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Articles by Lee R. Watkins
Tax reform readiness: Steps to prepare now
With the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017, we learned that there are many complexities involved in navigating a corporate tax rate change—especially since the 2017 changes came after more than 30 years of stability. As the political appetite for new tax legislation grows, the process for navigating change is certainly more familiar, yet not without continued complexity.
A plague on both their houses
Lee Watkins, Central Kitsap We the people deserve so much better. One reason our democracy has survived all these years is that it has respected the deliberative processes within our republic — processes designed to ensure, in part, that mob-rule would not carry the day. For the better part of our history, regardless of which candidate garnered your vote, you knew that the U.S. President would uphold, protect and defend the Constitution. No more.
Confederacy worthy of regret, not memorialization - Washington Daily News
Confederacy worthy of regret, not memorialization By Lee Watkins It is long past time for the south to end the glorification of the Confederacy and the morally repugnant rebellion that caused the unnecessary death of over 600,000 Americans. Many Confederate memorials were erected around the turn of the 20th century in order to cement revisionist “Lost Cause” sentiment. Their not-so-subtle purpose was to remind Black people of their “place” in the Jim Crow south.
City's options to raise revenue face opposition
Facing an ailing general fund with a more than $1-million deficit, City Manager Michael Hornes Monday proposed some medicine for next year's budget he knows won't go down easy. Among them: a $4-a-month increase to citizens' water bill to replace new water meters.Hornes also floated the possibility of a tax hike to meet the needs of the Palestine Police Department.
Plans for community house target poor neighborhood
A growing, two-year-old non-profit, called WE CARE Palestine, has big ambitions – but so far little cash.
Community steps up to clean slave cemetery
Diane Davis doesn't run from challenges: She embraces them.When The Palestine Negro Business & Professional Women's Club called, she answered. When Palestine Police Department's Citizens on Patrol and Palestine Parks and Recreation Board were short of members, she joined.And when Jimmy Odom of the Anderson County Historical Commission challenged Palestine's black community to step up and clean Swanson Cemetery – a neglected slave cemetery – Davis answered the call.
Demolition starts at Memorial Hospital
Residents living near the city's biggest eyesore should receive a Christmas gift from the city: By Dec. 25, Memorial Hospital is scheduled to be nothing but a bad memory.The process starts Monday.That's when Air Quality Associates of Tyler will start removing asbestos from the condemned building in the 900 block of South Sycamore. Asbestos removal is expected to take seven to eight weeks. After that, demolition work will begin. It should wrap up by late December.
New municipal court judge touts technology, efficiency
Members of the Palestine City Council appointed Brenda Johnston Monday night as the new municipal court judge.After a closed session, council members unanimously approved the appointment.“I'm really looking forward to it,” Johnston said. “It's a positive for me. I hope it is for the city as well. I'm going to be fully committed to the bench.” Johnston, 53, is currently an assistant Anderson County district attorney, where she has served for the last four years.
Downtown first, Cooper says
Economic development and tourism don't just happen. It takes hard work, planning , execution, and a little luck. New Palestine Economic Development Corporation Director Gayle Cooper assumed the position on March 19. During an interview with Herald-Press reporter Lee Watkins Friday, Cooper talked about why redeveloping downtown is her first priority, and what she wants to accomplish here.Q. Four months after you started this job, are you still optimistic you can get things done here?A.
PEDC director talks blight, future projects
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Johnston appointed municipal court judge
Members of the Palestine City Council appointed Brenda Johnston Monday night as the new municipal court judge. Council members unanimously approved the appointment. Johnston will take over for interim municipal court Judge James Todd. The municipal court judge typically works 20 hours a week and earns a $40,000 annually salary.This story will be updated.
League plans to attend council meeting
Anderson County Football League President Carey McKinney and residents opposed to the city's decision to cancel a decades-old contract with a youth football league, will attend Monday's council meeting. City officials denied a request by McKinney to get on the regular agenda.At issue is the future of a program that has served disadvantaged youth for 38 years.McKinney said not having a contract with the city to use the entire complex would end the program.
Apartment complex will break ground next month
Sulphur Springs developer GVD Construction will break ground next month on a two-story apartment complex east of Willow Springs Drive, near Willow Creek Business Park on South Loop 256.City officials hope the 136 units, ready for occupancy late next year, will alleviate Palestine's severe housing shortage.“Palestine hasn't had new apartments in 20 years,” City Manager Michael Hornes said. “I'm expecting the apartments to fill up before they're finished.
