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I’m flabbergasted by some of the responses that the South Jetty received when we shot a photo of a big Labor Day weekend crowd on the beach in Port Aransas...
Our readers speak
Shelter helpers rock We spend billions on cat and dog food, rhinestone collars, odorless kitty litter, vaccinations (and to heck with you RFK, Jr.), medicine, surgery, babysitters, and our own...
RFK Jr. is clear and present danger
Years from now, assuming this sick country somehow manages to rediscover respect for science and truth, historians will marvel that a serial-lying convicted criminal and a serial-lying bargain basement Kennedy...
Trump vs. The Swamp, Round 2
Donald Trump was serious in 2015 when he promised he’d come to Washington to “drain the swamp.” This pledge was crucial to his come-from-behind win over Hillary Clinton. It became...
One program canceled, another still on schedule
The Early Explorers program scheduled for Fridays at the William R. “Bill” Ellis Memorial Library has been canceled due to...
Pop music to be featured at next Sunset Sounds concert
Spend an evening beside the ship channel at an outdoor concert at Roberts Point Park on Friday, Sept. 19. The...
Pirate Parade slated Sept. 20
One of the most popular events that takes place every fall in Port Aransas is the annual Pirate Parade. This...
Eighth-grade girls get first-place finish
The Brundrett Middle School eighth-grade girls’ cross-country team took first place at a meet in Port Aransas on Saturday, Sept....
PAHS runners score victories on home turf
The Port Aransas High School boys’ cross-country team nabbed first place among at least 20 schools at a home meet...
Play time
Almost-2-year-old Ace Collins of Port Aransas takes part in the Early Explorers program at the William R. ‘Bill’ Ellis Memorial...
Incentive allotments could go to Port Aransas teachers
Port Aransas ISD is in the midst of working through a program that eventually will result in thousands of dollars...
Offshore anglers catch amberjack, kingfish
As red snapper season ends on Sept. 16, anglers continue to hook their limits on offshore trips along with some...
Building character through miles, service
Education NotesI’m very proud of the group of kids I have out for the Port Aransas Cross Country Team this year....
Merchants say summer sizzled
Reports from businesses in Port Aransas have agreed that this summer was a successful season, with some saying they broke revenue records. Brett Stawar, president and CEO of the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce, said it was a phenomenal summer for Port Aransas. “Our system is showing anywhere from 15 to 20 percent increases of revenue through...
Shelton was sparkling community leader
Lisa Shelton is being remembered this week as an effervescent personality who poured untold numbers of hours into her passionate support of Port Aransas community causes. Shelton, 61, died at her Port Aransas home on Saturday, Sept. 6, of complications from a stroke, her family said. She suffered the stroke on Oct. 22 last year and spent months in rehabilitation...
Remembering 9/11
Terrorist attacks changed family’s lifeA Port Aransas family recently reflected on how the horrors of 9/11 changed them so much that it sent them in a new direction in life. Wednesday, Sept. 11, will be the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the U.S. Two hijacked planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Another hit...
Accepting donations
Volunteers with the Helping Hands Food Pantry man a booth at the Lowe’s Market Family Center during the store’s customer appreciation day on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Run by Community Presbyterian Church, the nonprofit Food Pantry provides food to those in need. In front, from left, are Sue Roberts, Gwen Boyer, Grace Moore, Gloria Guerra and Debbie Fowler. In back, from […]
Political columnist McNeely remembered as ace journalist
Dave McNeely, a beloved figure in Texas journalism whose political columns enlightened readers for decades, died early Saturday at the age of 85. McNeely’s column appeared on the South Jetty’s Opinion Page for many years while Mary Henkel Judson was editor and co-publisher of the paper and her husband, Murray Judson, was co-publisher and CEO. The Judsons also were the […]
Bye, Letterman!
A crowd watches as a 255-pound green sea turtle is released by the Amos Rehabilitation Keep on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Mile Marker 35 on the beach. The turtle was dubbed David Letterman after he was rescued late at night. Another turtle was also released. Sunflower, an 82-pound loggerhead, was released alongside Letterman.
Council to vote on budget, tax rate
The Port Aransas City Council will vote on adopting a general fund budget, estimated at $23.2 million, for the 2025-26 fiscal year during a special meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11. The council will also vote to set a tax rate that won’t increase revenue to city government. Public comment will be accepted during meeting. The council’s financial goals […]
Sailing through
Trimaran sailboats Kamikaze, left, and Gimme Samoa glide through Lydia Ann Channel on a recent day. They were in a Rockport Yacht Club regatta, racing from the area of the Lydia Ann Lighthouse to Rockport.
Paving the way
Work continues on a new beach access road on Friday, Sept. 5, just south of Cinnamon Shore North. Port Aransas city officials have said the road is needed partly to allow police, fire and EMS personnel to get to and from the scenes of beach emergencies faster.
Port Aransas man’s killer denied parole
Parole recent ly was denied to prison inmate Shawn Keith Fey, who was convicted of murdering prominent Port Aransas resident Michael Robert in 1996. A Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles panel decided on Thursday, Sept. 5, to deny parole to Fey and set his next parole review for September 2028. The nature of the offense, drug and alcohol involvement […]
Church ribbon-cutting set Sept.18
The public is invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a $5.2 million construction project that brought three new buildings to the grounds of Community Presbyterian Church. Folks will gather for the event at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, at the church campus at 113 S. Alister St. The ribbon-cutting comes slightly more than eight […]
Breezing along
Sailboats pass each other in Lydia Ann Channel while preparing to start in a regatta on a recent afternoon. The race, put on by the Rockport Yacht Club, extended from the area of the Lydia Ann Lighthouse to Rockport.
Registration open for annual Surf Fest
Every year, the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association (PAPHA) hosts a surfing contest for all ages. The 2025 Port A Surf Fest will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Horace Caldwell Pier from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A dog surfing contest will be held at the same time. Preregistration is available online at https://portaransasmuseum.org/product/2025-surf-fest-registration/. Registration is $50 […]
Solar art
Participants in a solar prints event hold up their finished art at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center on Saturday, Sept. 6. They gathered leaves and flowers and other flora and placed them on special paper to create their art. On the ground in front of them are some prints in progress. The event was hosted by Port Aransas Parks and […]
Guided tour
Folks take part in a guided tour at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture on Saturday, Sept. 6, which was World Shorebirds Day. They were walking on a boardwalk on the preserve’s Salt Island Trail.
Some migrating seabirds end up at ARK
Institute InsightsEach spring and fall, many colorful songbirds and raptors pass through Texas along the Central Flyway as they migrate from their breeding grounds to their wintering grounds. However, there are other migrations that happen offshore that we don’t usually experience – the migration of seabirds! The Arctic tern for example has the longest known annual migration traveling from Arctic to...
Young patriots
First-grade students in Shanon Null’s class at H.G. Olsen Elementary School celebrated Patriot Day on Monday, Sept. 11, 2006 by crafting Popsicle-stick flags, as the nation recalled the tragic events of the day five years past. This photo originally appeared in the Sept. 14, 2006 edition of the South Jetty.
