game playbook, you will score big long before kickoff.

(StatePoint) In the remote-learning environment of the 2020-21 academic year, certain types of classes have been deprioritized and the school day has lost some of the structure and sociability that in-person learning affords.

In the face of these challenges, how can you make remote-learning more rewarding and fun for your child?

Consider the following tips and ideas: • Encourage video study sessions: Socializing is an invaluable aspect of a traditional

school day. Unfortunately, remote-learning can be a lot more isolating. Have your child invite classmates to form a remote study group.

Doing so will help reinforce lessons, make learning the material more interactive and provide a much-needed

How to Make Remote-Learning More Rewarding and Fun

opportunity for students to socialize.

• Reincorporate music education: Have music classes been cancelled this year? Your child can still reap the benefits of a music education by playing an instrument like a Casiotone Keyboard. The Casiotone series of keyboards are great for beginners.

Not only do they have a built-in learning system, they have a 3/4 jack for headphones so the rest of the house doesn’t have to be distracted during practice sessions. Learning to play a keyboard is not only fun, it can help with science, math and cognitive learning.

Studies have shown that children and adults with musical training have heightened skills in an area called executive functioning.

• Schedule midday movement: Physical education may no lon-

Walker County Press-Page 10

ger be part of your child’s curriculum, but you can still make time for movement. Schedule a screen-free block of time each day to replace gym class or recess. Encourage kids to move around and if possible, get some fresh air. They’ll return to their next class refreshed and focused.

• Master math at home: Math can be an especially tricky subject to master remotely. But new tools can help students grasp complex concepts. For example, ClassPad.net is a tool geared toward K-12 and beyond that exceeds the functionality of a calculator. Among its many features are a virtual protractor and compass, and a mathbased text editor that provides a rich assortment of mathematical templates. This webbased calculator also gives users the ability

to create folders, organize and share work.

These tools are free to educators and students and can eliminate the need for an expensive graphing calculator. To register or learn more, visit ClassPad.net.

• Create digital masterpieces: Art is still an important subject for kids, even if it isn’t being offered this year. However, you don’t need to install a full-fledged art studio in your home for kids to be able to create artwork in a range of mediums. Digital apps mimic the act of drawing, painting, illustration, collage and more, helping to build a foundation of skills and lay the groundwork for further exploration.

While some of the challenges of remote-learning are inevitable, there are many ways families can make the experience more positive for students.

Walker County Press-Page 11

Local News

Thursday January 7, 2021

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Walker County Press-Page 12

Lifestyle

Sunday Observations by Christy

Yay!!!! New year!!!

We have all waited and waited on the end of 2020. We have said how it was the worst year, couldn’t wait for it to end, blah blah. One problem. Just like with any new year, nothing changes if we don’t make the choice to actually change.

Here we are, January 3rd, and we are still arguing.

Criticizing one another.

Insulting people we don’t know. Determining that we know facts better than others.

Forgive my pessimism here, but unless you change.....2021 will be the exact same.

So how do we make 2021 better? We respect one another’s choice.

Simple as that. You don’t have to get off your couch, give up ice cream, lace up running shoes, clean anything out, or cook anything different. You can sit right where you are, and respect one another.

So you have different views on Covid and someone else likes to make fun of you for whatever your view is.

Unfollow them. Delete them. Keep scrolling.

You hate Biden/Trump?

Someone else loves them? Unfollow them.

Delete them. Keep

scrolling.

You like Coors/Miller/ Michelob?

Someone else hates drinking?

Unfollow them. Delete them. Keep scrolling.

The topic does not matter.

If you feel strongly enough in opposing views to the sun coming up, unfollow, delete, keep scrolling.

Here is the thing. Social media is like the school cafeteria. Everyone has their tables, they gather with their 3-4 friends, they eat, they laugh, they cry, they support one another. Don’t be the jerk that walks by and hits someone in the head just because you can. Don’t be the person who dumps a drink on someone else because you perceive yourself as better. You don’t even have to walk by the table of people you dislike.

Go another route. Take the exit on the other side. Unfollow. Delete.

Keep scrolling.

Happy Sunday peeps.... this country has enough turmoil all on its own.

We do not have to help it. If you are one of those people that get online and continually post to another’s page your opposing thoughts, send private messages, argues with strangers on the news pages, has your stash of memes that you keep on hand to prove your superiority.....

YOU are the person in the cafeteria hitting someone just because you can. You are a part

of the problem. Make 2021 better. Unfollow.

Delete. Keep scrolling.

