News

Rhita Koches of Canton joined nearly 3,000 county leaders and partners July 21- 24 in Adams County, Colo. for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference. Koches is a County Relations Officer for the Texas Association of Counties. She serves as a liaison for the Association to 106 counties in North and East Texas.

As Texans enjoy summer activities outdoors, TxDOT’s Be Safe. Drive Smart.

Midway Church of God, located at 17470 East Highway 64 in Ben Wheeler, has announced that they will be hosting their 2022 Women’s Conference beginning at 6 p.m. Aug.

For the 14th year in a row, the work of the Van Zandt County Historical Commission has received state recognition from the Texas Historical Commission. The announcement was made by VZC Judge Don Kirkpatrick as he presented VZC Historical Commission Chairman Elvis Allen with a 2021 Distinguished Service Award certificate from the state commission during the regular meeting of the VZC Commissioners Court Aug.

The Mighty Canton Band has been a model of success over the years, entering the 2022-’23 school year with a streak of 29 consecutive UIL 1 Division Ratings and 14 consecutive appearances at the UIL State Marching Contest.

The number of newly confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases reported in Van Zandt County increased by 271 over the last two weeks, climbing from 11,877 since the pandemic was first tracked at the end of the July 21 reporting period up to 12,148 at the end of the Aug. 4 reporting period.

Rob Toups, retired Band Director of Canton High School, was installed into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame during ceremonies held in conjunction with the annual Convention of the Texas Bandmasters Association meeting in San Antonio July 23.

Strategies on dealing with drought for livestock producers will be discussed at a program scheduled for August 18 at the Van Zandt Farm Bureau Event Center beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event center is located at 220 Burnett Trail in Canton. There is no cost to attend.

Elms are a big part of the Texas landscape in both rural and urban areas, but drought is exacerbating instances of native elm wilt statewide, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts. These experts are urging landowners and homeowners to become aware of this disease, its causes and potential management strategies.

Work began Aug. 1 on tearing down the awning in front of the Canton Herald office on the south side of the downtown square. The awning was damaged in a windstorm that blew through the downtown area several weeks ago. A new awning is being installed in front of the building. Photos by David Barber and Tiffany Hardy