News

The Canton Tea Party will host a Republican candidate forum for local candidates in the March Primary election.

The forum will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, in the Church of Christ Fellowship Building, 805 Big Rock St. in Canton.

According to information from organizers, “candidates will be given a moderated time of introduction and questions pertaining to their elected office being south.”

From 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 18, 2016, the National Weather Service will be hosting the SkyWarn Storm Spotter training at the Van Zandt County Regional Airport on Hwy. 64 near Wills Point.

This class is open to all everyone who would like to attend and no registration is necessary.

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Beginning Jan. 10, Lakeside Baptist Church will be offering GriefShare, a Biblically-based group offering support in overcoming loss.

“You won’t ever forget your loss, but grief recovery offers some practical information that can help you recover from the pain that you feel,” organizers said.

According to information from the church, grief is “that feeling of emptiness and exhaustion after you lose someone you love. Maybe you feel that you are doing OK most days, but other days you are just going through the motions, keeping up appearances, especially through the holidays, and feeling overwhelmed, hoping that time will eventually make you feel better.

Just before Christmas, officers of the Canton Police Department gathered to get a gift they gave themselves – newly designed badges.

“Everyone had a hand in the design of the badges,” said Police Chief Brad Allison.

Canton officers have worn a standard badge since the 1980s, Allison said. “This badge, although functional, was the type that many other agencies across the United States use. It did nothing to distinguish itself and us from other departments. Canton is definitely a unique city and we wanted a unique badge for the city of Canton.”

The style of the new badge was decided by the officers. As a group they narrowed it down to six choices and then voted.

“This is much more than just changing a part of the uniform,” Allison said during the badge pinning ceremony Dec. 23. “It goes much deeper. It’s a symbolism of who we are.”

The Library of Genealogy and Local History, maintained by the van Zandt County Genealogical Society is an off-site facility of the Van Zandt County Library. The genealogy library is located in the County Courthouse Annex on Groves Street in Canton.

The library is staffed by volunteer librarians who work a 3 and a half hour shift each week. There are usually two librarians available to assist patron in their research, if needed.

Other volunteer opportunities in the genealogical society are assisting in the research and publication of the society’s quarterly and various publications and helping with the annual seminar and beginner’s workshops.

If you have a few hours to volunteer each week and would be interested in helping at the library, contact Society President Jan Crow at 903-567-5012.

Missing funds traced to former tax assessor

Former Van Zandt County Tax Assessor-Collector J.J. Minyard appeared in court in Canton Dec. 10 and pled guilty to stealing $178,856.08 from taxpayers during her tenure as an elected official.

Minyard was the county’s tax assessor-collector from 2009 to 2012. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to repay restitution.

Minyard’s arrest and conviction comes on the heels of a joint investigation by VZC Criminal District Attorney Chris Martin and Sgt. Johnny Hatcher, an investigator with the Criminal Investigations Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

According to information from Martin’s office, a yearlong investigation revealed that Minyard had manipulated more than 120 deposit slips by overstating the amount of checks collected while understating the amount of cash collected.

Minyard pocketed the cash, Martin said.

The American Cancer Society is looking for Van Zandt County volunteers to drive patients to treatment appointments.

Getting to and from medical treatments is one of the greatest concerns cancer patients face, according to Cindy Goodson, Road to Recovery volunteer coordinator. To ensure patients get to those much-needed treatments, the American Cancer Society provides free rides through its Road to Recovery program.

“One cancer patient requiring radiation therapy could need anywhere from 20 to 30 trips to treatment in six weeks,” Goodson said. “A patient receiving chemo0therapy might report for treatment weekly for up to a year. In many cases, a patient is driven to hospitals or clinics by relatives or friends, but even these patients must occasionally seek alternative transportation. That’s where the Road to Recovery program comes in.”

Canton artist sculpts soldier

Ed Pickett is a man of many talents. A self-taught vintner, artist, sculptor and veteran are just some of the names that Pickett can tuck under his belt.

Pickett, a larger than life character, haunts his establishment, the Savannah Winery and Bistro in Canton, but more than likely, wine and food are not the only things that one could find in Pickett’s establishment.

In fact, a large Styrofoam and clay sculpture of a soldier kneeling is tucked away in a corner of the front room of the Savannah Winery.

Pickett is a sculptor, and a good one at that. His almost 8-foot, double body size rendition of Canton solider Juan Herrera is lifelike and precise to the point.

The sculpture, once completed and bronzed, will be part of the Van Zandt County Veteran’s Memorial.

Fire returns to The Mountain

It was bit of déjà vu and disbelief that The Mountain in Canton once again caught fire Oct. 17.

Almost two years to date, The Mountain, with its cafes, theatres and shops, was consumed by rampant fires that destroyed an area almost twice as large as the November 2013 fire.

In the November 2013 fire, it looked as if a crater had struck the center of The Mountain, hollowing out the heart of the market.

Whereas now, a large, right dog-legged section that encompassed multiple structures is now completely gone.

Gone are the dinner theatres, eateries and dreams that the people of The Mountain called home.

Jan Ashley was one of the hopeful few who turned their eyes and dreams to The Mountain, only to be left with crushed dreams and burnt realities.