A Lettter to All Local Candidates in the March 3, 2026 Primaries
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November 23, 2025
To all candidates in the March 3, 2026 Primary Elections:
News
Hemphill County Treasurer Kay Smallwood announces bid for re-election in 2026 Primaries
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I am announcing my intention to seek re-election to the position of Hemphill County Treasurer.
Steve and I moved here from Amarillo in 1981 and raised our two adventurous children, Blaine and Amber, here in Canadian. They both graduated from CISD.
I have earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administrative Management and attended many conferences, webinars and workshops to stay current. I worked at the First National Bank of Canadian for 28 years and have worked for Hemphill County 16 years.
THE BLOTTER
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Misdemeanor Arrests
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Felony Arrests
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Citations
• Juvenile, Canadian; possession, purchase, consumption or receipt of cigarettes, e-cigarettes or tobacco products by minor prohibited, and tobacco on school property; 11/11/25
• Eddy Gene Pickett, Canadian; no liability insurance and driving while license invalid (suspended) with prior convictions; 11/13/25
STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
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TEA releases financial accountability ratings
More than four-fifths of Texas public schools received an ‘A’ rating for their financial practices, according to the Texas Education Agency, which released the final financial accountability ratings for the latest school year last week.
A total of 969 school districts and charter schools, or 81%, received the top rating for their financial management practices.
One killed, two injured in collision with deer north of Canadian Saturday
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Fernando Escalante, 60, of Garden City, Kansas, died Saturday, Nov. 15, in a collision with a deer on US 83 north of Canadian. Two passengers in the 2014 Jeep Wrangler— his wife, Maria Escalante, 65, and Aburto Quintil Dominguez, 59—both sustained serious injuries and were transported to Hemphill County Hospital.
Hemphill County/District Clerk Sylvia Guerrero announces re-election bid in 2026 Primary
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I’m happy to share that I’m running for re-election as your Hemphill County & District Clerk.
Serving this community has truly been an honor, and I’m grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me. I’ve worked in the Clerk’s Office since 2014, starting as a deputy clerk and later as chief deputy. I was appointed Clerk in March of 2022 and was honored to be elected at the end of that same year. Canadian has been my home for over 30 years.
