VOL 6 ·ISSUE 24
WALKER COUNTY
PRESS
PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Permit #60 WINNIE, TX
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Congressman Brady Tr u c k W r e c k s C a u s e Makes Stop in Huntsville Tr a f f i c N i g h t m a r e
Two separate 18 wheeler crashes on I-45 Wednesday afternoon, April 13, 2022 left one person critically injured and snarled traffic in Huntsville for hours. Huntsville Fire and Walker County EMS units were dispatched to the southbound main lanes just north of Hwy 30, and the first arriving units reported one person was critically injured and an 18 wheeler was overturned. Emergency crews went to work to treat the injured, but traffic (contd on page 6)
Richard Yawn introduced and welcomed Congressman Kevin Brady for a town hall meeting held at City Hall Cafe last Thursday.
By Wade Thibodeaux Congressman Kevin Brady may only have a few months left in office due to his choosing not to run for reelection, but that hasn’t stopped him from fulfilling his obligations
and continuing to work for the people in his district. He told his constituents that showed up for his town hall meeting last Thursday, April 14, 2022 that this would not be his last town hall meeting as
he planned to work up until the last day of his term. He gave an update on a few hot button topics before opening up the floor for questions during his hour long meeting at City Hall Cafe last week.
Congressman Kevin Brady visits with Walker County Tax Assessor-Collector Diana McRae and Huntsville Mayor Andy Brauninger before beginning a town hall meeting last week.
County Court Deals With Subdivision Regulations, Again By Wade Thibodeaux Walker County Commissioners Court met in regular session on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 9:00 am. in room 104 of the Walker County Courthouse. The last item on the rather lengthy agenda was number 63 that was a workshop for Walker County Subdivision Regulations. The reason that the item
was on the agenda was that at a previous meeting on Monday, March 28, 2022, after multiple workshops and public hearings at many meetings prior to this meeting, the new subdivision regulations were put to a vote, and they failed to be adopted. Commissioner Daugette made the motion to adopt the new regulations that had
been tweaked over the past year or so and Commissioner Kuykendall provided a second to the motion, but Commissioners Henry and White along with County Judge Danny Pierce voted against adopting the new regulations and the motion failed. Back to the drawing board. The issue or hangup (contd on page 8)
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Community sketch 45. Canine’s coat 47. Digital audiotape, acr. 48. Corner joint 50. ____ crazy 52. *Ground beef steak inventor 56. Nordic gl¸hwein 57. Substance abuser 58. Kind of testimony 59. Soft twilled fabric of silk or rayon 60. Casanova, e.g. 61. Anger on road 62. Flock’s affirmation 63. Short for ensign 64. NBA shot DOWN 1. Flower part 2. Painter Chagall 3. Ear-related 4. DNA sequence 5. Vertical coordinate axis 6. Put out on a curb
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7. *Poliomyelitis vaccine inventor 8. *Life-saving maneuver inventor 9. Machu Picchu group 10. Sinister 11. Pecking mother 13. Thin layer 14. Romantic Norwegian composer 19. Disturbing public peace 22. Acquire 23. Early one 24. Carry away, in a way 25. *Edison invented things for its reproduction 26. Stead 27. Flesh of fish 28. Foot-forward squat 29. Glorify 32. *First commercial revolver inventor
33. Harry Potter’s mail carrier 36. *Knitted sweater with open front inventor 38. #4 Down matter, pl. 40. Back of the boat 41. Withdraw from working life 44. Frustration, in print 46. Pergolas 48. *Wide-mouth jar inventor 49. Intestinal obstruction 50. Undesirable location 51. Ruptured 52. Certainly 53. Russia’s mountain range 54. Indian music 55. Big Bang’s original matter 56. Geological Society of America
Community Calendar
THEME: INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS ACROSS 17. Bioweapon 1. Urban haze 18. *Reaper inventor 5. Da, oui, or si, e.g. 20. Muslim holy 8. Drug-induced man state 21. Dampish 12. UK art museum 22. *The invention 13. Molten rock of hand sanitizer 14. Hip-hop or clas- centered on alcohol sical, e.g. as this 15. Sportscaster 23. Stitched again Andrews 26. Decipherable 16. Angle between 30. United Nations branch and offshoot labor agency, acr.
