Eagle Lake Police Chief Reports Missing Funds
The Colorado County Citizen
• An investigation by the Texas Rangers into the Eagle Lake Police Department could soon be underway. During the Jan. 26 Eagle Lake City Council meeting, interim Eagle Lake Police Chief Federico Garza stated he had been in contact with the Texas Rangers regarding missing funds for the department.
The Weimar Mercury
• Weimar Coach Douglas “Doug” Johnson lost his battle with COVID-19 on Feb.1. He started his career with Weimar ISD in 2008. Weimar High School and Junior High Principal Stacy Heger said Coach Johnson was a remarkable teacher whose passion for education far surpassed normality. His love for history will forever live on in the memory of his students, both past and present. Whether on the football field, the track, or the basketball court, his love and dedication for the students of Weimar Junior High and Weimar High School was truly evident.
Giddings Times & News
• Plans for construction of a new building for the Lee County Youth Center have been announced. Phase One of the new structure, which will be built at Simmang Park in northwest Giddings, will include a large auditorium and stage, three classrooms, a modern commercial kitchen, and large bathroom facilities. Over half a million dollars has already been received or pledged for the actual structure and architectural plans are being drawn up for the building. For 10 years the Lee County Youth Center was housed in the old, abandoned elementary school in Industry. But in 2019 it became apparent that the mold, asbestos, and deterioration of the facility required a new building. Other organizations who also used the building needed a new facility too so a multi-purpose center called The Donna Orsag Center for Excellence was proposed.
The Bastrop Advertiser
• The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office is sending a warning to the public about phone extortion scams after making an arrest in a robbery case. On Feb. 3, the Sheriff’s Office said this case began when it received a call from a victim who said the alleged extortionist was threatening to have her deported if she didn’t pay up. The victim, who is from another country, was attending college in Arizona. After being threatened with deportation, Sheriff Maurice Cook said the victim complied and sent $32,000 in cash via FedEx to a pickup location in Bastrop County. After reflecting on her decision, she decided to call the authorities and learned she had been scammed. She then tracked the package and learned it was due for delivery in about 15 minutes. The victim called the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, which then sent a nearby unit to the store where the package was set to be delivered. The victim’s package and $32,000 was recovered, and officials learned another delivery was awaiting pickup by the same person. Officials then set up surveillance at the store and, a short time later, a woman was arrested when she showed up to claim the packages with a fake, out-of-state driver’s license. The suspect was identified as Myisha Carter, 31, of Houston. She was booked into the Bastrop County Jail and charged with two counts of robbery since there was a threat conveyed during the course of the theft. Her bond was set at $1.5 million. Carter was also on pre-trial diversion on a federal charge out of Houston regarding a similar theft scheme. Sheriff Cook said a search warrant was executed on the suspect’s vehicle, which yielded about $100,000 in cash stashed under the front seat of her vehicle.
The Bellville Times
• There was major damage but no injuries on Feb. 3 after a vehicle drove into the Bellville Post Office in Austin County. A 46-year-old woman accidentally lost control of the vehicle and hit the front of the building, according to Bellville Police Lt. Jason Smalley. “She was the only occupant of the vehicle and she was not injured,” said. Lt. Smalley. “No one else was in the area of the crash, so no others were injured.” Officials with the Bellville Post Office say they will be open for full services Thursday.