News

Caney Creek Cowboy Church, 1144 VZCR 1806, Grand Saline, is having its annual jubilee beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.

There will be live entertainment all day.  There will also be a poetry contest, salsa judging, pie judging, chili cook off and kids cowboy carnival.

Sign up is at 8 a.m.  Herd ‘em up entry fee is $5 each and trail challenge entry fee is $10.  Saddle Raffle Tickets are $5.000 each.  For more information contact Judy Trussell at 903-312-3801.

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It’s always hard to see a great employee leave, but in this case I’m very happy. I am sad to see her go but very happy she will be able to spend more time with her family.

Donnita Fisher has been the managing editor of our newspaper group since October 2013 and has been a big part of many positive changes we have seen in our papers since.

Recently she and her husband moved to the town of Community near Lake Lavon to be closer to their two children and two grandchildren. Donnita told me about her plans to retire earlier this year and she has been kind enough to work through the summer until we put together a plan for her replacement.

The Canton Eagle Homecoming is this week.

The parade and downtown pep rally were Sept. 12. Students at the high school participated in Spirit Days this week and the Homecoming queen will be crowned prior to the football game Friday, Sept. 16.

Homecoming queen nominees are Olivia Boyd, Karen James, Juliana Bratcher and Alexandria Wiley.

Duchesses are freshman Olivia Norrell; sophomore Julia Duke; junior Rachel Cade and senior Ava Hudson.

The crowning and royalty festivities will take place at 7 p.m. at Birdwell Stadium.

At 7:30 p.m. the Eagles will try to remain undefeated as they host Waxahachie Oak Life.

Olivia Boyd

The Van Zandt County Humane Society is hosting the annual Blessing of the Animals Oct. 1 at St. Justin the Martyr Episcopal Church in Canton. 

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

"We have such a good time doing this, and we hope everyone will bring their chickens, ducks, horses, rabbits, dogs, cats, and yes, even rodents, to be blessed,” said Carol Whatley, president of the VZCHS. “Of course, we would appreciate their all being on leashes or in cages. Even if you are not of the faith, I believe we could all use a little blessing from time to time.  We will have treats for them and a chance to win a St. Francis statue for your garden.  Everyone is welcome." 

St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of all animals, and this is a free event to celebrate your animal friends in his honor. 

St. Justin Episcopal Church is located on Hwy. 243, just west of Hwy. 19. 

The Van Zandt County Genealogical Society held its monthly meeting Saturday, Aug. 27 in the Buchanan Room of the County Library.  

Guest speaker for the meeting was Larry Turner of Wills Point who spoke on the attack on Pearl Harbor.  This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the attack.  He related the story of four young men from Van Zandt County who were serving on the USS Arizona at the time.  The four men were Van Wood, B.J. Johnson, D.C. Ayers and Raymond Johnson.    

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The Van Zandt County Regional Airport recently announced the return of an old favorite, scheduling its annual Fly-In from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Oct. 8.

The fly-in was a huge success when it was first introduced in 2013, but less than ideal weather conditions and construction projects at the airport forced cancellations in both 2014 and 2015.

Excitement is already high for the 2016 event with event plans calling for a car show, various kids events as well as a 75th anniversary celebration of the Civil Air Patrol.

According to a history published on the official CAP website, “In the late 1930s, more than 150,000 volunteers with a love for aviation argued for an organization to put their planes and flying skills to use in defense of their country. 

County Judge Don Kirkpatrick was one of hundreds of county officials who gathered in Austin last month at the Texas Association of Counties 2-16 Legislative Conference to discuss the upcoming legislative session and the common concerns shared by Texas’ local governments and local taxpayers.

“The Legislative Conference is really the one time each year county officials from around the state can get together as peers and as community leaders to discuss common issues and potential solutions to our shared challenges, and to discuss the coming legislative session, the workings of which will undoubtedly affect counties in many ways,” said TAC Executive Director Gene Terry.  “It is also a perfect opportunity to meet and visit with our colleagues in the legislature before the whirlwind of the session, to discuss the interim and what can be accomplished this session.”

With Van Zandt County classified as an agricultural county, with miles of farmland with sparse population, illegal dumping is a common problem.

Over the course of 10 years, more than 15,000 tires were illegally dumped in the Jackson Community which lies about four miles south of Canton. The tires were dumped during the time that the landowner was in a nursing home, and continued for a decade.

Now, the area is filled with stacks of extra-large to small tires, some with trees growing through the middle, making the thousands of tires a mosquito’s perfect breeding ground.

Not only do the tires pose as an environmental hazard, but the sheer number of tires that were dumped will cost thousands of dollars to clean up.

A Dallas man was killed in a single car accident on I-20 about 11 a.m. Sept. 3.

The accident occurred about 5 miles south of Wills Point. 

According to information from the Texas Department of Public Safety, a “preliminary crash investigation revealed that a 2004 Ford Explorer was traveling eastbound on IH-20 in the left lane.  The driver of the vehicle drove into the right lane and then off the south side of the roadway. 

“The driver then overcorrected to the left and overturned the vehicle. The vehicle came to rest on its roof, partially on the roadway facing north. 

 Lester Wills, 57, was pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Ronnie Daniel. His body was taken to the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office.