News Staff The El Campo Ricebirds dominated their home opener Friday night, shutting out Bryan Rudder 30-0 and avenging last year’s narrow loss. Junior tailback Vlad Garcia scored twice in the first quarter, including a 62-yard screen pass, to spark the early lead. The Ricebirds added a field goal before halftime and two more touchdowns in the … Read more
El Campo EMS is rolling out a fresh look with its ambulances now sporting the city’s signature red “EC” logo. The new design, created with OnSiteDecals, will debut in October and be shown off at Ricebird football games. Officials say $6,000 per unit will update several ambulances, funded by increased call volume and billing revenue—not … Read more
Four new murals are coming to El Campo’s Friendship Park, thanks to Keep El Campo Beautiful and local donations. The murals will be painted on the tennis and pickleball court walls facing the skate park. Artist and board member Pam Clapp will lead the project, with the first mural set for October. Each design will … Read more
El Campo ISD is keeping its tax rate steady for the fourth straight year, following promises made during the $81 million bond election in May. The board approved a rate of $1.0527 per $100 of taxable property value and unanimously adopted a $39.2 million budget for the new school year. Most of the $1.7 million … Read more
Tickets are gone for the “Murder at the Manor” event at Texana Education Center, promising a night of mystery and fun. On Saturday, those attending will step into a live-action whodunit, complete with costumes, scripts, and plenty of twists. Some will play suspects, while others act as detectives, piecing together clues to solve the crime. … Read more
An RV park on East Jackson Street in El Campo may reopen, but only if it meets all city requirements and secures a new Special Use Permit. Planning officials say the former Quick N Easy 3 RV Park must add gravel roads, green space, trees, laundry and restroom facilities, and rodent-proof dumpsters. The Planning and … Read more
Bay City residents can weigh in on the city’s proposed property tax rate during a public hearing Sept. 16th at 5 p.m. at City Hall on 5th Street. The proposed rate is $0.55772 per $100 valuation, slightly lower than last year but still above the no-new-revenue rate. Rising property values mean most homeowners will pay … Read more
El Campo’s Ricebird Stadium will debut major upgrades Friday for the home opener against Bryan-Rudder. A new 28-by-34-foot video scoreboard, 50% larger than the old one, is now in place after delays from weather. The $504,960 project includes sponsor panels and was partly funded by a $150,000 donation from Prosperity Bank. The district also replaced … Read more
A Wharton High School student is facing a felony charge after allegedly threatening staff during a suspension meeting last week. Police say 17-year-old Ezekiel Bowsier told staff he would get his cousin and a gun, which could force a lockdown. Officers quickly responded, searched him for weapons, and made an arrest. No one else was … Read more
Wharton Police credit high-tech Flock cameras for stopping a major crime Saturday. The system flagged a stolen car near U.S. 59 and County Road 229. Officers tried a traffic stop, but two men ran, leaving the car and a stolen gun behind. With help from Texas DPS, police arrested 18-year-old Dontre Malik Brown of Bay … Read more