And if any of this hit

Thursday January 7, 2021 personal..... well, it’s unintentional. I do however hope you will do your part to make

2021 better. Or unfollow me. Delete me. And just keep scrolling.

WOODS, WATERS, and WILDLIFE

A LION IN WINTER

By John Jefferson

Dateline: Texas. A December 2020 press release from Texas Parks and Wildlife stated that a mountain lion was seen and confirmed near Rowlett, in eastern Dallas County, not far from Lake Ray Hubbard.

Do I believe it? Or am I just trying to be an alarmist?

Heck, yeah, I believe it. I could have entitled this column, “Mountain Lion in Dallas,” omitting the word “County”, had I wanted to be an alarmist.

But knowing the hysteria anytime there is a coyote sighting in our neighborhood and people start posting warnings about not letting kids walk to school without an adult, I refrained.

Although mountain lions can be almost anywhere in Texas, your child may never see one. That I inserted my belief in the report is because

so many, especially new Texans, don’t believe anything they’ve never seen. Mountain lions are mostly nocturnal and attacks on humans in Texas are rare.

Before some readers reach for the phone, I am aware of the 2012 attack on a six-year-old walking with his parents in the Big Bend.

The family lived near me. They were returning to their campsite from the national park’s restaurant. Both parents were holding the boy’s hands when the lion launched. The boy’s father jumped on the lion, stabbing it with his pocketknife. The lion released the little guy and ran. It was later euthanized by park personnel.

It had been a young lion and was possibly injured, which could have handicapped its ability to capture wild food. Mountain lions prefer deer but will take domestic animals and pets if game is scarce.

Fortunately, they favor feral hogs, too. Pho-

tos of the injured child showed scratches on his face and neck. Thankfully, he survived.

Lions exists in many parts of Texas, but not in one place for very long. A mountain lion seminar I attended several years ago showed the range of cats equipped with electronic tracking devices to be an oval shaped range of 150-200 miles! They are continually on the move. Authorities don’t expect the Rowlett cat to be seen there, again.

A TPWD mountain lion distribution map shows few sightings in east Texas. However, when I was in high school in Beaumont, the editor of the morning paper left work after getting the paper to press around 3:00 a.m. and headed home. He lived in an area near a wooded wilderness south of the Big Thicket. He swore that as he walked to his front door, there was a “lion” in his yard. Known for his credibility, I never doubted his account. It was never seen again.

I have heard first-hand

Walker County Press-Page 13 reports from ranches in Duval, Zapata, Kerr, Burnet, Lampasas, and Williamson counties of seeing lions or their tracks. They’re scat-

tered all over Texas, but seldom seen. I’ve only seen the one in the attached photo. My wife saw one eating roadkill along I-10 between

Lifestyle

Thursday January 7, 2021

Ozona and Junction one night coming back from the Big Bend -- but I missed it. They’re here.

For sure.

“When You Need an Expert”

My computer needed an anti-virus program installed on it.

After researching the Internet, I called an expert who regularly makes technology decisions for a large school district. He told me what he installs on all the computers there. What he uses did not make the Internet “top 10” list. However, I went with his recommendation, because I remembered what someone told me a long time ago, “Danny, when you need an expert, get one, don’t be one.”

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” By the way, my computer is working great.

Although mountain lions can appear throughout most of Texas, they are nocturnal, and seldom seen. If you encounter one, DON’T RUN! Throw rocks, make loud noises, and stand still. Photo by John Jefferson.

Danny R. Biddy, Chaplain for Fellowship of Christian Cowboys and Chambers County Sheriff’s Office

Lifestyle

Thursday January 7, 2021

Disclaimer: This column is the opinion of Publisher Wade A. Thibodeaux and may contain subject matter on a variety of topics, but usually contains humor of some description. An occasional serious thought may be thrown in to entice the reader to think.

The first part of this editorial was in last week’s digital only version of the newspapers as we were technically on vacation. So, if you went to the link on Facebook and read the paper then you may want to skip this first part and just head on down to the bottom of this article and see what I have added for this week’s papers. If you didn’t read the digital version last week, then by all means carry on and read this in its entirety.

