News

   Red Bluff Ranch owners Scott and Pam Evans’ longhorn steer Sato is the new world champion with the longest horn spread of 125.75 inches or 10.5 feet.
   That official measurement – part of what the Evans will send to the Guinness Book of Records – was witnessed last Thursday, Aug. 2, by Greenleaf, Kansas rancher Joe Sedlacek, whose longhorn steer, Lazy J Bluegrass, had the previous world-record horn spread of 121.06 inches since August 2016.
   Talking about the 10.5-foot, tip-to-tip spread, Scott Evans said, “When you see that on the ground you’d be amazed.”
   Assisting in the historic occasion were well-known Matagorda County cattlemen Ray Culver and Mack McLeod and Bay City veterinarian Dr. Bryan Sherman.
   In addition, the event was photographed and videotaped by Vivian Arcidiacono and her team that included her husband, Achille Arcidiacono. 

   Denise Grisham was introduced as Matagorda County’s new 4-H extension agent and nine environmental health nuisance suits against property owners were authorized by commissioners court at its regular meeting, Monday, Aug. 6.
   In addition, the county’s proposed fiscal 2018-19 property tax rate of 41.758 cents per $100 valuation is below the effective rate – used to calculate a levy that estimates the same tax revenue as the previous year – and won’t require a public hearing.
   There will be a public hearing on the county’s proposed budget Aug. 20, and both the levy and budget will be upcoming public agenda items.
   Grisham, who began work Tuesday, joins the county’s team of extension agents after years of related work locally – most recently she taught family and consumer science at Van Vleck High School.

   Federal funding of $6 million for dredging the mouth of the Colorado River has been appropriated for fiscal 2018-19.
   The Port of Bay City (POBC) received notification July 30 of funding through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) by way of the Congressional Supplemental Appropriations for the next fiscal year, said Port Chairman Mike Griffith.
   “The Port of Bay City has worked diligently through the Corps, with Sen. Ted Cruz’s office and (former) Congressman Blake Farenthold’s office for funding of the mouth of the Colorado River Jetty dredging project,” Griffith said.
   The $6 million dredging award will be administered by USACE beginning Oct. 1, the port chairman added.
   This will be the first dredging of the river mouth since the $23 million jetty project was completed in 2011, Griffith pointed out.
   The Corps indicated at that time that the mouth of the river would be dredged every five years.

   A City Council agenda item Thursday calls for consideration of calling a special election Nov. 6 on the city manager-mayor form of government.
   As contentious as that matter may be, it’s one of three main issues in Bobby Head’s lawsuit on city charter violations against Mayor Mark Bricker and council members Julie Estlinbaum and Bill Cornman.
   District Judge Ben Hardin ruled last week that the court has jurisdiction over the lawsuit’s issues, which had been a primary contention for the defendants.

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   Michael Cloud made his first appearance in Bay City after he was sworn into office July 10 as the U.S. Representative of the 27th Congressional District.
   With 55 percent of the vote, Cloud beat a nine-person race in a June 30 special election to fill the unexpired term of former Congressman Blake Farenthold (R) Corpus Christi. 
   “It’s good to be back in the great state of Texas,” Cloud, former chairman of the Victoria County GOP, told a Bay City Chamber of Commerce luncheon audience Thursday, Aug. 2.
   “I’m anxious to get started,” Cloud said, adding that “I never imagined running until a year and a half ago.
   “I wasn’t sworn in five minutes before considering my first bill. Usually, you have a few weeks to catch up” after an election.
   Cloud’s special election victory puts him in the Congressional office temporarily until the winner of Nov. 6 general election takes office.

   Tidehaven ISD trustees approved a $3,000 pay raise for all teachers and administrators during a special meeting Monday night.
   Trustees also approved an attendance incentive for teachers and master’s degree stipends.
   “This is the same attendance incentive as last year,” said TISD Superintendent Dr. Andrew Seigrist.
   “We thought it would be a good thing to carry forward to this year for our teachers.”
   During a board workshop prior to the special meeting Matagorda County Chief Appraiser Vince Maloney and Matagorda County Tax Assessor-Collector Cristyn Hallmark presented tax valuations and projected tax collections for the 2018-2019 school year and an update on the Tres Palacios Gas settlement.
   “I invited Vince and Cristyn here at the board’s request,” added Seigrist.
   “We’re in a long-running suit with Tres Palacios Gas and over the valuation of their (Clemville) plant,” said Maloney.

   The Thompson Executive Leadership Institute in Texas has selected Bay City ISD Superintendent Dr. Marshall Scott III as one of 25 superintendents for their academic scholarship to attend the Superintendent Academy. 
   This elite Academy is a Senior Executive Leadership program for school superintendents from the South and Southwest United States. 
   The Thompson Executive Leadership Institute is a nationally known learning center of academies and advanced leadership training systems. 
   The goal of the institute is for school executives to come together to test ideas, discover new concepts and information, build networks, and engage in face to face interactions with session leaders and each other.
   Membership in the Academy is competitive and by invitation only.  
   Many more superintendents were nominated than were accepted into the Academy. 

   Rosemarie Cumings has taken over the leadership at Linnie Roberts Elementary. 
   She’s been principal for several weeks now, and is eager to start the new school year. 
“I’m excited about meeting the staff and students, and learning more about Bay City. I have extended family in the area and have spent lots of time here,” said Cumings.
She replaces Melisa Carroll, who left earlier this summer for a new position in Sugar Land.
   Cumings’ last position was in the Houston Independent School District, where was principal since 2013 at RL Isaacs Elementary School - a campus where 95 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged. 
   During her tenure there, the campus’ TEA Accountability Rating moved from “Improvement Required” in 2013 to “Met Standard” in 2014 – TEA’s highest rating. 
   The campus maintained that rating 2014-2017.