Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute By now, you’ve learned much about my grandmother’s second career as a community newspaper reporter. As such, you’ve learned how much her work, in our profession, influenced me and the direction my life would take. What I have not discussed much, though, was her first career. She wasContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Along with her directness, my grandmother was poetic. This came from her astute study of the people, but people were not all she studied. Granny was also a student of animals. She once told me she couldn’t remember a time that her and my grandfather didn’t have pets. Continue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute My grandmother became my trusted adviser long before we worked together at the hometown newspaper. As is the case with most extended, generational families, she blessed us with her wisdom from an early age. She was an intellectual and a literary critic, but that didn’t mean she couldn’tContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Some folks think it odd when I tell them my grandmother was my best friend. Some think nothing of it. She was. She passed away in 2015, after a graceful bout with cancer, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. We had muchContinue Reading
Staff Report The Jefferson Jimplecute welcomed two new writers last week in a partnership with Tarleton State University. For the next three months, the newspaper will feature stories written by college journalists. “We are excited to partner with Tarleton,” publisher Hugh Lewis said. “And we look forward to working withContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Robert Collier was an American author who lived from 1885-1950. He wrote self-help and New Thought metaphysical books. He was a pioneer in the genre. His book “The Secret of the Ages” has become one of the standards in the self-help world. Collier wrote about the practicalContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Jock Lauterer, the director of the Carolina Community Media Project, defines a “community newspaper” as a newspaper that serves a specific location with a circulation of 50,000 or less. The Jefferson Jimplecute proudly fits this criteria and serving our community is something we take very seriously. Community newspapersContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Election Day was Tuesday. It seems like each midterm is more hyped than the one before. We’ve spent two years being bogged down with rhetoric and ads and messaging and marketing. It all came to a head Tuesday. And the sun still came up Wednesday morning. SeveralContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute The Jefferson Bulldog football team has spent the past two years proving folks wrong. Last year’s pre-season polls had them ranked dead last in the district. They ended up earning a playoff berth and exiting the post season early after a week one loss to Mount Vernon. Continue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute I spent the latter half of last week in our nation’s capital. I had never been to Washington, D.C., so when the opportunity arose to escort a group of college journalists to a conference there, I jumped at it. We spent three days learning best practices from otherContinue Reading
Austin Lewter Jefferson Jimplecute There is a shortage of teachers in Texas and Jefferson ISD is not immune to the problem. So much, the JISD Board of Trustees okayed Superintendent Rob Barnwell to employee a third-party company to deliver virtual instruction to student should the need present itself in theContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplceute Charles Baum was a friend of mine. He was born in 1917. He was the grandfather of a childhood friend and a lifelong public servant. Charlie was in the Philippines when Bataan fell. Subsequently, he was captured and spent the majority of World War II as a prisonerContinue Reading
Staff Report Jefferson Jimpleucte The turning of the clock and advancing of the New Year brings cause to celebrate for the Jefferson Jimplecute. This issue marks the first of the 175th volume of the fourth oldest newspaper in Texas. The Jimplecute has been the paper of record for Jefferson and Marion CountyContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute For me, the end of the year serves as a time for reflection. I think back to holidays passed and wonder just where the time has gone. I marvel at how my children have turned into teenagers right before my eyes. I remember the holidays with lovedContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Holiday cheer is in the air. Local businesses are bustling in Jefferson and Christmastime is upon us. Holiday events and traditions are rolling on. Lions Club Park is aglow with Christmas trees. The annual Christmas Parade returned to Polk and Austin Streets. And the annual Candlelight TourContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute My wife and I have spent more thatn a dozen Christmases together. This year will be number 15. Our first Christmas was spent in the Neonatal ICU unit at Medical City Children’s Hospital. Our son was born in October. A sick preemie, he had multiple complications and didn’tContinue Reading
By Austin Lewter Editor’s note: This is a variation of a column wh ich was first published in the 2010 Thanksgiving edition of the Jefferson Jimplecute. My wife and I have four children. The oldest of whom is a 14-year old boy named Jackson. Jackson was born at 28 weeksContinue Reading
Staff Report/Jefferson Jimplecute STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The Texas Center for Community Journalism (TCCJ), based at Tarleton State University, will once again offer face-to-face instruction and professional development opportunities for community journalists throughout the state. The upcoming Nov. 18 “Eye on Design” workshop sold out within 24 hours, a TCCJ record,Continue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Jennifer and I have four children — three girls and a boy. I was reared with all brothers. In fact, there was a dry spell of Lewter girl births from the late 1930s until the mid 2000s. So raising girls has been an education, but one I wouldContinue Reading
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute The fact that you are able read my columns coupled with the fact that I draw a paycheck, in part, for writing them both validate the assertion that I am a professional writer. I am someone who actually makes a living by the written word. Granted, I haven’tContinue Reading