Opioid addiction: A silent epidemic in East Texas
While methamphetamine gets most of the attention in East Texas, experts say opioid addiction is a major and growing drug problem that people here just aren't talking about.In 2017, Castlight Health, a health-care consulting company, ranked the top 25 U.S. cities for opioid abuse. Most of them were in the South, and two — Texarkana and Longview — were in East Texas.
Elkhart schools narrows superintendent search
Following a nationwide search, Elkhart Independent School District has narrowed its search for a new superintendent to four candidates. The district expects to make the hire by mid-August.Board members aim to have the new superintendent on-the-job by Sept. 1, School Board member Kevin Bush told the Herald-Press Friday. Current Superintendent Ray DeSpain's resignation is effective. Aug.
William Stewart discusses the importance of school safety
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PISD considers arming teachers
After meeting with local public safety experts Thursday, Palestine Independent School District Safety Coordinator William Stewart said the district will consider arming teachers and staff under the state's guardian and marshal programs.Acknowledging the programs were controversial, Stewart said he will continue to gather information from the community before making a recommendation to the School Board.
Texas cities lobby for local online sales taxes
Cities across Texas will lobby the Legislature next session to authorize local sales taxes on internet purchases, a change that should give the state's struggling municipalities at least $1 billion a year. Now, municipalities don't collect local sales taxes for internet purchases, except those where the seller has a physical presence, such as a fulfillment center.Mayor Steve Presley estimates Palestine loses up to $900,000 a year in local sales taxes through online purchases.
Neglected slave cemetery needs community support
Swanson Cemetery, a historic slave cemetery in Anderson County for more than 150 years, stands in neglect – abandoned, it seems, by history and the community.Filled with towering Bodark trees, overgrown brush, and broken headstones, Swanson Cemetery hasn't been mowed or cleaned for five years. It is one of roughly 4,000 historic black cemeteries across Texas in substandard condition.Purchased by local slaveowner Henry C.
Youth advocacy group might lose $5,000 grant
The Palestine Economic Development Corporation and City of Palestine have agreed to award Texas Youth Advocates a $5,000 grant, pending approval from City Council Monday, to help start a youth center.But there's a slight problem: Texas Youth Advocates, a nonprofit run by about eight volunteers, might not be able to afford the grant, which TYA wanted to help purchase the former YMCA building.The grant calls for $5,000 in matching money, City Manager Michael Hornes said Friday.
City attorney rules oversight committee legal; mayor says he won't oppose it
City Attorney Ron Stutes has ruled the city's controversial citizens' financial oversight committee does not violate the city charter, Mayor Steve Presley said Friday.Presley had previously questioned whether the committee violated the city charter, because it, in effect, usurped a duty of city council. On Friday, however, the mayor said he would no longer oppose the oversight committee.
High Court decision won't help cities
U.S. Supreme Court justices recently changed the future of online shopping, when they ruled in favor of states collecting sales taxes from online sales, ending a two-decade feud between states and major online retailers.The benefits for states, however, might be smaller than expected.
Grant to fund school resolution officer
Palestine schools have been awarded a two-year, $1.3-million state grant to bolster academic and mental health services, Palestine Independent School District spokesperson Larissa Loveless said Monday.The grant will enable the district to expand learning and academic sessions during non-school hours, especially for low-income students attending low-performing schools.
Westwood United Methodist awards scholarships to high school seniors
Westwood United Methodist Church, 110 Ridgewood Dr., has awarded three graduating seniors $300 scholarships.The recipients – Melissa Springer, Kaylan Chavers, and Dakota Dress – are members of the church and will attend colleges in the state. Westwood United Methodist also recently hosted 24 new pastors for The Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Zoning changes permit downtown tattoo parlors
Tattoos have gone from underground to mainstream: A 2016 Harris Poll showed 30 percent of Americans have a tattoo, compared to 47 percent of Millennials, and 13 percent of Baby Boomers.Entering the downtown market in any city reflects the growing acceptance of tattoos. What's more mainstream than Main Street?To make it happen in Palestine, City Council members approved expanding certain commercial and retail districts to permit tattoo parlors downtown.
Council retains PEDC contract
Palestine City Council members voted Monday to retain the city's contract with the Palestine Economic Development Corporation. The vote was 4-3.Voting against contract termination were Mayor Steve Presley, Councilwoman Larissa Loveless, Councilwoman Ann Connor, and newly elected Councilwoman Dana Goolsby.
City seeks fifth finance director in six years
Palestine City County members Monday voted 5-1 Monday to approval the dismissal of city Finance Director Steve Groom, effective immediately, apparently for failing to fix errors identified in the last city audit. The action followed a closed session.District 1 Councilman Mitchell Jordan opposed the resolution; newly seated Councilwoman Dana Goolsby abstained.The county will now look for its fifth finance director in six years. The four previous directors includes one interim director.
