News

Wills Point Independent School District officials announced that the district received a rating of “A” for “Superior Achievement” under Texas’ School FIRST financial accountability rating system.

The “Superior Achievement” rating is the state’s highest, demonstrating the quality of Wills Point ISD’s financial management and reporting system.

A longstanding Wills Point tradition will return in the coming weeks with the Wills Point ISD announcing that this year's White Gift Service will take place Dec. 5 beginning at 7 p.m. in the high school cafetorium.

In a flyer announcing the event, the WPISD explained,"Each year the top seniors of each class participate in the Christmas story. Mrs. Anvaline Meredith Provence, a teacher from 1900 to 1952, established the traditional 'White Gift Service' in which the Christmas story was presented (originally in Latin) and gifts were donated for needy families.

The Wills Point Police Department arrested one suspect on multiple charges and released a minor passenger to a parent’s custody last week following an incident and brief chase that occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 24.

According to reports of the incident, a WPPD officer was traveling along N. Fourth St. shortly before 3 a.m. when he attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling south that had failed to heed a red light.

Therapy Dogs of Van Zandt County presented a $10,000 check to Patriot PAWS Service Dogs located in Rockwall, Texas, Nov. 14. The donation allows the organization the privilege of naming a puppy entering the Patriot PAWS program.

The funds were raised primarily from the proceeds of the 19th Annual CASI Chili Cook-Off and Auction sponsored by The Buffalo Girls Hotel at The Mountain during the April 2018 Canton First Monday Trade Days. For the past two years, this event has raised funds for Therapy Dogs of VZC, a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization of dedicated therapy dog handlers and their dogs on a mission of sharing smiles and joy.

 The Wills Point Community Angel Tree is a community-wide, annual donation program dedicated to providing Christmas gifts for children in families facing financial hardship during the holiday season.

The goal of WPCAT is to make sure that each child (from newborns to high school seniors) receives a new outfit with shoes and a coat along with some nice toys, and that each family receives a box of food and a turkey, hen or ham.

Local lake levels, including those at Lake Tawakoni, remained high last week courtesy of steady rain showers that have routinely swept through the area during the summer and fall seasons. As of press time, Lake Tawakoni is listed at 100 percent full with a mean water level of 438.31 feet. That total is slightly higher than the 436.9 foot water level seen at Lake Tawakoni on Nov. 20, 2017.

The Wills Point chapter of Rotary International continued to live its motto of Service Above Self last week, welcoming veterans to their weekly meeting Nov. 15 for a free lunch. The assembled veterans were each individually recognized following completion of their meal as each shared a story or anecdote about their time in uniform.

Rotarians and the Rotary Club have a nearly 80-year history in the Wills Point area, tackling a series of service projects each year.

Organizers behind some of the biggest holiday events of the season are working hard this week, looking to put the finishing touches on this year’s installment of local Christmas staples.

This year’s holiday events, scheduled for Dec. 8 locally, will also include a mix of old and new events including the return of the Wills Point Historical Society’s Christmas Tour of Homes.

A group with balloons, big checks, a drumline, cheerleaders and high school mascot made noisy entrances into Wills Point Independent School District classrooms last week, but they were welcome guests. Members of the Wills Point ISD Education Foundation joined by Rotarians made noisy classroom appearances on Wednesday to celebrate awards of innovative grants totaling a record of over $39,000.

Melinda Bass will hold auditions for a musical review,  "Night At The Hop" at The Talent Box, a nonprofit community theatre, located in the Wills Point Visual and Performing Arts Centre, 105 N. 4th street, Wills Point.  The auditions will be held at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, 12 and 13.  Performance dates will be Feb. 15 and 16.

Bass will be looking for a barbershop quartet, groups, duets, singles and the ossibilities of Elvis, the Beach Boys, Frankie Avalon, Dean Martin, Annette Funiculi, Leslie Gore, Nancy Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt and more.