Solution on page 15 31. Armed robber, on an Indian subcontinent 34. Heart of the matter 35. Impertinent 37. Be in arrears 38. Belgian port city 39. European erupter 40. Popular women’s magazine 42. Back then 43. Make a new
Friday, April 22: -Story time from 10:45am-11:45am at the library -Sittercise from 10:00am-11:00am at the library Saturday, April 23: -The Piney Woods Writers Group from 2:00pm-4:00pm at the library Monday, April 25: -Mother Goose Lapsit from 10:45am-11:45am at the library -Citizenship Preparation Course from 6:00pm8:30pm at the library Tuesday, April 26: -Sittercise from 10:00am-11:00am at the
library -Story time from 5:30pm-6:30pm at the library Wednesday, April 27: -Story time from 10:45am-11:45am at the library Thursday, April 28: -Sittercise from 10:00am-11:00am at the library -KidScape from 12:00pm-1:00pm at the library -Microsoft PowerPoint classes from 5:00pm6:00pm at the library Friday, April 29: -Story time from 10:45am-11:45am at the library
-Sittercise from 10:00am-11:00am at the library Saturday, April 30: -The Piney Woods Writers Group from 2:00pm-4:00pm at the library Monday, May 2: -Mother Goose Lapsit from 10:45am-11:45am at the library -Citizenship Preparation Course from 6:00pm8:30pm at the library Tuesday, May 3: -Sittercise from 10:00am-11:00am at the library -Story time from 5:30pm-6:30pm at the library
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Business Directory
Thursday April 21 , 2022
I can hardly wait! Second location is opening VERY soon! YOUR CHILD DESERVES THE BEST The Montessori School of Huntsville has earned the Texas Rising Star ranking with the highest possible rating by the State of Texas for quality child care.
Montessori Child Care 6 wks to 12 yrs. old
936-435-0303
2817 Old Houston Rd. • Huntsville Monday - Friday 5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday April 21, 2022
Arrest Report
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Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home -All Prearranged Services Honored -Prearranged Funeral Sales 1700 Normal Park Huntsville, TX 77340
936-291-7300
From the office of Walker County Sheriff
Clint McRae Thirty-Three individuals were arrested and booked into the Walker County Jail between Tuesday, April 12 and Monday April 18. 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 per-
haps was simply arrested in Walker County on outstanding warrant(s) while in Walker County. In instances in which individuals were arrested
on outstanding warrants, their original conviction and the reason they are on probation or parole, if available, is included in parenthesis set.
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Arrest Report
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Local News
Thursday April 21 , 2022
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Church Services 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 8:30am, and 11:00am Catholic: -St. Thomas the Apostale Catholic Church Rosary
at 5:00pm and 5:30pm (English) every Saturday and every Sunday at 7:45am (English), 10:45am (English, and 12:30pm (Spanish)
Truck Wrecks Cause Traffic (contd) quickly began building on both the main lanes and the feeders as drivers sought to avoid the congestion. Within just a few minutes the traffic in the area ground to a halt and began spilling over into secondary roads such as Veterans Memorial and Hwy 75.
Walker County EMS personnel quickly transported the critically injured victim, while Firefighters and Tow Operators worked with Law Enforcement to clear the freeway. Oil from the big rigs was spread across the freeway and heavy equip-
ment had to be brought in to upright and remove the wrecked trucks. By 4:00 pm, Southbound traffic on I-45 was backed up all the way to Fm 1696 in Crabb’s Prairie. Clean up crews worked into the night to clear and re-open the freeway.
