Pastors from area churches led prayers for the community Thursday, May 7, at the Truman Kimbro Center for the National Day of Prayer. Matt Carey of First Baptist Church served as master of ceremonies.

Madisonville High School seniors Bryan Carrion (left) and Gary Bevers sign their enlistment papers during the school’s Military Signing Day, Thursday, May 7. Both will join the National Guard.

A repeat offender is back in custody after a predawn raid last week uncovered narcotics at a Madisonville home. The Madisonville Police Department Special Response Team was deployed to a residence off Collins Street about 5:30 a.m.

A local registered sex offender will spend 15 years in prison after strangling a woman in front of her children following a church trip, officials said. Devin Lummus, of Madison County, pleaded guilty April 22 to assault family violence impeding breath or circulation, according to the Madison County District Attorney’s Office.

A century-old Madisonville insurance agency now has its fifth generation of family members working behind the counter. Tyler Stover joined Stover and Crouch Insurance Agency after five years working claims out of Katy, including time at State Farm.

An Arkansas woman faces four felony charges after a recent Normangee vehicle burglary led deputies to a stolen U-Haul and unreported home break-in, officials said. Deputies arrested Emily Beth Bradford March 8 after responding to a vehicle burglary in progress on Texas OSR in Normangee, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

Nearly $600M project years away, early concerns surface The Texas Department of Transportation is planning to widen about 14 miles of Interstate 45 through Madison and Walker counties, with construction expected to begin as early as 2032. TxDOT held a public meeting April 30 at the Truman Kimbro Convention Center, where residents reviewed project displays and spoke with staff in an openhouse format.

Madison County residents pack the Madisonville Sidewalk Cattlemen's Association Pavilion Saturday, May 2 for the organization's 86th annual Steak Dinner and Dance. The event raises funds for youth scholarships through silent and live auctions and an FFA ag-mech project sale.

The Madison County Library will host its 2026 Summer Reading program, “Unearth a Story,” with a focus on dinosaurs, dirt, fossils, rocks and the United States’ 250th birthday. Registration opens Friday, May 8.