News

In their first meeting of the New Year, held on Jan. 11, commissioners reviewed annual inspection reports and plans of action for the Upper Washita watershed dam sites in Hemphill County. Judge George Briant explained that, since the 1970s, there have been concerns about the integrity of one dam in particular, which controls water flow into Gageby Creek.

EVA TIMMONS HAD just arrived in her new room at Mesa View Senior Living last week, and had not yet taken it all in. In preparation for her arrival, family photos had already been hung, including one of her late husband, Tony, taken years ago on a business trip to Houston. Tony was standing on top of their hotel, Eva said, and she had captured his image. “I just love it,” she said, quietly.

Candidate filing began last Wednesday, Jan. 13, for candidates seeking a place on the ballot in the May 1 city council, and hospital and school board elections. Aspirants to public office will have their choice of eight open seats. The filing deadline is Friday, Feb. 12, at 5 pm. Details about filing and eligibility for each governmental entity are as follows:

The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched the third wave of its Paycheck Protection program (PPP) forgivable-loan initiative. Open to both first time PPP borrowers and to some qualifying borrowers that received loans last year, different rules and different applications apply for “first-draw” and “second-draw” borrowers. Initiated last spring to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the program is administered through banks.

A Hemphill County grand jury returned six felony indictments last Thursday, Jan. 14. It was the first time a grand jury has been called here since Feb. 13, 2020, due to concerns about conducting in-person court hearings during the COVID pandemic. Some court proceedings have been held virtually in other parts of the state since then, but hearings involving a jury are more complex, particularly in criminal cases.