The Write Team Podcast

WASHED AWAY WITH THE ALE | October 17, 1814 London, England On October 17, 1814, an enormous wooden vat burst inside London's Horse Shoe Brewery, sending a devastating wave of porter beer into the surrounding streets. What sounds like an almost unbelievable historical curiosity was actually a deadly industrial disaster that claimed eight lives and destroyed homes in one of the city's poorest neigh...

58 HOURS TO SAVE THE BABY | October 16, 1987 Midland, Texas On October 16, 1987, millions of Americans watched as rescue workers finally brought 18-month-old Jessica McClure to safety after she spent more than two days trapped inside an abandoned water well in Midland, Texas. The dramatic rescue became one of the most memorable television news events of the decade and an extraordinary example of a...

🏈 OVERTIME THRILLERS, DISTRICT SHOWDOWNS & PLAYOFF PRESSURE! The Hallsville Bobcats and Marshall Mavericks delivered one of the most exciting games of the 2026 East Texas high school football season, with Hallsville escaping Maverick Stadium with a 34-27 overtime victory. But it wasn't over until the Bobcats stopped Marshall's fourth-down quarterback sneak just inches short! On this week's hi...

THE SPY, THE SCANDAL & THE FIRING SQUAD | October 15, 1917 Vincennes, France On October 15, 1917, the woman known throughout Europe as Mata Hari was executed by a French firing squad after being convicted of spying for Germany during World War I. Her death cemented her reputation as one of history's most notorious secret agents. But more than a century later, historians continue to question wh...

ELECTION DAY TURNS DEADLY | October 14, 1834 Moyamensing Township, Pennsylvania On October 14, 1834, an election in a township just outside Philadelphia erupted into a violent confrontation between supporters of President Andrew Jackson and members of the emerging Whig Party. What began as political intimidation near a polling place escalated into a deadly riot that left one person dead, several o...

72 DAYS OF SURVIVAL | October 13, 1972 Andes Mountains On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team, friends, and family members crashed high in the Andes Mountains. What followed became one of the most extraordinary survival stories in modern history. Stranded in freezing temperatures without adequate food, shelter, or equipment, the survivors of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 fac...

😾🏈 BOBCATS WIN AN OVERTIME THRILLER! The Hallsville Bobcats delivered one of the most exciting finishes of the East Texas football season, defeating county rival Marshall, 34-27, in overtime at Maverick Stadium! Coach Josh Strickland joins David Weaver to break down the dramatic victory, including Hallsville's game-winning overtime touchdown and the remarkable fourth-down defensive stand that se...

🏈 TEXAS–OKLAHOMA FALLOUT: IS IT SARK, ARCH OR BOTH? Texas falls to Oklahoma, and the questions surrounding the Longhorns are getting louder. Is Steve Sarkisian failing to adjust his offense, is Arch Manning struggling to develop, or is the problem a combination of both? David Weaver and Matt Paul break down the Red River Rivalry, Georgia's win over Alabama, Oregon's stunning loss to UCLA, Indiana...

THE CROWN JEWELS | October 12, 1216 The Wash, England A royal procession was racing against the tide across the dangerous marshlands of eastern England. Wagons carried gold, silver, royal possessions, and perhaps even the Crown Jewels of England. The king was already ill. His country was torn apart by civil war. And now the sea was closing in. One by one, the wagons disappeared beneath the rising...

THE 100-YEAR MYSTERY | October 11, 2024 Mt. Everest, Tibet October 11, 2024. For one hundred years, Mount Everest kept its secret. In June 1924, British mountaineers George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine disappeared while attempting to reach the world's highest summit. Were they successful? Did they reach the top nearly three decades before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay completed the first...

THE ACHILLE LAURO HIJACKING & FALLOUT | October 10, 1985 Sigonella, Sicily High above the Mediterranean Sea, the men aboard an Egyptian passenger jet believed they were escaping. They were headed toward Tunisia. They expected freedom. Instead, four U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats appeared around the aircraft. "Follow us. Change course. Land in Sicily." Aboard the jet were four Palestinian gunmen who ha...

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY | October 9, 1635 The sentence was simple: Roger Williams had to leave. His offense was not theft, violence, or rebellion. His offense was an idea. Williams believed the government had no authority over a person's conscience. In seventeenth-century Massachusetts, that belief challenged the very foundation of a colony where religious and civil authority were closely connect...

