By Brad Kellar

By Brad Kellar

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – About 35 Commerce educators are to be recognized Saturday at the first annual Rheba Martin Icenhower Awards Cermony.

Recipients are to be honored for their outstanding achievements, encouraging spirit to students, love for the classroom and high standards they've set for themselves.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – The City of Commerce has entered into a contract with the Cities Aggregation Power Project (CAPP), which is projected to provide annual energy savings to the City in the thousands.

The City will now secure even more predictability and cost savings through a long-term contract of 24 years, with 60% of those costs given at a fixed rate. Conservative estimates by CAPP consultants indicate a savings of more than $27,000 in 2009 for Commerce.

By Kevin Jefferies

KETR Sportscast 12-04-08

Commerce – Stars lose to Edmonton; the Giants are looking into Antonio Pierce's involvement with Plaxico Burress' shooting; A&M-Commerce guard has been named the LSC Player fo the week; uncertainty surrounds Mike Leach at Texas Tech; and the Dallas Cowboys had a light practice yesterday as they prep for a brutal December schedule.

By Brad Kellar

Rains County – A hearing is set for today in connection with a Rains County triple homicide. Erin Caffey and Bobby Gale Johnson are to appear for a pretrial hearing today, with the start of Caffey's trial scheduled for Jan 5. No trial date has been announced for Johnson.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – The Commerce City Council has authorized the submission of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Grant that, if awarded, would bring in $75,000.

Money would go toward the purchase of new playground equipment, bordering, surfacing material, and other amenities. The City Council Tuesday also agreed to fund a new restroom at City Park to meet American's with Disabilities (ADA) requirements. The money for the restroom will come from the City's reserve fund.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – A recent report from Standard and Poor's shows a rise in the financial stability rating for the City of Commerce.

The ratings are based on a city's relatively low property taxes; stable, if not growing, sales tax revenues; coupled with at least adequate financial policies. The study also takes into account the balance between a city's location, size and economic opportunity.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce City Council gives approval to pursue parks and recreation grant; Recent report by Standard and Poor's shows a rise in Commerce's financial stability rating; Probation officially ends in Greenville; Citizens on Patrol organization now authorized to issue citations for parking violations; Hearing Thursday for two murder Rains County murder suspects, Commerce and Greenville to kick of Christmas celebrations Thursday night with parade and tree lighting.

By Scott Harvey

Greenville – The Citizens on Patrol (COPS) organization in Greenville are now authorized to issue citations for certain parking violations in the City.

Recent training now permits members to issue citations that carry fines and court costs ranging from $20 to $225. They include illegally parking in a disabled parking area, parking within a 15 ft. limit on either side of a fire hydrant, parking in a fire lane and or on the wrong side of the street.