A VOLUME 125 • NO. 25 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019 1 SECTION • 14 PAGES • $1 Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1894 Thank a Veteran and a Serviceman Every Day Come in out of the Heat and enjoy a fresh home cooked meal! Root Beer Floats TEX.AS • Fried Green Tomatoes.....................$8 Hand Dipped Blue Bell Ice Cream & ice cold Root Beer in a frosted mug • Alabama Toaster..........................$12 *~~ENDS* $ 115 South Madison St. ~~ • Stuffed Summer Squash ............. 12 $ On the square • Madisonville 936-348-3927I : ! I II , : ; I:' I ,IJJ/ • Shrimp and Grits ......................... 15 Students show improvement By Campbell Atkins just came in and did an excellent job campbell.atkins@ on improving our scores from the ap- madisonvillemeteor.com proaches, meets and masters levels . I am very proud of our staff and the The North Zulch Independent hard work they put in this year along School District (NZISD) was pleased with our students and parents as well .” with the improvements they saw from NZISD students showcased growth elementary and junior high STAAR across the board in the approaches ‘Round Town scores, which they received last week . (passing), meets and masters catego- “I think you can attribute that to ries . The biggest improvements at the Gala Nettles our teachers and all the work they elementary level, according to Prin- are doing,” said Superintendent Alan cipal Janie Pope, came in third grade Have you ever noticed Andrus . “We were able to hire a lot how many selfies are taken of veteran teachers last year and they in cars? That intrigues me . I n SEE STUDENTS, PAGE 10 wonder why that is? Maybe car seats are the new photo props? Maybe it’s because get- ting into the car means going STEP someplace and going some- place can mean we are all “gussied up,” as my grand- mother Mama Mamie used I see ewe to say . She had some other conducts sayings when she was a little unhappy with us kids, but those aren’t printable . On to some special oc- opioid casions ‘round Madison County . Belated anniversary wishes to Frances and Ford Hooper, longtime residents research of Madisonville . The couple celebrated their 64th wed- By Campbell Atkins ding anniversary Monday campbell.atkins@ and have moved to Hearne madisonvillemeteor.com to be closer to their children . Drop your cards to them Project STEP (Substance Use, Treat- at 11884 FM 391, Hearne, ment, Education, Prevention), an orga- 77859 . nization dedicated to expanding public Another special couple health response to opioid misuse in rural with ties to Madisonville and Texas, recently began a study in Madison lots of years together is Har- and Burleson Counties to address sub- old Gene and Pat Wells . The stance use issues impacting the commu- couple celebrated their 68th nities with a special emphasis on opioids . anniversary Saturday . “Specifically looking at opioid use, it It’s also anniversary time does not discriminate,” said Erin Mari- for Candace and Charles etta, Director of Market Operations, Rural Brown, who are celebrating Hospitals at CHI St . Joseph Health . “This is an anniversary on the other a way for the community to rally together end of the spectrum . Sunday COURTESY PHOTO and determine if we have challenges and will be their special first an- With the blaring sun to her back, Annabella Grace Killough - an if so, what can we do to solve those? As niversary . Here’s to as many eight-year-old from Iola – looks over the available steeds for the members of the community, we all want more for the two of you as the Grimes County Fair Mutton Bustin’ competition on June 8. Killough to create a better environment, but you Hoopers and the Wells have won Mutton Bustin’ Grand Champion. cannot address it until you know if there is celebrated! a problem and how deep it runs .” On to this week’s birth- Girl gets dream right on first, only try The project is funded through the Fed- days . First on our birthday eral Office of Rural Health Policy within list happy birthday to June ight-year-old Iola resident the Health Resources and Service Admin- Blakely, who celebrates her Annabella Grace Killough istration (HRSA) of the U .S . Department of special day Sunday and to beat out approximately 30 Health and Human Services . Angela Baker, whose birth- E Marietta stated that it is unfair to say contestants June 8 to take Grand day is Monday . Champion in the Mutton Bustin’ that Madison or Burleson have a problem Next Belinda Happy competition at the Grimes County with opioids and that every entity has their Rogers and Janelle Mathis Fair . own point of view . Project STEP is meant celebrate their birthdays Killough, daughter of Rikki and