Acting as a giant time capsule, several rooms in the Meadows Building at U.S. 377 and Denton Street still hold much of the town’s and her family’s history – carefully preserved by Yvonne Jenkins, who served as the town’s mayor from 1980-1984 and again from 1991-2001 before she passed at the age of 74 in July 2010 following a lengthy illness.

Also a historian, Jenkins opened the museum in 2007, welcoming residents and visitors alike to a collection she built in the years since B.W. Meadows opened the Meadows General Store in the 1920s.

Today, Jenkins’ daughter, Kay Teer, who also serves on the Argyle Town Council, is selling the Meadows Building to someone with the hope of preserving the original building where she lived as a youngster in an upstairs apartment. It is the same building where she remembers climbing on a step in front of the oaken candy display to peer through the glass and choose among the latest in sweet confections.

While she works to preserve the building’s history, Teer is also hoping to find benefactors to take the reins on preserving the town’s history for future generations. And though she has a bit of time to relocate the artifacts, it is not unlimited. Some items are being relocated to Argyle Town Hall for residents to enjoy. But there’s so much more that needs a new home.

“I’d like to have a 501(c)(3) organization take over and maybe some interns from the university to help preserve the town’s history,” she said.

The task is too much for her to take on alone, she says. “I’m not sure I would know how to preserve all of this,” Teer said, waving her arms around the room packed with historical treasures – treasures that her mom collected from older residents as well as her own family and through travels around the U.S. and overseas.

Jenkins, known in Denton for working to preserve that city’s past through the Denton County Historical Commission, spent hours upon hours tracking the history of Argyle. She and Teer traveled overseas to visit the Duke of Argyll in Scotland, with whom Jenkins developed a pen pal relationship. The town’s iconic “A” – red with a star-shaped design – is from the Duke’s signature, Teer said.

Jenkins also traveled to communities across the U.S. bearing the same name – Argyle, Ill.; Argyle, N.Y.; Argyle, Wisc.; Argyle, Minn.; Argyle, Ga.; Argyle, Fla.; Argyle, Mich.; and even Missouri, where a ninth Argyle still remains. Argyle, Utah, is the 10^th namesake in the U.S. though the community is now considered a ghost town.

Just the history of the building is something to behold. Members of the Meadows family operated a variety of business on the premises including: Bill Meadows and Red Allen Sinclair Gas Station and Garage on the south side; a café run by Jewel Meadows on the north side, which is where a cream station to test butter fat was added in the 1930s; Red Allen Electric Shop and Ann Wynn’s Beauty Shop on the northeast corner; a feed grinding mill on the southeast corner outside of the building; and the rest including a feed room, hardware supplies, rope and veterinary supplies and a meat market where Georgia Bell Meadows Allen served as the butcher. The General Store stocked just about anything anyone could need from overalls and khaki work clothes to hats, shoes, bolts of material, sewing supplies, lamps, paint, canning supplies, buckets, wash tubs and coal oil. Children favored the northwest corner where the candy case, ice cream freezer, toys and comic books could be found. The Argyle Post Office operated out of the building from the 1920s until the 1950s in the Meadows Grocery until it was moved to the north side of the building in the 1950s.

The Meadows General Store operated from the 1920s through 1982. In 1985, the general store was transformed into the Meadows Building, renting out space to different businesses.

The upstairs apartment where Teer once lived as a child featured a downstairs kitchen – a kitchen where Teer recalls her family once served sandwiches to transients during the Great Depression.

The building even served as the occasional hang-out for Argyle City Hall’s official dog – Rowdy – a fox terrier who would greet visitors young and old at city hall, his usual domain.

Though much of the town’s history is preserved on paper in a book published in 1980 by Jenkins, the artifacts await the patient hands of dedicated historians knowledgeable in the art of preservation.

“I love this place but I don’t know all of the things she did,” Teer said of her mother’s skill as an historian. “That’s why I’m working to create a local historical commission and the city to get it set up and organized.”

The post Argyle: Preserving the Past for Future Generations appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

(Written by Matt Davenport) The Lady Eagles outplayed the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs through four quarters and won the 4A UIL girls’ basketball state championship game 46-25 in the Alamodome on Mar. 7. This victory came after Argyle’s 58-54 victory over the La Vega Pirates in the state semi-finals.

