• Around the county: A renovated and expanded Cabool branch of the Texas County Library is nearing completion by the Texas County Library Foundation. The $505,788 project is almost finished and it doubled the size of the 1,600 square foot facility built in 1986. The bulk of the funding came from a Community Development Block Grant and donations under Missouri’s Neighborhood Assistance Program.
Similar library branch upgrades have occurred at Licking and Summersville.
• There was a sigh of relief that Houston’s annual asphalt overlay program began on Friday. Rock is at a premium, and the city had worried that with several state contracts in the area and with the shortage that the work might not occur on a timely basis.
The word from city hall is that the job has been completed.
• Want to see Houston’s prize-winning entries at last week’s Missouri Community Betterment Contest?
They are on display at Houston City Hall. The grand prize among local communities included a giant trophy. Houston also won first place for its table display, first place in its population category and the local youth group took second place. It was quite the haul. Fifteen Houston students also had the chance to attend the conference in Columbia.
• Odds and ends: Retail gasoline prices rose a penny during the last week, reports GasBuddy.com. Prices were 15.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 7.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago….Don’t forget all of the Halloween activities planned Tuesday night in downtown Houston. Numerous businesses and organizations will participate with various activities. On Tuesday, organizer Fawn Bell reported the need for more Halloween tricks. Persons wanting to help can contact her at her Grand Avenue business, Raspberry Leopard.