Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - February 2009 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com February 2, 2009 County fire danger extreme Seven counties in the Victoria area are among about 150 counties Gov. Rick Perry has declared as having an extreme fire danger that poses a threat of imminent disaster. Ron Pray, the Victoria County fire marshal, said the proclamation puts everything from bulldozers to portable showers at the disposal of the counties in the event of a catastrophic wildfire. Those resources are ordinarily available for disasters, but the proclamation makes sure the resources are ready to be deployed more quickly. "There won't be as much jumping through the hoops to get them on the move," Pray said. "If we have a big fire, we've got to get out there quickly." The state resources would be called in if local resources are overwhelmed by a large fire. "I can't predict what's going to happen next week," Pray said. "But we need to be ready until the threat is over." The burn ban for Victoria County remains in effect and Pray has written about 10 tickets to those who have violated the ban. The typical fine for a burn ban violation is a $600 fine and 60 hours of community service. County Judge Don Pozzi said the Victoria County Commissioners Court doesn't like imposing burn bans, but the current ban will be in effect as long as it is needed. "It continues to be very, very dry out there," he said. "We would urge extreme caution." There is no relief in sight to the dry conditions, Pozzi said. There is no rain in the forecast and a freeze was possible for the Victoria area Tuesday morning. That could kill green vegetation and create more fuel for wildfires. Area counties included in the governor's proclamation are Calhoun, Gonzales, Karnes, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria and Wharton. ************************************************ From tylerpaper.com February 1, 2009 Antler Restrictions, Doe Days Proposed For East Texas The door isn't closed on one hunting season and it is time to look ahead. The reason is Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's regulation cycle requires proposed changes to be announced in January to allow public comment before the Commission votes on them in March. Public hearings will be held on the proposals across the state in February and March, however, more hunters and fishermen have started to use the department's Internet site to comment. In a normal year, hunters are faced with changes that tie up loose ends. This year, however, TPWD's three-year cycle for changes in deer regulations kicked in and the number of proposals to be considered jumped up. Probably the biggest is a proposed change that would add an additional 52 counties to the list of those with antler restriction regulations. The proposed list includes Anderson, Angelina, Henderson, Hunt, Navarro, Smith and Van Zandt counties to the list of those in which a legal buck must have an inside spread of at least 13 inches, or be a spike. The regulation already used in 61 counties is designed to reduce the harvest of bucks 2 ½ years old or younger. According to TPWD, more than half of the bucks taken in the 52 proposed counties are in that category. Other counties proposed for the antler restriction include: Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Hill, Hood, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young. Department wildlife biologists have proposed expansion of doe days in some counties, and the creation of doe days in seven counties including Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties. The department has proposed four days in the counties in which hunters will be able to take doe without a permit. None of these counties currently has doe days. The purpose is to expand the harvest opportunities in the counties where it can be sustained. Other doe day changes proposed include: from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties; from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cooke, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties; from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties; and from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties. Hunters in some East Texas counties may also have additional late season hunting opportunity with the expansion and lengthening of the state's post season muzzleloader season. Currently there is a nine-day muzzleloader season in 23 counties in which hunters may take doe and spikes. The department is proposing lengthening the season five days and allowing the harvest of any buck and doe if the county has doe days. The special season would be expanded into Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of U.S. 59), Goliad (South of U.S. 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of U.S. 59), Jackson (South of U.S. 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of U.S. 59), Victoria (South of U.S. 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of U.S. 59), Wharton (South of U.S. 59), and Wilson counties. In other proposals, TPWD wildlife staff has recommended increasing the deer bag limit from one to two bucks in Baylor, Callahan, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Shackelford, Taylor, Throckmorton, and Wilbarger counties and from four to five deer Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. The department also proposed increasing the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than two bucks) in 25 counties - Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of I35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of I35), and Young. Another proposal would increase the bag limit from three to five deer (no more than one buck) in Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall and Wheeler. The department is also proposing a first-time general open season in Dawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties (three deer, no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless). Public hearings scheduled in East Texas include: Canton, March 5, Farm Bureau Building, 481 E. Texas 243; Henderson, March 11, Texas AgriLife Extension office meeting room, 115 E. Fordall; and New Boston, March 9, Bowie County Courthouse. Hearings will also be held in Corsicana, Lufkin and Palestine, however, dates and locations have not been announced. All public hearings will begin at 7 p.m. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com February 2, 2009 County fire danger extreme BY DAVID TEWES Seven counties in the Victoria area are among about 150 counties Gov. Rick Perry has declared as having an extreme fire danger that poses a threat of imminent disaster. Ron Pray, the Victoria County fire marshal, said the proclamation puts everything from bulldozers to portable showers at the disposal of the counties in the event of a catastrophic wildfire. Those resources are ordinarily available for disasters, but the proclamation makes sure the resources are ready to be deployed more quickly. "There won't be as much jumping through the hoops to get them on the move," Pray said. "If we have a big fire, we've got to get out there quickly." The state resources would be called in if local resources are overwhelmed by a large fire. "I can't predict what's going to happen next week," Pray said. "But we need to be ready until the threat is over." The burn ban for Victoria County remains in effect and Pray has written about 10 tickets to those who have violated the ban. The typical fine for a burn ban violation is a $600 fine and 60 hours of community service. County Judge Don Pozzi said the Victoria County Commissioners Court doesn't like imposing burn bans, but the current ban will be in effect as long as it is needed. "It continues to be very, very dry out there," he said. "We would urge extreme caution." There is no relief in sight to the dry conditions, Pozzi said. There is no rain in the forecast and a freeze was possible for the Victoria area Tuesday morning. That could kill green vegetation and create more fuel for wildfires. Area counties included in the governor's proclamation are Calhoun, Gonzales, Karnes, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria and Wharton. ************************************************ From tylerpaper.com February 1, 2009 By STEVE KNIGHT Outdoor Writer The door isn't closed on one hunting season and it is time to look ahead. The reason is Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's regulation cycle requires proposed changes to be announced in January to allow public comment before the Commission votes on them in March. Public hearings will be held on the proposals across the state in February and March, however, more hunters and fishermen have started to use the department's Internet site to comment. In a normal year, hunters are faced with changes that tie up loose ends. This year, however, TPWD's three-year cycle for changes in deer regulations kicked in and the number of proposals to be considered jumped up. Probably the biggest is a proposed change that would add an additional 52 counties to the list of those with antler restriction regulations. The proposed list includes Anderson, Angelina, Henderson, Hunt, Navarro, Smith and Van Zandt counties to the list of those in which a legal buck must have an inside spread of at least 13 inches, or be a spike. The regulation already used in 61 counties is designed to reduce the harvest of bucks 2 ½ years old or younger. According to TPWD, more than half of the bucks taken in the 52 proposed counties are in that category. Other counties proposed for the antler restriction include: Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Hill, Hood, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young. Department wildlife biologists have proposed expansion of doe days in some counties, and the creation of doe days in seven counties including Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties. The department has proposed four days in the counties in which hunters will be able to take doe without a permit. None of these counties currently has doe days. The purpose is to expand the harvest opportunities in the counties where it can be sustained. Other doe day changes proposed include: from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties; from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cooke, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties; from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties; and from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties. Hunters in some East Texas counties may also have additional late season hunting opportunity with the expansion and lengthening of the state's post season muzzleloader season. Currently there is a nine-day muzzleloader season in 23 counties in which hunters may take doe and spikes. The department is proposing lengthening the season five days and allowing the harvest of any buck and doe if the county has doe days. The special season would be expanded into Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of U.S. 59), Goliad (South of U.S. 