Coach Skip Townsend, who surpassed 1,000 career wins earlier this season, is highly credited by the players for bringing them to this point.

“Since our freshman year when Coach Townsend came here, it was quite a roller coaster from then to now,” senior center Delaney Sain said. “From my freshman year, I couldn’t even imagine getting the gold at state. It’s a huge accomplishment, and we owe it all to Coach Townsend.”

Delaney is one of two senior starters, along with Jesse Sheridan, who have been on this journey with Townsend through their entire high school careers.

“When we got here four years ago, Delaney and Jesse started for us as freshman, and I made a promise to them, a commitment to them,” Townsend said. “I told these girls one of these days we were going to have a big time team, and y’all just need to buy in to what we do. This is the culmination of four years of hard work by these seniors.”

All year, the Lady Eagles have faced higher ranked or larger teams and that played a critical role in preparing the girls for this tournament.

“We were ready for this tournament, and we really didn’t care what our ranking was. We just knew that we wanted to be ready physically and mentally to come play against these types of girls,” Townsend said. “Those weren’t the first two 6’4 girls we played against this year. We played against some 6’4 all-americans and won. That built our confidence. Last year, when we came against La Vega, we may have been a little scared of those people, but this year, we wanted to come get them; we were ready for them.”

One of the players who has benefitted most from Townsend’s coaching and the increased level of competition is sophomore Vivian Gray, who led the team in points and rebounds in each of the Lady Eagle’s state tournament games.

“I remember back in 7th grade when Coach Townsend came, and he told me he wouldn’t stop yelling at me until I got a gold medal around my neck,” Gray said. “It just all came back to me, and it’s awesome.”

Gray contributed heavily on offense, but she was also a key cog in the Argyle defense that shut down Wylie’s offense for most of the game.

“We told our girls this is your man; go take them,” Townsend said. “Make it personal. It’s a personal thing when they score on you. We played great team defense; it’s not a one-on-one deal. We played defense tonight like we always play defense, but we just turned it up a notch.”

One of the least appreciated, but most dominant defensive players for Argyle is Delaney Sain, who for the second straight game, shut down a much larger center.

“She’s tough down there,” Townsend said. “She’s really smart on defense, she knows how to get the right position and she doesn’t get bumped around. She just did a great job of keeping a hand up, not fouling and getting on the free throw line.”

Argyle’s game plan for Wylie was similar to their plan for La Vega: play hard defense, get the other team in foul trouble, and shoot make-able shots.

“We get the ball in these girls’ hands, and they knock them down,” Townsend said. “I told them, we may not get the easy shots against this team because they’re a tough defense. We never lost the ball, we made them foul us hard, and we went up there and knocked them down and made them pay for it. That’s how you win championships, and that’s what we did tonight.”

After falling short in the 2014 state championship game, Townsend credited one attribute in particular to this year’s team’s success: toughness.

“We’ve matured as a team,” Townsend said, “and now we’re the ones putting the hurts on people, instead of them putting the hurts on us. We’ve changed that mentality and that’s why we’re champions.”

The post Argyle Lady Eagles win state championship appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Liberty Christian School’s Lady Warriors claimed the championship title Saturday against Plano’s Prestonwood Christian Academy.

The winning score of 45-38 followed a close game with the Argyle-based team slightly behind in the first quarter.

By the fourth, Liberty took the lead all the way to the TAPPS 5A championship title.

In a quick recap of the game in Mansfield, Liberty trailed at the end of the first quarter as Prestonwood took the lead with a score of 15-10.

With 5:15 left in the game, Liberty trailed by one point at 33-32 against Prestonwood.

With 2:50 left in the game, Liberty pulled ahead by a point after two successful freethrows by Hannah Hand, taking the score to 34-33.

The momentum continued with a free throw by Sydney Goodson, broadening Liberty’s lead to 40-33.

With 15 seconds left in the game, Liberty remained ahead at 43-38 despite a comeback challenge by Prestonwood.

The post Liberty’s Lady Warriors claim TAPPS 5A state title appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

“We lost 10 of our 14 starters from last year who graduated, but I never looked at this season as a rebuilding year,” Coach Hughes said. “I still believed we had a chance at defending our first state championship from last season.”

