Guest speaker for the program was 1989 Bonham High School graduate Bobby Lakey. Lakey’s former teacher Sue Ann Simpson recommended him as a speaker for the ceremony due to his ability to fight through major life obstacles and succeed in his time at Bonham ISD, in college, and in his career. (photo of Bobby and Robin Lakey, along with Bobby's seeing eye dog)

Bonham ISD: All campuses closed (Effective tomorrow - Mon Dec 9th)

Leonard ISD will be closed, Monday, 09 December 2013 due to INCLEMENT WEATHER (Effective tomorrow - Mon Dec 9th)

All locations of the Dallas County Community College District will be closed on Monday, December 9, due to inclement weather.

Ector ISD: Closed (Effective tomorrow - Mon Dec 9th)

Tom Bean ISD: School closed Monday, December 9th.

Due to weather and dangerous road conditions, the L.H. Rather Junior High girls and boys basketball games scheduled for tomorrow night have been canceled.

A&M-Commerce ranks No. 18 among “Online Colleges in Texas That Win on Affordability,” according to AffordableCollegesOnline.org (AC Online). Measuring the core criteria of quality and cost in data from sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics, AC Online placed A&M-Commerce higher than 35 other Texas schools with online degree offerings.

Members of Austin College’s Chorale are finishing their fall term performances and preparing for continued music in spring 2014.

Dallas County Community College District locations will be closed on Sunday, December 8, due to inclement weather. All scheduled classes and activities have been canceled.

Beating out back-to-back winner Texas Tech, A&M-Commerce secured the right to fly the university’s flag over the Hopkins County Courthouse in Sulphur Springs after alumni placed the winning bid of $4,750 during the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s “Fly Your Flag” event in its Lights of Life Campaign. The flag, which was raised in an afternoon ceremony on Nov. 26, will fly until Dec. 2.

Carmen Terry, principal lecturer of German and director of study abroad in Germany at the University of North Texas was awarded the American Association of Teachers of German/Goethe-Institut Certificate of Merit for outstanding achievement in furthering the teaching of German in schools of the United States.

Christal Bookhamer, an eighth-grade science teacher in the Joshua Independent School District. is the state’s sole 2013 recipient of one of education’s most prestigious recognitions, which comes with a cash prize of $25,000. The award was formally announced in a surprise presentation during a school assembly at Bookhamer’s home campus, Loflin Middle School.

McKinney, Ector, Leonard and Tom Bean schools will be closed Friday due to inclement weather.

Youth FIRST at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, December 7 has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Dr. Jacqueline Moore, Austin College professor of history, will be one of the featured presenters on Friday, December 6, at the inaugural TEDxTurtleCreekWomen event entitled “Invented Here”. TED events provide a platform for world-changing ideas that are delivered by the world’s leading thinkers and doers. TEDx programs are locally organized with the goal of sparking deep discussion and connection within a smaller group.

The Alumni Association of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Inc. revealed plans to build a brick garden in honor of the university’s upcoming 125th Anniversary. Bricks will be available for purchase online at www.tamuc.edu/BrickProject for $125 beginning Wednesday, December 4, 2013, and will be open to university family and friends, as well as the general public.