EAST TEXAS—In a classic mix-up that left the entire virtual room scratching their heads, local resident Joe Bob Jenkins accidentally joined a Zoom town hall meeting hosted by the county board of commissioners, thinking he was logging in for a virtual bingo night.

The confusion began when Jenkins received an email from his neighbor with the subject line “Virtual Bingo Night—Win Big Prizes!” Excited to try his luck at winning some prizes and maybe even a free pie from the local bakery, Jenkins eagerly clicked on the Zoom link provided in the email and entered the meeting.

To his surprise, instead of seeing a grid of bingo cards and hearing the familiar calls of “B-5” and “G-72,” Jenkins found himself face-to-face with county officials discussing important local infrastructure projects and proposed tax increases. Unfazed by the sudden change in plans, Jenkins decided to roll with it and even raised his hand during the public comment section to ask if there were any bonus rounds for bingo.

“I thought maybe they were just warming up with all this talk about road repairs and budget allocations before getting to the real fun stuff,” Jenkins later explained to reporters. “But when they started talking about property tax assessments, I knew something was off.”

Despite the mix-up, Jenkins managed to stay on the call for the entire duration, offering a unique perspective on the county’s financial matters and occasionally muting himself to shout out “BINGO!” whenever he felt like it.

As news of the incident spread through the community, some residents praised Jenkins for his commitment to civic engagement, while others simply shook their heads in amusement at the typical East Texas mix-up.

For more local news and updates, visit eastexasnews.com and polkcountytoday.com, where you can learn about upcoming virtual events and maybe even catch a real virtual bingo night—if you’re lucky.