News

A third and final reading of ordinance amendments related to camping on city lakes was approved by the Graham City Council this week. Changes include prohibiting camping at Kindley Park, a permit fee for camping at Lake Eddleman Park and penalties for criminal activity and violating the ordinance.

Following reported concerns by the city code enforcement officer, a draft ordinance amendment was established to prohibit camping of any type at Kindley Park.

After being indicted in May 2023, Jose Luis Alamilla-Quevedo accepted a plea deal at the end of April for five years in prison from a March 2023 offense of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Alamilla-Quevedo, 41, accepted the plea Wednesday, April 24 and was sentenced to five years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division and a $5,000 fine. He received 410 days credit for time served while confined at the Young County Jail and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Creating a habit of reading that lasts a lifetime while curbing the learning gap in the school summer months are the objectives of the Library of Graham’s Summer Reading Program.

The annual program is open to all children in kindergarten through fifth grade who set a goal of reading 30 minutes per day for five days a week. Children, parents or guardians will note the time read on a reading log which can be turned into the library when the program kicks off at the beginning of June.

Polls closed late Saturday across the state and in Young County with two local school district bond elections on the ballot, as well as races for Graham Hospital District and the cities of Olney and Newcastle.

Election day was Saturday, May 4 and a total of 2,212 voters turned out in Young County, or 17.9% of total registered voters in the county. Early voting was held from Monday, April 22 until Tuesday, April 30. A total of 1,705 voters turned out for early voting, or 14.6% of registered Young County voters.

After approval by the Texas Historical Commission and official record with the Young County clerk last week, Oak Grove Colored-William P. Johnston Memorial Cemetery will be designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery.

The designation is an official recognition of family and community graveyards that imposes no restrictions on use of land adjacent to the cemetery or the daily operations of the cemetery. According to THC, every county in the state has at least one cemetery with this designation, which serves as a first step to preserve a historic cemetery.  

It pays to be prepared in the event of an emergency and the Graham Senior Citizen Center took a step in that direction when the American Red Cross came to teach a CPR class last week.

Jarod Cook of the Texas Division of Emergency Management reached out to the Red Cross to set up a hands-only CPR class for senior citizens in Graham. The course involved instruction on how to handle a situation in the event someone has stopped breathing without blowing air into the person’s mouth.

After being located by Graham Police Department last week, Ashton Broderick Castle has reunited with his family and will be returning to Texas tomorrow.

Castle was found by his family Tuesday, May 7 at an Amtrak station in Charleston, South Carolina. Ashton’s stepmother, Amber Rathmell Castle, has been providing updates regarding details of the case.

Saturday is the final day to vote in the general and special elections on the ballot for the May election. On the ballot are elections for Graham Hospital District, Graham ISD, city of Olney, Olney ISD and city of Newcastle.

Election day voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 4. Early voting was held at two Young County locations from Monday, April 22 until Tuesday, April 30. A total of 1,705 voters turned out for early voting, or 14.6% of registered Young County voters.

The Graham High School Scholarship Awards Ceremony was held this week and awarded around $100,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors. Over 100 scholarships were provided by 68 local benefactors, clubs and agencies.

The ceremony was held Monday, April 29 at Memorial Auditorium and welcomed parents, staff and visitors to support GHS students receiving scholarships. Graham ISD Superintendent Sonny Cruse welcomed those to the ceremony.

It’s time, once again, for fun, food and more as the Graham Lions Club Carnival returns to Graham next week.

The annual Lions Club Carnival is set to take over the Graham downtown square each evening from Wednesday, May 8 through Saturday, May 11. The carnival will open each night at 5:30 p.m. and provides an opportunity for fun and fellowship for Graham citizens.