Saturday, January 18, 2025
Latest Community News
Pastor Wesley Shotwell stands on stage at Ash Creek Baptist Church.
Longtime Ash Creek Baptist pastor to retire
AZLE — Dr. Wesley Shotwell has been at Ash Creek Baptist Church long enough that he’s officiated weddings for people who he baptized as babies. For 27 years, he has led services at 300 …
An outrageous game of heads or tails was held for attendees at last year’s Red Solo Cup with coach Sam Carter acting as coin flipper and Meg Arnold acting as announcer.
AEF’s 13th annual Red Solo Cup BBQ Bash on tap Jan. 25
AZLE — Now, a red solo cup is the best receptacle for barbecues, tailgates, fairs and festivals, and the Azle Education Foundation hopes to host a spectacle when it celebrates the 13th annual …
Anybody Out There?
AZLE — The Azle Arts Association is back for 2025 and ready to present its first show of the year. “Anybody Out There,” was written and published by acclaimed dramatist John Patrick …
Sports
Student leadership of Azle High School’s Marching Green Pride at a Nov. 18 school board meeting.
Students honored at Nov. 18 school board meeting
Azle students, teachers and coaches were recognized at a recent Azle Independent School District board of trustees meeting. The meeting Nov. 18 highlighted the achievements of the Azle High School …
Springtown Volleyball 11-07-2024
The Springtown Lady Porcupines volleyball team traveled to Granbury High School to take on the Stephenville Lady Honeybees in the area round of the 2024 playoffs. After five hard-fought sets (Set 1: …
Azle Christian School Football 11-1-2024
Azle Christian School’s Fighting Crusaders took a loss at home Friday, Nov. 1, to Wichita Christian, 6-53.
Springtown High School Football 11-1-2024
After a muddy game Friday, Nov. 1, at Decatur’s Eagle Stadium, the Springtown Porcupines were named district champions after defeating the Decatur Eagles 41-38.
Porcupines capture district championship
Folks in Springtown have waited a long time to say this. The Porcupines are sole possessors of the district football championship. The last time those words could be uttered in the north Parker …
Education
Thiem dressed in his winter best for the Dec. 16 board of trustees meeting at the Azle ISD administration building.
Azle schools see improvements, continue work in special student populations
AZLE — Azle ISD is seeing some improvements in accountability scores for certain special student populations. During a Dec. 16 board of trustees meeting, Jordan Thiem, director of secondary …
During a 4-H bee keeping project in April students and parents added a new hive to the Azle Community Garden. “The bees are so cute, I love them,” seventh grader Sophie Dousay said. “They’re good bees.”
Looking back on 2024
This year there was no shortage of new happenings in the tri-county area. Azle, Springtown, Lake Worth and surrounding areas continue to grow and change at an astounding rate. Longtime community …
One of Mason McBride’s Lego creations he made, inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog.
Springtowns Library’s Lego Club sparks creativity for local children
SPRINGTOWN — In today’s day and age, tablets, iPads and social media are mostly what kids are into now. But there is still hope. Building blocks and Legos are still toys kids want to play …
Business
Local Government
Photo Galleries
FeedLot finale
AZLE — For one last time this year, vendors brought their wares down to the FeedLot food truck park in Azle. This event marks the last for the venue’s first inaugural season. Along …
Decks bedecked with boughs of holly
AZLE — Nonprofit Save Eagle Mountain Lake held its annual Christmas Parade of Lights the evening of Nov. 30. Due to lower lake levels, SEML devised an alternative route beginning at Fort Worth …
Columnist
Sam Houston is a syndicated columnist and newspaper executive. He is also an actor, author, playwright and entertainment producer/promoter.
Are we defenseless against this “foreign aggression”?
In these troubling times, a wise man can certainly develop a case of anxiety about the security of our state. Going back to her birth, Texas has had a seemingly endless number of enemies from which …
Sam Houston is a syndicated columnist and newspaper executive. He is also an actor, author, playwright and entertainment producer/promoter.
Thoughts about personal growth
Maybe it is simply the beginning of a new year and the chance it provides to start anew, but it seems I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately regarding personal growth. Now that may seem silly …
Sam Houston is a syndicated columnist and newspaper executive. He is also an actor, author, playwright and entertainment producer/promoter.
The impact of legends
Growing up I was, an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. Many a night I would stay awake, lying under the covers, listening to my transistor radio as Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck would call the game.
Sam Houston is a syndicated columnist and newspaper executive. He is also an actor, author, playwright and entertainment producer/promoter.
Happy New Year to one and all!
Happy New Year to one and all! This time of year, lots of folks make New Year’s resolutions as a tool to motivate themselves into some sort of positive change. It might be to quit smoking, …
Sam Houston is a syndicated columnist and newspaper executive. He is also an actor, author, playwright and entertainment producer/promoter.
Farewell to a colleague, co-worker and dear friend
There are two articles in today’s newspaper detailing the retirement of Kim Ware as publisher of the Tri-County Reporter. I instructed our staff to create the articles because I know people in …
Obituaries
Obituaries
Doris Ann (Tindle) Hollyfield 1934 — 2025
Doris Ann (Tindle) Hollyfield, age 90, passed from this life Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. Doris was born May 27, 1934, in Fort Worth to the late Orville Ray Tindle and Wilma Jo (Choate) Tindle. A …
Kenneth Max Lawson 1956 — 2025
Kenneth Max Lawson passed away peacefully after a decades-long battle with chronic illness, finding rest in the arms of the Lord. He was born in Lubbock to Donald “Don” Lawson and Emma …
Jessica Lynn Mills 1985 — 2025
Jessica Lynn Mills (née Farmer), lovingly known as Jessie, passed away Jan. 1, 2025, at the age of 39, in Azle, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer. Born Aug. 9, 1985, in Toledo, …
Robert Lee Thomason Sr. 1955-2024
Robert Lee Thomason Sr., 69, passed away Dec. 22, 2024, at his home in Azle with his wife by his side. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at Alexander’s Midway Funeral …
Mitzi Lynn Williams 1961 — 2024
Mitzi Lynn Williams, 63, entered eternal life Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Springtown. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27, at Alexander’s Midway Funeral Home in Springtown, …
Around the web
A single page from a book lies on the charred remains of a home that burned down in the 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles.
How the literature of fire can help readers find hope among the ashes
Reading and maintaining a human connection have a vital role to play as extreme events that have long served as the stuff of dystopian fiction simply become a part of everyday life.
How do you create a workplace that people want to work in? We embedded in a company to find out
Going to the office doesn’t have to be a chore. Here’s how:
Actress Diane Ladd in a scene from David Lynch's 1990 film 'Wild At Heart.'  Samuel Goldwyn Company/Getty Images
David Lynch exposed the rot at the heart of American culture
When Lynch’s films were first released, they seemed to be funhouse-mirror reflections of society. Not so anymore.
To counter gun violence, he recruits police from the communities most afflicted
The Trace examines how a chief deputy in Ohio is fighting for a community policing approach to gun violence in the movement for police reform across the Midwest.
The slow, powerful work of bridging the women's health gap
Reasons to be Cheerful looks at the growing focus on women in medical research.