News Archives - October 2008

HOUSE OF FAITH TO BEGIN SOUP KITCHEN
10/29/2008
House of Faith Ministries is expanding its outreach in Ballinger to operate the In-As-Much Ministries Soup Kitchen on Sunday afternoons, 3-5 pm, at the corner of N. 6th Street and Ave. B (Look for the I Am sign) starting November 2, 2008.

For more than eight years, the House of Faith inter-denominational volunteers have been answering the call of Jesus Christ to “Feed my sheep” in Ballinger. The outreach began with an after-school program for elementary school children and now for the sixth year is serving an evening meal on Wednesday nights in the Community Center to approximately 100 children, teens, and adults. The meal is followed by Bible and Christian Living classes.

In-As-Much Ministries (I AM) is an outreach of The House of Faith (an inter-denomination faith-based organization) and will begin the operation of a soup kitchen on November 2, 2008. Additional plans are being made to offer free medical screenings, legal services, marriage and parenting classes, basic home and auto repair training and more.

Although the ministries are non-denominational, use of the N.6th and Ave. B fellowship hall, kitchen and classrooms is being provided by Ave. B Church of Christ on Sundays to feed and help members of the Ballinger community. In these tough financial times, the intention of the I AM Ministry is to give help to the needy in Ballinger without denominational affiliation and without cost to those who participate.

Soup-type ingredient donations and monetary donations may be made at Keel Drug or by calling 365-3665 or 365-3047.

In-As-Much Ministries (I AM) is grateful to the more than 40 volunteers from Ballinger and the surrounding area, to the Avenue B Church of Christ family for the use of their building, and to our parent organization - House of Faith - for their support in launching this new ministry.

For more information, please call 365-3665 or 365-3047.  OR CLICK HERE TO PRINT FLYER.

Opportunity to take exams for High School Credit in December
10/28/2008
Students will be permitted to take an exam to earn credit for an academic course for which the student has no prior instruction.  The dates on which exams are scheduled are December 8th, 9th, and 10th.  A student will earn credit with a passing score of at least 90 on the exam.

If a student plans to take the CBE (credit by exam), the student must register with the counselor, Teri Johnson, no later than Monday, November 17, 2008.  For questions visit the counselor or call 365-3547 ext. 5005 or email teri.johnson@ballingerisd.net

Winners Announced at BJHS
10/28/2008
Eryn Galindo is this year's winner of the iPod drawing for turning all her beginning year paper work and computer forms.  Reece Hallmark is the winner of this six week's "Bearcat Eye" $25.00 drawing for earning a Bearcat Eye when caught doing an act to make our school a better place the first six weeks.  Cameron Galvan earned 1st Six Weeks Perfect Attendance winner for $25.

 This week is also Red Ribbon Week at BJHS and the first day activity was "Army of 1" defeating drugs and the students dressed in camo.  Can you find Mr. Carter? Tuesday is "Don't Sweat It" Be Drug Free, dress in sweats, Wednesday "Put a Lid on Drugs", wear crazy hats, Thursday "Spirit is a High", wear ALL RED for Bearcub Spirit Game Day, and Friday is "Blackout Drugs", wear ALL BLACK for Bearcat Varsity Game day spririt.

Community Supports Ballinger Education Foundation
10/27/2008
The Ballinger Education Foundation would like to recognize the $3,000 donation made by an anonymous donor.  This donation puts us closer to meeting that goal of $25,000 by February 1, 2009.  With the help and support of the community and exes we look forward to not only making it to the $25,000 but going beyond that goal. 

Ballinger Education Foundation wants to recognize all our supporters that attended the pre-game drive through meal.  We appreciate you coming out to help support the students and teachers of Ballinger ISD.   We want to let you know that we do have some meat left if anyone would like to purchase some.  The meat is already cooked and packaged in 5 lb. bags at $25 per bag.  Please contact a board member and we will be happy to get it to you.

For more information on the foundation or to make a contribution please contact Jackie Gibbs by phone at (325) 365-3588 ext. 1010 or by mail at Ballinger Education Foundation c/o Jackie Gibbs, P.O. Box 231, Ballinger, TX 76821.  You can also look us up at www.ballinger4education.org.

