Fall is upon us. It is November and the vegetation is greener than it usually is, due to the October Rains. A lot of the “summer” vegetation has started dying off and the winter grasses are starting to thrive.
As the tree leaves die off and fall, the accumulation of leaves on the ground, provides shelter for insects and other “critters”. Now that the weather is pleasant, it is a good time to clean out tall grasses and other growth near our homes to discourage our “creepy crawly” neighbors from taking up residence in or near our homes. It is not too early to start “winterizing” outdoor faucets, flower beds, gardens and pet facilities.
The Mineola City Council awarded a project to build a new water tower for the city to a company from McGuire Iron submitted the lowest bid of $1.14 million.
The engineer overseeing the project said McGuire Iron, "might not be the easiest to work with," but admitted it was not worth the $140,000 of additional money to use the second lowest bidder. He said his firm was familiar with McGuire Iron since it had built a similar tank in Crandall which the engineering firm had designed.
The city also discussed the current status of the city's street projects. Councilman John Storace asked about the quality of the current work in the light of some much recent rain,
The city's public works director, Johnny McCoy said the contractor on the job was qualified to lay asphahlt and would put it down if it was too cold or the conditions were not proper. McCoy noted, however, that the city would probably not be able to finish the project until Spring.
Rains County began today the process of applying for an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Commissioner Jim Painter said the county could receive $50,000, divided up among the cities in the county.
County Judge Joe Dougherty noted the program is not a matching grant, "We'll always welcome free money." The program allows a variety of activities to qualify for the money including updating current air conditioning systems.
Early voting began Monday for Texas constitutional amendments affecting the Texas State Guard, veteran's hospitals, and emergency services districts. Early voting runs through Friday, October 30. Voters can cast ballots from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dawn Goldthorn, Wood County Elections Administrator, said "New electronic poll books will be used for the first time this election." Goldthorn encourages everyone to bring a voter registration certificate or a driver's license.
Early voting in Wood County takes place at the Wood County Courthouse. General election voting is Tuesday, November 3 and will be held at regular polling locations.
It took more than a decade and gave more than one county official gray hair, but today, in front of more than 200 guests, Rains County re-dedicated the county's historic courthouse.
Nearly three hours before the first speech was offered, the courthouse was surrounded with folks dressed in early 20th-century garb. Some talked of yesterday, others played dominoes, still others marveled at the renovation.
Kay House, Emory's Mayor and descendent of the man for which both the county and the city are named, strolled about the second-floor courtroom, telling stories of the building's past and, often how her family was a part of it.
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Water department officials in Emory have issued a boil order for all residents. The order comes on the heals of a large water mains break earlier today near downtown Emory.
Crews were still working to restore water to the city at noon, and authorities said they expected service to be restored by 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.
However, even after water service is restore, customers should continue to boil their water until the order is lifted. The order is likely to remain in place until Monday.