Along with the second place finish, his team set a new record at TAPPS for the most individual state champions with five. Dawson Parker is now a two-time TAPPS state champion, and Paul Barbaro is now a three-time all-state placer after winning his first state title. Tanner Terry and Dylan Faucett are two-time state placers along with their titles. Garrett Sawyer was a state finalist from last season and is now a champion and two-time all-state placer.

“We also had really great performances outside of our state champions,” Coach Hughes said. “Clayton Odom capped off a great season with a second place finish. He has improved so much and has been a key piece for our lower weights.”

He said that his newcomers did an amazing job. Brady Banks and Hunter Stinnett wrestled up a weight in a very competitive weight class all year long.

“At the state tournament, Brady managed to get a pin for us and was one win away from placing in the top four,” he said.

“Hunter made the consolations finals for a chance at finishing in the top three as all sate, but settled for 4th,” he added.

Other newcomers in the lineup this year also included Michael Clarke, Alexander Balli, and Wade Marley.

“All of them had impressive showings,” said Coach Hughes. “Clarke was very close to placing, just one match away. Alexander finished 4th with a great day of wrestling in his first year as varsity wrestler.

“In addition, Wade, who battled sickness all week prior to state, fought very hard for us and finished in 4th place.

“A huge help at the heavyweight class was Garrett Johnson. He had an amazing performance and finished the day in 3rd place and earning all-state honors.”

Coach Hughes said he is very proud of all the boys for a great season. “Their hearts and efforts are more than a coach could ask for from a group of young men,” he said.

“At state, we wrestled well, and their best efforts were given,” he added. “To convincingly be one of the top two prep programs in the state, proven at prep duals and TAPPS – and especially after losing half of our lineup from the previous year, is not only impressive but shows the determination of the boys and God’s hand on our program.”

Vivian Nichols is part of the public relations team for Liberty Christian School.

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Both teams were vying for play-off status a week after a photo of signs with “white” and “power” were captured in a Twitter snapshot that hit the news circuit across the country.

But one week later, gone were the black and gold Panthers and the blue and white Jaguars. On this night, students in The Colony gymnasium donned yellow t-shirts that read: “Where there’s unity, there’s victory. PESH-FMHS 2-20-15.”

The t-shirts signified a coming together of both sides after claims of racism swirled across social media.

Both teams, warming up in the unity shirts, gathered at the start of the game to form a unity circle.

Boxes of t-shirts were brought in as students tossed them into the crowds on both sides for students not already wearing them.

At the sound of the first buzzer, both teams were in their regular uniforms ready for action on the court.

The Panthers scored first, taking an early lead that carried them through to win the game 71-41.

Plano East will face Marcus at 2 p.m. Saturday after Marcus won its game against Hebron 66-57 earlier in the evening at The Colony High School.

With district officials standing amid a bevy of reporters on the sidelines and officers from The Colony Police Department both inside and outside of the gymnasium, any remnants from the week prior were absent as chants of “We can’t hear you” echoed from one side to the other.

The game drew a standing-room-only crowd, close to its official 2,000 person capacity, officials said.

It was back to the basics of basketball.

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The coach of every student addressed the crowd of parents and fellow students who were in attendance that day to applaud these athletes’ accomplishments.

Assistant Athletic Director Johnny Isom said, “As coaches, we are so proud of these students who have displayed leadership, skill, and courage through many practices and games over the years.

“We pray they will carry on what they have learned at Liberty and be lights and world changers at their universities, rising to meet the challenge of college sports.”

Hannah Albert signed with Harding University to play soccer.

She said, “Receiving a scholarship to play soccer at the next level means so much to me. The countless hours of practice are paying off.”

Hannah said soccer has been something she has loved since she was five years old. She has won two state championships in club soccer and played twice in the national championships. At Liberty, she has also been involved in Key Club, volleyball, and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). She has traveled to other countries with Liberty on mission trips and is currently an Impact mentor leader to Middle School students.

She would like to major in social work, so in that in the future, she may counsel and work with children.

“I believe Liberty has prepared me very well academically, athletically, and spiritually,” she said. “It has taught me time management, study techniques, and dedication.

