2025 Year in Review
The Journal-Sun has done its best to be the informational resource and historical record for Cass County in 2025. Every year we take a few minutes to look back at the biggest stories of the year prior.
The articles for January of 2025 contain stories printed in January but may have taken place in Dec. of 2024.
This will be a two-part Year in Review as we look back through events from Jan. to June of 2025 in this edition and July through Dec. of 2025 in our next edition.
JANUARY
2 025
reported that there had been two separate assaults on females that were alone.
According to the report, “one of the assaults occurred in a public place and the other at a private residence.”
There was an arrest made and the police were sure by descriptions of the perpetrator from both incidents that the same man was responsible.
The Atlanta PD encouraged those that when you are out and about, please be aware of your surroundings and travel in pairs.
Members of local veteran remembrance groups gathered at the Courtland Cemetery to place wreaths. The occasion was the Wreaths Across America (WAA) event which is a non-profit effort to place wreaths on veterans’ graves in military cemeteries.
The national program began in December of 2008 when the United States Senate voted to make the second or third Saturday of December Wreaths Across America Day.
Some 90 wreaths were placed this day at the Courtland Cemetery by members of the Trammel’s Trace Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Earlier, the local civic-minded groups had placed 20 wreaths in the Old Liberty Cemetery near Antioch. Cass County has some 268 cemeteries which have been read and recorded in eight volumes by the Cass County Genealogical Society.
Stephen Barnes was hired as both the Linden City Manager, and the Economic Developer. He took over for Lee Elliott who was offered a job in New Boston.
Alex Benjamin’s retirement from his city of Atlanta water department job after 27 years of service was typical. The going away party planned for him at 11 a.m. had to be postponed because of a water leak emergency in downtown Atlanta. Alex helps with his usual good attitude and calm demeanor.
Governor Greg Abbott announced on January 13, that he had appointed Laronda Graf to the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) of Texas Board of Trustees for a term set to expire on August 31, 2029. Graf of Queen City is the director of Human Resources for the Atlanta Independent School District (AISD). She is now in her 22nd year in public education employment, having previously held other roles, including director of Finance and Special Programs and Child Nutrition Comptroller.
January 3rd marked the end of over 33 years of service to Cass County for Barbara McMillon as Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1.
For more than 30 years Barbara McMillon has been a name synonymous with justice, order, reliability, competency, and Cass County. She has been the senior Justice of the Peace for Cass County and been the one law enforcement officers and other judges turned to for advice about statutory elements of a crime, decision making processes, or just a good old-fashioned dose of common-sense.
The Queen City ISD Board of Trustees selected Casey Nichols as the new District Superintendent of Schools at the School Board Meeting. Nichols brings a plethora of experience. He has been the superintendent of Ashdown SD for the past 6 1/2 years, where according to a press release from Queen City ISD Nichols has been able to “greatly impact the direction of that district.”
A local Queen City High School student, Vincent Wong, had the chance to perform side by side with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra (TSO) during the Christmas at the Perot concert in Texarkana on Dec. 15. Vincent has been a Texarkana Youth Symphony Orchestra (TYSO) member since the fourth grade. He has been the TYSO Concertmaster since 2023.
IN REVIEW
Sometimes life comes full circle and that sure is the case for Linden- Kildare’s new
Athletic Director Dillon Surratt. A Linden police officer
was nominated for a life-saving award after heroically saving a man’s life during a traffic stop. According to a release on social media on January 18, Chief David Dulude recognized Sgt William Denison for performing CPR that ultimately ended up saving a man’s life.
Dulude noted that it started when a call came in for a reckless driver. When the stop was made, Sgt. Denison approached the vehicle and got the driver out. Denison thought the man may be intoxicated but when he asked the individual to step behind the car, the man began having a medical episode. Denison remained calm and went into life-saving mode.
FEBRUARY
2025
Lexi Powell and Christopher “Pip” Jones were crowned Bloomburg’s 2025 Homecoming Queen and King.
McLeod’s Brayden Bascombe and Riley Howell were crowned Homecoming King and Queen for 2025.
The Texas Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the Atlanta District is the recipient of the 2024 Texas Bluebonnet Safety Award. Atlanta District Engineer Rebecca Wells and Safety Officer J.J. Singleton were presented the award by TxDOT Executive Director Marc the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas, in Austin.
