News

The March 6 primary election had a slow start with early voting totals numbering 1,305 in Young County, an 11.19 percent turnout from among 11,658 registered voters, according to Young County Elections Administrator Lauren Sullivan. In the March primary election in 2016, Young County had a total of 1,814 voters during early voting, an 15.66 percent turnout from among the 11,581 registered voters. Icy weather conditions during the first days of early voting this year led Sullivan to close the polls on Wednesday, Feb. 21 and reopen them on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Young County received its first month’s hotel occupancy tax which brought in $2,307.31 from the Wildcatter Ranch and Resort and Spa, showing a good outlook for the fund established to promote Fort Belknap. In December, Young County commissioners passed a resolution establishing a hotel occupancy tax of 5 percent in all unincorporated areas to continue indefinitely after Jan. 1 unless voted down by a majority of the Commissioners Court.

The old U.S. 380 bridge over the Brazos River County will be featured in an upcoming Netflix feature film, The Highwaymen, after Young County commissioners approved use of the location Monday. The Highwaymen is directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo, The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks, The Founder), and is about two Texas Rangers (Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson) who come out of retirement to catch Bonnie and Clyde. In real life, the two rangers’ upon which the film is based did travel through this area, including stops at Archer City, Graham and Throckmorton.

Fourteen people were honored for their service to Graham ISD during the first Graham Public Education Foundation Hall of Honor Banquet held on Thursday at the American Legion Building in Graham. Graham ISD announced in December the first inductees into the GPEF Hall of Honor program, which was approved by the school board in mid-September to recognize alumni, staff and community members who have provided meritorious service to the district and/or their profession. GPEF is a non-profit organization that gives funding to the district outside of the budget through a grant application process an

A man had to be taken by helicopter to a Metroplex hospital Monday night after fire broke out in a Graham apartment complex. Graham Fire Chief Jerry David said Tuesday morning that a blaze erupted shortly before 1 a.m. in the back patio of apartment 122 at the Indiana Crossing Apartments, located at Indiana and Shawnee streets. Firefighters contained the blaze to that apartment, although the two adjacent apartments sustained smoke and water damage. Their residents were not injured in the fire. Three people – two women and a man – were in the apartment at the time of the fire.

With the March 6 Primary Election around the corner, the deadline to register to cast your ballot is coming up next Monday. The last day to register to vote will be Monday, Feb. 5 and early voting will begin Monday, Feb. 20 and run through March 2. The last day to apply for ballot by mail (received and not postmarked) will be Friday, Feb. 23 by 5 p.m. at 516 4th St., Room B1, Graham or the voter can fax the ballot by mail application to 940-221-2104. There will be two early voting sites: North Central Texas College at 928 Cherry St., Graham and Olney Community Library.