Get News Updates
Resolution: Don’t sweat the small stuff
My new year’s resolution is to try harder to maintain perspective on life. A lot of people in this country do a lot of griping about tons of relatively small...
Remembering ‘The American President’
We all have our guilty pleasures – pigging out on potato chips, scrolling TikTok, binging old rom-coms – but for my money nothing beats sappy escapism, the kind that warms...
Don’t blame Santa Claus
Here’s a true Christmas story starring the U.S. Postal Service and Santa Claus. Earlier this week, my wife Colleen went to our local post office in Los Angeles to mail...
City offices, facilities closed New Year’s Day
Some city and municipal employees will have time off to celebrate the New Year’s holiday. Port Aransas City Hall and...
America250 exhibit coming to library
America’s 250th birthday will be celebrated at numerous events throughout 2026. As part of the America250 celebration, the Texas State...
Under the Surface Show to be featured at art center
The community is invited to enjoy fellowship, live music and refreshments at the opening of the January exhibit at the...
Full moon party set Saturday on beach
Folks are invited to the beach on Saturday, Jan. 3, to celebrate the first full moon of 2026. The fun...
No way out
Brundrett Middle School Marlins eighth-grade team members Tanner Merrill, from left, Mac Owens and Drew Spencer cage a Woodsboro player...
PAHS Challenge! team set to compete Thursday
Check out Port Aransas High School’s brain power on TV! A team of students from PAHS will compete on Thursday,...
Whole lot of tuna
This group of anglers were posing with their catch on their 60-hour trip aboard the Scat Cat that returned on...
First catch
Lyndsey Breland of Amarillo shows off the nice red snapper she caught while on a 4-hour trip on Thursday, Dec....
Anglers reel in red snapper, tuna
Anglers who ventured out over Christmas week reeled a good number of red snapper, vermilion snapper, yellowfin and blackfin tuna,...
25 years of ‘End the Streak’
State of AffairsI would like to draw attention to a very important topic we face in Texas, which is roadway safety. Since...
Police Blotter was nutty as ever
Port Aransas is a small town, but during some parts of the year, tens of thousands of tourists flood our community. The town’s police force deals not only with residents’ offenses but also with visitors’ shenanigans. Each week, the South Jetty chronicles law enforcement efforts in the newspaper’s Police Blotter column. Following are some of the most unusual calls that...
Highs, lows marked 2025
In Port Aransas, swings between triumph and tragedy defined much of 2025. Our triumphs included the completion of a Hurricane Harvey recovery project that produced three new Community Presbyterian Church buildings, including a sanctuary that was a replica of a historic building ruined by the 2017 storm. Many folks in town were elated to see ribbon cuttings at a grand...
Driving with dogs
Greg and Jennifer Perez of Waco were on their way to the beach after letting their dogs play at the dog park at the Port Aransas Community Park on Saturday, Dec. 27. In front, with Greg, is Ryp, a 5-year-old Pyrenese-Labrador retriever mix. In back, with Jennifer, is Rocket, a 2-year-old mixed-breed.
Civic Center work
Luis Barajas, left, and Jesus Sosa, both with Kelly Painting of Corpus Christi, prepare drywall for installation at the Port Aransas Civic Center on Tuesday, Dec. 23. The Civic Center is undergoing an expansion and renovation project.
Barefoot basketball
Asher Gray, 12, of Flower Mound, plays basketball at the beach in Port Aransas on Saturday, Dec. 27. Outside the frame of this photo, his family was cheering him on. They were gathered near Marker 9.
Purchase tickets early for annual Home Tour
Port Aransas Garden Club members will host the 36th annual Home Tour on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tickets are now on sale for the tour, which will feature nine distinctive island homes that will highlight the history and culture of Port Aransas. All the tours will be self-guided, originating from the Pollock Fellowship Hall on the campus of the Community Presbyterian […]
Wreck scene
Vinton James of the Port Aransas Volunteer Fire Department stands atop the wreckage of an RV that overturned after being hit by a vehicle on the beach on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 25. James was removing batteries and propane tanks to prevent a fire.
Let there be light
Electricians install lighting on a recent day in the ceiling in one of the bays where a new headquarters is being built for the Port Aransas Volunteer Fire Department and EMS.
Fore (on shore)!
Matthew Stroman of Aubrey enjoys some whiffle golf on the beach in Port Aransas on Christmas Day. He said it was the fifth year that his family has visited Port Aransas for the holidays. The Christmas tree in the background was cut down on Matthew’s grandmother’s farm in La Grange. It was decorated by relatives.
Second Saturday party set Jan. 10
They say happiness is a plate of pasta. The folks at the Farley Boat Works plan to make everyone happy who attends the January Second Saturday party by serving up big servings of spaghetti and all the fixings. The community is invited to the party at the Boat Works beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. Folks who attend […]
For the ARK
Friends of the ARK (FOTA), a nonprofit organization, recently donated $110,000 to the University of Texas Marine Science Institute to benefit the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK), which lies on the UTMSI campus in Port Aransas. In front, from left, are Andrew Orgill, staff supervisor at the ARK and Lee Harrison, executive director of FOTA. In the middle row, from left, […]
Angel among us
Dressed as an angel, 8-year-old Scotti Drummond of Port Aransas sits with her father, Carter, and mother, Sarah, during a Christmas Eve service on the beach. The service was conducted by Trinity-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.
Tickets going fast for Elvis tribute concert
A few tickets and some champagne tables for six remain to see the King of Rock and Roll at the Port Aransas Community Theatre. Vince King and the Vegas Mafia Band, an Elvis tribute band, will take the stage on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9 and 10. Theater doors will open at 7 p.m. Vince King and the band will […]
Out for a walk
The Lu family of Roseville, Minn., walks at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture on Friday, Dec. 26. Rachel Lu said that while they see a lot of birds near where they live, they were curious to see different birds in Port Aransas. From left are John, Mathew, Dominic, Rachel, Charles, Edmund and Sebastian Lu.
Top photos of the year
The South Jetty’s best photos of 2025 showcased joy, family togetherness, athletic excellence and a scary Spring Break car wreck.
Tracking mercury export from glacierized regions
Institute InsightsClimate models predict that 48 percent of global glacial volume could be lost by the year 2100. Of particular concern is the Gulf of Alaska, one of the most heavily glaciated regions in North America, which is losing ice mass at one of the fastest rates reported globally. While glacial meltwater can deliver beneficial micronutrients to downstream ecosystems, glaciers have...
Stealing for points
Jodi Johnson (34) stole the ball from an Austwell-Tivoli player as the Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins pulled off a 38-36 last-minute win over their visitors in the 1991 season. Austwell-Tivoli was ranked first in district going into the game, and the Lady Marlins were in second place. Backing up Johnson were Meg Roberson (11 )and Brandie Rivers. This...
