News

After pressing the brakes in September on whether to deannex property along the northeast side of Lake Jacksboro, the city of Jacksboro will work with the property owner to develop a contractor’s agreement that could pave the way for deannexation.

The council was first approached in August with a request from property owner Don Sneed to deannex the property—allowable under Texas law and the Municipal Annexation Act—if the city could not provide utilities to the property. 

Bryson landowners Henry and Sheila Birdwell were in negotiations with the city of Bryson to set terms that would allow the city to irrigate processed wastewater onto their property, asking for $1,500 a month in addition to an environmental cleanup bond.

Henry Birdwell met with Bryson Mayor Lutitia Ford last month to come to a preliminary agreement before meeting with the council in special session Tuesday, Nov. 4. No agreement has been reached.

Dymn Pamper Pets in Jacksboro was recognized by the Better Business Bureau of Wichita Falls for its tireless dedication and impact, receiving the Torch Award for Ethics just one year after winning the BBB Spark Award for new businesses committed to developing trust, character and culture in their community. 

Jacksboro Community Food Pantry is holding a gift card drive to assist those in need as the future of supplemental food benefits remains in question.

Although the federal government shutdown continued, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits would be distributed in November. But recipients could expect their normal disbursement to be cut by half or more, and it was unclear when those benefits would arrive.

A $28.22 million school bond was rejected by Perrin-Whitt CISD voters, with 210 voters opposing the measure and 168 voters for it. This is the second failed bond election for the school district this year.

In May, PWCISD voters rejected a $25.45 million bond by a margin of 10 votes.

Voters also had 17 constitutional amendments to consider. Overall, county turnout was low, with only 21.25% of registered voters casting a ballot.

Find further coverage of the bond election, as well as constitutional amendment results, in this weekend’s edition.

Come out for chili and all the fixings and stay for live music, shopping, games and more at the ninth annual Jacksboro Chamber of Commerce Chili Fest, happening this Saturday, Nov. 8 from 3-8 p.m. on the courthouse square.

Live music starts at 4:30 p.m. and cups and bowls of chili go on sale starting at 6 p.m. Raffle drawings and awards start at 8 p.m.

Jacksboro Lions Club wraps up the 11th annual Pack the Pickup food donation drive, helping fill the shelves of Jacksboro Community Food Pantry just in time for the November holiday distribution.

The Lions Club collected donations at Lowe’s Market in Jacksboro last week, filling the bed of a truck on loan from Four Stars Ford and delivering goods to the pantry.

Donations were also collected at Jacksboro High School and Elementary School to add to the count.

Jacksboro City Council signed a notice of intent to issue certificates of obligation, looking to borrow no more than $22 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the city’s new water treatment facility set to break ground next year.

The loan would pay all or a portion of the city’s contractual obligations regarding the facility, including designing, constructing and installing equipment as well as any incurred legal fees or engineering costs related to the project.

City of Jacksboro is seeking an official Film Friendly designation from the state that could help stimulate the local economy while also putting the city on the map.

While at a municipal conference earlier this year, Human Resources Director Leslie Jackson said representatives from the filming industry complimented the Jacksboro community after hosting the cast and crew for the TV show “Landman."

“They were very appreciative of how we’d jump to help anytime they needed something,” Jackson said. “They said Jacksboro was wonderful and it was very nice to hear that.”

Jack County officials have yet to decide whether to close access to South Stadium Street and a portion of East Eberhart Street in Perrin or otherwise leave it open to thru traffic.

The court said in September the Richardson family owned property on both sides of the roadway and wanted to close it to thru traffic to keep employees safe as the family expanded their business, JR Disposal.