Wal-Mart presented the Teacher of the Year Award to Marsha Fry and presented the school with a $1000.00 check.
Representing Wal-Mart were Kenneth Hicks, store manager, and Brenda Turney.

Big Senior Center Fundraiser Meal This Sunday !!
10/25/2008
The Ballinger Senior Citizens Center recently received a grant for $73,800 from the San Angelo Health Foundation. The money will be used to help the Senior Citizens in their goal of moving into a larger, safer and more accessible building.

The current building, behind the Runnels County Courthouse, is too small and is in need of substantial structural repair. The proposed new home is a former auto parts store next door to the current center. It is owned by Runnels County and would be designated as the Ballinger Senior Citizens Center.

The grant money can be used for equipment purchases only such as air conditioning and heating units, walk-in freezer and vault, kitchen equipment and new tables and chairs. The money cannot be used for renovation or construction.

That's where the community comes in. It will cost an estimated $76,000 to get the new location ready. Friends of the Ballinger Senior Citizens are asking for the community's help in reaching the goal. Other foundations have been contacted for additional grant money, but there have been no responses thus far.

Donations of any amount can be given and are welcomed. Those who donate $50 or more will be acknowledged on a plaque in the dining area of the new center.

Send your donations to: Ballinger Senior Citizens Building Fund, c/o Margarette Smith, Runnels County Courthouse, 613 Hutchings Avenue, Room 304, Ballinger, 76821 by February 1, 2009.

If you have any questions concerning the Senior Center, call County Judge Marilyn Egan between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, at 365-3266.

Tucker Travis, Big Country Player of the Week
10/22/2008
Congratulations to Ballinger's quarterback, Tucker Travis, on being named Big Country Player of the Week by the Abilene Reporter-News sports department. The story reads:

Leading the Bearcats to an impressive 32-7 win at Coahoma on Friday, Travis accounted for all five Ballinger touchdowns, two of which came through the air.

Travis hit 18 of 29 throws for 317 yards last week, but he also rushed 12 times for 61 yards and three scores, earning our Big Country Player of the Week award for the week ending Oct. 18.

In the meantime, the Bearcats have largely healed from the rash of nagging injuries they suffered over the past month, and have rebounded with two straight wins.

"We didn't have any serious injuries, but a few of us had injuries we couldn't play with," Travis said. "It wasn't too fun for us because we had to sit out our homecoming game."

Through consecutive losses to Cisco (38-14), Early (41-7) and Roscoe (39-6), the Bearcats were, in effect, playing with one arm tied behind their backs due to the casualty list.

But a much-needed bye week Oct. 3 began clearing things up.

"It's made all the difference in the world," said Ballinger coach Brent Brevard of Travis' comeback. "We've struggled to run our offense without him. Having him back there gives us the full package. We've been doing well running and throwing it."

HELP WITH COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID
10/22/2008
Ballinger High School will host a free college financial aid orientation on Tuesday, November 4, at 6:30 pm in Ballinger High School Auditorium The program, presented by representatives from the Panhandle-Plains Student Loan Center and Angelo State University, will last about an hour and will cover the steps in completing the general application form (FAFSA), stress the importance of grants and scholarships, and explain the nature of student and parent loans. Refreshments will be served.
Although the presentation will focus on seniors, all students and parents are welcome and would benefit from the session. A drawing will be held for a $200 scholarship for attending seniors or those represented by a parent.
For more information, call Ballinger High School Counselor, Teri Johnson at 325/365-3547 Ext.5005.