🏈🔥 THE BATTLE FOR HARRISON COUNTY HAS PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS! The Hallsville Bobcats and Marshall Mavericks renew their county rivalry Friday night at Dennis Parker Field, with both teams entering the matchup at 2-3 overall and 1-1 in District 6-5A. David Weaver and Matt Paul break down what could be one of the most evenly matched Hallsville–Marshall games in recent years. Can the Bobcats' underra...

RELUCTANT SOLDIER, AMERICAN HERO | October 8, 1918 Near Châtel-Chéhéry, France German machine guns had stopped the American advance in France's Argonne Forest. Men were falling. Units were becoming separated. And somewhere amid the smoke and confusion, a reluctant soldier from the mountains of Tennessee was about to become one of the most celebrated American heroes of World War I. His name was Alv...

🏈 THE PLAYOFF RACES ARE HEATING UP IN EAST TEXAS! Week 7 brings a nearly full slate back to the Piney Woods, and David Weaver and Matt Paul break down the games that could begin defining district races across East Texas. Hallsville travels to Marshall for the Battle of Harrison County, Pleasant Grove meets Gilmer in one of the area's biggest games, and District 11-2A features a showdown between B...

THE DECISION THAT CHANGED THE KOREAN WAR| October 7, 1950 North/South Korea Border United Nations forces had overwhelming momentum. They had overcome an early summer surge by North Korea to retake Seoul and push the communist troops back across the border that divided Korea in two. By that definition, South Korea could claim victory. But was victory enough? The United Nations -- along with leaders...

🐝🏈 BACK HOME — WITH EVERYTHING STILL TO PLAY FOR! After a much-needed bye week, Coach Bo Maines and the Elysian Fields Yellow Jackets return to Jacket Stadium for the first time in 42 days — and they return for a big District 11-2A matchup against Union Grove. Coach Maines joins David Weaver to discuss how the bye helped the Jackets continue installing their new offense, why he believes the syst...

THE WOMAN BEHIND THE MYTH | October 6, 1949 San Francisco, California The voice had haunted American servicemen throughout the Pacific. A sultry woman broadcasting Japanese propoganda during the middle of the most trying times of their lives. Her words were sinister, dark, and demoralizing, meant to shatter the will of young soldiers on the battlefield. But when the war was over, where was Tokyo R...

🏈🔥 RIVALRY GAMES. TOP-10 SHOWDOWNS. AND A HEISMAN RACE HEATING UP. October college football is here, and the guys are back From The Press Box to break down another huge weekend. Is Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith now the Heisman frontrunner? How good is Miami? Has Alabama officially silenced the doubters? And then it's time to look ahead to a monster weekend featuring Texas-Oklahoma, Georgia-Alabama...

🏈😾 RIVALRY WEEK HAS ARRIVED FOR THE HALLSVILLE BOBCATS! The Bobcats return from their bye week and head east for a huge district matchup against the Marshall Mavericks — with both teams entering Friday night at 1-1 in district play. Coach Josh Strickland joins David Weaver to look back at Hallsville's battle with Terrell, the continued strength of the Bobcat defense, what the team accomplished d...

THE BATTLE OF THE THAMES | October 5, 1813 Upper Canada Along the muddy banks of the Thames River in Upper Canada, an American army was closing in. British troops were exhausted. Supplies were disappearing. Native warriors had watched their allies retreat again and again. And among them stood Tecumseh. For years, the Shawnee leader had worked to unite Native nations against American expansion. Now...

THE LOOMIS FARGO HEIST | October 4, 1997 Charlotte, North Carolina The vault was protected by steel walls, timed locks, surveillance cameras, and carefully designed security procedures. By the next morning, more than $17 million was missing. There were no masked gunmen. No hostages. No dramatic getaway through the streets. The man emptying the vault didn't need to break in. He already had the keys...

October 3, 1995. Los Angeles, California. At 10:07 that morning, two words brought much of America to a standstill: “Not guilty.” After more than eight months of testimony, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. An estimated 150 million people watched or listened as one of the most publicized criminal trials in American history reached its conclusion. Bu...

October 2, 1835. Gonzales, Texas. It wasn't a battle over territory or gold. It didn't begin with a declaration of independence. It began with a cannon. When Mexican authorities demanded the return of a small cannon previously provided to the settlement of Gonzales, local residents refused. Volunteers arrived from surrounding communities, Mexican troops were confronted, and on the foggy morning of...

What if a student could graduate from high school already knowing what career they want to pursue—and possessing the skills, experience, and certifications to begin pursuing it? That's increasingly the goal of Career and Technical Education. On this episode of School House Rocks, Hallsville ISD CTE Director Kathy Gaw joins host David Weaver for an inside look at the opportunities available to stud...