Burton ISD Moves to Virtual Education Only
The Brenham Banner-Press
• Burton ISD closed its schools on Nov. 10 after COVID-19 exposures occurred throughout the district. With the number of cases yet to be known, the district is transitioning to virtual education until after Thanksgiving break. The district sent a letter to parents on the evening of Nov. 9 stating the closure was “out of the abundance of caution” after discovering multiple students had been exposed. Students will return to campus on Nov. 30.
The Examiner
• A suspect identified as Dontrell Richardson, age 24 from Navasota, was arrested for a shooting that occurred on Nov. 5. Navasota Police responded to a report of shots fired on the 700 block of West Virginia St near a housing complex. While officers were driving to the scene, a witness described the shooter and stated he was fleeing the scene in a red pickup truck. The truck was located on the 300 block of E. Blackshear St and officers conducted a felony traffic stop. While giving commands to the occupants of the truck Roosevelt Ellis, age 50 from Navasota, began yelling at officers loudly enough that his voice overshadowed the commands they attempted to relay to the occupants. Ellis ignored warnings from officers and was arrested for interfering with police duties. Richardson, a passenger, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A search warrant was executed for a residence on the 700 block of West Virginia St and narcotics and other evidence related to the investigation was seized.
Burleson County Tribune
• Some residents along County Road 231 complained to Burleson County commissioners on Nov. 9 about noise and traffic concerns at a weekend celebration that occurred nearby. The event called H-Town Takeover was held on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7 and featured live music and deejays and included motorists on four-wheelers and in trucks and trailers, said Eric Hicks, the landowner who hosted the event. Hicks insisted that the event was legal and no laws were broken. The event is meant as a fundraiser for various trail riding groups in the area and benefits needy families and children. However, residents living nearby told the commissioners they were concerned. During the event, a girl was injured on a vehicle and was flown by helicopter to a hospital, however the helicopter had trouble finding a place to land. The number of people from out of town and state was concerning as well. There were about 1,500 people on Friday and about 2,400 on Saturday. Hicks said the proper county officials were notified in advance.
• The Somerville ISD has shut down its campuses for inperson learning and will engage in virtual learning only until Nov. 30. The move was made Monday due to a recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases. The district reports 41 people are in quarantine after following all contact tracing protocols. Staff will also be denied access to the building during the twoweek closure. All extracurricular activities have been cancelled through the end of the month as well.
The Shiner Gazette
• A record turnout of voters in this year’s 2020 election, picked Mark Myers as the Lavaca County Judge. Out of the 13, 701 registered voters in the county, 10, 240 (74.74 percent) participated in this year’s election and gave Myers 6,019 (60.77 percent) of the votes in defeating Doug Kubicek (DEM), who collected 39.23 (3,886) percent of the votes. Myers will take over the expired term of former county judge Tramer Woytek, who resigned in Feb. to take a position with the Texas Association of Counties. The unexpired term ends in 2022.
• Voters in the Shiner public school district approved the school’s proposed bond project 1,120 to 840 votes in the general election. Passage of the school bond will make it possible for school administrators to shift much of the school’s debt burden over to the Interest and Sinking portion of its budget, allowing them to free up dollars within their Maintenance and Operations budget to focus on school programs. Superintendent Alex Remschel said this move will help Shiner ISD ensure that our students and staff have all the resources needed to provide the best educational experience possible.
• The Lavaca County Rescue Service, which has held that name for a long time, was renamed at the Commissioners’ Court on Nov. 9 and will be called the Lavaca County EMS. In the resolution for changing the name it read the Lavaca Rescue Service has been the primary emergency medical provider for Lavaca County since 1973. It no longer provides rescue services, but rather emergency medical services.