News

With the upcoming primary election set to be held on March 1, there are several dates that are of importance to voters. If a voter wishes to request a ballot by mail, those applications must be sent between Jan. 1 and Feb. 19. All applications must be received, not postmarked, by Feb. 19. To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, the voter must meet the following criteria. They must be 65 years or older; be disabled; be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible. All voters must be registered to vote by Feb. 1 to vote in the March 1 primary. Early voting for the primary will be held at the Morris County Annex from Feb. 16 to Feb. 26. The latest a ballot by mail can be received by the Early Voting Clerk in the voter’s county is 7 p.m., March 1.

The previous year was one
of welcomed change in Cass
County, with Clerk Jamie
O’Rand spending her first in
office.
In a statement from the
clerk’s office, O’Rand says
“Customer service has been
our primary focus with technology
not far behind. The
following changes have provided
many improvements.”
O’Rand’s statement went on
to list many changes from
the clerk’s office, including:
opening all doors of the
Courthouse to the public,
revising office hours to 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and
remaining open to the public
during lunch.
O’Rand’s office also was
responsible for updating the
county website, and providing
electioins and E-FILE.
The updated website can be
seen by visiting
http://www.co.cass.tx.us/.
The implementation of the
E-FILE Texas system was

The Morris County Sheriff ’s office is currently holding warrants for the following 10 Most Wanted Defenders. Lopez, Carlos Marin: Fail to Appear/ Poss Marij Lopez, Miguel Guereca: Motion to Revoke/ Money Laundering Whitmore, Vernes Nell: Bond Forfeiture/Secure Execution Doc Deception Zamora, Ramon: Fail to Appear/Poss Marij Trevino, Augustine Ribera: Motion to Revoke/Poss Marij Thomas, Evelyn Morningstar: Motion to Revoke/Poss CS Rowe, Coy Calloway: Fail to Appear/ Motion to Revoke/Theft Material; Bail Jumping and Fail to Appear Pantoja, Mauricio Pacheco: Fraud Use/Poss Identifying Info N o v e l l a - T o r r e s , Alejandro: Motion to Revoke/Poss CS PG Noriega-Ramirez, Jose Maria: Motion to Revoke/Poss CS PG

Underage drinking is a problem that effects every community. It is also a problem that can be conquered, especially when the community works together. The Northeast Texas Coalition Against Substance Abuse is making strides in Daingerfield to that end. There are several aspects to consider when attempting to curb any issue like underage drinking. There must be education, not only for students, but for parents and the community as well. There also must be involvement from different organizations throughout the community, including faith-based groups, businesses, and of course the schools. The Northeast Texas Coalition Against Substance Abuse is actively working in each of these areas to raise awareness and education about underage drinking in Daingerfield. The best way to educate students on the dangers of underage drinking, is to have students relay the message. Peer Pressure is not always a bad thing.

The following warrants have been issued for Cass County’s Most Wanted offenders. Shaddix, Joshua Lloyd Bond Forf/ Theft

Rudd, Christopher Allen Bond Forf/Poss C/S   Reyes, Guadalupe Mariana Prob Viol/Engage in Org Crim Activity

Brown, Sara Gabriella theft   Brown, Anthony Michael Bond Forf/Evading Arrest/ Detention   Quillin, Jessica Lynn Prob Viol/Harassment Pinke,

Ambreka Nikeia Prob Viol/Burg   Purifoy, Alexander Lynn Priob Viol/Harassment Parris,  Tye James Prob Viol/Assault Family Violence; Prob Viol/Abandan Endanger Child

Jones, Demarcus Tyrell Prob Viol/Endanger Child Criminal Neglect; Prob Viol/Burglary; Prob Viol/Poss Marij Comstock,   Rick Ensin Bond Forf/Theft

Kanniard, Tommy Kerr Prob Viol/Forgery; Prob Viol/Theft Perry,   Demarshae Kinte Prob Viol/UCW; Prob Viol/Poss Marij  

Jones, Lindsey Dashay Bond Forf/Obstruction or Retaliation; FTA/Theft  Holbert, Darryl Ray Jr Bond Forf/Poss C/S Boles,

Every year, Cub Scout Pack 220 in Daingerfield host their annual Pinewood Derby races. This year’s running introduced a new addition that will make it easier in the future, having purchased a new track replace their old one. Prior to this year, the cub scouts had borrowed a track from a neighboring troop, because the one owned by Pack/Troop 220 was old and had to be held together with duct tape. After hosting fundraisers and raising close to $900, the pack was close to their goal at their Dec. Pack meeting. Following donations from the Troop and two private donations, Cub master Randy Terry was able to order the new track before Christmas. On Saturday, Jan. 9, the pack gathered with their pine wood race cars at the West Elementary Gym to put the new track through its first set of races. 15 boys and their families brought cars in the “Hot Wheels” theme to race down the newly purchased track.

By Marie Bankard

Local and state races will not be the only ones on the ballots for the March Primary. When voters get to the polls on March 1, they will also be able to cast their votes for their choice for the Presidential nomination from their chosen party. Voters on the Democratic side of the ballot will see eight possible selections for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Those will include Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Clinton, the former U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and First Lady, is the current frontrunner for the nomination, according to 2016.democratic. candidates.com. Sanders, the current Junior U.S. Senator from Vermont and Former Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, actually is the longest-serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, although he is running for the presidential nomination as a Democrat, according to the same website.

be an especially perilous time to be on the roads. Snow, ice, fog and longer nights present challenges to drivers that can lead to crashes. People do less driving in winter, yet we have more crashes per mile driven. Some 10,780 people were killed in car crashes between December and March in 2013 -- fully onethird of the total for each year. Non-fatal collisions also occur with greater frequency in winter months. You may be an ace behind the wheel when the sun is shining and roads are dry, but driving in winter weather can be a different story. Drivers need to recalibrate and adjust their driving for winter road conditions. “Travel can be treacherous when roadway surfaces are compromised during winter storms,” says Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council (NSC).

The results are in — more than 16,000 families throughout Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas received a week’s worth of food this holiday season through Brookshire Grocery Company’s 34th annual Spirit of Christmas Food Drive. From Nov. 18-Dec. 22, participating BGC stores (which includes Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods stores and FRESH by Brookshire’s) collected donations of non-perishable food items and also sold pre-assembled “grab bags” and scan coupons for cash contributions. All donations stayed within each store’s community. This year’s grab bag sales increased by 20 percent while the scan coupon sales, which are used to purchase additional food items, increased by 70 percent. The food is donated to local service organizations and food pantries for distribution to families in need. Along with a box of food, each family also received a coupon for a free roasting hen, courtesy of Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods.