News

The South Van Zandt Volunteer Fire Department has improved five points on the Insurance Service Office’s fire rating sale.

SVZFD was inspected by the ISO in Austin in the past spring. The ISO classifies a community’s fire preparedness with a rating from 1 (best) to 10 (worst.) 

The score is based on how well the department scores on the ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, which grades such features as water distribution, fire department equipment, manpower and fire alarm facilities.

Based on the results of this inspection, SVZVFD's rating has improved from a rating of 9/10 to a new rating of 4/10. This new rating has been approved by the Texas Fire Marshall and will become effective 

in October.

The Red Hat Society is looking for new members. 

Meetings are the first Tuesday of each month.  Dues are $15 for a year.

The Red Hat Society is for women approaching 50 and beyond. The group is recognized by their red hats and purple clothes. 

According to information from the group, “the Red Hat Society empowers women to embrace aging and actively take part in creative play.”

For more information, call Janie Estill at 903-865-1119 or 903-880-7221.

Mothers of Preschoolers will hold a registration and kick off at 6 p.m. Aug. 26 in the First Baptist Church Canton Fellowship Hall.

There will be food, games, crafts and prizes, organizers said.

MOPS “encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women and leaders in relationship with Jesus and in partnership with the local church,” information from the group states.

This year’s there is “We are the Starry Eyed.”

For more information, contact the church at 903-567-4157.

FBC Canton is located at 303 Athens St.

The monthly meeting of the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Van Zandt County Library at 317 First Monday Ln. in Canton.  

The guest speaker will be Larry Turner of Wills Point.

He will be speaking about Pearl Harbor, concentrating on the USS Arizona and four young men that graduated from Van Zandt County schools.  Dec. 7, 2016 will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Turner is a retired teacher and coach, and currently lives in Wills Point.  He began his career as a teacher and coach in Quitman in 1964.  In 1973 he became the head football coach in Italy. Turner received his bachelor of arts from North Texas State University in 1964, his master’s from East Texas State University. In 1974 he earned an administration certification. 

After his retirement, he continued to teach half days until 2006.  The last two years he taught history and science.

The monthly meeting of the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Van Zandt County Library at 317 First Monday Ln. in Canton.  

The guest speaker will be Larry Turner of Wills Point.

He will be speaking about Pearl Harbor, concentrating on the USS Arizona and four young men that graduated from Van Zandt County schools.  Dec. 7, 2016 will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Turner is a retired teacher and coach, and currently lives in Wills Point.  He began his career as a teacher and coach in Quitman in 1964.  In 1973 he became the head football coach in Italy. Turner received his bachelor of arts from North Texas State University in 1964, his master’s from East Texas State University. In 1974 he earned an administration certification. 

After his retirement, he continued to teach half days until 2006.  The last two years he taught history and science.

The Van Zandt County Commissioners have found themselves up to the elbows in all things budgetary, taking the first couple of weeks of August to simply and adjust the county budget.  However, transparency of monies allocated to the libraries throughout the county might hit the Grand Saline Library in the pocketbook this year.

There are only two libraries within the county that received funds, the Van Zandt County Library located in Canton and the Grand Saline Library in Grand Saline.

However, there are more libraries in the county that are now wanting a piece of the money pie.

The Grand Saline Library receives $10,500 from the county every year for expenses that GS Library officials say is “necessary to the operating budget.”

The Van Zandt County Commissioners have found themselves up to the elbows in all things budgetary, taking the first couple of weeks of August to simply and adjust the county budget.  However, transparency of monies allocated to the libraries throughout the county might hit the Grand Saline Library in the pocketbook this year.

There are only two libraries within the county that received funds, the Van Zandt County Library located in Canton and the Grand Saline Library in Grand Saline.

However, there are more libraries in the county that are now wanting a piece of the money pie.

The Grand Saline Library receives $10,500 from the county every year for expenses that GS Library officials say is “necessary to the operating budget.”

The Van Zandt County Commissioners have found themselves up to the elbows in all things budgetary, taking the first couple of weeks of August to simply and adjust the county budget.  However, transparency of monies allocated to the libraries throughout the county might hit the Grand Saline Library in the pocketbook this year.

There are only two libraries within the county that received funds, the Van Zandt County Library located in Canton and the Grand Saline Library in Grand Saline.

However, there are more libraries in the county that are now wanting a piece of the money pie.

The Grand Saline Library receives $10,500 from the county every year for expenses that GS Library officials say is “necessary to the operating budget.”

With the Nov. 8, 2016, general election looming before the county, Van Zandt Commissioners approved a number of election-related items during the commissioner court Aug. 9.

Van Zandt voters will now head to the Canton City Hall office, located at 290 E. Tyler St, Canton, instead of the Plaza Museum in Canton to cast their vote.

According to Van Zandt County Chief Election Deputy Elsa Smith, the Canton City Hall location is ADA compliant and is large enough to encompass a number of voters.

Smith said that the “City of Canton does not charge the county for use of the facilities, as there will be a local election also on the ballot for Canton voters. In turn, the county does not charge for the use of voting equipment. The space is large and ADA compliant.”

Smith also told the court that there would be signs posted throughout the area directing traffic towards the voting location.

The Canton ISD Board of Trustees approved a tax rate of $1.471 Aug. 15 – the board has kept the tax rate steady for a decade.

“This is the 10^th year we’ve been able to hold the tax rate,” Superintendent Jay Tullos said. “We’re hoping to keep that for a few more years.”

The tax rate breaks down as $1.04 for maintenance and operations and $0.431 for debt service.

The district’s taxable value for 2016 is $700,888,405. Almost 95 percent is from residential property tax and 5 percent from industrial and mineral taxes.

Trustees also approved the district’s budgets of  $15.9 million for operating expenses, $721,344 for child nutrition and $3 million for debt service.

According to information from the CISD business office, the cost to educate a student in CISD – based on an enrollment of 2,107 and 176 days of school – is $9,344.50. That translates to $53.09 per day or $7.08 per hour.