News

Names of Stephens County veterans are being requested to be added to the veterans memorial at the Stephens County Courthouse.

The deadline for the submission of names for the memorial wall is Friday, April 24. To submit a name, contact the Stephens County Veterans Service Officer at 254-559-7021, or the office of the Stephens County Judge at 254-559-2190.

Each year, new names are etched into the stone and the community gathers on Memorial Day for a ceremony honoring those veterans.

The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center is preparing for its 34th annual Juried Art Show and has announced the upcoming dates for entries and more for the national juried art competition.

The show will be held at BFAC from Tuesday, July 21 through Saturday, Sept. 26, with entries accepted from Friday, May 15 through Sunday, June 14. 

The show is open to all artists 21 years of age or older who can submit original 2D and 3D art only. No photography, prints or computer generated artwork will be accepted.

Stephens County Judge Michael Roach lifted the burn ban this week with caution being advised for area residents looking to conduct outdoor burning.

The judge lifted the ban Monday, April 6 with the stipulation that those intending to conduct any outside burning contact the Breckenridge Fire Department at 254-559-6242 and provide the time and location of the burning activity.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be acquiring 2,850 acres of land in Stephens County approximately 10 miles northeast of Breckenridge for a new Wildlife Management Area.

Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are operated by the Wildlife Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

TPWD utilizes the sites for research on wildlife populations and habitat, conducts education and demonstration of resource management techniques and makes the sites available for public hunting, hiking, camping and other outdoor recreational activities.

In a little over two weeks, early voting will begin in Stephens County with contested elections for the city of Breckenridge and Breckenridge ISD.

Early voting in the election will be held from April 20-28 and election day will be Saturday, May 2. The last day to register to vote was Thursday, April 2 and the last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Monday, April 20.

To check your registration status, visit votetexas.gov, or contact the office of the Stephens County Clerk at 254-559-3700. 

Statewide restrictions are now in place for those utilizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regarding the purchase of candy or sweetened beverages with their Lone Star Cards.

In the state of Texas, SNAP is supplied through a Lone Star Card that can be used similar to a credit card at any store that accepts SNAP. 

These funds cannot be used to purchase tobacco, alcohol or to pay for owed food bills or purchase of items that cannot be eaten or drank. SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food online.

Breckenridge High School One-Act Play closed out its season at the bi-district competition with their performance of “Irena’s Vow.”

Following a sendoff from their fellow Breckenridge ISD students, the OAP group took part in the competition Tuesday, March 31 at Graham Memorial Auditorium.

Following their performance, Pazley Funderburg was recognized as Tech Crew, Reyse Hash was named Honorable Mention All-Star Cast and Shaley Cone was named All-Star Cast.

Stephens County is gearing up for two historic events to recognize 100 years of the 1926 courthouse and an unveiling of a plaque featuring the Col. William Barret Travis “Victory or Death” letter. 

The event will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 14 at the Stephens County Courthouse at 200 West Walker St. with support from Stephens County, the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Alamo Letter Society.

Stephens County Courthouse History

Breckenridge ISD will be considering purchasing a parcel of land north of Walmart as a potential location for the new elementary school campus.

The Breckenridge ISD Board of Trustees heard a presentation Tuesday, March 24 from Economic Development Director Michael Paris regarding a parcel of land off FM 3099 that is approximately 33.2 acres.

As an ongoing effort to seek input from city residents regarding the operations and future of the city of Breckenridge, a survey is being conducted to receive feedback through May.

The survey can be accessed at surveymonkey.com/r/MNCV3BD and is open through Friday, May 1. 

Since 2022, the city has conducted a survey of residents to receive input on how the city is performing, with the last survey available in April 2025.