News Staff Nearly half of Wharton County’s registered voters had already participated in early voting or mailed in ballots for the Nov. 5 general election by Friday’s close of early polls. With 12,121 electronic ballots cast and 365 mail-ins, turnout hit 47.27% among 26,416 registered voters. El Campo saw 5,293 voters, Wharton had 5,056, and East Bernard … Read more
A Wharton jury found Daveon Marqui Allen guilty of capital murder for the ’21 killing of Larry Joe Guerra and sentenced him to life without parole. Guerra, 25, was shot 15 times during a robbery attempt at Meadows Apartments on Thanksgiving night and later died at OakBend Medical Center. Allen, arrested shortly after the incident, … Read more
The Bay City community is invited to support cancer survivors and their loved ones at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, happening on Saturday, from 4 to 11 p.m. at the Bay City Junior High track. The event features family-friendly activities, including a kiddie corner, and symbolizes the endurance needed in cancer treatment. It … Read more
Bay City police arrested two women, Brittany Manciaz and Angel Perales, after a traffic stop turned up drugs and three young children in the car. Manciaz faces child endangerment charges for having her kids, ages 2, 4, and 5, in the vehicle, alongside offenses related to meth and ecstasy intended for sale. Police later searched … Read more
Formosa Plastics Corporation supports local education in Jackson County with a $75,000 donation to Edna High School last week. The funds will support dual credit classes, textbooks, and fees. Since establishing a foundation for Edna ISD in 1998, Formosa has contributed over $350,000. Dual credit classes, offered in partnership with Victoria College, allow high school … Read more
Bay City police investigated a Halloween bomb threat that forced Bay City Jr. High to evacuate students to the nearby Church of Christ on Nichols. The threat came by phone around 2:18 Thursday afternoon. By 3:05 p.m., authorities declared it not credible. Students were escorted back to their classrooms once the all-clear was given. Parents … Read more
El Campo city attorneys have rejected a lawsuit from former police sergeant Freddie Douglas, who claims racial discrimination and wrongful termination after his December of ’23 firing following an arrest on rape charges. Although a Brazoria County grand jury did not indict Douglas in March, he filed suits in August and September targeting Manvel’s and … Read more
Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Edna will host its 39th annual Community Thanksgiving Feast on Thanksgiving Day. The drive-through-only event will take place at the Jackson County Services Building parking lot, starting at 10:30 a.m. with free turkey and all the trimmings served until food runs out. Plates are limited to one per person. Delivery … Read more
Edna ISD’s board of trustees approved an updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) focused on strengthening school security and cybersecurity at Monday night’s meeting. The EOP outlines key responsibilities for handling various emergencies, including natural disasters, with coordinated efforts alongside local city and county agencies and detailed FEMA-compliant record-keeping protocols. The cybersecurity section addresses protection measures … Read more
An attempted fraud involving El Campo ISD was thwarted when a woman tried to cash a forged check at a Prosperity Bank in Houston. Security protocols from both the bank and the school district prevented any financial loss. Originally issued last year for $160, the check—missing since a winter mail backlog in Missouri City—had been … Read more