El Campo hosted the 62nd Annual Ricebird Relays on Friday, with the hometown boys and girls varsity teams both finishing second behind Needville. The Lady Bluejays took first with 194 points, while the Lady Ricebirds followed with 158. On the boys’ side, Needville scored 153 to El Campo’s 127. Madison Holmes led the way with … Read more
Wharton County leaders have approved a $76 million plan to build a new 240-bed jail—marking the county’s first debt in 13 years and first tax hike in nearly two decades. Judge Phillip Spenrath says the project on East Elm and North Resident Streets will prepare Wharton County for long-term growth driven by new housing and … Read more
Matagorda County is gearing up for the 10th annual Matagorda Bay Birdfest, April 17th through 19th in Palacios. The celebration comes as the county takes flight with a new title — Birding Capital of Texas through 2035. Each morning features sunrise birding tours through coastal marshes and prairies, with Saturday’s parade, food trucks, and raptor … Read more
Bay City now has its own critical-care air medical base with the launch of Allegiance Air 2. The new helicopter and crew are stationed locally to speed emergency response and patient transport across Matagorda County and nearby coastal communities. Operated by Allegiance Mobile Health and PHI Air Medical, the Bay City base expands Gulf Coast … Read more
Even with weekend rain across parts of Victoria County, the burn ban will stay in place. Fire Marshal Dan Porter told commissioners that over two inches fell in some areas, but months of drought mean it’ll take more time for vegetation to recover. Porter says the rain needs to soak in before grass greens up … Read more
Some El Campo High School students are making headlines for their innovative thinking. Five Ricebirds from the school’s Power Up program took part in the Aggie Invent Junior challenge at Texas A&M in College Station. Competing on mixed teams, students had just one day to tackle real issues in the nuclear industry and build a … Read more
Former Wharton resident Sam Golden, who grew up in the river bottoms off West Burleson Street, returned home Tuesday night to share his story of faith, family, and perseverance. Rising from humble beginnings, Golden became a top federal banking regulator before retiring as the OCC’s first ombudsman. He credited his grandmother’s lessons, strong faith, and … Read more
In El Campo, volunteer firefighters dedicate their time—and sometimes risk their lives—to keep the community safe. With only limited tax funding, eight volunteer fire departments across Wharton County rely heavily on local donations to stay running. On Monday, the El Campo Volunteer Fire Department hosted its annual Appreciation Supper at the civic center, thanking long-time … Read more
The Louise Lady Hornets dominated the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Class 1A-2A, Region 4 Championship in Palacios on March 2nd, bringing home the team title with 67 points. Senior Kenadie Bowman broke regional records with a thousand-pound total lift, helping lead nine Hornets to the upcoming state meet in Edinburg on March 18th. Other standouts included Arleth Mendez, Grace Munoz, Kirby Cortez, Ezri Olvera, Aspen Wadsworth, McKenzie Claussen, … Read more
Bay City residents will see the city’s general and special elections run smoothly this spring under a renewed election services deal with Matagorda County. City Council approved the contract Feb. 24th, setting up the county’s elections office—led by Stephanie Wurtz—to handle all logistics for the May 2nd vote. That includes setting up voting machines, programming … Read more