“I’m excited to see where this next chapter of my life takes me.”

Brooke Bancroft signed with Baylor University in equestrian.

She said, “The years of hard work and dedication to receive this accomplishment were well worth it. Riding for a Division I school in Baylor is a dream come true.”

Brooke said her love of horses and the equestrian sport began at an early age, from practicing, caring for animals, and dedicating herself to riding.

She has been a member of the Denton Country 4-H for 10 years and a foster “parent” for the Humane Society of Flower Mound. At Liberty, she is an Impact leader, a varsity cheerleader, and a graduate of Liberty’s Leadership Academy. She has also received multiple “Top in Class” awards at Liberty.

She would like to major in communications or therapy/rehabilitation of small and large animals.

“Liberty’s tough standards have prepared me for my continuation of academics at Baylor,” she said. “Early and late practices disciplined my work effort as I enter into university athletics.

“I want to thank Liberty teachers and staff for supporting me over the past four years. I also want to thank my family and my horses who have prepared me for my next four years and future competition.”

Jaden Cook signed with Western Oklahoma State University to play baseball.

He said, “It is amazing to be rewarded for all of the hard work that has been put forth.”

Jaden said he has grown up playing baseball and has always loved playing the game and working to be better.

He is a member of National Honor Society and an active volunteer in the Miss Sweetheart Special Needs Pageant.

Jaden would like to study construction science and run a business in the future.

“Liberty has shown me how to work hard and push through adversity,” he said.

Hunter Griffith signed with Abilene Christian University to play football.

He said, “This honor has shown me that hard work pays off and that God is good.”

Hunter said he loves competing. In his junior and senior year, he made first team all-state in football, and in his sophomore year, made all-state in baseball.

He is undecided in his major but is considering forensic psychology.

Drew Hunnicutt declared his intent to play football at Dartmouth University.

He said, “I will remember this honor for the rest of my life. All my hours of work and effort have paid off.”

Drew said he is very passionate about the game of football, dedicating many hours of practice and preparation. He was named the most valuable player on this year’s football team with Liberty. He was chosen by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) as a first team all-state and first team all-district defensive back. He was also honored as an academic all-state athlete. He has been on Liberty’s honor roll every year in Upper School, and he is also a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, he has traveled with Liberty on Spring Break mission trips to El Salvador for the past two years.

He would like to major in economics.

“Because of Liberty, I know my athletic and academic potential,” he said. “I want to thank God, my family, and my friends for helping me along the way.”

Katherine Keith signed with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to play soccer.

She said, “The honor to sign on National Signing Day is a huge blessing. I have dedicated a lot of time and hard work into soccer, and I can’t wait to continue that work for the next four years.”

Katherine said she has enjoyed playing soccer since she was four years old. Each year, she has set a goal for herself and accomplished it. She has extensive club soccer experience, as well as achievements in the soccer program at Liberty. She has also participated in the Olympic Development Program. She has taken Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) and AP courses at Liberty and plans to graduate with honors. Last year, she was named best in class for English. She is an Impact mentoring leader for Middle School students and a graduate of Liberty’s Leadership Academy. She has also been a member of Key Club and SADD. She has traveled with Liberty the last two Spring Breaks on mission trips to El Salvador and plans to attend this year’s in Panama. She has volunteered at Mission Arlington and as a youth soccer coach.

She would like to major in global securities and intelligence studies and hopes to have a career working in the CIA or FBI.

“Liberty academics prepared me with time management and the willpower to complete challenging work,” she said. “Liberty athletics taught me to glorify Christ in all I do.

“I am also incredibly thankful for the love and support of my family. They are the reason I have pushed myself to limits I thought were not possible.

“I also thank my friends, teammates, and coaches along the way who have been incredibly tough on me because they knew my potential.”

Eduardo Perez signed with Dallas Baptist University to play soccer.

“This is a great honor,” he said. “It has always been a dream of mine to play college soccer.”

Eduardo said he has played soccer for 13 years and that the sport means everything to him.

“It’s my comfort place,” he said. “Just being on the field makes me happy.”

