North & East Texas
Bell County Commissioners Court agreed to participate in a terrain mapping project to aid in future flood control.
Collin County received a grant of $10,000 from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to combat underage drinking. In other business, the county’s newly elected judge for court-at-law No. 3, Lance Baxter, was sworn in at halftime of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. “I was sworn in with my children at my side in front of 94,118 friends,” the TCU fan told the Plano Star Courier. “It was great.”
Falls County is resuming management of its detention center after a contract with Community Education Centers that expired this month was not renewed by CEC.
Franklin County Commissioners Court approved low-interest loans of $13,000 to Stellar T-Shirts & More for expansion and $25,000 to Mount Vernon Mower and Saw Shop for start-up expenses.
Grayson County received a federal grant to pay 95 percent of the cost of a new fire truck for North Texas Regional Airport. The Whitesboro News-Record said the grant covers $391,400 of the truck’s cost of $412,000.
Henderson County Commissioners Court approved the purchase for $50,937 of an emergency communications system. The Athens Daily Review said the cost is eligible to be refunded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Houston County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of emergency generators for the county’s volunteer fire departments and water supply corporations with hurricane disaster recovery grants.
Jefferson County is donating its library books and videos to public libraries, churches and other organizations and auctioning its bookmobile, according to the Beaumont Enterprise, after commissioners voted last year to end library services. The county also received a $1.3 million federal grant for erosion control along shorelines of Pleasure Island.
Johnson County Commissioners Court approved a proposal by LaSalle Southwest Corrections of Dripping Springs to build a 96-bed facility on county property to hold overnight and weekend inmates.
Morris County has its first female county judge, Lynda Munkres. After taking office Jan. 1, she told the Daingerfield Bee, “I am learning as much as I can as fast as I can.” Munkres was 2009 Daingerfield Citizen of the Year.
Navarro County Commissioners Court accepted a grant of $26,000 to help pay for indigent defense and approved a plan for the Texas Department of Transportation to replace three bridges, two of which are impassable, with concrete structures.
Panola County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with the city of Carthage to share costs for management and operation of an animal pound.
Robertson County completed construction of its $6 million courthouse annex by RPR Construction of Tyler.
Rusk County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements and a reinvestment zone for Mason/Gibson Inc. for a new hotel in Henderson. “It’s important for the county and cities to work together to help encourage economic development,” Judge Joel Hale told the Longview News-Journal.
South Texas
Aransas County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $550,000 with ABECO Contracting for a new AgriLife Extension building.
Bexar County Commissioners Court named the county’s newest building, a $57 million 10-story office building, for Paul Elizondo, commissioner since 1983 who spearheaded its construction. “There is no one more deserving of this honor,” Commissioner Kevin Wolff told the San Antonio Express-News.
Brazoria County Commissioners Court approved the purchase for $102,000 of bulletproof vests for the sheriff’s office from the Cop Stop in Pearland, the only law enforcement distributor in the county.
Calhoun County received a grant of $229,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and commissioners approved several county grants, including $35,000 to the senior citizens association, $65,000 to the city of Port Lavaca for animal control, $26,000 to Gulf Bend Center for residents with mental illness and without insurance, and $10,000 to the economic development council.
Fayette County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with the cities of LaGrange, Schulenburg and Flatonia to create a position in the sheriff’s office for a drug enforcement officer. Commissioners also approved 25 permit applications for public road crossings by ETC Texas Pipeline for a natural gas pipeline.
Hays County Commissioners Court accepted a water and wastewater study conducted by HDR Engineering that outlines water availability in northwestern Hays County for the next 50 years.
Kendall County Commissioners Court selected a new site in Boerne for grinding brush into mulch and acquired for $32,000 a dust suppression system after the previous site was closed in November 2009 because of complaints about dust. Commissioners also waived septic tank and driveway permit fees for a “Home for Our Troops” project.
