Van Zandt News (Wills Point, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 19, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 15, 2013 Page: 4 of 22
twenty two pages : ill.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Page 4A—VAN ZANDT NEWS, Sunday, September 15,2013
Newsworthy
SUBSCRIBE!
Call 903-873-2525
From Page 1A
every juror present.
-Agreed to the holiday schedule changes. The
courts will stay open on Dec. 23, but will be closed
Dec. 24 and 25.
-Approved sherriff and constable fees as they cur-
rently stand for Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2014.
-Approved Kaufman County to be instated into the
North East Texas Mobility Authority.
The NET RMA focuses on enhancing mobility on
roadways and creating economic opportunities in the
northeast Texas region. Kaufman County elected to
join the deep east Texas region instead of the Dallas
metroplex region.
-Discussed and approved salvage items as listed
and the disposition of same items through disposal,
donation or auction to a non-profit agency.
From Page 1A
Allen was present at the commissioners meeting
and urged the commissioners to implement a burn
ban to be in effect immediately.
“We have been very busy and have seen an in-
crease and a need for fire and rescue response
lately. Van Zandt County is extremely dry. As it
stands, we are at 761 out of 800 on the Keetch-
Byram Drought Index. We are projected to be at
782 out of 800 in the next two weeks. We want
to do everything to protect people and their prop-
erty. That includes implementing a burn-ban to
help prevent the likelihood of a wildfire,” Allen
said.
Precinct 2 Van Zandt County Commissioner
Virgil Melton Jr. stated that, “We want to take
precaution and review this burn ban meeting-to-
meeting. But, I think this burn ban is a way of
protecting our county.”
It was a unanimous decision by the commis-
sioners to place Van Zandt County in a burn ban
until further notice.
The ban dictates that the use of combustible ma-
terials in an outdoor environment is prohibited;
such as fireworks, outdoor cooking equipment,
discarded cigarettes, or materials or equipment
used that create fire, such as welding.
Residential trash burning will be permitted only
in a metal barrel covered with a one-inch screen
and placed in an area free of debris and grass.
Welding will be allowed only for professional
and commercial uses. The ban dictates that at least
100 gallons of water be on hand and that if winds
exceed 10 miles-per-hour or the humidity is less
than 30 percent, no welding or burning will be
permitted. Underground and enclosed welding is
acceptable.
Agricultural burning is allowed only by the fol-
lowing guidelines; all leaves, brush and other eas-
ily combustible materials must be cleared at least
25 feet of the area to be burned.
A notice by the landowner or person burning
or welding must be made to the sheriff’s office
of Van Zandt County by calling 903-567-4133
before any burning or welding is commenced.
For more information, call 903-567-6026.
GSHS Ex-Students Association
To Celebrate Homecoming
The Grand Saline High School Ex-Students
Association will be celebrating their annual homecoming
Friday, Sept. 30. All Grand Saline ex-students, teachers
and friends are invited to attend the homecoming parade
and pep rally in downtown Grand Saline at 2 p.m.
The GSHS ex-students homecoming reception will be
held at the Grand Saline Old School Museum on the old
campus on Main Street immediately following the
football game. All Grand Saline ex-students, teachers
and friends are invited to attend the reception.
Refreshments will be served. The Old School Museum
will be open during the game if those not attending the
game would like to come early to visit the museum.
The “Friends of the Old School” will also have the
museum open during the papade and pep rally, so please
plan to come by to visit all the items of memorabilia on
display.
New Concealed Handgun Laws Go Into Effect
By Pam Millican
Correspondent
New Texas legislation went into law Sept. 1,
concerning the Concealed Handgun Licensing.
Since 2007, 2,342 Van Zandt County residents
have been issued a Concealed Handgun License
which equates to 4 percent of the county’s popu-
lation.
The biggest change is for those individuals who
may want to get a new license. The certification
class has been reduced from 10 to 15 hours in
length to a maximum of six hours classroom train-
ing. Instructors must now teach the same informa-
tion in half the time. The handgun categories have
also been removed. Previously if someone tested
with a revolver then they could only obtain a CHL
to carry a revolver whereas if they tested with a
semi-automatic handgun then they could carry ei-
ther type of handgun.
Residents who currently possess a CHL are no
longer required to take the four hour renewal
course or demonstrate shooting proficiency. The
renewal process is as simply as going online and
pay the renewal fee.
Hotels are now required to post their firearm
policy on their website and in written guest poli-
cies. A place of higher education (college or uni-
versities) can no longer prohibit a student with a
CHL from storing a handgun and/or ammunition
in a vehicle on campus. The legislation also re-
duces the fees charges to certain peace officers
and veterans.
Effective Jan. 1, 2014, concealed handgun li-
cense applicants will no longer be required to pro-
vide a Social Security number as part of the pro-
cess.
According to the Department of Public Safety,
146,367 Texas residents obtained a CHL in 2012.
Edgewood Memorial Bricks Recovered
Pam Millican
Correspondent
EDGEWOOD—Edgewood High School
Principal Kristin Prater and several seniors
were placing flags along the Edgewood High
School sidewalk to commemorate 9/11 last year
when they made a startling discovery. The
group dug down to see what was obstructing
the placement of the flags and found an in-
scribed brick.
