By J.J. Smith. If you like to eat lots of delicious food (and who doesn’t?) then you’ll be thrilled to learn that nearly two dozen area restaurants have now agreed to participate in the first annual “Taste of Heath” coming Sept. 14 to the Rockwall-Heath High School cafeteria.

For just $10 per adult and $4 for kids (5-11), you’ll be able to sample dozens of tasty menu selections – including American, Barbecue, French, Home Cookin’, Italian, Japanese, Mexican and Southwestern dishes – plus ice cream, cake and iced tea, according to event organizer, J.J. Smith, president of the Rockwall-based Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation.

Scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 14, 5:30-8 pm, the following restaurants have already confirmed their attendance – with more expected:

• Black-Eyed Pea
• Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Burger House
• Chicken Express
• Culver’s
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
• Domino’s Pizza
• El Chico Mexican Food Restaurant
• Johnny Carino’s Italian
• Kyoto Japanese Steak House
• Milano’s
• Palio’s Pizza Cafe
• Pizza Getti
• Pizza Hut
• Rockwall Cakes
• Schlotzsky’s
• Taco Casa
• Quizno’s

The event will raise funds for the Foundation’s educational efforts in media, schools and communities to help stop domestic, dating, child and pet abuse across Rockwall County.

Board members include State Senator Bob Deuell, Rowlett Mayor John Harper and his wife, Debra Harper; Rockwall County District Attorney Kenda Culpepper, Rockwall Bar Association President John Browning and Rockwall/Rowlett Neighbors Go Editor Dawn Redig.

“Family violence is a serious problem growing quickly as Rockwall County continues to grow,” said Smith, who is also the publisher of the new state-of-the-art news and information website, TheRockwallNews.com.

“Just a few months ago there were six family violence-related deaths in Rowlett and Rockwall, including the murder-suicide of the Rockwall Juvenile Judge by her husband. Research shows that half of 16-24-year-old Texans have been involved in dating violence. We must bring this abuse problem under control quickly,” he said.

“To save lives and reduce injuries, we want to help educate teens, adults and children how to better handle their emotions, and teach them that resorting to violence is never right.”

“We also want to teach victims and abusers how and where to get help. For those efforts we need money to pay for well-researched presentations, plus advertising on websites, newspapers, magazines, cable TV, movie theaters, billboards and more.”

He said the Taste of Heath will be similar to the highly-popular Taste of Rockwall, sponsored each April by the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce and Noon Rotary Club, except tickets will only be sold at the event and no business expo will be involved.

“We didn’t want to steal their idea,” said Smith. “But with so many other successful Taste events going on all across the Metroplex, we concluded we should be able to have this event in Heath without stepping on any other organization’s toes.”

“There seems to be plenty of food and people to go around,” he added.

For information, contact Smith at 214-317-1718 or see www.lilliansmith.org.

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By J.J. Smith. Class 4A Area Baseball Player-of-the-Year Javon Hernandez scored three touchdowns on short runs and set up another with a 67-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter to lead the Rockwall-Heath Hawks to a 35-28 non-district victory over former Rockwall ISD Athletic Director Mark Elam’s Garland Naaman Forest Rangers last night at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium in both teams’ opening game of the season.

After Ranger running back Tank Williams scored on a seven-yard run to tie the score, 21-21, with 7:25 left in the game, Hernandez  then electrified the crowd with his long return. On the very next play, Hawk running back Dorian Lawry raced 25 yards to the end zone, giving the Hawks the lead for good.

After Heath’s defense held, Hernandez scored again soon after on a two-yard plunge, giving the Hawks a 35-21 lead.

Rangers quarterback Justin Torres scored with under a minute to play for Naaman Forest’s last TD.

Although Naaman Forest won the statistics battle, piling up 355 total yards and 15 first downs to the Hawks 211 total yards and 12 first downs, Heath’s defense and offense were opportunistic.

After a scoreless first quarter, Hawk Tyler McLaughlin returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for the game’s opening touchdown. Heath scored again soon after on Hernandez first TD, a one-yard plunge, giving the Hawks a 14-0 lead.

The Rangers then scored their first touchdown when Williams, the game’s leading rusher with 172 yards on 18 carries, electrified Naaman Forest’s fans with an 87-yard run.

Hernandez scored again from the one  giving the Hawks a 21-7 halftime lead.

New senior Hawk quarterback Ross Hudson had an efficient passing night connecting on 7 of 11 passes for 74 yards in his first game as a starter. Lawry rushed for 65 yards on 12 carries and Hernandez had 18 yards on eight carries.

Wide receiver Clark Pope caught four passes for 39 yards, Amaris Fields caught two for 12 yards and McLoughlin snagged one for 23 yards.

The Hawks lost one fumble and had six penalties for 43 yards. The Rangers lost two of five fumbles and had 3 penalties for 2o yards.

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By J.J. Smith. A valiant second half comeback bid by 13th-ranked Rockwall was stopped short by an intercepted pass with under two minutes to play and the fourth-ranked West Mesquite Wranglers held on to defeat the Yellow Jackets in an exciting season opener for both teams, 32-28, last night at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium.

