News

D’rinda Randall Courtesy Photo
Randall wins state chair, vows ‘redder’ Texas
Last week the Republican Party of Texas held its biennial convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The event was the first since the pandemic, and attendance was down considerably.
Alamo gym gets new flooring
Alamo gym gets new flooring
Alamo Middle School continues to serve at the heart of Ennis, evidenced by its recent replacement of the B.F. Thomas gymnasium floor. Opened in 1987, the original floor has been changed to an athletic mat comprised of Polysport Rubber Flooring System.
Joe Newman
Texas business climate breeds success
People and businesses are choosing Texas because Texas works. Successful corporations at the top are sharing the age-old real estate mantra, “location, location, location.” True, the geographic position of property is the most important factor that determines value and desirability for realtors.
501 Casa Linda Courtesy Photos/Ennis Garden Club
Ennis Garden Club announces Spring 2026 Yards of the Season
In celebration of National Garden Club Week which is the first week of June, the Ennis Garden Club is announcing the 2026 Spring Yards of the Season. Yards of the Season are selected twice a year, Spring and Fall. The yards, nominated by members of the Ennis Garden Club, are selected in each of the four EISD school districts.
Ennis Retired School Personnel enjoys end-of-year meeting
Ennis Retired School Personnel enjoys end-of-year meeting
The Ennis Retired School Personnel Association had a great end of year meeting on May 28, 2026. There was great food and great conversation with 56 people in attendance. They conducted some business and voted to approve Melinda Shaw as First Vice President.

Around Town

Around Town
Around Town
Audition for Theatre Rocks Ennis performing arts group, Theatre Rocks, will be hosting auditions for five parts in the upcoming adult comedy, The Cemetery Club. Director Bill Rhoten has openings for five parts – four women and one man, ranging in age from 50-70.
Around Town

ECAA Youth Art Show displays young artwork, gives scholarship

Around Town

ERSPA to Hold April Meeting

Around Town

Care Services Opens New Garden

Around Town

Ennis Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Hospitalists

Sports

Staff Photo/Mark Warde
Ca'Terrin Cox
Former all-district sprinter and hurdler at Ennis, he also earned First Team All-District as a wide receiver for the Lions. He graduated this spring from Tarleton State University, where he was a four-year scholarship hurdler on the Texans NCAA Division, I track & field team.
Getting a grip on tennis
Getting a grip on tennis
For more than three decades, the Ennis tennis program has utilized the summer months as an opportunity to introduce young athletes to the sport while developing skills that extend beyond the tennis court. A yearly tradition for players of all ages, the Lions Tennis Camp provides opportunities for beginners picking up a racket for the first time as well as experienced athletes looking to continue improving their game.
Keno Castillo Courtesy Photo/Rachel Ferman
Comet Castillo’s meteoric rise
A year after earning First Team All-District as a junior, Keno Castillo enjoyed a breakout encore season with another First Team All-District performance. In raising his batting from .308 to .443, the fleetfooted protagonist was a driving force behind the team boosting its number of wins from 13 in 2025 to 30 this season.
Coach Kellen Monreal Chris McGathey Photo
Kellen Monreal, Coach of the Year
Highly competitive and driven to win, former Ennis two-time, all-district, first-team infielder Kellen Monreal, leads his alma-mater with the same fire. Add his penchant for fundamentals, and the Lions are a tough to beat.
All-District 15-5A
All-District Offensive MVP Keno Castillo, Sr., .443, 39 SB All-District Coach-of-the-Year Kellen Monreal First Team Shortstop Kevin Rodriguez, Jr., .372, 28 RBI First Team Centerfield Brady Payne, Sr., .348 BA, 12 SB First Team Pitcher Colt Schilling, Jr., 9-2, 1.62 ERA First Team Catcher Diego Mireles, Sr., .367, 15 SacB First Team Utility Beau Rudd, Sr., 22 RS, 22 RBI, 14 SB Second Team Outfield Lane Slovak, Jr., .376, 23 RBI Second Team First Base Ryder Newman, Sr., .277, 25 RBI Second Team Pitcher Blaze Neil, Jr., 8-2, 1.76 Second Team Relief Pitcher Trace Cardona, So., 3-0, 3.26 Second Team Utility Adrian Satterwhite, So., .266, 22 SB Honorable Mention Cash Hendrix, Sr., .295 BA Honorable Mention Adrian Navarro, Jr., 19 runs, 13 SB Recent D-Champs / Head Coaches 2010 - Kevin Kalinec (19-9-1) 2016 – Bob Mace (24-9) 2023 - Kellen Monreal (20-10-1) 2026 – Kellen Monreal (30-6-1).

Opinions

Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day
As I stood in line, outside a bathroom at a restaurant in a nearby coastal town, I was surrounded by the clamor of young girls, accompanied by two mothers. Then a man walked up.
Who can you trust?
Who can you trust?
I’ve heard, you should never trust a person who doesn’t like dogs or children. But what about trusting people that dogs or children don’t like? Unfortunately, we often discover who not to trust by trusting them in the first place. It has been said there are only three things who always tell the truth - intoxicated people, children and leggings. So, who can we trust? Where can the truth be found? Thanks to the American media, who you can believe to bring the truth is often known by which newspaper, magazine, radio or TV network is the source. It’s why I seldom, if ever, watch network or cable news. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, CBS news journalist Walter Cronkite was known as “the most trusted man in America.” He was something else too, respected.
Birds of a feather
Birds of a feather
Weekly Muddle The bird’s name was Perry Como. He belonged to a little red-headed girl in Central Florida who loved him dearly.
Calm after the storm
Calm after the storm
I'll Tell You What One of life’s built in moments to savor is often called the calm after the storm. We have all had countless opportunities to savor the peaceful and quiet time that comes after a thunderstorm or argument.
Over the moon
Over the moon
“I see the moon, and the moon sees me. “God bless the moon and God bless me.” From that very first acknowledgment of the moon as a child, I have been charmed by the heavenly body above us.

Obituaries

Cleatus Dale Fletcher
Cleatus Dale Fletcher
Cleatus Dale Fletcher, 73, of Kiester, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2026, surrounded by family. He was born on July 1, 1952, in Dallas, Texas, where his life’s journey began and the values of faith, family, and kindness first took root.
Corene Wesley Haney

Corene Wesley Haney, 80, of Waco, Texas, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 19, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family after a brief battle with cancer.

Adolph R. (Eddie) Miller, Jr.
Adolph R. (Eddie) Miller, Jr.

Adolph R. (Eddie) Miller Jr., age 92, passed away peacefully at home March 26, 2026 surrounded by family.

Clarence Bernard Laza
Clarence Bernard Laza

Clarence Bernard Laza, 77, passed away on Monday, March 30, 2026, at the VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Born on February 25, 1949, to Joseph R. and Anna M. (Bednarik) Laza, Clarence was raised in Ennis, Texas, where he attended St. John Catholic School and Ennis High School. On January 15, 1977, he married Dorothy Jelinek, and together they built a home and family in Alma, Texas.

Randy Bryan Bigham
Randy Bryan Bigham

Randy Bryan Bigham, age 57, died on March 27, 2026. He was the son of Lloyd Starks Bigham and Retha Gail Nunn Bigham. He was the elder brother of Melody Dawn Bigham and the late Melinda Dee Anne Bigham. He was blessed with a niece, Adrianna, and nephews, Michael and Jakob. Randy was a freelance writer, contributing to many national and international publications, including the London Sunday Times and BBC History Magazine. Locally, he contributed to the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Voice. He was most recently editor of the Ennis Daily News and Ennis NOW Magazine.

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