Alto adopts plan to track city employees' time
BY LELAND ACKER
      Building a foundation for future organization was the theme at the Alto City Council meeting held Nov. 13 at Alto City Hall. The council approved a plan to track the work hours of utilities department personnel for budgetary research and evaluated ways to expand the Alto Police Department.
More ...

Rusk, Palestine each agree to loan $500,000 to American Heritage
Rusk Economic Development Corp. will loan funds
BY LELAND ACKER
      The assistance and promised support of the Texas State Railroad from the cities of Rusk and Palestine have persuaded American Heritage Railways of Texas to stop consideration of staff layoffs and start considering hiring new staff, said Texas State Railroad Authority (TSRA) President Steve Presley.
More ...

STATE REP. BYRON COOK
Personal privilege speech made on the floor of the House of Representatives on May 21
      Mr. Speaker and members, I stand before you tonight for one reason and one reason only, and that's because I love this Texas House. I love every member in here. I've come to appreciate every different point of view that's expressed here.
More ...

Wells restaurant burns
     A fire at the Country Boys Restaurant in Wells is currently under investigation. The restaurant, which had been vacant for more than 12 years, had a partially collapsed roof at the time the fire started. Firemen from Wells, Alto and Central quickly controlled the blaze, which did not spread beyond the restaurant. Wells Police Chief Barry Starnes said juveniles may have been using cigarette lighters in the abandoned building. Fire investigator Jack White is assisting with the investigation. He visited the scene at 12:30 a.m. Saturday as he returned from Corpus Christi on business. He said the building is owned by Futch Signs in Lufkin.
More ...

U.S. Highway 69 wreck
     A Jacksonville woman, Nilsa Medina McFadden, 46, survived a one-vehicle wreck Friday. She was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 69 south of the Dialville cutoff when she was reported to have been driving erratically. An ETMC ambulance transported her to the Cherokee County Airport, where she was airflighted to ETMC Tyler.
More ...

Democrats name new chairman
      Roy Caesar A. Roy has been elected chairman of the Cherokee County Democratic Party. He will serve out the un-expired term of former chair, Eric Penn, who has submitted his resignation. Mr.
More ...

Man dies in wreck
      Jerald (Jerrie) Dement, 43, of Gallatin died at the scene of an accident Nov. 13. Mr. Dement was traveling east on FM 2972, north of Rusk, when his vehicle left the road and rolled several times. State Trooper Thomas Bledsoe said, "It looked like he WAS ejected from the vehicle when he went around a curve at an unsafe speed.
More ...