Elected officials sworn in on New Year’s day

Cass County elected officials started off the new year by taking oaths of office for the new term on January 1st at 2 p.m. at the Historic Cass County Courthouse in Linden, Texas.

Officials sworn in, along with their respective offices were as follows:

• Hon. R Travis Ransom, county judge

• Hon. Gary Albertson II, county court at law judge

• Hon. Barbara McMillon, justice of the peace, precinct 1

• Hon. Gina Bassham, justice of the peace, precinct 2

• Hon. Kim Cullins, justice of the peace, precinct 3

• Hon. Bridget Smith, justice of the peace, precinct 4

• Hon. Kevin Young, commissioner, precinct 2 • Hon. Darrell Godwin, commissioner, precinct 4

• Hon. Melissa Shores, county treasurer

• Hon. Amy Varnell, county clerk

• Hon. Jamie Albertson, district clerk

• Hon. Courtney Shelton, district attorney Cass County Judge Travis Ransom was sworn in by Fifth District Judge Bill Miller. Ransom has served as county judge since May 2022 and previously served as mayor of Atlanta, Texas. Ransom is a lifelong Cass County native and serves in the United States Army Reserve as brigade command sergeant major. As a result, he has been deployed to serve around the globe multiple times as a counterintelligence agent. Ransom and his wife Emily have three children. An Eagle Scout, Ransom is the proud father of an Eagle Scout. He and his family attend First Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Newly elected Judge Gary Albertson took his oath of office as Cass County court at law judge. Albertson was sworn in by Judge Donald Dowd on a bible given to his grandmother, Carolyn Wagoner, by her husband, Troy Wagoner, and subsequently inherited by the Albertson’s mother.

The judge is married to Cass County District Clerk Jamie Price and has two daughters, Jade and Adleigh. Albertson is the son of Karen and David Chamblee, as well as Gary Albertson. He graduated from Atlanta High School in 1999, Southern Arkansas University in 2003, and the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2008. In 2008, he began practicing law for Thompson and Frost in Atlanta and opened his own law firm in 2011.

Precinct one Justice of the Peace Barbara McMillon has served Cass County for 31 years and was sworn into her eighth term by Judge Dowd. She’s a member of Linden United Methodist Church, Justice of the Peace and Constable’s Association of Texas; The Justice Court Judge’s Association of Texas; a charter member of the College of Justice Court Judges Association of Texas and serves as president of the Cass-Marion-Morris Child Fatality Review Board Team.

Precinct two Justice of the Peace Gina Bassham was sworn into her fourth full term on her mother’s bible by Judge Ransom. Bassham began her career in the JP office working for Hon Carol Leftwich for four years before being appointed to fill his position upon his retirement in 2009. She has been married to Buzz Bassham for 30 years and together they share a son, Zachary. An active member of Cross Roads Missionary Baptist Church, Bassham enjoys teaching line dancing, playing bridge and reading in her spare time.

Newly elected Precinct three Justice of the Peace Kim Cullins was administered her oath of office by Judge Ransom. Cullins graduated from Queen City High School and is a long-time Cass County resident. Cullins is the proud mother of two and grandmother of five and has a long-established reputation for serving her community and helping others by taking the lead with efforts to support Cass County Toys for Tots, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Collins has owned and managed two successful businesses and served as executive director of child services at Wadley Regional Medical Center for 17 years, where she led the organization in a financial turnaround from a red bottom line to significant increases in the profit margin.

Most recently, Cullins worked at Atlanta Methodist Church, where she was also able to improve profit margins, garnering a 100% collection rate for more than seven years, and increased enrollment to full capacity–-all while successfully advocating for employee benefits and maintaining the highest level of compliance required by the state.

Cullins is said to believe in valuing people with whom she works and those she serves to be the bedrock of successful leadership. She said she intends to maintain the same level of professionalism in her county position.

Bridget Smith, was sworn in for her third full term as precinct four justice of the peace by Judge Ransom, with a bible belonging to her grandmother, Chrstine Bryant. Smith, a lifelong Cass County resident, has been married to Dennis Smith for 28 years. The couple has two grown children, Ashley and Jake, as well as three grandchildren.

Smith first began working for the county in April 2009 as the clerk for precinct four justice of the peace. In September 2012, she was appointed to the position to fill the unexpired term of the resigning justice. The following March she was elected to fulfill the remaining term of office.

Newly elected Kevin Young was sworn in by Ransom as commissioner for precinct two. Young was born in Linden, Texas in 1966 and grew up in the Crossroads community just north of Hughes Springs where his family’s roots go back for generations. After high school, Young hit the road to work construction. In 1988 while working in Kellogg, Idaho he met his treasured wife, Beverley, who left Idaho with him. The couple share three sons, two granddaughters, and are expecting a grandson. For 36 years, Young has worked all over the U.S. running heavy equipment. He has experience in construction management and has owned his own business. Young is said to be very happy to be back home and considers it an honor and privilege to serve his community and county as commissioner.

Judge Ransom also swore in Darrell Godwin as commissioner of precinct four. Godwin has served as a county commissioner for 12 years but has worked within precinct four since 1988, serving and growing with the county. Godwin is a long-time member of the Atlanta Volunteer Fire Department and Fire District one and serves on Atlanta’s Retirement board. Godwin and his wife, Tammy have been married for 31 years and share two children and two grandchildren. Godwin brought his favorite Bible verse with him to take his oath, Philippians 4:13, which says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Melissa Shores took her oath as county treasurer with Judge Ransom presiding. Shores was first appointed to the position in February of 2021 after working first as an assistant in the treasurer’s office. A 38-year resident of Cass County, Shores graduated from Linden-Kildare CISD in 2002 before graduating from Southern Arkansas University in 2006, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with an emphasis in finance. Since graduating, Melissa has worked for Community Services of Northeast Texas, Texana Bank and as an assistant in the Treasurer’s office. She and her husband of five years, Blaine Shores share a son, Jeter, who turns three years old in March. The couple also has a beloved family dog, Dixie. Outside of work, Shores enjoys being a part of Christian Fellowship Church in Queen City and spending time with her family.

Amy Varnell took her oath of office marking her second full term as county clerk, with presiding Judge McMillon. Born and raised in Cass County, Varnell began her career in the county clerk’s office in 1994. She was appointed in November 2017 to fill the unexpired term of the previous Clerk and was subsequently elected to office in 2018. She and her husband Barry have been married for 30 years and have one daughter, Ashlyn.

Jamie Price Albertson was sworn in by her husband, Judge Gary Albertson II, with whom she shares two daughters–Jade, a freshmen in college and 10-year-old Adleigh, who attends Atlanta Elementary. Jamie Albertson is the daughter of Jimmie and Terri Price, and Mike and Vicki Hughes. Albertson said she is honored to be able to continue her service to the citizens of Cass County district clerk. She was also sworn in using the Bible that once belonged to her husband’s grandmother.

Cass County District Attorney Courtney Shelton was sworn in by Judge Dowd. Shelton was sworn in for her first term as district attorney on January 1, 2019. Shelton graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2001 and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Baylor Law School in 2005. She did some criminal defense work and civil law before coming to work for the Cass County District Attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney on May 1, 2009, which she describes as one of the best decisions she ever made. Shelton said she feels privileged and honored to be able to continue to serve her county for another four years. Shelton and her husband of nine year, Lucas Shelton, share two children, fifteen-year-old Heath and Brantley, 8.