St. Mary’s Church in Windthorst is celebrating its 134th Birthday with a celebration On The Hill the weekend of June 7, 2026.

Rejoicing is often misunderstood. In a world filled with suffering, loss, and uncertainty, the call to “rejoice always” can feel disconnected from real life. Does rejoicing mean pretending everything is fine? Does it require a constant smile, untouched by grief or hardship Life tells us otherwise. I have spent time in rooms where death was near. Some were filled with fear and heaviness. Others carried a quiet peace. In none of those moments were people rejoicing in a loud or outward way. There were tears, silence, reflection, and sometimes the sharing of memories that brought a brief smile. Most people in those moments are simply trying to take the next step forward.

A rededication ceremony was held for the Alex Albright historical state marker as part of the Dundee May Day celebration on Sunday, May 3. Archer County Commissioner Pct.

The voters of Scotland passed a special election proposition to legalize the sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed drinks, within the city in a May 2 election. Sixty-Five voters, or 89.04%, were in favor of the proposition while eight voters, or 10.96%, were against the proposition.

The Wichita Falls Area Food Bank has launched a fundraising campaign to build a new distribution and education center aimed at expanding access to nutritious food and providing nutrition education across a 12-county region.

Members of the Archer County 4-H Club recognized the invaluable contributions of local volunteers during National Volunteer Week and asked county leaders to join them in honoring those who give their time and talents to support youth programs.

John 10:1-10 1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

The Lakeside City Council discussed preliminary plans and costs for a citywide 250th Fourth of July celebration during its meeting on Tuesday, April 21. Resident Kristen Yancey said she had begun preliminary plans for the event a few weeks prior to the council meeting.

The Archer City ISD school board discussed the costs of retrofitting its bus fleet with threepoint seatbelts during its meeting on Monday, April 27. Superintendent Jon Hartgraves said the discussion is required following the passage of Senate Bill 546, which requires all school busses to be equipped with three-point seatbelts by Sept.