The second week of October will be Free College Application Week throughout the state where admission application fees will be waived for Texas residents.
This year, the free application week will be held from Oct. 13-19. The week was created by Senate Bill 2231 during the 89th Texas Legislative Session for all public colleges and universities for all residents who apply through ApplyTexas to undergraduate programs.
A default judgment was granted last week in the case between the city of Breckenridge and a sitting city commissioner.
The city of Breckenridge received a favorable ruling Thursday, Oct. 2 from 90th Judicial District Judge Phillip Gregory, granting the city’s request for a default judgment against Gregory Akers. The court ruled that the city is entitled to recover over $13,000 from Akers.
The deadline to enter into the City of Breckenridge public art contest, open to local artists and students, has been extended through the end of October.
Originally set to close Tuesday, Sept. 30, the contest will now accept entries through at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, as announced by the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce.
The initiative was launched by the city in partnership with the chamber, the Breckenridge Downtown Development Council, the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center and with consent of TxDOT. It aims to promote beautification and community pride.
During its recent meeting, the Stephens Memorial Hospital Board of Directors reviewed a formal request from the City of Breckenridge to waive delinquent property taxes on five parcels now under city ownership. The properties, previously held by private owners, were transferred to the city to be demolished and put into future use.
Once sold or repurposed, the properties will return to the tax roll. The five properties are: 205 W. 3rd Street, 601 N. Harvey Street, 1305 W. 1st Street, 919 N. Breckenridge Avenue and 1005 E. Elm Street.
Each October, the community comes together in remembrance of Sloan Everett, who died in 2017 protecting his family’s cattle from an enormous wildfire in the Texas panhandle. In the fall following his death, the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce hosted the inaugural Sloan Everett Pure Country Pedal Memorial Bike Ride, and it has continued to grow each year since.
A long-awaited dog park in the City of Breckenridge has hit a legal and logistical roadblock, following a payment dispute between the city and a local contractor, who now serves as a city commissioner.
The project, originally proposed in late 2023, aimed to create a fenced-in space for dogs to play freely on city-owned land near Elliot and Gaddis Streets, between Robert and Dunnigan Avenues. But progress stalled after a disagreement over payment terms for the fence installation.
The November election is quickly approaching and Breckenridge residents will need to make sure that they are registered to vote in order to head to the polls.
The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 6 and residents will be able to vote for or against the Breckenridge Independent School District bond that will be on the ballot. If you are unsure if you are registered to vote or need to register, go to votetexas.gov.
Stephens County Commissioners Court has adopted the county's fiscal year 2026 budget and the tax rate following a public hearing.
The vote occurred during the commissioner’s court Monday, Sept. 22 meeting in which the commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the budget and tax rate at $0.66539 per $100 of valuation.
“We’ve reached a budget that is in the black, which is important,” County Judge Michael Roach said.
Change is coming to the Breckenridge American, with the publishing date moving from Wednesday to Saturday starting at the beginning of October.
The change will be in effect with the first edition on the new date Saturday, Oct. 4. With the new publishing date will be a change to the advertising deadlines which will be in effect Wednesday, Oct. 1.
The new advertising deadline is 4 p.m. Wednesday for display boxed ads and classified liner ads. All public notices are due by 3 p.m. Wednesday for the Saturday edition.
The Stephens County Commissioner Court will convene Monday morning for a regular meeting that includes a public hearing on the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, followed by a record vote to adopt that budget and the proposed tax rate.
The hearing will take place at the Stephens County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22. The proposed budget reflects rising costs across several departments, with health insurance and employment expenses among the county’s most pressing challenges.
