Mountain View
Atlanta Citizens Journal (Cass County)
Preview Week 1
, , , , , Football season is officially back as of this week. Across the state, middle school, junior varsity and varsity teams are lacing up and hitting the field. Atlanta Head Coach Tyler Morton is in year three at the helm of the Rabbit Express and both Queen City and Linden-Kildare are under new Athletic Directors. Head Coach David Wilbanks (QC) and Head Coach Jason Ferguson (L-K) have been preparing their teams with new playbooks and excitement surrounding the new season for both squads is high. Our coverage football teams have exciting matchups in week one, and I believe it’s going to...
Readers’ Choice Best People and Places votes have been counted
Readers’ Choice Best People and Places is over for 2024. The contest ended on August 9, at 10:00 p.m. We have finished counting and are beginning to visit area businesses. Since there are hundreds of categories in 2024 it takes time to get out to the winners. This year we will also announce those who won soon on social media and an email blast to the many who voted. Those businesses/individuals can come by and pick up their certificates at the office if we don’t reach your businesses first. We will only release the names of the winners. Everyone will have...
‘Who cuts the barber’s hair?’
Recently two barbers answered the old question, “Who cuts the barber’s hair?” Melvin Coats of Queen City and Curtis Hunt of Linden were the two barbers who, together, had 129 years of hair cutting experience here in Cass County. They cut each others hair for 40 years, according to Hunt. This week, Coats passed away. The cutting of each other’s hair has now ended. The two would get together at each other’s shop and proceed calmly and quietly to barber’s each other’s hair. The event would be understated, nothing much to talk about. Old hat”would be the saying. The two might joke for...
Melvin Coats: Barber, friend
Editor’s Note: The following story was first published in 2010 and is now updated on the occasion of barber Melvin Coats’ death. He and his barber friend Curtis Hunt of Linden had some 129 years experience barbering in Cass County. It’s 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning at Melvin Coats’ barber shop in Queen City. The room’s eight chairs are filled with seven customers ages six to 86. No one peeking in seems to leave because of the wait. Coats is a model of efficiency. He’s been doing this for 54 years. The electric clippers, scissors, combs and their human owner seem...
IS GOD DEAD?: The Stars and Cold Coffee
Last week, standing with the Bible skeptic Michael on the common ground that science affords, we continued to look to the stars to see what we might learn. What we have been looking for is evidence that the universe had a beginning, because if the universe had a beginning, then it had to have a Beginner. In the early twentieth century Albert Einstein ventured to say that the universe is continuously expanding and that the planets and moons and stars are all moving further and further away from each other. Then, some 20 years later, a man named Edwin Hubble confirmed...
Cass County shows united vision
Last week I had the opportunity attend and speak at the TEX-21 Statewide Transportation meeting. Cass County is a member of this group thanks to the Cass County Economic Development Consortium which was formed last year between the Cities of Atlanta, Avinger, Linden, Hughes Springs, and Queen City. Below are my remarks to the meeting participants on the vital role transportation infrastructure and technology play in the economic development success for Texas. Texas has long been a beacon of economic growth, fueled by a diverse array of industries from energy to agriculture, technology to tourism. At the heart of this thriving economy...
Readers’ Choice Best People and Places 2024 is in final few days – VOTE NOW
Readers’ Choice Best People and Places is in its final few days. The contest will end on August 9, at 10:00 p.m. and will only include the best people and places. There will be no extensions this year. We want to thank all the participants this year. We have had a few stoppages and glitches but overall. For using a brand-new platform, I am thankful for the health competition and fun it has generated. This new system will only get better. There has been some confusion on the purpose of “Readers Choice”. The goal of the promotion is to get our readers...
New report shows youth choices affect life expectancy
According to information compiled by Stacker from 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute Cass County Ranked 22 of 254 for life expectancy. “Life expectancy measures the average number of years from birth a person can expect to live and is calculated based on the number of deaths in a given time period and the average number of people at risk of dying during that period.” A new study showed that the choices we make when we are young can influence what happens when we are older. According to a recent Harvard article, “The International...
Former teacher, coach convicted
, Taureaus Alvaro Maxwell Jr. has been convicted of eight felonies involving impropper relationships with minors. According to reports he has received 160 years and $80,000 fine. At the time of press we are waiting on more information from the district attorney to complete a full story. It will be published in the follwing weeks paper. In April of Superintendent of 2023 Atlanta ISD, Jason Harris, sent out a letter to parents informing them that a teacher and coach that worked for the district had been arrested. The following morning the Cass County Sheriff ’s Department released a statement and a...
Chamber Chat
Promote Your Job Openings on the Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce Website The Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer a valuable resource for local businesses: the opportunity to promote job openings on our official website. We invite all businesses to take advantage of this platform to reach a wider audience and find the perfect candidates for their open positions. Benefits of Posting Job Openings on the Chamber’s Website: Increased Visibility: Your job listings will be accessible to a broad audience, including local job seekers who regularly visit our site. Community Support: By promoting your job openings through the Chamber, you...
Early Doddridge:The arrival of the Pools
In 1867, James David Pool of Georgia arrived by ox wagon train with his wife, Sarah, and their family of eight children in the vicinity that was later to be called Doddridge. The Pools prospered, the children married and had families, and throughout the years they were a strong element in the history of the Doddridge community. The following account of the Pools was related to LoRene Poole McCarty by Sarah Elizabeth Pool Bryant in 1923. Sarah Elizabeth was the daughter and fifth child of David and Sarah Moore Pool. James David Pool was born in North Carolina in 1815, and...
