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Atlanta Citizens Journal (Cass County)
Black Diamond and Old Doddridge
Black Diamond originated in the 1850s and ‘60s as a farming settlement. The community’s story is basically the same as that of other settlements of the township; people from eastern states were coming to find more and better land on which to have a better life. Black Diamond was like other farming communities of the region until, in 1894, the logging and sawmilling interests came into the area with a railroad. Area historian, W. A. George, tells that in 1887, the Gate City Lumber Company of Texarkana began building a railroad southeast from Texarkana for the purpose of hauling the virgin...
From barbecue to baseball,Texas style
, , , , One of Linden’s newest businesses has already had a major impact upon the community. Stryk’s Pit Barbecue located just off U. S. Highway 59 recently opened its new dining facility to give its public a place to sit down as well as drive-by to pick up their barbecue cooked in the original Texas Style, owners Travis and Sunny Stryk like to say. Linden Noon Lions, for example, now have adopted the barbecue and its dining hall as their new meeting place Thursday noon. Another Linden community service sector has benefitted from the community spirit of the owners. Let Travis...
Former NBA players bring HOPE to Atlanta
, , Students involved in Atlanta ISD’s “ACE Summer Academy” met in the middle school gym on June 20, to learn about basketball fundamentals and important mental health skills. The HOPE Initiative along with two former NBA players with the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) Dallas Chapter brought a wealth of knowledge to our corner of the state to teach the students mental health skills they’ll need for life. Former NBA players, Willie Davis and Morlon Wiley, were on hand in hopes of using their platforms to equip students with life and social skills, such as leadership, teamwork and mental toughness. Davis...
Flag Day Celebration
, , When the American Revolution began in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag. Instead, most regiments participating in the war for independence against the British fought under their own flags. In June of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army—a unified colonial fighting force—with the hopes of a more organized battle against its colonial oppressors. This led to the creation of what was, essentially, the first “American” flag, the Continental Colors. For some, this flag, which was comprised of 13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner,...
Bomb threat closes Atlanta Brookshire’s for two hours
Saturday at 9:21 a.m. the corporate office of Brookshire’s informed Atlanta P.D. of a bomb threat that had been sent in through their main office. Out of safety, Brookshire’s reached out to the Atlanta Police Department to make them aware of the threat, said Atlanta Police Chief Greg Restelle. They then closed the store, and surrounding establishments were made aware. Restelle said they thoroughly searched the area and had the bomb squad on standby to “make sure everyone was safe”. After the store was thoroughly searched Brookshire’s was reopened. According to Katie Chaumont from public affairs at the FBI Dallas Division, they...
Four States Art Show
, , , , , Three local artists have had six of their art works juried for exhibition in the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council’s 36th Annual Adult Juried Art Exhibition. Earning acceptance into the show which opened Friday and continues through Aug. 10 are Rebecca Narramore of Linden, Terri deNatale of Linden and Patty Lovelace of Marshall. Juried art means that an art professional from outside the Texarkana area has looked at the works submitted and judged which are to be shown in the exhibition. The juror for this show was Dr. Trina Harlow of the University of North Texas....
EPA announces QCISD to receive 1.7 million in rebates
, Queen City ISD is set to receive millions as part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program to fund over 3,400 new clean school buses in approximately 530 districts across the nation. According to the press release, Queen City is set to receive 1,725,00 towards “green energy” buses. On the EPA.gov website, it shows that Queen City ISD through the company Lion Electric Co. is set to receive or has received ten buses. According to the release, the “Biden-Harris Administration announced the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, funded by...
Linden-Kildare cheer racks up accolades at cheer camp
, , Linden-Kildare cheerleaders had the judges flipping out at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) cheer camp held inside the gymnasium on the campus of the University of Texas at Tyler last week. The Lady Tigers’ cheer squad brought home plenty of group and individual accolades after the competition ended. L-K won NCA Top Team Band Chant, NCA Top Team Chant, the NCA Spirit Award, the Herkie Team Award, the Technical Excellence Award, a Superior Ribbon on their first evaluation, Superior Ribbons and Spirit Stick for the athletes. Go Tigers! Additionally, Ja’Maiya Mack won NCA Top Mascot and All American as Tori the Tiger which is a huge honor to achieve. The NCA was founded in 1948 by Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer and continues to hold his vision of creating an atmosphere to cultivate the whole cheerleader. The NCA embraces its rich heritage as the first cheerleading company and continues to pioneer the way with innovative camp curriculum, industry-leading championships and events that reward the hard-working, well-rounded cheerleaders in America today.
The Templetons
One of the large pioneer families of Doddridge was that of Lawrence and Nancy Luisa Dodd Templeton. Before Lawrence Templeton was born, his grandfather, John Templeton, of Laurens, South Carolina, made preparations to move his family to Arkansas. At the age of fifty John was an adventurous man, who joined westward pioneers to find land in Lafayette County, Arkansas, where he could later bring his family and settle. John found some desirable land about a mile southwest of Black Diamond, and about two miles northwest of Doddridge. He was one of three men who, in 1837, made the first land entries...
Chocolate Party
, , , , , , , , , , Atlanta Library’s chocolate party was a real candy of a get-together last Thursday. The purpose of the gathering was not really to sample chocolate. The store-bought bars and packages of candy were really just for appearance. The real purpose of the two-hour event was to meet authors and others who, like one’s self, were interested in books, how they get printed and how they get sold. One thing for certain is that at book signings and publishing parties, the patron doesn’t mind being shoulder-to-shoulder with the writer. One usually never gets this chance. Authors...
