Local Interest

On Sunday afternoon, January 19th, the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Commerce will once again host the 2014 The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Awards Celebration, promoting leadership by example.

The Hunt County African American Leadership Conference event is a vehicle through which to underscore individual commitments to tenets generally associated with the legacy of Dr. King, and to recognize those individuals publicly.

Just as they have for more than three decades, members of Clark Street Christian Church will help provide Christmas dinner to the community Wednesday.

The church has provided free dinners to those who need them every year since 1982.

According to a 2006  Herald-Banner article written by Carol Ferguson, the tradition began when Ernestine Katie Williams had a vision of providing a free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner to the elderly, the sick and shut-ins who would not have family to visit and would not receive Meals on Wheels that day.

Picking up a little extra work over the holidays? That's great. Hiring some extra help for your own business? That's great, too. To keep the season bright, make sure you and/or your employer are compliant with federal labor regulations. 

Employers and workers not familiar with short-term employment might have questions . Here are answers to some most of the frequently asked questions received by the U.S. Department of Labor, and additional resources for more information: 

Texas A&M University-Commerce and Tyler Junior College have formally announced their partnership to simplify the transfer process for students transitioning from associate degree programs at Tyler Junior College into bachelor’s degree programs at A&M-Commerce. The statement came on Dec. 19.

The three-year partnership goes into effect Dec. 20, 2013, and will allow Tyler Junior College students to complete their four-year degrees through A&M-Commerce via online courses, on-campus classes or a combination of the two.

KETR wants to know what you love about Christmas - favorite songs, favorite memories, family traditions old and new. So, here's what to do. Email news@ketr.org with any of the following items:

Send your "Winter Storm Cleon" pictures so we can share them with others around the region! Email your icy pics to news@ketr.org.

But please, don't drive to go get a photo.

Big ice storms in Texas do happen, but not all that often. They're about as frequent as University of Alabama football losses. And, just like Bama fans when the Tide falters, Texans often aren't quite sure what to do when ice attacks.

One thing not to do is drive. Really...it doesn't matter if you're a commercial driver in a four-wheel-drive Subraru Outback with new snow tires. No amount of technology or skill can defy the laws of physics. Driving on ice is deadly.

The best thing to do, if you can, is to stay inside and let the mayhem occur without you.

In anticipation of bad-weather scenarios, a list of delays, cancelations and closures from area school districts and universities follows. Read carefully, as sports delays and cancelations are also listed here.

Closed Schools:

This is the time of year for reflection and giving thanks for the blessings life has to offer.

Amy Phillips was kind enough to share her journey. At this time 17 years ago her seven month old son, Luke, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer.

“I am truly blessed this Thanksgiving,” said Amy Phillips on her life-changing event. “He [Luke Phillips] was admitted to Children’s Hospital in Dallas and prepared for surgery.”

Familiar shades of blue and gold will be flying in an unfamiliar place this weekend.

Beating out back-to-back winner Texas Tech, Texas A&M University-Commerce secured the right to fly the university’s flag over the Hopkins County Courthouse in Sulphur Springs after alumni placed the winning bid of $4,750 during the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s “Fly Your Flag” event in its Lights of Life Campaign. The flag, which was raised in an afternoon ceremony on Nov. 26, will fly until Dec. 2.

Here at KETR, we tell the stories of the world to Northeast Texas...and we tell the stories of Northeast Texas to the world.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving story? Do you have a favorite memory of your grandparents? Is there a culinary success story - or a kitchen disaster - that stands out? What does the holiday mean to you?

If you have a story you'd like to share, call us at 903-886-5334 or email us at news@ketr.org. We'd like to have a story or two to share on the air or at our website on Thanksgiving Day.

For so many that have had the honor of stepping across the threshold of The McKinney Home back into time, they will too become a piece of this dollhouse’s history. On Sunday, Dec. 8 the public is invited to an Open House to commemorate the 100th birthday of The McKinney Home, located on 250 SW First Street in Cooper.

The full 18-hole Disc Golf Course has officially arrived at Coleman Park in Sulphur Springs.

As KETR’s Cooper Welch previously reported, Todd McCoy, a high school math teacher at Sulphur Springs High School, played a game very similar to disc golf when attending Texas A&M University-Commerce. The sport was called "Campus Golf", and involved throwing Frisbees at campus locations in as few throws as possible. While playing this game he heard of disc golf, and ever since he's been hooked.

Bryan Moss earned top honors at this year's Sulphur Springs Worldwide Photowalk. His winning entry was a black and white photo of the Hopkins County courthouse stairway. Andy Pendleton won second place and Kimberly Vaughan took third.  

Moss was awarded framing from Texas Art and Frame, Pendleton received a tripod donated by the Appliance Hospital and Vaughan won a certificate to Muddy Jake's Sports Grille and Pub. The winning photos will be on display at various downtown Sulphur Springs businesses, starting with Pocket Shoppes on Main Street.

The 2013 Delta County Chiggerfest recently celebrated its 20th year -- good fun and food with lots of vendors and events for all ages. KETR's Cindy Roller, editor of the Cooper Review, took some photos at the event.

Local residents could receive a call next month, asking them if they are in favor of the Greenville Independent School District issuing bonds next spring to pay for a career and technology center.

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced a cooperative pilot project with National Public Radio’s (NPR’s) technology research and development group, NPR Labs, to demonstrate the delivery of the first-ever, real-time emergency alert messages to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in five Gulf states. 

On Saturday, September 28, 2013, Texas A&M University-Commerce unveiled the portrait of Ivory Moore, Sr., now showcased on the second floor of the McDowell Administration Building.

Multimedia journalist Liana Lopez is coming to Northeast Texas on Sept. 25 to speak as part of a combined observance of Hispanic Heritage Month and Banned Books Week.

Disc Golf is a rapidly growing sport in the United States, and a Sulphur Springs resident is currently working on getting a new course constructed in a local park.

As you watch the Cowboys play the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, think of what might have been – the Dallas Texans might be playing the Kansas City Cowboys.

It's Sept 11, 2013. Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. Many people remember exactly what they were doing at the moment they heard what had happened. Do you?

Observers of East Texas State/A&M-Commerce football over the past 20 years or so can be excused for not appreciating the rich tradition of the program – a lot of losing seasons, no playoff appearances, let alone post-season victories.  But it was not always thus.

Motorists in Commerce likely noticed more traffic than usual Friday morning as Commerce and University police personnel were directing traffic around an accident at the intersection of Culver and Monroe St.

Local firefighters, police officers and military personnel will be honored at the Cooper-Commerce high school football game in Commerce. 

These four schools start their football season tonight.