Fayette County Judge Dan Mueller presided over his first Commissioners Court meeting last Thursday morning, Jan. 12.

A man accused of brutally beating his wife left the Fayette County Courthouse during his trial last week and never returned. That didn’t stop the jury from finding him guilty and sentencing the man, 40-year-old Darren Houston of Austin, to 60 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the crime of assault family violence enhanced.

The La Grange Roadrunners Square Dance Club is opening the doors on Jan. 17 and again on Jan. 24 for new dancers to come visit and see if they can learn to square dance. This is “Fun Nights’’ where the club gets to introduce new people to the fun of square dancing. Square dancing is enjoyed by all ages. It is great exercise for the brain, memory and coordination. Classes will be held from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Once classes begin, plan on being there each Tuesday for twenty weeks. Square dancing in held at the Randolph Recreation Center located at 653 E. Pearl St. in La-Grange.

Schulenburg Volunteer Fire Department put out a barn fire on Friday, Jan. 13, at the old Clifford Besetsny place just north of Schulenburg on US 77.

The La Grange Optimist Club has served the youth of La Grange through scholarships and sports for the past 42 years. It began on July 9, 1980, as a sports club offering only soccer. Now, they offer various sports programs for students from preschool age to middle school in addition to a few scholarship opportunities for high school students. Over the years, the club has become an integral part of the community.

Steve Shultz’s Texas Atmospheres opens at Arts for Rural Texas on Saturday, January 14. The artist is not from Fayetteville, but you would never know it. This Rhode Island resident wholeheartedly adopted Fayetteville as his new hometown. Inspired by the region, he has spent the last year painting and documenting the many images and experiences he has had. The exhibition of Steve Schultz’s work, Texas Atmospheres, captures the beauty and exquisite power of the grand Texas skies along with the charm of historical buildings and the rural countryside.

In this monthly series, local realtor Andrea Schutter Riebeling does a Q & A with local business leaders about what inspires them. This month’s spotlight is on Round Top’s Morgan Tindall.

It’s that time of year when love is in the air and the annual Valentine’s Library Benefit Concert for Round Top Festival Institute is happening. This year it will be The Art of the American Song: A Tribute to Dick Smith. The concert starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 11, benefits the Festival Institute’s Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Library and Study Center. Tickets can be purchased online at www.festivalhill.org or by calling the Festival office at (979) 249-3129.

Larry and Carolyn Bartosh celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Jan. 7.

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