News

Nov. 7 the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial will be honoring our veterans with a special ceremony at the memorial

There will be a special speaker and the flags will be posted by the Canton Police Department.

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and after the event, the veterans group will once again be releasing colored balloons into the air in recognition of America’s servicemen and women.

These balloons will be on sell at the visitors center and museum and from board

Members. Cost is $3 each.

A card is attached to each balloon that includes the veterans name and branch of service and a place to indicate if the balloon has been purchased in honor or in memory of them.

The back of the card asks for whomever finds it to let us know how far away it flew. Updates will be provided to the newspaper.

“The balloons are color-coded to represent active duty, deceased or POW/MIA

Grand Saline resident Chelsea Shaver was 26-years-old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer but she had found the lump “so many months before that,” she admits.

Instead of getting medical care, “I did my research on Google and things like that but never brought it up to my doctor,” Shaver said. “I waited longer than I probably should have to get it tested.”

She and her two daughters – ages 3 and 7 – were living in Dallas at the time. Her parents live in Fruitvale. Since her diagnosis, she has found it easier to be near family.

While several family members have had cancer, Shaver isn’t sure about her genetic link to breast cancer.

“There is cancer in our family but none that we know of that has been breast cancer,” she said. “My mom’s sister had a lump but we don't know if that was benign or not. And my mom's aunt also died from cancer. We believe that that might have been pancreatic cancer, but aren’t certain.”

Oct. 20 8:20 p.m., 201 W. Dallas – Theft >$750<$$2,500

Oct. 22 8:24 a.m., 1000 block West Dallas St. – Accident: While backing up, a pickup struck a fuel pump at the Lucky Food Mart

Oct. 22 4:12 p.m. 17000 block East I-20 – Traffic accident: wet roadway

Oct. 23 6:37 a.m., 18000 block East I-20 – Traffic accident: wet roadway

Oct. 23 1:03 p.m., 300 block East Hwy. 243 – Traffic accident

Last week, the Canton Council OK’d a five-year loan between the Canton Economic Development Corporation and H3 Lots for a Schlotsky’s restaurant to go into the old Two Senorita’s location on the I-20 service road.

The $10,125 loan will be used to help restore the vacant and deteriorating building,” CEDC Executive Director Julie Seymore said, and will be paid back incrementally.

In other business, the council approved the recommendation of City Manager Lonny Cluck to do the design of the Cherry Creek Trail in house.

“The staff will probably not be happy with it but I’m going to recommend we handle this in house,” Cluck said. “This is a relatively small project in the grand scheme of things … I would like for us to move forward with this in-house. It would save us some money. If it gets too much for us, I’ll come back and eat a little bit of crow.”

District 2 State Sen. Bob Hall is hosting a grand opening for his Canton District Office from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The office is located at 17585 Hwy. 19, Ste. 200.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Drinda Randalll at 972-722-3131 or Drinda.Randall@senate.state.tx.us.

Hall, who lives in Edgewood, was elected in November 2014 and began serving in January.

District 2 includes Fannin, Delta, Hunt, Hopkins, Rains, Rockwall, Kaufman and Van Zandt counties and part of Dallas County.

Reservations needed by Friday

The Canton Chamber of Commerce will hold its quarterly lunch at noon Tuesday, Nov. 3 at The Bunker restaurant at the Van Zandt Country Club.

Guest speaker will be Tanya Boyd from Tanya Boyd & Associates. Boyd will provide an overview of the Affordable Care Act and how that affects area residents.

Sponsors for the event are Spuds and Paper Sack Promotions.

Cost is $10 per person and reservations are needed by Friday, Oct. 30.

Make a reservation by calling the chamber at 903-567-2991.

Early voting ends Friday, election Nov. 3

Early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, State Constitutional Amendment and Van Zandt County Special Road Tax election ends today (Friday, Oct. 30.)

Early voting will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday Oct. 30 at the Plaza Museum, 119 N. Buffalo St. in Canton.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, voting locations will be:

Pct. 1: 1-A – Grace Bible Fellowship, 17897 FM 1255, Canton; 1-B – Grand Saline Chamber Pavilion, 203 NE Pacific, Grand Saline; 1-C – Pruitt Baptist Church, 9908 St. Hwy. 110, Grand Saline; 1-D – Randall Hall, 1069 VZCR 1129, Fruitvale; 1-E – Civic Center/Sr. Bldg., 109 N. Houston St., Edgewood

Couple had been on run for 24 years

Precinct 2 Deputy Constable Tony Katsoulas doesn’t usually stop vehicles for traffic violations but about 2:30 p.m. Oct. 22 when he saw a truck blow through a traffic light and then quickly pull into a gas station, something seemed off.

“It just looked suspicious,” he said. “So I decided to stop and run the license plates.”

The Missouri license plates came back clean but the driver obviously thought otherwise because within an instant, he was off.

Katsoulas gave chase and called for back up.

The pursuit  traveled down eastbound I-20, exited onto Hwy. 64 and then turned westbound on I-20.

“The chase continued for more than 30 minutes at speeds over 100 miles per hour,” Katsoulas said.

The driver exited on FM 47 going south and then turned onto VZCR 2120 still at speeds of more than 70 mph.

"Miracle Worker," written by William Gibson opens the 2015-’16 season at The Talent Box, a nonprofit community theatre, located at 244 N. Fourth St. in Wills Point. 

The production opens at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 with regular seating.  Additional regular seating performances are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 2 p.m. Nov. 8.

Dinner theatre performances are at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 and 14. Limited regular seating during dinner theater performances is available. 

The play is directed by Melinda Bass of Wills Point. 

A reception will be held after the opening night performance. 

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $5 for children 12 and under.

Beginning this weekend, there is a basket full of Halloween events that promise all treats – no tricks!

Oct. 31 – First Assembly Trunk or Treat, Canton

Canton First Assembly will be hosting a family fun Halloween alternative this year.

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, the church will sponsor Trunk or Treat on its front parking lot, 801 E. Hwy. 243.

“There will be hot dogs, chips and sodas, plus candy, candy, candy!” organizer said.

Colfax UMC Trunk-or-Treat, Van

Colfax United Methodist Church will host a trunk-or-treat from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31.

The event will be a safe Halloween alternative, organizers said.

The church is located at 3739 FM 16 in Van.

Boo on the Bricks – Wills Point

The fourth annual Boo on the Bricks will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 31 on the brick streets in downtown Wills Point.