On Wednesday, February 18 at 12:00 p.m., Mary Helen Dodson - a historian, author, and great granddaughter of her subject - will be at the Fannin County Courthouse to present her just-published book, The Architecture of Wesley Clark Dodson: Legacy of a Good Name. The architect of the Fannin County Courthouse, Wesley Clark Dodson is considered one of the preeminent architects of Texas' Golden Age of Courthouse Construction, in the late nineteenth century.

ArtFest transforms the historic McKinney Cotton Mill into a destination for art lovers, gift seekers, and weekend explorers. Visitors can browse a thoughtfully curated lineup of artists, offering fine art, handcrafted silver and gold jewelry, studio ceramics, fiber art, woodwork, photography, and more—all handmade, all original.

Creative Arts Center is seeking vendors for Sweets, Hearts & Sparkles! We will be one of the stops on the I Love Bonham Stroll around downtown hosted by the Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce on February 7. We are seeking vendors who create handcrafted items and/or sweet treats.

I did not set out to be involved in county politics. Like most people, I assumed the boring, unglamorous parts of local government were being handled by adults who understood their roles, respected the process, and remembered who they worked for.

Dogs Going Overboard: Barkus Sails the Seven Seas brings a nautical flair to Downtown McKinney. This year’s theme invites four-legged revelers and their humans to don their best nautical, pirate, and ocean inspired costumes for an afternoon of family friendly fun. photos by Allen Rich

1959 – Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa, an event later known as The Day the Music Died. On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event became known as "The Day the Music Died" after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie." At the time, Holly and his band, consisting of Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch, were playing on the "Winter Dance Party" tour across the American Midwest. Rising artists Valens, Richardson and vocal group Dion and the Belmonts had joined the tour as well. The long journeys between venues on board the cold, uncomfortable tour buses adversely affected the performers, with cases of flu and even frostbite. After stopping at Clear Lake to perform, and frustrated by the conditions on the tour buses, Holly chose to charter a plane to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota. Richardson, suffering from flu, swapped places with Jennings, taking his seat on the plane, while Allsup lost his seat to Valens on a coin toss. Soon after takeoff, late at night and in poor, wintry weather conditions, pilot Peterson lost control of the light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, which crashed into a cornfield, killing all four on board.