School's out Forever

34-year-old Texas woman pretending to be high school student arrested

They say life imitates art, but sometimes life imitates a Law and Order: SVU episode.

Such is the curious case of Charity Anne Johnson, a 34-year-old Texas woman who we can only assume didn't hate high school enough the first time around. Johnson was arrested on Sunday in the East Texas town of Longview after a few strange facts came to light, mainly that she was allegedly a 34-year-old grown woman pretending to be a 15-year-old high school sophomore. (The Associated Press states that police say Johnson is 34, although jail records list her as 31.)

According to KLTV, Johnson had been attending New Life Christian School as a 10th grader since October 2013. Using the name "Charite Stevens," Johnson was reportedly able to enroll despite a lack of transcripts by telling school administrators that she was previously home-schooled. If the B-roll on the KLTV video is any indication, Charite was really crushing sophomore year, too, earning 100 percent on a literature test.

In March, she was taken in by Tamica Lincoln after telling Lincoln that she was abused by her biological father and in need of stable housing. During their time together, Lincoln says she went so far as to attend teachers meetings on behalf of Johnson, as well as buy her clothes and shoes.

It was while living with Lincoln, and being mentored by Ray Ward, that questions about Johnson's real age were raised. The pair took their concerns to authorities, who arrested Johnson at an area apartment after she allegedly gave them a false name.

As news of Johnson's arrest spread, KLTV reports that reaction at the school was shock, with both teachers and students breaking down in tears. Johnson is currently being held in the Gregg County Jail on a $500 bond for failure to identify/ giving false information.

If you can't possibly wait to see what happens in this case, there really is an SVU episode that deals with this exact story line. Instead of a 34-year-old, the woman is 28 and she ends up getting hit by a car and having her jaw wired shut. So, there you have it.

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santa's favorite city

Austin shines bright as No. 1 most festive city in U.S. for 2024

Photo by Maggie Boyd

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Austin's love for the holiday season is shining bright once again: The Capital City has been crowned the No. 1 most festive city in the nation for the third year in a row.

Austin has hung onto the coveted No. 1 spot on the holiday list since 2022, according to the recently released annual report by home services provider Thumbtack.

The study compiled data from millions of holiday light installation requests across all 50 states, between October 2023 and 2024, to reveal their list of the most festive cities in the nation.

Austinites have plenty of citywide light displays to pull inspiration from for their own homes, including the long-cherished Trail of Lights, Mozart's Annual Holiday Light Show, and many more.

Texas cities are far merrier than many other places in the country, with Dallas and Houston ranking just behind Austin as the No. 2 and No. 4 most festive American cities, respectively. San Antonio ranked No. 10 this year, after previously ranking No. 5 in the 2023 report.

Texans have to get creative when it comes to their holiday decorating, as the weather doesn't always cooperate with the classic "White Christmas" theme.

"In the milder climates, you probably won’t find a winter wonderland, but you might see plenty of twinkling lights, tinsel, and bold colors outside the traditional red, green, and white palette," the report's author wrote. "Neon baubles, vintage plastic Santa molds, and playful LED lights keep properties festive and bright. Native eucalyptus, olive branches, and succulents are used as greenery in place of traditional pine and fir."

Outsourcing that outdoor holiday decorating will cost a pretty penny, according to Thumbtack's analysts. The study said the average cost to hire a holiday lighting specialist can range from $168-$300, depending on the scope of the project and home size. Thumbtack also recommends that Austinites avoid hiring a lighting specialist during Thanksgiving weekend, which is the time period that sees the highest demand.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 – Sacramento, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

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