The 8th Annual Sabine County Ducks Unlimited Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, February 16th at the VFW Hall in Hemphill.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m, dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m, and the auction begins at 8:00 p.m.  Ticket prices for youth under 17 are $20, $40 for individuals, and $60 for couples.  Corporate sponsorships are also available.  For more information, call Tim Hopkins at Shelby Saving Bank at 409-787-3102.  That's Saturday, February 16th at the VFW Hall, 3049 State Highway 187 in Hemphill.

Each year, recipients have a chance to make changes to their Medicare Advantage or Medicare Prescription Drug (also called “Part D”) coverage for the following year. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can leave your plan and switch to Original Medicare.  However, tomorrow, February 14 is the cutoff date.  Your Original Medicare coverage will begin the first day of the following month.  If you do decide to switch to Original Medicare, you will also only have until tomorrow February 14 to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.  Your prescription drug coverage will begin the first day of the month after the plan gets your enrollment form.  Unfortunately, you cannot switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Make sure you understand how a plan works before you join.  For more information you can contact an Area Agency on Aging of Deep East Texas Benefits Counselor at 2-1-1 or 1-800-256-6848.

It’s now time for the Center Broadcasting Community Spotlight of the Week.  This Week’s Community Spotlight will be shedding light on a purpose driven man who is answering a higher calling.  We would like to highlight Bishop W.C Martin, Senior Pastor of the Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and Founder of the Saving a Generation outreach program.  Bishop Martin and his wife Donna not only want to spread the life changing word of God, but also have a heart for children and desire to spread the love of God to those in need.  The Saving a Generation outreach program was formed in 2000 in order to facilitate, support, and under gird the adoption and fostering of children who have been abused and neglected.  As a result of the Martins hard work and perseverance, the lives of 76 children have been dramatically changed through adoption.  The Martin’s have two biological children of their own along with four adopted children.  Bishop Martin and the Saving a Generation program have received nationwide recognition.  He has been a guest on numerous television programs such as Oprah, Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, 48 Hours, TBN, The 700 Club and others. Bishop Martin has also been featured in countless magazines and newspapers and is also a keynote speaker for conferences and seminars across the country.  He has also authored a book entitled “Small Town, Big Miracle: How Love Came to the Least of These.”  In 2005, the TV show "Renovate My Family" came to Possum Trot and spent three weeks building the Martin’s a beautiful 10,000 square foot gymnasium and learning center.  At one time, the building was busy with after school programs, summer programs and feeding the hungry. This past Christmas, Walmart and the Today Show stepped up and surprised the community of Possum Trot with an abundance of food, clothes and other necessities for the individual families in the community as well as for the community's Youth Center. A Christmas gift was also given to each of the foster children.  The Martin's outreach building with so much potential to help people, now sits empty due to lack of funding.  In spite of all the negativity and financial despair, Bishop Martin is on a mission to impact lives.  We to want to sincerely thank Bishop Martin for his countless hours of hard work and tireless dedication to the children and families of Shelby County. 

Valentine’s Day is coming, and it is a good time to remind your teens to love their lives and buckle up. As part of their annual effort to encourage teen drivers to buckle up, the Texas Department of Transportation is partnering with high schools across the state to promote the Teen Click It or Ticket Campaign to talk to teens about how buckling up can save their lives. More than 750 schools have signed up to participate in the campaign.  Every year, new teen drivers get behind the wheel in Texas, and unfortunately, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths nationwide. Teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  During 2011 in Texas, there were 1,074 motor vehicle traffic crashes in which unrestrained teen occupants, ages 15-20, sustained fatal or serious injuries. And, nearly half of the 295 teen occupants, ages 15–20, killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes were not wearing their safety belts at the time of the crash.  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent, Claudann M. Jones, from Shelby County reminds teens and their parents to know the Texas seat belt law. Since September 2009, all occupants of a vehicle, no matter their age, must be secured by a safety belt, no matter where they are seated in the vehicle. Unbuckled passengers could face fines from $25 to $200. Unbuckled drivers face fines of up to $250. All unbuckled passengers are cited individually.  Additionally, the Texas Graduated Driver License Program allows for license suspension if teens receive a seat belt citation. The Graduated Driver License law also prohibits teens from using a cell phone while driving.  Make sure that you remind your teens to love their lives and buckle up.

The Jindal administration hopes to fix flaws in the new "cash balance" pension plan, while two major retirement systems are trying to get a year's delay in its planned July 1 implementation.  Although Gov. Bobby Jindal opposes any delay, the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System, and the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana have served legal notice that they will ask the Legislature to approve a resolution suspending the law.  According to sources, Jindal cannot veto such resolutions.  A legal notice has been filed indicating that legislation would be filed in the upcoming 2013 legislative session that addresses the cash balance plan's administration and operation, membership, contributions and eligibility.  The session opens April 8.

