Gladewater City Council members and local officials took the time to listen and to lay everything out before adopting new rules for short-term rentals at the local lake. It took the better part

Soon-to-be sixth grader Kinsleigh Gordon will proudly wear the Miss Juneteenth sash Saturday morning. She’s the first honoree for the local MLK/Juneteenth Committee, celebrating 20 years

“If you sit down and quit, then that’s it.” – Jackie Drake, on her 100th birthday, June 2, 2026   “Keep movin’ – don’t sit down.” It’s a

Each car’s a page in Jerry’s Rice’s life, hundreds of them over a lifetime. Each one’s a story, and he’s excited to share the tale with Gladewater through East Texas

Joey Walker’s recruiting more captains and boats ahead of Saturday’s third annual ‘Catch A Special Thrill’ outing (aka C.A.S.T. for Kids) on Lake Gladewater. The

Youngsters will be reading more than books at Lee-Bardwell Public Library this year – sheet music’s on the score for summer 2026. It’s coming in a partnership between the Pacific

Feel free to judge the book by its cover Saturday – after all, the authors put a lot of thought into it. By all means, don’t stop there: Some of those same independent authors are going to

The community’s annual egg hunt is taking shape for the first weekend in April. Hosted this year by Gladewater Thrive & Connect, the free-for-all 2026 Gladewater Egg-Stravaganza is set

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” will remain in the stacks at the White Oak School Community Library, but it will be ‘relocated’ following a challenge to its content. The

Fourteen authors are set for the spotlight at Lee-Bardwell Library March 14, and one of the bunch made a swing through Gladewater last week. In addition to anthologies, Chris Miller has multiple

Community gathers for annual MLK Day celebration  | “We’ve got to learn how to work this together. We can’t continue to stay apart.” Unity, Gilgal Baptist Church’s

Col. Dan Merritt’s dog tags are back in a place of honor thanks to another fortunate find by Steve Smith and his trusty metal detector. Gladewater’s long-since proved to be fruitful

Christmas and New Year’s get all the focus at end-of-year, but more holidays are ahead, and the Gladewater MLK/Juneteenth Committee is spreading the word about their annual Martin Luther

By Adrienne Brown Special to the Mirror The Gladewater Museum sits facing historic red brick streets, looking out over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the town’s famous antique shops. A

There are big dreams in the Gladewater Parks & Rec board’s master plan – a big effort is taking shape to find public money to cover the costs. “There’s a lot of grant

Imagine being trapped indoors by a drop of just a couple of feet. Imagine an injury, infirmity, illness that turns the front steps into a life-threatening obstacle. Imagine a loved one, a child

“I would like for our library to have the largest collection of Texas indie authors around.” It’s a big goal for Lee-Bardwell Public Library, and it starts with some significant

The 2025 Red Rock Community reunion is coming up Friday and Saturday, July 25-26, centered on the historic community as well as Gladewater High School. Registration is open now, and the

Lost and confused, Margaret Schottstaedt was in dire straits. A brain bleed, her invisible assailant, drove the Gladewater resident into the heat and the bramble July 1. Fortunately, there were

From his grandfather to his children, family’s front-and-center for longtime rodeo clown and barrelman John Harrison. Not just his own kin, either: the veteran arena entertainer wants

Harold Wells chuckles at the question. No, he’s not much of a reader himself. He enjoys the people who enjoy books, though, and he’s really digging into being a bookseller. “I

“We all go through a lot of stuff. We all face a lot of things in this journey of life. Through it all, we don’t have to face it all alone.” That’s a key takeaway from spending time with John

The 74th annual National Day of Prayer is set for Thursday, May 1, and Gladewater Chamber of Commerce is putting together the local commemoration. The event is set for noon that day at the

Gladewater’s Beautification Advisory Board is ready to resurrect it’s ‘Adopt-a-Spot’ program for 2025, giving locals a direct way to enhance their community. “If we

Night at the Museum 2025 put a new spin on ‘living history’ locally Saturday evening. Unlike the other legendary musicians in Gladewater Museum’s hall of fame, world-class fiddler David Varnado

David Varnado’s played fiddle across the United States alongside top country stars, and he’s also performed for an extraplanetary audience in a live broadcast from Mission Control to the

Frigid weather makes outdoor painting pretty frustrating, but Hillie Shirley bundled up and kept on working this week, focused on bringing a new mural to life in the center of downtown

The eyes are the windows to the soul, but David Coleman puts his heart and soul into windows for the sake of everyone’s eyes. “I’m just trying to give people a brighter outlook,” he quips, “let

“To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen. To be forgotten is the worst.” Several dozen locals braved the rain Saturday morning to ensure

Christmas is coming, and Lee-Bardwell Public Library is giving Gladewater’s littlest elves a workshop to sell their homemade stock. Candles, cookies, sugar scrubs, hand-carved crafts, woodburned

8“Oh my goodness, look at these quilts.” Becky Davis wasn’t the only guest stunned by the handiwork inside First Methodist Church’s sanctuary Nov. 23. The draping of almost three dozen quilts

More food. More help. More guidance. For years, Dean Hanssen has focused on more – not for himself but for the children and families who rely on the Gladewater Backpack Program, for the men and

It is time for the White Oak Fire Department’s Annual Angel Tree sign-ups. This year, the dates to sign up will be on Nov. 19 & 21 from 6 – 8:00 p.m. at the fire station, located at 301

In May, Americans remember those members of the U.S. military who gave their lives for their country. Each November, the nation pauses to thank living veterans whose years of service then-and-now

Community contributors made Christmas even more special for more than 250 local children last year, and the Darla’s Angels effort is on track for another successful giving season in 2024. Darla

It was clearly metal. Heavy. About the size of a chess board’s king, albeit swollen in a clump of dirt. As Steve Smith rolled the obscure object over in his hand, bits of the compacted

Each Roxy Room is a custom-made sensory sanctuary for children with special needs, especially those on the autism spectrum. The idea began with Jackson Foltyn’s daughter, and each room is

Some fans prefer their “Misery” on the page, in the (in)famous prose of Stephen King. For others, it’s the celluloid treatment that hammers it home. Jackson Foltyn’s not about serving up

An upcoming car and bike show is set to raise funds to cover medical expenses and other costs for 2-year-old Wade Schisler. Wade’s uncle, Roy Mullens, is spreading the word about the Sept.

Labor Day’s coming soon, Halloween’s still ahead and Thanksgiving, too, so it’d be jumping the gun to kick-off the countdown to Christmas – that said, Lois Reed’s counting on early present to

It’s a wrap … The 87th Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo is now in the record books following Saturday night’s action. And the numbers prove it was a great time for all – as 12,575 rodeo fans

“I’m going to put you to the test.” Listen for the clues and cues, Sandy Redd told her young charges last week: Intro. Outro. Hook. Verse. Bridge. How do they feature in

C.A.S.T. for Kids is ready to net some new anglers June 1 at Lake Gladewater. Tailored for children ages 6-18 with special needs, the ‘Catch A Special Thrill’ event aims to give the

Letter carriers across the country are renewing their annual effort to route hunger, ready to collect locals’ grocery donations May 11. The National Association of Letter Carriers launched their

The namesake of Manni’s Italian Kitchen has a key vision for the restaurant – that it becomes a place for people to fall in love. Now, whether that’s with a blind date, a bowl of strawberry

A new faith-based youth development center is at work on FM 1252 near Kilgore – Restoration of the Spectrum Ministries currently serves select students from Gladewater and White Oak along with a