The Sealy News

Padre Island's Bob Hall Pier was closed after portions of the structure collapsed from damage due to Hurricane Hanna.

Thousands of Texans remain without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Hanna

Gov. Greg Abbott cautioned that there will be continued threats of flash flooding even as rainfall slows. more

By Reese Oxner, The Texas Tribune | 7/27/20

Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas GOP leaders continue to resist a push by Democrats to expand mail-in voting.

Gov. Greg Abbott extends early voting for November election by six days, starting Oct. 13

The early voting period for the Nov. 3 election will start Oct. 13 instead of Oct. 19. more

By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune | 7/27/20

The body of a person who died of COVID-19 is picked up in McAllen this month. According to state data released Sunday, 5,038 people in Texas have died from the virus.

With 1,000 new coronavirus fatalities in Texas in just 6 days, the state's death count is rising faster

More than 5,000 people in Texas have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to state health data released Sunday. more

By Alana Rocha, The Texas Tribune | 7/26/20

The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provision that prevented some landlords from taking new eviction actions expired Friday.

A federal rule protecting thousands of renters from eviction expired Friday. Here’s what you need to know.

Many local governments have implemented their own measures to protect tenants from eviction during the pandemic, and there are groups that help tenants navigate what can be a complicated and traumatic process. more

By Meena Venkataramanan, The Texas Tribune | 7/25/20

Tides rise at Bob Hall Pier in Corpus Christi as Hurricane Hanna approaches land on Saturday.

Hanna brings flooding, power outages to southern Texas Gulf Coast

A section of the Texas coast already reeling from thousands of coronavirus cases will continue to feel the effects of the storm, which was the first hurricane of the season. more

By Alana Rocha, Mitchell Ferman and Juan Pablo Garnham, The Texas Tribune | 7/24/20

Many other counties across Texas have also ordered schools to push back their start dates for in-person learning.

Harris County orders schools closed until Sept. 8

The order could extend further, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. more

By Stacy Fernández, The Texas Tribune | 7/24/20

While there is widespread consensus that more people wearing face coverings in public will slow viral spread, researchers disagree over how much credit to assign to Texas’ statewide mask order.

Mask mandate appears to be helping in Texas, but experts ask Gov. Greg Abbott not to rule out a shutdown

A plateauing of new virus cases would hardly represent a victory over the pandemic, but it would help keep hospitals from being overrun with sick patients. more

By Edgar Walters, The Texas Tribune | 7/24/20

Sealy ISD presents back-to-school options

Sealy ISD leaders presented the board of trustees with the return-to-school plan at Wednesday’s regular meeting in the Sealy Junior High School cafeteria with an audience of around 30 socially distant parents and students. more

By Cole McNanna | 7/23/20

Brazos High School graduate Jon Stork said he was excited for another performance at Sealybration but it was instead added to a laundry list of gigs that were postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Stork is pictured at his 2019 Sealybration performance on the main stage at B&PW Park.

Stork making lemonade from pandemic

In a matter of four weeks, Jon Stork went from having a song from his first full-length album top the Texas Regional Radio Report, to performing at Rodeo Houston to stopping in the Sealy Walmart parking lot announcing the rest of the rodeo, where he was supposed to appear again, was canceled due to COVID-19. more

By Cole McNanna | 7/23/20

GLO announces $194,936 to install generator in Sealy

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush recently announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) approved $194,936 in Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery grants for the city of Sealy to install a generator at the Silliman Water Pump Station. more

Contributed report | 7/23/20

Mandijo Wood won the all-around saddle from the Austin County Youth Rodeo Association in the peewee division in 2007 and twice in the senior division in 2016 and 2020. Since winning her first saddle, Wood has won a total of seven all-around saddles as well as 50 belt buckles.

