News

This month Graham ISD joined other school districts across Texas in a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency which alleges TEA Commissioner of Education Mike Morath is unlawfully lowering the A-F Accountability Ratings for 2022-2023.

The lawsuit alleges that districts will be graded on a new scale that was not provided to districts at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year instead of the measure, methods and procedures which were adopted Aug. 11, 2022.

The Texas Music Office and Visit Graham are hosting a public Music Friendly Texas Community Workshop next week, which is the first step in the process for Graham to be certified as a Music Friendly Texas Community.

The Music Friendly Community Program was created in 2016 to provide Texas communities with a network to foster music industry development and show local interest to industry professionals for attracting and developing the music industry.

Songs filled the air Sunday at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Graham as the congregation hosted a 100th year celebration for the church during their service.

A contract for construction of a $6.15 million water line from the city sewer treatment plant to the planned Plug Power hydrogen facility was approved last week by the Graham City Council to be negotiated by City Manager Eric Garretty.

The council authorized the city manager Thursday, Sept. 14 to negotiate and conclude a contract for construction of the water line with Acadia Services, LLC in an amount not to exceed $6,150,000 based on a recommendation from the city’s contracted engineering firm Kimley-Horn.

The Graham City Council approved various safety measures for Oak, Montgomery and East Streets to assist traffic concerns around Graham Regional Medical Center and Open Door Christian School.

The city of Graham Transportation Improvements Committee met last month to discuss the installation of traffic control measures for Open Door Christian School, including temporary gates on Oak Street. Research for feasibility of other safety measures was recommended for city council approval.

The Graham City Council approved a bid last week from R. Morales Concrete for citywide curb and gutter repair projects. Over 2,000 linear feet of curb improvements and repairs will be included within the projects.

The council approved the bid of $82,028 from R. Morales Concrete during its meeting Thursday, Sept. 14. The bids were accepted until Friday, Aug. 25. The accepted bid includes the removal, disposal and repair of 2,264 linear feet of curb.

Allen Lee Dixon pleaded guilty Monday to two felony charges of indecency with a child by sexual contact. As part of a plea agreement, he was arrested and sentenced to 180 days in the Young County Jail and 10 years deferred adjudication community supervision.

The charges stem from allegations made against Dixon while he was operating Brothers Smokehouse, a former restaurant in Graham which he co-owned. The offenses took place around May 1, 2020 and Nov. 1, 2021, with victims under the age of 18.

At nearly nine months old, Everleigh Deck, who was diagnosed with biliary atresia, is fighting for her life and requires a donor to provide a liver transplant.

Taylor and Tyson Deck welcomed Everleigh into the world in December. Two months later, Everleigh became jaundiced and she was eventually diagnosed with biliary atresia.

She was born without a gallbladder or bile ducts, but it was something doctors were unable to discover in a newborn.

A Young County man was arrested this week on a charge of cruelty to livestock animals related to an estimated 40 horses found by the Young County Sheriff’s Office in malnourished condition.

Hadley Don Hopkins, 43, of Young County, was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 12 on the charge, according to a probable cause affidavit. One dead horse was found on the property belonging to Hopkins.

The Graham ISD Board of Trustees approved the scope of work for a May 2024 bond election and requested updated costs for two propositions. The scope includes grade level additions, new parking and playground renovations at Pioneer Elementary School as well as renovations at Crestview Elementary School.

In June, the board voted to establish a bond election on the May 2024 ballot. The new scope focuses on adding space at Pioneer to allow the campus to serve grades pre-K through second and renovations at Crestview to allow the campus to serve grades 3-5.