News

The end of early voting Tuesday night totaled 1,213 ballots cast, representing 11% of the total registered voters.  
   The total number of early votes for mayor in the 2016 election was 1,162. 
   “It’s good that we’re up from the last mayoral election,” said City Secretary David Holubec. 
   “Hopefully, the trend will continue for Election Day.” 

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Bay City ISD trustees discussed and unanimously approved roughly $612,000 in renovations to Linnie Roberts Elementary campus in time for the coming 2019-2020 school year April 24.  
   At press time Tuesday evening, the actual amount was not available from the district. 
   The major renovations in this project include HV/AC for the campus play gym and new flooring and fixtures for all student restrooms. 
   The work also entails different improvements throughout the campus. 
   The original scope of work was budgeted for $702,470, but trustees unanimously decided to remove about $90,000 in “beautification fencing.” 
   “We don’t need that kind of image on that campus,” said Trustee Jerry Manning. 
   “Linnie Roberts is a pillar of the black community and having fencing all the way around it sends the wrong message.”  

   Certified sites for potential industrial or business locations in Matagorda County received more attention among Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) directors last week. 
   The topic, which has been discussed before, is getting more interest from landowners, said Mike Ferdinand, MCEDC executive director. 
   Right now, MCEDC’s focus will be developing property in the existing seven-acre industrial park in North Bay City. 
   “It’s pretty grubbed up,” Ferdinand said, adding that first step will be shredding the overgrowth of brush then mowing it. 
   The whole idea is improving the property to show other landowners “what we would like to have in a property” for an industrial site, said Mitch Thames, a director and Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture president. 
   A certified site, Ferdinand explained, also would have title searches, plus historical/archeological surveys. 

   This year’s Matagorda Regional Medical Center Foundation’s annual Power of the Purse fundraiser drew quite the crowd with about 250 women in attendance April 25. 
   “It was a ‘Llamazing’ night,” said Tiffany Foltyn, MRMC Foundation director. 
   “We saw lots of new faces at the 2019 Power of the Purse, along with our faithful annual supporters. I believe the outcome of this event, will be our best year yet!” 
   Foltyn is still totaling the amount raised but expects it to be in line with last year’s $45,000. 
   “We were definitely up in attendance over last year’s numbers so that helps us raise more,” she added. 
   This year’s theme featured llamas and cactus – two popular trends. 

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   There is about $6.5 million in state and federal Hurricane Harvey Recovery funds available for construction and engineering projects in Matagorda County, Commissioners Court was told at a workshop Monday, April 29. 
   But not all of the projects throughout the county have been documented and grant administrator Bruce Spitzengel, GrantWorks, said that work has to be done in May. 
   The workshop and regular meeting agenda indicated the funds would be allocated Monday, but commissioners followed Spitzengel’s recommendation to table the allocations for now. 
   Spitzengel passed out a list of the grant budget and projects to consider to date that totaled $6,948,606 - minus the $416,900 for GrantWorks administration - for a $6,531,706 balance. 
   Split among the county’s four precincts comes to $1,632,926.50 for each precinct, Spitzengel noted.