As 2023 has come and gone and we are venturing into the new year, The Graham Leader is taking a look back at the local news that happened during the past 12 months.
January
• Young County Judge Win Graham was sworn into office Sunday, Jan. 1 succeeding former Young County Judge John Bullock, who retired after holding the position since 2011. Graham said as he began his first term in office, he was thankful for the support he received.
The filing period in Young County opens in two weeks for political subdivision seats up for election in May. City council and school board positions in Graham, Olney and Newcastle are up for election with applications available at each individual entity.
Applications to file can be submitted to local political subdivisions from Wednesday, Jan. 17 through Friday, Feb. 16. The election will take place Saturday, May 4 at polling locations around Young County.
The Old Post Office Museum and Art Center Board announced in December that Lynsey Browning would be returning to the position of director of the museum, a role she held from 2018-2019.
Browning has returned to full-time director at the OPOMAC after serving in an interim capacity for the past 10 months at the museum. Browning was named interim director in December 2022 following the retirement of Gordon Grubbs.
Browning was born and raised in Southwest Missouri and before moving to Tyler with her family in 2004.
With four performances down and two left, Graham Concert Association is approaching the end of its 78th season. The two remaining performances in January and February will be the Texas A&M Singing Cadets and the season finale, The Bellamy Brothers.
GCA President Grant Ingram said the nonprofit group has had a successful year so far with performances with a variety of talent.
A series of fraudulent text messages have recently been getting sent to bank customers in Graham and Young County.
At least two banks in the area have put out information online about these scam messages in an effort to warn people should they receive one. First State Bank and Graham Savings and Loan published examples of the types of fraudulent messages on their respective Facebook pages.
Texans have less than one week left to provide input on the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan, which was designed to address broadband access, affordability and adoptions for those across the state.
The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, developed the plan to complement broadband infrastructure programs underway in the state such as the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) program and the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Since Fall 2022, 41 students from Graham ISD have participated in the Red River Promise (RRP) program through North Central Texas College and the number has increased each academic year.
Through the program, GISD graduating students can receive varied support services and the cost of tuition and fees covered for up to two years, or 60 credit hours.
As the Graham Drive In theater approaches its 75th anniversary in 2024, owners Therrol and Becky DuBois are looking to hand ownership to someone who has the same passion and love for theater that they share.
The theater, founded in 1949, was purchased April 1, 2019 from Pam and Dr. David Scott. Becky is retired after working in the school system for 22 years and Therrol continues his 38-year work as a minister at First Baptist Church in Jacksboro.
The Young County Jail has returned to normal operations following a gas leak last week that necessitated the movement of inmates to various jails in neighboring counties.
Young County Sheriff Travis Babcock confirmed Thursday, Dec. 21 that the gas leak had been repaired and all the inmates that were sent to surrounding counties had been returned to Young County.
Cooking from dusk to dawn the Young County Masonic Lodge worked on smokers last week to provide 164 turkeys, with 124 donated to those less fortunate in the community.
The annual Christmas turkey program from the organization continued for its 13th year at the lodge located on Third Street in Graham.
Donated smokers lined the back of the lodge which were loaned to the organization by various members of the community.
Lodge members said the fires started around 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21 with the first batch taken off around 2 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22.
