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EAGLE LAKE – Members of the Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force are supporting the Texas ChalleNGe Academy with mentorship, life skills advice, and training to students and cadre during their acclimation phase at their campus.
Read moreSheriff Keith Korenek reports that on Wednesday Feb. 3, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Canine Unit, SGT Randy Thumann and K9 partner Kolt, stopped a Volkswagen SUV on Interstate 10 at the 673 mile-marker at approximately 2:13 p.m. for a traffic violation. Thumann was given consent to search the vehicle and deployed his canine Kolt to conduct an exterior sweep of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 10 ink toners new in the box each loaded with methamphetamine. Approximately 58 pounds of meth were discovered with an estimated street value of $2.7 million dollars. The driver Alvaro Barrera,49, of Laredo, was arrested for Felony drug possession and taken to the Dan R. Beck Justice Center.
Read moreColorado County EMS was notified Monday evening that 200 doses of vaccine will be delivered for distribution this week. “Our Sub-Hub Plan has not yet been approved by the state and this allocation came as a surprise. We confirmed that it is separate from and not connected to our Sub Hub Plan submitted for state approval on January 24, 2021,” a statement from county officials stated.
Read moreU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel conducted burns last week near the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Eagle Lake, and the winged and four-legged residents seemed to approve. “The purpose of the burn is to maintain the native prairie in its original condition,” APC Refuge Director John Magera said. Native prairie is what’s known as a “fire-adapted” ecosystem, evolving with frequent wildfires or human (Native American) set fires over centuries. The native grasses and flowering plants have adapted to fire frequencies of every two to five years. Historically, natural fires would have swept for miles across vast tall grass prairies along the Texas coast until they hit a natural fire break like the Colorado or Brazos River, or until they were suppressed by rainfall. Those frequent natural fires also kept the prairies open and free of brush. “The fire stimulates the native grasses much in the same way you stimulate the grass in your lawn to grow when you mow it. The ash from the fire rejuvenates the soil and the burns allow sunlight to reach the surface of the soil, stimulating native flowering plants to germinate and grow,” Magera explained. One other benefit is that grazing animals like bison (now replaced by domestic livestock) will feast on the new shoots sent up by the native grasses. “The new growth that follows these fires - usually within just days following the fire - is preferred by livestock over the less palatable grasses that weren’t burned. It’s not uncommon to see every cow in a pasture grazing within a recent burn within a week of the fire, and they will continue to graze on those burned areas for months.” Courtesy
Read moreCOVID-19 has prompted changes to the imposing of the ash celebrated by the Catholic church for Ash Wednesday. This year, Ash Wednesday is Feb. 17. A directive has been issued by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria to its priests on how Ash Wednesday is to be celebrated.
Read moreAlthough the Fire Marshal’s report was further down on the agenda, it quickly became apparent that this was a hot topic at the Jan. 25 Columbus City Council meeting. Columbus Fire Marshal Brent Gorman gave his report, which included issuing a citation to A Brighter Day Daycare for not installing a Fire Monitoring system inside the daycare.
Read moreThe Colorado County Commissioners court met in regular session on Feb. 8 at the county courthouse. County Judge Ty Prause read a proclamation recognizing the month of February as Black History Month. On hand to accept the reading and the proclamation was Joel Usher, a representative of the African Americans of Colorado County Network.
Read moreAustin County has set its dates of Feb. 12-14 to host its annual Volunteer Firefighters field day training exercises. According to Frank Marcinkiewicz, president of the Austin County Fire Fighters Association, members from Austin, Colorado, and Waller county fire departments will be in active training on various types of fire suppression activities. Field training will include Max Fire Box phase II Burn and Learn where fire behavior and thermal imaging is the objective. The Forcible Entry session will utilize the multi-forcible entry door system. Also on the agenda is Engine Company Operations where teams will practice initial fire attack lines and hose bed layout objectives. The training will be held at the Bellville VFD, Station 1 in Bellville.
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