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.
The Nocona City Council gave its budget proposal a final once-over before setting a public hearing for it and the proposed tax rate for Sept. 9 at 8 a.m.
Council members also heard from Blake McNew who is against the recently approved fee and registration process for golf carts and related vehicles.
Last month the council approved an ordinance that set forth registration requirements for these vehicles with a $50 registration fee. After several close calls and complaints from downtown business people and citizens on near misses with ATVs and golf carts driving unsafely downtown the council took the step to add the ordinance.
City Secretary Revell Hardison said after some discussion the council asked for it to be back on next month’s agenda with possible consideration for repealing the fee. After some research she added a person can go through the state to obtain a license plate for these vehicles and the local sticker would not be needed.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The staff of Texas Education Agency on Aug. 14 announced the release of 2026 A-F Accountability Ratings for public school systems and campuses across the state.
Almost all of the school districts in the county saw their district ratings increase or remain consistent, along with some of their campuses.
There were 1,202 districts and 9,105 campuses rated in 2026. Some 24% of both districts and campuses increased in rating compared to 2025.
Read the full story and see all the county ratings in your Thursday Bowie News.
2026 state accountability ratings
Bowie Independent School District – B, 80 of 100 points
Elementary/intermediate – C, 74
Junior high – B, 84
High school – B, 86
Bellevue ISD – A, 92
Forestburg ISD – B, 82
Gold-Burg ISD – C, 76
Montague ISD – A, 93
Nocona ISD – B, 86
Elementary – B, 80
Middle school – C, 79
High school – A, 94
Prairie Valley ISD – B, 88
Saint Jo ISD – B, 82
Elementary – D, 66
High school – A, 92
Friends of the Bowie Animal Shelter will host the annual Clear the Shelter event from 8 a.m. to noon on Aug. 22.
The shelter is located at 1508 E. Wise. While this is a nationwide effort to recognize the work of animal shelters, their staff and volunteers, this also is a chance to support their efforts by attending the bake sale, silent auction and food vendors.
Adoptable dogs from the Bowie shelter as well as Easy Street Shelter of Saint Jo, Lucky Paws in Nocona and McCares of Montague will be present.
If your family is considering adopting a pet this would be a great time to visit with the animals and meet the volunteers who can tell you a bit about the animals. Prospective volunteers also are welcome, so ask your questions.
Staff from Cross Timbers Vet will be giving reduced price vaccinations.
There will be a prize drawing at noon for a bounce house and a Turtle Box speaker. Tickets are $5 each for a chance to win either prize. Drawing at noon.
-
NEWS3 years agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS4 years ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS3 years agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS4 years agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS3 years agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
Show us something good9 years agoCountry music star children perform in Bowie
-
100th Birthday4 years agoLooking back at the 1958 Centennial edition of The Bowie News
-
NEWS3 years ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death