By David Kapitan

Staff Writer

Even with several key items of community interest on the ballot, including the establishment of an Emergency Services District and the green light for a construction of a hotel locally, as well as three seats for both the Wills Point City Council and Wills Point ISD Board of Trustees up for grabs, voting proved to be steady but not spectacular on Election Day.

Propositions

Proposition 1 on the ballot passed with ease clearing a path for the construction of a Best Western Plus Hotel to be constructed in the eastern portion of the city with no property tax increase for residents.

Voters overwhelmingly supported the measure by a 283-67 margin, (80.86 percent for, 19.14 percent against).

By David Kapitan

Staff Writer

The Wills Point City Council met briefly Tuesday night, swearing in three elected council members – Kyle Anderson, Oscar Rogers and Lance LyBrand – as well as Mayor Mark Turner for new terms before shifting focus to work being done to fix drainage issues in the Juanita and Gordon Street areas.

Per a request made by Kyle Anderson made at the April meeting, council members took a closer look at repair work that had started under a previous city administration in the Juanita and Gordon Street neighborhoods.

Anderson noted that the original estimates for the work to be done was approximately $70,000, but due to a decision made at the time not to have the project engineered, and subsequent work that has been done, that total has jumped to $386,451.67 with other repair projects still needed.

By David Kapitan

Staff Writer

Potential voters will have one final chance to cast their ballots after early voting wrapped on May 5. Items up for a vote include three seats on the Wills Point City Council, three seats on the Wills Point ISD Board of Trustees, and two propositions.

The first of two propositions would pave the way for the construction of a three-story Best Western Plus Hotel in Wills Point and the second would establish an Emergency Services District that encompasses the city and outlying areas.

Wills Point City Council

In the Wills Point City Council election, local voters will elect three council seats, including seats currently held by Kyle Anderson and Oscar Rogers and the expiring seat of former council member Sherry Bailey Walker.

Wills Point Mayor Mark Turner recently traveled to India with the Gospel for Asia organization.

Gospel for Asia relocated from the Carrollton area and has established its worldwide base of operation to just outside of the Wills Point area.

Turner and a group of about two dozen pastors spent two weeks in India, seeing the work being done by GFA that country.

At the request of the Chronicle, Turner recounted the time spent with GFA and their efforts overseas.

The Wills Point community came out in droves April 25, crowding the downtown streets for the 22^nd annual Bluebird Festival.

Even with the heavier traffic flow and bustle of activity surrounding the event, the Wills Point Police Department reported this week that only one incident requiring any type of assistance was reported throughout the day.

According to the WPPD, officers were contacted at approximately 4:45 p.m. after a suspect, later identified as 60-year old Billy Earl Wood of Terrell, drove around barricades erected on N. Fourth Street to park at his business.

Wood allegedly entered his business in the 200 block, gathered some items and returned to his 1999 Chevrolet Suburban with the intent of pulling out and leaving the festival area.

By David Kapitan

Staff Writer

The murder trial of Michael Vincent Moore officially got underway at the Van Zandt County courthouse in Canton on Monday morning, with jury selection taking most of the day before opening statements and the first round of witnesses was called on Tuesday.

Moore was arrested back on May 6, 2013, in connection with the murder of his then 16-year old niece, Alicia Chanta Moore.

Alicia Moore, a Greenville High School student, was last seen alive while getting off a Greenville ISD school bus near her home on Nov. 2, 2012.

Four days later, on Nov. 6, 2012, Texas Department of Transportation employees working along the Magbee Creek area on Farm-to-Market 47, about four miles out of the Wills Point city limits, contacted authorities after finding a wicker trunk containing a body.