Please join us for a presentation by and discussion with State Representative Shelley Luther during the Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce's Quarterly Lunch & Learn happening on Thursday January 15 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Creative Arts Center located at 200 W. 5th St. in Bonham, Texas 75418.

So, you think you know the United States of America? Prove it during our Big Fat Quiz of the U.S.A. at the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 23. We're looking for four teams of two players who want to answer questions in fun and unique ways about all things America, from history to popular culture and more. Everyone from teenagers to seniors is welcome to participate! Players must pay $1.00 per person to play, and the winning team receives prizes. Registration is required – registration deadline is January 18.

The Nature of Texas workshop series kicks off on Sunday, January 11 with an event themed around Austin’s favorite nighttime mammal – the bat. Join the founders of Austin Bat Refuge (ABR) for an engaging presentation about ABR’s work, the natural history of local bat species and how Austinites can peacefully coexist with these amazing creatures. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session and up-close viewing of live bats.

Lake Ralph Hall is well on its way to securing a long-term, reliable water supply for generations to come. Both the dam and water delivery system are nearly finished, with the lake on schedule to begin filling in 2026 and delivering water later in the year. Recreation and public access will open later, once the lake is filled and safe for recreational use.

For folks saying, “If you don’t like it, don’t go to Commissioners Court,” that misses the point entirely. Citizens shouldn’t have to attend every meeting, decode legal jargon, or grow a law degree just to understand what their county is doing. That’s why agendas, votes, and minutes exist. Or are supposed to.

1431 – The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen. The trial of Joan of Arc, a French military leader under Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War, began on 9 January 1431 and ended with her execution on 30 May. The trial is one of the most famous in history, becoming the subject of many books and films. Joan was captured during the siege of Compiègne in 1430 by Burgundian forces and subsequently sold to their English allies. She was prosecuted by a pro-English ecclesiastical court at Rouen in 1431. Joan was asked, "Do you know whether or not you are in God's grace?" She relied, "If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me. I should be the saddest creature in the world if I knew I were not in His grace." The question was a deliberate attempt to entrap her, since the Church's doctrine held that no one could be certain of being in God's grace; and yet answering 'no' could also be used against her because the judge could claim she had admitted to being in a state of sin. Joan's response, neatly avoiding the theological trap, left the court "stupefied" according to one of the notaries, Boisguillaume. The court found her guilty of heresy and she was burned at the stake. The verdict was later nullified at a rehabilitation trial, which was overseen by the inquisitor general Jean Bréhal in 1456. Considered a French national heroine, Joan was declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 1920.