Down 26-14 at halftime,  the Yellow Jackets had stormed back behind new quarterback Alan Reed’s passing and running to take a fourth-quarter 28-26 lead. Reed threw for two TDs to Blake Turner and Reed Loftis, plus ran for two TDs on the night.

But after the Wranglers’ scored their only points of the second half on Raashaan Reason’s five-yard TD run with 2:19 left, Reed’s final pass was intercepted by defensive lineman Markeith Thomas and the Wrangler’s then ran out the clock.

The hard-fought game ended with all-everything Wranglers quarterback Trevone Boykin taking a knee on the Yellow Jackets two-yard line.

The first half seemed all West Mesquite, which scored two TDs in each quarter. Boykin rushed for three TDs on 15, 65 and one-yard runs. He also threw a 10-yard pass to Fred Ngwu for another. He finished the night with 212 yards on 17 carries and completed 16 of 27 passes for 165 yards with one interception.

But Rockwall kept him off the field most of the second half, behind Reed’s passing and running, as well as running back Josh Broach.

Broach rushed 24 times in the second half for 109 yards, and had a total of 150 yards on 32 carries.

Reed ended the night completing 14 of 18 passes for 214 yards to six receivers and rushing for 44 yards on eight carries.

Yellow Jackets Wes Davis caught three passes for 136 yards, Loftis caught three for 28 yards and Spencer Edwards caught three for 16 yards.

Team statistics were fairly even. West Mesquite had 446 total yards and 19 first downs compared to Rockwall’s 423 yards and 16 first downs. Both punters averaged 40 yards per kick. WM punted three times and Rockwall four times.

West Mesquite lost one fumble, while Rockwall did not fumble at all. The Wranglers had only one five-yard penalty, and Rockwall only two for 20 yards.

Rockwall will play their second game of the season next Friday night vs. Rowlett at Homer B. Johnson Stadium in Garland, beginning at 7:30 pm.

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By J.J. Smith. Ranked 10th in the Dallas Morning News pre-season football poll, the Rockwall-Heath Hawks – led by head coach Mickey Moss – will open their season tonight against Garland Naaman Forest,  coached by former Rockwall athletic director and head coach Mark Elam, at 7:30 pm at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium.

Elam left the Rockwall ISD athletic director position in April, 2009, and last coached at Rockwall in 2004. He was 29-41 in seven sevens with the Yellow Jackets. Prior to that, Elam led North Mesquite to four consecutive playoff berths and a No. 1 state ranking in 1996. His career coaching record is 149-88-9.

Returning 8 starters from last year’s 7-4 team, the Hawks offense is expected be led by junior running back Dorian Lawry, who last season rushed for 972 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Senior Ross Hudson, who has only seen limited experience in past years, will replace Kevin Rodgers at quarterback. Juniors Clark Pope (32 receptions, 504 yards, 2 TDs) and Amaris Fields (7-109)  plus converted defensive back  senior Tyler Wood are expected to be his leading receivers.

Coach Moss did not want to make any predictions about the outcome of this season when questioned last week. He said he is concerned about the team’s overall depth. But he added that he felt the team had “heart,” would play hard and he was excited about their prospects.

He said he felt the team was up to the challenge of making the playoffs for the third time since the school opened in 2008.

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By J.J. Smith. After experiencing a 1-9 rebuilding year in 2009, head coach Greg Strahm’s Royse City Bulldogs welcome back 16 starters and 21 lettermen from last year’s team tonight against the Mesquite Poteet Pirates at 7:30 pm in the opening game for both teams at Bulldogs Stadium in Royse City.

This will be the first game for new Pirates head coach Randy Jackson, who previously ran a successful program at Lone Oak, with an 84-37 record.

This will also be the first game for the Bulldogs as a member of District 13-4A, after the UIL realigned numerous districts last Spring, including District 10-4A, in which Royse City previously played with Rockwall and Rockwall-Heath.

The Bulldogs must now travel extensively to Texarkana and Sherman, playing the likes of Denison and Sulphur Springs, which both made the playoffs last year.

Royse City is expected to be led by quarterback Taylor Corbin, who last year threw for 2,120 yards and 15 touchdowns, and wide receiver Kristopher Smith, who caught 54 passes for 802 yards and 7 TDs.

Leading the defense should be linebackers Ryon Phillips (89 tackles, 3 sacks), Ryan Perry (87 tackles) and J.R. Arredondo (80 tackles).

Last year Poteet had a winless season in 10 games in District 15-4A. They return 11 starters, but will play many underclassmen.

Both teams are expected to improve considerably over last year. The Bulldogs are considered a possible playoff team by some high school sports writers.

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TimesRecordNews. WICHITA FALLS – The way Zack Eskridge figures it, this will be his fourth season playing football.

No, not the Rowlett senior’s fourth year playing college football. His fourth season, period.

While that might not warrant loads of optimism from the casual observer, any Mustangs’ fan who saw him play last year will be happy if he has a repeat performance in 2010 for Midwestern State.

