Three McKinney City Council seats will be up for voter consideration during the general election in May. For individuals interested in learning more about running, the Candidate Packet is available online at the elections webpage. Hardcopies of the Candidate Packet are available upon request from the City Secretary at City Hall, 222 N. Tennessee St. Candidate filings are now being accepted. The filing deadline is Friday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. Applications are accepted Monday through Friday during regular business hours. photo by Allen Rich

Fannin County Republican Women (FCRW) will be meeting Monday, February 6, 2023. Guest speaker is Pam Little, Vice Chair of the Texas Board of Education. She will present "An Update from the Texas State Board of Education."

Fannin Central Appraisal District closed MONDAY, January 30, 12 noon and will reopen THURSDAY, February 2 at 8:00 a.m.

The City of McKinney has announced that Assistant Fire Chief Paul Dow will serve as Interim Chief of the McKinney Fire Department beginning Feb. 1. Chief Dow joined the Fire Department in 2022 as Assistant Fire Chief after serving as a consultant with the city to develop a Fire Officer Training Program. He brings more than 27 years of fire service experience to the position.

Texas Department of Transportation officials today announced that the yield signs at entrance and exit ramps along the frontage roads of US 75 in the Van Alstyne area will be changed to stop signs on Feb. 7, weather permitting.

Women Rock, Inc. was awarded a $100,000 equity grant for its "Taking it to the Streets" outreach program from the Santander Consumer USA Inc. Foundation. This grant will allow Women Rock, Inc. to continue working in underserved communities and expanding its outreach to new areas.

DUE TO UPCOMING INCLEMENT WEATHER AND TRANSPORTATION HAZARDS,THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THESE AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE PLACED ON THE FEBRUARY 7TH COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING AND CONVENE AT 9:00 AM

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is proposing to construct US 380 as a freeway primarily on new location from Coit Road and existing US 380 around the northern portion of McKinney connecting back to existing US 380 near Farm to Market (FM) Road 1827, east of the City of McKinney. This notice advises the public that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is available for review and that TxDOT will be conducting an in-person and online virtual public hearing on the proposed project. The purpose of the hearing is to present the DEIS and updated schematic design of the "Blue Alternative," which has been identified as TxDOT's Preferred Alternative.

(L-R) Margarita Garcia and Christi Ferrell at work in Joseph's Coat, a program of The Storehouse of Collin County that provides clothing at no cost. Joseph's Coat is asking the community for donations, specifically warm children's clothing, athletic shoes, and new underwear. Last fall, Joseph's Coat began taking clothing appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as Fridays. Inflation along with additional service days has impacted the number of items available in the clothing closet while increasing the need for volunteers.

Fannin County Amateur Radio Club (FCARC) is conducting our annual Winter Field Day Operations on January 28 & 29, 2023 at Lake Bonham Pavilion. We will also have our 2nd Annual Chili & Soup Cook-off Saturday evening! We invite everyone to stop by and check out the amateur radio world.You do not have to be a licensed amateur radio operator to come join us, and this is a great opportunity to better understand how easy and important amateur radio is.

Daniel Harrison (right), Project Manager for consulting firm Freese and Nichols, discusses the zoning map with area residents during a public hearing Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the Fannindel High School in Ladonia.

Meet and greet people from all over the world while giving out information about the refuge and wildlife. photo by Allen Rich

Motorists traveling eastbound on US 82 are advised to use the North Travis Street exit (Exit 641) and follow the eastbound frontage road to access US 75, officials said.

Eric Laranze Taylor, 28, was arrested and charged with the offenses in 2018, after a joint investigation by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. "This heavy sentence sends a clear message that trafficking will not be tolerated in our state," TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly said. "All of us at TABC remain committed to identifying and stopping human trafficking, whether it takes place within a licensed bar or club, or anywhere else. We’re grateful to our partners at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work in bringing Eric Taylor to justice."

Report: January 18, 2023 – 301 E. 5th St. (Bonham PD) Arresting Officer – Cpl. Kolbee Perdue. A 33-year-old male was arrested for Other Agency Warrant.

