July 2026

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION The State Board of Education gave final approval last week to a new required reading list for every grade level and also passed a rewrite of the state’s social studies requirements for kindergarten to eighth grade, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Both plans include Biblical concepts, essentially making the state the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of Christianity in public school classrooms.

The thorn that makes us better Recently, I watched a video of a NCAA Division I football coach screaming at a player, using every foul word imaginable in an attempt to make a point. The lesson I learned had nothing to do with football.

.

.

Karla Vanessa Hernandez-Rojas of Wills Point graduated with Honors from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls in Spring 2026 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Respiratory Care. Midwestern State University had 606 undergraduate and graduate students in Spring 2026 with the provision that they meet all requirements as prescribed by the faculty and administration.

The University of Arkansas honored its most recent graduating class with a series of spring commencement ceremonies at Bud Walton Arena and Barnhill Arena. Clara Pool of Edgewood, BA - Bachelor of Arts from Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, was among those that graduated.

Submitted by the WPISD Education Foundation Just a quick reminder about the upcoming Back-To-School Fair on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The annual Canton Main Street Kids Splash Day is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 18.

The Wills Point Community Center is now temporarily closed for repairs. “We are closed for some renovation work at the moment,” said a chamber spokesperson.

Summer Reading Program activities continue through July 17 at the Van Zandt County/Sarah Norman Library in Canton. The theme of this year’s Summer Reading Scheduled is ‘Unearth a Story.’ Weekly activities scheduled at the library include the following: Tuesdays: Build-A-Rama, 9 a.m.