A friendly place
to call home.

A National
Main Street City

A Certified Retirement Community





 
 

►The project will convert a 45,000 sq. ft. building, located on the South Loop in Carthage, into a community shelter and multi-purpose activities building. The additional grant amount brings the total federal participation in the project to $5,877,095, or 75% of the project's overall retrofit price tag. The additional amount covers basic structural elements to provide protection from tornadoes and hurricanes, but does not include the cost of some items like parking and bleachers that are not eligible for FEMA funding. The need for additional funding was identified last fall when construction bids came in higher than anticipated. The City expects to re-bid the project within the next 30 days and go to construction soon thereafter.

Carthage City Manager Brenda Samford said the City has had a lot of help bringing all the funding together to the project. "We also want to thank US Congressman Louie Gohmert and State Representative Chuck Hopson for supporting this project. They have written letters and placed calls on our behalf to various agencies involved with the project. We also want to recognize and thank Mr. Allan Cain, who is a Board Member of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education and is also Chairman of the Panola County Republican Party. Allan made several trips to Austin and met personally with Division of Emergency Management staff to ensure they knew how important this project is to us locally and how much it will mean to the State for evacuees during future disasters," said Samford. Ms. Samford also credited Jack Collie, Chief of the Governor's Division of Emergency Management and State Hazard Mitigation Officer Greg Pekar for their roles in obtaining the additional funds from FEMA. "They have been our champions in this project from the very beginning, and we are appreciative of their efforts in working our request through FEMA." [back]

► Sharps Compliance, Corp. Rings The NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell - Dr. Burton J. Kunik, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sharps Compliance, Corp.,  presided over the opening bell, June 24, 2009. The Company’s common stock was recently approved for listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “SMED.” The Company’s business utilizes an incinerator facility for the proper disposal of sharps waste. The Company’s owned treatment facility is located in Carthage. Headquartered in Houston, the company is a leading provider of cost-effective disposal solutions for medical and pharmaceutical waste generated outside the hospital setting. [back]

►The first annual Carthage Clean-Up day was a big success. Local residents, students, businesses and city officials joined together to collect trash in the downtown area in hopes to inspire everyone to keep our city clean.
Photos of the Clean-Up Day (click on photos to enlarge)

 

►Clean Up Carthage Day - Saturday, April 4, 2009 - Carthage Main Street is organizing a day to help make our town look more appealing to residents and visitors traveling through our community. The event will be held from 9 AM to 1 PM. Anyone wishing to volunteer will meet at the Panola College front parking lot to pick up equipment and to get location assignments. The city will have convenient locations set up where Carthage residents can drive through and dispose of trash and metal. Neighborhoods are being asked to work together to plan a cleanup in their area for the day. Carthage Jr. High and Baker/Koonce schools are organizing a cleanup on the square--they will hand out vehicle trash bags and offer to dispose of trash in the vehicle as well. Local civic organizations are being asked to organize groups for the day. The intention is to make this an annual event to benefit our community - with everyone pitching in, we can make a positive impact on the beautification of our city. If you or your organization is interested in helping, contact Debbie Pierce at City Hall, 903 693-3868 for more details. [back]

►From February 17 to April 30, the Sammy Brown Library is having a Food for Fines Program.  For each non-perishable food item you bring in, the library will forgive $2 in overdue fines from your library account. The food brought in will benefit those in need of a helping hand in our community.  All food will be given to the Samaritan House Food Bank.  Charges for lost or damaged items cannot be waived. 

►Carthage High School hosted a "Championship Celebration" on Thursday January 15, in the CHS Gym to honor players and coaches of the 2008 State Champion football team. Mayor Carson Joines presented keys to the city to school officials, coaches & players. Photos

►Recently the City of Carthage was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007. This is the seventeenth consecutive year that the government has achieved this prestigious award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). In order to be awarded a Certificate of Achievement, a government unit must have comprehensive annual financial reports that achieve the highest standards in government accounting and financial reporting.

►The East Texas Oil & Gas Blast was a huge success on October 11.  A record crowd attended the festivities which took place on the grounds of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. The weather was beautiful and the folks who attended had plenty to do....from listening to the talent onstage to shopping with the arts & crafts vendors. Thanks to contributions from local oil, gas and energy-related companies, prizes such as $50 gift cards and restaurant certificates were given out all day. The festivities concluded with the grand prize drawing for $1000 cash.
   
   

►Any limbs and brush in residential areas should be taken behind the Recycling Center at 1702 S. Adams Street. Hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The chipper truck is unable to keep up with debris removal due to the amount of city-wide damage. Residents are encouraged to dispose of their debris at the Recycling Center because it may take several weeks before a regular route with the chipper truck can resume. This new location is for residential customers only. Proof of residential address with a water or electric bill may be requested. [back]

►The Colgate Country Showdown, sponsored by KGAS Radio, had a tremendous turnout at the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame held on Saturday, August 16. Over 30 contestants vied for a $500 cash prize, plus the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition in Alexandria, Louisiana. The winner was CheyAne Smith from Ore City, Texas. See a slide show of the event. [back]

►Guest speaker at the August 1 Rotary Club meeting was Charley Dromgoole, President of the Pineywoods Economic Partnership. He spoke about the Texas Forest Country and its significance to our area. Panola County has been a member of the Texas Forest Country since 2006.  Local citizens, Judge David Anderson and CEDC President Charles Thomas, are members of the TFC board. Mayor John Windham of Center, Chairman of the PEP Board, accompanied Mr. Dromgoole to the Rotary meeting. The Pineywoods Economic Partnership is made up of 13-counties committed to coordinating economic development-related activities in East Texas and further enhancing the appeal of the area.

►Check out the "Got Country?" blog on the Texas Forest Country website which highlights the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame Show on August 16.

►Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples was in town to officially announce the selection of Panola County as a Certified Retirement Community. He presented a certificate to Retirement Committee members Mike Parker, Judge David Anderson and Charles Thomas. State Representative Chuck Hopson was present to introduce Commissioner Staples and also to show his support for Panola County. In Staples' speech, he reported that Texas is the number two retirement destination in the nation and is also the second most popular tourism state. Overall, retirees spend about $2.3 trillion annually. Visit the Retire in Texas website.