News

The Texas State Comptroller’s Office delivered mostly positive results to Van Zandt County cities last week, announcing that five out of seven local entities had posted sales tax revenue gains when comparing against collection totals against the same month from the previous year.

DAVID KAPITAN sports@vanzandtnews.com Wills Point ISD found itself at the center of what has become an alarming trend among East Texas school districts this week, investigating a threat of potential gun violence on one of its campuses after receiving a call at the high school March 13. The local situation comes just a week after Lindale ISD received notice March 6 from an unidentified caller about a person armed with a bomb and rifle at its intermediate school campus, and six days after Van ISD was forced to go on lockdown after receiving a threatening call from a person purporting to have a weapon and an explosive device near their middle school campus March 7.

Van Zandt County Pct. 1 Commissioner Chad LaPrade recognized two of his employees during the regular meeting of the VZC Commissioners Court March 1 for rendering aid recently to a VZC senior citizen.

Elwood Baptist Church, located at 3713 VZ CR 3504 in Wills Point, will be having their homecoming to mark 125 years since it’s organization in 1898 on April 2. Church officials stated, “We will be having brother Billy Smith to bring the morning message and Ransomed will bring the music.

The second edition of the revamped Van Zandt Co. Bluegrass Festival, presented by KR Promotions, LLC., is slated to kick off Thursday, March 16 at the Canton Civic Center.

The Canton Lions Club District 2-2X met Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at the Van Zandt Country Club with Lion President Tanya Watkins presiding. The guest speaker, Tonja Garten, is the Director of the Van Zandt County Sarah Norman Library located in Canton.

TxDOT is planning to conduct the following construction and maintenance work in the district during the week of March 13, 2023. Work schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen issues. Please slow down and pay attention in work zones.

The library is in full swing for Spring Break 2023! We have a full schedule of events for this week March 14–17. Something is planned every day. All times are from 12-4 p.m. each day and you just walk in. Parental assistance is required on some projects and children under age 13 must be accompanied by a parent.

Van Zandt County will soon be 175 years old. The Van Zandt County Genealogical Society, in partnership with other local history groups, will hold a birthday party for the county on Saturday, March 25, from 2-4 p.m. at the Blackwell House Museum and Van Zandt County Library located at 317 First Monday Lane in Canton.

Canton citizens will have an opportunity to dispose of select items at ease next week, as the Keep Canton Beautiful citywide cleanup will be returning this year, beginning on Monday, March 13 through Thursday, March 16.