News

Oct. 8-30

Karen Lowrey Exhibit

Karen Lowrey will have a pottery exhibit “Refined by Fire,” on display through Oct. 30 at the Whatley Center Foyer gallery. Lowrey is a potter and sculptor from Longview who creates one-of-a-kind handmade vessels. A reception with the artist will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the Whatley Foyer. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday or by appointment by calling (903) 434-8181.

Oct. 9-10

Treasure Trails

Fall Treasure Trails is set for Oct. 9-10. Seven cities are joining in the East Texas Treasure Trails event for garage sales including Pittsburg, Avinger, Hughes Springs, Lone Star, Mount Pleasant, Naples and Omaha.

Oct. 10

Habitat for Humanity Car Show

Camp County and the City of Pittsburg are under a burn ban as of Oct. 8. Most east Texas counties have been in and out of burn bans since early summer. Camp County was put under a burn ban for part of the summer, but it was lifted Sept. 9. Dry, windy conditions have made it necessary to reenact the ban.

All outdoor burning is prohibited with the exception of outdoor grilling or welding with supervision and appropriate fire suppression. A fine of $500 may be levied on those violating the ban.

As of Oct. 7, the Keetch Byram Drought Index for Camp County was an average of 646-679. The KBDI is used to determine the likelihood of a forest fire by measuring the daily water balance, including precipitation and soil moisture. The index ranges from 0 to 800 with 0 representing no moisture loss and 800 representing extremely dry conditions.

Temperature and wind also factor into the KBDI. For more information, call Camp County at (903) 856-3845.

The scene is one straight out of the 1990 film “Arachnophobia,” where spider webs covered a barn and house and the spiders responsible eventually terrorized a town. Massive spider webs crafted by thousands of long-jawed orbweavers are a fleeting attraction that has to be seen to be believed at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park.

Luckily, the spiders at the state park aren't deadly or aggressive – much to the relief of park staff. Webs cover a huge area, from the tops of trees to the ground at the multi-use bathroom area between the Fort Sherman and Cherokee Trace camping areas.

Similar huge webs were spotted in 2007 at Lake Tawakoni State Park and again this summer in Rowlett, Texas. Lake Tawakoni and Rowlett are approximately 35 miles apart. Approximately 70 miles separate Tawakoni and Lake Bob Sandlin.

First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg invites the public to the Lord’s acre annual fundraiser which benefits missions adopted by the church. Participants can choose several ways to enjoy a variety of activities. First is the annual bake sale and country store featuring one-of-a-kind handmade arts and crafts and delicious home baked pies, cakes, cookies and candies. The sale begins Friday, Oct. 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and concludes on Saturday following the Tour the Tablescapes luncheon. Guests may enjoy taking a tour of the Tablescapes that have been prepared for the Saturday luncheon.

Volunteers adopt tables and dress, decorate and set them in a variety of themes and colors, showcasing imagination and creative flair. The public may visit Tour the Tablescapes from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The preview was created to allow more people the opportunity to tour and view the dining room prior to Saturday’s luncheon. The tables have become works of art.

Sharonda Henderson’s son, young Mr. Edmond Caldwell Jr., prepares to cut the ribbon as his sisters, K’ydrana Caldwell and Adasia Henderson look on. Pittsburg Mayor Shawn Kennington, far right, and members of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce join Ms. Henderson and her family at the grand opening of her new shop, JP’s Fashion and Accessories for Plus Size Women. “This is a dream come true for me, I’ve wanted to do this since I was younger,” Ms. Henderson said. “There is a need for this in this area.”

Never one to let grass grow underfoot, Pittsburg Mayor Shawn Kennington now has another accolade to add to his already impressive resume – police academy graduate.

Mayor Kennington boasts more than 20 years as a funeral director at Erman-Smith Funeral Home and 10 years as mayor, but decided he could serve the public in a larger capacity with continued education. He graduated from the Northeast Texas Community College police academy on Sept. 23 and is now a certified Texas peace officer.

“I grew up here in Pittsburg and have been here all my life,” he said. “When I was in high school, it was either law enforcement or the funeral business and I chose funeral.”

Mr. Kennington graduated in 1993 and went to mortuary school. He returned to Pittsburg and has been serving the folks of Pittsburg and Camp County ever since.

The Pittsburg Pirate High School Band is preparing for competition this month, not only in the University Interscholastic League of Texas, but also in the National Association of Military Marching Bands competition.

Mr. Austin Jesmore is the high school band director and director of bands for all of Pittsburg ISD. The Pirate Band has not won a competition since 2012 in NAMMB and 2007 in UIL but is ready to change that.

“I sat down in a meeting with the section leader earlier this year and asked them what do we want to accomplish this year?” Mr. Jesmore said. “And they told me that their biggest goal was to win at the UIL marching contest and their next big goal was to place first, second, or third at the NAMMB marching contest.”

The pre-UIL NAMMB competition will be Oct. 10.

Lt. David Abernathy commander of the responding Pittsburg Fire and Rescue units takes a moment to coordinate the activities of the firemen. At 8:55 AM Friday, October 02, 2015, Mrs. Jessica Kimbro, discovered a fire in her laundry room that had quickly spread into her attic. Pittsburg F&R Engine number  one, and number two responded to the scene on Mockingbird lane.  The contents of the laundry room, attic, and many items in the garage including the vehicle were badly damaged. The garage door opener controls were jammed by the heat and the fireman had to cut open the door to get to the fire.

A three-vehicle wreck left a Lindale man dead Thursday, Sept. 24 one mile south of the Midway truck stop in the north bound lane. A rock and dirt truck driven by Wayne Glover slammed into the rear of two vehicles stopped for a Gilmer school bus, a tanker driven by Todd Williams of Tyler and a red Camaro driven by Donald Scott of Lindale. Both vehicles were thrown into the ditch by the impact. Mr. Scott’s Camaro was crushed between the two semis and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Stripes, curves, a check here or there – no matter the pattern, Sawdust Memories transforms blocks of wood into artwork with each of its custom cutting boards.

Owners Joshua and Nikki Wiltse of Pittsburg craft each board by hand using natural woods to form contrasting colors.

Finished boards are available now inside Sisters Reclaimed at 107 Jefferson St. in downtown Pittsburg. Each cutting board, whether sized larger for meat or smaller for cheese, can be customized to any personality.

Joshua said he learned woodworking at his grandfather’s feet and he and Nikki also build and restore furniture in addition to the cutting boards.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time. We just thought they were neat and pretty,” Joshua said of the cutting boards. “I like the different curves and patterns.”

Nikki said the creative process is rewarding and she loves watching a piece of wood become something useful as well as beautiful.