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The new year is officially here, leaving 2023 behind after plenty of memorable events and news here in the county. To celebrate the start of a new year, the Citizen is taking a trip down memory lane and highlighting some of the top lead stories and headlines from front pages throughout 2023 in no particular order. Thanks to all the subscribers and residents of Colorado County that helped last year become a special year for the Citizen!
JAN. 18 — The Columbus Elementary School time capsule from 1973 was retrieved and opened 50 years after being buried. This was a significant event as many members of that elementary class as well as their families gathered to see some of the historic items housed in the container. A treasure chest of history, the time capsule was a major highlight at the beginning of 2023.
SEPT. 27 — Homecoming is a highlight for Columbus High School every year. This frontpage featured pictures of the prior year’s king and queen passing down their positions to the next generation of Homecoming royalty. Houndtoberfest at Houndsong Brewing Co. was another big event that made it to the front for September’s final edition.
OCT. 18 — This edition’s front page featured a major landmark for Eagle Lake as the city’s Mason Lodge received a historic designation by the Texas Historic Commission. The lodge received a historic marker to recognize the Lodge and its members for decades of contributions to the city of Eagle Lake as well as their future assistance to the community.
JUNE 7 — The city of Weimar will likely never forget about their sixth softball state championship victory in 2023. After a long and difficult playoff run, the Ladycats battled to their sixth ring with some tough victories in the semifinals and in the championship game. Big moments and plays were a common sight throughout the run as the Ladycats reached a level of dominance last season. The third year of each decade since 2000 has belonged to Weimar: they have won championships in 2003, 2013 and 2023.
APRIL 26 — Columbus celebrated a major milestone as it reached its 200th anniversary since its founding. The city had several events throughout the year to recognize the milestone as many of the annual events featured special moments in honor of the town’s history.
SEPT. 20 — The Picasso family showed how dedicated the people in the rural community can truly be after donating funds and supplies to a local dog rescue organization. Paul Picasso led the efforts along with his family as they looked to help abandoned animals wherever they could. They implored others to do the same for the many strays around the county.
Dec. 20 — While this front page was more recent, the final edition before Christmas featured the vibrant photos of Weimar’s “Down Home Christmas” parade. Several floats and entries cruised through downtown Weimar as the community came together to celebrate the holiday. This front page also featured a holiday themed story from Dr. Sandra Thomas as she retold some of Eagle Lake’s history with Christmas.
FEB. 8 — The senior dance in Eagle Lake had one of its most memorable moments in early February to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Many of the town’s seniors came together to enjoy a night of dancing and fun. This front page showed some of the views from a sentimental iteration of the dance that will be returning in 2024 as well.
NOV. 15 — The Lady Cards volleyball team reached the state tournament for the third year in a row after another dominant playoff run to reach the semifinals. Columbus had their best semifinals performance in the entire three-year run as they made history during one of the best multiyear stretches for Columbus volleyball.
NOV. 8 — The Veterans Day edition of the Citizen had several events happening around the same time. This page features photos from Nesbitt Memorial Library’s “Live Oaks Dead Folks” event to retell some of the stories from notable residents in Columbus and the county’s past. Voting for Texas amendments also occurred near this edition as many impacted the local community.
OCT. 25 — The Weimar car show was a main feature during the late October edition of the Citizen. The Rotary Club always features unique and stylish vehicles in the annual event, and the vehicles made for a some strong photos that populated the front page as well as the back page.
MAY 31 — Graduation is always a major event every year as the Citizen celebrates the seniors at Colorado County high schools before they move on to the next chapters of their lives. For those students, graduation is an event they will never forget and the Citizen takes pride in immortalizing these moments for the families of these graduates.
MARCH 29 — Midtown Park received several improvements throughout the year as several Columbus residents and organizations stepped up to raise the standard for the park and make it better for the town’s children. Many people in Columbus have love for this park, and the aesthetic changes as well as the new editions hint at their dedication to keeping the town beautiful.
MAY 24 — The Cardinals baseball team made some history during last season’s playoff run as they reached deeper into the playoffs than they had in decades. The team reached the Regional Semifinals as they relied on some quality play by their upperclassmen and impact underclassmen. The Magnolia Days Festival was also a major highlight as Columbus held more celebrations for the town’s 200th birthday.
