The US Postal Service has CHANGED the method of postmark. Previously, mail was postmarked the day the postal service received it, but now it will be postmarked when it goes through an automatic sorter, which may be DAYS after the drop off. The TAX CODE is clear that the payment date is the POSTMARK date.

Fannin County Commissioners Court followed the recommendation of the majority of county's fire chiefs and extended the countywide burn ban for seven days. Although commissioners court won't meet again for two weeks, the county judge has the authority to declare a new burn ban, if needed.

Local artist Wanda Oliver has been selected to exhibit her painting, “Rosetta Stone,” in the highly competitive Abstract National Exhibition, opening January 9 at Mark Arts in Wichita, Kansas. Oliver’s work was chosen as one of only 90 pieces from a field of 787 submissions, highlighting her as a standout voice in contemporary abstract painting.

Open Arms Shelter has started a new chapter in our life; we have a new home! We invite everyone to our Ribbon Cutting and Open House on Saturday, January 17, 2026. We will start at 11:00 a.m. with the ribbon cuttings, by Bonham and Leonard Chambers of Commerce and then have food provided by Credit Union of Texas. Everyone is invited to take a tour of the new facility.

The North Texas Pest Management Conference (NTPMC) will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in Sherman, TX. The event, brought to you by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on at the Sherman Municipal Ballroom, 405 N. Rusk St., Sherman, TX 75090.

2025 – A series of wildfires ravage the Greater Los Angeles area, resulting in at least 16 deaths and 13,401 structures destroyed. From January 7 to 31, 2025, a series of 14 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in California, United States. The fires were exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, a buildup of vegetation from the previous winter, and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, which in some places reached 100 miles per hour. The wildfires killed between 31 and 440 people, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures, and burned over 57,529 acres (89.889 sq mi) of land in total. Most of the damage was from the two largest fires: the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, both of which were fully contained on January 31, 2025. Municipal fire departments and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) fought the property fires and wildfires, which were extinguished by tactical aircraft alongside ground firefighting teams. The deaths and damage to property from these two fires made them likely the second and third-most destructive fires in California's history, respectively. In August 2025, researchers from Boston University's School of Public Health and the University of Helsinki published a study, through the American Medical Association, connecting up to 440 deaths that were caused by the wildfires. In October 2025, a 29-year-old man was arrested for allegedly starting the Palisades Fire.