Local Interest

Winter Weather may be a pain for travelers, but it is the perfect time for photographers to get some of the most beautiful pictures.

Do you have any photos of the winter weather you would like to share? If so, email them to daniel@ketr.org with the subject "Winter Weather Photos" and also where you are from. We will post these to our website!
 

Stay safe!

Not only does The Hope House in Cooper give its clients hope – and nourishment – but now with a new location and new name, “Delta Hope House” it can truly serve the public to its capacity.

Greenville City Council member Jeff Dailey is hoping for another term on the panel.

Dailey filed Friday, seeking re-election to Place 3 on the council in the May 10 municipal election.

With a little more than a week left to go in the filing period, Dailey is the second person and the first incumbent to have filed for the election.

Places 3 and 4 on the council are on the May election ballot. Holly Gotcher filed for the Place 4 seat Thursday.

The Delta County Chamber of Commerce presented their annual awards last Saturday evening at their banquet with the sparkle of diamonds and the comfort of denim and boots.

At the banquet, the Chamber of Commerce presented four honor awards.

Charles Ruzicka, a volunteer firefighter for the Cooper Fire Department, was awarded the “Fireman of the Year” award.

Local farmer Randy Wright received the “Agriculturist of the Year” Award.

The Greenville Independent School District Board of Trustees voted this week to extend the contract of Superintendent Don Jefferies.

The board was scheduled to consider Jefferies’ annual evaluation and vote on his contract during Tuesday’s regular session.

Greenville ISD Director of Community Services Kelli Tharp said Wednesday the board voted unanimously during the meeting to extend the superintendent’s contract for one year.

But Tharp said Jefferies’s evaluation will have to wait for a special meeting next week.

The Greenville City Council voted Tuesday to raise the speed limit of one of the main roads which passes through the Ardis Heights community.

“This segment of the road is FM 499, which is also called Forester Street,” said City Manager Massoud Ebrahim. “The speed limit can be raised by 5 mph.”

The National Weather Service has issued a Freezing Rain Advisory for the region until 6 p.m. Tuesday evening. Winter Weather Advisories are also in effect for Franklin and Wood counties.

Ice accumulations are possible on bridges and overpasses late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Areas in the northern portion of the region could see icing of roadways making travel hazardous.

Stay with KETR.org and KETR-FM 88.9 for up-to-date weather information.

Here is a list of closing and early releases for Thursday.

Bland ISD: Closing at 1:00 p.m.

Blue Ridge ISD: Closing at 12:30 p.m.

Boles ISD: Closing at 12:30 p.m.

Caddo Mills ISD, releasing at 1 p.m.

Campbell ISD, Releasing at Noon

Commerce ISD, Releasing two hours early (correction)

Cooper ISD, After-school activities canceled.

Cumby ISD,  closing at 11:30, opening tomorrow at 10 a.m.

The snow is here and leaving its mark, so how much are you expected to get?

Some locally heavier amounts are possible throughout the day.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth is expecting that most of the snow will end from the Southwest to the Northeast after noon today. With the high being below freezing, however, any accumulations should stay throughout the day.

Snow on the roadways may melt away this afternoon depending on their frequency of use, but KETR has already gotten reports of slick spots  so please exercise caution when driving.

Officials with Splash Kingdom announced Tuesday that the official ground breaking ceremony for their Greenville water park is set for the afternoon of Feb. 10 at its future location, 6501 Interstate 30.

The word came following the quarterly Tourism Partnership Alliance Meeting, according to Greenville Chamber President/CEO Brendon Payne.

UPDATE: 9:08 p.m. Saturday -

The National Weather Service has extended the Winter Weather Advisory to include Hunt, Delta and Lamar counties in our region until 9 pm Sunday night.

Original Story follows:

Another cold snap is on the way to North Texas, and this time it could bring some wintry weather with it.

A Winter Weather Advisory has already been issued for Collin, Rockwall, and Fannin counties from 6 am to 9 pm Sunday.

Churchill at Commerce and the Commerce Police Department will be hosting a “Project Safe Child” event free for the community.

At this event, there will be free bicycle registration, a child safety program, food and family-friendly fun.

“Project Safe Child” will be on Feb.8 from 1-3 p.m. at 731 Culver St., Commerce.

For more information, call 903-886-4444.

On Jan. 28, Texas A&M University-Commerce brought the university community together to pay tribute to the memory of the Caddo Indians who lived in the Commerce area until their relocation to the Oklahoma Territory.
 

The race for the Lieutenant Governor's office is on, and KETR is covering the competition for the Republican Party nomination.

Tune in to KETR tonight a 8 p.m. to hear a live broadcast of tonight's debate as incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst faces Republican challengers Sen. Dan Patrick, Land Comm. Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Comm. Todd Staples. 

Financial problems have compelled the closing of the Cooper Lake Center in Hopkins County. A few light poles remain in an abandoned parking lot where bluegrass concerts and other events were held.

The South Sulphur Regional Development Association, sponsor of the Cooper Lake Center since the mid-1990s, has said it decided to close the facility for financial reasons.

The center, occupying former farm land on County Road 4777, has depended almost entirely on private donations.

The North Hopkins Independent School District Beta Club recently donated food to the Hope House in Cooper. Hope House organizers Tina Overman (far left) and First United Methodist Church Pastor Steve Cook (far right) welcomed the offering from senior students Jesse Williams, Silas Whaley, Tarence Berry, sponsor Danna Lewis and senior student Blake Adams.

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.