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of U.S. 59), Jackson (South of U.S. 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of U.S. 59), Victoria (South of U.S. 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of U.S. 59), Wharton (South of U.S. 59), and Wilson counties. In other proposals, TPWD wildlife staff has recommended increasing the deer bag limit from one to two bucks in Baylor, Callahan, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Shackelford, Taylor, Throckmorton, and Wilbarger counties and from four to five deer Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. The department also proposed increasing the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than two bucks) in 25 counties - Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of I35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of I35), and Young. Another proposal would increase the bag limit from three to five deer (no more than one buck) in Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall and Wheeler. The department is also proposing a first-time general open season in Dawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties (three deer, no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless). Public hearings scheduled in East Texas include: Canton, March 5, Farm Bureau Building, 481 E. Texas 243; Henderson, March 11, Texas AgriLife Extension office meeting room, 115 E. Fordall; and New Boston, March 9, Bowie County Courthouse. Hearings will also be held in Corsicana, Lufkin and Palestine, however, dates and locations have not been announced. All public hearings will begin at 7 p.m. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com February 3, 2009 Cattlemen elect directors at annual meeting Pat Kopecki FLORESVILLE - Members of the South Central Texas Independent Cattlemen's Association started the new year by voting in five new directors representing cattlemen from Atascosa and Wilson counties at the annual meeting held in the American Legion Hall Jan. 22. Also at the meeting, the cattle producers re-elected A. L. "Windy" Miller as president of the association. The new directors elected at the meeting representing Atascosa County include Jim Marsh for a two-year term, Gus Gonzalez for a three-year term, and Kristie West and Gary West each for a one-year term. Marshall Livingston was elected to a three-year term to represent Wilson County. Directors re-elected to serve for an additional three-year term were Miller and Richard L. "Dickie" Jackson from Wilson County. Gonzalez, a crossbred-beef cattle producer for more than 30 years, is no stranger in serving the community. A former paramedic with the San Antonio Fire Department, he retired after 32 years of service. He also served for almost 20 years on the East Central school board, at one time serving in the position of president. Marsh, of Pleasanton, grew up in the Charlotte area. His family has always been involved in farming and ranching, but Marsh had a passion for sports and decided at an early age he wanted to be a coach. After a 28-year coaching career, he returned to his family's ranch at Coughran and began a second career as a cattle rancher. Gary West and his wife, Kristie, operate a ranch between Pleasanton and Floresville and lease three other ranches in Atascosa and Live Oak counties. Gary, the current president of the Atascosa County Cattlemen's Association, has been in the cattle business for 39 years and started West Charolais Ranch in 1970. He retired to the ranch after serving for 25 years in law enforcement. Kristie grew up in 4-H, showing Angus calves and quarter horses, and works alongside her husband in the Charolais operation. Since 1985, Gary has been managing Charolais sales for the Texas Charolais Sales Corp. and serves as the executive vice president. Kristie assisted by computerizing the sales and creating the sales catalogs for each sale. Livingston, of Floresville, came to Wilson County by way of Lake Charles, La. Livingston, a member of the Independent Cattlemen's Association since 2006, has helped with many projects, including the Buck Taylor Roping event. Livingston is also involved in the oil business. After the election of directors, Miller was approved as president, Brad Cotton as vice president, Larry Wiley as treasurer, and Laurie Miller as secretary. Prior to the elections, Wiley spoke of the $1,000 donation the cattlemen's group gave toward assistance for the ranchers affected by Hurricane Ike last year. Wiley also said that quarterly meetings were held in Jourdanton and Falls City to accommodate the cattlemen living in Atascosa and Karnes counties, aiding an increase in the membership of the organization. Guest speakers were Heidi Byrom of San Antonio and Cliff Royal of Pleasanton, representatives from Texas Ag Finance, which assists with land and production loans for the producers. Other guest speakers included Christy Lansford, administrative director of the Texas Independent Cattlemen's Association, and Bill Hyman, executive director of the state's Independent Cattlemen's Association. Hyman addressed the cattlemen on issues affecting the industry. For the issues discussed, see related article on page 1A. In celebration of the state cattlemen's association's 35th anniversary, a special quilt will be displayed at the Independent Cattlemen's Association's summer convention and then auctioned off. Ranchers who would like to have their brands memorialized and displayed on the quilt for a fee should contact Lansford at the Texas Independent Cattlemen's Association office at 512-620-0162. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 4, 2009 Stimulus dollars headed for Karnes County? Hinojosa announces significant funds for Karnes County schools in stimulus plan WASHINGTON, D.C. - School districts in Karnes County are poised to receive a significant boost in funding under the $819 billion economic stimulus package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week, U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Mercedes) announced. Under the plan, Karnes County's four school districts could potentially see a $2 million increase over the next two years. Of that lump sum, $1.1 million would go toward helping the County's low- income students and students with disabilities. The other $900,000 would go toward the construction and modernization of classrooms, labs, libraries, and other facilities - providing students with technologically updated, energy-efficient schools and creating good construction jobs for local workers. "This is great news for Karnes County. Once signed into law, this bill will help provide students with technologically updated, energy- efficient schools and create good construction jobs for local workers," Hinojosa said. "It's truly a win-win for the community as a whole." Economists from across the political spectrum have recently told lawmakers that strategic investments in education will help Americans become stronger and more productive. Over the next few weeks, Congress will be finalizing the full economic recovery package, which is a concerted effort to create and save 3 to 4 million jobs and jumpstart the nation's economy. In addition to the substantial investment in education, the plan calls for the rebuilding of America's crumbling roads and bridges, as well major investments in job training programs. These estimates below are based on the version of the stimulus package which the U.S. House of Representatives approved on Wednesday. The Senate also introduced its own version of the stimulus package earlier this week. The following estimates represent the total increase each school district would receive over the next two years: Falls City Independent School District -$107,900 Karnes City Independent School District -$743,700 Kenedy Independent School District -$806,900 Runge Independent School District -$401,600 "We have a recovery plan that not only calls for swift action, it calls for smart investments that will build a stronger, more competitive nation in the long-term," Hinojosa said. "It is critical that we get this to the President as soon as possible." ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com February 7, 2009 Nordheim show brings in more than $50,000 NORDHEIM - The annual Nordheim FFA Livestock auction brought in $56,735.86 as students showed steers, hogs, lambs and goats at the Nordheim School show barn on Saturday, Jan. 31. Leading the way was the grand champion steer shown by senior Ashley Waskow. It sold for $4.10 per pound for a total of $4,800 to Nixon/Beeville Livestock, Karnes County Livestock, Weldon Switch TrailRiders, Edgar & Gladys' Cafe, Karnes City Auction, Nordheim FFA Fundraisers, Tractor City-Kenedy, and Citizen's Bank. With add ons, she will receive $4,920. The grand champion hog of sixth-grader Wryston Fischer sold for $3,600 to Seifert Fencing, Koricanek Farms, Nixon/Beeville Livestock, Karnei Farms, Billy Karnei, and Apple Lumber. Add-ons brought Wryston's total to $4,000. Wyatt Koricanek, a fourth grader, sold his grand champion lamb for $3,700 to Koricanek Farms. Younger brother, Tanner Koricanek, a third-grader, also sold his reserve champion lamb for $3,700 to Koricanek Farms. The grand champion goat of sophomore Mitchell Saunders sold for $1,600 to Nordheim FFA Fundraisers, Apple Lumber, Beef It Up, and Metting Dozer Service. With add ons, he will receive $1,800. The reserve champion steer of senior Destini Voelkel sold for $3.10 per pound for a total of $3,600 to Nordheim FFA Fundraisers, Karnei Ranch, Billy Karnei, Metting Dozer Service, Wells Fargo Bank, and Koricanek Farms. The reserve champion hog, shown by senior Jackie Schroedter was sold to Talk Ranch for $2,600. With add ons, Janet will receive $3,100. The reserve champion goat of Marissa Hernandez, another senior, sold for $1,100 to T&D Ranch. With add ons, she will receive $1,418.47. 