Friday, April 26, 2024
Considering our current political climate, many people may have given up on adults ever again behaving themselves.
This year, Granbury kids Oakley Shelby, 5, and Wesley Barefoot, 15, gave the community meaningful lessons in good citizenship.
Oakley, with help from her parents, raised money to purchase swings for the Jim Burks Firefighters Memorial Park off the Moments in Time Hike and Bike Trail. Impressed city officials took care of the labor involved in installing the swings.
Barefoot, too, partnered with the city. As an Eagle Scout project, he worked to place a life-jacket loaner station at City Beach Park where four drownings have occurred since 2010.
Two months after the life-jacket loaner station was put in place, the Gran-bury City Council further enhanced safety at the city beach by approving curfews, the hiring of beach monitors for the summer months, and placement of fencing with gates to control crowds.
The council dealt with some controversy, though, when it moved to involuntarily annex five parcels of land totaling about 2,500 acres and 28 homes.
The first half of the year brought major tourism bragging rights when Granbury was named “Best Historic Small Town” in a USA Today reader poll.
Here is what else happened during the first six months of 2019:
JANUARY
Bob’s Off The Square Bar and Grille opens, drawing a crowd through social media and word-of-mouth.
Tolar High School students and teachers mourn the loss of senior Leonel Ramirez, who was killed in a three-car collision in Fort Worth early New Year’s Day.
Longtime District Attorney Rob Christian announces that he is stepping down to go back into private practice.
The 64th Hood County Stock Show begins.
Rebecca Meadors announces plans to open the Silver Saddle Saloon on the square, which will feature a bar, live music, billiards, eight-man poker and an ice cream parlor.
Two local federal workers who support President Donald Trump say they still support him despite being affected by the longest partial government shutdown in history.
A 78-year-old woman dies in a house fire in the 800 block of Meadowlark.
Granbury High School junior Caeley Cody once again is grand champion at the Hood County Junior Livestock Show.
The Granbury City Council votes to impose substantially higher water and wastewater impact fees to make up for the city going 15 years without adjusting them.
Scott Squires of Classic Chevrolet wins The Voice of Granbury contest, a fund-raiser for the Lake Granbury Kiwanis Club.
A 45-year-old Stephenville woman who works at the Granbury youth detention facility is charged with four counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Food assistance, as well as deferred payments on electric bills from United Cooperative Services, are offered to federal workers impacted by the longest partial government shutdown in history.
State Rep. Mike Lang, R-Granbury, files bills requiring proof of citizenship to vote and making Texas a closed primary state with criminal penalties for those who vote in the other party’s primary.
Former Granbury School Superintendent Ron May-field dies.
Hood County residents view a rare occurrence: a Super Blood Wolf Moon.
The Military Cross Memorial at Memorial Lane is vandalized.
The Commissioners Court grants permission for the sheriff’s office to pay uncertified recruits while they attend peace officer training, and also to pay for the training.
State-mandated repairs to rusted windows in the dog area at the Hood Animal Control facility cost the county $60,000.
Sheriff’s office investigators arrest a 59-year-old Sandy Beach man on a felony theft warrant and recover about $10,000 worth of stolen silver as well as more than $37,000 in cash.
Popular Granbury businessman and former Plantation Inn owner Dutch Wilkinson dies of a condition with his aorta after suffering serious injuries in a skiing accident.
Rooster and Lori Beane, owners of Rooster’s BBQ in Cresson, head to Atlanta to feed the Los Angeles Rams after practices leading up to the Super Bowl competition against the New England Patriots.
FEBRUARY
After settling a lawsuit, the Indian Harbor HOA board scrambles to amend 50-year-old deed restrictions through a member vote, warning that further lawsuits could bankrupt the HOA.
The staff of the Visit Granbury Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Lake Granbury Conference Center spend a day touring some of the local hotels and B&Bs to better enable tourism staffers to match visitors with the lodging that best suits their needs.
What some fear is odor caused by human waste being used as fertilizer on farms and ranches around Tolar is material made from sewage sludge, but officials say the smell is actually caused by moisture and the material having been stored for a period of time due to rain.
Single mom Becca Polston and her 2-year-old son Rhylon Edwards struggle with Rhylon’s kidney disease as they wait for him to gain enough weight to undergo a transplant.
The Indian Harbor HOA is hit with another lawsuit over its deed restrictions.
VFW Post 7835 is closed briefly by the state due to gaming violations.
Premier High School senior and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Mikayla Griffin performs for young patients undergoing treatment at the Dallas Children’s Medical Center.
Animal Control staffers discover that a micro-chipped female Shih Tzu found running free was stolen from her owners in Hazel Park, Michigan five years earlier and seek the community’s help in returning her home.
Hood County resident Babs James says she will testify at the Capitol in Austin during the 86th Legislative session about visitation rights for grandparents.
Former Granbury City Attorney Stuart Neal and Bryan Bufkin join Assistant District Attorney Ryan Sinclair in seeking the governor’s appointment to the district attorney position being vacated by Rob Christian.