Springtime and catfish angling are back at Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Neighborhood Fishin’ Lakes across the state. The program provides friends and families the opportunity to participate in the Texas traditions of outdoor recreation and reeling in catfish close to home. Starting the week of April 15, TPWD will begin stocking thousands of catfish at 18 Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes, including five in Dallas-Fort Worth, four in the Houston area, two each in Austin and San Antonio, and one
each in Amarillo, College Station, San Angelo, Waco and Wichita Falls. “Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes are conveniently located in urban and suburban areas so that Texans don’t have to travel far to have a great experience,” said Craig Bonds, Director of Inland Fisheries. “Catfish are fun and easy to catch for anglers of all ages and experience levels. If you’ve never fished before, these are the perfect places to get started. If you are an experienced angler, these are the perfect places
to introduce fishing to a friend or family member.” Each of the lakes will receive channel catfish every two weeks through the end of October – with a brief pause during the heat of August. This ensures there are plenty of angling opportunities for everyone throughout the spring, summer and early fall. Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes are located in city and county parks with ample parking, restrooms, lighting and other recreational amenities, in addition to
Catfish Stocking Returns to Neighborhood Fishin’ Lakes in Texas
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
Non-Denominational: -The Ark Church. 10:30 am service. Loman’s Student Center, 1717 Avenue J. Lead Pastor - Luke Cunningham. 936-463-8416
fishing. Anglers can keep up to five catfish of any size per day. At some locations, cleaning tables are available nearby to make it easy for families to clean their catch. Children under 17 fish for free, but adults who fish must have a fishing license. Fishing licens-
es can be purchased for as little as $11 for “oneday, all-water” access. All proceeds go toward management and conservation of the fish and their habitats. To find the Neighborhood Fishin’ Lake near you or to sign up for email updates, visit www.neighborhood-
fishing.org. Stocking locations can also be found on the Neighborhood Fishin’ website. Neighborhood Fishin’ is supported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation through donations from many local partners as well as the local municipalities across the state.
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Local News
Wyatt Casper Comes Out on To p i n R e d B l u f f Wyatt Casper had a memorable winter run. Thanks in part to a $25,750 payday at RodeoHouston, he headed into the third weekend of April sitting fourth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. He may jump up even higher in the saddle bronc riding standings after his performance at the Red Bluff (Calif.) RoundUp on April 17. Casper picked up an important NFR Playoff Series presented by Pendleton Whisky win with an 88-point ride on the Calgary Stampede’s Yo Yo Marble. “It just all came from me drawing that horse,” said Casper, 25. “Shoot I’ve been out here for six years and never made any money. So, it was good to finally draw one to win it on.” The trek to Red Bluff was his first trip to California this season. He said it gives competitors a feel for what the summer run will bring. “It’s fun to be able to come out here in April and kind of get your feet wet on what it’s going to be like going through the summer and rodeoing,” Casper said. “You get
out here to where it’s a big outdoor rodeo and its beautiful weather. It kind of gets your blood pumping and gets you ready to hit the road at the end of June and July.” This season the Miami, Texas, cowboy saw his mentality change a bit. After jumping out to a fast start he said he’s been able to be more selective on what rodeos he rides in and which ones he doesn’t. Red Bluff was just his 16th rodeo of the 2022 season. “I’ve honestly just kind of been hiding out a little bit,” Casper said. “I got a big lick at Houston, and you know you always want to be mindful about your rodeo count. We only get to count 100 rodeos a year. “I’ve had it happened in years past when it comes down to September and you always have to pick and choose what rodeos you’re going to have count and not for the standings. I think with years of experience under my belt I’m finally coming to realize that I would rather be rodeoing hard in September than in April and May.” His family is happy
with his change in schedule as well with plenty of items on the to do list. But he’ll be ready to attack the rodeo road head on when the time comes. “I’m just going to enjoy the time I get at home with my family and kids,” he said. “I know my wife has some projects for me to get done around the house before I take off for the summer. So, I’m going to go home and work on those and just keep bronc riding and get ready to hit it hard at Reno.” The Reno (Nev.) Rodeo is June 18-26. Other winners at the $350,458 rodeo were bareback rider Bodee Lammers (88 points on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil); steer wrestler Dalton Massey (19.8 seconds on four head); team ropers Corey Kidd V/Lane Mitchell (31.7 seconds on four head); tie-down roper Cooper Martin (41.7 seconds on four head); breakaway roper Lari Dee Guy (6.5 seconds on two head); barrel racer Stevi Hillman (34.42 seconds on two runs); and bull rider JR Stratford (90 points on Big Stone Rodeo Inc.’s War Cry).
