FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013
THE FAYETTE COUNTY La Grange, Texas 78945
INSIDE
RECORD
Volume 92, Number 13
One Dollar per Copy
Now a 3-Person Race for County Judge More Switch to Republican Party on Final Day to File By H.H. HOWZE
The Fayette County Record
Festive Fayetteville
Holiday pet parade, homes tour set for this Saturday. Page B5
For The Record Cheeseballs
The La Grange Bluebonnet Lions Club have a few cheeseballs for sale just in time for the Christmas and New Year holidays and the Super Bowl. The cheeseballs are $9 each and can be reserved by calling Lion members: Gracie Albright (979) 968-6820, Carolyn Buchanek (979) 968-3254, or any of the other Bluebonnet Lions Members. Benefitting local scholarships and charities.
As of Monday afternoon, it’s a three-way horse race for Fayette County judge. Hours before the filing deadline to run for public office in the 2014 election cycle, Cecil R. Webster, chair of the Fayette County Democratic Party, resigned his party office and filed paperwork to run for the top of the local ticket on the Democratic side. Webster had been county Democratic chair since June 2010 and actively involved in Fayette County politics since 2008. A retired colonel in the U.S. Army, he and his wife, Marsha, moved to the Carmine area in 2005 after he retired as a senior program manager at Battelle Institute, a scientific organization headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Webster
Janecka
Fritsch
While Webster is unopposed for his party’s nomination, he will compete in the general election in November against the winner of the Republican primary – either long-term (24- year) incumbent county judge Ed Janecka or challenger Lee Fritsch, who also filed Monday afternoon. “I have no preference,” Webster said. “I’ll let them fight it out and then take on the victor in November.” See Political Races, back page
Oh Brother
Matt & Will Kates Have Made Leps Tough to Stop
Trail of Lights
The Trail of Lights at Monument Hill State Park continues this weekend. The entertainment in the Kreische House on Friday night, Dec. 13, will be provided by Dick Smith on the keyboard playing and singing holiday favorites for an audience singalong. On Saturday night, the students of Ken Wood Studios will perform on various musical instruments. Hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $1 for children ages 3 to 12. Pets are not allowed in the Park during the Trail of Lights. For further information, call (979) 968-5658.
BBQ & Bake Sale
The St. James Episcopal Church will hold a barbecue and bake sale Saturday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 156 N. Monroe, across the street from HEB. A half chicken is $3.25 and a sausage link is $4.50. There is drive through pick-up only. The barbecue is for the benefit of St. James Preschool. There’s more For the Record on Page A2
La Grange head football coach Matt Kates, left, and his younger brother, Leps offensive coordinator Will Kates, joined forces in the Leps coaching office two years ago – since then the football team has a 21-3 record. Photo by Jeff Wick
By JEFF WICK
The Fayette County Record
One Kates brother was good. Two, it seems, are nearly unbeatable. Together fourth-year La Grange head football coach Matt Kates, 35, and his younger brother, Will Kates, who turns 30 next week and is in his second year as Leps offensive coordinator, have helped lead the La Grange football team to a 13-0 record this season. That’s tied for the best start ever by the Leps. “We feel so fortunate to be here and to be sharing this together,” said Matt. Friday the Kates brothers long winding journey in football comes full circle as they lead the Leps into a state semifinal game in Mansfield, just
La Grange vs. Carthage
Class 3A Division I State Semifinal football game When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Mansfield’s Vernon Newsom Stadium, 3700 E. Broad Street Mansfield, TX 76063. Records: Leps are 13-0. Carthage is 13-1. Up next: Winner faces Kilgore (130) or Stephenville (12-1) in the state championship game at Noon Friday Dec. 20 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington.
minutes from where they grew up as kids (Birdville ISD and Richland High School) and later grew professionally as assistant coaches at Fort Worth Arlington Heights where they both coached with the eldest Kates brother Ged). It’s a story of Faith, Family and Football. Neither Matt or Will ever
met their grandfather, but they heard plenty of stories of “Papa Joe,” legendary coach Joe Kerbel (who two 3A state titles at Breckenridge before going to be the winningest head coach in the history of West Texas A&M University). Kerbel died long before Matt or Will were born but both their mom Shary (Kerbel’s daughter) and their dad George (Kerbel’s football operations manager at West Texas A&M) filled their heads will stories of the old marine captain turned football coach. “We grew up in a different household than most, when your mom is screaming at the T.V. for (former Cowboys running back) Emmett Smith to hit the dang See Kates, Page A6
WEATHER WATCH This Week’s Forecast High Low Friday: 57 48 40% chance of rain Saturday: 55 35 Partly cloudy Sunday: 54 32 Clear Monday: 62 38 School board members and representatives from the design and building teams (Pfluger Architects, Clear Drymalla Construction and Owners Building Resource) together cut the ribbon in one of the spacious hallways of the new La Grange Middle School.