Eduardo has been a varsity soccer starter for Liberty since his freshman year and a captain since his junior year. He has taken Pre-AP and AP Spanish courses and has been a member of the Spanish, SADD, and Key Club. He has been a volunteer in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and has served on Liberty’s mission days at Beautiful Feet, Six Stones, and others. Last year, he traveled with Liberty on a Spring Break mission trip to El Salvador and plans to attend this year’s to Panama.

In the future, he would like to go to medical school.

He said, “My coaches’ influence has really made an impact in my academics and athletics that has helped me become the player I am today.

“I would like to thank my family for being my biggest supporters and my parents for always watching me play no matter what the weather is like outside.”

Sophie Standifer signed with Abilene Christian University to play soccer.

She said, “I have been working for this day for as long as I can remember. It is a dream come true.”

Sophie said soccer has been a huge part of her life since she was little. “I loved soccer as a kid, and I love it now even more,” she said.

In addition to playing club soccer, Sophie has been the captain of her Liberty soccer team for the past two years. She is also in the top 10 percent of her class and is a member of National Honor Society.

She would like to pursue a degree in mathematics and teach secondary education.

She said, “I feel ready academically for college because of the work ethic I have learned at Liberty.

“I am thankful for the people in my life who have supported me through this process and helped me become the person and player I am today.”

Tanner Terry signed with Lyon College in wrestling.

He said, “This honor means the world to me. Most student athletes dream of competing at the collegiate level, and it feels good for all the years of hard work to pay off.”

Tanner said injuries kept him down for many seasons, but prayer, passion, and drive kept him going.

“None of it was easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” he added.

Tanner was awarded newcomer of the year at Liberty. At his previous school, he was a member of National Honor Society and UNICEF.

He is currently undecided in his major, saying he is just going to keep wrestling and go in the direction God points him.

He said, “The academics at Liberty have set me for college, and the athletics have helped me with my attitude and the importance of honoring God in my performance.”

He added, “Without the love and support of my family, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

Coleton Vick signed with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to play soccer.

He said, “This honor means so much to me. I am happy all the hard work has paid off.”

Coleton said he has loved the game ever since he was five years old.

He added, “Since then, I have had my foot on the ball every chance I got.”

In addition to being a club soccer player and a National Honor Society member, Coleton has been a class representative every year in Upper School and has traveled on a Liberty mission trip to El Salvador during Spring Break.

He would like to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting.

“Liberty has prepared me both academically and athletically to take on the next challenge in my life at college,” he said. “I want to thank my family, friends, and coaches for all their support. I would not be here without them.”

Vivian Nichols is part of the public relations team for Liberty Christian School.

The post Liberty Christian recognizes 10 seniors committing to collegiate sports appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

If new Bartonville Police Chief Corry Blount mentions Highland Village a few times in a conversation, it’s not because he’s rather be there.

In fact, he’s very excited about the opportunities his new position offers – a chance to create a sense of community between residents and the police, a community he feels fortunate to be part of with his recent acceptance as the top law enforcement officer.

It’s just that after 17 years with the City of Highland Village Police Department, he’s watched the community evolve and grow – similar to what he anticipates seeing in Bartonville.

“Police departments can become a vehicle to develop a sense of community,” he says. “I hope, over time, we can foster that sense of community.”

Blount, who is married, has raised two boys and is raising a daughter just next door to Bartonville. He has lived and worked in southern Denton County for years, establishing relationships with officers from many of the local police departments.

“I live here, I grew up here, my family’s here,” he says. “I’ve watched all of this [area] grow up.”

To Blount, both communities have a lot in common – residents with a wealth of professional knowledge, the budding of economic development nearby and a willingness to work together for the betterment of the community.

The role of the police department is to make connections in the community – positive connections where police become familiar with the neighbors and businesses to help them better understand needs and concerns as well as be able to monitor any potential problems such as a vehicle not belonging in a neighborhood or a window busted out of a business, Blount says.

“You should police with a purpose,” he adds.

Much like Highland Village, he envisions officers being assigned to specific areas so that residents come to know their patrol officers and vice versa.

“They’re the ambassadors,” he says of the patrol officers in the department. “The way they interact with the public is how the police department is perceived.”

His mantra is to be proactive, not reactive. And from that, he means creating connections as well as helping residents and others understand the laws.

