December 2022

The Edgewood Lady Dogs have been the gold standard among District 12-3A basketball programs in recent seasons, going undefeated in district play during both their 2020-’21 and 2021-’22 campaigns. Following a sixth place finish at the Great East Texas Shootout in Brownsboro Dec.

The Canton Eagles continued their early season run of dominance this past week, completing an unscathed slate with wins over Caddo Mills, Nevada Community, Tenaha, Henderson, North McKinney, and Kilgore to capture the Great East Texas Shootout Championship.

The Van Lady Vandals got their first taste of District 16-4A play this week, kicking off their most important stretch of the 2022-’23 season with a game against Cumberland Academy. Van would deliver a dominant performance in the contest, getting all the offense they would need in the opening quarter on their way to a 66-10 rout of the Knights.

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Van Area Chamber of Commerce President Pat Valentine discussed the annual ‘Silver Santa Senior Gifts’ program for senior adults ages 60 and older during the chamber’s Christmas Luncheon Dec. 6 downtown at The Movie House.

TheVan Zandt County Genealogical Society met on Saturday, November 26, Van Zandt County Library. The program was Show and Tell, which included attendees sharing stories of history, genealogy and family. Participants will often bring a photo or other item to illustrate their accounts. This year’s stories were as entertaining as ever.

1934-2022 Funeral services for Billy Rube Gammons, 87, of Edgewood, were held Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, at Hiett’s LyBrand Funeral Home in Edgewood.

1968-2022 Justin Charles Hyles, 54, of Wills Point, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022.

1939-2022 A gathering for the family and friends of Roy Earl Rogers, 83, of Wills Point, was held Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, at New Release Fellowship Baptist Church.

1952-2022 Raul Gomez Vasquez was born on April 6, 1952, to late Gregorio and Juanita Vasquez in Stanford. He moved to Smith County in the 1970s to work at Kelly Springfield Tire Plant.