A 2016 graduate of Atlanta High School, Alaina Hernandez is opening a bilingual medical clinic in Texarkana, hoping to address healthcare disparities within the Hispanic community. Hernandez, a nurse practitioner, said her inspiration for the clinic stemmed from her experiences working in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Hernandez’s own journey with Spanish began at age 16 while working at Amigo Juan restaurant in Atlanta. She practiced with Spanish-speaking colleagues and used Rosetta Stone to further her language skills. She credits her husband, Hugo Hernandez, with being instrumental in helping her realize her dream.
On October 2, 2024, the Journal- Sun reported that Richard Todd Wade, the former senior pastor at Cornerstone Assembly of God in Atlanta, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly embezzling funds from the local Lions Club. On January 3, 2025, Wade was indicted for the crime of Theft Against a Nonprofit Organization >= $2,500 but less than $30,000, Texas Penal Code 31.03(f), a third-degree felony.
The Journal-Sun received documents on February 10, that on January 3, Wade appeared before the District Court of Cass County, Fifth Judicial District of Texas, Honorable Bill Miller, Judge Presiding, Courtney Shelton, Criminal District Attorney, Jamie Alberttson, District Clerk. An indictment by a grand jury is a formal accusation that there is enough evidence to bring criminal charges against someone. At this point, there has not been a conviction in the case.
Rep. Gary VanDeaver (New Boston) filed two bills on Monday, House Bill 2109 and House Bill 2114, to help block the further development and land grab of the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir that has been talked about and included in state water plans since 1968. The proposed reservoir would not only submerge 66,000 acres of prime timber and farmland in Northeast Texas, but it also requires twice as many acres for the reservoir’s required land-use mitigation.
House Bill 2109 requires the executive administrator of the water development board to remove a proposed reservoir from a state water plan if construction has not begun within 50 years.
House Bill 2114 is a best practice, transparency bill to prevent engineers who have been involved in the preparation of a state or regional water plan from participating in the construction of a reservoir.
Recently the county received good news. In a recent press release, it was announced that through a cooperative agreement with USDA Rural Development and in partnership with the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, the Housing Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) has announced its expansion into East Texas. This initiative will bring housing solutions to 10 rural communities, including Queen City, Atlanta and Linden.
MARCH
2025
The opposition to the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir in the Sulphur River Basin of Northeast Texas continues to grow with more counties added to the list of those opposed, and a strong statement made by the Northeast Texas Regional Water Planning Group (Region D) in their newly submitted regional water plan.
In February, the leaders of Delta County joined the list of county governments that have passed formal resolutions denouncing the proposed reservoir. That list now includes Red River, Bowie, Cass, Morris, Titus and Marion Counties, along with several Northeast Texas municipalities that have voiced their formal opposition to the Marvin Nichols Reservoir. Titus County joined the list a few months ago, joining the list of local government leaders who voiced strong opinions against the massive land grab and all of the negative impacts to Northeast Texas that its construction would bring.
The proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir has been opposed by water planners in Northeast Texas since it first became an issue more than 20 years ago.
Officials in Cass County have taken a firm stance against the potential sale of water rights from Lake O’ the Pines, citing concerns over local water security, economic stability, and environmental conservation. The Cass County Commissioners Court recently passed a resolution formally opposing the sale of water rights by the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District (NETMWD) to entities outside the region.
It is without question that residents and industries in Cass County depend on Lake O’ the Pines for their water supply, and officials fear that transferring water rights to larger metropolitan areas, such as Dallas, could deplete local resources.
The Texas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hitand- run crash that left a man dead in Cass County. Authorities identified the victim as Lester Howell, who was riding an electric bike when he was struck between 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Feb. 26.
The crash occurred in the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 59 near County Road 3658, also known as Conoco Hill.
As the new comes, so goes the old. The old Highway 8 bridge, which began construction in the 1950s over Wright Patman Lake on State Highway 8, was demolished.
Texas Department of Transportation contractor, Longview Bridge and Road, enforced a safety zone during work so no public access was allowed in the area. It became a necessity because according to TxDOT, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required the bridge removal after the new bridge was built. The contractor has been working on its removal since November of 2024.
The Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce is welcoming a fresh face to its team. Miranda Arredondo has joined as the new events coordinator, bringing a creative spark and a passion for making every event memorable.
IN REVIEW
Originally from Texarkana and soon to be an Atlanta resident, Arredondo has a background in education and experience in branding, from designing business logos to building websites. Her love for creativity and community connection makes her a great fit for the role.
