News

Blue Bell Ice Cream products are available in select areas today – including Austin ¬– and delivery trucks can be seen on many Central Texas and East Texas highways.
Four flavors are included in the initial retail restocking including Homemade Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, The Great Divide and Cookies ‘n Cream. The products are being delivered to stores in about 25 counties surrounding Austin and down to Houston, including Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Lee and Burleson counties surrounding Milam County. Products are also being delivered to seven counties in Alabama.  
According to the company’s website, additional stores and cities will be added as production expands.
All Blue Bell products were recalled back in April after federal health officials linked 10 listeria cases to Blue Bell products.

The Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department will dedicate the new Davilla Station in ceremonies at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, when BVFD officials want to show appreciation to the Davilla community and surrounding area for their support in building the new station, Ellis Burns said.

Special thanks go to Drayton McLane Jr., Jack P. Hilliard, Barry Springer, Melody  Croes and Davilla Baptist Church. Everyone is invited attend as the BVFD also marks its 100th anniversary.

By Curtis Chubb – Roles were reversed at the first public hearing on the proposed 2016 Milam County budget. During the last two budget meetings at the courthouse, the elected county officials did the talking while the citizens did the listening. On Monday, the citizens did the talking – and they had a lot to say.

In fact, the citizens had so much to say that their budget-oriented orations continued into the commissioners court meeting which followed the public hearing.

After months seeking affordable land for drilling water wells, the Cameron City Council has decided not to pursue a plan to switch the city’s water system to ground water - and concentrate on upgrading the aging distribution system and water lines.
The council voted this week to forego issuing $3.8 million in certificates of obligation and the city will send a letter to the Texas Water Development Board returning loan finds earmarked for the project that included wells and a new water plant.
“The council just could not find land (with water rights) for a well that we felt was affordable and would allow us to pay back the debt,” City Manager Rhett Parker said.
He added the council felt the city should focus on improving the aging distribution system that has been plagued with water line breaks and leaks.
For details, read the full story in this week's print or digital edition.

In preparation for a series of public hearings after receiving the preliminary budget for next year, the Cameron City Council voted Tuesday night to keep the current tax rate.
Overall, taxable property in the city increased in value with this year’s appraisals, City Secretary Amy Harris explained, and more revenue will be generated from the same tax rate of 75.90 cents per $100 property valuation.
According to figures from the Milam Appraisal District, this year’s tax base is $157,446,015 - up from last year’s base of $155,657,268. 
“Because there is an increase in tax revenue (even though the property tax rate remains the same), public hearings will be required before adopting the rate and approving the budget,” Harris noted.
City Manager Rhett Parker presented the preliminary budget in a workshop session that included council members, administrative staff and all the city department heads.

The Cameron Police Department is investigating a daytime auto burglary at AIS Manufacturing, located in the 1100 block of Industrial Blvd, Police Chief Randy Dixon said in a statement released Saturday afternoon.
On Friday, an unidentified suspect, described as a black male, used a metal tool of some type to smash a side window of a vehicle parked on the lot.  The subject then reached into the vehicle and removed a purse with contents that included bank cards and credit cards. 
The subject then went to the Sunnys Food Mart and used one of the cards, where he was filmed on video surveillance.  The suspect was driving a silver Grand Marquis, Dixon said, and another vehicle that may have been involved is a black Dodge Neon.
Anyone with any information on the subject(s) involved in this incident, please contact the Cameron Police Department at (254) 697-6574.

Gary Kanarr, the man reported missing last Friday, was located at the VA hospital in Temple on Sunday afternoon.

Milam County Sheriff's Office conducted an area wide search and asked the public's help in locating the missing 60-year-old, who suffers from dementia due to a brain injury. Chief Deputy Chris White said Kanarr was "dropped off" at the VA hospital in Temple and he is now at home with his wife.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), grid operator for most of Texas, has announced an Conservation Alert and is asking electric consumers to limit or reduce electric use where possible during the 3-7 p.m. peak demand hours today.

“Although we set new peak demand records without needing to issue a conservation alert during the past week, the high temperatures statewide continue to drive high levels of electricity use,” said Dan Woodfin, ERCOT director of System Operations.

“Generation units on the system have been working hard to keep up with recent demands,” Woodfin said. “Some of them have experienced outages today, contributing to tighter conditions.”

The Cameron Herald's new website premieres today as a work in progress with more content being added over the next few days and weeks.

We are thankful for our readers' patience while we work through the process of changing over. While our staff represents 83 years of newspaper experience, we're still getting used to this new-fangled digital stuff.

The Herald's first website debuted in 2002 with the premise that it "won't replace your newspaper" and that still stands. The site is a means of providing up-to-the minute news and sports updates, obituaries, upcoming event notices, alerts and announcements, but full features will be found only in the print and digital newspaper editions.

Speaking of the digital edition, we think you'll like the new Cameron Herald eEdition - it even comes with sound effects.

We know you'll let us hear what you think and we'll keep fine tuning.

Three people are facing multiple drug and child endangerment charges following a police raid on a house in the 1100 block of Main Street Tuesday night.
Cameron Police Chief Randy Dixon said officers executed a warrant at the house following a several month-long investigation into complaints from neighbors reporting unusual activity possible related to the sale of drugs.
Dixon said when officers executed the “no knock” warrant, in addition to three adults and a small child, they found “deplorable health conditions and a variety of illegal substances.”
“Child Protective Services was called and took control of the three year-old female child,” Dixon said.
Arrested on felony charges of endangering a child and possession of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana were Cynthia Denise Barnett, 58, Patrick Ryan Felts, 30, and Destiny Leigh Adams, 33. In addition, Barnett had city warrants for theft, Dixon said.