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Thursday April 21 , 2022
Local News
County Court Regulations (contd) seems to be the width of roads that the County would require of developers. Make the requirements too extensive and developers would shy away from Walker County and go develop land elsewhere where it is more affordable and hence growth would be stifled. Make the requirements too laxed and the County ends up picking up the bill for maintenance and repair shortly after the developer has sold all of the lots and moved on to another County. Pretty high stakes and Subscribe Today Name:____________________ Address:__________________ City, State, Zip: ___________________ $25.00 Mail Check or Money Order to: Walker County Press
P.O Box 149 Huntsville, Tx 77342
We Accept Most Major Credit Cards 409-296-9988
high priced thought processes that are being required of the Court. After the workshop on April 11th, Planning and Development manager Andrew Isbel was tasked with once again taking the comments from the Court and trying to formulate a set of regulations that would garner three out of the five votes of support. The item is expected to be back on the agenda at the next regular Court meeting scheduled for Monday, April 25, 2022 at 9:00am. The rest of the pro-
ceedings dealt mostly with allocating and distributing the Covid-19 money that is coming down from the Federal Government. The list is long of non profits who are requesting assistance and the Commissioners have to balance that with the needs of the County and all the while staying inside the boundaries of the grant money and making sure that whatever the money is spent on that it qualifies for the grant. Planning and Development also had an additional 13 agenda items
that dealt with public hearings and re-plats or variances of properties being developed. The Court also approved a bond refunding agreement that basically will
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refinance the remaining term of the jail bonds that will save the County about $230,000.00 in interest cost over the remainder of the term of the original bonds. The
next Walker County Commissioners Court will be Monday, April 25, 2022 at 9:00 am in room 104 of the Walker County Courthouse.
Anthony Tryon receives a proclamation for the week of April 10-16 to be National Public Safety Telecommunications Week from Commissioners Court during the April 11, 2022 meeting.
Local News
Thursday April 21 , 2022
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Kid Scoop is sponsored by Wischnewsky Dodge. 130 I-45, Huntsville, TX 77340 http://www.wischnewskydodge.com/ (936) 220-1745
© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 38, No. 20
The sun is covered with spots! Use the spots to solve the mystery questions.
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How far is the sun from the Earth? million miles
(149.6 million km)
What do you want to be when you grow up? Have you ever thought about working in the field of solar energy? Replace the missing words.
The sunlight that hits the earth in just one day could power the _________ for more than 25 years! The sun has plenty of energy for us. Now there are jobs for people to capture it and turn it into _________________. In the field of solar power, there are different kinds of jobs. There are scientists who make tools and batteries for collecting and _________ solar energy. There are even more jobs for people who install solar power systems in people’s homes and ______________.
Capturing the Sun’s Energy Solar collectors capture heat during the day and store it through the night. Often collectors are flat boxes painted black because that color absorbs the most heat. Inside are small, water-filled pipes. The sun heats water through a glass cover. The heated water is pumped into homes, providing hot water and heat. This is called Active Solar Energy.
All of the words in this crossword puzzle contain the letters S-U-N.
Sunlight heats pipes
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5
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A Solar Power Job is a Good Career! Replace the missing vowels to find out the many ways working in solar energy is a good career.
You get to h_lp supply people with the p_wer they n_ _d in th_ _r h_m_s, sch_ _ls and b_siness_s. Your w_rk h_lps to r_d_ce the imp_cts of cl_m_te ch_nge. Th_re will be l_ts of jobs in this f_ _ld in the f_t_re.
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2
4
Find the two suns that match.
