Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 133, No. 30, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Page: 1 of 10
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PRICE 750
EMORY, TEXAS - TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020
Vol. 133, Issue 30-10 pages
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
Passing the torch
-5
q
I
cei
The annual mid-winter bald
never fill her shoes.
in at noon.
net.
The rollercoaster ride that was 2019 has
Best Actor Overall for District 12 AAA.
2, and Hallettsville Brahmas, 6-2 to win the
awards.
terroristic threat. Steven Acrey, 46, a former
page 3
page 4
page 10
935 73
86474
7
1
Rains
sports
Commissioners
court agenda
Total for Dec..
Total for 2019
bers of the Blue Skies Parachute Team float-
ing in to deliver the game ball and members
of the commissioners court and school board
Baldwin came from a family of readers and book
lovers. She spent most of her summers as a teenager
in the library to get out of the heat as well as to spend
trustee, David Rose was re-elected to the
East Tawakoni City Council, and Harold
Chandler was elected as the next mayor of
East Tawakoni after the former mayor for
RAINS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Mid-winter bald eagle
count this weekend
The Rains County Commission-
ers Court held a shortened regular
..0.57
47.92
RAINS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT
Court all business in
short meeting
Six myths
for 2020
Volunteers are advised to dress
appropriately for the weather.
The eagle count is traditionally
a tremendous help to the Rains
By CHUCK FITTS
Rains County Leader staff
By CHUCK FITTS
Rains County Leader staff
By CHUCK FITTS
Rains County Leader staff
By TREY HILL
Rains County Leader staff
mediate School that students moved into
in November just prior to the Thanksgiving
holiday rated the number three spot on the
Leader board.
Ray’s Hardware Company in Point for 68
years and served as president of the First
State Bank in Point for 10 years.
In the municipal elections on May 4,
Eddie Elliott retained his seat as Rains ISD
tors from the Dallas office of DHS.
Lieutenant Colonel Allen West challenged
attendees to “earn this” during his speech at
the office secretary, and the drought tied as
the top news stories of 2011.
However, the fantastic new Rains Elemen-
tary School that opened for classes in Janu-
ary and the newly refurbished Rains Inter-
the best rating.
The Court reviewed all depart-
mental reports submitted, approved
the final re-plat for Spring Creek
Estates and issued the bond for
By Linda Brendle
Rains County Leader correspondent
see 2019 page 9
RAIN
REPORT
No rain reported last week
see FOL page 4
see DECADE page 9
Leader photo by CHUCK FITTS
In her last meeting as president, Lyn Baldwin reads a letter of thanks to the Friends of the Library board, while fellow
board member and future president, Linda Brendle, listens on.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Rollercoaster 2019
leads to 2020 vision
4
3
2012
Two stories of two grandsons arrested and
charged with the murders of their grandpar-
ents head up the list of top stories published
in the Rains County Leader in 2012.
On August 28, the Leader reported the
arrest of Matthew Scott McGrath, 21, who
was charged with the August 19 shooting
death of his grandfather, Carl Johnson, 79,
in Emory. Court records show McGrath pled
In a decade that saw the Rains Indepen-
dent School District [RISD] build its fourth
school building, a new football stadium, and
a baseball/softball complex; a tornado rip
through Rains County; and a new Two-Mile
Bridge built across Lake Tawakoni, it was
the successful state championship run of the
Rains Lady Cat softball team that topped the
news in the decade of 2010-2019.
2010
Even with some surprising local election
DECADE IN REVIEW
Softball state championship
tops the stories of 2010-2019
I
Clifton Johnson, age 100, died at his city employee, was charged with retaliation
home on April 11. Johnson was elected after being taken into custody and questioned
the first Mayor of Point on May 21, 1966, by the Emory Police Department, the Rains
shortly after the city incorporated. He owned County Sheriff’s Department and investiga-
Bains County Beader
y TT — g. Web Site: www.rainscountyleader.com
Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1887 e-mail: news@rainscountyleader.com
meeting on Thursday, December County Constable.
26, to hear the ESD audit, approve All commissioners were present
a final plat and issue a bond. for the regular meeting.
Commissioners were presented The next regular meeting of the
with the audit of the Rains Coun- Rains County Commissioners is
ty Emergency Services District scheduled for Thursday, January 9,
#1 and informed that the entity at 10:00 a.m. in the courtroom of
received an unmodified opinion, the Rains County Courthouse.
