The City of Tenaha has a new deputy city marshal after the council gave approval Monday night for the hiring of Darren Gray to that position.

Mayor Orinthia Johnson tells us City Marshall Jimmy Wagstaff made the recommendation to the council, and Gray should be on duty within the next couple of weeks after all the proper pre-employment screening is done.

In other personnel matters, the council designated public works consultant Stacy Cranford as the new Public Works Director.

Mayor Johnson also advised bids were awarded on work to be done to the new McNeil Park in town. He said Aaron Roland received the OK for dirt work at $3,500; Jimmy Broadway was given the wrought iron fence job for $11,000, and Keith Martin will do the electrical work at the project for $1,938. Mayor Johnson said work should begin on the new park around Sept. 18.

The Tenaha City Council also received an update on the vandalism of flower boxes on the downtown square. Mayor Johnson said someone smashed one of the Tenaha Beautification Committee's projects recently. He said if violators are captured, they would be prosecuted.