1. Tall plant with yellow petals and tasty seeds for snacking 2. Lit by the sun 5. When the sun goes behind the horizon in the evening 6. Ice cream topped with fruit, syrup and whipped cream 7. Device that tells the time of day with a shadow 8. To take a wrong meaning 1. Made music with voice 2. The first day of the week 3. An unusually large ocean wave, often causes major damage 4. A ray of light
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Sunny Words
Look through the newspaper for five or more words that describe the sun and what it does. Use these words to write a paragraph or a poem about The Sun. Standards Link: Identify Adjectives; write in a variety of genres.
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BATTERIES SUNLIGHT STORING SYSTEMS HOMES CLIMATE ENERGY FUTURE SOLAR POWER HEAT WORK HELP SUN PAY
WARNING!
miles.
Never look directly at the sun as this can damage your eyesight!
H O M E S I S S A P
S E I R E T T A B T
U M E E R F O S C H N R E I U K R O L G P N F T R U I L I
I
T O U O S T N A M L
A R W P A Y G R A N E P L E H U S R T U
H E Y G R E N E E S
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Solar Energy Careers
Look through your newspaper for ads or articles about companies that install solar panels. Write a letter to the company and ask them what kinds of jobs they have. Standards Link: Language Arts: Compose formal letters.
Standards Link: Spelling: Spell grade-level appropriate words correctly.
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5
Earth days
(1.4 million km)
The p_y is v_ry g_ _d. To home
How long does it take the sun to make one complete rotation? What is the diameter of the sun? ,
olar power is the __________ provided by the sun. There are many _______ for people working to turn the sun’s energy into electricity to ___________ homes, businesses and more.
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Send your story to:
While walking on a beach, you spy a strange bottle with a note inside. What does the note say? What will you do next?
wade@walkercountypress.com
Deadline: May 15 Published: Week of June 12 Please include your school and grade.
Community
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Obituaries
Clyde Dean Wehunt Clyde Dean Wehunt peacefully passed from this life on April 12, 2022, surrounded by family. Clyde was born on September 18, 1927, in Sandusky, Alabama to Jesse Thomas Wehunt and Effie Belle Brown Wehunt who preceded him in death, along with sister Doris Wehunt Norris and brother James Talmadge Wehunt. Clyde is survived by a daughter, Jan Wehunt Roberts (Cliff) of Searcy, Arkansas, and two sons, David Wehunt (Beth), of Houston, and Dean Wehunt (Regina), of Kingwood, along with 3 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Clyde attended school in Valdosta Georgia at Dasher Bible School where he met Julia Nell “Judy” Skinner of Montgomery, Alabama. Clyde served on Victory and Liberty class ships in the U.S. Merchant Marines from 1945 to 1946, and Clyde and Judy were married on March 2, 1946, after Clyde’s Merchant Marine service was com-
pleted. The family resided in Pasadena, Texas, from 1951 to 1973, and in Katy, Texas from 1975 to 1995. In early 1995 Clyde retired, and a few months later his wife Judy passed away. In 1999, Clyde moved from Katy to Elkins Lake near Huntsville, Texas, where he resided for the remainder of his life. Clyde was employed as an Accountant at Petrotex Chemical in Pasadena for 19 years, as an Examiner for the State of Texas Credit Union Department for 4 years, and as President of Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union headquartered in Katy for 20 years. Long-time Houston area resident Clyde especially enjoyed fishing, playing golf and bridge, and rooting for his two favorite teams: the Katy Tigers and the Houston Astros. Clyde’s family want to say a special thank you to his many friends and neighbors from Elkins Lake whom he was so fond of, and especially for their wonderful support during his recent period of declining health. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home, 1700 Normal Park Dr., Huntsville, Texas 77340, at
2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you donate to your favorite charity in his honor. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www.shmfh. com.
