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Efforts by the Economic Development Council to bring more rodeo events to Canadian seemed, until recently, to be paying off—not only for rodeo competitors and their fans, but also for local retailers who welcomed the influx of visitors, and who benefitted from the shoppers and diners it brought into their businesses. Three of those merchants visited this month’s EDC board meeting and, in public comment, voiced their concerns that three rodeos originally scheduled to be held here were abruptly moved to other venues.

Texas voters should be aware of deadlines and key dates for the upcoming constitutional amendment and local elections on May 7, as well as the primary runoff elections on May 24. With the May 2022 elections occurring in close proximity to one another, several dates and deadlines overlap due to statutory deadlines set by the Texas Election Code.

Hemphill County Disaster Relief Task Force Two working committees have undertaken the task of meeting the most pressing needs of wildfire victims in Hemphill County. One—the Hemphill County Ag Committee—is focused on the immediate needs of ranchers who have been burned out, and who need to replace fences and other ranch facilities, and to replenish and find supplemental sources of feed for their livestock.

The music is back. Following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, tickets are now on sale for the Canadian River Music Festival on June 11 at Jones Pavilion.

Dr. Alex Hunt, professor of Western Studies at West Texas A&M University, introduced Taylor Moore to an enthusiastic crowd at the River Valley Pioneer Museum last Saturday. Moore had asked Hunt to eyeball his first book, Down Range, for geographical and historical accuracy, describing it as a modern-day Western and a military spy thriller. Intrigued, Hunt was excited to read the book. In retrospect, he said, “It certainly defied my expectations of what you generally expect when you read a book in that genre.”

Early voting in the May 7 CISD school board election begins on Monday, April 25, and ends on Tuesday, May 3. Voters will have the opportunity to determine which of the six candidates in contention will fill three open three-year terms on the board.

LARRY AND DELOIS RISLEY Larry and DeLois Risley had evacuated their vehicles from their home on County Road 7 to his dad’s place in Wheeler after being notified of the advancing fire. Firefighters helped water the perimeter of their house down on all four sides as a precaution.

At 8 am Friday morning, in the 31st District courtroom, retiring Hemphill County Judge George Briant administered the oath of office to his successor, Lisa Johnson, and handed the gavel over to her care. Prior to the brief ceremony, Johnson addressed the courtroom filled with friends and family, saying, “I appreciate how well everything has run here, how well we all get along, the spirit of cooperation, and George’s leadership. What I most hope to follow as the example he set is to treat each person with kindness and respect, as he has.”