The town of Round Top celebrates what is the longest running 4th of July celebration West of the Mississippi. This year marked the 176th annual July 4th celebration there, and this one drew the biggest crowd yet, according to several local observers. Attendees, several thousand of them, lined the streets for the parade Saturday morning. Some people parked well beyond the limits of the town and hiked in to enjoy the festivities, which began on the courthouse square with an opening ceremony. Then the Civil War-era cannon fired, marking the beginning of the parade, which had more than 130 entries. This was the first time parade organizers capped float registrations because of safety concerns due to the large turnout.

Thousands of folks descended on St. John the Baptist Catholic Church south of Schulenburg on Saturday for the 138th year celebration of the parish’s July 4th Picnic. Opening ceremonies kicked off at 10 a.m. with a veterans tribute and speech by retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dennis Geesaman. Geesaman served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force as a fighter pilot. He later went on to serve as a commercial airline pilot, Flatonia City Council member and Flatonia Mayor. This year he won the Republican nomination for the District 85 in the Texas State House.

Local veteran Dustin Blackwell and a team of parachutists from Texas Skydiving in Lexington jumped out of a World War II C-47 Skytrain over the Frisch Auf Golf Course on Friday, July 3. The plane, known as “That’s All, Brother,” led the main airborne division in the DDay Invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Hundreds of folks spent Saturday evening on the courthouse lawn in La Grange enjoying the county’s Semiquincentennial 4th of July event. There were speeches, veteran recognitions, and lots of food, drink and info booths. The Round Top Brass Band played lots of patriotic songs followed by The Black Cat Choir.

Jack Shearer (former LGISD student) and his brother, Griffin Shearer (current LGISD senior) traveled across Northern Ireland with the Fayette County Record and grabbed this shot in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.

M Billy and Nancie Blair traveled with Nancie’s sister and brother-in-law Lu and Fred Ginapp to see the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter in Kentucky. The journey began with a drive up to the Fort Worth area to Lu and Fred’s home and from there the two couples took off on the grand adventure.

Stephen Townsend was born in Marlboro County, South Carolina, in the year 1800. During the early decades of the nineteenth century, as the young United States continued to expand westward, many families sought new opportunities on the frontier. The Townsend family was among those drawn by the promise of land and prosperity. In the 1820s they relocated to Jefferson County, Florida, which at that time was still a developing frontier region following Florida’s transfer from Spanish control to the United States.

W The Winchester Area Volunteer Fire Department 28th Annual Fish Fry fundraiser is fast approaching. Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 25 to come out to the St.

Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites will offer their program “Ich Bin Ein Amerikaner” on Friday, July 3 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Celebrate the holiday with festive crafts, historic games, and ice cream-making. Special 4th of July-themed tours will be offered Friday and Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of America’s independence on Saturday, kids are learning to make various red, white and blue snacks and drinks at La Petite’s Kids ‘N The Kitchen cooking class. The kids made Patriotic Pizza; Firework Yogurt Bark; PB&J Bars; and Red, White and Blue Sprite- led by recent LHS graduate Elena Supak.