Burn Ban Is Lifted This newspaper is recyclable. Do your part to protect our future. Copyright 2013, The Fayette County Record, Inc.
Carmine’s Taylor Jacob is shown here on her horse “Bo” during her first place finish in Round 3 of the National Finals Saturday in Las Vegas. WPRA.com photos
Carmine’s Jacob Shining In the National Spotlight By JEFF WICK
The Fayette County Record
Every night for the last week, national television audiences have been wowed by a 23-year-old barrel racer from Fayette County, who is tearing up the track on the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Saturday and Sunday, Taylor Jacob of Carmine won rounds three and four of the National Finals in barrell racing, beating out the other 14 top racers in the world. Turns out that was just a warm-up for what Jacob did Tuesday night, when she won Round 6 in an arena record 13.37 seconds. “It is just so amazing,” Jacob told reporters after Tuesday night’s win. “When they came to get me for the victory lap, someone said I needed to try and breathe because I just couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had never said it out loud, but that was one of my goals for this Finals. My mom asked me the other night what the arena
Tayor Jacob at the NFR
Here’s a look at how Carmine’s Taylor Jacob has done each night of the National Finals Rodeo: Dec. 5 18.73 13th Dec. 6 18.73 11th Dec. 7 13.65 1st Dec. 8 13.49 1st Dec. 9 13.82 3rd (tie) Dec. 10 13.37* 1st Dec. 11 13.47 1st * Broke all-time arena record
Taylor Jacob is shown here at the gala prior to the start of the National Finals in Las Vegas.
record was and I said, ‘I don’t know, but if I break it, they will tell me.” In less than a week, Jacob See Jacob, back page
Local Dies in Icy Accident
Two From Lexington Perish in Different Crash By ALYSON SVEC
taken to Columbus Community Hospital in stable condition. More than 40 traffic ac- The passenger, her husband, cidents occurred in Fayette Dr. Richard Swenson, 72, was County because of the ice last pronounced dead at the scene. Saturday, but it was an accident He was a General Physician in in Colorado County that cost a Houston. The Swensons lived in the Dubina area. local man his life. Earlier that morning, According to the at 7:56 a.m., an accident Texas Department occurred on FM 696, six of Public Safety, on miles west of Lexington, Saturday, Dec. 7, a killing Greggory Tieone-vehicle accident mann, 20, and Madison occurred on InterBristow, 19, both of Lexstate-10, two miles Swenson ington. east of Columbus at A 2010 Dodge Nitro 6:09 p.m. A 1999 Chevrolet pickup driven by Mason Allen, 19, also was traveling west on I-10 in the of Lexington, was traveling east right hand lane when it struck on 696 when it drove off the road ice on the overpass and began and into a ditch, striking an embankment and trees. The vehicle to skid. The vehicle exited I-10 to began to roll along the ditch and the north and traveled the steep came to rest facing right side up. Allen was taken to Brackenslope of the overpass embankment. It overturned on its left ridge Hospital in Austin where side and came to rest upright, he was in stable condition. Both Tiemann and Bristow died at the facing east on U.S. 90. Arlene Swenson, 62 was scene. The Fayette County Record
Santa to Arrive by Train
Photo by Jeff Wick
Ribbon Cut at New LG Middle School By JEFF WICK
The Fayette County Record
Usually its red ribbon that’s used for grand openings, but the purple and gold used Monday was most appropriate. With a bunch of scissors in the hands of some very instrumental people, the ribbons were cut Monday to celebrate the grand openings of a pair of buildings at La Grange ISD that together cost about $9 million.
Teachers will begin moving things into the new La Grange Middle School and gymnasium in the next few days with classes for 7th and 8th graders to begin there in January. School board members and representatives from the design and building teams (Pfluger Architects, Drymalla Construction and Owners Building Resource) together cut the ribbon in one of the new spacious hallways of
that middle school, after a brief ceremony honoring the occasion. “We were going to do this outside but this ribbon cuts just as well in the warm air,” laughed La Grange Superintendent Randy Albers, joking about the cold rainy weather. Then all proceeded through the new gymnasium to the Career Tech building for another See Ceremonies, back page
Santa will arrive Saturday at the La Grange Railroad Depot Museum on Washington Street via a special train, courtesy of the Union Pacific Railroad. Arriving shortly after 10 a.m. on Dec. 14. Santa will greet the children and hear Christmas wish lists. The Depot and caboose will be open for tours and visits. Model trains will also be running. Santa will depart the Depot around noon.