Lifestyle

   Bay City ISD trustees unanimously approved giving district employees a 4 percent raise as part of the 2020-2021 school year budget and held an intense discussion on construction projects during their regular meeting June 15.
   The approved pay increase will bring the total budget to just over $45.7 million for the school year.
   Board members Bob Klepac, Eddie Nelson, James Scardami, Trent Tinnin, and John DeWitt were present while trustees Jerry Manning and Frankie Cole were absent.
   All trustees weighed in on the salary increase as they addressed their concerns with COVID-19 affecting next year and how to be “fiscally responsible.”
   “I know there’s some sentiment about funding from the state and staying fiscally responsible,” said Trustee James Scardami.
   “I know the cost of living increase is usually between 2 and 3 percent,” he added.

   Happy snapper season, y’all! Hopefully you have been able to enjoy some gulf fishing…I mean out on the water sounds like a good way to social distance. 
   If you have been a fisher of snapper long enough, then maybe you have heard of the iSnapper app you can download (for free!) on your smart phone. 
   This app was designed to supplement catch data for snapper. 
   Since there are so many commercial and recreational fishermen, the information provided from non-research fishing trips is invaluable and would be almost impossible to get without something like iSnapper. While catch data is an important part of helping manage the snapper fishery, the app also collects other parameters that would otherwise be difficult to obtain including discard rates and depths fished. 
   So why is it important to know this information and collect the data? 
   Unfortunately, many folks think that by entering in their catch it will somehow shorten the season. 

   MEHOP prepared to test about 300 students and BCISD staff that were potentially exposed to COVID-19 at a recent BCISD summer sporting camp. 
   At the end of the day, 91 were tested.
   “We’re delighted to be able to assist BCISD and the community with this testing,” said Celeste Harrison, CEO of MEHOP.
   The tests were open to students, and any BCISD staff member who could have been exposed to the COVID case.
   “This event was organized by MEHOP Director of Nursing, Christine Lara, who organized and launched the event in 24 hours. MEHOP is fortunate to have the have the capability and staff,” Harrison added. “It’s an enormous job.”
   Since the beginning of the crisis MEHOP has been grateful for donations for Personal Protective Equipment. 
   Several people in the local community donated cloth masks, Larger donations were made by Medical Bridges and Direct Relief. 

   An officer working a plain clothes operation in an unmarked police vehicle is credited with helping catch a drive-by shooter last week.
   The plain-clothes officer was in the area of 12th Street and Texas 35 a little after 10:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18. 
   He saw a gray Honda Civic parked in front row of Shades Bar, with several subjects standing around it. 
   The officer noticed a silver Jeep SUV driving in front of him. 
   The Jeep slowed and pulled towards the other side of the roadway and it appeared as if the driver was pulling into the parking lot, reports show.
   Instead, the Jeep continued straight at a slow speed. 
   The officer then heard several gunshots and saw the subjects in the parking lot ducking behind their vehicle. The Jeep then took off at a high rate of speed. 
   The officer quickly scanned the parking lot to make sure no one was hurt. 

   Bay City police has identified the suspect in the murder of Bay City man in the 900 block of Rugeley Monday afternoon, June 15, police reports show.
   A warrant was issued for Laquincy Kyle Black Randle, 30, for the murder of Derrick L. Wilcox at about 4 p.m. Monday, Bay City police said in a press release Tuesday, June 16.
   Police were sent to the corner of Rugeley and Park Monday afternoon on a shots fired report. 
   While en route, officers were notified police had received another call that reported a man had been shot.
   Officers arrived on scene and located the victim in the 900 block of Rugeley. 
   Officers began CPR and roping off the crime scene. 
   When EMS arrived, they took over scene and determined the victim had died, police said. 
   There were several witnesses who told officers that the suspect was possibly a black male in a white Taurus. 

   A 6-year-old-child was shot and killed in his home in Frost Trailer Park east of Bay City early Tuesday morning, June 16, and a suspect is in custody, Sheriff’s Department reports show.
   Jacob Santos Graves is charged with aggravated assault causing serious injury, bail jumping and failure to appear, deputies said.
   The suspect was arrested Tuesday and is in Matagorda County Jail.
   The investigation is continuing as the sheriff’s department is still processing the scene, said Lt. James Orr.   
   There will be more information to come at a later time, Orr said.

   Van Vleck High School’s class of 2020 Salutatorian is Amber Hanzik.
   Amber is the daughter of James Hanzik and Susan Parsons and sibling to Angel Hanzik and Jamie Hanzik Anderson.
   Hanzik is headed to Texas A&M in Corpus Christi to major in nursing for the coming fall.
   “I plan to attend Texas A&M in Corpus Christi because of their excellent nursing program and it has a beautiful campus,” she explained.
   “I plan on majoring in nursing because I’ve always felt compassionate towards those who are sick and in need of help.”

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   Melody Yates is the Valedictorian of Van Vleck High School’s Class of 2020.
   Melody is the daughter of Trevor and Shannon Yates and sibling to Caitlin and Tobey Yates.
   Yates will attend Texas A&M University in the fall and major in business administration.
   “I have always wanted to be an Aggie!” she said.
   “My sixth-grade teacher, Susan Frankson, made me into one. I chose business administration as my major because I hope to one day own my own business.”

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   Bay City High School graduated about 210 students during its commencement ceremony at the new Memorial Stadium, June 12.
   Due to social distancing requirements, there wasn’t a formal processional walk-in and students were seated on the field as they arrived.
   Following a moving invocation by Julianne Friesenhan and Gema Orneleas-Zavala leading the Pledge of Allegiance, a video of senior choir members sang an acapella rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
   After that, Superintendent Dr. Marshall Scott, III had the top 10 percent of students stand to be recognized along with the top 10 students in the class.
   Salutatorian Mallory Grimes urged her fellow graduates to acknowledge the skills they’ve earned over the years – most notably “procrastination.”
   “Just so my teachers, and my mother especially, do not blow a gasket, I definitely do not advocate procrastination in any way, shape, or form,” she explained.

   A total of 70 seniors will graduate from Van Vleck High School at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at Burl McKinney Stadium.
   The stadium is predicted to be packed with graduates’ friends, family members, and peers.
   Stadium entrances will open at 6:30 p.m. and the graduation ceremony will be live-streamed and a professional photographer will take pictures of the graduates.
   If inclement weather is experienced, the alternate date will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 19.
   Valedictorian Melody Yates and Salutatorian Amber Hanzik will be recognized and give speeches addressing their fellow classmates and the audience.
   Following Yates and Hanzik are Jesus Rosas, Dalton Wicker, Sydney Waldorf, Dylan Koliba, Nevada Runk, Olivia Schulz, Sophia Landry, and Alison Carrion rounding out the top 10 percent of the class.
   The graduates chose their motto as “Today we follow, tomorrow we lead,” from Ellen Hasegawa.