Wharton ISD is rolling out a strict new cellphone policy this school year, following a unanimous school board vote and a new state law. Superintendent Oduwole says students bringing devices will get a barcoded, magnetic-lock case they carry all day. The case unlocks only at designated school stations or during parent checkouts. Lost or damaged … Read more
Bay City police are investigating a shooting that left a juvenile hospitalized last Wednesday afternoon. Officers responded to the 2100 block of Sago Street just after 4 p.m. following several 911 calls about gunfire. The victim was taken to the hospital in a personal vehicle and is in stable condition. Detectives processed multiple scenes in … Read more
Students across Wharton County are getting ready for the first school bell of the year. Wharton ISD kicked off classes Monday, followed by St. Philip the Apostle Catholic School on today. The busiest day will be tomorrow, when El Campo, East Bernard, Louise and Boling all return. Faith Christian Academy will start later, on Aug. … Read more
Bay City nonprofit Diane’s Hope handed out 200 free backpacks stuffed with school supplies during its annual Back-to-School event recently at New Horizon Baptist Church. Kids also enjoyed a giant water slide while families connected with local support. Founded in ’20 by Diane Robinson, the group started with food drives during the pandemic and has … Read more
El Campo city leaders are weighing a proposed property tax rate of 49.144 cents per $100, a 3.128-cent increase from last year. Officials stress this is not a tax hike under state rules, but a move to offset falling sales tax revenue. The lean budget includes no raises and minimal changes, reflecting slow revenue growth. … Read more
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has rejected a bid by El Campo native Demond Bluntson to overturn his conviction for killing two children in Laredo in ’12. Bluntson’s attorney argued he was wrongly denied the right to represent himself during trial. While his death sentence was thrown out in June over faulty jury instructions, … Read more
Four people are facing felony charges after a late-night shooting in Bay City. Just after midnight Wednesday, police say shots were fired from a passing vehicle on Avenue F. The suspect car was later found by Matagorda County deputies near Hardeman Park. Inside were Bay City residents Juan Rojas, Jacob Ruddick, and Rodrigo Barrera, all … Read more
East Bernard’s Ashley Anderson, 17, took top honors in the Senior II Ladies Sporting Clay event at the 4-H State Games in San Antonio. A rising senior at East Bernard High School, she credits her success to strong family roots in the sport, a supportive team, and dedicated coaching. Ashley qualified through top performances at … Read more
The City of Edna has added new stop signs at key intersections to slow down traffic and improve safety for drivers and pedestrians. Yield signs on Ed Linn at West Cypress and Trotwood at Fulton were replaced with stop signs. Four-way stops were added at North Kleas and East Cypress, West Cedar at North Pumphrey, … Read more
Wharton officials held their third budget workshop Wednesday without a finalized No-New-Revenue tax rate. Finance Director Joan Andel says they were still waiting on property values from the Central Appraisal District. The missing rate prevented the city from finalizing its ’26 budget, but the meeting moved forward as a planning discussion. Local department heads and … Read more