Lifestyles

After 215 years of separation, a new purpose and unity is leading three protestant denominations to reunite. Like churches across the nation from Hawaii to Illinois, the Jacksboro Parish, formed by the separate local congregations of the Presbyterian and Memorial Christian Church, formally became one church body on January 1 of this year.

Last summer, the two churches combined their resources to expand the present Memorial Christian Church building. Construction is nearing completion and the community-friendly building will be dedicated April 15.

Radio stations don’t have to be the major conglomerates they’re made out to be. 

One is actually being run out of the back of Jacksboro Welding Supply at 421 N. Main in Jacksboro, the signal going about as far as the courthouse. Owner Craig Fenter says he began the station about two years ago as a kind of joke.

“I wanted something local and while I love the stations like 92.1 and the Ranch, they play the same stuff over and over,” Fenter said. “I wanted to try something different and play a lot of music you won’t hear a lot anywhere else.”

The National Weather Service will be in town for a free severe weather training session. The past year has brought extremes to the state of Texas — from numerous tornadoes on April 29th to areas of drought and wildfires. We even had record setting rains near Houston from Hurricane Harvey. In other words, 2017 pretty much had it all. The 2018 severe weather season is not too far away, and the National Weather Service and local emergency management officials want you to be ready.

More than 4,240 Baylor University students were named to the Dean’s Academic Honor Roll for the 2017 fall semester. 

One Jacksboro alumnus made the list — Bayley Richardson who is pursuing a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students honored on the Dean’s List are Baylor undergraduates with a minimum grade-point average of 3.7, while enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours. 

“Souper Bowl” Sunday is coming up Feb. 4. Churches in Jack County will participate in the national campaign to collect money at Sunday services to help feed the hungry. Each congregation will collect donations during the morning worship service the day of the Super Bowl Game.

The Concerned Citizens Of Jack County has been selected to receive the local donations. Malnutrition among the older population is a serious health impairment that results in substandard nutrient intake. 

If you’ve got a barn or shed full of treasures, you might soon have an opportunity to make some extra cash and be on TV.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz of “American Pickers” the History Channel reality television show in which they travel across the country searching for “picking” through dust and rust for interesting antiquities is returning to Texas this winter.

Mike and Frank enjoy the thrill of the hunt and are always excited to find sizable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give more life to patients now and into the new year by giving blood or platelets.

Donations decline during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when busy holiday schedules cause regular donors to be less available to give and many blood drives may be canceled due to severe winter storms. Last year, nearly 64,000 fewer blood and platelet donations were given through the Red Cross during the seven weeks from Thanksgiving through the first week of January than the average during the rest of the year.