Atlanta Public Library Puzzler’s Competition
, , , , , And the Winner is? Not quite so fast! When you are putting together a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle it doesn’t happen for days, usually. However, with these intense teams the pieces were literally flying into the appropriate places. What a fun event and opportunity at the Atlanta Public Library on Thursday night the 25th of July. Guess what, we started something that was so loved it will become a yearly happening! Eight teams signed up for the free event with only four people per team. With the teams in place and rightly named: “One-Piece-at-a-Time”, “Awesome-ness”, “76-Misfits”, “The...
Search and Rescue
, , Some 13 handlers and their dogs were out on a rainy morning at Atlanta Elementary School campus last Saturday. They were members of the Bowie County Sheriff ’s Office Search and Rescue Teams. They, and their dogs, were undergoing training. It’s something they try to accomplish every week of the year. The activity is a mixture of fun and serious dedication. The dogs and their handlers are called upon by law enforcement to help find people or items. The Search and Rescue (SAR) teams are part of a magnificent organization. Search and rescue teams respond 24/365 when called. For example,...
Texas student’s Tax-Free Holiday
School is about ready to be back in session within just a couple of weeks. In preparation, area parents begin to figure out ways to budget for school supplies, computers, and clothing. The good news is that the state of Texas has a tax-free day that helps parents get through the challenging season. Also, there are events around the community with organizations giving away school supplies and other items. Here are the start times for the different schools in Cass County: Avinger – August 5 Hughes Springs: August 8 Bloomburg: August 8 Atlanta: August 12 Queen City: August 13 Linden: August...
SHAKING UP THE RECORD BOOK
, A rule change recently implemented by the Florida- based International Game Fish Association regarding how the organization will now interpret and classify world record largemouth bass is getting the attention of anglers around the globe, especially those intrigued by the big ones. The change has also got plenty of anglers scratching their heads in confusion. Leaders with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division say they are trying to figure a way to cope. The new rule divides northern largemouth bass and Florida largemouth bass into separate all-tackle world record categories instead of one, which has existed for decades. The...
Bow Fishing Regulations
Fishing License A freshwater, saltwater, or all-water license package is required to bow fish in Texas public waters. No additional stamp or license is required. You don’t need a fishing license if you are: Under 17 years of age or are a Texas resident born before January 1, 1931. A hunting license is required to take turtles and frogs. You may elect to purchase a Combination or Super Combo license, which covers both fishing and hunting. Legal Equipment Fish may be taken with longbow, recurved bow, compound bow, or crossbow. What to Catch Bows are legal for taking non-game fishes such as gar, buffalo, mullet and sheepshead....
Subscribe with a Purpose
, , The Journal-Sun has created a new program to invest back in our community with your help. The promotion called “Subscribe with a Purpose has a goal to simultaneously build our local newspaper while helping local charities that represent the values and needs of Cass County. We believe that investing in your local newspaper should be also investing in your community. We first started that plan with one of the great food banks in our community, Harvest House. According to many sources within the U.S., they say that around 10% of the people in our country don’t have enough to...
Mary Shurn celebrates 100 years
, , , , Mary Shurn of the Pleasant Hill Community near Linden celebrated her 100th birthday July 3. Some 200 people came to celebrate with her. The 200th birthday well-wishers had a special reason to be there. Shurn had taught for 43 years in the Linden-Kildare Consolidated School District. Her central subject matter, among others, had been home economics. “Tenacity is what she represents to me,” said Pleasant Hill community member Flo Stephenson. “Although home economics is not taught today under the same title, Mary Shurn taught a home economics course that included so many things about life and how to...
Doddridge 1895-1920
After the Texarkana, Shreveport, and Natchitoches Hallway had crossed the Spring Bank - Bright Star road, this point, which was now the new Doddridge, began to grow into a town. Cotton and timber products of all kinds were now shipped from Doddridge on a regular basis. Stores began to be built. During this growth period from 1895 through the 1920s, there were of course many other commercial enterprises in addition to stores. Blacksmithing, for example, was a highly needed service of that day to repair farm and home equipment and to shoe horses. Some of the blacksmiths who have had...
Chandra Davis received award from Red River Army Depot
, , Chandra Davis had the honor of receiving the Superior Civilian Award from the Defense Logistics Agency on behalf of her husband. This prestigious award recognized his exceptional service spanning a 25-year career, both as a soldier and a civilian, culminating in his role as a Supervisory Production Controller {Automotive} with DLA Distribution Red River in Texas. His dedication and cbmmitment to excellence have been instrumental in supporting the agency’s mission. Additionally, she had the privilege of presenting the Larry Davis Jr. Award that they named after him to a deserving individual, celebrating his hard work and dedication to the organization. To commemorate his contributions, they also showed her around his work area where they handle receiving operations and named it after him “Davis Dock”. Larry impacted so many people with his hard work. He always wanted to set an example for others and wanted to move up the ladder to learn more. He never wanted to stay and be content in one spot.
Atlanta Citizens Journal (Cass County)
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Atlanta Citizens Journal (Cass County)
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