eExtraNews Ribbon Cutting || October 4, 2024

Photo Courtesy: Lamar County Chamber of Commerce

JD Marrs is a graduate of North Lamar HS who joined the Navy in 1986. He was stationed in Italy, Hawaii (2 times), Virginia, Maine, California and Mississippi, and has travelled to over 30 countries. He lived onboard a Naval Destroyer & a Cruiser, spent 9 years as a Technical Advisor, Technical Support, and as an Instructor with the Navy SEALs, and was a Department Head at a Joint Training Command before retiring in 2010 with 24 years as a Navy Chief. He returned to Paris and started his degree at Paris Junior College and completed his AS in Business & Management with Highest Honors on the President’s List. Continuing to Texas A&M University – Commerce, he completed his Bachelor Applied Arts & Science (BAAS) Summa Cum Laude in Technologies Management at the College of Business & Entrepreneurship (CBE) with a 4.0 GPA. He received a “Top 10 Graduating Senior 2012” award, was the Charter year President of
The National Society of Leadership and Success (Sigma Alpha Pi Honor Society), Student Veterans Association, and was named to the President’s List.

Photo Courtesy: Lamar County Chamber of Commerce

JD also owns We Draw 3D – Paris Drafting and his wife Tracey owns TLC Hair – Extensions & Color Bar. They have two daughters, Jayden Drake & Devyn Marrs. Jayden is the Managing Editor of eExtraNews while Devyn is a Sophomore at Trinity Christian Academy. They spend most of their off time with their girl’s activities, their Hungarian Vizsla dogs, or enjoying a cigar at Rigby’s.

JD started writing articles in 2011 for eParisExtra and over the years has moderated the local political debates live online as well as interviewing Governor Abbott, Chad Prather, and Allen West live on Facebook when they were in Paris. When the opportunity to buy eExtraNews came up on June 1st, he said it was a great way to continue providing all our news areas with up–to–date unbiased and unedited news coverage while teaching and preparing his daughter Jayden, the ups– and–downs of owning and running your own business.

Currently eExtraNews is developing new websites that will run smoother and that will not have third–party advertising on it which slows the site down and causes errors. He wants to keep the free local news run by our local business advertising. Additionally, he is wanting to start a High School Intern program for HS kids interested in learning about journalism, advertising, marketing, and photography. These interns would be covering their school news, developing a portfolio and resume for published works for their college applications, and hopefully a scholarship program for graduating seniors in the program.

eExtraNews includes eParisExtra.com, eGreenvilleExtra.com, eMtPleasantExtra.com,
eRoyceCityExtra.com, and coming soon eBrokenBowExtra.com