2009 Nordheim FFA Livestock Show Awards Showmanship Awards Senior Steer Ashley Waskow Senior Hog Jackie Schroedter Senior Lamb Christopher Baumann Senior Goat Kali Saunders Junior Hog Chelsea Pargmann Junior Lamb Stacy Garcia Arts & Crafts Grand Champion Food Tessa Green Grand Champion Craft Jackie Schroedter Reserve Champion Food Ashley Waskow Reserve Champion Craft Jeremy Castillo Pre-K Coloring Contest 1st Place Melodie Harrington 2nd Place Emagen Styra 3rd Place James Fluitt K-2nd Grade Coloring Contest 1st Place Taylor Voelkel, 2nd grade 2nd Place Guadalupe Cantu, 2nd grade 3rd Place Robert Sczepanik, 2nd grade 3rd-5th Grade Poster Contest 1st Place Gabriel Perez, 4th grade 2nd Place Jessenia Rodriguez, 3rd grade 3rd Place Joseph Schwab, 3rd grade ************************************************ From seguingazette.com February 8, 2009 Cornerstone edges Marion 55-50 By Alan Wiederhold The Gazette-Enterprise Published February 8, 2009 MARION - Despite a comeback attempt that saw the home team score 21 points in the fourth quarter, the Marion Bulldogs were unable to prevent the Cornerstone girls' basketball team from leaving Guadalupe County with a 55-50 non-district win on Friday. Reyna Noriega scored 16 points to lead the Bulldogs, who lost to Cornerstone for the second time this season. No other Bulldog player scored in double-figures. Cornerstone held an 18-16 lead at the end of one quarter of play, but it was the second and third periods in which the Bulldogs had the most trouble. The visitors stretched their lead to 32-24 at halftime, and then used an 11-7 third quarter advantage to give themselves 43-31 lead heading into the final period. The Bulldogs did manage to score 21 points in the final period, but could not fend off Cornerstone, which scored 12 points collectively in the quarter. Marion's Kasey Haecker finished a point shy of a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Kyana Fennell added eight points and secured a team-best 18 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Ashley Jacobsen and Rachel Farris scored five points apiece for Marion. Jacobsen added six steals to her line on the stat sheet, while Farris blocked four shots. The Bulldogs (18-13, 8-3 District 27-3A) conclude the regular season on Tuesday at home against La Vernia. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Stockdale 45, Navarro 33 GERONIMO - The Stockdale Lady Brahmas avenged an earlier loss to Navarro by claiming a 45-33 road victory over the Lady Panthers on Friday. Erica Donsbach turned in a double-double performance of 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Brahmas. Valerie Vrana notched a double-double of her own for the Lady Panthers, scoring a team-best 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Eight of Vrana's rebounds came on the offensive end of the court. Burgandy Partain added nine points and five steals for Navarro. Samantha Nichols hauled in 11 rebounds in addition to scoring two points. The two teams were tied at six at the end of the first quarter, but a 13-6 second period for Stockdale gave the Lady Brahmas a 19-13 lead. Navarro shot 12 percent from the floor in the first half, and made only 20 percent of their shots for the game. The Lady Panthers did close the gap to three points in the fourth quarter, but were unable to keep pace as the Lady Brahmas pulled away in the final three minutes. The Panthers conclude their season Tuesday in Karnes City against the Lady Badgers. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ************************************************ From seguingazette.com February 8, 2009 Panthers roll over Stockdale By Alan Wiederhold The Gazette-Enterprise Published February 8, 2009 GERONIMO - An intense game. Very physical play. Emotions running high on the court, and on both sets of bleachers as well. In other words, just another chapter in the Navarro-Stockdale rivalry. "I told the guys all along, you can't take anything for granted here," Navarro head coach Bob Ermel said. "For them (Stockdale), it's a big rivalry that we have to be ready for." The Panthers answered the call Friday - using a 12-3 run to end the second quarter and a 10-3 run to end the third to break away from Stockdale and claiming a 57-37 win over the Brahmas at the Navarro ISD Events Center. Zach Hernandez ignited the offense and Cameron Kallies did just about everything else as the Panthers (16-7) ran their undefeated record in District 28-2A to 7-0. Hernandez scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field and distributed three assists in the game. Perhaps more importantly for the Panthers, Hernandez drained four out of nine three-point tries. "He hasn't been shooting three's very well," Ermel said. "I told him this week I wanted him to work on it some more, get back and get that touch down." Kallies anchored the Navarro defensive effort, leading all players by securing 13 rebounds. He also registered four steals and scored eight points. "Cameron is really starting to come around on the boards and we need that big time," Ermel said. What drew even more praise from the home side of the gymnasium was Kallies' six blocked shots in the game. Navarro's Will Valdez scored all 12 of his points from the floor, sinking six out of 11 field-goal attempts. Colton West led the Brahmas with 20 points. The game held a similar pattern to the first meeting between the two teams, a 67-45 Navarro win in Wilson County on Jan. 20. In that game, the Panthers outscored the Brahmas 28-10 in the second quarter and cruised to the victory. Friday, the Brahmas stayed close with Panthers throughout the first quarter. A pair of fast-break layups by Valdez at the 3:58 and 2:46 marks gave Navarro an early 9-5 lead, but the Panthers held only a 12- 11 lead at the end of the first eight minutes. The Brahmas took their only lead of the game on a three-pointer by West that opened the second-quarter scoring almost two minutes in. However, the Brahmas were not able to keep pace with Navarro throughout the rest of the period, as the Panthers outscored their guests 12-3. Though the Panthers were starting to assert themselves as they took a 24-17 lead into halftime, Ermel indicated that adjustments needed to be made before his team returned to the floor in the second half. "We just talked things over and said what they've got to do," Ermel said. "We (couldn't) have the turnovers we had in the first half, we (couldn't) miss all those easy shots, and we (had) to move the ball better than we did the first half. We were taking too many shots too quick." The Panthers scored the first five points of the third quarter, and a pair of three-pointers by Hernandez (both off assists from Hunter Braun) on consecutive trips down the floor gave Navarro a 37-23 lead with 3:19 remaining in the third. The Navarro surge continued into the final quarter, as the Panthers never led by fewer than 15 points in the final eight minutes. A.K. Williams scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds for Navarro. Tyler O'Brien added four points. Tate Johnson, Jacob Garcia and Aaron Rivera each scored two points off the Navarro bench. With barely 30 miles separating the towns of Stockdale and Geronimo, the Navarro fans were rejoicing over the scoreboard, as well as enhancing the frustrations of the Brahmas, who gave the home team just as physical of a game as was given by the Panthers. Physical games, however, are something that the Panthers will have to expect in the coming weeks. "Probably anybody we're going to see from now on out is going to be real physical, starting Tuesday with Karnes City. And in the playoffs, I expect will be that way, too." Ermel said. The Panthers visit Karnes City on Tuesday. The opening tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ************************************************ From brownsvilleherald.com February 6, 2009 Couple tells history of orphan train program through music BROWNSVILLE - The children who rode west on the orphan trains of the 19th and 20th centuries found themselves at the mercy of the adults who adopted them. For some of the children, a wonderful life began when they stepped off the trains; others have a very different story to tell, says Alison Moore, who has done extensive research for a traveling presentation called "Extraordinary Stories: Riders on the Orphan Train." Moore and her husband, singer and songwriter Phil Lancaster, will give their presentation at 6 p.m. today at the Urban Center in Gonzalez Park. The free program is sponsored by Holiday Inn and made possible through a grant from Humanities Texas, the state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities and NEH's We the People Initiative. The one-hour multi-media presentation - photographs, film interviews, and live music - will survey the period between 1854 and 1929 when more than 250,000 children were taken west by trains to be adopted, with little or no screening of prospective parents. "We begin with original music that we wrote," said Moore, 57, who is writing a historical novel on the subject. "And behind us, while we're doing that on a large screen, are video images of archival photographs of the children back then. There are two interviews with surviving orphan train riders on video, one woman who came to Greenville, Texas, 1918, I believe. And those two people tell their stories and then I do a dramatic reading from a novel in progress." The orphan train program was begun by Charles Loring Brace, a Congregationalist minister who wanted to rid streets and overcrowded orphanages of homeless children and have new families adopt them, said Priscilla Rodriguez, marketing director of the Brownsville Historical Association. Moore says, however, that the program ended up placing more than just orphans. "A lot of them were what they called surrendered children," Moore said. "They were surrendered because they were in single-parent families, and the single parent could not afford to take care of them." Although the transports for these children are called orphan trains, there were no trains used specifically for this purpose. Instead, children boarded regular passenger trains for any destination with a rail line. Neither Moore nor Hector Garcia, director of public programming and outreach for the Brownsville Historical Museum, know of anyone in the Rio Grande Valley related to someone who rode an orphan train. "In a sense, its purpose is to kind of bring another view of history, a certain portion of history to the Valley," Garcia said. "In my opinion, the (children) learn to not appreciate exactly what they have, and they don't fully understand where we've come from as a people." However, the presentation often yields surprising results. "We do this short exposé talking about the history of it and the people we encountered," Moore said. "And then we do question and answer with the audience and find out if there's anybody locally who has any relatives and quite often we're surprised." Moore had never heard of the orphan trains until a graduate student approached her about the subject a little more than 10 years ago. Moore, who was teaching creative writing at the time at the University of Arizona, was curious. "I sort of filed that away in my mind to make a note to look it up," she said. "And shortly thereafter I met