News

Pittsburg Hot Links has a history that almost exceeds that of Pittsburg itself. The tradition of the glorified link began in 1897 with Mr. Charlie Hasselback.

Mr. Hasselback was of German descent and he resided in Camp County. The first hot links were sold over the counter to be prepared at home. In 1918, the first cooked links were sold. Today, there are few places that still sell them "over the counter," but Pittsburg is lucky enough to be one of them. You can also find them at JB's Hot Links in Hughes Springs or in your nearest grocery meat market.

According to pittsburghotlink.com, the first links were two for a nickel and they were served the same way they are today, with heavy butcher paper, crackers and hot sauce.

According to Camp County, the Courthouse flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset on Saturday, July 25, 2015, in honor of the victims in the recent attack on military recruiting personnel in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Several downtown buildings were vandalized between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The blue spray painted symbol "SURx13" or in some places "x13" could be found on several walls and in alleyways.

Pittsburg Hot Links, the New Beginnings Community Church building and the Pittsburg Gazette were just a few locations hit by vandals.

According to www.wikipedia.com, "sur is the Spanish word for south, but also stands for Southern United Raza. The number 13 represents the 13th letter of the alphabet, the letter M, in order to pay allegiance to the Mexican Mafia."

Pittsburg City Manager Clint Hardeman said the Pittsburg Police Department is taking photos of the damage Tuesday and will be investigating the crime.

The Pittsburg Gazette will update more information as it becomes available. If you have any information, call the Pittsburg Police Department at (903) 856-7201.

Jim Carrigo with the Pittsburg Fire Department douses a tree that caught fire Monday, July 20, on County Road 1344 in Camp County. The small fire damaged the tree and a small area of grass and brush.

It's going to be hot this week, with temperatures rising near the triple-digit mark all week. Lows are expected to be in the high 70s with 0 percent chance of rain through the weekend.

Several community events are happening this week, including:

July 20

Rainbow Music Camp

Sing a Rainbow Music Camp will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon, July 20-24 at First United Methodist Church. The camp is for children ages 4 and 5 and there are no tuition fees. Space is limited and advanced registration is required. Applications are available at the church. For more information, call (903) 856-2839 or (903) 855-7905.

July 20

Kids’ Cooking Class

There’s a big weekend ahead for Pittsburg.

Don’t forget to scroll to the end for a list of TxDOT roadwork happening through July 25.

July 18

Farmer’s Market A farmer’s market is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Texas Country Farm Supply in Pittsburg. There is no fee to set up but a permit must be obtained from the Pittsburg/Camp County Chamber of Commerce. The last market will be held Aug. 22. For more information, call the chamber at (903) 856-3442.

July 18

Camp County Republicans The regular breakfast meeting of the Camp County GOP is 9 a.m. Saturday, July 18, at Pizza Inn, 271 N. Greer. There will be a discussion of what is happening on the state, national and local level of the country.

July 18-19

By Tori Lyle

news@campcountynow.com

White paint-streaked hair breaks free of its rubber-band bonds in the 95-degree Texas heat. The hair belongs to Pittsburg teenager Alexis Thrapp, who also sports white paint on her arms, legs, shoes and the paintbrush she’s holding. The teen worked last week in Pittsburg with World Changers, an national home repair mission group. Miss Thrapp just returned from a different mission trip to Guatemala, but worked last week to help Pittsburg homeowners with simple home repair while at the same time strengthening her relationship with God.

“One of the thing we talked about in Guatemala is how your mission shouldn’t stop when you get back home,” she said. “Your mission should spread to your home. I wasn’t expecting this much hard work, but I’ve enjoyed it though.”

By Tori Lyle

news@campcountynow.com

Parker Auto has been synonymous with manly pursuits since it was first built in the 1920s and the new owner is following suit with a business specializing in “mantiques.” The old Parker Auto building has been transformed to Texas Trading Co.

The building, located next to the railroad tracks in downtown Pittsburg, sold auto parts under two different owners until this year when it was sold to Tommy Thompson. A ribbon cutting was held recently for the business, which specializing in rebuilt hot rod and muscle cars, vintage metal signs and those crazy “mantiques,” which Thompson said is anything antique that could also be at home in a ‘man-cave.’

By Tori Lyle

news@campcountynow.com

Full-service filling stations are a thing of the past, but Pittsburg now has a full-service pharmacy. Parker Drug is now offering curbside service to all pharmacy customers. A staff member will come out to a vehicle parked either in the front or back of the store, located at 114 Quitman in downtown Pittsburg, to complete pharmacy transactions.

By Tori Lyle

news@campcountynow.com

This ain’t your mama’s macaroni and cheese. Kids 10 and up will get the chance to learn how to cook like a professional chef this summer. Northeast Texas Community College’s Hanson-Sewell Center is hosting a kids cooking camp, taught by Chef Charles Reeves, NTCC culinary arts director. The camp will be held at the NTCC Culinary Arts School, 144 Jefferson, St. in downtown Pittsburg, from 8:30 a.m. to noon Mondays through Thursdays July 20-30.