Howard Virgil Blalock Howard Virgil Blalock was born to Virgil Ray Blalock and Julia Allen Blalock on August 23, 1933, in Frederick, Ok and passed at his home in North Richland Hills, Tx on November 28, 2020. He attended Frederick schools, the San Marcos Military Academy and the University of Houston. After graduating from Frederick High School in 1951, he moved to Houston where he started his career with Hughes Tool Company. He held many positions there, and was a Shipping and Receiving Manager when he retired in 1991. He took a short break from Hughes and joined the Navy serving from 1956 to 1958. He married the love of his life, Tootsy on November 27, 1958 and
was happily joined together for 62 years and one day. Howard loved life in general and always loved a good time. He had a great sense of humor and loved funny jokes. He loved camping, dancing, and the Wurstfest (a ten-day salute to sausage) in New Braunfels which he and Tootsy attended for 42 years. And he loved his food and drink. Howard was preceded
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in death by his parents, a brother who died at birth, a sister, Thyra Lee and a brother, Kelton Allen Blalock. He is survived by his wife, Zelda Loraine (Tootsy) Blalock, niece Holly Kay Blalock Creidler (Art), great nephews Bryan Creidler (Anna) and Nicholas Creidler (Meghan), and great great nephews Theo and Henry Allen Creidler and many other nieces and nephews. He I also
survived by sister- inlaw Glynda Flournoy McDaniel. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, April 22, 2022 at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville, TX at 2:00pm. The family will receive friends starting at 1:00pm. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www. shmfh.com.
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Community
To order, contact Wade Thibodeaux at (936) 581-5161 Texas Media Corp
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Walker County Press-Page 12
Lifestyle
Sunday Observations by Christy
There are the typical stories of Easter. Of frilly dresses, suits, patent leather shoes, and baskets. Of a family headed to church. Of lunches afterwards. Then there is my family. Yes there are the dresses, the suits, the dress up. But we were not much of a church going bunch. Don’t judge, it’s Easter. More than that though, typically Easter Sunday revolved around rice farming season. If your family
is in agriculture at all, you understand what “season” was…. And is. You have to make use of the time God gives you, of good weather, if a wind is suddenly in the right direction. Because if the wind shifted from the north, well it was time to run load an airplane, and go spray farmer xyz’s field. Rainy Easter’s brought calm, pretty Easter’s were interrupted with loads of airplanes, windy Easter’s were cussed,
and all Easter’s we were and are, simply blessed. Egg hunts were unique, treasure hunts more so. Because airplane hangars allow all kinds of hard hiding spots. And who else gets to pull a hidden treat out of the cockpit of a biplane. Off of the rails to hangar doors. That was our story. You see Easter traditions are about just that….your story. Like most traditions. Others may find them odd, some may never understand, and many would question the safety and sanity of what I grew up around. I like to think knowing exactly where I could and couldn’t step on an airplane wing, is a perk to my upbringing. Useless knowledge, yet something I knew that other 10 year olds didn’t. As you have gathered, I hope you make the time to visit those loved ones close. Call the ones far off. Love your people. God has only loaned them to you. They won’t be there forever. Let them give your kids the chocolate bunnies. Happy Easter peeps! If your kids ask to hide the eggs again,
go hide them. They want to eat chocolate eggs for lunch, who cares. Realistically you get about 10-15 good Easter’s with your kids. Let them be young. Let them rise early to see what the Easter bunny brought. Run through the grass. And enjoy the spring and all that Jesus
Thursday April 21 , 2022
gave them. Teach them to embrace their story. By embracing your own. Love one another. In your frilly dress, your shiny shoes, your shorts and flip flops. Don’t judge. Don’t criticize. Maybe that family that didn’t grow up in church, grew up knowing a God that
showed them the great outdoors. Really doesn’t matter. Jesus in your heart is what Easter means to me. And the other 364 days of the year. Live every day, the way Jesus did. Forgiving, honoring, and being kind….. it’s really that simple.
WOODS, WATERS, and WILDLIFE
IT WAS JUST HUNGRY!
By John Jefferson
I was in Beaumont last week giving a talk to a ladies’ group. My gracious hosts were Bill and Kelly Munro. Bill is the grandson of “Uncle Josh” Munro, the man who introduced me to the tangles and treasures of the outdoors. Kelly and I were visiting over coffee when the conversation turned to Bobcats. She showed me pictures from their McMullin County ranch. The accompanying photo resulted. It reminded me of an encounter that could have ended badly.
