Local News

A debate was sparked between new school vs. old school during Sealy City Council’s regular meeting June 1 at the W.E Hill Community Center.

Weather permitting, the Texas Department of Transportation will begin a hot mix overlay project Monday, June 7, in Fayette and Colorado Counties, according to a Friday release.

The process will run from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day most days next week. Corresponding lane closures will also occur:

May 13, the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) awarded $33,430,000 in Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) grants to 147 organizations throughout the state. This is the highest number of grants and funding awarded in the 11-year history of the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance grant program. In the Gulf Coast region, 30 organizations were awarded grants, listed below. Additionally, 12 organizations awarded provide services statewide.

The Blinn College District has named 2,203 students to its academic honors lists for the spring 2021 semester. Blinn named 1,033 students to its Chancellor’s Scholars List and 1,170 to the Deans’ Scholars List.

Sealy High School seniors were presented scholarships and awards at the senior awards banquet last Monday, May 24, at the Thomas E. Golson Auditorium. Altogether, the Class of 2021 was awarded $1.3 million in scholarship money to help them on their paths to 25 different colleges, three branches of the military and the workforce.

For the first time since his hiring last summer, Sealy ISD Superintendent Bryan Hallmark addressed the district’s staff as a whole in person at the Sealy ISD Administration Awards banquet in the Sealy High School gymnasium last Thursday, May 27. 42 staff members were honored with service milestones and four retirees were celebrated on their way out: Lynda Mauney, Kimberly Buxkemper, Kerri Schovajsa and Sabrina Rotter.

After 34 years of service to Austin County Emergency Medical Services, Assistant Chief Jim Turnbull signed off and entered retirement last Wednesday, May 26. Turnbull originally found his interest in EMS when he had a construction accident in 1986 and soon after enrolled in an EMT class at the Methodist Church sponsored by Houston Community College.

Monday morning, dozens of people gathered at the Sealy American Legion Post 442 for the Memorial Day program hosted by the Legion and the Auxiliary Unit. Later in the afternoon, retired Colonel and longtime community leader Paul Dronka – who passed away Memorial Day, 2020 – was honored with a ceremony at the Columbus Hall.

The 71st Annual Meeting of the Austin County Livestock Association will be held Thursday, June 3 at the Cat Spring Agricultural Hall in Cat Spring, Texas.