FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015
THE FAYETTE COUNTY La Grange, Texas 78945
INSIDE
Volume 93, Number 51
The Fayette County Record
A series of violent thunderstorms with frequent lightning and downburst wind gusts swept across Fayette County last weekend. The first came through early Friday morning bringing some storm-related damage to the southern half of the county. The second wave came Saturday and a third early Monday morning. The Monday morning storm downed limbs and entire trees
and caused brief electrical outages around the county including La Grange. Catherine Poppe of Fayette Electric said the last low pressure system “brought lightning and damaging downburst winds ... that caused downed power lines, broken limbs and trees” causing an estimated 1,100 outages for members served by the cooperative. “All FEC crews responded at 3:50 a.m. and worked throughout the day until power was restored,” Poppe added. La Grange outages were also brief.
Rainfall during the fastmoving storms’ passage was intense, but generally brief. In Round Top, a large overhead door to a storage area at the Junk Gypsy Headquarters blew open and water two inches deep flooded the room, according to co-owner Amie Sikes. April’s rainfall total for La Grange was 7.73 inches through April 28.
More Storm Damage Pictures, Page A12
Playoff-Ready
For The Record
By ANDY BEHLEN The Fayette County Record
Fried Chicken
Industry Brethren Church will hold its 25th annual fund raiser of a fried chicken dinner on Sunday, May 3 at the Industry Fireman’s Hall. Serving will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations will be accepted as payment for meal tickets. Dine in or enjoy plates to-go. Desserts will be available. Auction will be held at noon.
Fayetteville ArtWalk
ArtWalk 2015 is this weekend on the square in Fayetteville. There will be over 60 fine artist, music, wine tasting, food, and children’s art activities and fun for the whole family this Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ArtWalk is free and open to the public. There’s more For the Record on Page A2
WEATHER WATCH
First responders await the arrival of a fire truck shortly this vehicle flipped through the median and burst into flames on State Highway 71 on Monday around noon time. Photo by Andy Behlen
Two Escape Wreck Before Car Bursts into Flames
By ANDY BEHLEN The Fayette County Record
A fiery crash involving a single vehicle on State Highway 71 near La Grange sent two people to the hospital on Monday. The wreck happened about 11:30 a.m. on April 27 and shut down traffic for about an hour. Highway Patrol Trooper Paul Kohleffel investigated the accident. According to Kohleffel’s report, a 2011 white Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Jason Ocasil, 24 of Cypress, was heading eastbound on State Highway 71 near the FM 609 exit at La
Grange. Kohleffel said Ocasil was driving at a high rate of speed. The Jeep left the roadway and struck the inside guardrail. The vehicle went through the median, flipped end-over-end and landed facing south in the westbound lane of SH 71 before bursting into flames. Ocasil and a passenger, 32year old Kelly Boudreaux, were able to escape the vehicle before it caught fire. According to Fayette County EMS Director Sharon Muzny, the two patients were transported by separate helicopters to Brackenridge Hospital in
A Tribute to Firefighters
Burn Ban Is Lifted
INSIDE TODAY
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Fayette County Commissioners are hoping to get a better deal on more road building material sourced from their own backyard – coal ash from LCRA’s Fayette Power Project (FPP). Commissioners authorized the county auditor to advertise bids for ash rock, ash road rock, fly ash, and pit ash at their meeting on Monday, April 27. Commissioners hope to use the material as a cheap road base for an upcoming grant-funded road repair project.