Former long-time Congressman Ralph UIL Class 3A State Championship in Aus-
Hall died on March 7, in his home in Rock- tin. Sophomore Chanlee Oakes was named
wall. Hall, 95, represented District 4 in the the state championship game’s Most Valu-
House of Representatives from 1980 to able Player. Oakes was also named to the
2014 which covers a wide area of Northeast Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball
Texas, including Rains County. State Tournament All-Tournament Team
Longtime newspaperman Earl C. Hill Jr. along with junior catcher Catrin Hoffman,
died in his home on March 27 after a brief sophomore shortstop Leo Terry, junior third
illness. Mr. Hill had been co-owner/owner of baseman Jasmine Mott, and junior center
the Rains County Leader since 1960. After fielder Presley McAree.
the death of his aunt, Kathleen Hill Beck- The offices of the City of Emory were
nell, in 1995, he became sole owner and locked down for a couple of hours on June
publisher, and transformed the paper with a 20 after receiving information from the U.S.
new design and layout that earned multiple Department of Homeland Security about a
finally come to an end so it is time to take a eight years, Johnnie LaPrade, chose not to
look back at the hills and valleys of another run again.
eventful year in Rains County. Heavy rains on May 8 caused five roads
A welfare check in Emory on February 16 in the county to be washed out and road
led to the arrest of former Rains County resi- crews had to perform emergency repairs,
dent Charlie Cervantes on murder charges in remove fallen trees from two roads, close
Henderson County after the body of Tabatha 16 flooded roads and identify 49 more roads
Cashion was found at a home located on FM under water.
804 just outside of LaRue on February 20. After losing in the semifinal round last
In March, the RHS One-Act Play advanced year, the Rains Lady Cat softball team made
to bi-district and Alex White was awarded history by defeating Brock Lady Eagles, 4-
eagle count of Lake Fork will County Eagle Fest committee for
take place on Saturday and Sun- planning the bus and barge routes
day, January 11-12. The public is for Saturday, January 18.
invited to meet at the Oak Ridge The Oak Ridge Marina Cafe is
Marina Cafe each morning of the located on Hwy. 154 about a quar-
event at 7:00 a.m. to get instruc- ter of a mile south of the bridge,
tions. If you would like to donate the
Volunteers will then take routes use of your boat for the count or
on land as well as on the waters would like more information about
of Lake Fork to count bald eagles the mid-winter bald eagle count,
from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. contact Sanford Valentine at 903-
Counts for the day will be turned 985-9825 or sanfordvalentine@att.
Lyn Baldwin loves the written word and has spent time with the books she loved. As an adult, she spent
most of her life passing that burning love on to oth- 42 years teaching communication language arts, as
ers. One of the ways she has accomplished that goal well as a love of the written word, to students from
is by serving on the Board of the Friends of the Rains elementary school to college.
County Library for almost a decade. At the Board She and husband Bill have lived in six states since
meeting on January 2, she passed that torch on to their marriage in 1968, and the library was the first
Linda Brendle who will serve in her place but will
wins and upsets during 2010, the majority of guilty in April 2013.
this year’s top stories are owned by the Rains Brandon Paul Couch, 33, was arrested
Independent School District. and charged with the shooting death of his
From the steel girders going up in Janu- grandmother, Mattie Couch, 78, following a
ary, to the Cornerstone Dedication ceremony seven-hour manhunt. Court records indicate
performed by the Mars Hill Masonic Lodge that Brandon was found guilty by a jury in
in November the new Rains Elementary March of 2015.
School lays claim to the top story from the 2013
Rains ISD district. — . , j
r1 crmn n- 1 1 n - Top news stories are usually relative to
The $12.9 million school will inspire .1 1 1: 21 M 1
i i the person selecting them. For example,
education and creativity in students with its 1 F . ® .1012
1 • 1 1 i . 1 reclaiming and paving the north end of
bright open design, spacious classrooms, nAD1 • .1 ., t
112 r. . i 100.1 1 Ravine Street in Emory made those residents
library, cafeteria and gym, wonderful murals 11 1 1 -. 1 21 r
‘ 11 -L and travelers happy, as did the paving of sev-
and many other amenities. 1 . j J r °
J eral county roads.
2011 However, we have chosen a story/event
In a straw poll taken of the staff at the that will have a lasting effect on almost
Leader office, the controversy surrounding every person in the county: the rebuilding of
the Emergency Services District budgeting Wildcat Stadium.
process and eventual resignation of three The stadium’s opening on Friday evening,
board members, including the dismissal of September 6, was a fanfare event with mem-
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Hill, Earl, III. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 133, No. 30, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 7, 2020, newspaper, January 7, 2020; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1471247/m1/1/?q=houston: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rains County Library.