The seniors recovered 100 bricks that had
been laid parallel to the sidewalk. The bricks
were sold by the athletic booster club to raise
money approximately nine years ago. The
bricks were placed along the sidewalk where
they sunk into the ground and grass covered
them.
The recovered bricks were cleaned and put
into storage until this summer when the school
board budgeted money to permanently place the
bricks in concrete so they would be forever
preserved. Coach Jason Seale, Randy Osborn,
Cody Wilcoxson and Cal Short worked in the
100-plus degree temperature to get the bricks
placed before the start of the school year.
Rather than being placed parallel to the side-
walk, the bricks were moved to an area adja-
cent to the entrance to the high school. Prater
got pavers donated to create a design of bricks
and pavers that accentuate the memorial bricks
making them easy to read.
The school will sell bricks again this year to
raise money for the Gifted and Talented program
headed by Monica Price. The bricks will go on sale
around Oct. 18 for $25 and up depending on how
many lines of script is engraved on the brick. The bricks
will then be placed on the opposite side of the high
school entrance which has enough room for the tradi-
tion to continue for years.
For more information concerning the purchasing of
a brick, contact Monica Price at mprice@edgewood-
isd.net.
Council
Photo by Britne Reeves
Mayor Don Yarbrough, right, presents Robert Coffman, a longtime mem-
ber of the Grand Saline Volunteer Fire Department, with an award for his
service.
for downtown Grand
Saline.
The lamps are an on-
going effort in the Main
Street Program and will
cost $720 for each lamp,
for a total of $6,480.
The new lamps will be
located from U.S.
Highway 80 to Frank
Street.
-A city-wide clean-
up will commence on
Oct. 25 and 26 from 8
a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents
can bring recyclable
materials, metal, landfill
materials and brush to
the dump sites.
- A one-year lease
agreement was made
with the Van Zandt
County Cooperative
Disciplinary Alternative
Education Program at
316 N. Saline St. for
Blocks 1, Lots 9, 10
and 11.
-The contract agree-
ment with the East
Texas Council of Gov-
ernments for the 9 -1 -1 -
database maintenance
was approved for
$1,915. The ETCOG
develops a strategic
plan to establish and
maintain 9-1-1 emer-
gency telephone ser-
vices.
-The city council also
initiated a hiring freeze.
No new employees will
be hired until further
notice.
Mayor Don
Yarbrough said, “I do
not want to start out the
new year in the hole; I
want to get these issues
resolved so our city can
move past this.”
Vm Zandt News
Brad Blakemore,
Publisher
Editorial Staff
Advertising Staff
Julie Vaughan, Editor
editor@vanzandtnews.com
Britne Reeves, Staff Writer
britne@vanzandtnews.com
David Kapitan, Sports Editor
sports @ vanzandtnews .com
Kelli Baxter
David Barber
Glenn McNeill Jr.
Barbara Robertson
Canton Guide
Office Staff
Linda Nielsen —Accounting • Salina Berry—Accounting • Kelley Black—Proofing/Layout
Lela De Leon—Graphic Artist • Amanda Greene—Layout
Lori Davis—Layout • Rachel DeLira—Typesetting • Robin Campbell—Classifieds
How To Reach Us
Editorial and advertising staff members of the Van
Zandt News may be contacted several different ways.
By Visiting
109 N. 5th
Wills Point, Texas
103 E. Tyler
Canton, Texas
Phone & Fax
(903) 873-2525 (ph)
(903) 567-4000 (ph)
(903) 873-4321 (fx)
(903) 567-6076 (fx)
General News
vznews @ aol.com
Advertising Sales Staff
vzads@aol.com
By Mail
P.O. Box 60
Wills Point, TX 75169
P.O. Box 577
Canton, Texas 75103
TU
MEMBER
2013
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
VAN ZANDT NEWS
Van Zandt News (USPS 685610) is published weekly
by Van Zandt Newspapers, L.L.C., Box 60, 109 N. 5th,
Wills Point, Texas 75169. Subscriphon rates arc $29 per
year in county and adjoining counhes, $3 2 per year in Texas,
and $34 per year out-side Texas. Rates outside U.S. by
request. Periodicals postage paid at Wills Point, Texas. POST-
MASTER: Send address changes to Van Zandt News, P. O.
Box 60, Wills Point, Texas 75169.
Any eixoneous reflection upon the character, standing or
reputa-tion of any person or firm or corporation which may
appeal- in the columns of this newspaper will be gladly cor-
rected upon being brought to the attention of the Publisher.
The publisher shah not be hable for slight changes or
typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an adver-
tisement. The publisher’s liability for ah errors or omissions
in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to pub-
lication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the
refund of any monies paid for the advertisement. The agency
or advertiser agrees to defend and indemnify the publisher
against any and ah liability, loss or expenses arising from
claims of hbel, unfair compehhon, unfair hade practices,
infringement of trademarks, copyrights, hade names, pat-
ents or proprietary rights or violahon of rights of privacy
resulting from publication of the advertiser’s advertisement.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Vaughan, Julie. Van Zandt News (Wills Point, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 19, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 15, 2013, newspaper, September 15, 2013; Wills Point, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth867654/m1/4/: accessed June 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Van Zandt County Library.