Lamar County Courthouse Lamar County Commissioners voted Monday to let bids on a significant courthouse roof repair and HVAC project. There has been a decades-long water infiltration problem at the courthouse. Commissioners contracted an architectural firm to finalize bid specifications for roof and parapet repairs and a new heating, ventilation, …

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called on lawmakers to take immediate action during this week’s special session to eliminate the state’s 4.5 percent grocery tax. His Democratic opponent, Joy Hofmeister, said she would stop regressive taxes on families like the grocery tax if elected.

Construction on Bois d’Arc Lake in Fannin County is nearing completion. They consider the dam is complete now that it has electricity. They built Bois d’Arc Lake to meet the growing demand for water in North Texas and to serve as a recreational facility. It’s the first new lake built …

Several area counties have ordered bans on outdoor burning because of current drought conditions. They are Fannin, Collin, and Grayson counties in Texas and McCurtain and Pushmataha in Oklahoma.

Governor Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy Texas A&M Task Force 1 to Florida to support a Federal Emergency Management Agency request. Texas A&M Task Force 1 has deployed a Type 3 urban search-and-rescue team consisting of 45 personnel, four boats, and two canines. It’s …

Jaime Castillo-Zavala Hopkins County Jail A court sentenced Jaime Antoni Castillo-Zavala, 38, of Saltillo, to ten years in prison for manslaughter. However, they suspended the sentence and amended it to ten years probation, including 180 days in jail. He must also go to a substance abuse punishment facility for felons …

Brandon Faircloth and Family Dave Campbell’s Football has recognized Sulphur Springs Wildcat Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Brandon Faircloth as the 4A Coach of the Week. Under Faircloth, the Wildcats have begun the season with a 4-1 record. That’s more total wins than the Wildcats had in the last …

Authorities are searching for a Cass County woman who’s been missing for more than a week. Kathleen Spanel, 64, was last seen Sept. 18 in Atlanta wearing jeans, a purple shirt, and tennis shoes. Officials say she is “fragile and frail.”

Jonathan Blake Parker A Gladewater man accused of sexually assaulting a child under 14 has pleaded guilty in Upshur County. The court sentenced Jonathan Blake Parker, 38, to life in prison. As part of the plea bargain, Parker waived all appeals, and the state dismissed additional counts of the same …

Hallsville Junior High School Band Director Rami Purdum of Longview has been honored for saving the life of a student who collapsed during band practice on the school’s practice field. The boy had stopped breathing, and Purdum administered CPR until the student caught his breath again, and paramedics arrived to …