The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) approved Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds to several county events at the Aug. 27 meeting. The committee approved 35 grants totaling $150,000 to the various applications. 

Those receiving funds are as follows: Bass Champs, $15,000; Mineola League of the Arts, $800; Hawkins Chamber for Hawkins Oil Festival, $500; Legends of Lake Fork, Don Hampton, $7,500; Winnsboro Center of the Arts, Winnsboro Arts and Wine Festival, $2,500; Quitman Chamber, Visitor Information Center Refurbish, $2,500; Flint and Steel/Wood County Walls, murals around Wood County, $25,000; Skeeter boats, Tournament June 6-9, $10,000; Sunday Market in the Park, Jim Hogg City Park in Quitman every 4th Sunday, $500; Clear Lakes Inn (Quitman), new signage and new visitor’s office $6,000 and $10,070 respectively; Hometown Christmas (Quitman), $1,500; Patriot Challenge, $10,000; Mineola Wisener Field, HVAC system for airport museum, $1,500; Wisener Field, restoration of historical hangar, $1,500; Beckham Hotel, Mineola, restoration of hotel first floor plumbing, $3,000; Mineola Economic Development Corporation, Iron Horse Square Project, $2,000; City of Mineola, Magical Mineola Event, Dec. 1-3, $6,000; Bass Tournament, Bob Sealey, $10,000; Jarvis University Homecoming, $5,000; Wood County Airport, fly-ins, airplanes & coffee, Solar Eclipse fly-in, Sept.-Nov. 2023 and March-May 2024, $1,380: Old Settlers Reunion, August 3-5, $500; Oklea Mansion, Winnsboro, Historical preservation, $1,000; Autumn Trails Winnsboro, Community events in October, $5,000; Hidden Pines Venue, $2,000; Vic Savelli, 100th Anniversary of MG Classic Car Show, Mineola, $750; Bass on the Fly, World Championship Tournament, $500; Solar Eclipse Event at Mineola Nature Preserve, $3,000; Mineola Visitor’s Center, $10,000; Annual Iron Horse Festival, $2,000; and Mineola Disc Golf, Wood County Open at the Mineola Nature Preserve, $3,000.

The WCEDC also added new board members to replace those who have moved on. The new members are Kevan Burroughs of People’s Telephone, Kent Huffman of Southwest Marketing Ventures to replace Steve Eggleston and Dr. Todd Witt of Flint and Steel and Wood County Walls.

WCEDC meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be Sept. 27 at a site to be determined.