News

By Chris Lundstrom
Publisher/Editor
    The annual Relay for Life will be held this Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Main Event Center at Brackenridge Park.
    The Relay is an overnight event that raises awareness of cancer in the community and raises funds to fight cancer. Teams of friends, neighbors, families and co-workers commit to keeping at least one member walking on the track throughout the night because “cancer never sleeps.”
    Sign in begins at 4 p.m. in the lobby at the Main Event Center. The Survivor Dinner is a 5 p.m. and Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 7 p.m. with the arrival of this year’s honorees. 
    Survivors will take to the track for their victory lap at 7:45 p.m. and be joined by their caregivers at 7:55 p.m.
    The luminary ceremony begins at 8:30 p.m.

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
    On the heels of last weekend’s Spooktacular Trail and Carnival comes more spine-tingling haunts and candy-grabbing fun in Jackson County.
    Jackson County kids will slip into their Elsa dresses and Superman capes one more time on Halloween to enjoy an evening of fun on  Monday, Oct. 31, when things get really festive, and there’s plenty to choose from with Halloween on Main in Edna from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Industrial High School’s Trunk or Treat from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and the Lolita Community Fall Festival from 6 to 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church Lolita. 
    Halloween on main will offer not only candy collection but a haunted house at Fireflies Tshirts and Graphics, and the festivities in Lolita will include games and activities as well as fellowship and treats. 
    Jackson County law enforcement wishes to remind parents to keep safety at the forefront of their minds and to have fun. 

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
    October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and Edna business owner, bullying survivor and anti-bullying activist Luis Jimenez, owner of Zen Martial Arts in Edna, wants to shed some light on some of the root causes of bullying, as well as recognition and prevention.
    “Bullying is one of the worst things in our society,” he said. “Its been in existence since humankind has been in existence. Usually bullies are people who have been bullied at home, or at work, and it is just a behavior that repeats.”
    Not only can the effects of childhood bullying last long into adulthood, the link between bullying and suicide is becoming clearer as time progresses. In 2008, researchers at Yale University analyzed almost 40 studies conducted which focused on bullying and suicide. They found, collectively, that bullying victims were between two and nine times more likely to commit suicide. 

    Ganado ISD is now accepting referrals for students who may need Gifted/Talented Services. 
    This program is designed for students who exhibit intellectual and creative thinking abilities at an extraordinary level not normally served in the regular classroom. Services are provided only upon identification of educational needs of the student.  
    Anyone wishing to refer a student attending Ganado ISD in kindergarten through 12th grade this school year is asked to go by the student’s campus office and request a copy of the referral form. 
    This form must be returned to the school by Friday, Oct. 28. Those unable to go by the school should call the campus principal to request a form be sent to them. Students already identified do not need to be referred again as they are already part of the program.

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
    “If the only life an officer saves is his own, is he a hero?”
    Edna Police Chief Chief Clinton Wooldridge addressed the crowd at the annual Jackson County 100 Club Banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and said he contemplated that question for quite a while, especially after Edna Officer Luis Chavez shot an armed suspect on June 2. 
    Wooldridge finally concluded that yes, an officer who saves his own life is a hero, because he “saved the life of his wife’s husband, his children’s father, and of our coworker.”
    Luis Chavez was named the Jackson County 100 Club’s Officer of the Year, and the announcement was met with thunderous applause from 100 Club members, their families, and his fellow officers and their families.

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
    The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s Best of Texas Big Buck and Big Hog Contest is underway, and according to chairman of the Best of Texas committee, Kevin Stancik, hunters have plenty of categories to choose from and lots of great prizes to win.
    “We have seven different divisions, which includes the photo divisions,” he said. “We have 31 categories within those divisions. One division strictly deals with Jackson County. One division strictly deals with low fence ranches. One division strictly deals with high-fence ranches throughout the state of Texas. There are categories for everything.”
    There are also youth divisions and ladies’ divisions, deer and hog divisions, archery and firearm divisions, and more. 

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
    It is October, and that means the creepy, the crawly, and the downright terrifying are out to play in the form of fall fun and Halloween festivities. One of Jackson County’s most prominent fall shindigs is the Brackenridge Main Event Center’s Spooktacular Trail and Carnival, held at Texana Park’s day use area.
    The event is separated into two distinct sections – one scary, one cheerful, in the interest of providing an environment that is fun for everyone without parents having to fear their children will not enjoy the experience.
    “We’ve gotten some negative feedback about our haunters from the trail coming out onto the carnival area where the kids are,” said Cammie Pearson, Brackenridge Recreation Complex manager. “That could be a negative experience because some kids don’t want to see scary.”

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
    Zen Martial Arts in Edna has a reputation of greatness. Sensei Luis Jimenez drives his students to be the best competitors they can be, and they oblige, happily. 
    This collective determination combined with hard training and a love of what they do has formed many Zen students into world-class athletes, and in September they proved it again.
    The World Kickboxing and Karate Union World Championships in Orlando, Fla. were held throughout September, and while the USA team took second place overall, Zen came home in vehicles weighed down with gold, silver, and bronze. Jillian Tindell, Christopher Escobedo, Diondra Williams, Sofia Gonzales, and Katelyn Dodds travelled across half the nation to flaunt their skills for the world.
    “There were like 700 competitors from 32 countries,” said Jimenez. “So the kids did awesome.”

The Clint Miller Team Roping tournament was held on Oct 15 in El Toro at the Cody Stanley Arena. The tournament is held as a memorial to Clint Miller. His father, Terry, said they used to team rope often, and now the money raised through tournaments goes to help Clint’s children, Colton, 15, and Kenslee, 14. The Clint Miller Team Roping tournaments began in 2010.

JCRSP To Hear Judge Bell     Jackson County Retired School Personnel will have the honor of being addressed on October 17, 2016 by newly-appointed Judge Bobby Bell.     After serving as local district attorney for multiple years, Judge Bell received approval by the Texas governor to fulfill the role of District Judge for our area. There are 448 district courts in Texas and each one has one judge per court.     Additional to the report of Judge Bell, final plans for the District III TRTA Fall meeting to be held in Hallettsville on October 20 will need to be completed. As health care changes will be occurring in January 2017, all information the group can receive prior to that date will be to our advantage. This district meeting should provide a great discussion forum, and attendance is encouraged. Those attending should meet at Wal-Mart at 8:45 a.m. in order to carpool.     The 11:45 a.m.