News

   Local sales tax allocations for June were 11.7 percent less than in June 2019, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar recently announced.
   These allocations are based on sales made in April by businesses that report tax monthly.
   Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread social distancing requirements were in place across much of the state in April, leading to the steepest year-over-year decline in allocations since September 2009, Hegar said.
   Bay City’s June sales tax allocation of $568,917, was 16.55% higher than the $488,094 the city received in the same month in 2019.
   For the year, Bay City’s sales tax rebates total $3,175,825, which is 9.121% more than the $2,910,335 reported for the same period last year.
   Palacios reported an 18.04% increase for June, with rebates of $65,564, compared to the $44,543 the city received in June 2019.

   LynnGroup, a family of engineering, development and construction companies along the Texas Gulf Coast, has hired Brandon Cox as the company’s marketing director.
   In his role, Cox will develop and execute marketing and communications strategies to drive business growth.
   He will be responsible for overall brand development and reputation management in the marketplace, focused on both client success and business-to-business relationships.
   “We are excited that Brandon will join our team in a full-time capacity here at Lynn Group,” said Stuart Lynn P.E., principal and founder of LynnGroup.
   “Acquisitions and continued growth have led us to a higher focus on marketing and communications as we take our businesses to the next level. Brandon and I have worked on several projects together in the past and I have always been interested in finding the right time and opportunity for us to continue working in a similar capacity.

   Bay City ISD has received notice that a student who attended the summer athletic camp at Bay City High School on June 8-June 10 has tested positive for COVID-19. 
   In accordance with state and national guidance, any person who attended the camp should self-monitor for signs of symptoms of COVID-19 during the next 14 days and should self-isolate in order to prevent transmission of the virus.
   The athletic camp will be closed effective immediately until further notice to allow the deep cleaning and sanitizing of the athletic facilities.
   Impacted students and employees will be notified.
   Please know that the safety of BCISD students and staff is our absolute top priority. 
   As we continue to navigate this pandemic, we encourage you to follow all public guidelines, including proper hand washing and social distancing.

   A 22-year-old Bay City man is charged with aggravated assault in connection with a shooting that left a victim seriously injured late Wednesday night, June 10, Bay City police said.
   Officers were dispatched to the Avenue H and Austin Street area in reference to shots fired at 10:16 p.m. June 10.  
   While en route police were told a caller said he had been shot.  
   Officers contacted the victim in the 2900 block of Avenue H and began first aid until EMS arrived.  
   The victim was taken to Matagorda Regional Medical Center by EMS and was later flown to Houston by Life-Flight.
   Through their investigation, detectives were able to determine the suspect, reports show.  
   At 6:28 a.m. Thursday, June 11, a warrant was served on Marquez Hughes, 22, Bay City, for aggravated assault, police said. 
   He was taken to Matagorda County Jail without incident.

   City Council approved the regional drainage study engineering and funding sources for $306,000 at its regular meeting Tuesday, June 9.
   While BCCDC and Drainage District No. 1 will share the cost of the long-sought drainage study, council’s action Tuesday made the city the project’s contracting agency, City Attorney Anne Marie Odefey said.
   BCCDC Executive Director Jessica Russell will be the main contact person on the drainage study and Councilman Bill Cornman made it clear project management is his top priority for the study.
   “Our biggest failings in the past is because we didn’t have a management plan,” Cornman told Russell.
   And City Councilman Jason Childers said the drainage study, “in my opinion, is (city) issue No. 1.”
   Russell said full funding for the $306,000 project is about $53,000 short, but she assured council she has the funding sources to make up the $53,000.

   An estimated 150 people gathered in a peaceful Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally on a hot Sunday afternoon at the Matagorda County Courthouse.
   Sunday’s rally grew out of the nationwide BLM protest following George Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
   There was broad ethnic diversity in Sunday’s crowd.
   That was evident among the marchers around the courthouse square following the program on the building’s northwest plaza, overlooking the Texas 60-Texas 35 intersection.
   The most prominent themes among the speakers and the signs people held included Black Lives Matter, as well as racial inequality, justice and police brutality. 
   Rally goers also displayed their signs to the traffic around the courthouse that was
 considerably heavier than the usual mid-afternoon Sunday flow.

   Julianne Friesenhahn is the valedictorian of Bay City High School’s Class of 2020.
   She is the daughter of Darren and Natalie Freisenhahn and the sister of Dawson and Grant Friesenhahn.
   Friesenhahn is headed to Texas A&M University in the fall and has chosen interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on math and science as her degree plan.
   “A&M has so many amazing traditions, a wonderful environment, and a great Education program, which all led me to choose it as my home for the next four years,” she said.

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