Phil at the Kerrville Folk Festival here in Texas. And he had never heard of it, either, so together we got hold of a PBS documentary that had been done in 1995, and we watched it together." Ironically, the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America was located a few miles from Lancaster's Arkansas home. Lancaster played one of the songs for society members that he and Moore had written about the orphan trains. Serendipitously, the society planned to have a re-enactment in just a few days and invited Lancaster. Moore and Lancaster participated in the re-enactment, and so did 22 children dressed in period costume. "After we participated in that, there were two 1912 Pullman cars that we all got on in Springdale, Ark., and rode down to Van Buren, and that was our first meeting with actual orphan train rider survivors," said Moore. The riders told them their stories. "I heard all kinds of stories," Moore said. "Some of them that we met said, 'My life began the day that I stepped off that train, because the people that chose me really wanted me.' We also met people who had very unhappy experiences, who were really used just as child labor. One woman we met had been sexually abused." Opportunities for abuse ran rampant. Handbills would be posted informing locals of the trains' arrivals. When the trains arrived, children would line up on platforms, or perhaps go to an opera house, city hall or other public place. Prospective parents would simply choose which children they wanted, and those left behind would continue to the next destination. "A lot of these children came to Texas and some of them came through Galveston by boat and were put on trains there," Moore said. "In a sense, the Catholic children had more of a screening process in terms of the prospective parents because a local priest would make sure they were going to Catholic families." Moore said that the closest Texas towns she and Lancaster know where orphan train riders settled are Karnes City, Victoria and Edna. "There's no reason why they wouldn't have come down here, especially since the rail lines were developed, certainly all the way down here," she said. "This all ended in 1929. It ended because there was finally some government support for families with dependent children. That was one of the main reasons, and also it was becoming pretty controversial." Garcia wants local children to understand the hardship and fear faced by these children so many years ago. "There are kids in the Valley living in poverty," Garcia said. "This program is so they can see, 'You know what, look at what these kids went through. You can make the best out of yourself.' " WHAT: Extraordinary Stories: Riders on the Orphan Train WHERE: Urban Center in Gonzalez Park 34 Tony Gonzalez Dr. Brownsville, Texas WHEN: Feb. 7, 6 p.m. COST: free FOR MORE INFORMATION: 541-5560 ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 4, 2009 Karnes City to begin semi-annual brush pickup By Leigh Ann Powers Karnes City's city council approved a proposal from IESI for semi- annual curbside brush pickup at their January 27 meeting. IESI trucks will pick up bulk items twice a year at dates set by the city. City Administrator Larry Pippen said that IESI will pick up everything except for demolition goods and items such as batteries, tires, and refrigerators. Customers will be limited to eight cubic yards for pickup but can have excess yardage picked up at a charge of eight dollars per yard. Items can only be placed out two weeks in advance of the pickup date, and customers may be charged a minimum fine of $200 per day for putting out items before the permitted date. The service will cost an additional $1.30 per consumer. Customer rates will increase by $1 each and the city will absorb the remaining thirty cent increase. City officials will be publicizing further information and plan to include notification in customer water bills. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 11, 2009 Miss Karnes County pageant set for Feb. 21 The Kenedy Rotary Club will present the Miss Karnes County Pageant on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Kenedy High School Auditorium. The festivities include the Little Mister and Miss Karnes County contest. Rotary members invite everyone to come out, have some fun and support local students. This annual event is the Kenedy Rotary Club's effort to raise scholarship funds for the youth in the Karnes County communities. The proceeds are used to finance scholarships that are awarded to students from Runge, Falls City, Karnes City and Kenedy. These scholarships are distributed to students when they enter college or vocational school. Rotary International's theme for 2008 is Make Dreams Real. It presents a challenge to local Rotary Clubs to find ways to share their time, talents and financial support within their local communities. Kenedy Rotarians are motivated to share as shown by their participation in services to the community. Kenedy Rotary Club efforts include sponsoring a Rotary Interact Club, sponsoring a Boy Scouts Club, distribution of Dictionaries to all local schools, building wheelchair ramps in the community, providing assistance to the Karnes City Rotary's Lonesome Dove Fest event, hosting Miss Karnes County Pageant, and many other activities. Tobe Ricks, entertainment chairman, is proud to announce that this year's entertainers for the event are Alicia Caballero and Jay Harvey. Jay Harvey learned to love "that good ole country music" while he was growing up listening to his grandpa play the guitar and sing. Other musical influences came from Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Ray Price, Charlie Pride, and Willie Nelson as Harvey developed his musical career. Jay said his main inspiration to sing comes from his wife, Stephanie. Harvey has performed at a number of venues over the last three years. Yorktown Country Opry, Music USA in Yoakum, The Refugio County Jamboree, The Lone Star Country Jamboree, Victoria Country Opry, The South Texas Opry and many more. Jay is available for private parties and you can check out his music on-line at: www.myspace.comjayharveymusic. Ricks said, "We are looking forward to a great program of fun and entertainment." Organizers are encouraging everyone to attend. Tickets for this event are $4 for adults and $1 for children and can be purchased from contestants, Rotary members or at the door. ************************************************ From seguingazette.com February 12, 2009 Panthers overwhelm Karnes City 75-55 By Alan Wiederhold The Gazette-Enterprise Published February 12, 2009 KARNES CITY - The Navarro Panthers have developed a reputation for being a "second-half team." If they have any more performances like they did in Karnes City, that reputation will stick. The Panthers outscored Karnes City 45-23 in the second half to take a 75-55 road win over the Badgers on Tuesday night. Zach Hernandez scored 24 points and handed out eight assists to lead the Panthers (17-7), who improved their District 28-2A record to 8-0 with the win. Navarro stumbled a bit out of the gate as the Badgers jumped out to a 22-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Panthers trailed almost the entire first half, though they were able to whittle the Badger lead to 32-30 by the end of the second quarter. According to Navarro head coach Bob Ermel, the Panthers' free-throw shooting allowed them to keep pace in the first half, as Navarro shot 12-of-17 from the line as a team. Whatever struggles Navarro may have had in the first half disappeared in the third quarter, when the Panthers scored the first seven points of the second half. They ended up winning the period 21- 13. The Panthers continued to have hot hands in the fourth quarter, outscoring their hosts 24-10 in the final eight minutes. Karnes City would get no closer to the Panthers than nine points during the final period. "Our defense was outstanding the second half, and our offense really picked up," Ermel said in an e-mail to the Gazette Enterprise. Tyler O'Brien and Cameron Kallies scored 13 points and 12 points for the Panthers, respectively. Kallies also pulled in five rebounds. Cody Jandt was Navarro's leading rebounder with seven. The Panthers travel to Nixon-Smiley on Friday to face the Mustangs. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com February 11, 2009 Stockdale places 2nd Stockdale Junior High School placed second overall at a UIL meet held Jan. 30 in Karnes City. These sixth-grade students placed: Marissa Sanchez, second in art, fifth in dictionary skills; Victoria Lerma, fourth in art, fifth in spelling; Brianna Martinez, fourth in art, fifth in music memory; Bryanna Osborne, sixth, dictionary skills; Taylor Baumann, sixth, spelling; Madison Hartman, fifth in M/G/C and ready writing; Morgan Carpenter, third, math; Celena Trejo, fifth in math and number sense; Keana Savage, fifth, social studies; and Martin Sanchez, sixth, and Matthew Hartman, fourth, oral reading. These seventh-graders placed: Victoria Padilla, fourth, art; Alyssa Alsobrook, fourth in Art, fifth in social studies; Laken Snyder, second in calculator and third in impromptu; Anthony Bennett, fifth, calculator; Chelsie Riddle, fourth, dictionary skills; Ashlee Rangel, first, spelling; Jessica Puente, fourth, impromptu; Zach Pfeil, sixth, listening; Zach Cavazos, second, math; Justin Angier, second, oral reading; Shannon Freasier, second in ready writing, fifth in science; and Meagan Marrou, first in science. Eighth-graders who placed were Trevor Baumann, third in art, second in dictionary skills; Miguel Marquez, fifth, and Jordan Jackson, sixth, art; Clayton Lynn, fourth in calculator, first in impromptu, fifth in math, sixth in number sense, third in oral reading, and fifth in science; Wyatt Gabrysch, sixth in calculator, fourth in number sense; and Grady Hobbs, sixth, dictionary skills. Other eighth-graders were Michael Opela, placing third in impromptu, fourth in oral reading, and fifth in ready writing; Robert Bishak, fourth, listening; Kat Wehmeyer, third, Sam Jones, fifth, and Kayleigh Wagnon, fourth, modern oratory; Jordan Scheel, first, ready writing; and Travis Lansford, second, science. ************************************************ From seguingazette.com February 11, 2009 Lady Panthers fall 50-27 to Karnes City From staff reports The Gazette-Enterprise Published February 11, 2009 KARNES CITY - The Navarro Lady Panthers succumbed to Karnes City 50- 27 in their final game of the season on Tuesday. Burgandy Partain led the Lady Panthers with 10 points. Amber Goebel added five points for Navarro. In an e-mail to the Gazette Enterprise, Navarro head coach Darrell Harborth said that free throws and missed layups contributed to the Navarro downfall. The Lady Panthers sank only 40 percent (11-of-27) of their free throw tries. The Panthers (9-20) finished the season with a district record of 3-7. With freshman and sophomores making up the majority of Navarro's roster, Harborth indicated that a lack of varsity experience was the team's biggest problems. The team had no seniors on the squad. "Youth is our only problem," Harborth said. "That will get better next year." ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com February 17, 2009 City, county at odds over water William J. Gibbs Jr. FALLS CITY - Karnes County's recent shift to a unit-road system and the subsequent formation of its county road department have given rise to concerns by the city council about the department's bulk- water usage. Mayor Brent Houdmann said at the Feb. 11 council meeting that the county is typically not charged for bulk water, which is sold to anyone else at a rate of $10 per 1,000 gallons. According to Houdmann, the newly formed road department has taken 162,000 gallons of water since Jan. 26, begging the question of whether the city should begin collecting fees for this water. Councilmen Gery Jendrusch, Jeff Johnson, Steven Swierc, and Andrew Wiatrek decided that instead of taking the matter to a vote, they would rather write a letter to the county asking that water taken from Falls City would remain free if used with roads located within the territory of the Falls City Independent School District. The letter would also allow the city to terminate the agreement at any time. The council also voted to purchase a new pump for the Terrell Street lift station. According to Public Works Supervisor Robert Rodriguez, the city has already spent $2,985 since August to repair the unit three times. But to purchase a new one from Smith Pumps in San Antonio only costs $1,075, he said. The council also voted to: •Order the May 9 city election and chose April 27 and April 28 as the two days during early voting in which City Hall will be open for 12 hours. Early voting takes place from April 27 to May 5. •Seek and apply for grant funding to purchase a new pumper truck for the Falls City Volunteer Fire Department, which would replace a unit that is 25 years old. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com February 17, 2009 Lady Mustangs finish third, prepare for bi-district Robert C. McDonald NIXON - After falling to the Poth Pirettes in their final district game of the season Feb. 10, the Nixon-Smiley Lady Mustangs finished the 2008-09 season in a tie for second place with the Karnes City Lady Badgers. Though all three teams were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, the Lady Mustangs and Lady Badgers had a one-game playoff in Stockdale Feb. 13 to determine who would enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed from District 28-2A, and who would enter as the No. 3 seed. It was a defensive battle in the first quarter of play as neither team scored with any consistency. After the first eight minutes of play, the score stood at just 4-2 in favor of the Lady Mustangs. In the second quarter, however, both teams found some fire. The Lady Mustangs scored 19 in the second and the Lady Badgers were not far behind as they scored 14 points. As the teams broke for halftime, it was Nixon-Smiley holding the lead at 23-16. It was another close and exciting quarter in the third, as both teams again scored in double digits. This time, though, it was Karnes City outscoring the Lady Mustangs and narrowing the lead. As the buzzer sounded the end of the third quarter, it was Nixon-Smiley with a narrow lead at 36-31. The Lady Badgers continued to elevate their play in the final quarter and posted their best numbers of the night. Karnes City outscored Nixon-Smiley in the final quarter 17-6, claiming victory and the No. 2 seed with a 48-42 win. Nixon-Smiley will enter the postseason as the No. 3 team in District 28-2A. They were scheduled to face Harper High School in a bi- district game Feb. 17 at Boerne Champion High School. For results and information on upcoming playoff games, see the Wilson County News Web site at www.wilsoncountynews.com. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 18, 2009 Kenedy City Council considers solutions for property owners By Leigh Ann Powers The Kenedy city council considered possible solutions for a problem brought to them by John and Eileen Theis at their February 10 meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Theis, who said they have wanted to return to the Kenedy area for some time, are building on the property at 238 W. Hwy 72. The Theises said that they chose this particular property because of its highway footage. They decided to build over the highest portion of the property, trying to negotiate around city street and utility easements. However, after a series of mistakes and communication errors Theis said that he discovered the slab he poured for the building's foundation was not placed squarely on the property. The slab encroaches on a city alley and is over both a water and sewer line. The situation is also complicated in that the slab appears to approach on two adjacent lots which are held by a different property owner. "The old saying 'it's hard to come home,' well, I've brought new meaning to that," said Mr. Theis. Theis said that he had tried to get a building permit but due to the holidays and being out of state with an illness had not been able to obtain the permit. Theis also admitted that proper procedure had not been followed in the installation of pipes in the slab. "We just wanted to ask you what we could do to alleviate some of this," Mrs. Theis said. Code Compliance Officer Jaime Albiar pointed out that the Theises had not followed proper procedure by failing to secure a building permit prior to pouring the slab. "I think the cost and the responsibility should bear on the property owner and not the city," said Albiar. Albiar stated that if proper procedure had been followed in obtaining a building permit the problem could have been avoided. "It should have been $100. Instead it's going to be thousands of dollars," he said. "I didn't come here expecting a free ride," said Mr. Theis. "I just want to work it out where it's fairest to everybody." Ray "Rebel" Borroum, Project Manager for Veolia Water, said that the sewer main did not pose a major problem but that the water main would have to be moved. He indicated that moving the main might actually be in the city's best interests because the current line is a dead-end main. Loops help maintain better pressure in the system. "Looping it is the optimum thing that you do and we try to do it any chance we get. Any time you kill a dead end main it reduces health risk and problems, and that's what TCEQ wants," he said. City officials asked the Theises to explore options such as purchasing additional property to allow for relocating the utility easement and asked them to meet with the planning and zoning commission to discuss solutions. The council said they would put the item on their agenda for their next meeting if necessary. The council also heard a report from the Karnes County Economic Development Corp. on the state of the TIRZ project. Walter W. Hill, KCEDC chair, told the council that the TIRZ proposal had been well received by the various taxing entities. Hill also said, however, that the developer is having some problems in that homes are not selling in one of his other projects, the Floresville Abrego Lake subdivision. Hill said that he would not be surprised to see the developer ask for an extension. "The problem is not so much from the developer; it is the people who are wishing to purchase homes are unable to get financing because the credit markets have dried up," said Ray Kroll, KCEDC Executive Director. Kroll said that the developer does have cash to buy the property. Kroll said that he is encouraging the developer to go ahead and purchase the property so that the infrastructure is ready once the credit market eases. Kroll acknowledged, however, that he is representing the county while the developer is looking out for his own best interests. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com February 18, 2009 Bicycles make the difference in Karnes City By Sara Inés Calderón - Express-News There are many things Sylvia Kellner wishes she could do for her 10- year-old son, Kyle, like fix the brakes on his bicycle. Luckily for her, Kyle's fifth-grade science teacher, Joe Bishop, can. Bishop, who teaches at Roger E. Sides Elementary School in Karnes City, organized students, teachers and parents into a group that repairs and rides bikes on Saturdays - and gives them to kids whose families can't afford them. The activity has brought the community of about 3,300 closer and attracted broad involvement and donations, Bishop said. "We're just trying to do something as far as keeping the kids occupied and off of couches," he said, noting that about 100 people show up for each bike ride. "It's just been such a win-win for our school and community. It's unbelievable." Kellner said she's not the only single mom who's happy about the bike group. She said her son benefits from exercise and quality time with others. He gets up early on Saturdays, has learned how to fix bikes and focuses more at school. "He just feels like somebody is taking time out and it just happens to be one of the teachers," Kellner said. "I'm grateful, you know? I've never heard of anyone at any school doing something like that just because there are so many kids who don't have something to do after school." Bishop said the group has become more than just a recreation provider: It has become a way the school can turn things around for students who are struggling. Bishop and school administrators have devised a way to get bikes into the hands of kids who don't have one, signing a "contract" in exchange for meeting certain academic or behavioral standards. Thus far students have earned bicycles and bicycle parts through the program with great success, working their way onto the honor roll or eliminating disciplinary problems, he said. "The bikes are just a tool that we've really starting hitting home runs with," Bishop said. "Some of these kids really need that helping hand and may not have somebody at home with them." ************************************************ From gallupindependent.com February 19, 2009 Aqua pura Discharge permit sought for Mount Taylor Mine By Kathy Helms Diné Bureau SAN MATEO - A groundwater discharge permit is being sought for Mount Taylor Uranium Mine and Mill owned by Rio Grande Resources, according to the New Mexico Environment Department. Gerald Schoeppner of NMED's Groundwater Quality Bureau said Wednesday that the company has an existing discharge plan for its mine