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Dec

25

Jeris’ Journey: Former Tiger’s life-changing decision pays off

Posted by : Erik Walsh | On : December 25, 2011

Category: Malakoff, People, Sports

Jeris Hall looks ripped now, but after college this MHS grad tipped the scales at 293 pounds.

By Chip Souza

Special to The News

When Jeris Hall looked at the man in the mirror, he did not like what was looking back.

An athlete in high school and always one of the most popular students at Malakoff High, he was living the life of most college students: Lots of parties, late night fast-food and more parties.

Jeris Hall before changing his lifestyle.

Hall, now 29, was a junior at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2004, away from home for the first time. And he was soaking in every minute of the college experience.

“I loved it, loved being in college,” he says now. “I pledged to one of the biggest fraternities (Delta Tau Delta) on campus and had a lot of friends. I got caught up in being free.”

By the end of his first year of college, the former Tiger football player had gained 35 pounds, which is not uncommon for first-year students. For Hall, a former athlete and now not being involved in sports, along with the other social trappings of college life, were all factors

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Dec

05

Make it 8 for Stace Smith

Posted by : Erik Walsh | On : December 5, 2011

Category: Malakoff, People, Sports

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Stace Smith

From Staff Reports

Talk about consistent: Stace Smith Pro Rodeos of Henderson County was named the PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last week.

That is the eighth consecutive year Smith has won the award. Only one other time in the award’s history has anyone won as many times.

Voting is by all contract personnel (announcers, pickup men, etc.), along with the stock contractors, rodeo committees (one vote per committee) and the top 100 contestants in each event.

According to the company’s website, Smith produces more PRCA rodeos than any other stock contractor in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

A long-time Henderson County resident, Smith has been a rodeo contestant, worked as a chute boss and was also a pickup man before becoming a stock contractor. In 2005, he was chosen as pickup man for the Texas Circuit finals.

Nov

25

Benny and Budke: It’s the kids who won

Posted by : Staff Reports | On : November 25, 2011

Category: People, Sports

By Gene Lehmann
Special to The News

Approximately 18 years ago, a new women’s basketball coach hired on at Trinity Valley Community College and one of his first visits was to the Athens Daily Review newsroom so he could meet sports editor and Malakoff native Benny Rogers.

I edited the newspaper in the small East Texas town. I had divorced

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Nov

18

Kurt Budke killed in plane crash

Posted by : Erik Walsh | On : November 18, 2011

Category: People, Sports

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Kurt Budke

UPDATE: With statement from TVCC

Oklahoma State University officials confirmed this morning that head women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke was killed Thursday night in a plane crash in central Arkansas.

Also killed was assistant coach Miranda Serna and two others not associated with the university.

“The Oklahoma State family is devastated by this tragedy,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims.”

Budke is best known in Henderson County as the head coach of the Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals from 1993-2000. During that time,

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Nov

10

Garden Club sets ‘A Step Back in Time’

Posted by : Staff Reports | On : November 10, 2011

Category: Events, Malakoff, People

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Cletus Haning’s little house in the woods.

Special to The News

Saturday, Nov. 12, from 1-4 p.m., the Greater Malakoff Garden Club is hosting a program called “A Step Back in Time,” which celebrates octogenarian Cleatus Barkley Haning’s contributions to the communities in which she’s lived and the replica of a turn-of-the-19th century house she built on her property (just west of the Malakoff High School). She has spent the last six months planning and constructing the house to teach her great grandchildren what life was “really” like without electricity or running water. She hopes they also will learn the lessons and values that the hardship and involvement with nature and fundamentals

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Nov

10

Tarkingtons celebrate 50 years together

Posted by : Erik Walsh | On : November 10, 2011

Category: People

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Travis and Linda Tarkington will celebrate 50 years of marriage Nov. 10.

Special to The News

Travis and Linda Tarkington will celebrate 50 years together. They met at the Old Fiddler’s Reunion in Athens in 1961 and were married Nov. 10, 1961. They have five children: Carl Tarkington and Jenny of Terrapin Ridge; Selena Dalrymple and husband Billy Don of Aley; Connie Harrill and husband Rex of Canton, Neal Tarkington and wife Mandy of Arp; Bubba Yates and wife Lisa of Mabank. They have eight grandchildren: Brittany Fooks and husband

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Nov

09

Soldier is finally coming home

Posted by : Staff Reports | On : November 9, 2011

Category: County, Events, Government, Obituaries, People

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SFC Benny Don Rogers, killed in the Korean War, will be laid to rest in Athens

From Staff Reports

SFC Benny Don Rogers is finally coming home.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced this week that the remains of the U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War for 61 years, have been identified and will be returned to his family.

Rogers will be laid to rest Saturday at Willow Springs Cemetery in Athens.

Rogers was 20 years old in November 1950 when he and almost 600 other 8th Cavalry Regiment

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Oct

28

Getting ready for a Cletus Party

Posted by : Staff Reports | On : October 28, 2011

Category: Loretta Humble, People

Cletus Haning’s little house in the woods.

By Loretta Humble

I’m inviting 80 – only 80 – of you to a party – a Cletus Haning Party, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 1-4 p.m. You’ll have to buy a gift, and you’ll get a gift, too. You know, like lots of kids’ parties – you give something and you get something to take home, too.

I would really like 10 of you to buy your gift from me. You can find me at Cedar Lake Home Health and Hospice on Terry St. If you’d like, we can ride out there together.

This all started as a fundraiser so the Malakoff Garden

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Oct

27

TVCC mourns at passing of Vice President Rip Drumgoole

Posted by : Press release | On : October 27, 2011

Category: People, Schools, Sports

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Dr. W.P. “Rip” Drumgoole

The flag at Trinity Valley Community College is at half-staff today as the school mourns the passing of Vice President of Student Services Dr. W.P. “Rip” Drumgoole.

Drumgoole served the college and the Athens community for almost four decades. He died Thursday morning at East Texas Medical Center-Athens following a long battle with cancer. He was 61.

A native of Jefferson, he began his career with TVCC in 1973 as a full-time counselor. He served as guidance services coordinator and director of counseling before being named vice president of Student Affairs in 1980. The title later changed to vice president of Student Services. He also served as the college’s director of athletics for the 2009-10 school year.

“To paraphrase the Apostle Paul, Rip fought

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Oct

27

Faith in Action Outreach looks to expand mission of food pantry

Posted by : Erik Walsh | On : October 27, 2011

Category: Malakoff, People, Schools

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Rosemary Ferrell, left, and Cheryl Trout bag up food for the Faith in Action Outreach ‘Food for the Weekend’ program last week.

By Michael V. Hannigan

The name may have changed, but the work continues.

The Malakoff Food Pantry recently changed its name to Faith in Action Outreach to better reflect its mission.

“We are simply demonstrating the love that Jesus Christ has for all of us and we are doing our best to pass this love on to the folks in our community that are down on their luck,” said organization president Larry Albertson. “We believe the name Faith In Action Outreach does a good job of painting a picture of who we are now and what we want to become.”

Faith in Action is a non-denominational Christian organization that currently feeds around 1,000 people each month. The hungry come

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