Local Interest

Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn into office on Wednesday, January 20, making her the first woman, the first black person, and the first person of south Indian descent to obtain the second highest office within the U.S. Government.

The other side of the tracks and the hole, these are just a few of the things that the Norris Community of Commerce has been negatively referred to over the years. This community is a constant story of difficulties, coming together, and overcoming obstacles. Since the 1890s this community has been home to a large African American population. Several institutions and groups are critical to the story of the Norris Community. Among these are the Mt. Moriah Temple Baptist Church, the Norris School, and the Norris Community Club. 

When researching my last article on the Ladonia Square I came across the City of Ladonia website and noticed something interesting on the about section of the city. The second paragraph begins by stating that “The future of Ladonia involves the building of Lake Ralph Hall…” The text goes on to describe how the lake will bring in new economic opportunities to Ladonia, but will it?

The Commerce High School Roaring Tiger Band needs new uniforms. Commerce Director of bands Kara Wallace says that each set of uniorms lasts bands about eight years. The outfits are both stylish and durable, and therefore pricey. Wallace says that a fundrasing effort to fund the purchas of new uniforms is about $23,000 short of the needed total.

Those interested in learning more and perhaps donating to the effort can find details at the fundraising web page created by Wallace.

Think about a town in Fannin County with a population of over 2,000 people. It has several grocery stores, drug stores, banks, clothing stores, and 4 hotels. You’d be forgiven if you think I’m referring to Bonham, which is easily the largest city in Fannin County. In fact, I’m referring to Ladonia. But not Ladonia as it is today. That description comes from Ladonia Historian Muriel Burleson. It describes the city as it was in the 1890s.

Mary Walker Clark is known to longtime KETR listeners as the host of a travel segment that ran for some years. But the retired Paris attorney has been far from idle since that program's run ended. Clark's new book, Landing In My Present, take the reader from the dusty plains of West Texas to the icy heights of the Himalayan Mountains along the Chinese-Indian border. The story explores the life of her father, Second Lieutenant Charles Walker, a U.S. Army Air Forces World War II veteran whose service included piloting planes delivering fuel and other supplies to help China survive the Japanese embargo to the east.

Descending the stone steps of the Ladonia Fossil Park is like stepping back into another age. Stepping down into the mostly dry bed of the North Sulphur River, the ground is active territory for all manner of arrowheads, fossils, and interesting rocks.

I played junior high football for the Fannindel schools in Ladonia. Our games routinely took us across all manner of country roads throughout Fannin County. One evening, as we travelled through the small city of Windom our coach/bus driver began telling us about the Bartley-Woods School. 

            Dr. David Graham Hall was born in 1858 in New Hampshire. Hall obtained a Harvard education and became a doctor, eventually setting up a practice in Dallas. This medical practice attracted attention that was controversial to say the least. Hall earned the nickname “Shooting Doctor” due to the large hypodermic needles he used. Additionally, there were incidents with an experimental typhoid vaccine that would turn the skin of patients blue. But it is not the medical practices of Dr. Hall that should be remembered, it is his charitable work.

In southeastern Fannin County, between the cities of Ladonia and Honey Grove stand the remains of a little country general store. The business once had gas pumps and a blacksmith shop in addition to the main store. Today, all that is left is the main building, a small, A-frame, tin building and a sign proclaiming "Welcome to Bug Tussle."

Identifying the problem of systemic racism often results in so much resistance that sometimes, the conversation about whether it exists upstages a more practical concern - how to end systemic racism.

Texas A&M University-Commerce is set to resume its fall semester on Monday, August 24. With the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic class offerings range from in-person to online-only to a number of hybrid curriculum options. The student experience for commuters and residents alike is going to differ in a number of ways from any previous semester in the school's history. 

Special Programming from 88.9 KETR: Texas A&M University-Commerce president Dr. Mark Rudin, Dean of Students Dr. Thomas Newsom, and Student Health Services Director Maxine Mendoza-Welch joined KETR's Jerrod Knight on the air Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to answer call-in and submitted questions regarding the university's actions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus and how those actions are impacting students and the campus community. 

In the fall of 2019, Texas A&M University-Commerce published its 2019-2024 Strategic Plan. At only six pages, this polished full-color document is notably succinct and deserves to have its finer points explored beyond what appears on the page.

This is The President's Perspective, a podcast with the purpose of sharing what's important and what matters to the president and CEO of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. Mark Rudin.