Couple Shot and Killed in Shiner

The Shiner Gazette

A couple was found deceased in their home on Tuesday, July 11, from gunshot wounds. The couple, Earl Hailey, 52, and Anna Marie Hailey had three children, one of which was discovered to be in the residence at the time of the crime. As of Tuesday, July 20 the children have not been interviewed and the case was still under investigation as police officers work to determine what or who the cause of the shooting was.

Giddings Times & News

The City of Giddings recently entered Stage 2 water restrictions following the removal of one of the city’s water well pumps from mainline pumping. Landscape watering has been limited to the hours of either 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. for evening watering or 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. for morning watering, and only Thursday through Sunday.

The Brenham Banner Press

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, Brenham-area citizens scheduled a “town hall” meeting with members of the Brenham ISD board of trustees after concerns about transparency and other issues arose. The purpose of the meeting is to create a dialogue between the community and trustee members about Brenham ISD’s transparency, safety and security, discipline, and testing and grading.

Washington County Sheriff Otto Hanak has announced that he will not be seeking another term as the County’s sheriff after serving for three previous terms. Hanak’s law enforcement career will be coming to an end after a 45year run, with 26 of those served in Washington County as a Texas Ranger, DA Investigator and Sheriff.

The Colorado County Citizen

Colorado County is currently under a emergencyissued burn ban, including all outdoor burning, as well as outdoor cigarette/cigar smoking unless ashes are deposited into appropriate receptacles. According to the declaration signed by County Judge Ty Praus, “due to the lack of rainfall and forecasted dry wind conditions, outdoor burning has become a public safety hazard which could threaten life and property in Colorado County.”

Lexington Leader

Lexington ISD has been recognized by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar as the most recent local government entity to achieve certain transparency goals within the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars Program. They earned a star for their efforts in making their spending and revenue information more available to the public.

Yoakum Herald-Times

Lavaca County fire departments have formed an association as a way to improve collaborative efforts and mutual aid between all the fire departments, in addition to being able to have one united voice in making recommendations to the Lavaca County Commissioners’ Court. A resolution was approved at a Commissioners’ Court meeting to recognize the creation of the Lavaca County Fire Association, which is comprised of the Hallettsville, Shiner, Sweet Home and Moulton Volunteer Fire Departments and the Yoakum Fire Department.

The Gonzalez Inquirer

A second Gonzalez fire station is now in the works as the drought index continues to rise. Plans for the station were presented to the Gonzalez City Council at their July 13 meeting. Approval for the station was not voted on at the meeting, as it wasn’t an action item, but it is under consideration by the Council.

Hallettsville Tribune-Herald

A burn ban is currently in effect for Lavaca County after having received little to no rainfall within the past two months. According to the Tribune-Herald, the county had a total of 0.37 inches of rainfall in the month of June. And, with moisture levels dropping, the drought index continues to rise.

Burleson County Tribune

Private Road 4024 saw a 10-acre fire spread across one of its pastures on Monday, July 17. Area firefighters quickly battled the fire and were able to bring it to a stop without any injuries or heat exhaustion. In part due to ever-rising temperatures, Burleson County has seen quite a few pasture fires recently, including a smaller 6-acre fire in Somerville.

The Bellville Times

The board of the Bellville Economic Development Corporation approved two performance agreements and a partial grant payment at its regular meeting on July 6. The performance agreements are with PNB Holdings LLC and Sanders Veterinary Services, who both received approval for grants in a previous meeting for renovations of local businesses and improvement of pet grooming services, respectively. The partial grant was approved for Bellville Pickleball, so that additional courts could be constructed near already-standing ones at Zeiske Park.

The Navasota Examiner

Concerns regarding Navasota ISD’s school discipline have been raised following the passing of House Bill 114. The bill mandates that students caught with vapes on or within 300 feet of school property should be removed from classes and sent to a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP). At Navasota ISD’s school board meeting on July 17, Asst. Superintendent Tracy Stone provided information regarding the bill and began discussion about what it could possibly mean for the school’s disciplinary action