COUNTY LIFE
Top Valentine’s Day candy by state

Source: CandyStore.com.
Valentine’s Day is about love and romance and spending money to demonstrate them. Last year, the National Retail Federation predicted a slight drop off in in Valentine’s Day spending in all but one category. You guessed it: candy.
As Valentine’s indulgences go, candy is a relatively inexpensive one. It’s also become a tradition to give, share and eat candy on Valentine’s Day. That could be why people are expected to spend over $1.8 Billion this year.
Using sales data from the past 11 years from our online bulk candy store and industry partners, CandyStore.com has compiled sales data to determine the most popular Valentine’s Day candy. The map above illustrates the favorite Valentine’s Day candy in each state. The results are pretty interesting.

Conversation hearts have been rising in popularity for years, but they were always stuck behind those heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. That all changed last year when conversation hearts rose above the heart boxes to claim the top spot.
That trend has continued this year, as conversation hearts stretch their lead. That trend will not continue in 2019, however.
Conversation hearts will drop by over 80%. (!) More on that here.
M&M’s moving up
M&M’s cracked more top 3 spots in 2018 than the previous year. Since introducing the Cupid’s Message M&M’s in 2017, we’ve seen a rise in M&M’s sales for Valentine’s Day.
Though M&M’s did not claim any new #1 spots for any states, it did claim 3 more #2 spots and 5 more #3 spots. It’s not easy to crack the top three with conversation hearts and heart-shaped boxes taking up so many spots. Nice work M&M’s.
Perhaps the limited re-introduction of White Cheesecake M&M’s will help boost them even more for the 2019 season.
Cupid Corn Falling Off
Candy corn didn’t do as well. It finished in the #3 spot three fewer times and in the #2 one fewer. Still hanging on in North Carolina, West Virginia and Michigan, among a few other.
This bucks a trend we saw for the Christmas season where candy corn and its seasonal variants saw increased sales.
Valentine’s Day Candy Quick Facts
43% of people said they will buy themselves a box of chocolates this year.
58 million pounds of chocolate are bought during Valentine’s Day week.
The peak selling period for conversation hearts is only 6 weeks long.
It takes manufacturers 11 months to produce enough for those 6 weeks.
Vodka infused with candy remained popular with conversation hearts last year.
Children receive 39 percent of all Valentine’s Day candy and gifts.
COUNTY LIFE
Adoption, foster care resource fair on Nov. 14 in Bowie
In recognition of National Adoption Awareness Month this November, Texas Community Counseling and the Heart Gallery of Northwest Texas are partnering to bring resources to Montague County families.
The two organizations will host an adoption, foster care and kinship care resource fair on Nov. 14 at the United Presbyterian Church of Montague County Fellowship Hall, located at 300 W. Nelson St. in Bowie.
The resource fair will run from 10 a.m. to noon, bringing together local agencies and service providers to answer questions and share information about support available within the county.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
COUNTY LIFE
Rolling bus tour to visit southwest corner of the county
Members of the Montague County Historical Commission invite the community to join them on Nov. 14 for a Rolling Bus Tour.
This tour will cover the cemeteries in the south west corner of Montague County. You will have the opportunity to stroll through some of the cemeteries, others the bus will stop and Commission member Calvin Durham will tell the history of the cemetery.
The bus tour will meet at the Old Jail in Montague at 9 a.m. and return at approximately 3 p.m. The tour will include a sack lunch, a brochure of each cemetery visited and a book “This Soil will Grow Grapes” written by Melvin Fenoglio.
The cost of the tour is $20 for adults. There is no charge for children under 12. The commission members strive to preserve the history of the county and to share as much of it as possible with our citizens. You can RSVP by calling 940-841-2674 or 940-872-1007. Please leave a message with your name if there is no answer.
COUNTY LIFE
Nationwide emergency alert system test on Nov. 17
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 17.
FEMA’s emergency alert system is a national public warning system made up of thousands of radio, TV, cable and satellite and wireline video providers. Through the EAS, the President can address the American people or share life-saving information with the public during a national emergency.
FEMA is required by law to conduct a nationwide test of the public alert and warning system at least once every three years. These tests allow FEMA to identify technical or operational issues before the system is needed during an actual emergency.
FEMA and the FCC are sharing the test date in advance because it is important the public understands what to expect on the day of the test.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. (Central time), on Nov. 17, all the electronics providers will interrupt normal programming to relay a test message.
This message will state: This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency management Agency, covering the United States from 1:20 to 1:50 p.m. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
When the test is concluded, normal programming will resume.
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with stakeholders, including participating communications providers as well as federal, state, tribal and territorial agencies to prepare for and conduct the test.
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