County Commissioner Bobby Elbert presented Margie Jaggers with a plaque for her 14 years of service to Franklin County during a reception in her honor on Wednesday, Dec. 10. (Optic Photo by Lillie Bush-Reves ‘08)

The Head Start program in Mount Vernon was recognized Thursday, Dec. 11 by the State Center for Early Childhood Development as having met all the criteria in the Texas School Ready! Certification System for its classrooms.

A city already strapped for cash for needed infrastructure improvements must return more than $58,000 in taxes paid into city coffers. The City of Mount Vernon must pay back $40,626.26 to two businesses that mistakenly paid city sales tax through the State of Texas. The other tax payback is the result of the settlement of the Logan’s Pointe tax suit for 2006, 2007 and 2008. The city’s portion of the payback of the corporations’ overpayment of ad valorem taxes is $17,469.30.See the Dec. 18 edition of the Optic-Herald for more details.

After 17 months of  tenuous times, Carter Michael Cates is home for Christmas. The infant was the recipient of six new organs transplanted into his tiny body May 2008. Carter was born 10 weeks premature on July 15, 2007. Less than 10 days later he was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis. The disease causes the intestines to deteriorate, followed by multiple organ failure.

The float sponsored by East Texas Medical Center - Mount Vernon, above, won first place in the large business category of the annual Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 6. A member of the Hella Shrine clown brigade, at left, entertained the crowd during the parade. To see more photos from the Christmas parade, go the the Events Photos portion of this website.