Last week, I got to spend a few hours in the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center. This is where your emergency and non-emergency calls are taken and then dispatched out to first responders. All I can say is ‘wow!’ My reason for taking the time to learn more about Fayette County’s dispatchers was two pronged. First, to share the firefighter’s side of a call and second, to gain insight on the dispatcher’s side and hopefully creating a stronger collaboration between the two sides of the radio. Many people do no not understand that when first responders get in a bind, our lifeline are these dedicated, often times underappreciated telecommunicators.

The Fayette County Firefighters Association reports the following number of incidents from Dec. 18-24: MEDICAL - 8 STRUCTURE FIRE - 1 GRASS FIRES - 2 VEHICLE FIRE - 1 SMOKE REPORT - 1 GAS LEAK/ODOR - 1 ELECTRICAL FIRE - 1

NBC Nightly News aired a segment Monday night, Dec. 19, about the scarcity of electric vehicle charging stations in the nation, and Fayette County appeared in the broadcast.

Most of the residents of Fayette County consider themselves fortunate to be living in a place noted not only for its beauty, but also for its heritage and history. Fayette County and its residents can claim many “firsts,” giving it a unique distinction that sets it apart from other counties in the state. Some of these “firsts,” as well as other notable facts are listed below: In 1814, Aylett C. Buckner and companion, Peter Powell, squatted on what is now Fayette County land, becoming the first documented Anglo settlers.

Week Ending Dec. 23 Week’s high Dec.

Local funeral homes never set out to provide transportation for those injured in accidents or residents needing rides to and from the hospital. They began providing this service because they had the only fully enclosed vehicles capable of transporting people in a prone position at one time.

PERMITTING OFFICE – Amber Hielscher, Floodplain Manager During 2022, Fayette County Floodplain Manager approved 146 Residential, 39 Non-Residential and 31 Oil and Gas Development Permit Applications for a total of $13,940.00. The Permitting Office also took in 14 applications to Lay Temporary Water Lines in Right of Way Permits for a total of $27,500.00 and 13 applications for Road Bore “Crossing” Permits for a total of $17,390.00.

St. Mark’s Medical Center (St. Mark’s) has successfully met the requirements for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating compliance with Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) Standards and the Conditions of Participation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This recognition reflects the hospital’s continuous commitment to safety and quality patient care. St. Mark’s is among approximately 50 hospitals in Texas and 200 in the US, to earn the recognition. Accreditation is based on results of an unannounced, rigorous onsite assessment. The CIHQ accreditation team visited St. Mark’s for two days in November, and toured the hospital, reviewed medical records, observed care practices, and interviewed staff and patients.