March 31, 2011 - The Postal Regulatory Commission recently issued its Advisory Opinion in Docket N2010-1 on a Postal Service plan to end Saturday mail delivery, collection, and outbound mail processing.

The Postal Service is required to ask the Commission for an Advisory Opinion on any change in nationwide service it proposes. The Postal Service advised the Commission that due to falling mail volumes and revenues, it is considering eliminating Saturday mail collection and delivery except for Express Mail and existing post office box service.

March 31, 2011 - In the community of Pleasant Grove, two and a half miles north of Leonard, William Thomas Murley and wife, Mary Blackshear Murley, built an eight-room home in 1918. Downstairs, the home had two bedrooms, a living room and dining room, and a kitchen and a bathing room - with no running water - that could only be accessed from the back porch. The stairs were in the middle of the house - as was a wood-burning fireplace - and the stairs led to two bedrooms upstairs.

March 31, 2011 - The Leonard Community Farmers' Market has begun its third year behind the Bear Creek Country Store in Leonard. For now the market will be open on Saturday from 8 to 12 noon and will have beef, whole chickens, bread, jam, pork and eggs for sale. Some craft items will also be available for purchase. Vegetables and fruits will be coming in slowly this year so the market hopes to be in full swing on May 15. The cost will be $5 per vendor per month this year.

Vendors and buyers are urged to contact Marty Vehslage at 903-587-0101 for more details. Please come and join in the fun.

March 24, 2011 - In 1912, William Hayes and Ethel Braly Arnold built a home on what would later become Main Street in Leonard. Arnold owned the lumberyard in Leonard, which might explain why the house was built as a two story, but the upstairs was never finished. The Arnolds could keep a close watch on the house while it was under construction, as they lived in a house across the street at the time.

March 24, 2011 - A motorcycle ride for three Oklahoma friends turned into a bad situation for two of them after they collided in Trenton Monday morning. Both were transported to area hospitals and one remained in critical condition Tuesday.

Officer Jim Davenport with Trenton Police Department, who was still working on the tedious paperwork from the accident investigation Tuesday morning, reported that his first responders were dispatched at 10:01 a.m. to a major accident at the north entrance to Kwik Chek. Scanner traffic indicated that one rider was pinned under his bike.

March 17, 2011 - With the retirement of City Manager Butch Henderson looming, the Leonard City Council made a move last Tuesday that would keep a familiar face in the office, and allow ample training time before Henderson departs. Council members voted to hire Leonard native Allecia Booher to take over the city manager position, effective April 7. Booher is a BIL (Born in Leonard) and is thankful for the opportunity to work in Leonard again.

March 17, 2011 - The fifth largest earthquake in world history hit northern Japan last Friday, March 11, and at least one Leonard High School graduate stationed there by the U.S. Air Force was directly affected by it. The 8.9 magnitude shake occurred nearest Sendai, Japan off the eastern coast, and Megan McDonough - a 2004 graduate of Leonard High School - is stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Misawa in the Aomori prefecture, some 180 miles north of that location.

March 17, 2011 - Last week, 86-year-old Mary Jones Strickland took a ride down memory lane to the Valley Creek area where she was born and raised. Both sets of her grandparents, Jim and Sudie Dorsett and the Sim Jones', lived in the Valley Creek area and her parents, Charlie and Bell Jones, along with Strickland and her siblings lived on part of the land owned by the Dorsett grandparents.

March 10, 2011 - In the early 1900's A. L. and Nellie Melton built a large two-story home on what would become 501 N. Main in the city of Leonard. The Meltons had lived in Leonard since 1885 where he was in the grocery business and in the new home they raised five children - sons Horace, Hugh and June and daughters Mary and Marge. In 1914, Nellie died and the children continued to reside with their father.

The house had a living room, entryway with a double coal burning fireplace, dining room, kitchen, sunroom, one bedroom and a bathing room downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs.

March 10, 2011 - In just three hours, residents and businesses raised $1500 for COTA in honor of Madeline Burke Saturday night with a chili supper - courtesy of Sonic - and silent auction items.

Sonic served a new item on their menu, Frito Chili Cheese Pie and all the proceeds went to the COTA fund for Madeline. Edward Jones-Carlisle Mott and The Leonard Graphic donated cases of drinks for the event and many local cooks baked up brownies or cookies to sale.