Lifestyle

   Solutions to Matagorda County emergency response dispatch problems were proposed by fire chiefs, police chiefs, EMS coordinators and county officials at a dispatch workshop Friday morning, Sept. 7.
   “Coordination is crucial here – if we all coordinate and communicate,” County Judge Nate McDonald said.
   McDonald organized the workshop in the wake of recent complaints about dropped or misdirected calls in the county’s network of emergency communications involving police, sheriff’s office and EMS operations.
   “How does that happen?” the judge asked.
   “One of our biggest duties is to protect those who work for us.”
   There were 35 people – including most county fire chiefs, police chiefs, EMS officials and Sheriff Skipper Osborne - at the courthouse workshop and McDonald worked to get responses from most of those attending. 
   McDonald also had several county department heads present to help work on possible solutions.

   South Texas Project “is a very well-run nuclear power plant,” NRC Resident Inspector Fred Sanchez told a group of community leaders at a First Friday meeting last Friday, Sept. 7.
   Addressing the results of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) annual assessment, Sanchez said the baseline inspection put STP in the best possible performance category.
   What violations there were, they were “very insignificant,” said Sanchez, the nuclear plant’s resident inspector since 2013.
   “This is a very open” environment, he told the group, that included STP President and CEO Tim Powell and Al Capristo, STP Chief Administrative Officer.
   The NRC assessment of Units 1 and 2 determines “how well STP is performing,” Sanchez said. 

  Environmental nuisance suits were authorized against three property owners by the Matagorda County Commissioners Court at its regular meeting Monday, Sept. 10. 
   County Attorney Denise Fortenberry asked the court to authorize her to file suit to abate nuisance conditions at the three sites that have, in some cases, involved more than one county department.
   One of the properties, in Matagorda, is in worse condition than the photos that Fortenberry gave to the court, Precinct 2 Commissioner Kent Pollard said.
   “It’s much worse than the pictures and they keep bringing more and more” to the property at 296 Lewis Street, Pollard said.
   The property contains a wide accumulation of trailers, vehicles and other items, commissioners were told.
   “It’s a nasty location,” Sheriff Skipper Osborne said about the property owned by Cynthia Auzston.

   J. Warren Robicheaux, a senior administrator with an East Texas healthcare system, was appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by Matagorda County Hospital District’s Board of Managers last week.
   Robicheaux, FACHE, comes to Matagorda County after 13 years of service to the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System (ETMC), with 11 of those years being in a CEO or Senior Administrator role. 
   “Mr. Robicheaux’s list of accomplishments range from physician recruitment and building new clinical service lines to leading significant improvements that resulted in the Texas Medical Foundation Health Quality Institute’s Commitment to Quality and Excellence Award,” said Mike Muecke, MCHD Board of Managers chairman.
   “These verified accomplishments plus his excellent reputation and remarkable knowledge of the healthcare industry made him an outstanding choice for the CEO position.” 

   Bay City Tourism Council members are working on approving an action plan for the location of the Joe Deloach statue.
   “The statue looks amazing,” said Bay City Tourism Director Heidi Martinez.
   “We’ve been tasked with choosing the statue’s location and picking the granite etching. We’d really love to get this downtown since we’re getting some seating around the base, too. We always need more seating downtown.”
   Martinez showed a mock-up bronze statue to the board so they knew what to expect.
   “The real statue will be about eight feet tall and cast in full bronze,” she added.
   “The base is projected to cost $12,000 so that we can have some seating around it. We want it to be located on the business-side of downtown, not the courthouse side.”
   Several options were mentioned including in front of the Matagorda County Museum and the corner of Ave. G and Sixth St. before the discussion was sent to the arts sub-committee.

   For the first time ever, the Bay City Lions Club is partnering with the Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Association to host a Christian concert starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 at the indoor rodeo arena.
   Presale tickets are $12 per person for adults and children ages 11 and up.
   Youth tickets are $5 for children ages 5-10.
   Prices go up at the door with youth tickets being $8 and adult and 11 years and up increasing to $18.
   VIP tables with seating for eight are available for $500 each in limited quantities.
   Tickets are available at Bay City Feed, Wild Bill’s Western Wear, Prosperity Bank, the fair office, Matagorda County Credit Union, all Lions Club members, Custom Auto Refinishers, Green Bros. Jewelers and online at Out House Tickets.
   Katy natives “Kist by Grace” open the stage for headliner Grammy Award-winning Jason Crabb.               

   Even in its first week at theaters “The Nun” is breaking records within its own franchise and leading the box office worldwide at just over $133 million.
   The Nun is a spin-off of 2016’s The Conjuring 2, and the fifth installment in The Conjuring Universe.
   And while you don’t need to have seen the other Conjuring films, it helps you understand the plot a bit more – especially since the “nun” factors into all five films at one point or another, either in the background.
   The film mainly stars Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, and Jonas Bloquet.
   In 1952 Romania, two nuns living at the Cârța Monastery are attacked by an unseen demonic presence. 
   The surviving nun, Sister Victoria, flees from the attacker and hangs herself by jumping out a window. 
   Her body is discovered soon after by Frenchie (Bloquet), a man tasked with transporting supplies to the nuns.

   Downtown Bay City will be filled with fun, food and music Sunday, Sept. 23, for the Heritage Festival of the Americas Celebration.
   The festival, which will run from 1-6 p.m. that day, is a celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month featuring South, Central and North American inspired food, drinks and entertainment.
   Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Matachines dancers will lead the way with authentic Mexican Folklorico dance.
   Next, the Wharton County Junior College Jazz Band will perform a Latin Swing concert. They will play a selection of fast-paced rhythms that will have the crowd on their feet.
   To wrap up the day’s entertainment, the Danza Azteca dancers from the Church of the Holy Ghost in southwest Houston will bring their group of colorfully dressed and feathered dancers to the streets of Bay City.

   Bay City High School Blackcats will play a Gregory-Portland squad that’s 2-0 and fresh off a 26-22 win over Victoria East last Friday.
   Kickoff will be 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at Ray Akins Wildcat Stadium, 4601 Wildcat Dr., in Portland.
   The District 15-5A-2 Wildcats started off the season with a 19-0 victory over Corpus Christi Carroll.
   Gregory-Portland is guided by senior quarterback Brian Hayek, who has thrown for 288 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in two games.
   The Wildcats’ leading rusher is junior running back Joe Sauceda who has 218 yards on the ground – a 109-yard average – and four touchdowns in G-P’s first two games. 
   Among the Wildcats he’s by far had most of the ball carrying.
   While Hayek isn’t a prolific passer, he’s hit six receivers who have double-digit catches.  

   VAN VLECK – The Van Vleck Leopards used a stingy defense and timely offensive plays to defeat the Wheatley Wildcats 21-6 here Friday night, Sept. 7.
   With the win, Van Vleck moves to 2-0 on the season.
   “I was happy to get the win after a wild week,” said Leopard Head Coach Robert Blackmon. 
   “We didn’t get much practice in due to the holiday and weather, and it showed at times. But the kids held up and stayed after it, especially in the second half. It just proves how important practice is,” Blackmon commented.
   The Leopards wasted no time breaking in their new upgraded stadium by scoring on their first drive. 
   Van Vleck took the opening kickoff from their own 27-yard line and went to work. 
   Leopard running back De’Mitri Monroe got the bulk of the carries, busting off a 36-yard run to set Van Vleck up at the Wildcat 5-yard line. Monroe would take it up the middle on the next play for the score.