that it's trying to renew, "but that's one of the pieces of the puzzle that's missing - how they're planning to treat their mine water for the dewatering to meet standards." According to NMED's notice, Joe Lister, mine manager, proposes to extract, treat via ion exchange, and discharge back into the existing mine shaft up to 14,400 gallons per day for a maximum period of 120 days. Potential contaminants from this type of discharge include uranium, selenium, radium 226 and radium 228, total dissolved solids, and sulfate. "It's a treatability study, so they're proposing to pump water at a rate of 10 gallons per minute for 60 days, collect that water, and have three stations that they're going to set up where they're going to test three different resins in the efficiency of removing uranium, and then they'll discharge that water," Schoeppner said. "They have options for discharging it either back into the 14-foot diameter existing shaft, or into evaporation ponds that they have at the site, or one of two different evaporation ponds - one's a storm water pond and one's a pond they used in the previous operation of the facility." The Mount Taylor mine previously was a conventional mining operation "and they plan to operate it as a conventional mine in the future," Schoeppner said. The mine site is located just outside the 8,000 foot elevation boundary established in the June 2008 emergency designation of Mount Taylor as a Traditional Cultural Property. "It's right in San Mateo, just north of the village itself. Once you get to the village you can see it from there," he said. Ground water beneath the site is at a depth of approximately 90 feet. Schoeppner said that depending on which resin is the most efficient, that resin will be put into their overall plan for their mine operation. Rio Grande Resources controls uranium operations and mineral resources acquired by General Atomics from Chevron Resources in 1991. The Mount Taylor project, a conventional underground mine, contains the largest uranium resource in the United States and is currently on standby, according to the company's Web site. Chevron began commercial production at Mount Taylor in 1986, initially shipping the ore to its Panna Maria mill in south Texas for processing. The mine was placed on standby in 1989. Uranium in the Mount Taylor deposit occurs within the Westwater Canyon sandstone of the Morrison Formation and is similar to deposits found in the Ambrosia Lake uranium district, according to Rio Grande. The Mount Taylor mine contains an in-place resource of more than 100 million pounds of Uranium 3O8. Schoeppner said the proposed permit will be going out for public notice once a draft permit is created. "It will be sent out to interested parties for review and to provide comments. At that point, they can request a hearing. The public can review the application, but there's really no reason for a hearing at this point because there's nothing to evaluate other than just the application itself," Schoeppner said. NMED will accept comments and statements of interest regarding applications and will create facility-specific mailing lists for persons who wish to receive future notices. Questions, comments or statements of interest should be directed to the NMED permit contact at (505) 827-2900 or at the following address: Ground Water Quality Bureau, PO Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5469. ************************************************ From irishcatholichumanist.blogspot.com February 23, 2009 Priest Founds First Polish Community in America The first Polish settlement in America, surprisingly, wasn't New York or Chicago. It was actually a rural Texas community named Panna Maria (Polish for "Virgin Mary"). Today marks the death of Father Leopold Moczygemba, O.F.M. Conv. (1824-1891), a Polish-born priest who was the leading figure behind the founding of that community. Born in Silesia, he joined the Conventual Franciscans and was ordained in Rome in 1847. At the request of Galveston's Bishop John Odin, he went to Texas to minister to German Catholics living in the area. Writing back to relatives in Poland, then a country under foreign occupation, he talked about the possibilities for a better life in America. In 1854, one hundred families left Poland for Texas, where they started a settlement named in honor of the Blessed Mother. For over thirty years, Father Leopold worked in parishes throughout the North and Northwest. At the time of his death he was a pastor in Dearborn, Michigan. In 1974, his body was re-interred at Panna Maria. ************************************************ From kdhnews.com February 21, 2009 2A playoffs: Unranked Salado crushes No. 20 Karnes City By Jason Chlapek Killeen Daily Herald BASTROP - It has been said that rankings are earned on the court and not on paper. And after what happened on Friday, perhaps the people who draw up the state polls for the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches will look a little more carefully in their ranking process. The unranked Salado Lady Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead against No. 20 Karnes City and never looked back en route to a 56-34 whipping of the Lady Badgers in the area round of the Class 2A state playoffs at Bastrop High School. "I think it's good for us to be unranked," Salado coach Randy Henderson said. "It allows us to go under the radar and makes us play with more intensity." Salado (24-9) simply dominated Karnes City (28-8) in the first half as the Lady Eagles went on a trio of runs - 10-0, 12-0 and 16-0 - to open up a commanding 38-7 lead at halftime. The Lady Badgers were held to one field goal in the first half - an Avery Braun layup in the second quarter. Salado led 18-3 at the end of the first quarter as Hadley Joiner and Brennan Boydstun scored seven and five points, respectively, in the first eight minutes. Joiner capped the opening period by hitting a trio of free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt as the buzzer sounded. The second quarter wasn't any kinder to Karnes City as the Lady Eagles outscored the Lady Badgers 20-4. Down by 31 points at halftime, Karnes City used a 25-10 run in the second half to pull within 16, 48-32, with 3:30 left in the contest. But Boydstun hit four free throws down the stretch during an 8-0 run by Salado to ensure the Lady Badgers got no closer. "Karnes City played a great second half, but I'm glad they didn't play a great first half," Henderson said. "The girls knew what to do and they challenged Karnes City's shots. Our movement also hurt them." Joiner led all scorers with 16 points, while Boydstun had 14 and Jenna Sebek posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Vanessa Urrutia led Karnes City with 13 points - 12 in the second half - and Braun chipped in 10. While Salado does not know who it will face next - either No. 17 Hempstead or San Antonio Cole - it has been determined that the Lady Eagles will play the first game of a playoff doubleheader at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Elgin High School. The second game of that twin bill will feature the Salado and Hempstead boys basketball teams, who will square off in a 2A bi-district playoff contest at 8 p.m. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 25, 2009 Robocalls aimed at stopping county building project County Attorney urges voters to start 'paying attention' By Leigh Ann Powers County Attorney Robert Busselman wants voters to come to Commissioners Court meetings to learn and speak out about how their tax money is being spent. "I think people ought to start paying attention to what is going on in the county, particularly with the money," he said. Busselman had robocalls placed throughout the county last week to encourage voter participation and to address his major concern: construction of a new county office building, which could begin as early as this spring. "I've made no secret about being opposed to this building, for several reasons," he said. "I think we have priorities that are more pressing than the building is." Busselman said that the juvenile probation office and adult probation office, both of which are slated to move into the new building, currently are in good, safe structures. The courthouse, on the other hand, is deteriorating rapidly. The offices in the courthouse will stay in the courthouse and will not be included in the new building. He also points to the fact that the county spends $100,000 a year housing county prisoners in other jails. Busselman says the county needs its own jail. "I think a 3 million dollar plus building that does not address any of these concerns needs to be answered," he said. In Busselman's opinion, the county should stop the current building program, have the courthouse assessed to determine whether it can be repaired or renovated, and proceed from there. "Currently, the building that needs to be replaced is the courthouse and we have no plans to do that, to my knowledge," he said. "That's what I'm complaining about." County Judge Alger H. Kendall, Jr. says the building does address the needs of the county. "I think it meets our needs at this time," he said. "The size of the building is being determined a whole lot by funds and resources that are available." The county will request bids on a basic structure and two alternate bids. The amount of the bids will determine how large of a building the county is able to build at this time. According to Kendall, the new building is ultimately designed to hold the sheriff's office, county clerk, justice of peace, DPS, adult probation, juvenile probation, Ag extension, and 911 coordinator. However, if Commissioners Court decides to proceed and obtain a renovation grant, Kendall says that the new building will provide temporary space for all the offices housed in the courthouse during renovations. Kendall agrees that the courthouse needs to be addressed. "There are some structural matters that need to be looked at," Kendall said. "The recommendation we have at this time is to renovate the courthouse. They (the engineers) tell us that's the only thing that makes sense." Kendall said that if the county does not get the grant they will have to explore other options. Karnes County has applied for this grant and been turned down three times. The county judge said that the architectural firm, Syncro, has advised the county that they will be ready to accept bids on the new building in April. If everything goes according to plan construction could begin in late spring or early summer. ************************************************ From newswire.ca February 26, 2009 Uranium Energy Corp Announces Advances in Permitting for the Goliad ISR Project << Permit by Rule Issued, Radioactive Material License Advances