The Madisonville men’s basketball team concluded non-district play on a high note Friday with a 62-44 victory over Navasota at MHS in a strong defensive showing. The Mustangs hosted Robinson in their district opener Tuesday.

The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) closure of OSR, which was originally scheduled to take place Wednesday, has been pushed back to Jan. 18 due to high water, the agency announced.

The Madisonville Meteor, a county staple for more than 126 years, will return in 2021 under new ownership. Granite Publications of Taylor acquired the assets of the Meteor, effective Dec. 31, 2020, in a longterm, strategic plan designed to preserve and build upon the Meteor’s legacy, including a continued commitment to the community it serves.

The Son-Shine Outreach Center in Madisonville ha s always accepted and provided essential items for members of the community. For over four years, that has included numerous used dolls brought back to life through the services of former employee and current board member Mama Hughes.

Newly elected county officials were sworn in with the new year Friday by Madison County Judge Tony Leago in the district courtroom in the presence of friends and family. Leago offered a prayer at the conclusion of the ceremony and spoke on the difficulties of the last year and the importance of continued unity moving forward into 2021.

We trust 2021 will be a year of promise and hope in our community. Our time of trial will yet continue a few months longer, but each step we take to recovery (COVID inoculations, measured social gatherings, and long delayed community celebrations) are the “light” yet too far at the end of the tunnel.

Surely many of you know that the Ferguson Farm, or the Ferguson Unit of the Texas Department of Corrections, holds a place of importance in Madison County’s economy and the lives of many of us here. It’s been here long enough that it’s on a first-name basis for some. “Where do you work? Ferguson. Where do you live? Near Ferguson.” Located six miles south of Midway on F.M. 247, its payroll is essential to many local families.

It’s a new year, but the news out of the capital continues to focus on COVID-19. Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted last week that “a significant portion of vaccines distributed across Texas might be sitting on hospital shelves as opposed to being given to vulnerable Texans. The state urges vaccine providers to quickly provide all shots. We get plenty more each week.” Many health providers and county health department officials responded that they were working as quickly as they could to give shots to front-line health care workers and lacked the doses necessary to move to what Texas calls phase 1B recipients. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, phase 1B recipients include those 65 and older and those 16 and older with medical conditions that would put them at greater risk from COVID-19. Various state news outlets reported Texans in phase 1B could not find any vaccine available to them yet. The state health department encouraged the public to check its website weekly for updates on vaccine availability. In the meantime, people should continue wearing a face mask when in public and follow all social distancing guidelines, health officials said.

Eloise King passed away on December 31, 2020 at the age of eightyeight after a years long battle with dementia and is now reunited with her husband of forty-two years, Bobby Jack King. Born to Pierce and Lena Walker in Madisonville, Texas on May 2, 1932, Eloise later spent most of her adult life in Houston, Texas.

On February 9, 1945, Jimmy & Nannie Wheaton gave birth to a beautiful baby girl whom they named Pearline. Pearline accepted Christ at an early age at the Little Rock Baptist Church. She later joined twelve others as they became the founders of Lakeview Baptist Church in Madisonville, Texas. Pearline married Rufus Johnson and with this union came three children. Pearline worked at Reed’s Department Store for over thirty years until they closed their doors. She then worked at D&J Storage for ten, plus years. Pearline was very active at her church and in her community. She served on various boards, such as, City Council, CPS, Son Shine Center, West End Cemetery, NAACP and many more.