Annual Guitar, Fiddle Camp brings Students from Around the Region

The annual Circle Bar Ranch Music Camp was held July 12-16, 2015, at the Circle Bar Ranch Lodge in Truscott, Texas. Twenty-five students from around the region gathered to sharpen their musical skills and learn from some of the best in the industry. This was the sixth year for Knox County to host this camp.

PHOTO CAPTION: Back row: Jerry Daniel, Morgan Roper, Wesson Ham, Kate Ridens, Daycee Duncan, Josiah Coplen, Kyler Norman. Middle Row: Joann Albus, Alyssa Cummings, McKayla Coplen, Glenn Finley, Harley Brents, Brett Embry, Sidney Bartee,  Sossy Harris, Braden Garza, Adrien Khayat, Hunter Ricks, Randy Layton, Hugh Welch, Jimi Coplen. Front Row: JW Sollis, Elizabeth Terry, Glenn McLaughlin, Emily Terry, Joe Settlemires, Hanaba Welch. Not pictured: Kaylie Seaton.

Campers came from near and far. The cities represented were Knox City, Munday, Truscott, Quanah, Pampa, Aspermont, San Angelo, Midlothian, Seymour, Albany, Abilene, and the state of Oklahoma.  One surprise guest came all the way from Paris, France. Adrien Khayat, age 14, was visiting the Circle Bar Ranch with his aunt Isabell Farmer from Missouri City, TX. While she was working colts with Eugenie Daniel, Adrien took guitar lessons. He quickly fit in with other teenagers and had a great time.

Another camper, Kate Ridens, age 13 from Quanah, had a voice from the past and performed Sugar Moon, Walkin After Midnight and Faded Love at the final concert on Thursday. She was already an accomplished saxophone player and picked up some guitar while she was there.

"We look forward to music camp each year. It's truly a time of discovery. Some students have been playing for years, but many are new to the guitar, fiddle and certainly Western Swing. This is an opportunity to be submerged into the sea of stringed instruments," said Jimi Coplen, KCVG Community Development Director. Coplen added that it is an intense but fun week. And, everyone leaves camp humming Western Swing tunes like San Antonio Rose for the next few weeks. 

The camp was under the direction of the Knox County Visioning Group. Instructors for this year’s camp included Joe Settlemires and Glenn McLaughlin on guitar and Elizabeth and Emily Terry on fiddle. These instructors lead students in songs such as San Antonio Rose, Sugar Moon, Faded Love and many more. Students were challenged to learn new cords, music theory and push the boundaries on their current skill level.

This year’s camp was held in the rustic, nostalgic Knox County community of Truscott, Texas. The community is home to the Circle Bar Ranch owned by Jerry and Eugenie Daniel. Campers stayed at the Circle Bar Ranch Lodge.

Eugenie Daniel and Tina Sealy. Tina was the camp cook for the week. She did a great job. 

Next year’s camp is already being planned for July 10-14, 2016. For more information, check out the facebook page or call the KCVG at 940-459-4121.

Keep up with the music camp on the facebook page. 

Knox-Haskell Rural Leadership Program Enrollment Opens

The Knox-Haskell Rural Leadership Program is gearing up for round two! This 8-month leadership series will be packed with outstanding speakers, tours, workshops, networking and much more. The Knox County Visioning Group (KCVG) and the Development Corporation of Haskell (DCOH) are sponsoring the Knox-Haskell Rural Leadership Program.

Each class will include curriculum elements such as communication, conflict management, dealing with difficult people/situations, diversity, leadership styles, customer service and team building to name just a few. In addition, there will be local tours of businesses, museums, and other places that make each county unique. These tours will help participants learn more about their community and the region.

The leadership series will be open to 20 people. Those participating will attend an orientation on September 18, 2015.  Monthly sessions will be held on the first Friday of each month from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., starting October and going through May 2016 in Knox and Haskell County. The group will take a trip to Austin in February 2016.  And, each group will launch a community project upon completion of the training in May.  

