News

Special to the Sun
Linden Economic Development Corporations

From staff reports

Douglassville Fire Chief Alfred Point announced recently that there will be a landing zone class in Atlanta on May 13.

The first helicopters are scheduled to begin arriving at around 8:45 a.m.

The class will be held at the Atlanta Fire Department, Point said. The public is invited to get a first-hand look at the public safety helicopters, he added.

A number of agencies are expected to fly in and participate, including Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, Life Air Rescue and Air Evac, LifeNet, ETMC (Pittsburg) and Flight for Life (Mount Pleasant and Longview).

For more information, contact Point at 903-824-9966.

By John Dilmore

john@casscountynow.com

Voters in Cass County Emergency Services District 2 on May 6 approved a new sales and use tax to help with equipment and facilities.

Unofficial results posted Saturday night indicate 72.84 percent of voters approved of the measure, while 27.16 percent voted against it.

The proposal was for a sales and use tax of 0.25 percent (one-quarter percent) within the ESD2 territory.

Revenue from the tax will help ESD2 combat funding challenges that include a fleet of aging vehicles.

A new engine is the most glaring need, but improvements to stations are also planned, district officials have said.

ESD2 is responsible for fire protection and medical first response in a 160-square-mile area in northeast Cass County.

For more on this and other local elections, see the May 10 Citizens Journal.

By Ben Woods

bwoods@casscountynow.com

The unofficial results of the May 6 Linden City Council election have been posted.

They show incumbent candidate Ruth Halleck received 15.15% of votes cast; incumbent candidate Mike Berry received 42.35%; and candidate Frank Lanier received the largest percentage of votes, with 42.50%.

For more on the election, see the May 10 edition of The Cass County Sun.

By John Dilmore
john@casscountynow.com

By John Dilmore
john@casscountynow.com

From staff reports

Motorists who normally travel FM 74 in Queen City will need to find an alternate route on Thursday, May 4. Union Pacific Railroad will be closing the highway to through-traffic to make repairs to the rail-road crossing.
Traffic will officially be detoured on a signed route through Atlanta using Loop 236, US 59, FM 249, FM 251 and FM 785. 
Trucks must use the official detour route, but other motorists may use local routes they find more convenient. 
Portable message boards are being placed near the railroad crossing beforehand to warn motorists of the scheduled road closure. The construction schedule and road closure may change due to inclement weather or other unforeseen problems.
Anyone with questions about the road closure, detour routes or construction work can call the Texas Department of Transportation, Linden maintenance section, at 903-756-7118.

By Ben Woods
bwoods@casscountynow.com

By John Dilmore

john@casscountynow.com

Days before the May 6 election during which Emergency Services District No. 2 (ESD2) voters will decide on a proposed sales and use tax, ESD2 officials are working to clear up confusion about where ballots will be cast.

The proposal is for a sales and use tax of 0.25 percent (one-quarter percent) within the ESD2 territory.

Some voters have assumed they’ll be able to vote at their regular polling places, according to Assistant Fire Chief Eric White. But in fact, balloting for the sales tax will occur at the County Voting Building in Linden, he said Tuesday afternoon.

Fire Chief Chuck Weerts, later Tuesday, posted additional information to the ESD2 Facebook page.

“To cast a vote for the sales tax election you must go to the Cass County Voting Building at 207 E. Rush Linden, Texas,” the post read in part.

By John Dilmore
john@casscountynow.com