The Examiner (Navasota, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 20, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Page: 4 of 20
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Page 4A
December 11, 2013
This Week In Grimes County
1973,1983,1993,2003
1973
• A train struck a short
section of faulty track and
dumped eight cars along
the right of way in Iola.
• Robert Womack of
Navasota was hospitalized
after he was wounded
from a single shot of a .22
caliber pistol he may have
been cleaning.
• Navasota ISD opened
bids for the district’s pro-
posed, 10,000-square-foot
high school complex, esti-
mated to cost $1,637,000.
1983
• The Navasota city
council terminated a con-
tract with the engineering
firm, O’Malley and Clay,
Inc. of Brenham for street
improvement work. The
city council listed specific
items that were not per-
formed in accordance
with the contract.
• International Paper
closed its 38-year-old
Navasota plant.
• The Chamber of
Commerce sponsored a
groundbreaking ceremony
for the Navasota Inn
restaurant and club at
1,000 Loop 6 South.
1993
• Navasota ISD was
busy formulating educa-
tional specifications and
design guidelines for the
district’s $12 million bond
construction project.
• Grimes County De-
partment of Public Safety
troopers, including Gary
Shaw, seized $80,000
worth of cocaine and
$3,400 in cash after mak-
ing two drug arrests dur-
ing a traffic stop.
• Grimes County Dis-
trict Clerk Wayne Rucker
filed for a fifth term.
2003
• Navasota ISD re-
ported 94.11 percent en-
rollment.
• The Navasota city
council observed a mo-
ment of silence for
staunch supporter, Judith
Donnie Oliver, who died
at the age of 93.
• Navasota police in-
vestigated a burglary at
Hi-Ho Store, off State
Highway 105, in which a
vehicle was used to ram
and force open its doors.
(Shc'Kwuninrr
Editor & Publisher
SCOTT MCDONALD
publisher@navasotaexaminer.com
Managing Editor
ROSEMARY SMITH
editor@navasotaexaminer.com
Sales Representative
ANA COSINO
ads@navasotaexaminer.com
Bookkeeper
Carrie Little
bookkeeper@navasotaexaminer.com
Circulation
John Williams, Ina Lindley
Contributing Writers
Gail Sowell, JJ Wilson, John Maxwell, Jacki Peacock,
Beverly Igo, Mary Lois Boatman, Debra Busa,
D. Surface, Danny Stone
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The Navasota Examiner
PO Box 751# 115 Railroad St. Navasota, Texas 77868
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A MEMBER
B 2013
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
Serving Navasota &Grimes County since 1894
Texas Gulf Coast
Press Association
More drug testing, less
‘emergency’ benefits
This week Congress
takes up a key question:
As the economy contin-
ues to improve, should
taxpayers be forced to pay
for ‘emergency’ unem-
ployment benefits above-
and-beyond the usual
length?
Washington’s emer-
gency program for the
jobless, which began in
2008, reached a record 99
weeks before being re-
duced to a maximum of
73 weeks or lower in
states where the economy
is improving.
The emergency pro-
gram is reserved for situ-
ations when
unemployment in the
states is high and rising.
But according to last
week’s jobs report, the
unemployment rate is
down to 7 percent and all
states have seen a marked
improvement in their job-
less rate. By that measure,
the ‘emergency’ is over.
If the emergency pro-
gram ends December 28
as scheduled, those with-
out work could still re-
ceive up to 46 weeks of
help: 26 weeks from the
state and possibly 20
weeks more depending on
the economy in their
state.
Even with the best in-
tentions, could supersiz-
ing unemployment
benefits beyond the tradi-
tional months of help hurt
the very people it’s in-
tended to help?
A recent National Bu-
reau of Economic Re-
search study indicates that
the unprecedented exten-
sions of ‘emergency’ un-
employment benefits may
have contributed to the
jobless rate increase dur-
ing the recent recession.
Not only has job cre-
ation been stifled along
Main Street, the jobs
skills of the unemployed
can easily become out-
dated over time. The
longer it takes to find a
job, the harder it is to re-
enter the workforce.
After two years, the
chances of getting back to
work aren’t zero, but it’s
close to that.
With the worst of the
recession behind us,
Washington’s goal
shouldn’t be to stretch un-
employment benefits; it
should be to get people
off unemployment and
into jobs again.
One solution for un-
employment: the Senate
could take up and pass
any of the 150 jobs bills
the House has passed, in-
cluding immediately ap-
proving the 10,000 job
Keystone XL pipeline.
Another solution: en-
courage innovative pro-
grams by the states to
match local workers with
local jobs.
I served as the only
Texan on the 2012 nego-
tiating team between the
House and the Senate.
Republicans fought suc-
cessfully to reduce the
weeks of unemployment
and put in place common-
sense reforms - like end-
ing the long-time federal
ban against drug testing
those receiving unem-
ployment benefits.
We also secured in the
law an agreement that 10
states in America be al-
lowed to begin drug-test-
ing unemployment
recipients seeking jobs
that require passing a
drug test - which more
and more jobs require
these days.
This is common sense.
Taxpayers shouldn’t sub-
sidize drug use. And those
who can’t pass a drug test
simply aren’t job-ready.
Unfortunately, while most
jobless Americans are
working hard to get back
to work, the substance
abuse rate is nearly twice
as high for the long term
unemployed than for
working Americans.
