QUICK LOOK

Back to school for Rockdale area students Happy New Year. Time to hit the books. Tablets, smart phones, laptops. Students in all Rockdale area schools will be back in class next week and they’ll be returning over a three-day period. Rockdale ISD students get a little extra time off.

Water rescue

A slow-moving line of storms dumped 3.7 inches of rainfall on Rockdale early Thursday morning, forcing Ham Branch out of its banks and leading to this water rescue at 321 Scarbrough Street at 1:08 a.m.

It’s time to talk water rates

The first of four town hall meetings for Rockdale residents to discuss, and give input on new water and sewer rates to overhaul the city’s water/wastewater system is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at New Hope Baptist Church. City council members are discussing a $48.

Initial Hacker trial in May

The long-awaited first capital murder trials of four persons accused of killing Rockdale resident Emily Hacker has been delayed again. The trial of Killeen resident Nicole Jones was to have started Monday, Jan. 14, in 20th District Court, but Prosecutor Bill Torrey said the trial date is now May 20.

2018: Bitmain, hospital, new field and more

2018: Bitmain came to town and the hospital left. There was much more to the year just past but those two stories, each packing a punch in very different ways, represented the highest high and lowest low of the year for the Rockdale area. It was quite a year.

Chamber lists final turkey winners

The final winners of holidays turkeys in an annual promotion by 23 Rockdale area businesses have been listed as follows. They are: Dorothy Denten, Atmos Energy; Esther Garcia, KRXT; Nikki Clark, Attorneys of Texas Title.

NEWSBRIEFS

Andy Griffith program ahead at city library Jim Platt will present a program, “A Tribute to the Comedian Andy Griffith” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Lucy Hill Patterson Memorial Library.

FIRE CALLS

Fire calls dispatched from the Rockdale Police Department during the past week have been listed as follows: • 12:36 p.m. Dec. 24, out-of-control burn, County Road 436, Thorndale VFD. • 5:41 p.m. Dec. 25, report of residence filled with smoke, plus water pouring out of residence.

No injuries from third accident with ‘pedestrian’

POLICE REPORT No injuries were reported Friday from the third “vehicle-pedestrian” accident along US 79 in west central Rockdale during a five-week period. Police were called to the parking lot of O’Rielly’s Auto Parts in the 1000 block of West Cameron (US 79) at 11:42 a.m. Friday.

TAKING THE OATH

Milam County’s four justices-of-the-peace were sworn in New Year’s Day morning in the Milam County Courthouse as part of brief ceremony for those persons elected last November. They are: (L-R) Gary Northcott, Precinct 4; Andy Isaacs, Precinct 3; Sam Berry, Precinct 2; and Greg Hoelscher, Precinct 1.