News

Friends: Amira Perez and Elise Glass (right) were all smiles at the grand opening of the brand new splashpad, having a blast in the summer heat. Fun: Kids enjoyed their time at the splashpad, playing with all the interactive toys or equipment on hand.

On May 23, Austin County EMS held a Life-Saver Recognition Ceremony at ACEMS Station 2 in Sealy. This ceremony was to recognize two back-to-back life-saving responses for members of the same family, just 19 days apart.

The Austin County Jail has reported another jail death of an inmate that was being held in the facility. According to a release provided by the Austin County Sheriff’s office, on Thursday, May 8 at approximately 3:30 a.m., Austin County Sheriff’s office inmate Michael Portis, 50, suffered a medical emergency in his cell.

A new dawn for Catholicism has been entered following the election of the 267th pope, Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first North American and United States born pope in papacy history. With 23% of Texans identifying themselves as Catholics, the news comes as positive for Catholic Americans who look forward to the first papacy at the hands of a Chicago, Illinois native.

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott lauded the $100 million investment by The University of Texas (UT) Board of Regents to the UT School of Civic Leadership that will help the school become a national leader in civic education.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, announced the House passage of a provision reimbursing border states — primarily Texas — with $12 billion for costs incurred to secure the border under the Biden administration. McCaul has championed the provision and advocated for its passage for months, working hand-in-hand with House GOP leadership and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.).

The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States attorney’s offices around the country.

With great excitement, Jessica Caird announces her candidacy for Justice of the First Court of Appeals, Place 5. Jessica has an impressive background in public service and legal experience. With 26 years as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County, she has dedicated her life’s work to securing justice for Texans.

WACO – The Brazos River Authority (BRA) has rescinded the Stage 1 Drought Watch for Lake Somerville due to recent rainfall in the area. The Drought Watch was issued on April 3, as a result of prolonged dry conditions and their impact on the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index (PHDI). A product of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the PHDI is an indicator of the level of wet or dry conditions within a particular area. Due to the drier- than-normal conditions in the lower Brazos River basin, the monthly PHDI had dropped below the -2.4 trigger for Lake Somerville.