Working with Texas
workforce leaders, our
state became the first in
the nation to apply for the
pilot program. The Texas
Legislature, led by State
Senator Tommy
Williams, demonstrated
its seriousness by passing
legislation to require drug
testing for Texans who
work in fields that regu-
larly require drug testing.
Unfortunately, nearly
two years after the federal
law was changed, no
state, including Texas, has
been allowed to move for-
ward. The Department of
Labor has dragged its
feet, issued ridiculous
guidelines that no state
could possibly meet, and
generally ignored the law
the President signed.
It’s time to end the
emergency unemploy-
ment program. It’s time to
focus on job creation.
And it’s time to let states
begin common sense drug
testing programs that help
get people job-ready
again.
Congressman Kevin
Brady is the Chairman of
the Joint Economic Com-
mittee and senior member
of the House Ways &
Means Committee.
Congratulations to new
high school principal
Anderson
News
By Gail
Sowell
• The 18th annual
KBTX Food for Families
food drive will take place
on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
You may deliver any food
or monetary donations to
Mid-South Synergy from
6 a.m. until 7 p.m. If you
have questions or would
like to volunteer at the
food drive, contact Erin
Bischoff at 936-825-
5139.
• I am quite proud and
extend congratulations to
my daughter-in-law,
Diana Branch, who was
recently approved by the
Anderson-Shiro CISD
Board to take over the
junior-senior high school
principal’s job. Diana,
married to my son Clint,
has been serving as the
school’s assistant princi-
pal for the past two years,
and as the assistant princi-
pal at the elementary cam-
pus before that.
She will take over her
new position in January
2014. The position was
previously held by Sara
Goolsby, who is taking
over her new position as
our school district’s su-
perintendent in January
2014.1 have no doubt that
Sara and Diana, along
with elementary principal
Marcy Countryman, will
strengthen this school dis-
trict to the best of their
ability. All three have lots
of ability.
• The Grimes County
Mobile Food Bank will be
open at the fairgrounds in
Navasota, from 10 a.m.
until 12 p.m., on Thurs-
day, Dec. 12. You must
show proof of residence
to qualify for food.
• According to Beverly
Igo, Sunday Dec. 15,
starting at 6 p.m., Ander-
son Baptist church in An-
derson invites you to
come celebrate Christmas
with fellowship, food, a
hayride, wagon ride, and
singing.
Christmas caroling
will follow, so bring a
friend. If you cannot sing,
come along for the ride
and make a joyful noise
unto The Lord.
• This is the last week-
end to bring the whole
family to the Navasota
Theatre Alliance for a fun
cowboy Christmas com-
edy. Somethin’ Special for
Christmas will be show-
ing at the Sunny Furman
Theatre in Navasota on
Dec. 12-14, at 7:30 p.m.;
and on Dec. 15, at 2 p.m.
Make your reservations
now at www.navasotathe-
atre.com.
• The Anderson-Shiro
elementary students will
be putting on their annual
Christmas play at their
campus on Thursday,
Dec. 19. Two perform-
ances of ‘Twas the Night
Before Christmas will be
held at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Faculty and students
from Anderson-Shiro will
be off the holidays from
Monday, Dec. 23, and
will return to school on
Thursday, Jan. 2.
• Happy birthday to
SEE SOWELL PAGE 5A
Plantersville Christmas
parade this Saturday
Plantersville-
Stoneham
News
BY JODILYNN
MARRS
• The Plantersville-
Stoneham Volunteer Fire
Department would like to
thank everyone for coming
out last Saturday night, to
the community Christmas
party. It had a great
turnout and everyone had
a lot of fun. It is their way
to give back to the
Plantersville-Stoneham
community.
The toys that were
passed out to the youth
were donated by the Mens
Club from St. Mary’s
Catholic Church. Every
year, they donate the toys
to the Christmas party.
• Last week, I attended
National 4-H Congress in
Atlanta, Ga. I attended
leadership classes, listened
to motivational speakers,
met 4-H’ers from other
states, went on tours, and
met Mrs. America. I was
one of 29 delegates from
Texas.
• Dec. 14, come and eat
breakfast with Santa. The
Grimes County 4-H is
holding their annual Pan-
cake Breakfast at St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church,
from 8 a.m. through 10:30
a.m. It is $6 per ticket.
Anyone can get their
picture taken with Santa.
Parents can either use their
camera or the 4-H will
email the picture to you.
All money will be used
for the Book Fund schol-
arships for Grimes County
4-H members. For more
information, call The
Grimes County Office of
Texas A&M AgriLife Ex-
tension at 936-825-
0465/873-3907.
• Dec. 14, is the
Plantersville Christmas
Parade. Registration to
enter floats starts at 9 a.m.
and ends at 9:30 a.m.
Categories for floats in-
clude: Best Antique Trac-
tor, Best Antique Car, Best
Youth Float, Best School
Spirit Float, Best Open
Float, Best Trail Ride, and
the Best Decorated House
in Plantersville.
The best decorated
house has to be within a 5-
mile radius of
Plantersville. If you would
like to participate in the
best decorated house, con-
tact Larry Jollisant at 936-
825-4788 by Thursday,
Dec. 12.
They are also looking for
trophy sponsors and some-
SEE MARRS PAGE 5A
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McDonald, Scott. The Examiner (Navasota, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 20, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 11, 2013, newspaper, December 11, 2013; Navasota, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth807795/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Navasota Public Library.