School buses delayed
Buses for Mabank ISD will be delayed one hour the first day of school only, Monday, Aug. 22. All buses will run on regular schedule that afternoon and for the remainder of the school year. For information call (903) 880-1690.

Cool shelter offered
Due to the current extreme heat condition, First United Methodist Church of Mabank is opening its Family Life Center Gym from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday, for those in need of a cool place to spend some time. When the temperatures sore to 100 and above, come and watch movies or play games in the air conditioned gym. For information call (903) 887-3691.

Free Kids Movies
The Tri-County Library is hosting free kids movies, & popcorn at 1 p.m. Thursday, (today and each Thursday) in the community room at the library, at 132 E. Market Street, Mabank. Today’s movie is “Bee Movie” provided by Family Video. For information call (903) 887-9622.

EISD Fish Camp
The Eustace ISD Fish Camp is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, in the high school auditorium. The Primary School Meet the Teacher is set for 3 p.m. For new students and 3:30 p.m. for returning students, Thursday, Aug. 18 in the Primary School Cafeteria.

CCL 49er’s Club
The Cedar Creek Lake 49er’s Senior Citizens Club meets from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday (tonight), for dancing to the music of Chuck & the 49er’s. No smoking or alcohol. Donation at the door. Located off SH 334, two blocks south on Arnold Hills Road, Seven Points. For information call or fax to (903) 432-3552.

Kemp Primary teacher
Kemp Primary Meet the Teacher night is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19.

Legion salad bar
The American Legion Auxiliary at Post 310, Gun Barrel City, is hosting a salad bar from 5 - 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. Proceeds benefit scholarship program for area students. A large variety is offered.

Tool blood drive
The city of Tool in conjunction with Carter Blood Care is sponsoring a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Oran White Civic Center in Tool. If you give blood you get a buy-one-get-one-free voucher for a Texas Rangers ball game ticket and are automatically entered to win VIP tickets to a Rangers home game this season, thanks to the Texas Rangers and Fox Sports Southwest. For information, call Makenzie Blaser at (903) 432-3522.

Whitton Center
Cool off at the Whitton Center 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 with homemade ice cream, hot dogs and all the trimmings. A misting system is planned for the pavilion.
Proceeds benefit the roof repairs and prepping the building for painting. Thanks to Clara Brewer for donating the paint.

AL shrimp dinner
The Sons of the American Legion, Post 310, is hosting a shrimp dinner Saturday, Aug. 20, with cole slaw, hush puppies, dessert and tea. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund.

EISD Bulldog Bash
The Eustace High School Bulldog Bash and Meet the Teacher event is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22, in the old gym cafeteria.

MISD on-line
Mabank ISD on-line registration for returning students now through Thursday, Sept. 8. Parents may log in through Family Access and complete registration steps on MISD webpage www.mabankisd.net.

Kemp yearbooks
From now through the opening of school, Kemp students may pick up their 2011 year books at their individual campuses.
Seniors should go to the high school office and see Ms. House for their yearbooks.
For information, visit daniel.sue@kempisd.org.

Kaufman market
Master Gardeners join local growers at the Kaufman County Farmer’s Market selling vegetable plants. Hours are 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through the first two Saturdays in November. The market is located at 3001 S. Washington St. (southwest corner of FM 1388 and SH 34).

Immunization change
The Texas Department of State Health Services in Henderson County is changing the way it provides immunization for adults & children to appointments only, the first four Wednesdays of each month as of July. For appointments and information, call (903) 675-7742. Please don’t wait until the last minute to have your child or yourself vaccinated.

Senior Center opens
The Mabank Senior Center at the Ballpark is now open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at 405 W. Walnut, the old YMCA building. It is looking for volunteers for the Kemp Meals on Wheels route.
If you can spare one hour a week, you could make a difference in a senior’s day. For information, call Lisa Stinnett-Smith at (903) 887-0067.

Teen account set
An account has been opened at at First National Bank in Kemp for Alyssa Olivarez, 14. She was diagnosed with Burkitts lymphoma.

Back pack round-up
The youth of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Gun Barrel City are collecting 200 back packs for local underprivileged students. Please drop donations off at the church building on Sunday mornings, or call (903) 217-5622 for pick up.

News & Brief Policy
News in Brief is a venue in which nonprofit organizations can promote their services and/or fund-raising events at no cost.
These articles should include only basic information – who, what, when and where. Articles must include publishable contact information and a phone number.
The deadline for submission is 4 p.m. Monday for each Thursday’s issue and 4 p.m. Wednesday for each Sunday’s issue. Announcements will run for four issues (two weeks).
Organizations needing to relay more information on services or events, or who seek a longer promotion time, are encouraged to call our advertising staff at (903) 887-4511.
MediaOne LLC considers nonprofit organizations to be groups operating primarily on a volunteer basis providing a service for others. Organizations with paid employees cannot use this venue to promote their services.

