News

The Van Zandt County Humane Society and Tractor Supply Company in Canton are holding a nationally advertised adoption event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.

The humane society will have dogs available for adoption and be doing microchipping of pets.

Tractor Supply is located on Hwy. 243.

For further information, call 903-962-5700 or email vzchumanesociety.org.

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Canton Foursquare Church is hosting Friends Day at noon Sunday, Sept. 20.

There will be a bounce house, barbecue lunch and fun and games, organizers said.

“We hope you will join us for this community event – free games, food and a fun-filled time for all ages,” Pastor Adam Henderson said. “Come be a friend, make a friend, bring a friend!”

Everyone is invited to the festivities and those wishing to worship with the church may do so at 10:30 a.m.

Canton Foursquare Church is located 19830 I-20, one mile west of the Splash Kingdom water park.

Texas Senator Bob Hall has opened an office in Canton.

The office is located at 17585 Hwy. 19 Ste. 200 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 903-567-0904.

Greg Bray will be the senator’s representative in the office. His email is greg.bray@senate.state.tx.us.

Bray said an open house is in the planning stages.

“I know Sen. Hall is very excited to be back home and we look forward to seeing each and everyone of you at our open house once we get a date,” Bray said.

The Canton City Council approved new water and sewer rates and adopted a new fee schedule for the city’s animal shelter last week.

The new plan will increase base water rates by $1 and wastewater rates by $2.

The schedule also contained a correction to the cost of 2-yard commercial containers. The previous fee schedule listed the cost at $72.71. The new schedule corrects the cost to $98.94.

At the animal shelter, surrender rates will not change but the euthanasia/disposal fee was increased.

 “Currently the charge is $20 and I propose it go up to $40 because at vets and other shelters at surrounding counties these fees range from $150 to $200,” said LaDeania Jones, animal shelter manager. “Even with the price increase, we are still way under.”

Impoundment fees also increased but those are reclaim fees, Jones said, fees that should be incentives to keep your animal in.

The city of Wills Point moved swiftly in finding a bridge to its next full-time chief of police, hiring and administering the oath of office to interim chief John Turner in a brief ceremony on Sept. 2.

Hiring someone to fill in the chief of police position for the city became a necessity after Kirk King announced his resignation effective Aug. 25.

Shortly after the resignation, the city issued a press release explaining “Kirk King tendered his resignation as Chief of Police with the city of Wills Point. In his statement to city manager Pam Pearson, King stated, ‘As much as I have wanted to continue the restructuring of the Wills Point Police Department, I have other matters that also deserve my undivided attention.’ Kirk King started with the city as chief in December of last year. He replaced Scott Johnson who retired after many years of service. Sergeant Rob Powell will be instrumental in running day to day operations until the interim chief is announced.”

The commissioners of Van Zandt County held a second public hearing on the 2015-‘16 proposed tax rate Sept. 1.

The proposed tax rate is $0.485847 per $100 valuation which is the same as last year’s tax rate.

The effective tax rate is $0.47173823 per $100 valuation.

The rollback rate is $.48586097 per $100 valuation.

Judge Don Kirkpatrick felt that the hearing “went well and is satisfied with the balanced budget and proposed tax rate.”

Two county residents, Ronnie Jones and Bill Blackmon, addressed the council about their respective concerns.

Ronnie Jones, an ever-present figure at the commissioner’s court, brought concerns over capital murder funds and also addressed trepidation about funding throughout the budget.

Blackmon asked commissioners to address the road conditions throughout the county, specifically in Precinct 3.

The Canton Tea Party will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 to hear speaker Alice Linahan with WomenOnTheWall.org.

WomenOnTheWall.Org is a 501(c)(4) Texas non-profit corporation “dedicated to protect our children from the many destructive forces within our nation,” according to information from the organization.

The group launched the #CanISee Campaign “calling on parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and taxpayers to give the gift of American Exceptionalism to the next generation by going into their child’s classroom to ask these three questions: #CanISee – WHAT you are teaching my child?

Autumn Main Street event includes new, returning activities

The Canton Main Street Autumn Festival is coming soon.

A planning committee has been working for several months to plan a downtown street festival that will be a refreshing day of festivities and fun in downtown Canton Oct. 10.  You may have noticed that the name has been changed from Autumn Stroll to Autumn Festival. 

The theme for the courthouse lawn decorations this year is “Scarecrow Lawn Party.”  Watch for the decorations to show up around the middle of September.

The festival will begin with a 5K Fun Run/Walk at 8 a.m.

A pancake and sausage breakfast will be served by Main Street board members under the tent in the Pocket Park at the corner of Dallas and Buffalo beginning at 7 a.m. – cost $5.