County to learn Friday about renovation grant
CAMERON—Milam County Judge Steve Young told county commissioners Monday that Milam should learn Friday if it has been selected for a $4.7-million Economic Development Administration grant to assist with remodeling the former Cameron hospital to hold county offices.
Young said a strategy has been worked out to come up with the county’s estimate $1-million matching share for the project.
He said some of the matching requirements could be accomplished by renovating/repaving the facility’s parking lot.
In other business, commissioners:
• Okayed a grant-funded feral hog program for the county, which would pay $5 for snout delivered.
• Approved the county’s taking over registrar duties for the City of Rockdale, as was previously done for the City of Cameron.
• Okayed a number of measures in preparation to hold the Nov. 3 general election, including security training and set an extended early voting period to begin Oct. 13. It will include two Saturdays and will be at four locations.
Area VFD list fire calls for past week
Fire calls for area volunteer fire department dispatched from the Rockdale Police Department during the past week included:
• 3:31 a.m. Aug. 18, fence line fire, Gause VFD.
• 4:41 p.m. Aug. 19, Gause VFD returned to 500 block of County Road 355B for b a r n fi r e .
MDD approves budget for term of 2020-2021
The Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) okayed its 2020-2021 budget during its regular monthly session Monday at the MDD headquarters.
Executive Manager Kara Clore listed budget highlights as follows:
• Total revenues, $450,022, including $446,299 from sales tax.
• Total expenditures, $683,528, including $389,190 from economic development, $8,000 in capital outlay, $88,857 in debt service and $197,482 in administrative of which $154,202 is personnel.
• Expenditures over revenue, ($233,506).
• Fund balance at beginning of year, $304,110.
• Fund balance at end of year, $70,604.
Rockdale native speaks at GOP’s convention
A Rockdale native who quit a job as director of a Planned Parenthood Clinic and became an anti-abortion activist, was one of the speakers at the Republican National Convention.
A b b y Brannam Johnson, a 1997 RHS graduate, spoke during Tuesday’s session.
She has returned to her home town numerous times and has been guest speaker at Place of Hope banquets.
Driver escapes with life after horrific accident
In an accident unavailable for publication in last week’s Reporter, from the Department of Public Safety a 38-year-old former Rockdale residents escaped death in a two-vehicle collision just east of the Rockdale city limits.
According to the DPS, Eddie Cates of College Station was the driver of a pickup, towing a trailer, which collided with the back of an 18-wheeler rig on US 79, just east of the US 77 overpass at 6:05 p.m. Aug. 11.
He was flown to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bryan by air ambulance.
Cates posted on his Facebook page that he was “the luckiest man in the world,” sustaining “just a broken leg and shoulder blade.”
His vehicle was totaled.
The DPS listed the truck driver as Scott Lagrone of Rockdale and noted the truck rig sustained moderate damage.
Food bank serves 960 persons in 383 families
The Central Texas Food Bank’s final distribution for August served 383 families that include 960 individuals, according to Pam Warren, spokesperson for Rockdale Christian Services.
The free distributions are traditionally held the first and third Thursdays of each month in the KC Hall parking lot.
At distributions, all persons must wear masks and social distancing is maintained.
Heavenly Treasures sidewalk sales continue
Rockdale Christian Services’ Heavenly Treasures Thrift Shop will continue its sidewalk sales into the fall.
The thrift shop, located at 233 North Main, had held the sales during August.
It will continue them during September and October, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12-noon.
According to the RCS, Tuesdays will be Christmas and Halloween themed and Wednesdays will be for clothing sales.
Also, donations to the thrift shop may be placed on its back porch—access through the alley—any time.
City holding tax, budget hearing September 8th
The City of Rockdale will hold public hearings during a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Patterson Community Center to receive comments on the proposed tax rate and proposed 2020-21 budget.
The city council has proposed a 90.74 tax rate, down from the current 91.18.
School board slates special meeting Friday
The Rockdale ISD will hold a special meeting at 12-noon Friday in the board room of the Central Administration Building, 520 West Davilla.
Only item on the agenda is a budget increase proposal for a maintenance project.
Supt. Dr. Denise Monzingo said the RISD is remodeling a tech area “so we can have meeting space where we can actually social distance.”
She said board meetings will also be held in that area.
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