Visit Granbury creates a regular Friday morning event for tourism stakeholders called “Rise and Grind” – a chance to come by the Visitors Center for coffee and donuts and share news that the staff can help promote.
The city sends its iconic green trolley to the shop for several weeks for air conditioner repairs ahead of the coming spring and summer months.
The Granbury Theatre Company receives a number of honors, including a shared Best Musical Award in the non-Equity category, at the 20th Annual Column Awards Gala held at the Irving Arts Center.
Visit Granbury seals a deal for Granbury to be the site of a Father’s Day 2020 lunch stop for the Great Race, the world’s premiere car rally, and announces plans to schedule a weekend of events around the antique cars visit.
MARCH
State Rep. Mike Lang, R-Granbury, files a bill to protect contract workers on the state’s roadways.
Cresson’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) offers CERT Basic Training to those interested in helping first responders during times of disaster.
County Judge Ron Massingill says he and county commissioners are looking into why Lake Granbury Medical Center, which has a contract to provide medical care to the indigent, sent some county jail inmates to hospitals in Fort Worth.
The mother and grandparents of 42-year-old Jeremy St. John, who was 16 when he sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) while “car surfing” with friends, announce plans to start a support group for those affected by TBI and hope to ultimately open a group home in Hood County.
City of Granbury Finance Director Eva Gregory predicts that the city’s indebtedness will grow to $121 million in 2019 but notes that city officials have undertaken several infrastructure-related projects that are needed to accommodate the city’s growth.
Acting Assistant District Attorney Ryan Sinclair is tapped by the governor to serve out the remainder of Rob Christian’s term as district attorney.
A storm packing 75 mph straight-line winds ripped off roofs and damaged trees in Hood County and toppled a communications tower in Pecan Plantation.
The Granbury Pirates baseball team takes inspiration from the puzzle piece symbolizing autism awareness, placing the symbol on the front of their caps.
Stay-at-home dad and creative writer Miles Emerson scores one of the lead roles in the Granbury Theatre Company’s sold-out show “Mamma Mia!” after auditioning for his first stage role at the urging of his daughters.
Mayor Nin Hulett and Mayor Pro Tem Tony Mobly partner to try to foil councilman Tony Allen’s alleged plans to run for mayor.
The Granbury City Council approves a strategic planning report detailing goals for the city that were hashed out by the council during a day-long workshop.
Fort Worth’s River Ranch Stockyards, the new venue for the Granbury High School prom, is a hit with students.
At least 14 Republican-led bills, including one by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, take aim at LGBT rights, sparking blow-back from businesses, chambers of commerce, tourism groups and some religious leaders.
The Granbury City Council and City Manager Chris Coffman agree on terms for a 3-year contract that will keep Coffman running city operations.
Fifteen-year-old Wesley Barefoot partners with the city on an Eagle Scout project that puts a life-jacket loaner station at City Beach Park, where four drownings have occurred since 2010.
APRIL
Like state Sen. Brian Bird-well, R-Granbury, state Rep. Mike Lang, also a Granbury Republican, lends his name to a controversial bill aimed at protecting elected officials and others who oppose the LGBT lifestyle.
A school finance reform bill approved by the Texas House provides more than $5 million in additional funding for the Granbury school district and helps ease the load on taxpayers.
The community rallies behind 13-year-old Alex Harris, an eighth-grader at Tolar Junior High, after he is diagnosed with cancer.
The Texas Senate approves a bill authored by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, that would allow school boards to let trained teachers carry concealed guns on campus.
The city of Granbury schedules two public hearings as it proceeds toward involuntary annexation of five parcels of land as a way to control development and protect transportation corridors.
According to the Hood Central Appraisal District, about 40 percent of property owners will see an increase in their appraised values.
Families say they feel unsafe and trapped in their homes because of companies that allegedly spilled contaminants on the families’ properties.
A meeting of the Hood County Elections Commission that may have been called for the purpose of quietly firing Elections Administrator Crickett Miller is canceled after the HCN questions the meeting’s legality.
The Friends of the Library bookstore reopens after being closed during the library’s expansion and renovation.
State Rep. Mike Lang, R-Granbury, co-authors a bill that criminalizes abortion and carries the possibility of a death sentence for any woman who undergoes the procedure, regardless of rape, incest or medical challenges.
Former Precinct 4 County Commissioner Steve Berry is presented the 2019 Patsy Hewlett award by the Hood County Child Protective Services board in recognition of his advocacy for children.
Library Advisory Board chair Nancy Sutherland and others say that Precinct 4 Commissioner Dave Eagle “commandeered” the group’s February meeting to detail bylaws changes he wanted, resulting in the meeting running past its allotted time without all agenda items being addressed.
Hood County ranks ninth in the fast-growing counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
MAY
Former Granbury resident Peter Mayhew, the 7’2” tall English actor who played “Chewbacca” in the original Star Wars trilogy, dies of a heart attack at his home in Wise County.
The Harbor Lakes Drive extension by the old Kroger site (now Granbury Lakeside Center) opens, offering a cut-through between US Hwy. 377 and Crawford Court.
