For a fifth year, runners will line up at Fireman’s Park in Graham and attempt to overcome Spivey Hill during the Spivey Hill Challenge 5K and 1K Fun Run honoring Bill Spivey and Spencer Street III.
The race will be on April 6 with the 5K starting at 9 a.m., the 1K Fun Run starting at 10 a.m. and the awards ceremony beginning at 10:15 a.m.
The color blue, in April, is a representation of the pain child abuse causes and a call for awareness about the issue within the community.
In 1983, April was first recognized as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month by President Ronald Reagan according the Child Welfare Information Gateway funded by the Children’s Bureau as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 1989, the first blue ribbon campaign was created as a memorial to children affected by abuse and neglect.
A Rainbow Trout stocking season, which included some winter weather and high water delays, concluded on March 8 for the Possum Kingdom State Fish Hatchery. The hatchery now turns its attention to spawning and stocking striped bass.
“The last (trout) we ended up stocking was on March 8 in Amarillo and Wichita Falls,” Hatchery Manager Ryan Rogers said. “The last official stocking we had for Possum Kingdom Tailrace was on Feb. 15 and then we stocked some surplus fish on March 7.”
Book character Flat Stanley was in attendance as the Young County Commissioner’s Court discussed many budgetary items on Monday.
Elections Administrator Lauren Sullivan brought Flat Stanley with her to Commissioner’s Court from Jan Braddock’s Class in Olney Elementary School. Sullivan said the class is learning about the things around them through Flat Stanley. She has taken Stanley to visit legislators in Austin, to learn about smog in Houston and visit Sam Houston’s statue and burial site.
Last Thursday, the Graham City Council approved an ordinance amendment to protect the city from liability regarding drivers who are pulled over and cannot provide proof of insurance.
A driver is required by state law to provide proof of insurance if they are pulled over by a Graham Police Department officer, but Interim Chief Brent Bullock said what the law does not say is what comes next.
On Monday, After weeks of “closed session pursuant to economic development,” The Young County Commissioners announced they have reached a tentative agreement with Belltown Power Texas on a solar project in Graham.
“We have come to an agreement on the number of years and also on the amount we pay for (tax) abatement,” Attorney Jay Cantrell said. “Judge, I will recommend to the commissioners that we approve that. We will at this point we will need to proceed with getting the reinvestment zone designated.”
After beginning a search in late August, Graham Regional Medical Center has their man. The board voted to approve the employee agreement with Doctor Steven Vaughan to work with, and eventually replace, the retiring Doctor, Donald Behr, as General Surgeon.
Vaughan comes to Graham from Tucson, Ariz., where he ran a private practice for 16 years. Vaughan had his medical training at the University of Arizona and surgery training at Texas Tech University, where he was chief resident in his final year.
Graham Regional Medical Center saw an operating loss of $184,000 for the month of February, but after other forms of incomes, including taxes, the hospital had a net income of $101,000.
“A couple of reasons for that, we had a $110,000 uncompensated care payment, which went straight to the bottom line,” GRMC CFO, Jeff Casbeer, said. “We also had a change in payer mix, we saw about a 15 percent drop in our Medicare payer mix and about a 7 percent increase in our commercial payer mix.”
The Graham Independent School District board approved a proposal for the repair of the roof at Woodland Elementary School, at their regular board meeting, Wednesday night, March 20. GISD Superintendent, Sonny Cruse, also said repairs on the Graham Junior High School roof were completed.
GISD requested proposals from two vendors for the Woodland roof project, Parson’s Commercial Roofing, Inc. and Big Bear Roofing and Construction, LLC. Parson’s Commercial Roofing, Inc. returned a quote of $215,518, which was accepted as a budget amendment by the board on Wednesday.
After choosing not to run for reelection, Michael Carmichael sent his letter of resignation from the Graham Hospital District Board of Directors on Feb. 25. During the Tuesday, March 19 board meeting, the board voted to have Sylvia Overton fill Carmichael’s unexpired term.
