News

The Brazos River Authority (BRA) is celebrating their 90 year anniversary and is predicting what the weather has in store for the river basin including Possum Kingdom Lake in 2019.

In 1929, the Texas Legislature formed the Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation District, eventually renamed to the BRA in 1953, to tame the state’s largest river after losses of  more than 200 lives and millions of dollars in property damage due to flooding from 1913 to 1921.

The Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce (PKCOC) and its Director Pam Wheat fill many roles in the community including acting as a visitor’s bureau, event planning and traditional roles of a chamber.

The Chamber’s mission, Wheat said, is “to serve the membership, advance and promote area commerce in the Possum Kingdom community, and the region. All necessary means of promotion shall be considered and particular attention and emphasis shall be given to economic, civic,  commercial, cultural, industrial and educational interests of the area.”

For 2015 Graham High School graduate Clark Miracle, coming home was a chance to relax and take his final online Spanish course for the University of Texas in Austin, but also get some perspective on what his future holds.

Miracle met City Councilman Lee Boyd through his mother and began working for him in his independent oil and gas operating business Summer 2017. Miracle gained some knowledge from Boyd which allowed him to gauge his interest in city government.

The Graham Hospital Board of Directors meeting was held Tuesday, Jan. 22, and many items were discussed including an MRI maintenance agreement.

Graham Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Shane Kernell said the MRI’s monthly payments of $30,000 for the capital lease agreement and $10,400 for the preventive maintenance plan ended in January.

Open Door Christian School received school supplies and a $250 gift card from H&R Block on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

The tax preparation company united in January to host local school supply drives to help teachers stock their desks and are to finish the school year.  Some of the items donated include pencils, pens, paper, markers, crayons and glue.

Open Door Christian School Principal Tim Guice said the school is grateful for the donations.

The city of Graham will be accruing higher sales tax rebates in November, continuing a yearly trend that began in January.

Since January the city of Graham has seen increases that exceeded their year-to-date budget starting with 0.49 percent increase in January and now continuing with a 7.65 percent increase in November.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $734.7 million in local sales tax allocations for January, 3.6 percent more than in January 2018.

Filing for a place on the May 4 election ballot is open for nine entities serving citizens of Young County, the deadline to file is Friday, Feb 15 at 5 p.m.

Entities in Young County with seats up for election are city of Graham, Graham Independent School District, Graham Hospital District, city of Olney, Olney ISD, Olney-Hamilton Hospital District, city of Newcastle, Newcastle ISD and Baylor County Water District.

Graham Regional Medical Center (GRMC) continues to struggle financially as emergency room and outpatient visits hit five-year-lows in November and December.

Local businesses and individuals in the community were honored during the Taste of Graham and Grahammy Awards held with the annual Graham Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Tuesday at the Young County Arena.

Introductions were made to both events by CEO, Graham Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau Krisa De La Cruz. A sponsor recognition was made by Graham Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Tiffany Snow, who also gave a report on the state of the chamber.

Nortex Regional Planning Commission held a public meeting on Tuesday to gather input for developing a regional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (HMAP).

A HMAP is a plan to prepare and hopefully lessen the impact if a natural disaster were to hit Young County, a city or school district. The plan if approved would also allow for entities throughout the county to apply for grants for mitigation projects like safe rooms, storm shelters, drainage systems and more from the Texas Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to Nortex.