We are asking you to complete a survey to help the City of Bonham develop a new Comprehensive Plan. Your survey answers will help our staff and consultants build a plan that truly reflects our community and outlines our future needs.

Imagine a lawman so fearless that outlaws surrendered at the mere sound of his name. Bass Reeves was one of the most legendary figures of the American Old West, yet his story remained largely unknown for generations. Born into slavery in 1838, Reeves rose to become one of the first Black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi River, capturing thousands of dangerous criminals through courage, intelligence, and unmatched tracking skills. Our speaker for the evening is one of our well-known members, Mark Russell of Sherman, Texas.

Creative Reuse Stores are popping up all over our state and country. These are thrift stores that specialize in arts and crafts supplies. These stores help keep these supplies out of the landfills and are a great source of lower cost supplies for artists. While the local art center does not have the space or staff to manage a Creative Reuse Store, they are excited to devote one week to having a sale in May 2026.

Tyler Parsons, 22, of Bonham, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault Against a Police Officer; Evading Arrest with a Vehicle and Deadly Weapon, as well as to violating a prior probation, granted in 2024, for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Judge Duncan Thomas, a visiting judge for the 336th District Court, heard evidence well into the late afternoon on the 6th of May, 2026. Ultimately Judge Thomas sentenced Parsons to 40 years in prison. Parsons will have to serve a minimum of 20 years before he can be eligible for parole.

McKinney National Airport (TKI) will host a Display Day on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1508 Industrial Blvd., offering locals and visitors an opportunity to explore their hometown airport and see a variety of aircraft up close. Attendees can RSVP to the Eventbrite page and learn more about Display Day by visiting FlyTKI.com.

1980 – The World Health Organization confirms the eradication of smallpox. Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980, making smallpox the only human disease to have been eradicated. The initial symptoms of the disease included fever and vomiting. This was followed by formation of ulcers in the mouth and a skin rash. Over a number of days, the skin rash turned into the characteristic fluid-filled blisters with a dent in the center. The bumps then scabbed over and fell off, leaving scars. The disease was transmitted from one person to another primarily through prolonged face-to-face contact with an infected person or rarely via contaminated objects. Prevention was achieved mainly through the smallpox vaccine. Once the disease had developed, certain antiviral medications could have helped, but such medications did not become available until after the disease was eradicated. The risk of death was about 30%, with higher rates among babies. Often, those who survived had extensive scarring of their skin, and some were left blind. The earliest evidence of the disease dates to around 1500 BCE in Egyptian mummies. The disease historically occurred in outbreaks. It was one of several diseases introduced by the Columbian exchange to the New World, resulting in large swathes of Native Americans dying. In 18th-century Europe, it is estimated that 400,000 people died from the disease per year, and that one-third of all cases of blindness were due to smallpox. Smallpox is estimated to have killed up to 300 million people in the 20th century and around 500 million people in the last 100 years of its existence. Earlier deaths included six European monarchs, including Louis XV of France in 1774. As recently as 1967, 15 million cases occurred a year. The final known fatal case occurred in 1978 in a laboratory in the United Kingdom.