With several large-scale, questionable developments in the works near the boundary of Fannin County and Grayson County, residents are understandably on edge. A large crowd attended Tuesday's regular meeting of Fannin County Commissioners Court to discuss tax abatement policy. The current policy has expired. This agenda item will likely be readdressed in two weeks at a public meeting.

The season is winding down, but we're going out with a bang — literally. Frontier Village & Museum is hosting the final Spring Session of Living History Days on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and you won't want to miss it. This is your last chance this spring to step back in time and experience the rich pioneer heritage of Grayson County up close.

Austin College is excited to announce its second annual Summer Girl Scout Camp. Held in collaboration with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, this enriching summer camp program will be held at the College from June 21 – June 26 with the theme of “College Knowledge.” Registration deadline is June 16.

In 1960, everyone seemed to know every word as Roy Orbison sang "Only the Lonely," but very few people realize that the man who co-wrote that song with Orbison was a Bonham native named Joe Melson. (courtesy photo)

On May 18, 2026, our dear friend Rutilo “Shorty” Vega was detained by ICE while working in Bonham, Texas. Rutilo has lived in the United States for more than 30 years and has spent nearly 29 of those years building a life in Bonham, where he is loved by many people in the community. El 18 de mayo de 2026, nuestro querido amigo Rutilo Vega fue detenido por ICE mientras trabajaba en Bonham, Texas. Rutilo ha vivido en los Estados Unidos por más de 30 años y ha pasado casi 29 años construyendo una vida en Bonham junto a su esposa y sus cinco hijos.

1997 – The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak occurs, spawning multiple tornadoes in Central Texas, including the F5 that killed 27 in Jarrell. In the afternoon hours of May 27, 1997, a large, slow-moving and intense F5 tornado caused extreme damage across portions of the Jarrell, Texas area. Known most frequently as the Jarrell tornado, it killed 27 residents in the Double Creek Estates, which at the time was a small subdivision located to the northwest of Jarrell, and inflicted approximately US$40 million in damages (equivalent to $80M in 2025) during its 13-minute, 5.1-mile track. It occurred as part of a tornado outbreak across central Texas; it was produced by a supercell that had developed from an unstable airmass and favorable meteorological conditions at the time, including very high convective available potential energy (CAPE) values and warm dewpoints. Several weaker tornadoes prior to the Jarrell tornado touched down and inflicted damage in nearby areas, particularly in Travis and Williamson counties. The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth issued several tornado warnings as a result, and later issued a tornado warning for the area encompassing Jarrell as the tornado-producing supercell approached the town. Shortly thereafter, within the Williamson County line, the tornado first touched down as a landspout before it transitioned into a larger multi-vortex tornado cloaked in dust. The landspout merged with the parent storm’s mesocyclone, becoming a violent mesocyclonic tornado, which then strengthened rapidly as its width grew. As the tornado moved through a neighborhood near Jarrell, it slowed down over the area while reaching its maximum width and producing violent F5-level winds. The tornado slowly moved over the neighborhood for approximately 3 minutes, producing some of the most extreme tornadic wind damage ever recorded. As the tornado left the subdivision, it began to weaken, before dissipating in a forested area. In total, 27 residents of Jarrell, as well as hundreds of cattle, were killed. The tornado left behind a path of devastation, including many houses and buildings that were swept clean from their foundations.