Police looking for Palestine woman charged with arson
Palestine Police have charged Misty Kohler, 36, of Palestine, with arson. Now they just have to find her. The Palestine Police Department is asking the public for help.Anyone with information about Kohler should call PPD at 903-729-2254, or Crimestoppers, 903-729-8477. PPD issued an arrest warrant Friday. The arson charge, a first-degree felony , carries a minimum sentence of five years.On Saturday, June 2, just after midnight, PPD responded to a possible burglary in the 100 block of Sequoia.
Advocacy Center stands in gap for children
Physical and sexual abuse can lead children to a dark place. Not finding proper care often results in long-term health problems. Parents are not always available; most aren't trained to handle the suffering the child endures.In most cities, a local crisis center can stand in the gap. In Palestine, it's the Children's Advocacy Center of Anderson & Cherokee Counties.CAC is a non-profit organization accredited through the Crisis Center. There are 70 such centers in Texas.
Vega to liberals: keep driving
Situated in heart of East Texas, Palestine and Anderson County have nearly impeccable conservative credentials. Almost 80 percent of the voters in Anderson went for President Donald Trump in 2016.But if Palestine is getting a little too liberal for you, check out the Texas Panhandle.How conservative is it?
Cook calls for end to “zero-tolerance” policy
Republican state Reps. Byron Cook from Corsicana and Jason Villalba from Dallas are urging the federal government to find an alternative to so-called zero-tolerance policies that have separated thousands of children from their parents at the border.“It's up to the federal government to create a well-defined policy, which they have failed to do,” Cook said Tuesday during a phone interview with the Herald-Press.
Lee Watkins | In praise of African American fathers
We've all heard or read the statistics:More than half of black children live with a single parent.One in nine black children have at least one incarcerated parent. In nearly 72 percent of births to African American women, the mothers were unmarried.And on and on and on.Underlying those figures is the insidious notion that irresponsible black fathers who desert their children are largely responsible for “dysfunctional” black families.Those figures, while correct, don't tell the whole story.
In praise of black fathers
We've all heard or read the statistics:More than half of black children live with a single parent.One in nine black children have at least one incarcerated parent. In nearly 72 percent of births to African American women, the mothers were unmarried.And on and on and on.Underlying those figures is the insidious notion that irresponsible black fathers who desert their children are largely responsible for “dysfunctional” black families.Those figures, while correct, don't tell the whole story.
In praise of African American fathers
We've all heard or read the statistics:More than half of black children live with a single parent.One in nine black children have at least one incarcerated parent.In nearly 72 percent of births to African American women, the mothers were unmarried.And on and on and on.Underlying those figures is the insidious notion that irresponsible black fathers who desert their children are largely responsible for “dysfunctional” black families.Those figures, while correct, don't tell the whole story.
Child back home after car accident
After having neck surgery and receiving stitches to the face, Ziahlyn Ringer, was released Tuesday from Children's Medical Center of Dallas, according to his mother.Jasmine Rodriguez, 28, of Palestine, told the Herald-Press Friday that her seven-year-old son is back home and doing normal activities. “He's a strong kid and he pulled through very well,” said Rodriguez. “He's ready to get outside and play.”According to Palestine Police Department spokesman Capt.
Council approves purchase of 81,340 backhoe
Palestine City Council members voted unanimously Monday to purchase a $81,340 backhoe loader for the public works department.Public Works Director Tim Perry made the request, including trading in the old loader. Money for the loader will come from the capital improvement projects fund, split between the water and waste department. Perry said repairs to fix the current loader, a 2008 Caterpillar 430 E, were too costly. The water and waste department needs the new backhoe, he said.
Harley-Davidson police motorcycles return to Palestine
For the first time in more than a decade, Palestine Police Department will have motorcycles in its fleet of vehicles, moving the department closer to its ultimate goal of becoming a more “modern future-focused” police department.PPD purchased two Harley-Davidson motorcycles from the Lancaster Police Department for a total of $14,000, Chief Andy Harvey said.
Bike giveaway encourages outdoor activity
Texas Youth Advocates is offering children ages 5 to 12 an incentive to get outside and enjoy a summer past-time through its first annual bike giveaway.“We want to get kids out of the house and away from the PlayStation and Xbox,” said Charles Dwight Carter, CEO for Texas Youth Advocates.Parents are required to submit a one-page essay highlighting their kids achievements. All children are eligible to enter the contest regardless of household income.
Palestine names first school safety coordinator
Palestine Independent School District has appointed its first safety coordinator, school district spokesperson Larissa Loveless said Tuesday.In the new position, William Stewart, a veteran educator for the district, will ensure all campuses follow best practices in school safety, and all staff and students are prepared for emergencies.Stewart duties as safety coordinator will include developing general safety procedures throughout the district. Stewart will also conduct a safety audit.
