MountMount PleasantPleasant TribuneTribune www.TribNow.com 147th Year • No. 5 Mount Pleasant, Texas Saturday, January 16, 2021 75¢ Monday marks 35th celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “We shall always march ahead” By DI DUNCAN [email protected] MLK Jr. Day is a national holiday honoring the work of the late pastor and human rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King believed in a fair country, undi- vided by race and class, where each child had as much opportunity as the next. As a nation, much of our great civic progress can be attributed to King’s unwavering conviction and his willingness to fight for the rights of all people. Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1920s, just on the cusp of the Great Depression. As the son of a baptist minister, he grew up in the church, but Dr. King stated that the defining factor for his religious beliefs was the love that his family shared. Dr. King stated in his autobiography, “I have a mar- velous mother and father. I can hardly remember a time that they ever argued (my father happens to be the kind who just won’t argue) or had any great falling out. Cutline These factors were highly significant in determining COURTESY PHOTO my religious attitudes. It is quite easy for me to think In Stride Toward Freedom, King’s 1958 memoir of the terracial cooperation enabled him to fight effectively of a God of love mainly because I grew up in a family boycott, he declared the real meaning of the Montgom- against the Southern system of legalized racial segrega- where love was central and where lovely relationships ery bus boycott to be the power of a growing self-re- tion and discrimination. were ever present.” spect to animate the struggle for civil rights. Dr. King continued to fight this battle for many years, Dr. King was also a very gifted student. Having flown Influenced by Mohandas Gandhi, he advocated civil rallying citizens all over the country. “We cannot walk through school curriculum with ease, he enrolled in disobedience and nonviolent resistance to segregation alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that college when he was just 15 years old. in the South. According to the King Center, the civil we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back,” he Dr. King received a doctorate degree in theology and rights leader went to jail 29 times for acts of civil dis- said. in 1955 helped organize the first major protest of the obedience. The peaceful protests he led throughout the In 1963, the massive March on Washington for Jobs African American civil rights movement: the successful American South were often met with violence, but King and Freedom was held, with King’s famous “I Have a Montgomery Bus Boycott. After Rosa Parks was arrest- and his followers persisted, and the movement gained Dream” speech as the grand finale. Two hundred and ed for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, momentum. fifty thousand people gathered outside the Lincoln Me- Ala. bus, King organized a 13-month mass protest that King appealed to the consciences of all Americans, morial to hear the stirring speech. ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segrega- thus building popular support for civil rights reform. tion on public buses is unconstitutional. His strategy of emphasizing nonviolent protest and in- See MLK Page 2 Terry Scoggin talks hospitalization rates, vaccines Titus County Jail takes on federal inmates, bumps up staff PHOTO BY DI DUNCAN By DI DUNCAN Currently, Scoggin says that there are more than [email protected] 3,500 individuals on the vaccine waiting list, and By DI DUNCAN that he and local officials are working with the state [email protected] Titus Regional Medical Center CEO Terry Scoggin to have Titus County established as a vaccine hub. has released new information on regional hospital- This designation would ensure that the county re- Titus County Sheriff Tim Ingram told county ization rates and the county’s future with vaccines. ceives larger quantities of vaccines in future ship- commissioners at the last meeting that with other According to Scoggin, last Friday, the region hit a ments. local facilities full or overcrowded due to the pan- peak in hospitalizations before stabilizing again for According to DSHS, 234 providers, including 28 demic, Titus County Jail can give a little relief by a short time. On Monday, the region reached a new vaccination hubs, will receive much larger allot- taking on federal inmates. peak of 241 hospitalized patients and 79 beds in ICU. ments of the vaccine in the coming weeks. Almost Ingram said that these local facilities have not As of Tuesday, these counts decreased to 231 hospi- 160,000 doses will be distributed to the hubs, while often asked for assistance with their population, talized patients with 78 ICU beds. 38,300 will be given to other providers. This does not so there is ample room