News Staff An early morning fire destroyed a vacant home on Palacios Street in El Campo last week. Fire officials say the blaze may have started from an electrical issue. Owner Steve Robinson, who was remodeling the property, was asleep next door when a relative driving by alerted him. El Campo police arrived first to find the … Read more
Farmers and ag experts gathered in El Campo last week to warn lawmakers that two invasive pests—the screwworm and rice delphacid—could devastate Texas livestock and rice fields. Screwworms, deadly to animals and humans, have resurfaced just 70 miles south of the border, while delphacids are already damaging rice crops across the Gulf Coast. Lawmakers, including … Read more
A quiet Palacios neighborhood was shaken last Monday night after a man was shot on the 1600 block of 1st Street. Police say officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was flown to a Houston hospital for treatment. No suspect or motive has been released. The case remains under investigation. … Read more
El Campo City Council will decide tonight whether to allow a new smoke shop called The Green Goddess Dispensary to open on the West Loop. The proposal, from local business owner Jessica Cantu Smithwick, calls for selling THCA, Delta 8, and Delta 9 products—but no vapes or tobacco. The shop would share a plaza with … Read more
A tragic hit-and-run in East Bernard has claimed the life of 25-year-old Citali Perez Hernandez. Authorities say she was walking along Dill Street near College Street late Thursday morning when she was hit by a Toyota Camry. The driver, 29-year-old Courtney Michelle Smith of East Bernard, initially fled but later returned to the scene. Hernandez … Read more
An El Campo man accused in the ’21 ambush killing of Wharton’s Shane Singleton goes on trial today in Wharton County. Twenty-four-year-old Drew Avery Quinonez has spent over four years in jail awaiting trial on a $500,000 bond. Prosecutors say Singleton was shot while sitting in his car after arriving in El Campo for a … Read more
Four years after a body was found along a rural Wharton County road, investigators have identified the victim as 16-year-old Houston teen Yeimy Maciela Beltrand. Her remains were discovered in June of ’21 near County Road 225 and remained a mystery until DNA testing linked her to family members last year. Deputies now believe Yeimy … Read more
The Wharton Tigers are looking to bounce back tonight as they host Sugar Land Harmony, aiming for their first district win. Sitting at 0-2 in league play and 3-3 overall, Wharton knows time is running short for a playoff push. Coach Haddock says the focus now is on discipline and execution, not the scoreboard. Harmony, … Read more
The El Campo Ricebirds kick off district play tonight at home against the Beeville Jones Trojans. Coming off a strong 4-1 non-district run, Coach Travis Reeve says his team is ready for the challenge as injured players return to the lineup. Beeville, now 1-4, brings a run-heavy spread offense and aggressive defense to town. El … Read more
An El Campo woman has been cleared of arson charges after a Wharton County jury found her not guilty of setting a ’23 fire that destroyed a semi-truck. Forty-four-year-old Toretta Faye Cunningham says she’s relieved the ordeal is over, calling the experience “a nightmare.” The fire broke out at BR Trucking on Marek Road last … Read more