Issue #17
May 7, 2025
We Are Restructuring
After careful consideration, Smithville Texas News will go through a restructuring so that we can put ourselves on solid financial footing to best serve the citizens of Smithville for the long-term.
We are pausing the weekly newsletter and Smithville Minute for now, and will provide monthly updates as we develop the new business model.
We plan to return full-time again in August. You can read more about our plan here.
Election Results
After a long two and a half months, the race for Smithville City Council came to a dramatic close on Saturday night.
Incumbent Jimmy Jenkins narrowly beat challenger Brian Wells for Place 3 by eight votes, 293-285, according to unofficial election results.
Brandon Dunham won Place 2 in a landslide over write-in candidate Cale Lammerts 436-28.
Tyrone Washington was reelected to Place 1 in an unopposed race with 474 votes.
The council will canvass the election and swear in the members at their next meeting, which is Monday (May 12). The preliminary agenda for that meeting can be found here, and the full packet and agenda will be on the city's website on Friday afternoon.
Season Ends
The Lady Tigers softball team’s season came to an end over the weekend after losing two hard-fought games against Salado in the Area Playoffs.
They dropped Game 1 on Friday 5-3 and lost a heartbreaker on Saturday 2-1.
They had a fantastic season and have plenty of young talent coming back next year.
Big congrats to the seven members who earned All-District honors, and three who earned honorable mention.
And high-fives to the 11 members who made the All-District Academic team.
We’re proud of you ladies!
Friday Night Lights
The 2025 football schedule is out and we could not be more excited! Mark your calendars Smithville, and let’s plan to get ROWDY this fall!
The first home game is Aug. 26 vs Rockdale and the final game of the year will be Nov. 7 at home vs Salado.
Let’s pack the stands and support our team!
Music in the Park
If you're looking for some FREE live music, check out Smithville’s Music in the Park tomorrow (Thursday) from 6-8pm at the Gazebo at the end of Main Street.
The weather looks like it will cooperate, so grab your lawn chairs, your family, and your dancing shoes for this family-friendly, community-powered tradition!
From the Publisher
When I started Smithville Texas News, I had enough freelance work to sustain me financially. The plan was to build the business over the year, gradually adding revenue until it could support me.
Two full-time jobs was never going to be easy. But at least there was a path to walk.
Then, in early April, my freelance company cut all contractors, wiping out my income overnight. I’ve been scrambling to make it work, but I can’t pretend this is tenable anymore.
No matter what titles we have or costumes we wear, at the end of the day we are mammals. We require food and shelter to thrive.
These past six weeks, food scarcity has been a real struggle. This week, I couldn’t renew my lease, adding “lack of shelter” to the list.
Limited food. No shelter past June 30. No income.
That’s a recipe for hopelessness if I’ve ever seen one.
I found solace in this passage from Brianna Wiest’s book, The Pivot Year:
I’ve cried a river of tears these last few weeks. I’ve shouted to the heavens, lamenting my bad luck. I’ve certainly thought about giving up.
But those are my old familiar coping mechanisms. I know they don’t serve me anymore, but they still pop up in times of stress (no matter how counterproductive I know they are).
This morning I planned to shut the paper down. But I kept thinking about our incredible metrics that showed your trust, your engagement, and your loyalty. It reminded me why I’m here: to keep our community informed and connected.
So I picked myself up. I made a call. I came up with a plan to take a step back and restructure the business. I’ve got a meeting with a business leader next week and from there hopefully a meeting with potential investors later this month.
I’m working hard on the business challenges to keep Smithville Texas News thriving for our community. Now, I’m turning to you for help finding a place to live after June 30.
What ideas do you have, Smithville? Hit reply with whatever you’ve got.
I’m confident we can find a way forward together,
~K
Kristen Meriwether
Publisher, Smithville Texas News
Kristen@smithvilleTexasNews.com
Follow us on X @NewsSmithville
