North & East Texas
Cherokee County Commissioners Court approved grants from the Jacksonville Economic Development Corp. to help Advance Thermal Corp. double the size of its facilities and double its workforce from 40 employees to 80 employees.
Collin County Commissioners Court awarded $485,000 to a start-up program named Project Awareness for the county’s indigent health care program to link poor residents with doctors and hospitals that donate services.
Cooke County received a grant of $13,000 for equipment for its EMS department.
Fannin County Commissioners Court voted to purchase for $9,060 a forensic mapping system manufactured by Sokkia.
Franklin County Commissioners Court approved the lease/purchase of new video equipment for 10 vehicles for the sheriff’s office.
Grayson County Commissioners Court approved jail remodeling and expansion by 96 beds and authorized the signing of contracts for the $4.9 million project with Ridgemont Commercial Construction of Irving.
Gregg County Commissioner Gary Boyd reported the thefts of 368 street, stop and way-finding signs made of aluminum in Precinct 3 in the past year with replacement value of $14,484.
Harrison County Commissioners Court approved a $350,000 contract with the Texas Department of Rural Affairs to complete a water line project for Karnack Water Supply. Commissioners also approved tax abatements for expansion by Norit Americas in Marshall.
Henderson County received a federal grant to replace air-conditioners, install new thermostats, and make other energy efficiency upgrades in the records building, jail, and senior citizens center. The contract of $73,769 was awarded to Cole Air Conditioning and Appliance Co. of Athens.
Houston County Judge Lonnie Hunt was named president of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments for a two-year term starting July 1. Commissioners also approved a new fuel station at the airport with 75 percent of the cost of $150,000 coming from a federal grant.
Kaufman County Commissioners Court approved a public WiFi system for the courthouse with a start-up cost of $1,869 and monthly fee of $60.
Limestone County held the official opening of its new law enforcement center, which houses the sheriff’s office, emergency dispatch center, and a 214-bed jail.
Navarro County Commissioners Court approved the expense of about $8,000 to upgrade tracking software for the property room and install new digital camera systems in patrol cars for the sheriff’s department.
Polk County Commissioners Court named J.E. Kingham Construction Co. as construction manager for a project for a college/commerce center and emergency shelter.
Red River County has a new commissioner, Bobby Wages, Sr. He was named to replace John Kocurek, who resigned because of illness.
Rusk County held open house for its new $15.75 million justice center, which houses a jail, courtroom, and law enforcement offices.
San Augustine County Commissioners Court approved the location of the farmers market on the south side of the courthouse parking area.
Shelby County Commissioners Court approved jail repairs by Reneau Roofing and Sheet Metal for $22,500.
Van Zandt County Commissioners Court renewed its contract with Mentalix for fingerprinting at the sheriff’s office and awarded a grant services contract to Kerbow and Associates of Palestine and an engineering contract to Daniel and Brown Engineering of Farmersville for a project of Fruitvale Water Supply Corp.
Wood County received a grant of $333,600 from the Texas Department of Rural Affairs to replace an undersized, deteriorated water main for Sharon Water Supply Corp.
South Texas
Austin County Commissioners Court recognized the state champion FFA team from Bellville High School.
Bexar County Commissioners Court approved a five-year plan to restore and remodel the courthouse, in use since the 1890s. Plans include $6.3 million to restore a courtroom.
Burleson County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $241,500 with C.F. McDonald Electric of Houston for emergency generators for Clay, Lyons and Tunis water supply corporations and the city of Somerville.
Caldwell County Commissioners Court voted to enter an agreement with Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, Texas Department of Transportation, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and the city of Lockhart for operation of Lockhart State Park.
Colorado County offices, including clerk, tax assessor-collector, auditor and treasurer, have moved into the new county annex building.
Comal County Commissioners Court approved a $4.8 million contract with Maryland-based Hayward Baker Geotechnical Construction to build a wall that will reach up to 100 feet below the earth’s surface for the new Krueger Canyon dam, a $16.3 million project scheduled to be complete by July 2012. The county also received a grant of $8,170 from the NRA Foundation for bulletproof vests, rifles and ammunition.
Hays County Commissioners Court awarded $100,000 from the county’s parks bond fund for the Bear Creek greenbelt trail extension and neighborhood park by the water control and improvement district. Also, Commissioner Will Conley was elected chair of the executive committee of the Capital Area Council of Governments.
Jackson County Commissioners Court approved the use of the old fairgrounds for fire and rescue training for the Jackson County VFD.
Kinney County celebrated the 100th anniversary of its courthouse, built in 1911 at a cost of $44,500.
Kleberg County Commissioners Court voted to continue the county’s support of an anti-drug program for the South Texas Council of Boy Scouts of America with a donation of $10,000.
Lavaca County has received a $6,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for library training and supplies.
Lee County Commissioners Court approved local funding of 10 percent for two bridge projects totaling $974,000. Federal funds will provide 80 percent of funding, and the state will provide 10 percent.
Nueces County Commissioners Court approved the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the courthouse and jail expected to save $500,000 a year in costs for electricity. A state loan is funding the project by Florida-based SunQuest Energy.
Orange County Commissioners Court awarded a contract of $1.4 million to McInnis Construction of Silsbee to construct a new adult probation office.
San Patricio County Commissioners Court voted to begin verifying legal residences of people who receive aid from the county’s indigent health care program and begin the deportation process for people found to be illegally residing in the U.S. The county also received a state grant of $135,000 for border security.
Travis County Commissioners Court approved permits for Crosswater Yacht Club for a parking facility, wastewater system, and 2,000-foot waterline extension. Commissioners also authorized $2.2 million in repairs for a 15-story office building and parking garage purchased last year.
Uvalde County Commissioners Court authorized Hill Country Rivers, previously known as Texas Hill Country River Region, to promote tourism with the 4 percent hotel occupancy tax.
Victoria County is replacing the underground fuel tank system at Victoria Regional Airport with a federal grant of $408,330 and $136,110 from the county budget.
Wharton County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for the developer of a 170-seat Denny’s restaurant in Wharton that expects to employ 50 people.
West Texas
Hemphill County has completed three of its five current capital improvement projects – the library, exhibition center and fire station.
Lamb County has two new tire recycling centers holding about 2,200 passenger car tires each thanks to a grant from the South Plains Association of Governments.
Ochiltree County Commissioners Court voted to waive campground fees for a Courson Archeological Research field school for college students.
Parker County Commissioners Court authorized the expense of $10,500 to fund a fire dispatch center to the end of the fiscal year to improve safety and efficiency.
Parmer County Commissioners Court approved the purchase from Guardian Security Systems of upgrades for courthouse security, including new locks on external and internal doors.
Reeves County Commissioners Court voted to resume registration fees for the county’s recreation programs after one year of free participation.
Scurry County Commissioners Court voted to award a grant of $45,000 to Scurry County Museum.
Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted to contribute $100,000 of county funds to the $1.5 million John F. Kennedy tribute in downtown Fort Worth near the former Hotel Texas where the U.S. president stayed Nov. 21,1963, before his assassination.
Taylor County Commissioner Stan Egger was appointed to a six-year term on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards by Gov. Rick Perry.
Tom Green County Commissioners Court renewed the county’s contract with Shannon Medical Center for a pharmaceutical assistance program for indigent care.
Wheeler County Commissioners Court approved the purchase for $102,430 of a tractor/boom mower from Alamo Industrial of Seguin.
Wilbarger County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Abundant Energy, a wind turbine company that is considering expansion by adding a manufacturing plant in Vernon with 100 employees. H – Compiled by Garner Roberts