Holiday deadlines
The Monitor display ad deadline is noon Friday, Dec. 30, for The Monitor, Thursday, Jan. 5 issue. Regular deadlines for classified word ads.

Eustace tax office hours
The Eustace ISD tax office will reopen from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 30, to accept payments. For information, call (903) 425-5232.

Westside Seniors
The Westside Senior Center is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday (today) at the Cedar Creek Bible Church activities building, located at 700 N. Seven Points Blvd. Seniors 55 and older are invited for games and fellowship. A light lunch will be served. For information, call (903) 340-9672.

New Year’s Eve concert
The Caney Creek Baptist Church is hosting a free concert with fireworks, coffee and hot chocolate from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at the Caney City Boat Ramp.

Log Cabin Square Dance
The Log Cabin Round and Square Dance Club is hosting a New Year’s Eve Party from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at Promenade Hall, 1210 North Tool Drive, SH 274, Tool. Country/western and square dancers are invited. Black-eyed peas and cornbread will be served at 10 p.m. The club meets the first and third Saturday of each month. For information, call Dee at (903) 451-3388.

CCL Literary Club
The Literary Club of Cedar Creek Lake executive board meeting is at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at The Library at Cedar Creek Lake in Seven Points.

PSUMC fellowship
The Payne Springs United Methodist Church monthly fellowship starts with a covered dish meal at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, followed by “Always Abounding” gospel music led by Billy House. The public is invited. The church is located at 9667 S. SH 198, across from the PSVFD. For information, call (903) 451-3131 or (903) 451-2978.

CCL Garden Club
The Cedar Creek Lake Garden Club meets at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, at the Library at Cedar Creek Lake in Seven Points. A white elephant sale is set for prior to the meeting. Bring donations priced. Also bring dried materials for a wreath. Club will furnish wreaths. For information on joining call (903) 498-6544.

Turkey shoot
The Trinidad VFW Post 4133 is hosting a turkey shoot benefit from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7. Rules and safety requirements available at the Post. Proceeds benefit the Post. For information, call (903) 778-2677.

CCL Literary Club
The Literary Club of Cedar Creek Lake meets starting with refreshments at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Library at Cedar Creek Lake in Seven Points. Mike Howard will present “Protecting Our First Families.” For information regarding membership, call Ruth Pimm at (903) 778-4752.

Heaters needed
The Family Resource Center, located at 107 Spring Valley, Gun Barrel City, is looking for your help. The Center needs heaters for babies, the elderly and people without heat. For information, call Debbie at (903) 887-4711. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Recycle Christmas lights
Kaufman County residents and surrounding areas can recycle broken or unwanted Christmas lights for free at the Environmental Co-op Recycling Plant, 1100 Airport Rd., or The Environmental Co-op office, 401 N. Adelaide, both in Terrell. All types of string lights are accepted, including icicles and LEDs, with plans to expand locations to Kaufman and Kemp. For information, call (972) 524-0007 or visit eco@trashbusters.org.
 
Immunization clinic
The Texas Department of Health Services monthly immunization clinic at the Mabank Fire Department, 111 E. Mason, Mabank is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 30, (The fourth Tuesday, odd months only). No clinic on holidays. For information call (972) 932-2038.

News in Brief Policy
News in Brief is a venue in which nonprofit organizations can promote their services and/or fundraising 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.

Let’s welcome home the troops
The Monitor would like to recognize our returning troops with a special tribute in January and asks readers to submit photos and stories about their loved ones recently returned from Afghanistan and Iraq as a result of the President’s troop recall.
Send your stories and photos to the newspaper by Jan. 20, 2012 by e-mail at publisher@themonitor.net,  or by mail at The Monitor, P.O. Box 48, Mabank TX 75147, or simply drop it off at the office, located at 1316 S. Third St. next to Groom & Sons Ace Hardware between 8:30 a.m and 4:30 p.m.M-F.
All submissions should include a contact name and phone number, details of military service and a photo.

Man catches copper thieves
CR 2100 homeowner holds suspects at gunpoint until deputies arrive
Monitor Staff Reports
SEVEN POINTS–Two suspected copper thieves were held at gunpoint by a homeowner Dec. 21 and arrested by Henderson County Sheriff’s Officers.
According to a press release from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Jake Frideley, 21 of Seven Points, and Colby Wilcotts, 23, of Kemp, were charged with theft of copper wire/cable, a State Jail Felony.
The Sheriff’s Officers received the call from dispatchers after the homeowner called 911 informing that he had the suspects at gunpoint at a CR 2100 residence near Seven Points.
Investigators concluded the men had entered the home owner’s property without consent with intentions to steal a spool of electrical wiring containing copper and other metals. Copper has a high value and can be sold easily.
Frideley and Wilcotts are in custody at the Henderson County Jail.
Wilcotts is being held without bond as a result of a parole violation. Both are still in jail.
In other action, deputies confiscated marijuana from a Payne Springs residence on Dec. 20 after obtaining and executing a search warrant.
Robert Eugene Messenger, 59, was booked into the Henderson County Jail for Possession Marijuana and received a State Jail Felony, and Sunny Lyn Baker, 36, was booked for Possession of Marijuana and charged with a Class B misdemeanor. Both bonded out.
 

Valedictorian dies over holiday break
Special to The Monitor
CRANDALL–Crandall High School 2011 valedictorian, Robert Long III, died unexpectedly in mid-December.
Long, returned home from college during Christmas break and attended an evening basketball game Dec. 12.
Afterwards, Long went to a friends house to meet up with some of his classmates, who were also returning home from college and then arrived home to go to bed.
He was found unresponsive the next morning by his father.
Cause of death is unknown at this time.
He received the hustle award in both football and baseball his senior year, ran track and entered the University Interscholastic League academic competition for four years.
He was also a member of the student council and Mu Alpha Theta math club.
Long was an animal science major at Texas A & M and was studying to become a veterinarian.
Services for Long were held at First Baptist Church in Kaufman.