Our Most Read Online Stories of 2022
This week we looked back at some of the most-read stories of 2022 that appeared in the Fayette County Record. Listed below are the top 10. We ranked the stories based on the number of views on our website, fayettecountyrecord.com.
No. 1 – March 1 – Election Night Results from the 2022 Primary (9,668 views)
The Republican Primary in March attracted lots of attention due to several important local elections, especially the four-way race for Fayette County Judge that went to a runoff. Dan Mueller was eventually elected Fayette County Judge. Also on the ballot were races for Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace and Pct. 4 Commissioner.
No. 2 – January 13 – Three Die in Crash Outside La Grange (8,782 views) Three young men from Louisiana and Houston died in a horrific wreck on SH 71 near Airport Rd. West of La Grange. The wreck happened after their vehicle veered into a turning lane and slammed into the back of a stopped 18-wheeler. The bodies could not be immediately identified because they were burned so badly.
No. 3 – May 3 – Schulenburg Cold Case Involving Child Actress Getting New Life (5,649 views)
A child actress who grew up in Schulenburg disappeared in 1963, and now her niece wants to find out what happened to her. Lora Lee Michel was born in Schulenburg on Sept. 13, 1940. Her birth mother left her family, and her father put her up for adoption. Schulenburg cotton buyer Otto Michel adopted her. She went on to become a Hollywood child star, but she disappeared following some trouble with the law as a teenager. If alive, she would have been 80 last year. Lora Lee’s niece, Leslie Hannah of San Antonio wants to find out what happened to her.
No. 4 – May 24 – Primary Runoff Election Night Results (4,257 views)
The Republican Primary Runoff Election took place on May 24. Lots of folks stayed up late to watch the results come in, with Dan Mueller defeating Craig Moreau in the Fayette County Judge Race.
No. 5 – August 11 – Rogers Decommits from A&M (3,526 views)
La Grange’s star football player Bravion Rogers was one of the top defensive back recruits in the nation this year. Rogers verbally accepted a scholarship offer from Texas A&M in April of last year. Rogers attracted a lot of attention in August when he briefly decommitted from A&M to explore other options. He ultimately stuck with the Aggies and officially signed with A&M last month.
No. 6 – January 27 – County Mourns The Passing of Longtime Doctor (2,981 views)
The La Grange community mourned the life of a beloved local doctor who treated generations of local residents. Dr. Bill Nolen, 78, died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. He first opened his clinic in La Grange in July 1976 and for nearly half a century was the doctor for thousands of Fayette County residents. Many of those patients shared tributes to him online, with a common theme being he was more than a physician but also a close friend, with an encyclopedic knowledge of not only people’s medical histories, but also their personal interests and families.
No. 7 – January 20 – Two Die in Head-On Collision on Highway 77 (2,803 views)
Two women died and another man remains in critical condition following a head-on collision on US 77 near Rabbs Prairie on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. The wreck happened around 11:39 a.m. on Hwy. 77 near Rabbs Prairie Rd., according to a report from Trooper Josh Berger of the Texas Highway Patrol. Berger said a 2019 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 heading south on US 77 crossed the center line and struck a 2020 Ford Expedition that was heading north. The two vehicles collided driver-side to driver-side, Berger said. The Expedition went into the ditch on the east side of the road where it caught fire and burned. Two women from Louise, ages 30 and 63, died at the scene.
No. 8 – November 7 – Locals Buy Historic Hall (2,035 views)
A trio of Schulenburg businessmen purchased the historic Freyburg Hall in Southern Fayette County. Cale Kobza, who grew up near the hall, along with brothers Chip and Colton Bubela of Schulenburg, announced last week that they bought the century-old country hall from the Pettit family of Schulenburg.The new owners plan to renovate the dancehall, which was built by the Sons of Hermann in 1912, with a reopening tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2023.
No. 9 – July 21 – St. Rose Priest Removed, Bishop Explains (2,007 views)
The Diocese of Victoria removed the pastor at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Schulenburg and its mission churches over a personal matter involving a “conflict with his priestly life,” according to Bishop Brendan Cahill. The Bishop delivered the news to parishioners at Mass on Sunday morning, July 17.
No. 10 – February 24 – Polasek Found Guilty of Murder in Death of Logan Atkins (1,747 views) A Fayette County jury found Billy Polasek guilty of murder for the July 4, 2016 death of seven-month-old Logan Atkins. They sentenced him to life in prison plus a $10,000 fine. He will be eligible for parole after serving at least 30 years, prosecutors said. Polasek’s history of drug use played a major part in the jury’s decision to hand down the maximum sentence. His team of defense lawyers argued throughout the trial that Atkins death was the result of an accident that occured while Polasek was bathing him in a water trough. The prosecution maintained throughout the trial that Polasek caused the blunt force trauma that killed Atkins. Polasek dodged the more serious charge of capital murder. He would not have faced the death penalty, however. Prosecutors previously announced they would not seek the death penalty.