The program costs $275 and may be paid by the employer or by individuals.  Each participant will receive 4.8 CEUs from Vernon College. This fee includes all travel, food, a t-shirt, the overnight trip to Austin and all supplies. Applications are available to Knox County residents at the Knox County Visioning Group office in Benjamin, TX, or downloaded here.  Application deadline is September 1, 2015, but sooner is better because space is limited. For more information call the KCVG at 940-459-4121 or the DCOH at 940-864-3424.

Luncheon in Munday Discusses Rural Healthcare

Knox County community leaders from Knox City and Munday hosted a regional network luncheon sponsored by Texas Midwest Community Network (TMCN) on Thursday, March 19^th at the Perry Patton Community Center. Community leaders from the neighboring communities of Haskell and Seymour were also in attendance with Caroline Garcia providing a delicious enchilada dinner. 

The focus of the luncheon was “Healthcare in Rural Texas: Successes, Challenges and the Future”. Discussions were led by Stephen Kuehler, CEO at Knox County Hospital District and Kelly Cheek, Center Director at the West Texas Area Health Education Center -- Big Country Region.  Both provided insight into their respective healthcare stories, services offered and their perspective of the future of rural healthcare which in Knox County looks extremely bright!

Special thanks go out to Jimi Coplen, Director of the Knox County Visioning Group for hosting and organizing the events and Judge Travis Floyd for providing a warm welcome to the attendees.

Texas Midwest Community Network is a regional organization for community and economic development, regional promotion, education, and legislative awareness. It is an organization of “communities working together to accomplish what one community cannot do alone.” TMCN sponsors networking events during the year and projects to market the region for business and tourism development.

TMCN Member cities are: Abilene, Albany, Anson, Aspermont, Baird, Ballinger, Brady, Breckenridge, Bronte, Brownwood, Buffalo Gap, Cisco, Clyde, Coleman, Colorado City, Comanche, Cross Plains, De Leon, Dublin, Early, Eastland, Eden, Goldthwaite, Gorman, Graham, Hamilton, Hamlin, Haskell, Hico, Jacksboro, Knox City, Menard, Merkel, Miles, Munday, Ranger, Rising Star, Robert Lee, Rising Star, Roscoe, Rotan, San Angelo, San Saba, Santa Anna, Seymour, Snyder, Stamford, Strawn, Sweetwater, Throckmorton, Tye, and Winters      

Knox-Haskell TRLP Holds 2015 Sessions

The Knox-Haskell Texas Rural Leadership Program (TRLP) has held three sessions in 2015, including two, day-long classes in both Haskell and Knox Counties as well as a two-day trip to Austin to meet with Texas state agencies and each county’s state legislators.

The TRLP, which is in its first year, began in October 2014 and is a combined effort between Knox and Haskell counties to encourage individuals to become better educated about resources and community leadership roles in rural communities. The Knox Haskell TRLP 2014-2015 class has a total of 12 participants from both Knox and Haskell counties. The participants have met once a month since October 2014 and will continue to meet once a month until their graduation in May.

The January 9 TRLP class – which was the fourth class in the eight class series – was held at Haskell City Hall. The topics for the day included Organizing and Group Dynamic as well as City and County Leadership. Karen Kaigler-Walker led the group through curriculum to better understand Organizing and Group Dynamics by using role playing as well as informational charts and case studies. 

Next, the class heard from Haskell City Manager Brandon Anderson and Haskell Mayor John Gannaway regarding the City of Haskell’s planning, operations and leadership. After lunch at Mi Familia, the group met with Haskell County Judge David Davis and members of the Haskell County Commissioners Court as well as elected Courthouse representatives to discuss their responsibilities at the County level. 

Last, but not least, the TRLP participants met with City of Haskell Chief of Police Scott Kennedy, as well as the Committee to Help Haskell County representative Lynn Dodson and the Haskell Noah Project representatives Janis Brozowski and Cynthia Alvidrez.

