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James Dean dies in car accident

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At 5:45 PM on this day in 1955, 24-year-old actor James Dean is killed in Cholame, California, when the Porsche he is driving hits a Ford Tudor sedan at an intersection. The driver of the other car, 23-year-old California Polytechnic State University student Donald Turnupseed, was dazed but mostly uninjured; Dean’s passenger, German Porsche mechanic Rolf Wütherich was badly injured but survived. Only one of Dean’s movies, “East of Eden,” had been released at the time of his death (“Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” opened shortly afterward), but he was already on his way to superstardom–and the crash made him a legend.

James Dean loved racing cars, and in fact he and his brand-new, $7000 Porsche Spyder convertible were on their way to a race in Salinas, 90 miles south of San Francisco. Witnesses maintained that Dean hadn’t been speeding at the time of the accident–in fact, Turnupseed had made a left turn right into the Spyder’s path–but some people point out that he must have been driving awfully fast: He’d gotten a speeding ticket in Bakersfield, 150 miles from the crash site, at 3:30 p.m. and then had stopped at a diner for a Coke, which meant that he’d covered quite a distance in a relatively short period of time. Still, the gathering twilight and the glare from the setting sun would have made it impossible for Turnupseed to see the Porsche coming no matter how fast it was going.

Rumor has it that Dean’s car, which he’d nicknamed the Little Bastard, was cursed. After the accident, the car rolled off the back of a truck and crushed the legs of a mechanic standing nearby. Later, after a used-car dealer sold its parts to buyers all over the country, the strange incidents multiplied: The car’s engine, transmission and tires were all transplanted into cars that were subsequently involved in deadly crashes, and a truck carrying the Spyder’s chassis to a highway-safety exhibition skidded off the road, killing its driver. The remains of the car vanished from the scene of that accident and haven’t been seen since.

Wütherich, whose feelings of guilt after the car accident never abated, tried to commit suicide twice during the 1960s–and in 1967, he stabbed his wife 14 times with a kitchen knife in a failed murder/suicide–and he died in a drunk-driving accident in 1981. Turnupseed died of lung cancer in 1981.

– History.com Staff

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Dangerous fire conditions on Friday

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A 🔥RED FLAG WARNING 🔥 is now in effect for ALL of North and Central Texas from 11 AM to 9 PM Friday! Take extra caution to AVOID any activities that could start wildfires! 🚫🔥 Heed all warnings and burn bans from local officials!

Montague County is under a burn ban,

⚠️There is also a High Wind Warning and Wind Advisory in effect for Friday from 7 AM to 7 PM! ⚠️ Areas of blowing dust are expected as well. Be VERY careful tomorrow especially if driving a high-profile vehicle!

High Wind Warning: gusts will frequently be in the 50 mph range with occasional gusts up to 65 mph.

Wind Advisory (parts of East and Central TX): gusts will be up to 50 mph.

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‘What’s Your Point’ review possible stone relics

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Do you think a stone you picked up could be an Indian artifact?
Tales ‘N’ Trails Museum will host “What’s Your Point,” an informational event from 1-3 p.m. on March 9 to have your items reviewed by Dr. Sergio Ayala, PhD of the Gault School of Archeological Research. Cost is $10 per person and museum members are free.
Also bring in any metal artifacts found around Spanish Fort that might have been of European origin. Museum Curator Nellann McBroom said if you cannot attend bring you artifacts and leave them, then pick them up on Monday. Call the museum at 825-5330 with questions.

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Oct. 7 final day to register to vote

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Oct. 7 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election.
Voters also should double check their voter registration to make sure all the information is up-to-date. Go to votetexas.gov on the Texas Secretary of State’s website to make any address changes.
Registering to vote in Texas is easy, simply complete a voter registration application on the SOS website and return it to your county election office at least 30 days before the upcoming election date.
Fill in the required information, print and sign the complete application. At this late date it may be best to deliver the registration form in person to the election office in the courthouse annex at Montague.
Any additional information on voter registration can be seen on the county website at co.montague.tx.us, click on elections. Direct any questions to the office at 894-2540.

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