to Technical Review, Production Area Authorization and Waste Disposal Well Applications Complete First Technical Review NYSE Alternext - UEC Frankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol - U6Z >> AUSTIN, TX, Feb. 26 /CNW/ - Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE-Alt: UEC; the 'Company') is pleased to announce further progress with the permitting process for the Company's Goliad In-Situ Recovery Uranium Project in South Texas. After evaluating the Company's application regarding air quality permitting, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ("TCEQ") has issued a Permit by Rule ("PBR") for the Goliad Project. According to the rules on air quality permits, facilities that do not produce significant contaminants to the atmosphere qualify for a PBR. The Company filed its application for the permit in early December 2008 and, after undergoing administrative and technical review, the TCEQ issued the permit. In addition, TCEQ completed the first phase of the technical review of the Company's first Production Area Authorization Application and, as part of the review process, a request was made for additional information. The Company provided TCEQ with the additional information on February 20, 2009, and TCEQ is expected to complete its review of the supplemental information within the next 20 days. Providing TCEQ is satisfied with the Company's response, a Draft Production Area Authorization is expected to be issued in the near future. Lastly, the TCEQ has completed its Administrative Completeness Review of the Company's Radioactive Material License Application ("RMLA"). The RMLA has now advanced to the Technical Review phase. As with most RMLA technical reviews, TCEQ will likely request the Company to provide additional information and clarification on certain parts of the Application. To expedite the processing of the Application, the Company stands ready to promptly supply any additional information or clarification that may be needed to complete the review. In related news at the county level, the Commissioners of Karnes County, Texas, the location of the Company's Nichols Project, recently initiated and passed by a unanimous vote a resolution to support "uranium project development when all environmental, safety and health issues related to uranium solution extraction have been properly addressed." The Company's Nichols Project has an NI 43-101-qualified inferred uranium resource of 1.3 million pounds, potentially the first satellite resource for the Company's flagship Goliad Project (see news, January 21, 2008). The Goliad Project is located just east of Karnes County. The Commissioners of Jim Hogg and Duval Counties (counties within the Texas Uranium Province), have also recently passed similar resolutions. Status of Permitting Progress at the Goliad Project As noted in an earlier press release on December 2, 2008, the Company completed its filing of all required permit applications for In-Situ Recovery of uranium at the Company's flagship Goliad Project in South Texas. Since that date significant progress has been made in processing the applications, and a brief update of the permit status follows: << (a) Mine Permit -- The final draft mine permit was issued by TCEQ in June 2008, and is subject to further consideration. (b) Production Area Authorization (PA-1) - Issuance of the Draft Authorization is expected in the near future. (c) Permit by Rule - As noted above, the proposed Goliad operation was evaluated by TCEQ for an air quality permit and it was determined that since the operation will not produce significant air contaminants, TCEQ issued the Company a Permit by Rule (PBR). (d) Radioactive Material License - TCEQ is conducting its technical review of the Radioactive Material License Application (RMLA) and the Company is awaiting a request for additional information and clarification. Upon receiving the request, the Company will respond in a timely manner (typically 30 days) to help expedite the review process. (e) Waste Disposal Well Permit - TCEQ has completed the first phase of its technical review of the Company's Waste Disposal Well Application and sent out a request for additional information and clarification. The Company expects to provide TCEQ with the requested information within the next 30 days. At that point, TCEQ will evaluate the data as it completes the technical review. (f) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the Company a Jurisdictional Determination. Because the project will not impact waters of the U.S., a 404 permit is not required. (g) The Cultural Resource Survey and Assessment has been completed and concluded that the Goliad Project will not have any impact on cultural resources in the permit area, and that no further work is required on this matter by the Company. As required by the rules, the Texas Historical Commission reviewed the assessment and concurred that the project will not have a significant impact on cultural resources. (h) Texas Parks and Wildlife has completed its review of the proposed mine plan and has concluded that there will be no significant impact to wildlife. >> About Uranium Energy Corp Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE - Alt: UEC) is a US-based resource company with the objective of becoming a near-term ISR uranium producer in the United States. Utilizing its extensive information library of historic uranium exploration and development work, the Company has acquired and is advancing uranium properties throughout the southwestern US. A Draft Mine Permit was recently issued for the Company's lead project, the Goliad ISR Uranium Project in South Texas. Operational management is comprised of pre-eminent uranium mining and exploration professionals whose collective experience in this industry gives the Company ongoing uranium mine-finding and mine development expertise. << Stock Exchange Information: New York Stock Exchange - Alternext Symbol: UEC Frankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol: U6Z WKN: AØJDRR ISN: US916896103 >> Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward- looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. In particular, statements concerning historical mineral resource estimates should be viewed as forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Forward looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward- looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law. Such forward- looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, the risks and uncertainties outlined in our most recent financial statements and reports and registration statements filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") (available at www.sec.gov) and with Canadian securities administrators (available at www.sedar.com). Although the Company believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in the Company's periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the SEC. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any historical mineral resources referred to by the Company in this news release and in any referenced technical report have not been estimated in accordance with the definition standards on mineral resources of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum referred to in National Instrument 43-101, commonly referred to as "NI 43-101". As a reporting issuer in Canada, we are required by Canadian law to provide disclosure in accordance with NI 43-101. U.S. reporting requirements for disclosure of mineral properties are governed by the SEC Industry Guide 7. NI 43-101 and Guide 7 standards are substantially different, however Guide 7 does allow the disclosure of mineral resources where required to be disclosed by foreign law. For further information: Contact North America: Investor Relations, Uranium Energy Corp., Toll Free: (866) 748-1030, Fax: (512) 535- 0832, E-mail: info@uraniumenergy.com ************************************************ From kdhnews.com February 27, 2009 Basketball: Salado girls on a roll after rocky beginning By Kevin Posival Killeen Daily Herald SALADO - After their second-round playoff loss last season, the Salado Lady Eagles had high expectations for this season. An 0-2 start was not one of those expectations. With their superstar underclassmen playing volleyball, Salado seniors Kaylan Hearne and Abby Frazier held the team together until the cavalry arrived. "We were all by ourselves," Hearne said. "We were missing four of the five starters from last year. But it was good because it gave everybody else experience on the varsity level." After the rocky start, the Lady Eagles (25-8) have won 25 of their last 31 games, including an 11-1 run in District 25-2A, going into their Region IV-2A semifinal against Vanderbilt Industrial (29-4) tonight at 8 p.m. at Seguin High School. The winner gets the Weimar-Hitchcock winner on Saturday at noon with a trip to the state tournament in Austin on the line. The transition from that 0-2 team to this team, which has already upset No. 20 Karnes City and No. 17 Hempstead so far in the playoffs, was relatively seamless when the volleyball players, who ended their season as Region IV-2A finalists, moved over. "We were excited to have them back," Hearne said. "It was a little bit of a new experience and they were a little rusty and out of shape, but they were excited to be back. "They were more frustrated with themselves (early)." For Frazier, who missed last season with an injury, this season was all about squeezing two years into one. "I think everyone is going out there and playing ... not knowing when it's going to be your last practice and playing like it's your last game," Frazier said. Frazier admitted that she was nervous before the Lady Eagles' second- round playoff game against Karnes City because of what happened this time last year. "They were ranked No. 20 and, after last year, I didn't know what to expect," Frazier said. "But that went away once we started playing and started making some of our shots." The Lady Eagles made a lot of their shots and routed Karnes City 56- 34 and then beat Hempstead 43-42 Tuesday night in a regional quarterfinal. "We're very excited (about going to the regional tournament)," Hearne said. "That was our goal this year when we started the season. We didn't know because last year we lost our first playoff game." Turnovers and inexperience plagued the Lady Eagles in their 69-58 loss to Hallettsville last February. This year, those freshmen are sophomores and after three basketball playoff games and a slew of volleyball playoffs, inexperience doesn't appear to be an issue. "They have the talent and they picked up right where they left off," Frazier said of the underclassmen. "(Those playoff wins) gave us confidence at handling the pressure. Last year, we were lacking experience. We didn't know what to do. (This year) I think we can go all the way to state." ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 25, 2009 Calendar, contracts approved by Karnes City ISD trustees By Kevin Matula The 2009-2010 Karnes City ISD school calendar was approved by the board of trustees at the regular February 9 meeting, with board trustee Darlene Puente absent. The calendar includes a start date for the students on August 24, 2009 and the last day being May 27, 2010. A change from the current calendar to next year's is that a spring break has been added, March 15 through March 19, 2010. The board also heard a report about the new, comprehensive sex education program which will be implemented later this spring for seventh-graders through seniors, School District Nurse Bernadette Bluhm reported last Monday to the KCISD board. The district is shifting from the Worth the Wait program to the local health department's Big Decisions program in hopes of curbing sexual activity among pre-teens and teens. "The main reason we are changing (to Big Decisions) is because we will be able to get our training and updates done from the local health department and our teachers won't have to travel to San Antonio as they did in Worth the Wait," Bluhm said during an interview after Monday's board meeting. This abstinence-based program's main approach is that, "Sex is the big decision and abstinence is the best choice," Bluhm said. "The 10-day program will be taught after the TAKS test in May," Bluhm said. "We are looking into, doing some sessions during the TAKS for seniors." The previous program, Worth the Wait, was run through the University of Texas Health Science Sex Education program. According to Bluhm, the plan is that local health department R.N. Monica Gwodsz will be coming to the high school on May 5, 6 and 19 to speak to the classes about sexually transmitted diseases and contraception. "My main goal is to educate the students about sex, and that abstinence is the healthiest choice," Bluhm said. All freshman, sophomores, and juniors will be taking this class during their respective science class. Also, at Monday night's board meeting the board also accepted the resignation of high school assistant principal Bryan Henderson, effective at the end of the school year. Henderson came to the school district mid-way during the 2007-2008 school year. The vote was 5-1 with Trustee Trini Gamez voting against accepting the resignation. Board members also extended the two year contracts of Secondary Principal Jeanette Winn, Elementary Principal Julie Braun, district Business Manager Wayne Block, Technology Director Chelleye Block, and Athletic Director Tom Warlick. One year contract extensions were approved which were Elementary Assistant Principal Penny Armstrong, Junior High Assistant Principal Robert Higginbotham, School Improvement Coordinator Lee Dockery, High School Counselor Grace Soliz and Junior High Counselor Phyllis Vaughan. While most of the contract renewals or extensions were approved unanimously, the board was split on three contracts. Athletic Director Tom Warlick's contract extension passed on a 4-2 vote. Trustees Dennis Mika, Terry Johnson, Trini Gamez and Sharon Purser voted in favor and Trustees Russell Swize and James Adams voted against the contract extension. Principal of Secondary Schools Jeanette Winn's contract extension passed on a 5-1 vote. Mika, Johnson, Purser, Swize and Adams voted in favor and Gamez voted against. Assistant Jr. High Principal Robert Higginbotham's contract extension passed on a 5-1 vote. Mika, Johnson, Purser, Swize and Adams voted in favor and Gamez voted against. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com February 25, 2009 Falls City's council discusses county use of city water By Leigh Ann Powers The city council of Falls City discussed use of city bulk water by the county road department at their February 11 meeting. Mayor Brent Houdmann said that a representative from the road department had come by city offices who had heard that the item was on the agenda. Houdmann said that he was told "they'll work with us if we work with them." Utility Supervisor Robert Rodriguez said that the county has used 162,000 gallons of bulk water since January 26. The Falls City bulk water rate is $10 per 1000 gallons. "For our precinct roads it only helps us in the long run," Gary Jendrusch said. Jendrusch added that he thought the city should charge for water if the water was being used outside the Falls City area. "If we'd been charging them that would have been $1,600 over the last two weeks," said Andrew Wiatrek. "Could we barter that water for something else we need?" Some members of the council voiced concern that if they charged too much for the water or seemed uncooperative they might not be able to borrow county road equipment in the future. City officials decided to notify the county they would not charge for bulk water so long as the water was used within the Falls City precinct. Interim Road Administrator Sammy Smith said that there had been some miscommunication somewhere along the line. Smith said that he had sent a road department employee to the city in response to an inquiry he had received about the county closing the road and bridge yard in Falls City. Smith wanted city officials to know that he has no plans to close the yard at this time and that the county road department will continue to assist municipalities but that they didn't want that assistance contingent upon water. "He was sent there specifically to let them know that we were not closing the yard and secondly, that if they wanted to know if the yard was going to be closed, call me," said Smith. Smith said that he is the best source for information about what the road department is doing. "Instead of listening to rumors they need to come to me." "Under 252 we can assist any municipality, government agency, we can work with them. That's not a problem. The problem comes in when people try to say to you 'If you don't do this I will not do that.' I'm not going to be held hostage." Smith said that while Commissioner Jeffery Wiatrek had a previous arrangement with Falls City for water, he had not personally investigated the details of that agreement nor attempted to continue it under his administration. Smith said also that he had never attempted to make any arrangement for water from Falls City nor had he authorized anyone on his behalf to do so. According to Smith, the county road department currently purchases water from El Oso Water Supply Corp. "I need a source of water that's just a straight up business arrangement," Smith said. "I need water, you send me a bill, I pay. That's why I've gone to El Oso Water." Smith indicated that he is trying to move away from some of the quid pro quo arrangements county commissioners had with municipalities under the precinct system. "I don't believe in that favoritism stuff. I'm up in age, and all I've seen in my life is that causes trouble. I go out of my way to avoid that. I just like straight, clean business deals," he said. "If Falls City thinks we owe money, all they have to do is send the bill to the auditor and it will be paid," Smith added. City officials also voted to begin the process of finding a grant to purchase a new city fire truck. "This may be a two year process, but we'd like to get started as soon as possible," said Houdmann. Houdmann said that the current fire pumper truck is a 1984 model and it is becoming increasingly difficult for the truck to pass inspection. "My plan if we get the truck is that it will serve the community," he added The 1984 truck has to be tied into a fire hydrant and cannot leave city limits. The new truck has a 1,200 gallon storage tank and can also tie in to the city brush truck. This will allow the Falls City fire department to respond to fires outside the city limits. Houdmann said that the city will conduct a mail-out campaign to raise matching funds for the grant. The goal is to raise $75,000 through citizen donations. City officials also plan to sell the city ambulance and apply the funds from the sale toward the new truck. The ambulance has not been in use since the Falls City First Responders disbanded two years ago. Ambulances from Karnes City and Karnes County currently respond to emergencies in Falls City. ************************************************ From tdtnews.com February 24, 2009 Salado girls want to maintain tight defense in regional quarterfinal vs. Hempstead by Ryan Schneider | Sports Writer ELGIN - Stifling defense has been a catalyst during the Salado Lady Eagles' nine-game winning streak. Whether their season-best streak - and season - ends tonight will depend on how well the Lady Eagles can slow down speedy point guard Lakevia Taylor and 17th-ranked Hempstead. Salado (24-8) faces Hempstead (27-7) in a Class 2A Region IV girls basketball quarterfinal at 6 tonight in Elgin. The winner will advance to play Vanderbilt Industrial or Van Vleck in a regional semifinal Friday in Seguin. The District 25-2A champion Lady Eagles played dominant first-half defense in routing No. 20 Karnes City for an area-round win last Friday. Salado held Karnes City to one first-half field goal and forced 19 turnovers en route to a 31-point halftime lead. The Lady Eagles finished with 17 steals, including a team-high six by guard Hadley Joiner. Salado sophomores Brennan Boydstun, Jenna Sebek and Joiner capitalized on the defensive success, with all scoring in double figures. The District 28-2A runner-up Lady Bobcats, led by Taylor and wing Chloe Smith, pose a tougher challenge. Taylor leads the Lady Bobcats in nearly every offensive category. She averages a team-best 20 points per game, shoots 50 percent from the floor and also dishes out three assists per game. "She's very quick," Salado coach Randy Henderson said. "She's very good with the ball and can get to the basket." Making sure she doesn't get to the basket might be the Lady Eagles' biggest key. "It's a real task keeping her in front," Henderson said. "It's going to require a lot of focus to keep her contained." Smith, who scored a game-high 11 points in Hempstead's 55-39 bi- district win over Rogers, averages 12 points, six rebounds and four steals. Though Hempstead is guard-oriented, Henderson says the Lady Bobcats also can be dangerous in the paint, especially Smith. "They pick their spots and they're opportunistic," he said. More than anything Hempstead might try to do against Salado, Henderson said the Lady Eagles simply need to execute and play with the defensive intensity that's gotten them this far. "We just want to keep playing the way we've been playing," he said. ************************************************