for these federal prisoners. On vaccines, Scoggin says that TRMC received 300 include those in the federal Pharmacy Partnership With more prisoners, though, comes a need for doses from the state in the first shipment to distribute and Long-Term Care program. more jailers. Commissioners approved moving for phases 1A, 1B, and high-risk candidates. The next Additionally, Texas providers will receive half a approximately $130,000 from the reserve fund to shipment, expected to arrive next week, includes 700 million second doses of the vaccine for those whose second doses of the vaccine. first doses were administered weeks ago. See JAIL Page 5 Cypress Bank Supporting East Texas 1312 South Jefferson Mt. Pleasant, TX. 75455 Law Enforcement 903-572-9856 BECOME A MEMBER TODAY www.CypressBankTX.com www.easttexas100club.org Page 2 • TribNow.com NEWS Jan. 16, 2021 PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCEMENT Mount Pleasant, Texas Senior Chairman Ken Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Bank Board of Directors are pleased to announce the promotions of the following employees. These promotions were approved by the Board of Directors during their December 2020 meeting. MICHELLE OWENS promoted from Senior Vice President & Corporate Operations Services Officer to Executive Vice President & Corporate Operations Officer Owens was raised in Conroe, TX and later moved to Pittsburg where she graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1995 and attained her associates of Banking in 2002. In 2009 Owens earned an ICBA certified Community Bank Compliance Officer Certification, which she has kept since. In years past, she has completed the Titus County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class, held different positions with the American Cancer Society Franklin, Titus Morris County Relay for Life including the Event Chairperson, and served on the Cypress Basin Hospice Board for a year. Michelle is married to Josh Tidwell. They have four children: Hannah Owens with grandchildren Maddox and Remington Harris, Garret Owens, Tori Tidwell with granddaughter Kynlee Andress and Alexandra Giannoni. Michelle is a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Pittsburg where she served as a youth leader for several years when her daughter was young. Michelle and Josh love to travel, enjoy live music, trying new places or just living life on their land. Their future dream is to have many farm animals and get their grandkids on horses. President and CEO, COO Brent Woodruff said, “Michelle’s experience in bank operations and technology gives her the tools we need to excel in the future as our industry must blend the best in customer experience in our lobbies and online. She is a real asset to our bank and to our community.” SHANE McNIEL promoted from Assistant Vice President - Network Administrator to Vice President & Technology Officer McNiel was born and raised as a proud Avinger Indian in Avinger, TX where here graduated in 1992. He later graduated from Stephen F. Austin University with a Bachelors of Agriculture Science and a minor in Education. Shane moved to Mt. Pleasant almost 10 years ago. McNiel is a member of First Baptist Church Mt. Pleasant, Chapel Hill Education Foundation President, and Little Dribblers Board member for the Chapel hill association. Shane is happily married, for 21 years, to Kacee Renee Anderson, who is from Hughes Springs. McNiel has three kids: son Cole Austin, who is attending SFA, and joined the National Guard whom shipped out to basic on January 12th, Daughter, Micah Rhea, a sophomore at Chapel Hill ISD where she is a cheerleader and plays basketball and youngest daughter Kinsley Jerrica, who is a 7th Grader at Chapel Hill ISD and is a cheerleader whom also plays basketball. McNiel enjoys camping, hunting, fishing and above all, spending time with his family. President and CEO, COO Brent Woodruff said, “Shane’s experience and knowledge in Technology is vital in running the operations at the bank. We are blessed to have someone with his expertise to support our staff and customers.” LINDA EVANS promoted from Lobby Services Officer to Assistant Vice President Lobby Services Officer Evans grew up and graduated from Bridgeport High school, and later attended Weatherford College. Linda currently lives in Paradise, TX with her husband Mike, who is a retired City Administrator. Together, they have 5 grown children and 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Evans began working in banking in 1985 and began working for Pilgrim Bank in 2015, holding several different operation positions. Linda enjoys being at Pilgrim Bank because of the focus on customer service. She is able to build meaningful relationships and has developed great friendships over the years with her customers. Linda enjoys yoga, exercising, swimming, riding her bike and most of all, playing with her grandchildren every chance she can get.