Lifestyle

   Bay City ISD school board members briefly discussed options for filling John DeWitt’s vacancy on board again at their last meeting on July 19.
   All trustees were present at the meeting.
   Board member Priscilla Robinson raised concerns about filing the order for the special election to fill DeWitt’s seat.
   “We met and discussed the special election and I would like to shed a little light on that,” she said.

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   Façade grants were approved for four businesses by the Bay City Community Development Corporation (BCCDC) board at its regular meeting Monday, July 26.
   The four businesses’ improvement cost totals and the Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) grant amounts were:

•     Truth Barber Shop, at 2113 Ave. G, Unit B, sign and property improvement costs were $9,600 and received a BR&E grant of $5,000. 
•     Totally Tux, at 1816 6th St., façade improvements totaled $5,800, and received a $2,900 grant.
•     Memories by Michelle, at 1869 6th St., sign and façade improvements totaled $7,500, and received a $3,750 grant.
•     Mr. Gadget USA, 1812 6th St., façade and sign improvements were $6,400, and received a $3,200 grant.

   The board also elected new officers at the meeting.
   The new officers are: Becca Sitz, president; Jason Childers, vice president; and Jeannette Bell, secretary.

   Appointments and hirings topped the Commissioners Court meeting agenda Monday, July 26.
   Representatives of OQ Chemicals and Matagorda Bay Distillery were present to see if the court would act on their pending requests for tax abatements.
   No action was taken by the court after it emerged from executive session.

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   Matagorda County continues to show a slow but steady increase in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
   Statewide, the delta variant is driving a rise in cases and hospitalizations, while a lag in vaccinations has left huge numbers vulnerable.
   From Feb. 8 to July 14, the pandemic killed 8,787 Texans — 99.5% of them unvaccinated, according to Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
   Nearly 43% of Texans are fully vaccinated – the national number is 48.8% - and Matagorda County is 33.6%.
   A total of 26,055 doses have been administered in the county, with 12,341 people totally vaccinated.
   The county’s 65 and older residents are 64.6% fully vaccinated.

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   Community Actors of South Texas’ production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” featured a sold-out debut last weekend.
   The production starts at 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, July 29-31, at CAST’s building at 920 Nichols Avenue in Bay City.
   All tickets are $45 per person and feature a catered meal by Venezia’s Garden.
   Tickets must be purchased two days in advance in order to meet catering requirements and are available online at baycitycast.com or by calling 979-479-3123.
   Ticket sales closed Monday at 5 p.m. for Thursday’s show.

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   Even as a child, I really wasn’t into sports and that hasn’t changed since I became an adult.
   That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed 1996’s “Space Jam” movie featuring one of the most iconic mash-ups between old-school cartoons, and evil alien theme park capitalist, and basketball great Michael Jordan.
   It was unexpected, but hilarious and featured a slew of pop culture references for its day.
   Plus, the soundtrack is still pretty awesome to crank up when feeling nostalgic!
   Sadly, Jordan declined a sequel back in the day and the concept has been languishing for several decades with a variety of attempts at having leading athletes taking up the mantle once more.
   So, naturally, I had high expectations for the standalone sequel that came out this month, “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”

   (AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding shoppers they can save money on clothes and school supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6-8.
   State law exempts sales tax on qualified items — such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks — priced below $100, saving shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. 
   The date of the sales tax holiday and list of tax-exempt items are set by the Texas Legislature.
   “For many families with children who are going back to their school campuses for the first time since the pandemic began, the sales tax holiday is the perfect opportunity to save money on school supplies and other tax-free items,” Hegar said. 
   “As a father with three school-aged children myself, I know how these expenses can add up.”
   Apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax-free are listed on the Comptroller’s website at TexasTaxHoliday.org.