Thousands of folks descended on the tiny hamlet of St. John south of Schulenburg on Friday for the community’s annual Fourth of July Picnic, organized by the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. The St. John Picnic won this year’s Best of Fayette County Readers’ Choice award for Best Church Picnic, and it definitely lived up to expectations. The parish prepared a delicious meal of fried chicken and the famous St. John-style stew, along with buttered potatoes, sauerkraut green beans and dessert.

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C It all started in the fall of 1939, when seventy children, who were six years old, started school in the northern part of Fayette County for the first time. They started their first day in thirteen different schools, which included Bell Settlement, Carmine, Greens Creek, Rock Hill, Round Top, Mecklenberg, Nassau, Nechanitz, Quade, Waldeck, Walhalla, Warrenton, and Winedale.

M The Stray Gathering Cowboy Church is having a “Jesus and Jammies” brought to you by Sweet Tea and Scripture with Chloe. Bring your Bible and a smile and prepare for a fun filled evening on Thursday, July 10 at the church.

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As of June 27, the total intake for 2025 at the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter is 897, representing an increase of 73 dogs and cats in need for the same time frame in 2024. The shelter has cared for 411 dogs and 486 cats in need. There are 155 animals in care: 58 dogs and 97 cats. This number includes animals in the facility, in foster care for medical, waiting on available space, or awaiting transport to a rescue partner.

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The Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT), a statewide nonprofit committed to bolstering support for the arts and spotlighting artistic excellence, has announced that its 2025 - 2026 First Year Teacher Grant applications are now open. As part of the Trust’s Arts Access program, these one-time $1,500 grants support first-year arts teachers in providing quality arts education for students in rural and Title I schools.

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