Lexington’s Snow’s BBQ to Be Featured on Netflix Documentary

• Lexington’s Snow’s BBQ pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz will be featured in the new season of Netflix’s critically acclaimed documentary food series “Chef’s Table.” Tomanetz has worked the pits with owner Kerry Bexley since 2003. The restaurant has received critical acclaim from the likes of Southern Living, which ranked it the No. 2 barbecue joint in the south and Texas Monthly, which gave it the No. 1 spot in Texas. The 85-year-old Tomanetz is a two-time James Beard semifinalist and was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2018. “Chef’s Table: BBQ” begins streaming Sept. 2 on Netflix.

Yoakum Herald-Times

• After swerving to miss a cow in the roadway, Ehren Nevada Cretors, a 43-year-old of Yoakum man, was flown to an Austin hospital after he flipped his truck multiple times and was ejected from the vehicle on August 7. Cretors was driving east along State Highway 111 near Yoakum at around 5 a.m. when he swerved his 2006 Ford Ranger. He was not wearing a seatbelt and he was listed in serious condition later that day.

Burleson County Tribune

• Three former mayors and two current members of the city council are among 115 Somerville residents who have signed a petition to recall Mayor Micheal Bradford. The petition states that Bradford “has abused his powers by showing disrespect towards city staff and citizens of Somerville” and that Bradford, “is very disrespectful, demanding and belittles city officials.” The petition also reads that the people of the city “reserve the power to recall any member of council or mayor with 10 percent signature of voting majority,” citing City Article II, Section 6 of the Texas Election Code 277.0021. Members of the city staff are researching to determine whether his removal from office is legally possible. Bradford says he learned of the petition last Friday and said, “I didn’t give it a moment of thought as there is no recall for Type A general law cities in Texas.” He said he was saddened that those signing didn’t take time to Google the law would put in this much effort. Regarding the criticisms in the petition, Bradford said he was not certain where they originated.

• Douglas Adelin Portillo-Funes, 27-year-old of Honduras, died after going missing on Lake Somerville Sunday. Portillo-Funes was found by game wardens around 10:35 a.m. on Monday. He had been reported missing just before 9:00 p.m. Sunday. Family members told law enforcement he was swimming and never resurfaced. The Burleson County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife, park rangers, and the Somerville Volunteer Fire Department all responded to search for Portillo-Funes. The search was paused overnight when severe weather moved through but resumed Monday morning. Authorities said the body will be sent to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The Smithville Times

• The much-anticipated reconstruction of the Fourth Avenue bridge over Gazley Creek is now complete and the bridge is officially open to traffic. The original structure was closed last November after several flooding events damaged the bridge and made it unsafe for travel. “This project included demolishing the old bridge and constructing an entirely new one, and doing it in just under three short months,” said TxDOT Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson. Built in 1936, the bridge suffered damage over the years from multiple flooding events, including Hurricane Harvey. The bridge was demolished in May. TxDOT worked with the City of Smithville to enter the structure into the off-system bridge program. Category 6 bridge funding was used to pay for the $1.3 million project. The new structure is 34- feet wide with two travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders.