National News
Updated COVID-19 boosters expected to be available in Texas next week
With updated COVID-19 booster vaccines now authorized and recommended for use, doses are expected to begin shipping over the next few days and arriving at health care providers across Texas next week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has allocated a total of about 900,000 doses of the updated boosters to Texas, including 502,500…
Read MoreTexas Hunting, Fishing Licenses on Sale
AUSTIN – The beginning of a new hunting season is quickly approaching and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reminds hunters and anglers to purchase their new licenses for 2022-23. Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except the Year-from-Purchase All-Water Fishing Package) for the current year expire at the end of August. The new…
Read MoreMississippi Man Sentenced to Thirty Years for Aggravated Kidnapping
Rather than face a jury that was waiting in the hall, Joshua Dale Southard, 31, of Ripley, Mississippi, changed his plea to guilty in a case of aggravated kidnapping that occurred in Vernon on February 19, 2022. As part of a plea bargain, Southard was sentenced to thirty years in prison for the aggravated kidnapping…
Read MoreTexas Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit locates woman missing for over 40 years
AUSTIN –In 1981, two deceased individuals, who were the apparent victims of a homicide, were discovered in a wooded area in Houston, Texas, and their identities could not be determined at that time. In 2021, Identifinders International, through the use of genetic genealogy, was able to positively identify the bodies that were found…
Read MoreTPWD asks for Input on Roadrunner Conservation License Plate Design
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) asks Texans to weigh in on their favorite designs for a new conservation license plate to support wildlife viewing and nature tourism programs. Voters have until April 21 to complete a short online survey, where they will be able to choose between three images proposed for the Greater…
Read MoreTPWD asks for public input on Roadrunner Conservation license plate design
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) asks Texans to weigh in on their favorite designs for a new conservation license plate to support wildlife viewing and nature tourism programs. Voters have until April 21 to complete a short online survey, where they will be able to choose between three images proposed for the Greater…
Read MoreANNOUNCEMENT: U.S. Service Academies Forum on Saturday
AMARILLO, TX — The Office of Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13) announced it will co-host a forum for high school students who are interested in applying to a U.S. Service Academy. Students are encouraged to attend with a parent or guardian, and no RSVP is necessary. The forum will provide a unique opportunity for…
Read MoreSubmissions now accepted for High School Congressional Art Competition
The Office of Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13) is now accepting submissions for the 2022 Congressional Art Competition. All high school students in Texas’ 13th Congressional District are invited to participate in the contest. The winner’s artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. To enter the contest please submit original artwork and…
Read MoreBeto campaigns in Vernon
Beto O’Rourke, Texas gubernatorial candidate for the Democratic party, made a campaign stop in Vernon on Friday, where he met with a packed house in downtown Vernon. “We were really impressed with the turnout and the quality of questions asked. I always enjoy coming to Vernon. It has great, friendly people, even when we disagree…
Read MoreFires sweep through middle of Vernon
A wind-fueled fire swept along a line for nearly four blocks through Vernon on Sunday evening. Two houses, and a garage burned down. Several fences and outbuildings sustained damage. Yards and trees were burnt to a crisp. The fire was part of a series of blazes that scorched northwest Texas and southwest Oklahoma, over a…
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