News

The city of Graham’s engineer was notified in late January that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department denied its redesign of the trail project in Firemen’s Park and a new design will be required to move forward with the project.

Extending the trails within Firemen’s Park has been a goal of the Graham Parks Department Board of Directors. One part of that process with TPWD grant funding is determining historical sites before construction can move forward.

What makes up the pages of a book can define what the ‘Heart of the Book’ means to each individual. Books that have received the coveted Caldecott Medal are the centerpiece for the interactive exhibit at the Old Post Office Museum and Art Center.

The exhibit opened in January and will run through Saturday, March 29 at the OPOMAC. The showcase features a first edition collection of Caldecott Medal books from 1938-2020 with historical context, maps and criteria associated with the award.

The Young County Commissioners discussed a tax abatement for the Tapaderos Solar project from Titus Low Carbon Ventures (LCV) which will be located approximately nine miles west of Eliasville.

The project is a 300 megawatt solar power facility with 200 megawatts of battery energy storage with an estimated investment of approximately $264.4 million. The landowners accepted a lease agreement with the company for the purpose of constructing and operating the project.

Following a motion to adjudicate hearing last week, Damaion Maurice Fleming Jr., of Olney, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for violations of his conditions of community supervision.

Fleming accepted a plea Oct. 2, 2024 of five years deferred adjudication community supervision on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon from a February 2023 offense.

Following a trend of decreases in sales tax returns from the state, this month the city of Graham received an over $250,000 boost compared to the previous year’s payment. 

The allocation from the state is based on sales made in December by businesses that report tax monthly, sales from October through December from quarterly filers and annual business filers. 

In March 2015, four local women organized and held a 5K race to honor local Bill Spivey, and 10 years later their efforts have resulted in over $100,000 being donated to local and international charities.

The Spivey Hill Challenge board presented three $6,000 checks Wednesday, Feb. 19 to the local organizations Shine On for Women, Garments of Grace and the Hero House. The funds were raised during the 10th annual 5K race held Nov. 9, 2024 at Firemen’s Park. 

The city of Graham, Graham ISD and Newcastle ISD will have contested elections upcoming in May after candidates filed for open seats on the city council and district board of trustees.

City council and school board seats in Graham, Olney and Newcastle are up for election. Additionally, there are open seats for the Olney Hamilton Hospital Board of Directors.

Applications could be submitted to local political subdivisions through Friday, Feb. 14. The election will take place Saturday, May 3.

Youth across Young County traveled to participate in the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo which ran through last weekend and returned with awards for their efforts.

Following the Young County Junior Livestock Show held at the beginning of January, the youth in the county have moved to shows around the state including the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, which is ongoing.

It was in Jacksonville Beach, Florida in January 2022 that Kyndal Ray Edwards began his journey to cross America by foot to raise awareness for mental health and addiction recovery. 

Last week, that journey took him across Young County. Edwards reached Young County and lodged Thursday, Feb. 13 in Olney before making his next trip on Hwy. 114 to Jermyn. 

Edwards was inspired to make the trip in 2013 after reading a newspaper article titled ‘America on Foot,’ about Harrison Milanian who walked from Tallahassee, Florida to Laguna Beach, California.

The city of Graham began its upcoming fiscal year budget discussions last week and a template to move forward as it looks to adopt a budget by August.

The meeting Thursday, Feb. 13 was led by City Manager Eric Garretty, who discussed the key budget issues faced by the city as it begins the planning process. Garretty wanted guidance on the budget from the Graham City Council to take back to the city departments in March or April.