North and East Region
Cooke County Commissioners Court honored Treasurer Judy Hunter for 25 years of service upon her retirement. She was named assistant treasurer in 1987 and treasurer in 1999.
Fannin County Commissioners Court approved a grant of $2,103 for Meals on Wheels of Texoma to help it qualify for additional state funding in the Texas Feeding Texans program.
Grayson County Commissioners Court approved a contract with the law firm of Scott, Money, Ray & Thomas to file civil suits against people who violate state laws against pollution. The county also completed its $6 million jail expansion.
Gregg County received a federal grant of $3.75 million for improvements at East Texas Regional Airport, including remodeling of the terminal building and a new jet bridge.
Jefferson County Commissioners Court approved a donation of $250,000 to a fund to help bring American Airlines to Jack Brooks Regional Airport in Nederland.
Johnson County Commissioners Court voted to spend $20,000 for renovations at the county’s Brown Gymnasium for exercise classes, weightlifting and basketball for county employees.
Madison County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $1.47 million with Dudley Construction to build a courthouse annex in the Reed Building that previously housed a furniture store in Madisonville.
McLennan County Judge Jim Lewis, 66, said he is retiring Sept. 30 after 22 years presiding over county government. The appointed replacement will serve until the general election of November 2014.
Montgomery County Commissioners Court voted to issue about $15 million in certificates of obligation and general obligation bonds for road development and extension of the main runway at Lone Star Executive Airport.
Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court approved a grant of $3,042 for the county’s aging committee, making it eligible for a state grant of more than $48,000 for its home-delivered meals program. Commissioners also approved a contract with the Red Cross for emergency shelters.
Panola County Commissioners Court approved installation of handicapped-accessible doors for the courthouse and judicial center.
Robertson County Commissioners Court contracted with J.E. Kingham Construction for a $5.1 million restoration project at the courthouse intended to return it to its 1880s appearance.
Smith County Commissioners Court approved three-year tax abatements for Hyponex, a brand of Scotts Miracle-Gro Company that is considering a move into a building that previously housed a Goodyear factory and employ 25-to-30 full-time employees and additional part-time employees.
South Region
Aransas County received a federal grant of $985,000 to use in the Cedar Bayou-Vincent Slough restoration project.
Bee County received another donation – this one for $57,000 – from Pioneer Natural Resources for its road and bridge fund.
Caldwell County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the rebuilding of three bridges on Oak Grove Road, previously the county’s lowest load-zoned road.
Chambers County Commissioners Court agreed to sell $7 million in bonds to finance roadwork and pay for a new pavilion at White’s Park. Commissioners also approved bids for improvements to Smith Point wastewater treatment plant with a federal grant of $1,055,742.
Colorado County Commissioners Court approved a state grant of $50,000 for maintenance at Wells Airport.
Comal County Commissioners Court approved a lease-purchase agreement with Comal ISD to acquire a building that previously housed Goodwin Primary School. The county is currently leasing the building for offices for the commissioners court, purchasing and human resources.
Dewitt County Commissioners Court appointed Carol Martin, secretary to the county judge and commissioners, as treasurer to replace Peggy Ledbetter, who retires Oct. 26 after 23 years.
Gillespie County received a 2011 safety award from the Texas Association of Counties.
Harris County started construction on the rehabilitation of the Sylvan Beach Pavilion, which opened in 1956 and was damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008. The $4.9 million project is funded by federal grants and county bond funds.
Hays County Commissioners Court approved a grant of $50,000 for a new building for Scheib Center, the county’s sole provider of mental health services.
Kendall County Commissioners Court approved contracts of $305,410 with Horizon Structural Systems for a pre-engineered metal building and $114,496 with Speedway Erection Service Company for erection of that building for a youth agriculture and equestrian center and $488,685 with Klotz Associated for engineering design of the Herff Road project.
La Salle County Judge Joel Rodriguez has been elected president of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council.
Lavaca County received a Leadership Circle gold member award from the Texas comptroller for online financial transparency.
San Patricio County Commissioners Court approved a federal grant extension of $130,000 to pay for overtime of the county’s law enforcement officers for border security.
Travis County Commissioners Court approved an extension of the Drive a Clean Machine program by resuming payments of up to $3,500 each for 150 low-income people to buy new cars to replace vehicles that either fail an emissions test or are at least 10 years old.
Wharton County Commissioners Court approved a bid from BLS Construction for a renovation project of $59,800 at courthouse annex B and D.
West Region
Andrews County received its first quarterly payment of $630,000 from Waste Control Specialists for disposal operations at the Texas compact low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in the county.
Dawson County received a state grant of $10,000 to purchase laptop computers and e-readers.
El Paso County Commissioners Court awarded contracts to Sunlight Enterprises for a $7.5 million renovation of 45-acre El Paso County Sportspark and to Medlock Commercial Contractors for $3 million for a toll plaza at the Tornillo-Guadalupe International Bridge.
Hutchinson County was one of nine counties to receive a 2011 Gold Star safety award from the Texas Association of Counties.
Midland County Commissioners Court voted to suspend a contract with Midland SPCA and partner with the city of Midland animal shelter for spay/neuter vouchers, rabies control and dog-bite calls. Commissioners also allocated $57,000 for a separation facility and $25,000 for county residents to participate in the city’s voucher program.
Motley County has two new commissioners. David Stafford, a candidate on the November ballot, was appointed in July by Judge Jim Meador to fill the unexpired term of Russell Alexander in Precinct 4. Guy Campbell, a fourth generation rancher in the county and great grandson of the first county judge, was appointed to replace Roy Gene Stephens in Precinct 1.
Parker County Commissioners Court voted to sell surplus water from a well on the County Poor Farm to Devon Energy for use in hydraulic fracturing in newly-drilled crude oil and natural gas wells. The price in the agreement is $8.34 per 1,000 gallons, according to the Weatherford Democrat.
Shackelford County Commissioner David Everett, Precinct 1, resigned four months before his term ends Dec. 31, 2012.
Tom Green County Commissioners Court accepted a federal grant of $47,831 for the sheriff’s office crisis intervention unit and another grant for a library reading program.