Fire crews in northeast Texas have fully contained a wildfire that burned 57 acres in Cass County over the weekend, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The Conoco Hill Fire, which started Friday afternoon, surprised officials since the region isn’t currently experiencing drought conditions.
Longtime Cass County Citizens Journal-Sun sports editor Tim Emmons has been named the new General Manager of your hometown community newspaper.
Samantha Smith, a former Hughes Springs’ daycare worker, was arrested after investigators reportedly discovered a video of her sexually assaulting a child.
Smith wasn’t the initial perpetrator in the case. The Hughes Springs Police Department began an investigation into the possible continuous sexual assault of a child by Benny Littlepage.
Sharon Haynes was among the last graduates of Pleasant Hill’s Rosenwald School which closed in 1964. It had just 23 students.
She’s at the same school which is celebrating its Rosenwald centennial this year —1925 to 2025. The school is a symbol of community encouragement and opportunity.
It had two rooms with two teachers, and the same playground swing, merry-goround, slide and storm cellar.
The school is a national historic landmark now, the only Rosenwald School left of 23 built in Cass County from 1912 to 1932. Among 15 states throughout the South in those years, some 5,300 Rosenwald Schools were built.
St. Paul CME in Atlanta celebrated its 143-year-old anniversary on Mar. 16.
APRIL
2 025
Cass County Judge Travis Ransom has been recognized as a Fellow of the Texas Judicial Academy by the Texas Association of Counties (TAC). This prestigious honor is awarded to county judges who demonstrate a commitment to judicial excellence by surpassing the state’s minimum education requirements.
On Mar. 29, at 6:31 a.m., the Atlanta Police Department received an emergency 911 call from a residence in Bloomburg off FM 74 in Cass County.
An injured woman, identified as Jacki Kubin, ran to a neighbor asking for help. The neighbor called 911 and was able to give a description of the fleeing vehicle.
Upon arrival, an Atlanta Police Department officer observed a female child who had suffered severe trauma and transported her to a nearby hospital.
The suspect’s 9-year-old daughter was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Kubin, the grandmother of the deceased, suffered self-defense wounds and was treated.
The suspect’s abandoned vehicle was located off FM 74, and Cass County ESD #3 was able to locate the suspect by utilizing a drone. The suspect, identified as Allison French, was detained and transported to the hospital for self-inflicted injuries.
French was arrested on a Capital Murder Warrant.
Queen City High School’s One Act Play advanced to the Area round of competition last week with their play The Bisley Boy. Superlative awards were handed out to Linley Butler - Honorable Mention All-Star Cast, Eli Splater - Honorable Mention All-Star Cast, Hailey Franklin – Outstanding Technician, Cade Warren - All-Star Cast and Adalyn Tyson - Best Performer.
Judge Ransom filed a state of disaster for Cass County with the County Clerk on Sunday, Apr. 6, after assessing the damage left by the weekend storms. It was determined that “extraordinary measures must be taken to alleviate the suffering of people, protect or rehabilitate property, and to clear our roads or repair our infrastructure.”
The severe weather, which ravaged Cass County beginning on Friday, Apr. 4 through Sunday, Apr. 6 caused significant widespread damage to property, infrastructure, county roads, and rights-of-way.
On Friday, April 11, the North Texas Water District (NTMWD) board decided to abandon their proposal to buy the water rights to Lake O’ the Pines. Instead, they’ve negotiated a deal to get water from resources closer to them.
This decision comes after several months of uproar from Northeast Texas cities and counties, thousands of residents and leaders speaking out against the Lake O’ the Pines proposed water sale during Northeast Texas Municipal Water District (NETMWD) meetings since the start of 2025.
On Thursday, April 10, local resident of Bivins, Barbara Eymard, took home the prize for Best of Breed with her Tibetan Spaniel, Speaker, at the Tibetan Spaniel National. The competition was held in Sussex County, New Jersey and was comprised of 87 total entries, which were then divided into classes. Winners of each class moved forward until a single winner was chosen at the end. This year, that was Speaker, otherwise known by his American Kennel Club (AKC) identification name as Lantana’s Time to Talk at Bradmar.
MAY
2 025
Linden-Kildare track star Jamiah Bi r m i ng ham
added a gold medal to her career accolades after winning a state championship in the triple jump at the state track and field competition. Birmingham outdistanced other competitors with a jump of 37 feet, 3/4 inches. In 2024 she placed second in the same event.
