Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration over the weekend for Texas counties impacted by last week’s ice storm that caused widespread property damage, hazardous travel disruptions, and localized power outages. The disaster declaration includes Denton, Hays, Henderson, Milam, Smith, Travis, and Williamson counties. Additional counties may be added to …

State and local officials are urging Texans to report ice storm damage to homes and businesses using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool or iSTAT. You can complete the iSTAT damage survey in English and Spanish online by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov and clicking on “Ice Storm/Winter Weather Jan. 29 – …

State Rep. Matt Shaheen State Representative Matt Shaheen, whose district covers the western part of Collin County, has filed legislation to replace the STAAR test. He’s talked with principals, teachers, parents, and students in his district, and he thinks it’s time to let school districts select their standardized testing. On …

Paris Police met with the victim of an aggravated assault at the Paris Regional Medical Center’s ER. The 18-year-old victim reported her 25-year-old boyfriend had assaulted her by choking and threatening her with a hammer during an argument.

Another fall occurred at Ada, Oklahoma Police Department when the ice storm seriously injured Captain Casey Northcutt. The fall broke Northcutt’s neck, and he is recovering after spinal surgery. At the last report, he was still in ICU and is making progress but has had issues with paralysis.

A Pontotoc County jailer was seriously injured and is now in a medically induced coma after falling on the ice in the jail parking lot Monday. The fall caused 52-year-old Kenny Fowler to suffer two different types of brain bleeds and a hairline fracture in his skull. It’s unclear how …

One DeKalb man is dead, and another is in custody after a shooting that followed an argument. Officials are accusing Derrelexis Dewayne Betts, 37 years old, of shooting Demond Monta Easter, 44 years old, multiple times Saturday. They transported Easter to Christus St. Michael’s in Texarkana, where he died of …

The Sweetheart Soiree is a gala event featuring dinner and dancing with live and silent auctions to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of Paris. It takes place Saturday night at the Love Civic Center at 6:00 pm. The cost is $150 per person. Visit www. cacparis.org for more information. The …

The Animal Protection League will be in Paris on Friday, Feb. 10 in Atwoods’ parking lot, offering low-cost vaccines, chips and spay/neutering. Vaccinations are on a walk-in basis between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, but surgery is by appointment only. For more information, or to schedule a spay/neuter appointment, call …

The spring cleanup site will open this week for Sulphur Springs city residents to discard limbs and tree trunks. Bring proof of residency through a water bill or government-approved ID for proof of residence. The site is east of the Flowserve facility and is open from 7:00 am to 4:00 …