TRLP in Austin with State Legislators and agency liaisons 

DaLinda Black, Parris Pittman, Rick Rhodes (Texas Department of Rural Affairs), Laura Bowers, James Frank (Texas State Representative), Erin Dunham, Drew Springer (Texas State Representative), Lorrie Coop, Scott Bearden, Carl Milburn, Joy Lynn Pool, Mitzi Welch, Tatiana Nchotu,  Mary Drury

The fourth session was held February 3 – 4 in Austin. The TRLP participants departed as a group from Haskell City Hall on the morning of February 3 and made a stop in Goldthwaite to visit the Texas Botanical Gardens and Native American Interpretive Center. During the visit to the center, the TRLP group met with Jan Fischer, who was the catalyst for the nearly $2 million dollar center which has brought national recognition to their community and a partnership with the Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Museum. 

After leaving Goldthwaite, the TRLP participants continued on to Austin. The group’s prescheduled meetings began on the morning of February 4 and included a private meeting with TX State Representatives Drew Springer and James Frank as well as TX State Senator Charles Perry. Later on in the day, the TRLP group also met with the following individuals in five 20-minute sessions: Leadership Austin’s Programs Manager, Ashely Phillips; TexasDepartment of Agriculture’s Administrator for Rural Affairs, Rick Rhodes; KeepTexas Beautiful’s Senior Programs Director, Christine Chute Canul; Texas TargetCommunities’ CEO, Dr. John Cooper; Texas Rural Leadership Program’s Executive Director, Ronnie McDonald; and Texas Commission on the Arts’ Program Administrator, Chuck Winkler. From these meetings, the TRLP participants heard about programming and grant opportunities that are available for rural communities and how they can be applied for.

TRLP Students visit a $2 million community development project in Goldwaithe, TX

Carl Milburn, Jimi Coplen,  Laura Bowers, Mary Drury, Mitzi Welch, Joy Lynn Pool, Lorrie Coop, Tatiana Nchotu, DaLinda Black, Erin Dunham, Parris Pittman, Scott Bearden

The fifth session was held March 6 in Knox City. The topics for the day included Leading Together as well as a focus on local Health Care, Social Services and Education. Karen Kaigler-Walker and Bud Walker led the group through the curriculum on Leading Together which included lecture material as well as group discussion and application. 

Next, the TRLP group met with the Knox County Hospital Administrator Stephen Kuehler as well as Dr. Ezekiel Duke. After lunch at Pepper’s Dry Goods, the group toured the new Knox City Clinic and Pharmacy, heard from Aging Center Administrator, Maggie Maghee, Double Mountain Coach Director, Rick Ake, and Ministerial Alliance member, Gary Schnable. 

To finish out the day, the group traveled to Rochester to tour the Vocational Tech School. While at the Rochester campus, the group met with the Vo-Tech’s Director, Monty Moeller and CNA instructor Anita Williams to discuss the programs available through the school and its future.

TRLP visits the Rochester Vocational School to learn more about its program and students.

Erin Dunham, Jimi Coplen, Tammy Cunningham, Lorrie Coop, Tatiana Nchotu, Scott Bearden, Anita Williams, Parris Pittman, Laura Bowers, Monty Moeller, Rick Ake

TRLP students meet at the Knox City Clinic during their March session

Mitzi Welch, Sheena Crosson, Tammy Cunningham, Teresa Martinez

The group will participate in one more leadership meeting in Haskell on April 10. During this meeting, the TRLP participants will choose a community development project to complete. The projects will be announced during their May 4 graduation ceremony. 

The Knox County Visioning Group and the Development Corporation of Haskell are sponsoring the TRLP. Partnering organizations are the Knox and Haskell County Extension Offices. Applications for the next leadership course will start in August of 2015. For more information, call 940-459-4121 or 940-864-3424.

Munday Named All-Star Community

The City of Munday received the prestigious designation of “All-Star Community” at the 21st Annual Texas Midwest Conference, Oct. 29^th, at the Abilene Civic Center. A large delegation of local citizens was in attendance to celebrate the honor.

