News

The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Offi ce released the following arrest report from Dec. 21-29.

My sister always made a cheese ball for her daughter (my beautiful niece) at Christmas. Now that my sister has passed away, I am taking on the cheese ball duties, and hope I can measure up! KC (my niece) is thankful for my efforts and can’t wait to taste it. Try it yourself, and let me know what you think.

2 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese at room temp 1 package EITHER dry Italian dressing or Ranch dressing 2 green onion stalks, chopped fine (both green and white parts) 1 bunch garlic (the whole bulb, not just one clove) ½ cup finely chopped pecans OR 1 tsp finely chopped parsley 1 small jar chopped chipped beef Olive oil for drizzling With a sharp knife, cut off the very top of the garlic bulb. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese at room temp 1 small can crushed pineapple, well drained ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped ½ tsp almond or vanilla extract ½ cup crushed almonds or pecans Mix all ingredients together except the nuts and form into a ball. Roll ball in nuts and chill until firm, several hours or overnight.

Lake Tawakoni State Park will host its annual First Day Hike event from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Organizers stated, “Start your new year off right with a self-guided hike at Lake Tawakoni State Park! Set your intentions for the new year with a mindful hike or just enjoy the first day of 2022 with a peaceful walk. Be sure to stop by the park headquarters afterward (open until 4:30 p.m.) to claim your first day hike sticker!” The event is free with park entry ($5 per person aged 13 and up).

National Wreaths Across America Day was held Dec. 18 at 3,136 participating locations across the country. The nation’s heroes were remembered as each name was said aloud and honored as over 525 truckloads of wreaths were delivered - representing 390 different carriers - and over two million volunteers, a third of whom were children, helped place more than 2.4 million veterans’ wreaths on headstones of our fallen across the country.

Edgewood High School students, in partnership with the Edgewood Development Corporation, helped The Donut Palace in Edgewood update their business sign. Wesley Hartman, a senior in advanced graphic design at Edgewood High School, worked with Mr.

The Martins Mill High School Robotics Team has done it again, bringing home a slew of awards and accolades from UIL competition. The team brought home the following titles: UIL State Game Chamipion, UIL State Notebook Champion, UIL second runner up BEST Award, IGUS Top Gun Award (a high score by Ty Gandy and Ty Latham) and the Lockheed Martin Most Elegant Robot award.

As the holiday season wraps up, first responders and emergency officials are urging drivers to remain cautious as you travel. The Van Fire Department reported the accident at right, noting that the vehicle hydroplaned off Interstate 20 and struck a light pole, coming to rest near the service road east of FM 314 near Van. The driver was transported by CHRISTUS EMS for evaluation of non-life threatening injuries.