Lifestyle

   Janice Hawthorne and Loretta Griffin will assume the county offices they were elected to a little early to fill vacancies.
   Hawthorne will become District Clerk and Griffin the County Treasurer after commissioner court action Tuesday, Nov. 13.
   Commissioners accepted an order that District judges Ben Hardin and Craig Estlinbaum signed appointing Hawthorne to fill the unexpired term of former District Clerk Jamie Grantz from Nov. 13 through Dec. 31.
   Grantz, who lost to Hawthorne in the Republican primary, submitted her resignation to commissioners court effective Nov. 13.
   Griffin will fill the unexpired term, from Nov. 19 through Dec. 31, of former County Treasurer Tammy McDonald who resigned in November 2017.
   Human Resources Director Carmen Andrews has served as interim treasurer since McDonald’s resignation.
   Hawthorne has been in the County Attorney’s office while Griffin was chief deputy tax assessor-collector.

   Bay City High School hosted a Veteran’s Day program featuring breakfast for veterans and an assembly thanking them for their service Monday morning.
   About 50 veterans along with their spouses or family members were in attendance, including guest speakers John Quintero and Shelly Park.
   Retired Marine John Quintero – a Vietnam veteran - addressed students and faculty about recognizing and supporting veterans.
   “We need to thank these men and women – my brothers and sisters, for all of the sacrifices they have made,” said Quintero.
   “It’s because of them that we have the freedom to do what we want today. I’d hate to see where we would be without them.”

To read more, please log in or subscribe to our digital edition. 

   A 60-year-old man was arrested and firearms, explosives and drugs were seized after local, state and federal officers raided his Tidewater Oaks subdivision residence Thursday, Nov. 8, the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office reported. 
   The Matagorda County Narcotics Task Force – assisted by FBI agents and DPS narcotics officers - executed a search and arrest warrant at the residence near the subdivision on FM 2853 that’s about five miles southeast of Blessing.
   The county narcotics task force was assisted by the FBI Tactical Team, which included bomb technicians, and by Texas DPS Narcotics Division officers.  
   Items seized in the search warrant include 59 firearms, improvised explosive devices, methamphetamine, powder cocaine and crack cocaine, the sheriff’s office said.
   Officers checked the serial numbers of the firearms and eight had been reported as stolen. 

   Matagorda County Voter Registrar Cristyn Hallmark has processed the applications for 54 provisional ballots from the Nov. 6 general election and returned the documents to County Clerk Janet Hickl.
   As Voter Register, she receives sealed precinct ballot boxes with green envelops that are the voter applications for each provisional voter. 
   Voters who appear on election day without the required photo identification or voter registration must complete the voter application form to cast a provisional ballot on election day.
   Those applications must be verified before those votes count.
   Hallmark only views the application – not the ballot – and she determines if the provisional voter is registered in the county, voted in the correct precinct, registered in another Texas county or if they are registered in Texas.

   The Tidehaven ISD school board and Superintendent Dr. Andrew Seigrist presented plaques to outgoing members Richard Beyer and Vic Collins at their last official meeting, Nov. 12.
   Both Beyer and Collins have been on the board for eight years.
   “Both of them have been here since I got hired,” said Seigrist.
   “I’m thankful for their service and commitment to our district.”
   “The thing is, that no one up here is getting paid to do this job, we’re all volunteering our time,” said board president Stephen Crow.
   “I’m excited for Mike Galvan and Scott Cheek to join us. The neat thing about Tidehaven as a school district is that everyone is family.”
   In the Nov. 6 election, Crow and Eric Saha were re-elected to the board, while Galvan and Cheek were elected as new trustees.
   All four will be sworn in at the December monthly meeting. 
   Beyer and Collins expressed their own thanks to the board.

   “Overlord” has taken third place at the box office, raking in $19.4 million worldwide over its debut weekend.
   The film stars Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilou Asbæk, Jacob Anderson, Iain De Caestecker, and Dominic Applewhite.
   The plot follows several American soldiers who are air-dropped behind enemy lines the day before D-Day and discover secret Nazi experiments in Seal Blanc – a quiet little French village.
   The movie is rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content.
   The rating proves valid well within the first 15 minutes of the film where numerous casualties result from planes being shot out of the sky and paratroopers being murdered by German soldiers.
   On the eve of D-Day, a paratrooper squad is sent to destroy a German radio tower in an old church.

   The Bay City Tourism Council discussed upcoming events for December during their regular meeting Nov. 7.
   Most of the discussion revolved around “Flock Fest” Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8.
   “We want to make it a full weekend of fun events for the whole family,” said Tourism Director Heidi Martinez.
   “To do that, we’ve partnered with a lot of local businesses and entities like Main Street, the Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, and Parks and Recreation.”
   Festivities kick off with the annual lighted Christmas parade downtown at 7 p.m. Friday night and continue with “Snacks with Santa” following at 9 p.m. at Liberty Park.
To read more, please log in or subscribe to our digital edition. 

   VAN VLECK – The Van Vleck Leopards wrapped up their 2018 regular season with a 55-14 thrashing of the Danbury Panthers last Friday night. 
   With the win, Van Vleck moves their record to 9-1 on the season and on to a bi-district playoff matchup against the Sonora Broncos (5-5), with a 7:30 p.m. Friday kickoff at San Antonio’s Incarnate Word University.
The Leopards took the opening kickoff and quickly put points on the board. 
   Van Vleck went 62 yards in 11 plays, capped off by a Daniel Bree 5-yard run to get on the scoreboard. 
   Trent Blaylock booted the extra point and the Leopards were up 7-0 with 7:24 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing Danbury possession, the Van Vleck defense wasted no time getting into the action. 
   Leopard defensive back Jalen Williams picked off Danbury quarterback Branson Vrazel on the first play of the drive, giving the ball back to the Leopards.

   Tidehaven Head Coach David Lucio is looking forward to a “fun night” Friday when his Tigers play Ingram Tom Moore in the first round of UIL playoffs.
   Tidehaven (4-6) is coming off a lopsided, 52-6 win over Bloomington last Friday, having secured a playoff with a third-place finish in District 14-3A-2.
   Lucio said the Tigers’ hard work enabled them to turn around a season that began with four straight losses.
   “We knew going into the season things could be rough to start, but if we kept plugging away we would get it going. “We’ve endured a lot, from not being able to play home games, to losing top players to transfer and injury,” the coach said. 
   “A lot of people bailed on us, but the kids kept at it. No one quit, every week they just kept working. 
   “I’m excited about the immediate future, and the years to come with this group of young men.