Judge Travis Floyd, Jennifer Foster, Brenda Floyd, Lina Trevino, Grace Tidwell,
 Rick Ake, Bob Bowen, Jimi Coplen, Lorrie Coop, Rosie Ake, Annette Offut

Mayor John Bob Bowen and City Administrator Rick Ake officially received the award from TMCN President Tammy Thorn of Bronte. According to Thorn “the award was developed to recognize a community in our region that went beyond the level of basic achievement into areas of specific accomplishments that serve as models for other TMCN communities to emulate.”  

Communities eligible to apply for the competitive All-Star Community Award must have been designated a “Community of Achievement” within the past three years.  Munday received this designation in 2013 establishing eligibility to apply for the All-Star award this year. Other requirements included written essays explaining how the community goals had been accomplished, how clean-up and beautification had been addressed and describing a unique program or activity being conducted in the community. 

Through the local efforts of Knox County Visioning Group’s Community Development Director Jimi Coplen, an application for the award was submitted in July and the selection was made by a panel of judges who reside in other areas of the State.  A $2,500 cash award was presented to the community to be used for a local project.  At the annual conference in 2015 a report will be given by Munday representatives explaining how the cash award is being used to the betterment of the community.

TMCN member cities include Abilene, Albany, Anson, Aspermont, Baird, Ballinger, Brady, Breckenridge, Bronte, Brownwood, Buffalo Gap, Cisco, Clyde, Coleman, Colorado City, Comanche, Cross Plains, De Leon, Dublin, Early, Eastland, Eden, Goldthwaite, Gorman, Graham, Hamilton, Hamlin, Haskell, Hico, Jacksboro, Knox City, Menard, Merkel, Miles, Munday, Ranger, Rising Star, Robert Lee, Roscoe, Rotan, San Angelo, San Saba, Santa Anna, Seymour, Snyder, Stamford, Strawn, Sweetwater, Throckmorton, Tye, and Winters.

The mission of Texas Midwest Community Network is to promote a regional approach to provide the resources and awareness for its members to achieve economic and community growth.  The organization provides a means by which communities can work together to accomplish what one community cannot do alone.

For more information about Texas Midwest Community Network visit www.texasmidwest.org.

Looking for Businesses, Crafters, Artists and more.

To register for this event, please download a form here, and fax it back to us! The community center is large and we should have plenty of space to accommodate everyone who wishes to participate.  Please plan on booth spaces being around 10 x 10; however, the center is large and we will probably have larger spaces for everyone.  For more information, please call 940-459-4121.

Knox-Haskell Rural Leadership Program Accepting Applications

The Knox-Haskell Rural Leadership Program is coming to your community! This 8-month leadership series will be the opportunity of a lifetime. The leadership program will be packed with outstanding speakers, tours, workshops, networking and much more. The Knox County Visioning Group and the Development Corporation of Haskell are sponsoring the Knox-Haskell Rural Leadership Program. Partnering organizations are the Knox and Haskell County Extension Offices and the Texas Rural Leadership Organization.

Topics for this year’s program include communication, conflict management, dealing with difficult people/situations, diversity, leadership styles, customer service and team building to name just a few. In addition local tours of business and industry will help participants to learn more about their community.

The leadership series will be open to 20 people. 

Those participating will attend an Orientation on October 17, 2014.  Monthly sessions will then be held November through May 2015 in Knox and Haskell County. The group will take a trip to Austin in February 2015.  And, each group will launch a community project upon completion of the training in May.  A commitment for attendance will be required. Monthly sessions will be held on the first Friday each month from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and each session will cover a leadership topic, followed by an educational tour to local business and industry. Some of the tours include oil production, county-city government, medical education, agriculture and quality of life elements.