Child, 7, struck by vehicle, seriously injured
A seven-year-old child remains in serious condition, after his mother struck him with a vehicle Wednesday afternoon in Palestine.The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m., in the 1500 block of E. Palestine Avenue, Palestine Police Department spokesman Capt. Mark Harcrow said.
Committee gearing up for 25th annual Juneteenth celebration
The Anderson County Negro Historical Preservation Committee will sponsor its 25th annual Juneteenth Celebration – “From the Cotton Fields to Capitol Hill Sweet Freedom” – on June 14-16.The annual Juneteenth Pageant, on Thursday, June 14 at 6 p.m., will kick off three days of festivities to commemorate and celebrate the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. The pageant will take place at the Ben E. Keith center, 2019 W.
Palestine names first school safety coordinator
Palestine Independent School District has appointed its first safety coordinator, school district spokesperson Larissa Loveless said Tuesday.In his new position, William Stewart, a veteran educator with the district, will ensure all campuses follow best practices in school safety, and all staff and students are prepared for emergencies.Stewart duties as safety coordinator will include developing general safety procedures throughout the district. Stewart will conduct a safety audit soon.
Council raises pay for judges more than 20 percent
To compete successfully with surrounding communities and attract quality candidates, members of the Palestine City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to increase the salary for municipal court and associate judges.The action will increase the municipal court judge's annual salary by $9,000, from $31,000 to $40,000 annually. That's an increase of nearly 30 percent.
'Imagine' tour will feature historic properties downtown
To attract downtown investors, entrepreneurs, and developers, the Palestine Main Street Program will sponsor its second annual “Imagine the Possibilities” tour Friday. It's all part of the city's efforts to redevelop and recreate Palestine's historic downtown and make it a signature asset for the region.The tour of 12 prominent downtown properties – eight of which are for sale or lease – will start at noon at The Redlands Historic Hotel, 400 N.
‘Straight love’ drives parents, students to ‘Black Panther’ showing
by Lee R. Watkins Special to The New Tri-State Defender The international flow of moviegoers checking out “Black Panther” continued last weekend and in Memphis students and parents flocked to the Malco Paradiso to watch the superhero film on Saturday. Shelby County Schools purchased 2,000 tickets for a private screening for students and families. Attendees enjoyed free refreshments and were greeted by actor Hasaan Rasheed (king’s warrior in “Black Panther”).
Memphis’ Evvie McKinney sings her way to ‘The Four’ finale on Fox
Evvie McKinney comes from a close-knit musical family, so it was no surprise that she dedicated her debut performance on Fox’s “The Four” to her late father. McKinney, 20, is a Memphis-native and the youngest of seven children. She appeared on “The Four” on last Thursday (Feb.1) and sang “Rise Up” by Andra Day, impressing the panel of celebrity judges: Sean “Diddy” Combs, DJ Khaled, Meghan Trainor and Charlie Walk.
Miller and the Tigers subdue UCLA's Bruins
Anthony Miller has this thing down pack now. His ability to routinely make plays on the biggest stage has earned him the nickname “Big game.” Miller's talent was in full effect was on Saturday, as the Tigers’ pulled the upset 48-45 over the 25th ranked UCLA Bruins in front of a crowd of 46,291 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
In a word, Poetry Slam delivers
Carin Malone entered the MLK50 Drop the Mic Poetry Slam with a different mindset from previous years – step down from the committee team and participate in the spoken word competition. Malone, a Moscow, Tenn. native, moved to Memphis at an early age after a deadly house fire claimed the lives of two of her cousins. She began to write as a form of therapy, using poetry as a form of communication after isolating herself from other people.
The Masqueraders putting on a show for ‘America’s Got Talent’
“I Ain’t Got To Love Nobody Else” put The Masqueraders on the map in 1968 but the soul and gospel music group struggled to find consistency after producing that hit record. Fast forward almost 50 years and The Masqueraders are turning to “America’s Got Talent” (AGT) for a music industry comeback. The Memphis-based trio will appear on AGT’s live round on Tuesday, August 22, at 7 p.m. They have a simple appeal: Tune in to vote live.
First day signals a new day at Dunbar Elementary
When the future of your school has been resurrected from the grave list of schools targeted for closure, the first day of the new school year warrants the kind of red-carpet treatment students and parents received at Dunbar Elementary School on Monday. The special visitors to the school at 2606 Select Ave. included Shelby County Schools Supt. Dorsey Hopson, former Mayor A C Wharton Jr., Bishop Henry M.
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