 

Man sentenced to 13 years in jail
Darryl Isom pleads guilty to evading arrest in high-speed drug chase
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–Darryl Lawayne Isom pled guilty in the 173rd District Court to a number of charges stemming from a car chase with the Henderson County Sheriff’s office (HCSO). 
Isom plead guilty to two second degree felonies – one for Possession of a Controlled Substance and the other for Tampering with Evidence. 
Additionally, Isom plead guilty to two state jail felonies consisting of another Possession of Controlled Substance charge, as well as an Evading Arrest charge.
Isom was sentenced to serve 13 years in exchange for pleading guilty.
The charges all resulted from a Jan. 26 high speed chase involving multiple officers with HCSO. 
Dep. David Robertson of HCSO had stopped the vehicle Isom was driving in Cherokee Shores for a traffic violation. 
After establishing contact, Isom sped away leading to a chase through Cherokee Shores onto State Highway 198, and finally FM 316.
Ultimately, other officers joined in as the chase continued on FM 316 into Van Zandt County.
Eventually, Isom reached State SH 198 again, and turned south toward Mabank.
When Isom reached the parking lot at the Faith Community Christian Academy in Roddy, he tried to turn his vehicle around, and was surrounded by officers forcing him to stop. 
Throughout the chase, officers saw Isom throw multiple objects from the car. 
Once officers were able to return to the area, they found more than a dozen prescription bottles that contained narcotics that were not prescribed to Isom.
Finally, a search was completed of Isom’s vehicle.  The search produced an amount of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, dozens of hyperemic needles, as well as more prescription drugs and narcotics not prescribed to him. 
Assistant District Attorney Justin Weiner prosecuted the case for the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office.
“We are certainly glad he is off the streets and behind bars,” District Attorney Scott McKee said.
“I was very pleased with the result of the case as well as the actions our local law enforcement officials took in taking him into custody without anyone being hurt,” he added.
 

City moves forward on grant for street repairs
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
SEVEN POINTS–Residents of Nob Hill in Seven Points could possible see promised road repairs begin.
Aug. 8, Seven Points city council members rejected, 4-1, a road repair bid from the county due to time constraints and authorized the engineer to move forward with alternate plans on the Nob Hill project.
Mayor John Dobbs was absent. Council members present were mayor pro tem Claudett Allsup (who presided over the meeting), Kevin Pollock, Kenny Boyle, Cheryl Jones and Hank Laywell.
The $250,000 block grant was awarded two years ago from the Office of Rural Community Development Affairs.
Traylor Associates grant administrator Wanda Vance explained the county cannot respond in time to satisfy the grant’s time requirements.
“You cannot expect the county to come within the short amount of time (left),” she said, adding if the city fails to move forward they will lose the grant.
“It is in your best interest to proceed (with advertising for new bids),” she explained.
Bids are to be opened Thursday, Sept. 1 and awarded Friday, Sept. 2.
The controversy in Seven Points between three council members and the mayor prefaced a year-long delay in the Nob Hill project.
Laywell, the lone dissenter, said he was concerned over the rush to get the matter approved, saying he was not familiar with the current project requirements.
In connection with the grant, council members also approved, 4-1, associated resolutions needed to satisfy state and federal requirements to allow the grant administrator to move forward with paper work.
Again, Laywell opposed the action.
In other business, council members:
• appointed Karon Flagg to the Planning and Zoning Committee.
Appointment of Kathy Gregg was postponed to give the council time to review rules, as Laywell said he believed P&Z rules required her to live inside city limits.
• appointed Gwenn Wright and Lucy Smith to the Economic Development Commission. Cedar Isle restaurateur Lew Talbot withdrew his name from consideration.
• heard department head reports as presented.
The maintenance report, presented by Jeff Baker, named a long list of activities he did during the month of July from road maintenance, changing out locks at the Post Office and hauling road materials to rounding up cows on State Highway 334 and putting them back in the pasture.
• tabled a question of code enforcement for 216 California.
• tabled a request from police Chief Curt Koger for an outside audit of the property rooms by a records specialist.
Laywell requested the item be tabled until it could be ascertained whether funds were available.
• read a point of order list Laywell presented, addressed to the absent mayor.
Many of the items he listed were heard and action taken at the June 15 meeting (Laywell attended), and at the July 17 meeting (The next regular meeting of Seven Points City Council is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8.