The program costs $250 and may be paid by the employer or by individuals.  Each participant will receive 4.8 CEUs from Vernon College. This includes all travel, food, a t-shirt, the overnight trip to Austin and all supplies. Applications are available to Knox County residents at the Knox County Visioning Group office in Benjamin, TX, or downloaded here. For Haskell County residents applications can be picked up at City Hall or downloaded at www.haskelltexasonline.com. The fee will be billed in October and a payment plan can be accepted. Application deadline has been extended to September 30.

Who should attend?

A new person to the community will learn about the community and meet new people in the region. A person who has lived in Knox and Haskell Counties will learn new things about their community and neighboring towns they did not know and meet new people. Every individual learns about him or herself through self-analysis and gains self-confidence.  Participants gain skills to improve communication and relationships in their family, at work, and in their community. Each person gains new lifelong friendships as well as networking contacts in all areas of Knox and Haskell County.  The employer gains a motivated employee who has increased confidence, customer service skills and new tools for leadership. The community gains residents who are aware of local and state facilities, services and needs.

For more information, download the brochure here or the flyer here. 

Knox County Adventure Days

(This article has been edited and the date has been changed.) 

Knox County Adventure Days is Here

The Knox County Visioning Group wants you to let Knox County amaze you on November 8, 2014, during their Fourth Annual Adventure Days event. 

The day will kick off with a Bike Rodeo for the kids Following, will be a bus tour of Kinder Morgan, a delicious hamburger meal, an amazing grace race and a domino tournament and painting (without the twist). There will also be an art exhibit and demonstrations taking place at the Knox City Community Center.

The Amazing Grace Race kicks off at 1:00 p.m. Teams of two can preregister or register the day of the event. A fee of $20 includes two t-shirts. The first team to find all their clues and make it to the finish line first wins $100. Only 20 teams are being accepted. 

This year’s tour will be of Kinder Morgan. The bus leaves at 10:00 a.m. from the Knox City Community Center. This business has had a tremendous economic impact on Knox County and participants will get to see it up close and personal. Cost is $5 for adults and kids 10 and under are free. 

A delicious hamburger lunch will be going on from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m., on Saturday at the Community Center. Tickets are $7 each and all proceeds will benefit the Munday Park Project. Lunch will be come and go until all food is gone. 

The domino tournament will kick off at 2:00 p.m. at the Community Center. Teams of two are encouraged to sign up and play. The fee is $20 per team. Trophies will be awarded for first, second and third place.

There will also be a painting without a twist event going on at the Community Center. this event is first come first served and it will start at 2:00 p.m. There will be a small fee to cover supplies. Spaces are limited. 

There will be demonstrations taking place at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. See how artists create interesting pieces. Demonstrations are free to attend.

Feel free to register early as t-shirts will be first come, first served.  Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date: www.facebook.com/kcvg.catch.the.vision, or give us a call at 940-459-4121. Adventure awaits you! 

Basketball Tournament a Success

The Knox County Visioning Group had a great turn out for their first 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament on May 3. There were 12 teams that participated. 

We would like to thank everyone who came out and played and supported the event. 

All funds raised go the KCVG, a non-profit organization working in community development, economic development and youth engagement. 

Pictured: First place team – Thunder

Second place team – Beans and Crackers

Third place team – The KC Coaches

Three Knox County Juniors Participating in Leadership Program

The Knox County Visioning Group (KCVG) has put together three amazing teams to compete in a new leadership program piloted by the Texas Midwest Community Network (TMCN).  High school juniors, Joanna Trevino and Adrian Silva of Knox City have teamed up with mentors Gary & Amy Snabble.  Elida Hernandez of Munday has teamed up with mentor Lina Trevino. These three students will complete a community project that makes them eligible to receive scholarships from TMCN in the fall.

Pictured L-R: Lina Trevino, Elida Hernandez, Joanna Trevino, Amy & Gary Snabble, Adrian Silva. 