Three seriously hurt in multicar accident on Highway 59
, , A motorcycle accident occurred, followed up by a six-vehicle pileup on Highway 59, next to the Sonic. According to Police Chief Greg Restell, at approximately 12:15 on Saturday, a black Escalade collided with a semi-truck hauling another semi causing a series of other collisions. There were multiple injuries. Both individuals in the black SUV were badly injured. The driver was taken to Wadley and then airlifted to Little Rock, where the wife was taken first to Christus - Atlanta then airlifted to Shreveport. The driver for the Chevrolet was also airlifted to Shreveport. The semi-driver was charged with unsafe driving speed. Restelle said preliminary findings showed that he did not brake, however, all vehicles have been taken in to do further investigations. The earlier accident with the motorcyclist was a single-vehicle accident and the rider only had minor injuries.
WHITETAIL REPORT
, , Texas’ 2024-25 white-tailed deer season is still months away, but early reports from Blaise Korzekwa indicate it should be a good one in most areas of the state. Korzekwa, 34, heads up the white-tailed deer program for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For those who may not know, Korzekwa took over the position in October 2023 after long-time whitetail leader Alan Cain was promoted to Big Game Program leader following the retirement of Mitch Lockwood. A 10-year TPWD veteran, Korzekwa began his venture as a graduate research assistant at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M Kingsville....
Local bodybuilders put their best ‘muscles’ forward
, , , Three bodybuilders representing Atlanta and Cass County Fitness center were on stage at the amateur and professional International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) show in Shreveport, LA, May 25. While not finishing as high as they wished, the three did achieve one first and four second place medals and novice recognition as well. They competed in the amateur division of the amateur and professional show. Beeman earned a first place in her Open Figure category. She then took a second place in the Masters Figure 40+. “I did not finish as high as I wanted,” Monica said. “But the show...
Ice cream social
Jana O’Rear’s Sample Saturday ice cream social in downtown Atlanta turned out to be a success. Everyone seems to have enjoyed the taste of ice cream with a touch of balsamic vinegar. “It was wonderful,” owner O’Rear said. ‘We’re already planning for our next Sample Saturday get together.” The idea had arisen when O’Rear and her co-worker friend Allyson Porter set up a customer appreciation event called “Sample Saturday.” The idea would be to offer “samples” to everyone who came in to the business at Jana’s Mercantile in downtown Atlanta. Last Saturday’s event was an ice cream social. “We featured ice cream dotted with traditional balsamic vinegar. That’s vinegar made from the “must” of grapes from the small towns of Modena and Reggio in Italy. But even though the ice cream melted a little too fast, we had a great time visiting and getting to know our friends and customers better. And they got to sample items before making a purchase. It was all a good time.” The event is planned to be held the first Saturday of each month and last from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Workshop held on recidivism
, On Wednesday, May 29 an audience-involved workshop was held on recidivism at the Cass County Peace Officers Training Center in Linden. Recidivism is a fancy name for someone who goes to jail or prison, receives punishment, and then reoffends again after they are released from incarceration. The workshop was presented by the Cass County Judge’s office and Communities Unlimited. Judge Travis Ransom and Deanna O’Malley from Communities Unlimited were the presenters/ organizers at the event. According to the National Institute of Justice, recidivism is “one of the most fundamental concepts in criminal justice. It refers to a person’s relapse...
Champions Christian Academy Sports
, , , , There is a lot going on at one of the best kept secrets in Cass County and the secret is worthy of attention. Champions Christian Academy (CCA) has an extensive list of things they offer from academics to sports. In this article we will delve into the sports side of CCA. To get a better understanding of what is brewing at CCA, I was able to sit down with Athletic Director/ Chaplain Chris Woods to discuss the exciting sports opportunities CCA offers and will offer in the future. The Beginning “When I first came here last year, CCA only had PE...
The Will and Molly Spence story
William Mark Spence I and his wife. Prudence T. Jackson Spence left their Alabama home just before the end of the Civil War in 1865. While enroute to Arkansas they received word that the War had ended. By 1866, Will and Prudence had settled in the vicinity of a settlement called Big Spring near Macedonia Baptist Church and Cemetery. At the time, the area west of Red River was a part of Lafayette County. William Mark II, the son of Will and Prudence was nearing maturity upon the family’s arrival, and naturally he was a great help in getting the family settled. On January...
Linden pavement
, , Linden’s in love with asphalt. It’s being laid down like a magic carpet on their town streets which otherwise had plenty of rocks and holes. City Manger Lee Elliott agrees. “I love asphalt,” he texted last week as the paving work got underway by Francis Excavating Company of Texarkana. Then, he elaborated with the comment, “This is the most excitement I’ve had just going around and seeing the asphalt going down. And I notice now how much the people use the neighborhood streets as sidewalks. They meet others. It’s good for us all.” To re-pave the streets, the company begins by...
L-K shuts down junior high campus
Linden-Kildare CISD has announced they are closing the Mae Luster Stephens Junior High immediately and most likely permanently. They will be moving the students to the High School starting this coming school year, in the Fall of 2024. According to Rex Burks, the acting Linden Kildare CISD Superintendent, they will be transferring the Junior High students to the High School in a cost-cutting move. Burks said many parents were concerned about mixing the two campuses for safety reasons, however, even though the students were on the same campus, the junior high students would be in a separate building most of the day which many call the “Second Hall”.
JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth short for “June Nineteenth” marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston Texas, in1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday. Juneteenth was first recognized as a state holiday in Texas in 1980. In the decades since every state but South Dakota formally recognized Juneteenth as...
Atlanta Citizens Journal (Cass County)
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Atlanta Citizens Journal (Cass County)
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