The Texas Education Agency released their annual Texas Academic Performance Report earlier this month providing in insight to Jacksboro ISD’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) performance, graduation rates and teacher salaries.
Lindsey State Jail is starting to see a slow increase in overall staffing, according to Warden Grady Wallace. Wallace spoke on that during the quarterly update Nov. 19 at Faith Community Hospital.
The jail has created a part-time recruiting officer, which they will be trying to transition into a full-time position. Wallace said the numbers in training classes are increasing. The last set of classes had 14 trainees in them, with the next set of classes expected to have 12 more.
Jacksboro city officials are continuing to look into how to fix the city’s streets.
Several months ago, the city submitted a request for a proposal (RFP) to see how much improving all the curbs, gutters, streetlights, sidewalks and infrastructure would cost in the face of a possible bond issuance.
City Manager Mike Smith told council members during their Nov. 18 meeting there are potentially two cheaper alternatives to fix the streets over a three-to-five-year period. Alderman Joe Mitchell said the city does not need an RFP to know its streets are bad.
A fire in the north central part of Jack County burned approximately 1,000 acres Wednesday, Nov. 20.
According to the Jack County Emergency Management Office, the fire started around 1:25 p.m. in the area of Farm to Market Road 2190 and Martin Road. With winds gusting 25-30 miles per hour, the fire spread a path of one-half mile long within 30 minutes, with no place to stop it.
Firefighters on the scene had to set backfires around homes that were in the path of the fire, in order to protect them. Five homes were saved from the fire, with no loss of property.
Jacksboro High School’s new gymnasium lights were dedicated to former superintendent Dennis Bennett with a plaque from E3 Entergral Solutions at a pep rally Friday, Nov. 8.
Bennett died in a U.S. 380 car crash Feb. 28 and a memorial was held in his honor at the JHS Gym March 4.
Jacksboro Elementary School teacher Anne Silveus was named the featured teacher of the month during the Jacksboro ISD school board meeting Monday, Nov. 11, and presented on the dyslexia intervention program in the district.
Silveus said the number of students with dyslexia has slowly been rising since she started teaching the students in 2013.
In an attempt to continue the renovation process at the Jack County Courthouse, a final decision was made by the Jack County Commissioners Court on where to place the Elections Administrator and getting Maintenance Supervisor Lane Argo some assistance with the renovations.
In an unanimous decision, Election Administrator Lynn Casteel will move into Suite 301 at the courthouse. County Judge Keith Umphress said he had been looking for the best use of the offices for the last several months, including moving adult probation into suite 301.
Jack County Commissioners discussed the cost of a new radio tower for communications Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Emergency Management and Information Technology Director, Frank Hefner, presented the commissioners with a proposal from Strickland Tower Services, who he has been working with concerning engineering and construction of such a tower. The cost is expected to be about double what the county had budgeted at an estimated $190,000.
Jacksboro Lions Club members, in conjunction with Four Stars Ford and the Jack County Food Pantry, had their best ever “Pack the Pickup” during the last week of October.
Lions Club member Tim Cassle said the club, through donations taken at Lowe’s Market, delivered close to five pickup loads of food to the pantry. Food Pantry Executive Director Sheri Kettlety estimated about 5,200 pounds of food were donated.
“Best one ever,” Cassle wrote in an e-mail.
Jacksboro ISD honored city and area veterans Monday morning with a Veterans’ Day program at Tiger Gymnasium.
Students, JISD staff, Jacksboro High School teachers and students and veterans filled the home side of the gym. JHS Student Council officer Hailey Milam thanked everyone for coming, saying the students and staff wanted to honor and thank all who had served the country with their program.
