Get News Updates
Of loss, billfish and civic pride
I hope everyone has enjoyed a good and busy summer season. We recently lost Mary Murphy. I wish I could have known Mary longer. I admired her for taking up...
Crisis facing men deserves attention
Men in America are in a state of crisis. Numerous factors are to blame, and typically, the left and right have targeted opposing factors. Liberals have highlighted toxic masculinity, while...
Make peace like sausage – in private
“Laws are like sausages. It’s better not to see them being made.” That famous – and accurate – quip is a perfect way to describe the dirty political deals that...
PAISD open house is Tuesday
If you want an inside look at what’s going on in Port Aransas school classrooms, here’s your chance. Parents can...
Library club meets Sept. 3
Members of the William R. “Bill” Ellis Memorial Library Book Club will discuss a book about the golden age of...
Art center event scheduled Sept. 5
The exhibition at the Port Aransas Art Center in September will feature the four winning artists from the 2025 Tiddle...
PAISD boys cross-country team takes first at Cedar Park meet
The Port Aransas High School boys’ cross-country team took first place among 1A to 4A schools at a meet in...
Building a small car
Sophie Stuber, 6, works on building a wind powered car while her mom, Monica Stuber looks on. The event was...
Fish on the menu
Dressed as diner waitresses, anglers from a boat called Sea Señora show the catches they made during the Texas Women...
Sea Señora is Texas Women Anglers champ
Anglers aboard the Sea Señora were the overall winners with 1,154 points in the 2025 Texas Women Anglers Tournament held...
Redfish, snapper solid offshore catches
Red snapper and redfish are steady catches for anglers, according to workers on the waterfront. At Fisherman’s Wharf, the Wharf...
Are you stuck?
Pastor’s Pen“In what part of your life are you stuck?” That was a favorite question from my therapist upon his first...
New year of growth, opportunity
Education NotesAs we begin another school year at Olsen Elementary, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to serve our...
Fee hike proposed for owners of STRs
If you own any of the registered 3,000 short-term rentals in Port Aransas, get ready to likely be paying higher fees when you apply for next year’s registration. The Port Aransas City Council discussed during its meeting on Aug. 19 the new registration fees that will take effect starting in November if approved when the council meets on Thursday, Sept....
Students sound off on new phone rule
You might have thought that a lot of Port Aransas High School students enjoy and rely upon their cell phones so much that they’d be decrying the new school policy that their phones must remain put away during the school day. But it doesn’t look like that’s happening. It wasn’t a scientific survey, but most of the 10 PAHS students...
Expanded camping, more coming to Magee beach park
County officials are set to begin several big construction and renovation projects at I.B. Magee Jr. Beach Park in Port Aransas. New boardwalk Work on a $ 1,163,992 boardwalk is expected to begin in September, according to Scott Cross, director of Nueces County Coastal Parks. The 2,223 foot-long structure will have shade kiosks along the length of it. The project...
Musical salute
More than 50 people walked with a five-piece band in a ‘second line’ parade around Roberts Point on Sunday, Aug. 17, as part of a celebration of life for Mary Murphy of Port Aransas. The musicians played New Orleans-style music including ‘When the Saints Go Marching In.’ Murphy, 66, died on Aug. 2.
Council to consider $23.2 million budget
Port Aransas city staff is proposing a general fund budget estimated at $23.2 million for 2025-26 and a tax rate that won’t increase revenue to city government. The city council will hold a vote to set the tax rate and adopt the budget during a special meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11. Public comment will be accepted. The council’s […]
Boats salvaged, people saved after bout of stormy weather
A squall caused some trouble for mariners who happened to get caught in the storm on the afternoon of Tuesday, Aug. 19, but no major injuries were reported. Police, fire, EMS and Coast Guard and a local salvage company received multiple requests for help in the span of less than two hours. James Farris, a Coast Guard spokesman, reported his […]
First Friday artist
Leigh Ann Irish of Natalia demonstrates her work in pastels at the August First Friday reception at the Port Aransas Art Center. In September, the winners of the March Tiddle Caylor All-Member Show will have their works on display in the gallery.
PAISD proposes no tax rate change for 2025-26 district operating budget
If you picked up this copy of the South Jetty hot off the presses on Wednesday, Aug. 27, you might still have time to get to the school board meeting if you want to make your voice heard about the proposed 2025- 26 Port Aransas ISD budget and tax rate. Trustees are scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday and […]
New way to the beach
Work continues on a new beach access road 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 and from the scenes of beach emergencies faster.
Kitty needs a home
B.J. Grimes, animal control officer, holds Charlene, one of the kittens available for adoption at the Port Aransas Animal Shelter on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The fee to adopt her is $25. The shelter currently has four adult cats, five kittens and 13 adult dogs available for adoption. Dogs can be adopted for $50. The shelter is located at 409 W. […]
Sales tax revenue jumps
The sales tax allocation to Port Aransas for sales made in June was 13.12 percent higher than the same period in 2024, according to the latest information released by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The payment for that reporting period this year was $579,378.31, compared to the payment from the same period last year of $512,177.22. The allocations are […]
Tracking elevation through sediment samples
Institute InsightsThe water is never this flat! That was the common phrase as we skimmed across the smooth waves of the Nueces Bay in mid-August en rout e to our sampling destination in the marshes of the Nueces Delta, where the Nueces River fans out and distributes sediment-laden freshwater that supports both the marsh and fisheries in Nueces Bay. Our mission...
Wall work
Gina (front) and Dee Burgess donated their time and talent in August of 2006 to paint a large reproduction of the Port Aransas Police Department insignia on a wall of the police station. The badge overlooked the room where officers did much of their off-street work. The police station was demolished after being ruined by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The...
