Mask Mandate Back in Washington County
The Brenham Banner Press
Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, Washington County is no longer currently eligible to opt-out of the state’s mask mandate. Washington County Judge John Durrenberger said the county was below the threshold when the exemption was applied for and the state-approved it on Oct. 30. On Nov. 1 the county reported having an estimated 35 active cases and cases have only been increasing ever since.
Brenham firefighters were called out on Nov. 12 just after 7:30 p.m. to a call of smoke coming from a local retirement home. The department was dispatched to Kruse Village in the 1700 block of E. Stone for smoke inside a unit. They found an air handler motor had burned out, causing the unit to lock up and fill the kitchen and dining room with smoke. The department removed the smoke from the home and turned the power off to the unit. There was no smoke damage.
TxDOT will hold a virtual public meeting on Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. to receive input on proposed improvements to the U.S. 290 cloverleaf interchange. The proposed project would improve safety, reduce congestion, maintain connectivity, and improve mobility to one of the busiest interchanges in Washington County. To log onto the meeting, go to www.txdot.gov and type “US 290/SH 36” into the keyword search. The virtual meeting will remain available online through Dec. 4.
Giddings Times & News
A search was started by local deputies and firefighters after a 13-year-old girl went missing on Nov. 3 with her dog from a residence in the Tanglewood area. Melody Reyes, the girl’s grandmother, called the sheriff’s office to report her granddaughter was last seen at 5:30 p.m. with a bunny suit/backpack and a small brown dog. Tanglewood firefighters set up a command post at the intersection of CR 345 and CR 351, which was the last known location of the juvenile. The area and neighboring areas were searched on foot and barns, buildings, and brushes were searched as well. The grandmother stated the juvenile has a history of mental issues, including depression. Search efforts were seized a couple of hours later. The girl had apparently hitched a ride with someone, then later called her grandmother later night to come to pick her up.
Giddings has a new stoplight, the sixth one for the town on busy Hwy. 290. Actually, it’s replacing a blinking caution traffic light on 290 E. at the Cefco Convenience Store and Truck Stop and across from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative. County Judge Paul Fischer said the county has been trying to change the blinker light into a stoplight ever since it was first installed less than two years ago. There were reports of “close calls”, a number of major and minor accidents and 18-wheelers were having a hard time turning or pulling out of the truck stop because of the heavy, fast-moving traffic.
Burleson County Tribune
A Burleson County man accused in the 2019 shooting death of an Arkansas man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Michael Leonard McFarlane, 36-year-old of Cade Lake, west of Caldwell, was sentenced on Nov. 9 as part of a plea agreement with the Burleson County Attorney’s Office for the death of 36-year-old Zachary Rockwell. McFarlane received 35 years for a first-degree murder charge, 20 years for a second-degree charge of tampering with/or fabricating evidence, and 10 years for a third-degree charge of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. McFarlane pleaded guilty to all three charges on Sept. 14 and will serve the sentences concurrently. McFarlane was indicted on the murder and tampering charges in Dec. 2019 after being arrested in July 2019. The indictments accused him of shooting Rockwell with a handgun, burying his body in a hidden grave, and trying to get rid of evidence at the scene. The final autopsy showed a gunshot wound to the head as the cause of death. Rockwell’s body was found July 9, 2019, at Cade Lake, after being reported missing two days prior by family members. Investigators said Rockwell’s family last saw him on May 27, 2019. McFarlane, who had been free on a $270,000 bond, must serve half his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
The Banner-Press (Columbus)
On Nov. 6 Columbus ISD renamed Memorial Stadium as Massey Memorial Stadium to honor the financial contributions of John H. and Elizabeth Anne Shatto Massey. John Massey was presented an aerial photo of the stadium.