Caffe’ Crema in Atlanta was announced to have received the 2025 Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant. Caffe’ Crema was one of five small businesses in the country honored with the award in a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
Hiring Our Heroes is a program of the nonprofit organization, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, whose mission connects the military community service members, military spouses, and veterans with American businesses to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce.
Caffe’ Crema, owned by Tanya and Greg Beers. Greg is a retired veteran of the U.S. Navy.
A woman accused of capital murder had her bond set and is residing in a Gregg County jail.
Allison French, 37, is accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter in March. Her bond was set at $2 million after she was transferred to Gregg County Jail.
There’s something beneath the feet of East Texans that keeps drawing people to the region. Some say it’s the healthy soil, others say it’s the charming people. Recently, energy companies across the United States have set their eyes on East Texas for a different reason: lithium.
East Texas sits in the prime seat of a geological area called the ‘Smackover Formation’.
Union Chapel United Methodist Church will hosted its annual Homecoming celebrating 167 years on May 18, 2025.
Baleigh Harper was crowned as the first-place winner in the 42nd annual Little Miss Fine Arts Revue held Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the First Baptist Church Life Center located on Allday and Johns Street.
On May 2, the Cass County Peace Officers Association hosted its annual Shop with a Cop Bingo Fundraiser at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Atlanta, Texas, drawing a crowd of more than 250 community members in support of a worthy cause.
The event raised an impressive $16,000 in donations, with proceeds going directly toward community initiatives, including the annual Shop with a Cop program, which provides holiday shopping experiences for local children in need.
On May 14, Community Healthcore hosted an Open House for its newly remodeled Rapid Crisis Stabilization facility in Atlanta inside the CHRISTUS St, Michael hospital. The 14-bed inpatient stabilization facility is for people in Northeast Texas experiencing a mental health crisis. Cass County Judge Travis Ransom, Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe, CHRISTUS administrators and all of the Community Healthcore board members, community partners and staff were present at the opening.
Established in 1941, the American Tree Farm System is the oldest and largest forest certification program in the United States. Today, 85,000+ Tree Farmers are managing 17.9 million acres of forests in the program. Texas joined the American Tree Farm System in 1944. Currently, there are 1,200 Certified Tree Farms in Texas.
Charles and Sue Snowden’s 113 acre tree farm in Cass County has been recognized as the Texas Forestry Association’s Outstanding Tree Farm of the year for 2025.
A productive city council meeting was held on Tuesday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall where three unopposed councilmen were re-elected and sworn in.
The individuals were Brian Cloninger for district two, Larry Breshears for district four, and Randy Pennington for district three.
A new municipal judge, Sandra Savage, was also sworn in. She replaced the previous municipal judge, John Betts, who left the position open after his resignation.
Savage was the associate judge prior to taking the position.
Judge Travis Ransom presented a check for $8,650.75 regarding the Child Safety Fee of 2024. The Child Safety Fee is a policy where the state gives the county the authority to collect $1.50 for every registered Texas vehicle in the county.
The county does not keep the money but instead passes it along to the city. The city then works with the school district on child safety programs such as school crossing guards, health and nutrition education, child abuse prevention and intervention, and drug and alcohol abuse prevention for children. Alternatively, the funds can be directed towards programs enhancing public safety and security.
The Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) announced the recipients for its fifth annual Linda Thomas Safe Driving Scholarship. The scholarship awarded $2,000 each to 10 high school seniors in NET RMA counties throughout Northeast Texas, including Vincent Wong from Queen City High School.
JUNE
2 025
The next year and a half are going to be very busy for the Tourism and Visitor’s center of Atlanta.
Atlanta has been chosen as one of six small towns in the nation to be part of The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program and will host a traveling exhibit for six weeks in early 2027.
The theme of the traveling exhibit is “Spark! Places of Innovation,” which aims to highlight the ingenuity and tenacity of rural Americans that have kept their small towns alive and thriving.
The Little Rock FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), in partnership with Texarkana College’s Aviation Technology program, hosted a special ceremony to present the esteemed Wright Brothers Master Pilot and Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Awards.
The ceremony, led by Jamie Black, FAASTeam Program Manager at the Little Rock Flight Standards District Office, recognized the following recipients for their exceptional dedication and service: Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award Recipients are Jim Collom, Randy Williams, Tevis Pappas, Gary Walker and Jerry Browning. Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award Recipients are Jim Collom, Randy Williams and Perry Hodgson.
Atlanta High School graduate Michael Dubuisson became the first National Qualifier in Atlanta High School history for debate.
Dubuisson competed in the Senate Division of the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).