Welcome to SantaAnnaNews.com

Remembering those that have served and those that are serving our country.

You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal.

It hit me very personally when I first started this part of SantaAnnaNews.com over a year ago. I wondered how long I would leave this at a place of prominence. I decided some time ago that when the National Guard men and women from this area returned would be when I would stop. Not diminishing from those that are still serving, especially those that are from Santa Anna. I still salute you but I want to make sure that you are treated special and not forgotten as the days go by.

Several have submitted the names of their loved ones from Santa Anna over this last year to be listed. Some have even been upset because theirs' was not.

A few have sent photos and I want to be sure and say thanks for sharing to them. I also want to continue to honor those that are serving by offering to feature their stories should they care to share. But it is time for this part of the news to change.

I have watched and listened over the last year and cried at the stories of those that are away from loved ones, especially those that are gone forever. I was sent an e-mail from a friend the other day that touched me. It contained a song and slide show by a young country music artist from South Dakota named Dustin Evans. His website is DustinEvans.com and his latest single and the song in the slide show is "If I Die Before You Wake" and is available for free download or you can buy his albums at the site. The slide show can be found on the Alaska DMV website. I would encourage you to download it and listen when you have time.

Sunrise in Iraq

Soldiers of the Texas Army National Guard’s, Company B, 1-141st Infantry Battalion, currently assigned to Company C, 2-142nd Infantry Battalion, 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, are silhouetted by the reddish-orange glow of the rising sun as they completed a pre-dawn foot patrol through an Iraqi town in southern Iraq.

All Region Six Man Picks

Santa Anna Mountaineers Ryan Guererro and Patrick Kerr were named to the Six Man All Region Team this past Monday.

Don't Forget Friday

Be sure and remember the 1st Night of the Christmas in a Small Town and that Santa Claus will be at the Findley's (See Below)

There is also Mountaineer Basketball at Perry Gym Friday night

Another Nurse in the Family

Cindy and I, along with a few carloads of other family members, went to Abilene last Saturday to watch our middle daughter, Jennifer, graduate from Cisco Junior College - Abilene. It was a really nice pinning ceremony and graduation at a really nice church, Parkway Baptist in Wylie. She will be a Licensed Vocational Nurse, LVN, when she passes her state board test.

Way to go Jennifer we are very proud of you!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Ok kids, I hope that you have been real good because before you know it Santa Claus will be here!

I have been especially good this year and just happen to have already heard from Santa and he told me his going to be at the Findley's on December 16th, 17th, and 23rd from 6:30 to 8:30. Also, he will be at Santa Anna National Bank on December 22nd.

Santa is making his list so if you have been as good as I have you better make your list of what you want so you can tell him when he comes to see us. I would bet you could get your picture made with him too!

Light Showers

We had a very light shower early in the evening for the Tuesday $1 DQ burger night. Not hardly enough to wet the dust in the driveway, but hey, we will take what we can get.

It also happens to be one of those nights when I have some things to say but I am just not quite ready to say them. I will get one item out of the way that has been bothering me for a while. I told you before how I have been amazed at the number of people that come to SantaAnnaNews.com. There are many who come daily, and probably more that come a few times a week, and some that come less often. Most of you are looking for news of some sort I guess. Maybe it is news about someone you know and see every day. Maybe it is news about someone that you haven't seen for a long time, or maybe someone that you have never met at all.

Whatever you are looking for it is what I feel like is getting to be less for you to find all the time. Maybe I am getting tired of making things up. Maybe you have sent me something that I overlooked or got mixed up with my endless supply of inbox junk mail.

When I first started this I had hoped that more of you would send me your news items.

That is one of the things that has been the most frustrating for me and I guess one of the reasons we don't have a newspaper anymore.

There have even been a few times even when I have taken pictures for someone and they send them to the newspaper along with a story but don't even bother to send me the story even when I asked for it.

I am going to beg one more time I guess for you to please send your news items to news@santaannanews.com.

Thanks for coming by SantaAnnaNews.com and come back soon!
James

Wimberly and Throckmorton take State Championships

Santa Anna's own and Wimberly Defensive Coach Dick Smith and his Code Red Defense finished off a perfect year by defeating Gainsville for the Class 3A, Division I State Championship Saturday night at the Waco ISD Stadium. The 15-0 Texans won by a score of 21-7. See this Austin American-Statesman article covering the game. Way to go Texans!

The Throckmorton Greyhounds also won there state title at Abilene's Shotwell Stadium Saturday night by defeating the Turkey Valley Patriots.

I was going to try and go to the game but decided to take Jessica to Lohn to watch the Mountaineers in the Lohn Basketball Tournament. The Mountaineers were playing the host, Lohn Eagles, for third place and lost. I took a few photos and will share them later this week as I have time.

I think the Lady Mountaineers won their third place game but I am not sure who they played or the score as we got there too late to catch it.

2006 Homecoming

1980-1990 Class Reunion website

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