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By StlToday.com. COLUMBIA, MO – Kendial Lawrence, Mizzou’s 5-foot-9 No. 2 tailback, can sing the advantages of being a little guy with the ball.

“It’s easier to get through holes or make people miss,” Lawrence said. “That’s an advantage of being short.”

Of course, another responsibility that falls to the tailback in Mizzou’s spread offense is sometimes having to stay back to block, a reality that occasionally pits Lawrence up against a charging linebacker who may be six inches taller and 40 pounds heavier. Again, Lawrence thinks he has the edge.

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By J.J. Smith. None of the major Rockwall area grocery stores are selling any of the eggs which have recalled by Wright Egg Farms or Hillandale Farms as part of a U.S. salmonella outbreak that is linked to almost 300 illnesses across the United States.

Representatives from Brookshire’s, Kroger, Target, Tom Thumb and Walmart food stores confirmed that today by phone.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner said yesterday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that there may be even more recalls of eggs in the salmonella outbreak and the agency did not yet know how the eggs and chickens were contaminated.

“We don’t know exactly how the contamination got into the chicken population, into the egg population, and we’re not yet fully sure the extent of the recall that will be necessary to protect consumers,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said.

“We are in the midst of probably the largest egg recall that has happened in recent history,” she added.

Hillandale Farms in Iowas recalled 170 million eggs Friday, adding to the 380 million eggs recalled last week by Wright Egg Farm, also in Iowa.

That brings the total recall to 550 million eggs that were distributed in 22 states.

The Hillandale Farms eggs were sold under various brand names including Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, Sunny Meadow, Wholesome Farms and West Creek.

The Wright County eggs were sold under the brand names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, Kemps, James Farms, Glenview, Pacific Coast, Alta Dena Dairy, Driftwood Dairy, Hidden Villa Ranch, Challenge Dairy, and Country Eggs.

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By J.J. Smith. Approximately 380,000 pounds of deli meat sold at Walmart stores nationwide in Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches has been recalled by Zemco Industries in Buffalo N.Y. because it may be contaminated with bacteria that can cause a potentially fatal disease.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the meats may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which was discovered in a retail sample collected by inspectors in Georgia. The USDA has received no reports of illnesses associated with the meats.

“Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease,” according to the USDA. “Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.”

“Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy,” the USDA said.

The products subject to recall are:

– 25.5-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches BLACK FOREST HAM With Natural Juices Coated with Caramel Color” with the number 17800 1300.

– 28.49-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches HOT HAM, HARD SALAMI, PEPPERONI, SANDWICH PEPPERS” with the number 17803 1300.

– 32.67-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches VIRGINIA BRAND HAM With Natural Juices, MADE IN NEW YORK, FULLY COOKED BACON, SANDWICH PICKLES, SANDWICH PEPPERS” with the number 17804 1300.

– 25.5-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches ANGUS ROAST BEEF Coated with Caramel Color” with the number 17805 1300.

The meats were produced on dates ranging from June 18 to July 2, 2010. The “Use By” dates range from August 20 to September 10, 2010.

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By J.J. Smith. Sales tax revenues increased again in June in Rockwall, Royse City, Heath, Fate and McClendon Chisholm, but decreased in Mobile City.

Mobile City and Fate are both down for their fiscal years, compared to last year at this time.

This means that many businesses are faring better this year than at the same time last year.

According to a report just released by the Texas Comptroller’s office, the City of Rockwall will earn a sales tax rebate of $1,392,884.48 this month, representing an increase of 9.96 percent from the $1,266,613.81 collected last year.

Rockwall has taken in almost $9.54 million in sales tax revenue for the fiscal year-to-date, 7.2 percent more than the $8.9 million the City received through this time last year.

Royse City will receive $117,934.99 in sales tax revenue this month, an increase of 5.32 percent from the $111,756.19 collected last year.

The City has taken in $731,808.26 this fiscal year, an increase of 1.14 percent from the $723,592.15 received through the same time in 2009.

The City of Heath received a sales tax rebate of $82,983.10 this month, an increase of 7.83 percent from the $76,954.35 collected last year.

For this fiscal year, Heath has received $480,503.64, an increase of 4.59 percent from the $459.410.80 it collected last year at this time.

The City of Fate gained $27,886.80 in sales tax revenue, a boost of 53.1 percent from the $18,214.74 in 2009.

Thus far, Fate has received $155,818.47 in this fiscal year, representing a decrease of 12.09 percent from the $177,266.37 collected one year ago.

Mobile City received only $5,729.35 in revenue this month, down 1.59 percent from the $5,822.14 taken in last year.

At this point in the fiscal year, Mobile City has taken in $45,530.92 in sales tax revenue, down 2.03 percent from the $46,474.73 received through August of last year.

McLendon-Chisholm’s collections are $1,286.91, up 66.49 percent from the $772.94 from last year.

For the fiscal year, the City has received $6,684 in sales tax revenue, an increase of 22.98 percent from the $5,434.94 it had received last year at this time.

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