In far southeastern Fannin County, tucked away in a remote corner of the Bois d'Arc Kingdom, is a ranch where every horse's bloodline can be traced back to the warhorses Mohammed Ali the Great (March 4, 1769 – 2 August 2, 1849) brought back to Egypt from the Bedouins as spoils of war. Sound too amazing to be true? Come see for yourself Saturday, December 15, from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. when Jeffries Arabian Center hosts its annual Christmas Farm Party. You can even get your picture taken with Santa and "Moon," the Arabian reindeer. Please make sure to RSVP at 903-217-7743.

Last week, the American Legion Post 178 delivered Christmas presents to the residents of the Clyde W. Cosper Texas State Veterans Home. During their visit, the Post treated the resident and staff to a hamburger and hot dog cookout. The Ladies Auxiliary followed, delivering Christmas presents to our female residents on Saturday!

The Lueders Stone panels that were removed from the courthouse will be auctioned off Saturday, December 15, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Three concrete benches will also be auctioned off Saturday morning.

New research from North Carolina State University finds that older adults have comparable response times to young adults when tasked with taking control of a semi-autonomous vehicle.

(L-R) Fannin County Judge Spanky Carter and Fannin County Pct. 2 Commissioner Stan Barker. Together, Carter and Barker served during a period of unprecedented economic development in Fannin County, including early stages of the $1.6 billion Bois d'Arc Lake project, the start of a $17.5 million restoration of the 1888 Fannin County Courthouse, construction of a 432-bed detention center by a private firm that has greatly benefited the county, and acquisition of a new Fannin County Extension Office -- while also managing to lower the county tax rate in 5-of-8 annual budget cycles.

1939 – Gone with the Wind (highest inflation adjusted grossing film) receives its premiere at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film, adapted from Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel of the same name. The film was produced by David O. Selznick of Selznick International Pictures and directed by Victor Fleming. Set in the American South against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era, the film tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara, the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner. It follows her romantic pursuit of Ashley Wilkes, who is married to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton, and her subsequent marriage to Rhett Butler. Production was difficult from the start. Filming was delayed for two years because of Selznick's determination to secure Gable for the role of Rhett Butler, and the "search for Scarlett" led to 1,400 women being interviewed for the part. Gone with the Wind was immensely popular when first released. It became the highest-earning film made up to that point, and held the record for over a quarter of a century. When adjusted for monetary inflation, it is still the most successful film in box-office history. It was re-released periodically throughout the 20th century and became ingrained in popular culture. The film is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time; it has placed in the top ten of the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 American films since the list's inception in 1998; and, in 1989, the United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.