To whom it may concern:
10/22/2008
Our community is a small one where pretty much everyone knows everyone else in at least one way or another. I have enjoyed growing up in a small town environment and I am glad that my children will have this privilege as well; however, I cannot understand why the communication level in our community seems to be dwindling. Trick-or-treat comes once a year and I for one hear about it for most of the year leading up to and after Halloween because I am a mother of two young boys. Anyone who has or has had children understands this. We have many great things going on in our community such at trunk-or-treat, the senior carnival, and even events at our local nursing homes. We hear about all of these events but there has yet to be a posting on which night trick-or-treat will be held. If you call the Chamber of Commerce, you will be told that trick-or-treat will be held Friday, October 31st. However, you can call the police department and you will be told trick-or-treat will be held Wednesday, October 29th. Herein lies the problem. We have many parents in this community who do not have the luxury of working 8 to 5 jobs and they must prepare ahead of time to make sure that their children do not miss out. This is a very difficult prospect when schedules must be made ahead of time and no announcements have been made. The ones who are going to be hurt are the children who will be trick-or-treating with no one being prepared and being turned away empty handed. Can you imagine how bad they will feel? I am urging someone to take a stand and post which night will be the official night for trick-or-treat in our community. I personally feel that trick-or-treat should be held on Friday, October 31st and we should also enjoy the fact that we have so many other activities for our children to enjoy before that as well. May everyone have a safe and happy Halloween.
Thank you,
Julie A. Gray

Early Votes for Monday
10/21/2008
Elesa Ocker, Runnels County Clerk, told Ballingernews.com that there were 134 "in office" early votes on Monday, October 20th. 

Early Voting Underway
10/20/2008
Early voting by personal appearance started Monday morning in the Runnels County Courthouse. As of 9:45am, 14 had already voted.

During early voting, you have a choice to use paper ballots or use the voting machines. On election day, November 4th, only machines will be used. You will be able to vote early Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, through October 31st. Any qualified voter is eligible to vote early.

Two contested races in the county are those of County Sheriff and Constable, Precinct 1. For sheriff, incumbent Bill Baird (D) is challenged by Quentin Watkins (R). In the constable race, those who live in election precincts 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10 may vote for either Wayne Poehls (R) or Mark Sklenarik (D). The offices of County Attorney, County Tax Assessor-Collector, Commissioner Pct. 1, Commissioner Pct. 3 and Constable Pct. 2 are uncontested.

There are numerous other state and, of course, presidential candidates to vote for. Sample ballots are available at the County Clerk's Office in Ballinger and at the County Tax Branch Office in Winters.


Applications for a ballot to vote by mail must be received in the County Clerk's Office by October 28th.

Car Crashes into Dollar General in Winters
10/8/2008
Three people were injured Tuesday afternoon when a car drove into the Dollar General store in Winters.

According to police reports, Cesar Iracheta, 21, of Winters, was driving south on Main Street in an Oldsmobile when the car ran off the road and into the store. Iracheta, an unnamed customer and employee were taken to North Runnels County Hospital, thought to be in stable condition.

Soaking Rains Countywide
10/6/2008
According to Doppler Radar rainfall estimates, Runnels County received a uniform soaking Sunday night and early Monday morning. In addition to tracking storms, Doppler radars have the ability to estimate how much rain fell in any given storm. As long as there is no hail from the storms, the estimates are pretty close to what a rain gauge on the ground would indicate.

All of Runnels County received rain with amounts ranging from 1.00 to 1.50. The heaviest was along the Runnels / Coleman county line near Talpa on U.S. 67 and just northeast of Winters near the Taylor County line.

Congressman Mike Conaway Votes "For" Bailout Plan
Plan Passes, President Signs into Law
10/3/2008
Congressman Mike Conaway, who represents Runnels County in the U.S. House of Representatives, voted Friday in favor of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Earlier in the week, he had voted against the first version presented by the House. He made the following statement following passage of the bill which President Bush signed into law Friday afternoon.

“Today’s vote was the hardest I have taken in my nearly four years of being a Member of Congress. For the past week, I have listened to the concerns of thousands of West Texans, the large majority coming out opposed to the legislation, and with good reason. I voted against the bill on Monday because there were several key pieces missing in the grand puzzle that is this financial rescue package. I do not believe that such massive government action is the best answer to the current problems on Wall Street. However, I know that we must act quickly to restore investor and lender confidence and return our great nation to the most thriving economy in the world.

