News

Graham Regional Theatre is lighting up the stage with four productions of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as its annual summer musical. The show encompasses a cast and crew of nearly 50 from Graham and neighboring communities.

Four performances of the show will be held at the end of June at Graham Memorial Auditorium. Shows will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 23, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24 and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25.

Josh Kidd and Katie Huitt are serving as co-directors for the production.

The Young County Sheriff’s Office arrested 12 people Friday, May 19 as a result of a traffic stop on Hwy. 114. The stop led to one charge for smuggling of persons and 12 charges of engaging in organized criminal activity.

According to a YCSO release, at approximately 6:10 p.m. a Honda Odyssey was on Hwy. 114 near Shepard Lane. The YCSO deputy observed supporting evidence of human smuggling during a roadside investigation.

Graham ISD Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Gary Browning, and Newcastle ISD Superintendent Shane Mallory sent a notice to parents this week regarding access to spring STAAR/End-of-Course exam results being delayed from the state. This delay was due to the redesign of the exams and the state accountability system.

Browning sent a notice Thursday, May 25 through the district’s parent communication service ParentSquare. In the post he stated that in previous years parents had access to student results prior to the end of the school year.

The Library of Graham has recently seen a number of new additions to the outside and inside of the facility. The library has added a Little Free Library with 24/7 access outside the facility, expanded its collection of Texana books and added a pollinator garden.

Little Free Library

Young County Commissioners approved an appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act funds for equipment that will go with County Engine #3 and the Young County Volunteer Fire Departments. Commissioners authorized the use of up to $200,000 for the purchases.

Newcastle ISD brought home UIL academic state championships last week when it competed in the 2023 Academic State Meet. In total, Newcastle High School earned two team state championships, two individual state championships and one silver medal.

The state meet took place May 17-18 at the University of Texas in Austin with competitions in 24 categories. NISD competed in calculator applications, mathematics, number sense, persuasive speaking and informative speaking.

The Graham Parks and Recreation board met last week and received an update on the status of the new playground equipment for Fireman’s Park. The new equipment will be ordered through Child’s Play, Inc. and has an estimated arrival time of 18 weeks.

The annual summer meal program, which provides free meals for children 18 and younger, begins in June at Crestview Elementary School. The Texas Department of Agriculture partners with locations around the state to provide meals in areas where more than 50% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

The Graham Regional Medical Center Board of Directors chose Teinert Construction as the construction company for the upcoming surgery center and hospital renovations. The decision was finalized after a vote during a Wednesday, May 10 special called meeting.

The bid was approved for a cost of $4,924,000 with the allotted time of 300 days to complete the project.

Graham’s biggest day of events is two weeks away when the Possum Pedal bike ride, Food Truck Championship of Texas and a concert, featuring Clay Walker and Ian Munsick, are featured around the city.

All three events will take place Saturday, June 3 in Graham.

Possum Pedal