Website review
This review may include AI-generated content and is not individually verified. Domain, certificate and other facts come from the observed data on this page.
What is the Houston Herald?
The Houston Herald is a local newspaper serving Houston, Missouri, and the surrounding Texas County area. Its homepage functions as a community news hub: it carries breaking alerts, local government and public-safety stories, school sports coverage, obituaries, community events and reader-submitted photos, alongside a free newsletter and text-alert signup.
Its coverage is hyperlocal rather than broad. From the homepage alone, typical items include a grass fire and road closure near Raymondville, public comment on proposed building codes, City Council discussion of elected officials' raises and bond hearings, a police-car crash in Cabool, a Licking coffee shop profile, and Houston High School cross country, volleyball and football results. Sports reporting appears frequently and often includes photo galleries.
Who it suits
- Residents of Houston and Texas County who want local government, school and emergency information in one place.
- People who have moved away but want to follow hometown sports, obituaries and community news.
- Local organizations and businesses that want events listed in the community calendar or visibility through print ads.
How it compares to alternatives
| Outlet | Focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Herald Houston Herald | Houston and Texas County, Missouri | Local news, sports, obituaries, alerts |
| Regional broadcasters | South-central Missouri | Weather and wider regional coverage |
| Statewide outlets | Missouri politics and statewide issues | Context beyond Texas County |
A practical next step
If a specific story matters to you — a road closure, a council vote, a game result — check the latest news and top stories sections first, then subscribe to the free newsletter or text alerts so time-sensitive updates reach you without repeated visits. If you want an event publicized, use the calendar's "add an event" option.
How do I subscribe to the Houston Herald and what does it cost?
You can subscribe to the Houston Herald directly through its website. The homepage carries a prominent "Subscribe" link that leads to the paper's subscription page, and there is also a separate free newsletter signup for Texas County news and alerts.
Houston Herald • Houston, MO
H3 What the subscription covers Based on the homepage, the Herald is the local newspaper for Houston, Missouri, and Texas County, with coverage that leans heavily on:
- Local government and civic decisions, such as proposed building codes and bond hearings
- High school sports, including cross country, volleyball and football results
- Public safety, such as the grass fire and traffic closure near Raymondville
- Community and business features, such as the sister-owned coffee shop in Licking
- Obituaries and community calendar events
That mix tells you who it is for: residents of Houston and the surrounding county who want local news rather than national coverage.
H3 Cost The site signals paid access through a "subscribe" option, but the homepage does not display a price. Rates for small-town papers usually vary by delivery method (print, digital or both) and by term length, and they change over time. Check the subscription page itself for current pricing rather than relying on a secondhand figure.
H3 A practical next step If you mainly want breaking alerts and headlines, start with the free newsletter and text alerts, which the homepage offers at no stated cost. If you want full reporting, obituaries and sports coverage, go to the subscription page and compare the print and digital options before committing.
What local news and sports does the Houston Herald cover in Texas County, Missouri?
The Houston Herald is a community newspaper for Houston, Missouri, and the wider Texas County area, covering local government, public safety, schools, sports, business openings and obituaries. Its homepage mixes hard news with high-school athletics and community events, so it reads as a daily record of the region rather than a national news source.
H3 What it covers
- Public safety and traffic: breaking alerts such as a grass fire that shut down Highway B before Route 137 entering Raymondville, plus crash reports like the Cabool police car collision.
- Local government: Houston City Council business, including proposed building codes, raises for elected officials and bond hearings.
- High-school sports: Houston cross country wins at the Mountain Grove meet, HHS volleyball results and photo galleries, and Tigers football against Thayer.
- Community and business: a sister-owned coffee shop in Licking, obituaries, a community calendar and reader-submitted events.
- Health and rural services: funding news such as TCMH receiving rural health transformation funds.
H3 Who it is for Residents of Houston, Cabool, Licking, Raymondville and nearby Texas County communities who need local decisions, school results and safety notices in one place. People outside the area may still find it useful for following a specific team, a relative's obituary or a local issue, but the value is highest for readers with a direct stake in the county.
H3 How to use it Start with the latest news and top stories for anything time-sensitive, then check the sports section for game coverage and photos. The community calendar and free newsletter or text alerts are the practical way to keep up without checking the site daily. If you want a second local view, compare with City of Houston, Missouri for official city notices; for state-level context, the State of Missouri site is the official starting point.
How can I submit an obituary or news tip to the Houston Herald?
The Houston Herald accepts news tips and obituary submissions through its newsroom, and the homepage shows several contact paths: a free newsletter signup, free text alerts from the paper and area sponsors, and a community calendar where readers can add events.
