News

   Hundreds of events around the country are planned as part of National Health Center Week (NHCW). 
   The national campaign runs Aug. 7-13 with the goal of raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers over the course of more than five decades. 
   MEHOP will joining in the festivities by hosting a Splash Bash complete with water slides, food, face painting and much more on Aug. 9, details to follow. 
   One of the bright spots in America’s healthcare system, health centers started over 50 years ago as a pilot project during President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. 
   Today, they have compiled a significant record of success that includes: 

   Community Actors of South Texas (CAST) is holding auditions for its Fall showcase play Sylvia by A.R. Gurney on Sunday, July 17 from 5-7 p.m. in First Presbyterian Church of Bay City’s Robbins Hall.
   Heather Menzies, a long-time member of CAST, is making her directorial debut with Sylvia and said she can’t wait for the local audience to see this hilarious and touching play.
   Sylvia tells the story of empty-nesters Greg and Kate who have moved to Manhattan after twenty-two years of child-raising in the suburbs. 
   When Greg brings home a dog he found in the park, a street-smart mixture of Lab and Poodle bearing only the name “Sylvia” on her name tag, she becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. 
   Greg is going through a mid-life crisis, and Sylvia offers him the unconditional love and acceptance that only man’s best friend can. 

   Bay City’s July sales tax rebates were down nearly 8 percent from the same month a year ago, while Palacios’ allocations from the state comptroller were up a little over 8 percent for the month.
   Bay City’s July rebates totaled $415,232, down 7.95 percent from July a year ago when the city received $451,097.
   For 2016, Bay City is down just under 1 percent, with allocations of $3,135,211, compared to the year-to-date total in 2015 of $3,162,531.
   Palacios’ rebate check from Austin was $51,731 in July, 8.18 percent higher than the $47,819 rebate from the same month last year.
   For the year, Palacios is totaling $357,184, up 5 percent from $337,356 for the same period last year.
   These allocations are based on sales made in May by businesses that report tax monthly.
   “The cities of Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth saw noticeable increases in sales tax allocations,” State Comptroller Glenn Hegar said.

   City council overrode Mayor Mark Bricker’s surprise Sunday night veto of council’s resolution to approve Bay City Community Development Corporation’s (BCCDC) $7.5 million loan from TDECU to construct the Schulman Movie Bowl Grille before a standing-room only crowd at City Hall Tuesday night.
   “The train has left the station,” city councilman Bill Cornman told Bricker to applause at the special meeting, sweeping aside the mayor’s veto explanation.
   “I think we already have damaged the project, and the next phase and the next phase,” Cornman continued. 
   “Investors look at this and this is not good news for them,” the councilman said to Bricker, noting the mayor’s veto decision was a “mystery.”
   Bricker has defended his veto of council’s approval of the loan resolution last Thursday, June 30, by asserting he hasn’t received information he requested from BCCDC to make an informed decision.

   LeTulle Park saw over 2,000 people for Bay City’s annual “Sparks in the Park” event.
   “Anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 people came,” said Kelly Penewitt, parks and recreation supervisor.
   Council member Julie Estlinbaum delivered the welcome remarks to the crowd that set up to hear the Eggmen and to await the fireworks show.
   Councilman Bill Cornman commented on how well the event ran, noting the parks department has the recipient of criticism before.
   This year was well done, he noted at a council meeting Tuesday night.
   “Turnout was about the same as last year.”
   The largest attraction was definitely the fireworks, she said.
   “There were over 2,000 aerial fireworks in the show,” added Penewitt.
   The event also featured many children’s activities as well as live music.
   “We want to showcase a variety of music at this event,” she said.
   “The Eggmen put on a great show.”

   A Matagorda County teenager lost part of a leg and his eyes are threatened from metal fragments from a homemade explosive reportedly made of sparklers behind his aunt’s Sargent residence Saturday night, according to news reports and local officials.
   Rowdy Radford is in intensive care at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where he was flown shortly after the accident, said Constable Tom Ward.
   The 15-year-old who recently graduated from eighth grade at Matagorda Junior High School was facing possible new surgery Tuesday, according to a GoFundMe website page created to help the boy’s family defray medical expenses.
   The teenager is on a breathing machine and possibly will have more surgery on both legs – including the one that was partially removed - and both arms, the website indicated.
   Doctors were able to fix and reattach fingers, but it’s unknown whether that procedure will work – if not, they will be removed.

   A 20-year-old Bay City man is wanted for shooting and wounding another Bay City man in the head at the Bay Breeze Apartments June 24, Bay City police said.
   Tylan Tre Quan Knowles is under three felony warrants issued for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful possession of a firearm, reports show.
   Police received a “shots fired’ call at 1:21 p.m. Friday, June 24, at the apartments at the 800 Block of Avenue F.
   When they arrived, officers found the 30-year-old victim with a head wound. 
   Matagorda County EMS took the victim to Matagorda Regional Medical Center where he was later flown by helicopter to a Houston hospital.  
   The victim was treated and released from the hospital.
   Detective Chris Cunningham is the lead investigator on the case.