News

Families filled the Council Chambers at the Wallis City Hall Complex last Tuesday, Dec. 21, for the eighth annual Kids, Cops, and Christmas event hosted by the Wallis Police Department. Over 20 families enjoyed complimentary food, plushes, goodie bags, and each of the 48 children received a gift from Santa himself.

Even though weather surrounded Sealybration weekend with a #1 brief cloud of uncertainty, Sealy Community Foundation President Melanie Willingham said there was going to be no chance this year’s summer festival was going to have to cancel for a second time in a row.

Late at night, April 9, a fire destroyed a building at the Villa de Austin townsite at the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site. The museum confirmed the blaze consumed one of the newly constructed buildings in the townsite in a statement the following day.

Sunday, Nov. 7, the Austin County Sheriff’s Office was contacted to assist The Acadia Parish, Louisiana Sheriff’s Office with a murder investigation according to an ACSO release.

The Austin County Commissioners Court received mostly positive findings during the presentation of the 2020 final audit by Wayne Beyer during the meeting at the County Courthouse Monday, Dec. 27.

Monday, Aug. 23, the Sealy City Council voted 3-2 to impose a property development moratorium on projects that require water taps after the city announced earlier in the month a lack of water tap connections. Council met three times in August at the W. E. Hill Community Center to discuss and eventually establish a 120-day moratorium.

After the regular westbound exit off Interstate 10 to Highway 36 in Sealy was closed for a portion of July, the exit to Rexville Road (Exit 718) was condensed with Exit 720 as a detour option back into town. This traffic pattern was scheduled for use for approximately two months as part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s expansion project.

March 2, on Texas Independence Day, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order that removed the mandate of wearing masks in public and allowed businesses to open to 100% capacity starting March 10, near- ly a year to the date after the initial closures due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic rolled over the state.

City officials were getting ready to feel the brunt of residents’ anger as gas bills were starting to arrive with higher bills caused by usage during Winter Storm Uri in mid-February. In social media posts, Sealy residents were venting their frustrations over the city’s handling of the gas usage and bills for that usage during the winter storm.