“It’s important to stay ahead of it as the area grows,” Blount says.

For instance, he is not a fan of issuing tickets right and left for minor infractions unless they are truly warranted.

“If someone is speeding 15 mph above the speed limit, they’ll receive a ticket,” Blount says. But if someone is driving five to 10 miles above the speed limit, Blount says officers will still stop them but use the opportunity to educate them about the speed limits and the reason behind them – i.e., safety.

“Whatever the case with a stop, we are going to treat you well,” he says.

And, of course, repeat offenders can be assured of seeing some paperwork.

“I’m not here to police for profit,” Blount says. “We’re here to gain voluntary compliance. … I just want people to know – when we work traffic, it’s to keep people safe.”

Collaboration with other neighboring law enforcement agencies is key, he says, especially among the southern Denton County communities. “A lot of the police departments know each other … and can work together in sharing resources.”

Blount believes in community policing and collaboration – efforts that saw a resurgence after 9/11 and again during the recent recession. He cites the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked most recently, as another example of an agency willing to share its resources with communities across the county.

“I had the opportunity to work for a couple of great agencies,” Blount says. “Both have indicated they are willing to help in any way they can.”

Blount also hopes to mimic a successful campaign in Highland Village to meet all of the Bartonville residents.

“I want us to be able to knock on every door,” he says, adding that eventually, as new residents move in, they’ll also see a visit with a patrol officer to help them become acquainted with whom to call, if needed. He also hopes to develop a packet of information to give new residents as part of a welcome to Bartonville.

“Police departments can become a vehicle to develop a sense of community,” he says. “I hope, over time, we can foster that sense of community.”

For now, the new police chief is spending time becoming better acquainted with officers as well as community members. And as he becomes more familiar, he asks the question, “Who are we going to be?”

That question, he says, is key because the answers will set the goals and objectives for the police department and the community as a whole.

“Going forward, we’ll see what the future holds for us,” he says.

The post Collaboration, sense of community key to good policing appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

While veteran Coach Ryan North never doubted his team’s ability to win games, senior forward Walker Martin knew they would face some tough competition this year.

“We knew that going up a division would greatly increase the competitive nature of the team and that we would have to step up our game to succeed. With many seniors on the team, we were fueled by passion and fight to the end with this new challenge.”

This year, Martin and his tenured teammates were joined by a host of new players, giving the Lions the largest soccer roster in school history. Martin said having a deep bench has affected the team during practice and at games.

“It starts in practice having the ability to have larger drills and more people working out. It also gives a whole new dynamic to the game being able to change our positioning at any moment to create a whole new avenue of attack. It created a whole new sense of “teamship” and community having so many players on the team, everyone is willing to give it all knowing there’s always someone to fill in.”

Senior defender, Reagan Doerstling, said hard work and skill development have been key components to their success thus far.

“This year especially our team has a desire to bring a State Championship to our school. We know that we have the skill to do it and have learned how to play as a unified team that is capable of beating any opponent in front of us.”

As for senior goalie Daniel Drury, who has faced some powerful strikers this year, he said trust among the defenders has made his job much easier than it could have been otherwise.

“For the defense as a unit, especially with the new guys, it has been a learning experience for all of us and it has been a time of huge growth. Many times, in previous years, I haven’t needed them as much, and also I’ve had people in the past that I couldn’t trust, but this year we all do our jobs, and I trust every single one of them to do their job and have each other’s backs, and have my back.“

The season isn’t over yet. The Lions have three more district games before playoffs, one of them again Colleyville Covenant, who barely beat CDA in their first meeting of the season with a golden goal in overtime to win 2-1. Senior Jacob Hubbard says team unity is the key to keeping their playoff hopes alive.

“We need to unite under one goal – to win the championship. Keeping that goal in mind is essential to maintaining our form in these last three games. Our passion and grit has brought us this far and we must continue to push forward with the same intensity, with the attitude of never giving up.”

Senior Night and final home game for the Lions will be this Tuesday, February 3, when they faceoff against Colleyville Covenant at 6pm at McKinnish Park (2340 Sandy Lake Road, Coppell, 75019).

Elizabeth Rogers is with Coram Deo Academy Athletics.