I should have known better, I should have known better, I SHOULD have known better, but I didn’t, or It just didn’t click in this hard head of mine. It is a tradition, or a common practice for us to take off the week between Christmas and New Year’s and this year was supposed to be the same, but somehow we have managed to get ourselves into a position of producing a newspaper in all of our markets for this week that we are supposed to be on vacation. However, in this world of up to the minute news and more concerning the social media aspect of

the news business, we are going to produce a digital version of the papers this week. I’m not exactly sure how they are going to look, how many pages in each publication, or just exactly what information will be contained in them, but we are going to produce a paper.....well, a publication at least and they will at least contain the stuff that we can gather and find information about during this holiday season. This all started because the Hornets were in the playoffs and I didn’t want to skip a week because then we would be a week behind as I was just sure that they were going to be playing well into January. So, instead of producing a full blown, hold in your hand newspaper, I decided that we would just produce a digital version and make it available to everyone on our social media page. That way we could cover the Hornets game, give our advertisers a little extra exposure because we weren’t going to charge them for this week, and still be somewhat in the news flow on a little more relaxed basis.

Well, the Hornets lost their game in overtime and that bad news could have certainly waited for an extra week, but I had already broadcast the digital edition in last week’s paper and I certainly wanted to keep my word, therefore we will produce the digital version. Besides that, people still get arrested, obituaries need to be published, and news continues to happen regardless of the calendar, so here we are producing a newspaper. And, if we are going to do one.... we may as well do all of them. So, if you are reading this, it means that you found the link on our social media sites and if you like the digital version just shoot us an email, a phone call, or even an old fashioned letter in the mail and we will be glad to include you on our weekly digital distribution list...... no charge for paper subscribers and only $25. a year for new subscriptions.

Now, on to something a little funny. This is a Sonic story that’s a little backwards from the usual. I was in line at the drive thru the other day and a guy pulled up

behind me and yelled out the window of his truck for me to hurry up.

I looked in my rear view mirror and recognized the fellow as the pastor of one of the local churches and he and I have developed a friendship over the years. I waved to him and pulled up to the window and as I was driving up, the thought of doing something nice for him during the holidays crossed my mind and I asked the young lady at the window if I could pay for his order.

She said that she would check to see how much it was and she came back and said that he had an “Order Ahead” and it was already paid for. Well dang, the one time that I’m going to do something nice for somebody and this new digital world full of apps took me out of the equation. You see, once the order is placed, confirmed, and paid for on the Sonic app, there’s no going back. I wanted to pay for it and they refund his credit card, but she said that they couldn’t do that and so I just drove off, waving goodbye to my friend.

As I’m writing this column, the thought occurred to me that I guess I could have bought him a gift card and left it for him to use next time, but I didn’t think of that option at the time. Oh well, I’ll catch him next time, because I think he is a frequent consumer of the sweet nectar from Sonic like I am and so

Walker County Press-Page 14 there should be more opportunities.

Now, on to the new stuff. I realize I’m a little late to the party as everybody that I know has been watching Yellowstone on TV for several years now, but I just took the time to record the series from the beginning and OMG. I’m hooked. I stayed up until 5:00 am one night watching episode after episode and it’s all that I can think about. Everybody said that the scenes were very authentic and to some degree that is true, but I saw one scene where they were pulling a calf from the Momma cow that was having trouble delivering the baby. As soon as the calf was out of the Momma, they showed the completely dried off calf run away with the cow that jumped up from the ground. Not exactly how it works, but looked good for the TV audience. Back in my livestock publishing days, I had the opportunity to visit with Jim Leachman as he and I were escaping the hustle and bustle of one of the livestock sales at the Denver Stock Show. I had stepped out onto the walkway overlooking the “Yards” at Denver when he walked up to me and started talking.

Now, here I was at one of the most prestigious shows in the world, overlooking hundreds of head of some of the finest cattle ever made and talking to one of the

largest purebred cattle producers in the world.

I was just a peon in his world, yet he talked to me for some 45 minutes as we picked out various cattle that we were watching and discussed their attributes.

Kevin Costner, star of the series, reminds me of the type of fellow that Jim Leachman was that night in Denver. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder if the TV show is somehow based on Leachman’s operation, or if Leachman was just living the show before it’s time. Either way, I’m enjoying both ends of those experiences, even though they are some 35 years apart from each other.

In one of the scenes, Costner is having trouble with his cell phone reception and he moves his camp 50 yards so that he has no signal at all and takes great pleasure in realizing that “There are 7 Billion people in the world and not one of them knows where to find me”.

Sometimes I wish that it could be that easy. We are back in the saddle of the newspaper business as we are producing issues every week for the next 51 weeks until we will try to take the week off between Christmas and New Years again this year. We will see how that goes and until then......Happy New Year one and all. Till next time, I’m........

Wade in the Shade.

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Walker County Press-Page 15

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Thursday January 7, 2021

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Christmas

From our family News To yours!

Thursday January 7, 2021

Walker County Press-Page 16

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