“There are two key amendments added by the Senate to the today’s bill that improved the rescue plan. One amendment increases the FDIC insurance limits, which will help calm bank depositors’ anxiety about the safety of their bank accounts. The other amendments are unrelated to the overall plan, but are positive issues such as a one-year patch to the Alternative Minimum Tax, sales tax deductions, and disaster relief for Texas hurricane victims. While these tax amendments made the overall bill easier to vote for, they were not my final determining factors.

“After the vote on Monday, the stock market reacted very negatively to the defeat. Confidence in the short term lending facilities, particularly commercial paper markets and overnight lending between banks, had to be addressed. The rescue plan’s focus on the mortgage backed securities problems is an attempt to restore confidence in short and medium-term lending, which is the lifeblood of our economy. While we cannot be positive that this plan will work to restore that confidence, I am positive that inaction is not an option.

“Above all else, I voted for this plan because I believe the threats to our economy are real and grave. This financial crisis will negatively affect everyone in this country if no action is taken, and it is my steadfast hope that this legislation will calm the fear and uncertainty that have gripped our lending markets and enable us to implement deeper structural reforms that prevent a crisis of this magnitude from ever reoccurring.”

New Postmasters in Three County Communities
10/3/2008
Winters, Wingate and Rowena all have new postmasters and all were sworn-in Wednesday at the Winters Post Office.

The Oath of Office was issued to Debra Ballard of Rowena, Jerry Sims of Winters and Vicky Hensley of Wingate.

On hand for the ceremony was Steve Justice, Manager of Postal Operations for the Fort Worth district.

News Release - "Bald Eagle" Sighted in Texas
10/2/2008
The first bald eagle of the 2008-2009 eagle season was sighted by passengers and crew aboard the Vanishing Texas River Cruise on Saturday September 20th. As the flagship, the Texas Eagle, was returning from its evening dinner cruise, the majestic bird, the symbol of America, soared across the bow of the cruise vessel. Captain Shawn Devaney, senior captain of the cruise business, explains that this sighting marks the beginning of the migration of these birds of prey. Full migration should be in place by mid-November at which time passengers on the Vanishing Texas River Cruise can reasonably expect to view these incredible birds from the decks of the passenger cruise boat Texas Eagle on Lake Buchanan and the Colorado River. The cruise has some exciting programs in the works. "Freedom Flights is a program that we are very excited about this year," explains Captain Shawn. The Vanishing Texas River Cruise has teamed with Last Chance Forever which is an organization that rehabilitates birds of prey. On the third Saturday of every month, the rehabilitators will come aboard the Texas Eagle with different types of birds ready for release back into the wild. This is a unique opportunity for passengers to meet the folks that perform this wonderful work and get close up views of eagles, hawks, and other raptors used for educational purposes. The highlight is to see the rehabilitated raptor returned to the wild for a fresh new start.

Also new for this year, the Vanishing Texas River Cruise will invite local wineries onboard the Texas eagle so passengers can sample and learn more about the local wineries in the Hill Country area.

With the ongoing drought and receding water levels on the Colorado River and Lake Buchanan, we have a unique opportunity to view the reappearance of the settlement of the community of Bluffton which was submerged with the completion of Buchanan Dam in 1932. The Vanishing Texas River Cruise Company with its knowledgeable tour guides will make stops at old Bluffton to give passengers the chance to view and learn more about this unique area. Be sure to take the cruise for this unique opportunity before the rains return the old town to dark abyss under the waters of Lake Buchanan.

For more information, contact Vanishing Texas River Cruise at 800-4River4 or www.vtrc.com.

Texas Senators Vote "Yes" on Bailout/Economic Rescue Plan
10/2/2008
 The United States Senate Wednesday night passed, by a wide margin, their version of economic bailout legislation. Our two Texas senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn,  said yes. For official comments from both senators, click on the following links.
  
 Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison - comments made before the Senate
 
 Senator John Cornyn - statement on the bailout - includes outline of what's in the bill
 
 Want to Read all 451 pages? - link to Senate Banking Committee site
  
 List of how the rest of the Senate voted