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According to LISD Athletic Director Tim Ford, the ineligibility of the player “did not have anything to do with residency.”

This information was shared after MHS and Lewisville ISD’s Athletic Department completed a thorough investigation. MHS is currently in 3rd place in district standings, but due to the forfeitures this will drop them out of the district race.

“Unfortunately, when incidents like this occur, an entire team has to suffer the consequences,” LISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Kevin Rogers said. “This is a very disappointing situation for all involved.”

LISD will continue to work with the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to determine if any additional steps need to be addressed moving forward.

“This is an upsetting consequence the girls’ varsity basketball team is having to face,” MHS Principal Gary Shafferman said. “But MHS must adhere to UIL rules and guidelines. Due to the sensitivity of this circumstance, please respect our players and their families during this time.”

Due to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws, LISD is unable to share any additional information.

“As with all academic and extracurricular programs, the Marauder pride in excellence will continue,” Shafferman said.

The post MHS girls’ varsity basketball team forfeits games due to ineligible player on team appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Corry Blount, a longtime law enforcement officer in Highland Village and most recently with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, will be the new Bartonville Chief of Police.

“He’s an excellent candidate with multiple years of experience,” said Mayor Bill Scherer during a 10-minute recess after the Bartonville Town Council voted unanimously to hire Blount on Tuesday. “We feel very honored and privileged to have him as our new police chief.”

Bartonville Town Administrator Stacey Almond also noted Blount’s experience and demeanor together made him the number one candidate.

“Blount is a highly respected law enforcement leader whose focus on communication and community policing will be a valuable asset to the town,” Almond said.

On Tuesday, Bartonville Town Council unanimously approved Blount’s hiring and amended the 2014-2015 fiscal year budget to increase the chief’s salary to $77,004 from the original base salary approved last fall at $62,500. According to an online records database, Blount was making an estimated $74,484 as captain with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office.

Blount was selected from a pool of candidates from across the country after the town council voted in August to appoint a search committee to review applications to fill the vacant position.

Blount most recently served as captain of support services for the Sheriff’s Office from February 2013 until turning in his notice. Before then, Blount rose through the ranks to the position of captain with the Highland Village Police Department where he worked from June 1996 through February 2013.

Certified as a TCOLE instructor with a master peace officer license, Blount is a 2003 graduate of the Leadership Command College of the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas and a 2011 graduate of the School of Executive Leadership from the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Midwestern State University in 2004.

In 2007, as a lieutenant, Blount was highlighted for his work with new surveillance cameras to monitor heavy traffic and curb potential burglaries at FM 2499 and FM 407 where The Shops at Highland Village were being built.

Blount is expected to begin his new position on Monday, Jan. 26. A public reception to welcome Blount is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Bartonville Town Hall.

Blount’s hiring follows a year of changes within the Bartonville Police Department.

Bartonville Police Officer Bobby Dowell was appointed as interim police chief in July following the resignation of former police chief Dave Howell. “The town council recognizes Officer Bobby Dowell for his leadership as interim chief for the last five months,” noted Almond in a news release. “He has done an excellent job in serving our town.”

The staffing size of the police department had been a contentious issue in the community during the past year. Howell resigned amid discussions among some town council members over disbanding the police department and contracting with neighboring law enforcement entities – an effort that was later abandoned.

In September, the Bartonville Town Council voted to approve police department staffing with a chief and three fulltime officers for the 2014-2015 fiscal year budget of $396,130 – about $100,000 less than the actual 2013-2014 expenditures of $497,616.29 for the police department as of Sept. 1, 2014, according to town documents.

During September budget discussions, three on the town council said they wanted to keep the department small, growing it only if crime increases while two town council members favored a larger police force as a deterrent to crime at a time when the town was expecting the opening of a major grocery store and other businesses in Lantana Town Center, which is currently under construction.

The search committee for the new police chief was comprised of Mayor Pro Tem Jim Langford, Councilmember Betty Medlock, Bartonville Crime Control and Prevention District Member Johnny Jones, Town Administrator Stacey Almond and citizen-at-large Jim Foringer. From more than 40 applicants, the committee selected three who were interviewed and recommended to the town council for consideration.

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