From left, Larry Brown, Lila Clark and Chuck Brown are pictured at the Schulenburg Cotton Compress. The Brown family and Mrs. Clark are the first to pledge money to support the preservation of the compress. The Brown Family pledged $10,000. Mrs. Clark donated $100. Larry and Chuck Brown’s grandfather, Oscar Brown, purchased the Schulenburg Cotton Compress Company from Dr. I. E. Clark in 1927. Mrs. Clark’s late husband, also named I. E. Clark, was Dr. I. E. Clark’s grandson. Photo by Andy Behlen
$10,000 is Pledged For Compress Preservation By ANDY BEHLEN
La Grange assistant Fire Chiefs Frankie Srubar and Todd Johnson lead the procession to the Fire Fighter Memorial during Tuesday night’s service. Photo by Jeff Wick
By JEFF WICK
The Fayette County Record
In what has become a touching annual event, members of the La Grange Fire Department held the 2015 Firefighter Memorial Service Tuesday at the fire station. A roll call of active fire fighters was followed by a Roll of Honor as names of the 104 deceased members of the fire department were read. Remarks
were also made by Mayor Janet Moerbe and the department’s chaplain Pastor J. Paul Bruhn. “Pray for our fire department. There’s a lot of gray hair over there,” Bruhn said. “That’s why I keep my hair so short,” laughed Chief Frank Menefee in a light moment in the otherwise somber tone of the event. Prayers were also led by Fire Department President Joe Rogers and Lambert Lidiak
In an interview after the meeting, Pct. 4 Commissioner Tom Muras said the County has always used the power plant’s ash in county roads since he became commissioner. “We used to be able to get it really cheap, something like $1.25 per ton,” Muras said. Coal ash has become a popular construction material. Muras said County road crews use it to build a firm base under roads. “We lay it out, get it wet, and it sets up like concrete,” he said. Muras said the company that previously marketed the See Roadwork, back page
Austin with what she described as “traumatic muscular-skeletal injuries.” Since the accident scene was so close to the Fayette County Regional Air Center, ambulances took the patients to the airport where they were loaded onto helicopters. Muzny and two ambulance crews responded to the scene, along with the two helicopters from AirEvac Lifeteam and PHI Inc. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, La Grange Volunteer Fire Department and Texas Department of Transportation assisted at the scene as well.
This Week’s Forecast High Low Friday: 81 55 Clear Saturday: 80 58 Clear Sunday: 81 62 Clear Monday: 83 66 50% chance of rain
Opinion........................ Page A4 Crossword................... Page A5 Sports.......................... Page A6 Society......................... Page A8 Obituaries.................. Page A10 Weekend...................... Page B1 Classifieds................Page B2-5
A large pecan tree just missed the home of Greg and Tammy Trlicek at 690. S. Jackson Street. Photo by H.H. Howze
County Looking to The Power Plant for More Road Material
The Lady Leps showed they are more than ready for the postseason with a big win Tuesday. See Sports, Page A6
RT-C Elementary and Secondary student art work will be on display and for sale at ART Walk on the Fayetteville square Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is sponsored by the RT-C Education Foundation.
One Dollar per Copy
Trees Down All Over After Third Storm in Four Day-Span By H.H. HOWZE
RT-Carmine Artwork
RECORD
before the attendees followed the firemen out of the fire house and to the memorial wall outside where the names of deceased local fire fighters are inscribed. There a wreath was placed and a bell rung in remembrance and gratitude. The La Grange fire department is one of the oldest establishments in the city. It celebrates the 149th anniversary of its founding this year.
The Fayette County Record
Questions about the future of the historic cotton compress in Schulenburg have spurred a preservation effort. That effort got a big boost this week from Mrs. Lila Clark and family of the late Tommy Brown, who pledged over $10,000 toward preserving the compress. The compress company operated from 1882 to 1968. The Brown and Clark families have intimate ties to the compress. Clark’s late husband, I. E. Clark, was the grandson of an early owner of the Schulenburg Com-
press Company, Dr. I. E. Clark. Chuck and Larry Brown are the sons of the compress company’s last owner, Tommy Brown, who passed away in January. Tommy Brown’s father, Oscar Brown, purchased the compress company from Dr. I. E. Clark in 1927. The owner of the property where the compress sits wants the machine removed in order to sell the property. The cost of moving the cotton press could run up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The machine is said to weigh 350 tons and stands 60 feet tall. If the See Compress, back page