African Children’s Choir members
Courtesy photo

Press Release

The African Children’s Choir melts the hearts of audiences with their charming smiles, beautiful voices, and lively African songs and dances. It is composed of African children, ages 9 to 11 years old. The Choir is a program of a larger international organization called Music for Life, which provides thousands of impoverished children throughout Africa with the education, discipleship, and leadership skills needed to rise above their conditions so they can bring positive, lasting change to their families, communities and countries.

The African Children’s Choir is bringing its talent and joy to the First Christian Church of Van Alstyne at 7 p.m. on March 10. The church is located at 274 S. Waco and its phone number is 903-482-5515. Concerts are free and open to all. A free-will offering is taken at the performance to support African Children’s Choir programs, such as education, care and relief, and development programs.

The “Just As I Am” tour combines traditional hymns with African cultural sounds and a stunning visual story of God’s faithfulness.

Music for Life works in the seven African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. MFL has educated over 52,000 children and impacted the lives of over 100,000 people through its relief and development programs during its history.

The African Children’s Choir has had the privilege to perform before presidents, heads of state and, before her death, Queen Elizabeth II, for her diamond jubilee. The Choir has also had the honor of singing alongside artist such as Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, Michael W. Smith, and other inspirational performers.

Promotional support of this community concert is greatly appreciated. By focusing on providing education, the African Children’s Choir is a non-profit, humanitarian, and relief organization dedicated to helping Africa’s most vulnerable children today so they can help Africa tomorrow.

By Mary Jane Farmer, for the Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town.  Names are not given until/unless the Grand Jury indicts these or any suspects.

Van Alstyne Police made several felony arrests this past week, mostly on February 8-10.

Feb. 8 — Van Alstyne police stopped a vehicle on U.S. Highway 75 for a driving violation. It was aA Dallas man driving and as police checked his driver’s license, they discovered two warrants, issued in Montgomery County, for his arrests. Those warrants charged him with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and with Possession Controlled substance. and they placed him under arrest on the two warrants. That information gave them probable cause to search/inventory the vehicle, and, PD Lt. Steven Hayslip said they found him in possession of 30 grams of methamphetamine, plus two other types of medication including Xanax, a medication legally available only by prescription.

At a point in making the arrest, the suspect resisted, adding another charge to the list. In all, Van Alstyne police jailed the suspect on charges of Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance between 4-200 grams (meth), Possess of Controlled Substance PG2, Possession of Controlled Substance PG3, Resisting Arrest Search or Transport. The two Montgomery County Warrants were also included.

A magistrate at the jail set bail on the new charges at a total of $20,000, and there not yet being bail showing on the two warrants, the suspect remains incarcerated.

Feb. 10 — A McKinney man, A Dallas woman, and one more who has not yet appeared on the Grayson County Jail book-in roster were taken to jail following a traffic stop. Hayslip said that at least two of the occupants were carrying guns. A follow-up on the guns revealed that the weapon the male suspect carried had been reported stolen. Both these two occupants were in possession of marijuana.

Police jailed them both on accounts of unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of marijuana,  and added a third charge a third charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon. The male suspect’s bail was set at a total of $9,000 and the female suspect’s bail was $4,000. Those were paid for both with surety bonds and they left the Grayson County Jail the same day.

A follow-up with be posted when information comes on the third occupant/suspect in the vehicle.

Hayslip explained about the weapons charges, saying that “Under the (fairly) new Constitutional Carry law, one doesn’t have to have a permit to carry a gun on his/her person. The one thing that goes with that is — if you are in possession of narcotics or committing a crime other than a classic traffic violation, you cannot have a gun in your possession.”

Feb 8 — One other arrest, assault causing bodily injury-family violence,  involved a juvenile, and so cannot be reported on, Hayslip said. It was an adult female who went to jail on that charge, according to Grayson County Jail records.

By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town — A Grand Jury indictment is not proof of guilt. Guilt of innocence will be determined in court.