Representatives with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services made two stops in Van Zandt County last week, setting up free to the public walkup testing sites in Grand Saline and Wills Point.
Representatives with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services made two stops in Van Zandt County last week, setting up free to the public walkup testing sites in Grand Saline and Wills Point.
Traffic along N. Fourth St. was brought to a halt June 26 after a fire was reported between the building and awning of the Bob’s Kwik Ship building. Units from Wills Point and Edgewood reported to the scene, quickly containing the blaze before it could further damage the building or surrounding businesses. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire might have been caused due to an electrical issue.
International Outreach Church was honored to have the National Guard’s assistance at the Shining Light Food Ministry twice over the last few weeks. Members of the Shining Light Food Ministry stated, “Between the two days, we were able to bless 208 families with food. We are so grateful for the National Guard’s help!” Shining Light Food Ministry is an outreach of International Outreach Church designed to help families in the community that have been affected by the current economic times. Located at 1404 Lake Drive in Wills Point, Shining Light Food Ministry is open every Tuesday from 8-11 a.m. The ministry is affiliated with and a member of East Texas Food Bank.
During a special called meeting June 12, the Van Zandt County Commissioners Court authorized VZC Human Resource Director Dan Maucieri to post a job opening for a COVID-19 specified cleaning position.
The number of coronavirus cases that have contributed to local deaths jumped from one to three over the past week with the Northeast Texas Public Health District reporting new instances in both Grand Saline and Edgewood. The Northeast Texas Public Health District previously announced that a Murchison resident had passed away with an active case of COVID-19.
City leaders throughout the State of Texas found themselves in a holding pattern over the past three months, waiting to learn the full impact of COVID-19 as it relates to sales tax revenue collections and future budgeting from the office of Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
City leaders throughout the State of Texas found themselves in a holding pattern over the past three months, waiting to learn the full impact of COVID-19 as it relates to sales tax revenue collections and future budgeting from the office of Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
City workers embarked on phase two of their brick street repair project June 8, tackling sinking and buckling issues around the Rose Monument. The effort to repair the historic brick streets comes more than three months after workers fixed similar issues near the North Fourth Street-West James Street intersection in late February. Initial plans called for the second phase of repairs to begin earlier, but those plans were ultimately pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by David Kapitan
Wills Point Chief of Police Lonnie Carroll presented the Grand Champion Prize of the WPPD Back the Blue BBQ Cook-Off to Chicken Fried BBQ. Additional photos on 2A.Courtesy Photo
Think you have the stomach to win the first annual Canton Texas Chamber of Commerce (CTCC) Hot Dog Eating Contest? Would a grand prize of $500 give you a little motivation?
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has suspended seven bars’ alcohol permits for 30 days after they refused to comply with an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott requiring that bars cease operations to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Texas Education Agency offered up further proof that the 2020-’21 school year will be unlike any other year in recent memory last week, including the final months of the 2019-’20 school year that saw most districts switch to distance learning, issuing a comprehensive list of personal protective equipment that is expected to be distributed to districts throughout the state beginning in mid-July and into early August.
The next generation of Tiger athletes were kept busy last week with a dedicated group hitting the fields at Jack Lester Park June 23-26 for the annual Wills Point Baseball Camp. The local sports calendar will stay plenty busy during the coming weeks with camps for football, softball, basketball and volleyball looming just over the horizon.
The Wills Point High School Athletic Department has hit the ground running in recent weeks, getting back to work with their annual tennis camp and summer strength and conditioning camp. Things are expected to kick up another notch during the week ahead with the annual Tiger Baseball Camp slated to run from June 22-25.
When individuals on a team speak with an open and honest dialog the team has a chance to grow strong. Teams, with common interests and shared goals, produce a superior product. American history shows us during the Revolutionary War, various religious groups and a variety of politicians united to achieve a common goal.
In the days before he starred in ‘Gilligan’s Island’, Bob Denver played a beatnik on ‘The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis’. Now, for those of you who may not know what a “beatnik” was, in the 1950s (No, I wasn’t alive then, nor when dirt was invented), a beatnik was a person into “beat” poetry – usually non-rhyming verses accompanied by a bongo drum, often in a coffee shop. Beatniks were also stereotyped to be sloppy and lazy – 1950s “hippies”.
There’s a container of hand sanitizer sitting on my desk as I write this today. Four months ago, that space would have probably been taken up by yesterday’s coffee mug. Not anymore.
Manna Food Bank is hosting a reception for Janis Baskin in honor of her 25 years of volunteer service and being a member of the board. The reception will be held from 2-4 p.m., Sunday, June 28, at Manna, 17897 FM 1255, Canton.
Thompson Leon Lester was born Sept. 23, 1924, in Wills Point, the son of Sam and Lida Coleman Lester. He attended his grade school years at Cedar Grove and was a 1942 graduate of Wills Point High School. Leon served two years in the United States Army from 1945- 1946. All his life he was a cattleman and rancher. He was the originator and a co-owner of the Van Zandt Livestock Commission for 27 years. Leon was also one of the founders of Wills Point Riding and Roping Club. The Wills Point FFA honored him with a lifetime membership for his contributions to their chapter. Leon was a member of First Baptist Church in Wills Point. He married LaVerne Corry on Feb. 14, 1995, in Canton.
Services for Lynda Motes McFerren, 73, of Emory, were held at 2 p.m., Monday, June 29, 2020, at Bartley Funeral Home, with Andy Clower officiating.
Nancy C. Kapitan, 78, of Wills Point, passed away June 25, 2020.
Bonnie Foster, 74, of Wills Point, passed away June 19, 2020, at Crestwood Nursing Home.