April 22 the teams completed their first leadership event in Abilene, Texas, at Primetime Entertainment Center. Tutt & Daggs, a leadership facilitator company out of Abilene, lead the teams in interactive learning experiments that drove home the message of leadership and engagement.  They also discussed change and the challenges one can face when trying to make change in a community.  They also learned how to find the “bright spots” in their communities. The teams will gather again on September 23^rd to complete another day of leadership training.

Michael Daggs presents to the Leadership teams. 

Each student will be working on a community project throughout the summer and early fall.  They will get guidance from their mentor and from the KCVG Director Jimi Coplen. These projects include a student lead coffee shop, a new billboard and a beautification/revitalization project. Upon completion of these projects, the students will have learned organization, follow through, budgeting and most importantly leadership skills. These leadership skills will equip them to be future leaders in college, in the workplace and in their communities.

There are scholarships up for grabs upon completion of these projects. Each team is competing independently and there are 12 teams total around the region involved in the program.

The KCVG is working in partnership with the Knox County Extension Service who received a grant to help pay for a portion of this program. They are also working in partnership with the Knox City ISD and the Munday CISD. “It takes several people to make this program successful.  We want these students to have a great experience, learn some things, and make an impact on the future of Knox County,” said Jimi Coplen, KCVG Director.

For more information, check out the KCVG facebook page at kcvg.catch.the.vision, or call 940-459-4121. 

Basketball Tourney, May 3

The Knox County Visioning Group will be hosting a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament on May 3rd in Knox City.  All funds will benefit the non-profit organization. The tournament will be a three game elimination tournament. There will be men's and women's teams. Early registration is requested. 

You can download registration forms here and you can pay online here. For more information, call 940-459-4121. 

*This post was edited due to a date change. 

Are You Bankable?

Business start-ups can be risky business. After all, those who are driven with the entrepreneurial spirit are by nature, risk takers!  Those risk takers are many times the ones who finally strike gold with a grand business idea that works and fuels tomorrows economy.

Unfortunately, those risk takers are not always bankable at conception for a variety of reasons. Maybe they had a failed business in the past. Maybe they have had a bankruptcy in the past. Or, maybe they are simply young and have no line of credit. This makes it tough for traditional banks to lend them money.

That is where micro lenders come into play.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) developed the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to be able to make smaller loans to high risk businesses. Companies have become established lenders by using funds through this CDFI program. They are better known as micro lenders.  These lenders can help a business establish credit and become more bankable in the future with traditional banks.

Local banks provide many community develop services that go way beyond banking. The Knox County Visioning Group always recommends starting with your local banks. After all, we want to keep as much business local as we can. But, there are times when they are not able to help you because you and your new idea are too risky.  That is when you should consider these lenders who specialize in the CDFI program.

This is not an exhaustive list, but are two great places to start. Each are similar but have their own requirements and eligible and ineligible type companies. For more information, check our their websites.

ACCION Texas  is a statewide non-profit organization. They make fixed rate loans from $500 to $250,000. They give people a chance to establish and rebuild credit history. They also work with start ups and expansion projects. They make equipment loans, working capital loans and more. They have flexible terms. They work with people who have low or no credit score.

People Fund - They work to create economic opportunity and financial stability for underserved people by providing access to capital, education and resources to build healthy businesses. To that end, PeopleFund seeks to create social and economic justice by empowering minority, women and veteran owned businesses as well as entrepreneurs in low or moderate income census tracts, to grow small businesses, nonprofits and start up venture across Texas. They offer flexible loan terms and make loans from $1000 to $250,000.

One thing to be aware of when using a micro lender is they will charge higher interest rates than your traditional bank. Based on your credit history, that rate may be any where between 8% to 18%. The higher the risk they take, the higher rate you will pay. This can be adjusted over time when good credit is established.

Do not assume your low credit score will make you ineligible. These companies use the Fair Isaac Model better known as FICO for determining credit worthiness. This model takes your score along with your work history, years in business and other details to come up with just how high of a risk you may be. This determines if they can make the loan or not.

