Mardi Gras royalty
Mardi Gras season kicked off last Saturday with the Krewe of Hebe’s Mab Ball. Royalty members included, from left, Darlene Keith (2021-2 Queen), Richard Turner (2023 King), Gina Davis (2023 Queen), and Rob Baker (2021-2 King). Festivities begin next Friday, February 17 with the Do Dah Parade. Live music, parades,Continue Reading
City of Jefferson to close public alley
Hugh Lewis/Jefferson Jimplecute The new activity center currently being constructed by Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was the focus of the majority of Tuesday nights’ special council meeting. Ward 3 Alderman Robin Moore had requested two items be placed on the agenda: temporary closure of part of the alleyway between HendersonContinue Reading
Jefferson P&Z board to host town halls
Staff Reports The Jefferson Planning & Zoning Commission will be holding Town Hall meetings in each City Ward in the coming months. P&Z members approved a suggestion to have the meetings based on city wards to allow more time for residents to express their wards needs and desires. The meetingsContinue Reading
JISD protests tax appraisals
Jennifer Perry Middleton/Jefferson Jimplecute Jefferson Independent School District has filed a formal protest with the Texas Comptroller’s Office over the Comptroller’s non-certification of the 2022 appraisal role. The Comptorller believes the tax appraisals for the 2022 calendar year, or the 2022-23 school year, were less than the actual value ofContinue Reading
Our Town Jefferson
Meetings • Commissioners Court, Feb. 13, 9a • City Tourism Board, Feb. 13, 5:30p • JEDCO, Feb. 14, 5:30p • Blessings of Grace, Produce Feb 14, 16, 21, 23, 28 at 9a • St Vincent de Paul, Feb. 16, 23, at 10-11a • Blessings of Grace Food Pantry, Feb. 18,Continue Reading
An honest job evaluation
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer It shouldn’t surprise you that some reporters, talk show hosts and columnists are lazy. They find a meme and then plug in a detail. The meme today is the phrase “Washington is broken.” This phrase allows the speaker to avoid taking responsibility for a judgment orContinue Reading
There is a difference between religion and spirituality, our country needs the latter
Jim Coonrod /Contributing writer The distinction between religion and spirituality has come to change. Some will say it cannot be separated. Of course, one can undergo a very personal spiritual experience inspired by the persuasiveness of a speaker, a sermon, music, and the elegance of the surroundings, however, what is theContinue Reading
Heman Sweatt and the desegregation of the UT law school in 1950
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer What is the cost of changing the world? For those who dare, it can everything in their life, for good or ill. Heman Sweatt put everything on the line for his bid to desegregate the University of Texas law school, an effort that changed civil rights laws forever. Continue Reading
Loving the unseen Christ; trusting the unseen God
Dan Eakin/Contributing writer Many years ago, the late Dr. W.A. Criswell, longtime pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, preached a powerful message titled, “Loving the Unseen Christ.” His text was I Peter 1:8: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing,Continue Reading
Death Notices
James Milton Johnson Funeral services for James Milton Johnson of Ore City, Texas, will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, Avinger. Visitation will be from 2-6 p.m. today, at Harmon & Harmon Funeral Associates, Ore City. James was born March 21, 1957, and passedContinue Reading
Shortcut Creole Jambalaya!!!
Let’s get Shakin!!! Here we are in the middle of Mardi Gras season and like every year, I’m getting the same questions and comments. “I wanna make something traditional, and I wanna make something good, but it just takes too long to make, I am not an expert in theContinue Reading
Chocolate Sunday this weeken
Marcia Thomas/Contributing Writer Jefferson talented chocolate-makers are gearing up for one of the most fun and unusual events held in East Texas – Souper Bowl Chocolate Sunday. Conceived as an idea to be a fund-raiser for the city’s community theatre group, the Opera House Theatre Players, the event has beenContinue Reading
New Business
KSLA, and Chef Hunter Lee, were on hand Tuesday afternoon to welcome Big Daddy’s Crawfish to Jefferson! The food truck is located on Austin Street.Continue Reading
Today in Texas History: February 10
1899: “Madam Candelaria” dies at age 113 On this day in 1899, Andrea Castañón Villanueva (Madam Candelaria), who claimed to be a survivor of the battle of the Alamo, died at age 113 in San Antonio. She said she had been born in Laredo in 1785, though other sources sayContinue Reading
Book Notes
From Jefferson Carnegie Library Simply E, The Library Reader App, is now available through Jefferson Carnegie Library. The library is reaching out into our community to provide reading experiences for our patrons through SimplyE which is easy to install and navigate. SimplyE provides over 5,000 books for your reading pleasureContinue Reading
Capital Highlights
Ice storm wreakshavoc in much of state Residents in Central and Northeast Texas are still cleaning up after a winter storm last week snapped power lines and tree limbs, causing widespread power outages, canceled flights and damage to homes and vehicles. At its peak, nearly 400,000 Texas households were withoutContinue Reading
JES places several at UIL
Jefferson Elementary School was represented well at the recent UIL academic meet. Bulldogs who placed in their events were as follows: Third Grade Spelling: Klehvor Wilder, fourth place; Leevi Goynes , fifth place. Overall, the third grade Spelling Team placed third. Fourth Grade Spelling: Kannaan Whitaker, third Place. Overall, theContinue Reading
Locals earn UT-Tyler honors
UT-Tyler recently released their Honor Rolls for the fall 2022 semester. President’s Honor Roll To qualify for the President’s Honor Roll, a student must have completed, in one semester, 12 or more semester hours of undergraduate college-level credit with an “A” in all courses. To be considered for this recognition,Continue Reading
Today in Texas History: February 9
1902: NAACP leader born in Round Rock On this day in 1902, Juanita Shanks Craft was born in Round Rock, Texas. Her long record as a civil-rights activist began when she joined the Dallas branch of the NAACP in 1935. She was appointed Dallas NAACP membership chairman in 1942 andContinue Reading
