The Deport City Council took steps to move forward with a May election at a Monday meeting, drawing names for city council and mayoral candidates and placing a sales tax rate proposition on the ballot.

The three-term mayor announced his resignation at a special City Council meeting, citing persistent health issues that he said were getting in the way of him doing the job in the way he’d like.

Residents in cities and school districts throughout the Red River Valley will be going to the polls May 1 to determine who will serve on city councils and as school trustees for the coming year.

Water billing was a top concern at a Monday night Deport City Council meeting as council members and Mayor John Mark Francis debated the best way to collect overdue water bills with help from the city’s new attorney, David Hamilton.

Despite losing their son and then their home to a fire, Amber and Roy Moll, of Deport, have persevered, giving back to their community through their organization, Southern Faith Ministries.

Although the federal government’s Families First Coronavirus Response Act expired on Dec. 31, Paris ISD teachers and staff will continue to have the guaranteed paid time off should they need it because of Covid-19.

Deport City Council approved an order of election, hired KBB Consulting and set the dates for future council meetings during its Monday meeting.

With solar project moving into Northeast Texas right and left, the projects promise a lot of incoming money and jobs and exposure to a new technology.

This story is part of a multi-story project on the Top Ten stories of 2020 as chosen by the newspaper’s editorial staff, based on online readership statistics, hard copy sales and community feedback.

Consumers in the Red River Valley have not been deterred from shopping local during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that’s led to continued growth in sales tax collections for cities, counties and other taxing authorities.

The Moll family and Project Deport will be offering free hot Thanksgiving meals to anyone in need in the community. To request one from the Molls, call 903-395-5822, or stop by the Deport VFD to get one from the organization on Thanksgiving Day.

On a warm Monday night, Deport Mayor John Mark Francis raised his right hand to be sworn in by Red River County Judge L.D. Williamson for a third term. Francis said he will continue to work to bring jobs to the city and improve infrastructure.