For a news tip
- Use the homepage's "Sign up" or newsletter/alert forms if you want to be notified about follow-up coverage, but those forms are for subscriptions, not for sending tips.
- For breaking news like the fire-related traffic closure the paper reported at Highway B before Route 137 entering Raymondville, call the newsroom directly if the situation is urgent.
- Routine tips (meetings, school news, sports results) can go by email; the paper's bylines show reporters covering specific beats, so addressing the right person helps.
For an obituary
- Expect to provide the deceased's full name, age, date of death, service details, family information and a photo.
- The Herald publishes obituaries as news items, as seen with "OBITUARY: James Hartman," so ask about deadlines and whether there is a fee for length or photo inclusion.
- A funeral home often handles submission on the family's behalf; if you're submitting yourself, confirm the paper received it.
Practical next step
Check the "Subscribe" link at Houston Herald for the current contact page or newsroom phone number, since that page is where the paper lists submission details. If you're unsure who to contact, call the main office and ask for the newsroom; for an obituary, ask for the person who handles community news.
Comparison at a glance
| Submission | Best contact route | What to include |
|---|---|---|
| Breaking news tip | Phone the newsroom | Location, time, what you saw, your callback number |
| Routine news tip | Email a reporter or the newsroom | Who, what, when, where, why, photos if available |
| Obituary | Funeral home or newsroom | Full name, dates, service info, family, photo |
| Community event | "Add an event" on the calendar | Date, time, location, organizer contact |
For a reader scenario: if a Licking or Cabool resident wants to publicize a fundraiser, the calendar's "Add an Event" option is the fastest route; if a family needs an obituary in the next edition, calling the newsroom first to confirm the deadline is the safer move.
How do I sign up for the Houston Herald's free newsletters and text alerts?
Go to the Houston Herald homepage and look for the newsletter and text-alert sign-up prompts near the bottom of the page. The site labels them separately: one block invites you to "Sign up for Houston Herald newsletters and alerts" with a Subscribe link for the free newsletter, and a second block, "Houston Herald notifications," lets you sign up for free text alerts from the Herald and area sponsors.
You do not need a paid subscription for either one. The paid Subscribe option is a separate path for full newspaper access, so if your goal is only the free newsletter or text alerts, use the blocks described above rather than the main subscription link.
What you will need
- An email address for the newsletter sign-up.
- A mobile number for text alerts, plus consent to receive messages from the Herald and its sponsors.
A quick way to decide
- Want a daily or weekly roundup in your inbox? Choose the newsletter.
- Want breaking local news, like the Highway B fire closure or a grass fire response, as it happens? Choose text alerts.
- Want both? Sign up for each separately; they are distinct lists.
If you cannot find the sign-up boxes, check the site's footer or search the page for "newsletter" or "alerts." For comparison, other small-town Missouri papers run similar free alert programs, such as The Salem News and Columbia Daily Tribune.
Where can I find the Houston Herald's community calendar and add my own event?
The Houston Herald's community calendar is published on its homepage, and its "ADD AN EVENT" link is the way to submit your own listing. You'll find the calendar in the "LATEST NEWS" area of the page, below the main stories, where it shows upcoming entries such as "Faith YTH" and "Open Prayer Meeting" alongside a "View Calendar" link.
H3 How to use it
- Open the homepage at Houston Herald • Houston, MO.
- Scroll to the community calendar block and select "View Calendar" to see the full schedule.
- Choose "ADD AN EVENT" to submit your own entry, then provide the date, time and location details.
H3 What to expect This is a small-town community paper covering Houston, Missouri and Texas County, so the calendar leans toward local church groups, school activities and civic meetings rather than large regional listings. If you're organizing a fundraiser, a church event or a youth sports sign-up, this is a sensible place to reach local residents.
H3 Practical notes The site also offers free text alerts and a free newsletter, which can help you keep track of when your event appears or when schedules change. If your event is tied to a school or municipal body, consider whether the Herald's newsroom would also cover it as a story—submitting to the calendar and sending a short note to the paper are different steps.
H3 A quick decision guide
- Recurring local meeting or service: add it to the calendar.
- One-off community fundraiser: calendar plus a brief email to the newsroom.
- Sports fixture or school event: check the sports section, since those often run as separate articles.
For comparison, if you want wider regional reach, Missouri community calendars such as those run by Kirksville or Columbia Missourian serve different audiences; for Texas County specifically, the Herald's own calendar is the most direct option.
User reviews (0)