News

n By Lindsey Vaculin

General Manager

Milam County Commissioners approved the annual road report, approved the external auditor’s report, and signed proclamations for National 4-H Week and Domestic Violence Month during its meeting Sept. 25.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard “Opey” Watkins said that he has 197.4 miles of road and used 18,196 cubic yards of gravel, 9,942 cubic yards of base, and 390 cubic yards of coal patch on the roads this year. 

Watkins listed the amount of money needed to maintain the roads during the next fiscal year as $600,000. His report said that three wooden bridges will need to be replaced in the next year along with roads needing to be resealed and have gravel applied.

Substantial work has been done on the City of Cameron Water Plant clarifiers. The clarifiers are large tanks that filter sediments in water taken directly from the Little River before going into the filtration system. The clarifier’s function is to skim the clean water off the top while the sand/grit debris settle down to the bottom and then is raked out and hauled away. Multiple cracks in the clarifiers have been injected with a type of epoxy and then sealed. A coating will be applied to the interior of the tanks that will act as a liner. The metal rakes, mechanical center pivot and cat walk will be replaced with new equipment. The original structures were built in 1959 and are easily refurbished saving funds for other projects such as water line replacement. This project is being done through the Texas Water Development Board.

Milam County District Attorney Bill Torrey's office announced Tuesday that Donna Orsag, Milam County Treasurer, 56, of Cameron, resigned her position on Monday, Sept. 25, after being confronted with allegations of theft by a public official by the Milam County Sheriff’s Department.

Upon completion of the Sheriff’s investigation, criminal charges will be filed according to Torrey's office.

The City of Milano will hold a budget hearing at 8 p.m. on Sept. 25 at the Milano Civic Center, 120 W Ave E in Milano.

The City of Cameron approved the 2017-18 budget and tax rate during its meeting Sept. 18.

This budget $3,460,862 budget will raise more revenue from property taxes than last year’s budget by an amount of $25,012, which is a 1.81 percent increase from last year’s budget. The property tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is $15,557.24. 

The approved tax rate is .7640 cents, which is the same as the previous year.

The council also set a date for nominations and appointment for the Ward 3 council seat. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. The council will appoint someone to the seat during its meeting on Oct. 2.

City Manager Rhett Parker said there has been interest from three residents for the seat: Richard Darst, Will Sanders and Kyle Deal.

Sara Cox was crowned Homecoming Queen in Buckholts last Saturday night. Sara, escorted by her little brother Seth, is a senior and cheerleader. The Badgers defeated McDade 53-6.

Over 200 county residents gathered at the Milam County Courthouse for an event featuring the reading of the Constitution on Sept. 16.

The event was sponsored by the Masons of Milam County and kicked off Constitution Week and was a first for Milam County.  

By Lindsey Vaculin

General Manager

Topics ranging from music education to job training were discussed during the first Cameron Connection on Sept. 12 at Simon George Hall.

The Cameron Connection is a new initiative for Cameron ISD to solicit input from parents and community members about how to help CISD students. The next meeting will be Monday, Sept. 18, at O.J. Thomas. 

“The first meeting turned out great with good input from the community,” CISD Superintendent Allan Sapp said. “We hope everyone has a chance to make it out to one meeting.”

Several attending asked if CISD currently has a program to prepare students that aren’t necessarily going to college for a career and about technical training. 

By MIcah Holcombe

Milam County AgriLife Extension Agent

The 2017 Milam County 4-H Banquet was held on Sunday, Sept. 10, at the Gause Full Gospel Church in Gause.  

The afternoon program gave recognition to businesses and individuals for supporting the 4-H program and to 4-Hers achieving success in their projects and contests.

The most recognized and highest award for 4-H is the Gold Star Award. This award was presented to two desiring 4-H members. Caitlin Garcia and Neeraj Bhakta received this award for 2017. 

Garcia is the daughter of Eric and Rebecca Garcia. Caitlin has been a member of the Thorndale 4-H Club for the past 10 years. Her main projects include leadership, goats, share the fun, and baked goods. 

The first step of a major overhaul to the Cameron water distribution system was done this past Thursday, Sept. 8. A 12-inch water valve was installed at the 22nd street water tower. This is a part of a CDGB grant offered through the Texas Department of Agriculture. The city of Cameron received $275,000 for a project to replace and install strategic water valves throughout the city for the purpose of shutting down water pipe for repairs and line replacement. The city just received bids for the water line replacement project that is being done through the Texas Water Development Board. Once all the valves are in place, work on the water line replacement project will begin.