to involve the entire community to deter- Tuesday, while Elayne Benny Killough of Iola, grand- mine everyone’s perspectives on the mat- Campbell does the same daughter of Pam and Ricky Smith ter and decide where to go from there . Wednesday . Winding out of Madisonville and great-grand- The grant money from HRSA was part of this week’s birthday list Pa- daughter of Carol Carraway of a broader effort by the federal government tricia Matejka and Laney Madisonville, scored 85 in the first to address opioid and substance use dis- Baker will do their celebrat- round of competition by never order in rural communities . Project STEP ing Tuesday . letting go and riding the longest, was one of 99 organizations in the country By the way, Janelle Mathis according to her mother . that received the grant money and one of has been in St . Joseph hos- Annabella showed similar te- COURTESY PHOTO just two in Texas . pital but hopefully, will be nacity in the second round, Annabella Grace Killough “This grant is really a planning grant,” home sometime this week . shows off the buckle she won said Marietta . “It is a year-long project Lacey Cannon is another n SEE EWE, PAGE 10 for Mutton Bustin’. where we are gathering data to develop a who is under the weather plan to, first of all, see what we are dealing right now, as is Roxanne Roundtree . Roxanne, the n SEE RESEARCH, PAGE 11 wife of Don Roundtree and mother of three, has battled amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- better known as Lou Geh- rig’s disease -- since 2008 . Quick reaction by local officer saves life ALS is a tough disease . That’s why Auburn Rose, By Campbell Atkins in the Square . Last said Cunningham . “We came Cunningham was the first on who lost a brother to ALS two campbell.atkins@ week, the 39-year- flying across town and drove the scene and learned by calling years ago, has organized the madisonvillemeteor.com old Illinois native our vehicles right up to the out to the man that he was okay, Madisonville Strike Out ALS would directly save dam .” but could not swim . co-ed softball tournament as Detective Sergeant Lucas his second life on It turned out to be an “I took off my gun, badge a fun way to raise money to Cunningham of the Madison- an entirely differ- 81-year-old individual who was and radio and then dove in after ville Police Department knows ent terrain . out on his boat fishing . When fight ALS . Cunningham him,” said Cunningham . “I went The tournament kicks off what it takes to save a life . “A call came out law enforcement approached out there to grab a hold of him over the radio that a boat had the scene, they discovered him at 9 a m. Saturday at Lake After all, he was honored by and just brought him back in . DPS and the state with a Direc- flipped over in (Lake Madison) on his back about 20 feet out tor’s Award last year for his part and they thought that they saw on the lake clutching a buoyant n SEE NETTLES, PAGE 10 in saving a local woman’s life somebody out in the water,” cushion . n SEE OFFICER, PAGE 11 INSIDE THE METEOR Very truly I tell you, D eep Root s. N ew Id eas. Business . 8 whoever believes Normangee Tractor Churches . .7 in me will do the Classifieds . 9,10. works I have been Obituaries . 3 doing, and they will (936)396-3101 Opinion . 4 do even greater NormangeeTractor.com 333 N. MayStre et The Records . 5 things than these, 936.348.3777 B k Sports . .13,14 because I am going www.fnbhuntsvillecx .com an to the Father. “Nobody Beats Normangee Tractor” OF MADISONVILLE — John 14:12 ii;I Member FDIC A Division of First Nati onal Bank of Hunt sville . llllll!l~IJl )III~IIIll l l l11111 . www.madisonvillemeteor.com Page 2 THE MADISONVILLE METEOR June 19, 2019 4-H Youth Varmint hunting can raise a big stink I sometimes enjoy watching reruns of some favorite television series Scholarship episodes. I would watch Barney Fife tell Andy Grif- fith to “Nip it in the bud” recipients any day. Also, I’d enjoy and laugh at any of Ernest T. Bass’s appearances on Andy Griffith, or Tim Con- way on Carol Burnett. Considering that, I’ll Museum Musings warn you that this is a “summer rerun” Musings. Laura Ann It appeared at the end of Cannon WIKIMEDIA COMMONS June 2015, as my very first thought, ‘What the heck?’ and Ronald Standley were Musings. I figure that lots Dr. J.E. Reed. For many of you never saw it. If you I had never seen anything teenagers enjoying a favor- years the three of them like it in my life and even ite pastime, cruising Mad- did, it’s my favorite and I made Wednesday their feel worth a replay -- with all these many years later, ison County back roads day to hunt and fish to- I still have never seen an- while taking pot shots at a few tweaks.