News

With the filing deadline passed, no races will be contested on the May Uniform Election Ballot in county races.

The first day to file was Wednesday, Jan. 15, and filing ran through Friday, Feb. 14. New to this election is the passing of HB 305 in the 86th Legislative Session, which requires political subdivisions to post information regarding the candidates and upcoming election on their website.

After a strong showing in the Jack County Junior Livestock Show in January, Jacksboro residents Kobe Thomas and Avary McNallen earned some recognition at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo over the last couple of weeks. 

Thomas won the Reserve Champion White/Other Purebred Barrow in the Junior Barrow Show during the 2020 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo at the Dickies Arena on Feb. 5 and 6. McNallen captured First Reserve Best In Show with her Specials - Mini Lop in the 68th Anniversary Rabbit Roundup Youth Show from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2.

Jacksboro ISD School Resource Officer Matt Windham discussed his departure from the district and school safety programs which were implemented during his time with JISD at the Jacksboro Lions Club meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Windham said he celebrated his fifth anniversary in the position just a few weeks ago.

“Basically, an SRO needs to accept the kids as his or her own,” Windham said. “People ask me all the time, ‘how many kids do you have?’ and I say ‘well, I don’t have any of my own, but I have about 1,000 kids, but they just go home everyday.’”

The Jacksboro City Council held a public hearing and discussed overall changes to the city’s zoning ordinance and map during their meeting Monday, Feb. 10.

Only one citizen participated in the public hearing and asked what was the primary focus of the changes.

“This has been about a two, two and a half year process,” City Manager Mike Smith said. “Our current zoning ordinance is somewhat antiquated and it really didn’t fit for what the city of Jacksboro was or wanted to be.”

Third grade teachers at Jacksboro Elementary School are finding ways to improve benchmark scores in a collaborative effort.

Spokesperson Teresa Howard and fellow third grade teachers Leah Davenport, Pam Hamman, and Heather Edwards went before the JISD Board Feb. 10 and spoke of the work which has taken place over the last six weeks or so. 

Many of the third graders were having trouble with their benchmark scores, which had a low number of their students passing, but also others who were very close to being Masters on the test.

The Bryson ISD board held a public hearing on their 2018-2019 Texas Academic Performance Report and discussed possible changes to Friday early releases in their meeting Feb. 14.

No citizens participated in the public hearing and Superintendent Greg London went over the report with the board members in attendance.

“I think the thing that stood out with me was that junior high English and junior high math (scores), I think in all but one area, they went up,” London said.

Going up against larger schools in competition can be a little daunting.

Bryson knows the feeling heading into regional robotics competition in Wichita Falls recently where the students battled schools up to Class 5A. Many of the competitors were impressed with the sheer size of the team’s … robot.

The Jack County Sheriff’s Posse has been an important asset to the Jack County Sheriff’s Office by aiding in missing person searches in recent weeks, but now they need the community’s support to keep them going.

Member Ace Lowrance said it is his understanding that the Jack County organization was one of the first of its kind when it began in 1954.

Jack County STOMP brought professional speaker Nathan Harmon to present to students from all three Jack County districts last week.

Harmon said he grew up in Indiana, where he was an all A student until his parents divorced.

With a winter storm expected to bring inches of snow and sleet Wednesday, Jacksboro ISD, Bryson ISD, Perrin-Whitt CISD have all decided to cancel or delay classes.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for most of North Central Texas, which helped Jacksboro ISD determine the need to cancel their classes for Wednesday, Feb. 5.