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1 week ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
On Wednesday, April 9, the parking lot of the Panola College student center was lively with students and faculty hanging out, eating together and listening to live music at the Spring Fling. Chick-fil-A, Birra Tacos and Y’alls Place Catfish offered food-truck style options for lunch. Panola College had their tent sale, offering school swag and discounts. A few brave students even volunteered for a dunking booth.
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1 week ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
From cakes and brunch to coffee and other sweets, 903 Bakery has become a Carthage favorite. Whether its on your way to work or commemorating an event, days really are sweeter with a 903 stop. The bakery, located on 509 N. Daniels St. in Carthage, is also popular for breakfast items like iced and hot coffees, bagels and even mini-pancake dippers. For lunch, they keep the mini-fridge stocked with salad, chicken salad and sandwiches, along with serving specials like Cajun potato or taco soup.
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2 weeks ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
The second annual Tea Cakes and Trade Day event will take place on Saturday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Beckville City Park. With a huge community response to last year’s event, the Beckville Sunset Alumni have planned an even bigger event this year. The Beckville Sunset Alumni, a nonprofit organization, has announced the second year of the popular event.
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2 weeks ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
Carthage author Gretchen Rhue has published her most recent book, “Knights of the Angel Realm — Guarding Carthage,” a fiction novel set in an idealized 1950s Carthage. The book follows the adventures of a character named Sam Wright, who, in the aftermath of tragedy, is chosen and trained by angels to join a divine force known as the Knights of the Angel Realm.
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2 weeks ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
Members of the local Panola County Democratic Club traveled to support the election of Kendall Scudder as the new state Democratic Party chair. With Scudder’s decisive win, state and local Democrats hope for progress. With T-shirts and signs, three members of the Panola County Democratic Club traveled to the State Democratic Executive Committee meeting in Austin. Gloria Adams Paulette Goree, and Margret Thompson showed their support for Scudder and “recalibrating” the Democratic Party.
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3 weeks ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
The Carthage ISD school board was recently briefed on the accountability report for the year, showing that, for the most part, special populations of students are at grade level but special education and ESL students were falling behind on STAAR testing scores. The Results Driven Accountability data assessment is a yearly, state-sponsored evaluation of schools’ special populations. Several levels of “accountability” are considered in the report, such as STAAR testing scores and disciplinary data.
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3 weeks ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
The Panola County Commissioners Court has signed a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month as child advocacy and welfare centers in the region are working to highlight this issue locally. In the proclamation, it is made known that in 2024, there were 139 completed investigations of child abuse and 84 confirmed victims in Panola County.
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1 month ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
A friend of the Dudley family has organized a community fund as well as a car wash benefit event to support the family of the late Matthew Dudley. The car wash is set to be held at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, located on West Panola Street, in Carthage, on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.At age 42, Matthew Ryan Dudley died March 18, 2025, at a hospital in Tyler. The loss came after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Dudley worked in the oil field to provide for his wife of 17 years, Kim Dudley.
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1 month ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
A Carthage family who has recently lost nearly all of their belongings in a house fire has been shown quick and “overwhelming” support by the community. Through GoFundMe, the family has received over $20,000 in the first two days. Taylor Hughes organized the effort on GoFundMe to support her grandmother and three children, whose house caught fire on Sunday. “Seems like there’s a lot of sorrow hitting Carthage right now.
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1 month ago | 
panolawatchman.com | Elizabeth Pinkston
With the St. Paddy’s Day street party coinciding with the Panola Has Talent competition, Carthage’s West Sabine Street was full of celebration on Saturday. From beer belly contests to Irish trivia, the collaboration between Grind and Grain Beverage Company and Carthage Main Steet proved to draw crowds through the evening. Grind and Grain’s side of the event, the street party, featured odes to the traditional St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