Thankfully, it didn’t. Al Brothers, legendary wildlife biologist and manager of the Zachry Ranches in South Texas, had invited several biologist friends to help him reduce the doe over-population. They let me accompany them. The Zachry family was uncharacteristically away from the ranch the opening weekend of the South Texas deer season. Brothers had permission to host the hunt. The early November weather was typically warm. Al drove me to a small, stacked mesquite-limb, ground blind beside a sendero through the brush. I liked that. It was nat-
ural looking, although lacking an overhead view of the brush. But it intimately exposed its occupant to native wildlife. Like rattlesnakes. That’s just part of doing business in a rich wildlife region. Al helped me unload my cache of equipment -- a rifle, camera, telephoto lens, tripod, and a varmint call. He was amused. I scanned the sendero for an hour before the warmth took effect. Sitting in the sun can make one drowsy. Leaning against the limbs, I dozed off. Sometime later, I awoke with the sun lower and in my eyes. Looking around, the sun coming through a
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large clump of buffelgrass almost looked like there was a critter behind the grass evaluating me. It began to take form. It WAS a BOBCAT! I slowly glassed it for verification. I laid my rifle – a Ruger .250 Savage – beside me and slowly picked up my camera. I don’t remember why, but I wanted to change film. Using a Nikon F-3 film camera with an attached motor drive, I activated the film rewind switch to take up the film and replace it with a bet-
ter film for the conditions. Then, something unexpected occurred. Instead of being spooked by the whirring of the motor drive, the cat bolted toward me! The film had partially rewound. My rifle was on the ground. The feline was quickly covering the 60foot distance between us. I waved one hand and yelled! The cat jerked to a stop fifteen feet away. It must have thought: “A prey animal with a voice? And a hand? What the
Lifestyle …?” I picked up the camera and pointed it at the bewildered bobcat, hoping to get at least a double-exposed image over a previous picture that could be sacrificed. That motion convinced the would-be predator of danger. It spun and rapidly retreated faster than it had arrived. I sat there, my heart beating frantically. Only one blurry picture; no venison …but thankfully no scratches. And another tale to tell. It was just hungry.
Thursday April 21 , 2022
Don’t Sit There!
I stay on the lookout for wasp nests around my house. I know some of their usual hiding places. However, I recently found a new one, underneath one of my patio table chairs. That certainly had the potential of an unwelcome surprise! I got a can of wasp spray and eliminated the problem. Bobcats are present in all 254 Texas Counties, according to a distribution map in “The Mammals of Texas,” by Davis and Schmidly. They are usually nocturnal, but the columnist has observed several in daylight, mostly in late afternoons. They are described as shorttailed, shy, and retiring. If acting unafraid of humans, rabies is possible. Their diet is usually small mammals and birds, but occasionally they’ll kill a deer. More often, they eat venison carrion, and they also dine some on domestic sheep, goats, and poultry. Photo contributed by K. Munro.
“…so that Satan might not outsmart us, we are familiar with his evil schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:11) Danny R. Biddy, Chaplain: Chambers County Sheriff’s Office & Fellowship of Christian Cowboys
Lifestyle
Thursday April 21 , 2022
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.
