Second six months … revisited

As everyone got used to COVID and we moved into summer, knowing we wouldn’t be doing anything and or even moving around much, there were still some stories going on and life went on with its new normal.

Some businesses looked to make an impact on the area, including a place called Back to Space, which will be building the world’s largest map of the moon which will be breaking ground on in early 2021. The big fun will be watching the place get built and then see the excitement of the fans building their rockets and trying to get them close to the moon.

Back to Space coming to Jacksboro

Kids have been wanting to go to the moon for the last 50 years or so. A company wants to build a structure in Jacksboro that will simulate that happening.

Back to Space is the brainchild of Michael Gorton who was in town in late June to discuss his plans for a crowd of about 20. The 17.5 acre facility will be constructed near the old roughrider arena on State Highway 59 on the north side of town.

Gorton says he wants the facility to have an economic impact but also to inspire people. The facility, for which construction should begin next month, will include an artist’s lifelike map of the moon’s earth facing side at approximately 25,447 feet, which would be a Guinness Book of World Record for largest map and largest map of the moon.

“We Googled the largest map, which was 20,000 square feet, so this will easily eclipse that,” Gorton said.

The facility will also have a lunar gravity simulator where you would weigh what you weigh on the moon, which is 1/6th what you weigh on earth. You punch in your weight and put on a special vest which will allow you to simulate walking on the moon, Gorton said.

Man honored for saving another in house fire

After a lifesaving effort May 25, City of Jacksboro officials issued a proclamation honoring Jose Herrera during their June 22 city council meeting.

According to the proclamation read by Mayor Alton Morris and later presented to Herrera, Herrera saw smoke inside a residence the afternoon of May 25 and saw the entrance was locked. He saw someone was inside the home but that entry was blocked as well.

He managed to get inside and pull a man, Caleb Keith to safety. Keith was later transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas where he has undergone treatment for burns and to try and get his breathing back on track.

A family spokesman told the crowd assembled that he was to be coming home that Thursday.

Former County Treasurer passes

Kim Gibby, who spent years as County Treasurer and did much work with the Jack County Animal Shelter, passed away in mid-July at the age of 60.

County Judge Keith Umphress praised Gibby for her work in the Treasurer’s Office during times when funding and flooding were prevalent.

“Kim was a tremendous asset for Jack County as treasurer,” Umphress said via text. “Because of her attention to detail, Jack County received additional FEMA funds when we needed it most.”

Students go back to school, in-person learning discussed

School districts set most of their summers developing plans for school to open.

Jacksboro ISD Superintendent Dwain Milam said his district would start on time. Down the road in Perrin, teachers opted for mote time to plan and started more than two weeks later.

Teachers and staff throughout the county were trained the learning this Fall would be much more difficult than it was.

So far, this school year has been quite good with many students opting to return to the classroom.

FCH bringing employees into the community

An activity committee to bring FCH employees into the community to work events. The committee was formed this summer “to buildup the staff and community we serve.”

For information and to give ideas for when workers could help the community, call Mikey Mitchell at 229-2774.

FCH also recently received an AIM designation from Texas A&M University, which is something very few small hospitals get.

Haynes indictment dismissed

An indictment charging Jackboro Police Chief Scott Haynes with assault family violence/ imepding breath, has been dismissed.

Thursday afternoon, prosecutors with the Texas Attorney General’s office filed the motion. Haynes’ lawyer, Rick Hagen from Denton said in a press release “Justice was finally served. Scott was completely innocent and falsely accused.

Hagen, who came onto the case after indictment was handed down by the Jack County Grand Jury, said the case was originally brought on by a paid by the hour special prosecutor who had a financial incentive to prosecute the case. Hagen said at that time of the grand jury meeting he was in possession of evidence that directly pointed to Scott’s innocence that the prosecutor failed for disclose to the grand jury.

The prosecutor also failed to inform the grand jury that the complainant, his ex-wife MeLisa was involved in a sexual relationship with the lawyer representing her when she made the original accusations.

“We challenged the constitutionality of being prosecuted by a prosecutor who was paid by the hour. The longer the case went on, the more money the prosecutor would make,” Hagen said.

Swan named Homecoming Queen

Kennedy Swan was selected as Jacksboro Homecoming Queen Sept. 11 by her classmates.

It was one thing to try and keep the school year as normal as possible.