Lavaca County Commissioners Court approved a contract with a first-year business, Correctional Gourmet, of Belton, to provide food service at the criminal justice center. The county received a $6,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a disaster recovery plan for county records.
Lee County Commissioners Court approved a contract of about $1 million with Structural Concrete Systems of Magnolia for foundation stabilization and structural repairs to the courthouse.
Medina County realized an increase in its grant for home-delivered meals from the Texas Department of Agriculture to $29,949 this year from last year’s $18,799. Also, the county’s building in Devine has opened.
Travis County Judge Sam Briscoe told the Austin American-Statesman the county continues to support proposals in Austin to bolster counties’ land-use authority. “We don’t have the authority to impose restrictions or conditions that would reduce the adverse impact to nearby neighbors,” he said of receiving complaints from citizens in unincorporated areas.
Uvalde County held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $5.4 million events center of 171,000 square feet at the county fairgrounds.
Val Verde County Commissioners Court approved the use of the community center for 11 hours a week by a volunteer group known as VITA (volunteer income tax assistance). According to the Del Rio News-Herald, the sheriff’s office donated 10 laptop computers to the project.
Victoria County Commissioners Court awarded a contract to A&A Construction of Victoria to build a new emergency operations center for $1.4 million. According to the Victoria Advocate, the project will be funded with grants, previously allocated funds, and other money from the county and city of Victoria.
Willacy County received a grant from the Texas Border Coalition to pay salaries for one year for three new sheriff’s deputies.
West Texas
Callahan County Commissioners Court approved a $500 grant to help equip two trucks purchased recently by the Cross Plains Volunteer Fire Department.
Clay County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for two wind farms, Shannon-1 Wind Farm and South Clay Wind Farm, proposed by Horn Wind of Windthorst.
Cottle County Commissioners Court accepted a grant of $45,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Administration for its disaster fund because of damage from Hurricane Alex.
Crane County Commissioners Court agreed to reopen the county youth center this spring and hire a director.
Dawson County Commissioners Court voted to spend up to $125,000 for a new ambulance for its EMS office.
Eastland County Commissioners Court named Justice of the Peace James King as the new webmaster for the county’s website. The Eastland Telegram reported that King has a college degree in web development.
Gaines County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with Willo Products Company for repairs to the jail cell door system at the 32-bed law enforcement center.
Gray County Commissioners Court voted to continue funding for the McLean ambulance service and increased funding from $12,000 to $20,000 a year.
Hemphill County completed its new fire station, one of four restoration, expansion and remodeling projects in progress.
Hockley County Commissioners Court approved a contract with Dallas-based Five Star Correctional Services to order and deliver groceries, provide a dietitian for menu planning, and train county employees for meals for jail inmates.
Jack County will have five bridges replaced by the Texas Department of Transportation, including sidewalks and a wheelchair ramp at one location.
Montague County received $30,030 in state grants to distribute to six organizations for reimbursements for fighting wildfires. They include Bellevue VFD, Vashti VFD and Clay County EMS.
Pecos County Commissioners Court approved a five-year cooperative agreement with Big Bend National Park for emergency services.
Potter County Commissioners Court approved a study costing up to $5,000 to improve drainage in areas of Bushland prone to flooding. “People have to drive through water to get their kids to school,” Commissioner Joe Kirkland told the Amarillo Globe News.
San Saba County Commissioners Court honored Richland Springs High School for its 2010 six-man Division II football state championship.
Scurry County completed its new $12.4 million law enforcement center and jail.
Tom Green County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Ethicon, a medical business that employs about 500 people and plans capital improvements of $16 million to $28 million.
Ward County opened its new EMS building in Monahans. Judge Greg Holly told the Monahans News it represents “the ongoing commitment the county has to it residents as well as travelers on the interstate.”
Wise County Commissioners Court approved plans to improve the health of children in the county in 2011 in a cooperative program with Cook Children’s Health Care System. H – Compiled by Garner Roberts