Wood wins third ACYRA saddle

Over the last 13 years, Mandijo Wood has compiled seven all-around saddles as a barrel racer but she said the most recent one from the Austin County Youth Rodeo Association earlier this month was a little sweeter in her final year of competing in her local rodeo. more

By Cole McNanna | 7/23/20

Texas has seen more state prisoners die with the new coronavirus than any other state prison system in America.

The coronavirus is keeping Texas prisoners who've been approved for parole behind bars

Thousands of parole-approved prisoners remain locked up during the public health crisis. The coronavirus has delayed pre-release programs and kept people set to go home inside infected prisons. more

By Jolie McCullough, The Texas Tribune | 7/23/20

Parents with resources are setting up “learning pods” as school districts delay their return to in-person instruction this fall and COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

As school reopenings falter, some Texas parents hire private teachers. Others can only afford to cross their fingers.

With the safe reopening of schools this fall in doubt, parents with the resources are setting up "learning pods" or seeking other options. But the do-it-yourself approach to education threatens to leave behind students of color and poorer families. more

By Aliyya Swaby, The Texas Tribune | 7/23/20

Texans like Marney Mason who receive unemployment benefits after losing a job or having hours cut could soon lose a $600 weekly payment Congress approved to help people during the pandemic's economic downturn.

As Congress feuds over unemployment payments, many jobless Texans are about to lose a $600 weekly benefit

The CARES Act's $600 weekly unemployment benefit expires in Texas on Saturday, leaving out-of-work Texans in a period of uncertainty as Congress debates what to put in new federal relief legislation. more

By Meena Venkataramanan, The Texas Tribune | 7/23/20

Travis County DA will not take Javier Ambler, Michael Ramos cases to grand jury before leaving office this year

District Attorney Margaret Moore was originally slated to present both cases to a special grand jury in August. more

By Stacy Fernández, The Texas Tribune | 7/22/20

The UIL announced Tuesday that fall sports will be delayed by a month for Classes 5A and 6A. On the other hand, Classes 4A and below remain on schedule to begin practicing Aug. 3.

Fall sports to start on time for Classes 4A and below

The University Interscholastic League announced Tuesday morning that fall sports competition in Classes 5A and 6A will be delayed about a month but Classes 4A and below will remain on schedule. more

By Cole McNanna | 7/22/20

The Tiger Pride 11u baseball squad picked up their second championship ring in as many tournaments so far this summer. Most recently, the team competed in Perfect Game’s BBUSA Summer Championship last weekend and walked away victoriously from a pair of one-run games to earn the top spot. Pictured from left to right are Max Hinze (Most Valuable Pitcher), Mason Dziadek, Levi Poulter, Reese Reichardt (Most Valuable Player), Hensley Beaman, Abraham Barrera, Jackson Sodolak, Weston Cryan, Logan Schalla, Jackson Ellis and Parker Vesely.

Tiger Pride wins second in a row

7/22/20

The statue of George Washington outside the University of Texas at Austin Main Building on July 16, 2020.

UT-Austin faces a third lawsuit claiming that white students were unfairly denied admission under affirmative action

Previous attempts to overturn UT-Austin's admissions policies have proven unsuccessful, including a 2018 lawsuit by the same group that was dropped earlier this month and a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court case that sided with the university. more

By Raga Justin, The Texas Tribune | 7/22/20

COVID-19 cases hit 160

After the first COVID-related death in Austin County was reported on Friday, County Judge Tim Lapham provided updated information about cases of the virus in the county, noting the possibility of more deaths. more

By Cole McNanna and Joe Southern | 7/22/20

Teachers who participated in the party are Casey Anderson, Shane Eschenburg, Melissa Ford, Helen Haby, Richard High, Britni Malala, Karen Wilkerson, Marsha Merrell, and Shae Whatley, the program’s new director. They are pictured with participants and parents.

A special party

A special needs children’s graduation party was held July 15 at the Irene LeBlanc swimming pool at Jacqueline A. Cryan Memorial Park. In addition to enjoying a swim, the youngsters were treated to cake and other treats. more

7/22/20