5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 26, 2023 at Fannindel High School in Ladonia

Fannin County Commissioners Court approved a resolution celebrating the City of Bonham's 175th Anniversary. (L-R) A.J. Self, Pct 2 Commissioner; Edwina Lane, Pct. 1 Commissioner; Tom Thornton, Fannin County Historical Commission; Jenn Self, Bonham Tourism; Melissa Maxwell, Bonham Tourism; Newt Cunningham, Fannin County Judge; Glenn Taylor, BEDCo; H. Compton, Bonham Mayor; Sean Pate, Bonham City Manager; John Burnett, Bonham City Council; Jerry Magness, Pct. 3 Commissioner; and Doug Kopf, Pct. 4 Commissioner - photo by Lisa Loiselle

6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 26 at Fannindel High School in Ladonia

Two seats on the Bonham City Council will be on the May 6 general election ballot. The filing window is currently open and closes on Friday, February 17 at 5:00 p.m. Candidate packets are available at Bonham City Hall.

The Lake Ralph Hall Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the Fannindel High School, located at 601 W. Main Street, Ladonia, TX 75449. Fannin County Commissioners Court will hold a public hearing at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at the Fannin County Courthouse. The Lake Ralph Hall Zoning Commission and Fannin County Commissioners Court will hear testimony and may take action on initiating the Lake Ralph Hall Zoning Regulations and Official Zoning Map. All interested citizens of the county are invited to attend these public hearings and participate in the same.

The meeting will include Election of Officers for 2023.

The City of Bonham invites all the public to attend a City Celebration on Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Bonham City Hall located at 514 Chestnut Street to kick off Bonham’s 175th Birthday Celebration.

9:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 24

Residents may see smoke in the Erwin Park area during the burn and do not need to call emergency services to report it.

Report: January 11, 2023 – W. Sam Rayburn Dr., Detaining Officer – Ptl. Zakkary Reese. A call for service was received in reference to Other Agency Juvenile Detainer.

Fannin County Commissioners Court discussed changing the frequency of commissioners court meetings from weekly to meetings every two weeks.

The next workday at Lake Fannin will be Saturday, January 21. Bring landscaping tools, carpenters tools, safety equipment, gloves and water.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, January 19, in Durant for a multi-family apartment complex near the Choctaw Nation headquarters and Choctaw Casino & Resort.

All interested citizens of the county are invited to attend and participate in the public hearing.

9:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 17

5:30 p.m. Monday, January 16 at Bonham City Hall

Here's a look at work planned in Fannin and Grayson counties for the week starting Jan. 16, 2023. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

Upper Trinity is once again partnering with the Tarrant and Denton County AgriLife offices and the Tarrant Regional Water District to host the Recognized Green Pros Program. Designed for landscape and irrigation professionals, the Green Pros program enhances their knowledge of sustainable landscape practices and the latest irrigation technologies that can help reduce outdoor water usage.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Office out of Fort Worth will be conducting a free severe weather training class for Collin County on Saturday, January 14, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Plano ISD Sockwell Center (6301 Chapel Hill Blvd, Plano, TX 75093). Officially called the SKYWARN Storm Spotter Class, the program will be held in partnership with the City of Plano Emergency Management & Plano ISD. There is no cost to attend this class, and no registration is required.

Dale Rose has been a licensed attorney since 1992 and has worked with injured individuals for the past 26 years, helping people who have been injured to recover for their damages. Dale started out as a police officer in Garland, Texas at the age of 19 and was the youngest person to have been accepted into the Garland Police Academy. He has opened up his office in Bonham at 211 N. Main Street, Suite 201.

"As the city's tourism entity, we strive to bring new dollars into the city's economy through visitor-related travel," said Aaron Werner, Visit McKinney Executive Director. "These grant funds provide us the opportunity to assist groups with marketing and promotion of projects geared toward visitors but enjoyed by residents, too."

Report: January 4, 2023- 1300 BL W. Sam Rayburn Dr., Arresting Officer – Ptl. Blake Garcia. A 30 – year old male was arrested for DWI and Tamper w/ Phys Evidence.

Closing date: January 15. For additional information, call 903-583-5022.

Applications may be picked up at the Fannin County Sheriff's Office at 2375 Silo Road, Bonham TX from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or online at www.co.fannin.tx.us

During executive session Monday, January 9, 2023, Fannin County Commissioners Court approved a security plan for the courthouse. The public will be able to enter the courthouse via the south entrance only; the other three entrances will be locked when approached from the outside. The public will still be able to exit though all four courthouse doors.