St. Mark’s Medical Center (SMMC) was named one of the top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals in the United States by the Chards Center for Rural Health.

It’s nomination season once again for this year’s Fayette County Record Readers’ Choice Contest Nominate your favorite places, people, businesses, and events between now and Monday, March 29. Go to www.fayettecounOwcorcicom and click on the contest tab at the top of the page to nominate your favorites.

St. James BBQ The St James Episcopal Men’s Club will hold a barbecue Saturday, March 13 from 11 a.m.

Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst filed a bill last Thursday that would make it possible for Fayette County officials to restrict commercial truck traffic on the Bluff south of La Grange. For years, many local residents have wished for a mandatory truck route that send 18-wheelers around the curvy switchbacks on US 77 south of the Colorado River Bridge.

Samaritans Purse will donate 41 empty lots in the Hope Hill subdivision to the City of La Grange. The La Grange City Council signed a memorandum of agreement with Samaritan’s Purse following an executive session at the City Council meeting Monday night, March 8.

The woman credited with starting the first Round Top Antiques Fair, Emma Lee Turney, died Saturday. She was 92.

Preacher was an unusual nickname for a child, but Lee Mueller wasn’t your average 1940s youngster. His moniker was less a term of endearment than confirmation that his dogged determination and unshakeable beliefs sometimes perplexed his family and friends.

Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek reports that on Wednesday night at around 10:56 p.m. Deputy Orlando Buitron-Solares and Deputy Michael Krenek conducted a traffic stop on a 2015 Nissan Altima on State Hwy. 71 eastbound near Chovanec Rd. in the Ellinger area for a traffic violation.

Carmine Volunteer Fire Department drill night is March 11. The annual meeting with election of officers will be on March 25. New members are welcome. They are in need of persons who can make emergency calls.

Texas teachers are now eligible for the COVID vaccine according to state health officials and Fayette County already has a plan in place to get shots in arms. “We’ve been working on this for quite some time we’ve been working with the school districts to identify their teachers who fall in the 1A and 1B categories and have requested vaccines specifically for those teachers.