The KCVG understands that being an entrepreneur is risky and a lot of hard work. But that creative spirit is the backbone of America and certainly the reason that our small communities are thriving. Knox County needs your big ideas. Those ideas are what set us apart from other communities and help us to not only survive, but thrive!

Please let us know if the KCVG can help you grow your next big idea.

Job Fair Opportunity

Join us on February 15, 2014 from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. for a Job Fair. The Green Pasture Wind Project is in search of vendors to service their upcoming wind project. They are also looking for laborers, concrete finishers, iron workers, equipment operators and electricians. We hope you can make it! 

Target Credit Card Breach

This email came today from the Better Business Bureau Director. Please take precautions. 

If you used a credit card at Target in the past few weeks, don’t panic! You are not liable for ANY fraudulent charges on your account.

Monitor your credit card statements carefully (go online; don’t wait for the paper statement). If you see a fraudulent charge, report it to your bank or credit card issuer immediately so the charge can be reversed and a new card issued.

Keep receipts in case you need to prove which charges you authorized and which ones you did not.

         

If you used a debit card at Target in the past few weeks, you should be more assertive in paying attention to your account. With credit cards, you can withhold payment of an amount in dispute, but debit card transactions remove funds directly from your bank account, potentially wreaking havoc on your finances. What’s more, you may have some liability if you fail to report unauthorized charges within 60 days after your statement is sent to you. Target is in the process of notifying banks and credit card issuers, who will in turn notify affected customers. You can contact your bank or credit card issuer for more information if you want to pre-emptively request a new debit card or put a security block on your account.

For more on the difference between credit and debit card protections:

bbb.org/blog/2013/11/do-debit-cards-and-credit-cards-hav-the-same-protection/

For EVERYONE, not just those who shopped at Target:

Scammers will likely use this highly public event to create emails purporting to be from Target, your bank or your credit card issuer, telling you your card was compromised and suggesting actions to “fix” the problem. Phishing emails may attempt to fool you into providing your credit card information or ask you to click on a link or open an attachment, which can download malware on your computer that are designed to steal your identity. Don’t click on any email links or attachments unless you are absolutely certain the sender is authentic.

Monica Horton President

Tel: 940-691-1172

Tickets on Sale Now for the Tour of Homes

The holidays are always a festive time. Putting out the holiday lights, decorating the Christmas tree, and sprucing up around the house are all part of the season. This year, the Knox County Visioning Group wants to show off some of that holiday spirit with a Tour of Homes around Knox County.

The Lee House B&B is one home on this year's tour. 

The event is set for December 9th, starting at 5:30 p.m. and going until 9:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $10.00 at the KCVG office in Benjamin or by calling 940-459-4121.  Tickets will also be available the night of the event for $12.00 each. Tickets are limited so it is suggested to get them ahead of time. (Tickets can also be purchased online by clicking here.)

The tour will take you around the county with stops in Knox City, Munday, Rhineland and Benjamin. Five homes are volunteering their time as part of a fundraising event for the Knox County Visioning Group. Homes on the tour include Kerry and Marsha Quade along with Jeff & Melissa Stanfield in Knox City, the Lee House Bed & Breakfast in Munday, Larry & Annelle Welch in Rhineland and Dennis & Pam Duke in Benjamin.

Participants can start at any home they choose.  Only one ticket is needed to tour all five homes.  The KCVG is asking people to please carpool as parking may be limited in some locations.  For more information, call 940-459-4121. 

Locals Receive National Recognition for Career Day Program

By Lorrie Coop

Lorrie Coop, county Extension agent with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service - Knox County, and Jimi Coplen, Knox County Visioning Group Community Development Director, were honored recently by the National Extension Education Association for Family and Consumer Sciences at the 2013 Galaxy IV Conference, “Bridging the Centuries: A New Era For Extension.”  They received the 3rd place National and 2^nd place Southern Region Community Partnership Award at the conference held September 19, 2013 in Pittsburgh, PA. 

Lorrie Coop and Jimi Coplen pictured with their
awards from the National Extension Education Association.