Lexington Volunteer EMS Discontinues Services

Lexington Leader

• After many tears, hours of discussion and sleepless nights, members of the Lexington Emergency Medical Service, a volunteer organization, have made the extremely difficult decision to shut their doors. In their letter to the community, Lexington EMS wrote, “It is with regretful hearts that we, The Lexington Volunteer Emergency Medical Service (LVEMS), inform you that we have to discontinue the services of the LVEMS. This unfortunately has to occur because we do not have the personnel to participate in this service to our community. You will still be able to receive emergency care through Lee County EMS. And remember that there are a few first responders in the local area that will assist your medical needs.”

New Ulm Enterprise

• The New Ulm Enterprise announced that back issues of The Enterprise, dating back to 1910, are now searchable on the Portal to Texas (texashistory.unt. edu) thanks to a grant from the Tocker Foundation. Nesbitt Memorial Library of Columbus applied for this grant and The Enterprise and library are so very grateful for their generosity.

The Banner-Press

• This year’s second summer swimmer drowned in Lake Somerville on July 18. According to a news release, the Burleson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the water near Birch Creek State Park about 7 p.m. after receiving a missing person report. “According to a witness, a group of individuals were on a board several hundred yards from the shoreline,” the sheriff’s office said in its release. “One of the individuals was swimming near the boat and was seen going underwater but she did not resurface.” First responders and police searched the area all night Saturday until 4 a.m. Sunday, then resumed the search once the sun came back up. Eventually they found the missing swimmer on Sunday. “At 12:15 p.m. the body of the missing swimmer was recovered in close proximity where she was last seen,” the sheriff’s release said. “Her body has been transported to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Austin where an autopsy will be performed.” She has been identified as 30-year-old Olivia Paige Sweeney of Bryan.

Giddings Times & News

• Tana Jean Sunderhuse, 22, and her fiance, Bradley Harris, 25, both from Milano, along with their daughters, one-year old Adlee and two-year-old Abree, escaped serious injuries when their Jeep Grand Cherokee was struck from behind by a pickup at the Extreme Car Wash in downtown Giddings on July 20 at 2:15 p.m. After hitting the back of the Jeep, the pickup pulling a trailer driven by 21-yearold Alberto Amparo-Alvarado of Houston then careened into a parked pickup pulling a boat that was being washed under one of the bays. The Jeep ended up crashing through a chain link fence at a resident’s backyard, then flipped on its top with extensive damage. The two girls escaped without a scratch. Sunderhuse’s left leg had road burn and was very badly bruised and Harris had a few minor glass cuts. Witnesses report that Amparo-Alvarado was traveling at a high rate of speed. Gus Bob Horne, the owner of the parked pickup pulling a boat, barely escaped injury as the two vehicles crashed into his pickup. His truck sustained substantial damage, along with minor damage to the boat.

The Colorado County Citizen

• Large vacation time payouts received by some City of Eagle Lake employees was a topic of major discussion at the July 14 Eagle city council meeting. City Administrator Melissa Landin advised council members that some city employees have accrued hundreds of hours over the maximum in vacation time and several employees received payouts for their vacation time when they left their positions with the city. One former employee received close to $20,000 in vacation time payout. Several councilmen were shocked to discover this and said that former city manager Gary Broz issued a memo in October 2018 to all city employees advising them that vacation time caps would be enforced. Vacation accrual is tiered for city employees by years of employment. The exact amount paid out to city employees was not disclosed. Following discussion, the council decided to reinforce the October 2018 memo from Broz, adjusting employee vacation hours from that date forward and prohibiting the accrual of vacation hours beyond the established maximum. The issue remains under review.

The Bastrop Advertiser

• On July 21 Bastrop County issued a health authority order prohibiting in-person instruction at all school districts within the county until Sept. 7, amid the coronavirus pandemic, and has directed the districts to implement a plan to slowly allow students, teachers and staff to return to the classroom. The Bastrop and Smithville school districts have announced that all students will participate in virtual learning through Sept. 7. The Elgin school district announced that students may return to in-person classes Sept. 21. The McDade school district has not yet announced its school reopening plan. The order spells out four stages in the school reopening process that will move forward so long as there is a decrease in the ratio of positive cases of COVID-19 in Bastrop County. Stage One restrictions prohibit in-person instruction until Sept. 7 though students and teachers may participate in unlimited virtual classes, activities and events. Stage Two allows for up to 50% of on-campus student capacity with small in-person classes, activities and events. Students will be expected to stay together with the same teacher throughout the school day when possible and will remain six feet apart. Stage Three calls for 75% on-campus student capacity and allows larger in-person classes, activities and events. The students will be expected to stay together with the same teacher throughout the school day when possible and will remain six feet apart. Stage Four allows for a full return to in-person instruction with no required social distancing and students will be allowed to mix between classes and activities.