The Granbury Theatre Company’s prop mistress, Gaylene Carpenter, stays up all night creating a dozen assorted mouthwatering “pies” from Great Stuff insulating spray foam for a scene in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
Firefighters share stories during a National Firefighters Day celebration at the Jim Burks Firefighters Memorial Park.
The second floor of the historic building on the square owned by Scott and Viki Young is chosen for a two-guest-suite remodel project to be featured on CNBC’s “Cash Pad.”
Newcomer Gary Rose and incumbent Ray Lewis win election to the board of the Acton Municipal Utility District, and Sheree Reynolds wins the Place 1 seat on the Lipan School Board.
The Granbury City Council approves a beach safety plan that includes increased fencing with gates, curfew hours and the hiring of “beach monitors.”
A jury sentences 35-year-old Arlington resident Clinton Dwayne Sandel to two years in prison and fines him $10,000 for the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old skateboarder Blythe Baggett.
Hood County resident Artie Gray survives a rattlesnake bite.
The Granbury City Council holds two public hearings on a controversial plan to involuntarily annex five parcels of land containing 28 homes.
Tolar High School’s social studies team takes first place as a team and sweeps the top three individual medals at the University Interscholastic League Class 3A state meet in Austin.
The Granbury City Council approves a Special Use Permit and replat and executes a Facilities Improvement Agreement that paves the way for Granbury Baptist Church on Weatherford Highway to expand its footprint from four acres to eight.
The city begins the process to become certified as a “film friendly” city with the council adopting guidelines for commercial filming.
The Texas Jaguar Clubs select Granbury as the site for its annual three-day Spring Fling.
Granbury is named Best Historic Small Town by USA Today in its annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award competition.
State Trooper Dub Gillum is named by the chamber as grand marshal for the July 4th Hometown Parade.
A Pecan Plantation woman dies after her canoe overturns on the swift-moving Brazos River, and firefighters make it out of the water safely after their rescue boat flips.
The Hood County Sheriff’s Office is asked to launch an investigation into the fire marshal’s office.
“Two Shots Fired,” a concoction made with Black Rifle coffee, a shot of pecan whiskey and a shot of Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur is named Granbury’s signature drink in a contest hosted by Visit Granbury.
JUNE
The Commissioners Court places Fire Marshal Ray Wilson on two weeks’ paid leave while the sheriff’s office continues an investigation into undisclosed actions by Wilson and his chief deputy.
Local residents provide host homes for young actors performing in the Granbury Theatre Company’s “Grease.”
After months of tension between county officials and the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, the Commissioners Court appoints Jarrod Reynolds to replace Mike Massey on that board.
Due to the process already having been started at the time Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill immediately halting forced annexations, the Granbury City Council, one day later, involuntarily annexes five sections of land totaling almost 2,500 acres.
The new Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant puts out a call for 65 employees.
Nutshell Eatery & Bakery co-owner Barbara Stevenson dies.
After a two-week investigation by the Sheriff’s Office of Fire Marshal Ray Wilson that reveals a policy violation and a contract violation, Wilson and the county part ways under a signed separation agreement.
The Library Advisory Board again comes under attack by Precinct 4 Commissioner Dave Eagle, leaving LAB president Nancy Sutherland feeling certain that Eagle will use a resolution by the Republican Executive Committee as a reason to abolish the volunteer group.
Police Chief Mitch Galvan and City Manager Chris Coffman ask the Granbury City Council to consider a tax rate increase of almost 8 cents per $100 valuation to hire more officers and increase pay department-wide.
The Hospital District Board approves County Judge Ron Massingill’s request to spend $5,000 for a lawyer to review the contract between the county and Community Health Systems, Inc. to see whether indigent jail inmates should have been folded all along into Lake Granbury Medical Center’s indigent care responsibilities rather than the county footing the bill.
A mother and her two daughters lose their home and possessions in a late-night fire in Rolling Hills Shores northwest of Gran-bury.
District Clerk Tonna Hitt, faced with a growing work load and high employee turnover due to low pay, halts the issuance of passports.
Roadwork by the city and the breaking of a water main by work crews leave residents of Misty Meadows frustrated.
The Hidden Oak Golf Course reopens for play one day after fire heavily damages facilities there.
Officials with the Granbury school district accuse the Hood Central Appraisal District of not following state tax code for appointment of its board of directors.
County commissioners approve a security upgrade for the courthouse.
The Granbury City Council seeks donations from the community to help fund repairs for the East Pedestrian Bridge in Shanley Park behind City Hall.
Granbury City Manager Chris Coffman announces a four-part plan to raise the $845,000 needed to fund public safety needs without an 8-cent property tax rate increase.
A bankruptcy judge revokes the bankruptcy of Barry Tubbs Jr. and his former wife Amy – former pastor and worship leader, respectively, for The Way Church, now CenterPoint Church – after the couple admit to federal authorities in sworn testimony to having committed fraud and to using church tithes to fund their lifestyle.
A report by the latest Texas Department of State Health Studies show vaccination rates in Hood County schools are generally lower than the state averages.