Texas transportation officials say they will need about $4 billion more per year to maintain and improve the state's aging highway system and keep its growing population moving.  Phil Wilson, executive director of the state Department of Transportation told House lawmakers that Texas is nearing the end of a decade of construction and maintenance fueled by bonds and other revenue sources.  Wilson says that without new money, state roads are facing a "perfect storm" of a growing population trying to use aging highways.  Gov. Rick Perry has said he wants to spend more than $3 billion from the state's Rainy Day Fund for water and road projects.  The Legislature also is considering a state constitutional amendment to dedicate billions in annual car purchase sales taxes to highway construction.

Local Arrest Report for February 9-11

Ivan Facundo, 29, of Center was arrested by DPS for Driving While Intoxicated and No Drivers License

Chad Parrish, 34, of Timpson was arrested by Timpson Police for Fictitious License Plate

Sylvia Hodge, 28, of Tenaha was arrested by DPS for Theft

Tompaul Chandler, 21m of Center was arrested by Shelby County Sheriffs for Assault Family Violence

Amanda Burch, 25, of Center was arrested by Center Police for Abandonment of a Child

Elizabeth Sanford, 31, of Center was arrested by Center Police for Abandonment of a Child

Jamarcus Patton, 25, of Center was arrested by Center Police for Delivery of a Controlled Substance

Tri-County Community Action Agency, Inc. and Goodwill Industries of Lufkin, have partnered together to assist clients with Free income tax preparation. You can file a tax return to claim the tax benefits you earned with the Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit. If you worked in 2012, had children living with you and earned less than about $47,000 or did not have children living with you and earned less than about $14,000, you Could Qualify! The Tri-County Community Action Agency will be open for income tax assistance at the old Center Elementary School at 214 Nacogdoches Street across from the square. Please contact Brenda Allen at 598-6315, ext. 35 to schedule an appointment.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the San Augustine Commissioners Court will be held tomorrow at 9:00 a.m in the Commissioners Court Room at 100 W. Columbia, Room 103 in San Augustine to deliberate and consider action on the following items: Consider approval of the minutes of the Commissioners Court meetings held January 22 and January 31, Approve monthly reports, Discuss and consider Ike Round 2.2 proposed road improvements, alternatives and possible amendments presented by Ray Vann of Raymond K. Vann & Associates, LLC., Discuss and consider the issues regarding posted speed limit signs on Hwy 83, and Discuss and consider approving additional payment to ACS. That's a meeting of the San Augustine Commissioners Court tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

The Center City Council will meet in regular session today at 5:00 p.m in the Council Room at City Hall. The following items are on the agenda for appropriate action: Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting on January 28. Consider discussion and possible action on the following: Approve Resolution 2013-6 - Authorizing Submission to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, for Continued Participation in the Home Program Reservation System, Approve Resolution 2013-7 - Accepting Petition of Property, Zoning Board of Adjustments Committee - Nominations and/or Confirmation of Appointments for 2013 Terms. Again, that's a Center City Council meeting today at 5:00 p.m.

Louisiana taxpayers can choose between three methods of payment for state income tax refunds. Taxpayers who file their state income taxes electronically can select direct deposit, a paper check, or the Louisiana MyRefund Card, a pre-loaded debit card that can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs or bank teller windows, shop and pay bills online, or make purchases and get cash back at retail registers. New to the paper state income tax return this year is the option of selecting a paper check for your refund, in addition to the MyRefund Card. Taxpayers who do not select a refund method on the paper form will receive the debit card. The Louisiana Department of Revenue encourages electronic filing for all income tax returns. It is the method that provides the fastest processing time for refunds. Electronic filers receive their refunds within an average of ten business days. Paper filers can expect to wait at least three months. For more IRS tax information, visit www.revenue.louisiana.gov.

Texas is ranked as the number one exporting state for the 11th year in a row, according to 2012 annual trade data released Saturday by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Texas exports for 2012 totaled $265 billion, a 5.4 percent increase from $251 billion in 2011 and outperformed overall U.S. exports, which only grew by 4.3percent to $1.54 trillion. The state's top export recipients were Mexico, Canada, China, Brazil, and the Netherlands, which respectively imported $94.8 billion, $23.7 billion, $10.3 billion, $10.0 billion, and $9.5 billion in Texas-manufactured goods. Additionally, Texas' top exporting industries in 2012 were petroleum and coal products, chemicals, computer and electronic products, non-electrical machinery, and transportation equipment. Boasting our continued economic success, the governor will travel to California this week to meet with business leaders across a variety of industries to promote doing business in Texas.