News

On July 2, Fire Marshal/Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck Allen met with representatives from Chambers County to present Van Zandt County with a $2,000 check for disaster recovery for the citizens of Van Zandt County.

Chambers County is the sister county to Van Zandt during a hurricane operation. In the event of a tropical storm or hurricane that forces the residents of Chambers County to evacuate, Van Zandt County is the home they will come too. 

After Hurricane Gustav and Ike, an agreement was made between the two counties to provide sheltering operations for the residents of Chambers County. This relationship has continued to build even though the sheltering operations have not been needed since Hurricane Ike. 

The Van Zandt County Commissioners Court tackled a heavy workload during their first meeting of July, accepting a donation to help with disaster relief, approving a grant from the East Texas Council of Governments, approving the purchase of a patrol unit for Precinct 4 Constable Pat Jordan, reallocating funds to help bring industry to the county, placing a potential road tax on the November ballot as well as several other items.

Road and Bridge tax

Of primary interest to many residents of the county, commissioners also briefly discussed a petition signed by many citizens requesting an Ad Valorem Tax not to exceed 15 cents per $100 valuation to be used for county road and bridge maintenance to be put on the November ballot for county voters.

July 25 at the Van Zandt Country Club the Swing for Van Recovery Golf Benefit is being hosted to raise money for those that were affected by the tornado that struck Van May 10. The benefit will include a golf tournament, a concert, and a game day.

The golf tournament will have two flights at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.  There will be 28 teams per flight and it is $500 per team.

The concert will have different artist performing throughout the day including Three16Band, Max Bradshaw and Eli and the Lion.

The game day will include a bounce house for kids, celebrities walking around to sign autographs and the Trinity Mother Frances helicopter for people to look at. There will also be a silent auction held, which will have 41 small auction items available for bidding.

Redland site of Cherokee Chief Bowles memorial

Van Zandt County once had a red-haired, freckled-faced Indian chief that led 13 tribes of Indians against the Texas Calvary in a battle to the death.

In the tip of the southeastern party of VZC close to Redland, a Cherokee Indian chief and Texas Republic President Sam Houston are memorialized by a five-foot granite marker, denoting the location of the Battle of the Neches.

A gruesome death awaited the half Scotch-Irish and Cherokee Indian Chief Duwa’li Bowles when he took a stand against Texas Republic President Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar who ordered that all Cherokee Indians be removed from Texas in the 1830s, thus forcing Bowles and his tribe from their homes and land previously given to them by Houston.

Don Bunch has spent most of his time since noon July 7 at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler at the bedside of his 18-year-old daughter Jessica.

Jessica was seriously injured when a 79-year-old woman driving an SUV and pulling into a handicapped parking spot at the CVS in Canton hit the gas instead of the brake, jumped the curb and slammed into the teen who was standing in front of the Redbox movie rental machine.

The Edgewood girl who was scheduled to report to Marine boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., in September remains in intensive care having undergone surgeries to remove her appendix, gallbladder and part of her bowel, place plates to stabilize her broken pelvis and relieve pressure on her lungs from her crushed rib cage. Her left ankle was also broken and just this week doctors discovered her shoulder was out of socket.

Canton kids have found a variety of ways to keep cool this summer

Dunn performs first ceremony

Despite some set-up delays with software, The Van Zandt County Clerk’s office began issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples July 1.

As of July 14, the office had issued two licenses.

Local justices of the peace have taken varying stances on performing same-sex marriage ceremonies.

Pct. 3 JP Herbert Dunn said he has no problem performing the ceremonies and officiated at the counties first same-sex union July 8.

Pct. 2 Judge Ronnie Daniell has stopped doing weddings altogether in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision.

The Canton Main Street summer outdoor movie series continues this week with “ The Lego Movie” sponsored by My Credit Union. The movie will start about 9 p.m. Friday, July 17, across from the Plaza Theater in Downtown Canton.

My Credit Union will be giving out a Lego door prize as well as paying for the first $50 worth of concessions at the concession stand.

Concessions available will include hotdogs, popcorn, candy, soft drinks and more. All proceeds will go to the Canton Main Street Program, which helps with the revitalization of downtown Canton.

“Everything (about this movie) is awesome!” said Austin Melton, Canton Visitor’s Bureau coordinator.

The new movie location is across from the Plaza Theater, 119 N. Buffalo St.

“Come enjoy a great movie with your family and friends,” Melton said. “All you need to bring is yourself, a friend and a lawn chair.

At his Wills Point office July 8, Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Herbert Dunn officiated the wedding of Jerry Rosengartner and Paul Connell.

With the ceremony, Rosengartner and Connell became the first couple to be married in Van Zandt County since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling June 26 gave same-sex pair the right to legally wed.

The couple actually got their marriage license in Kaufman County but came back to Van Zandt County for the ceremony. Connell, 48, has been a resident of the Wills Point area for the past 15 years. Rosengartner, 24, has lived here six years. They have been a couple for the past six years.

Rosengartner said he will take the last name Connell.