What a weird week this has been. First thing is that I’m writing this on Easter Sunday, which one could make the argument that it’s a holiday and I shouldn’t be working, but in the newspaper business, deadlines come on a regular basis and they don’t look at the calendar. So, I prepared a feast of ham, pork loin, potato salad, mac and cheese, baked beans, green salad, and even had rolls to go with all of that for the three of us to eat for Easter lunch. We had so much food left over that we will be eating Easter lunch for the next two weeks. Anyway, back to my story. My week in Winnie was really short as I didn’t arrive until late Monday evening and left early Tuesday afternoon. That’s pretty abnormal for me, but I had Commissioners Court in Walker County on Monday morning and then by the time I got situated and loaded up for the trip to Winnie, it was mid afternoon. I was fortunate in that I actually had most of the paper headed in
the right direction and I ended up not having to work too late on Monday night. Tuesday morning, I was up and at em pretty early because I had to get the papers sent to the printer before I headed to Commissioners Court in Chambers County. I left court a little early, ate a bite of lunch, and headed back to the office to wrap things up before I headed out of town. I was actually able to leave only 30 minutes behind schedule on Tuesday afternoon and headed up to Woodville to pick up a trailer to drag with me to a cow sale. I was headed up to Stephenville to a sale that a friend of mine was having due to the severe drought conditions in the area. I decided to take Annie with me as I thought that she might enjoy going to a cow sale and she would get to see some different country. We made it almost to Stephenville and I saw a nice little hotel with available parking for a truck and trailer and we decided to call it a day. The next morning
we loaded up and made the final hour trip into Stephenville and then began looking for the sale barn. After a couple of sight seeing trips around town, we finally found the sale barn. My GPS kept taking me to the college barn and that was not where I needed to go, but I didn’t want to stop and interrupt class to ask for directions so we just kept touring until we found the place. Now folks, when I tell you that they are in drought conditions in that area, I mean they are in a bad way. A lot of places have been burned out by the recent fires and then those that haven’t been burned have nothing for their cattle to eat. Everything is brown and the grass is really short. Nothing like my grass in my yard that needs mowing twice a week. Anyway, I went to buy a bull and ended up buying a cow, oh well, I’ll figure out this reproduction thing one of these days. I drove back to Elkhart and dropped the cow off before returning to Huntsville late that
evening. Thursday and Friday were pretty abnormal as well because I had very little on my calendar and I actually was able to play catch up. Saturday was my birthday and so I celebrated in the traditional way. I got in my truck and drove 500 miles round trip to retrieve a cattle squeeze chute that I had been tracking on Facebook Marketplace. I had told the guy three weeks ago that I wanted it, but between his schedule and my schedule we just
Walker County Press-Page 14 couldn’t find the right time to make it happen. All of the stars lined up on Saturday and regardless of Easter eve and my birthday, I drove to the North side of Paris, Texas to get my chute. While I was there, I found a brush hog that I needed and he was willing to part with it for very little money and I put it on the trailer as well. I got back to Huntsville pretty late Saturday night and I’ve spent most of today cooking, cleaning up my cooking mess, and
washing clothes to get ready for next week. I still need a bull to go with my cows, but I’ve spent most of my money, so he will have to be cheap. If anybody has an extra bull laying around that they don’t need, I would be willing to board him for you for about three months. I hope this week is a little bit more normal than last week, but who knows what normal is anymore(especially in my world). Till next time, I’m.......Wade in the Shade.
Want Ads
Walker County Press-Page 15 C O R N H O L E BOARDS, custom made, ACA standards, “no bag bounce”, high quality, unfinished, with folding legs or on wheels! $180.00$210.00 . Also custom drink stands $80 pair. Call for details Gerald Barosh 936.524.0480 Huntsville, Texas 1712 Sq Ft by owner. 2
or 3 BR, 2 bath, .67 acre backs up to 1100 acre public park. $178K, text 936-661-9221 for photos and more info For Sale: Bradford, Brangus, and Hereford bulls. Call 713-8755703 2001 Dodge Dually. One owner, 174000
miles. Runs good, gets good mileage. $16,000.00. Motivated seller. 936-662-6651 24” GAS LOGS Available with all parts needed for layering as required. $50.00 Contact in Huntsville - 936-6627575.
Thursday April 21 , 2022
100 Year old upright PIANO. Some use the decorative wood front panels to make a large office desk. Call 936662-7575 LARGE BURLS ON ELM TREE for wood carvers. Will discuss tree removal. Call 936662-7575
Generac Home Standby generators with transfer switches 1 17kw, 1-15kw, 1-12kw preowned 936 295-4091 2008 F150 Pickup, super low miles, solid motor, almost new tires & battery, only serious inquiries. $9500. 936200-9033
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Thursday April 21 , 2022
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