Suehs announces changes to HHSC executive team

Muth, Millwee, Chassay new deputy executive commissioners, Olse chief of staff

Austin to replace Delisi on Texas Transportation Commission

Tyler banker Jeff Austin III (pictured) has been appointed to the Texas Transportation Commission by Gov. Rick Perry. Austin replaces former Commission Chair Deirdre Delisi, who recently resigned. Commission member Ted Houghton has since been named chair of the five-member commission.

Austin is vice chair of Austin Bank and Texas NA. He is a board member and past chair of the Texas Bankers Association and is a member of the Government Relations Committee of the American Bankers Association.

Austin holds a bachelor's degree and Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Tyler, and is a graduate of the Southern Methodist University Southwestern Graduate and Intermediate Schools of Banking, and the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

Dreyer ratified as VP, Chief Information Officer for ERCOT

Officials of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) at this week's monthly board meeting announced that Jerry Dreyer (pictured) was ratified as vice president and chief information officer at last month's board meeting, replacing Richard Morgan who recently retired. Formerly director of application services at ERCOT, Dreyer has been employed by the electric grid operator since August 2009.

Prior to joining ERCOT, Dreyer worked in the private sector, managing technology for several enterprise-level projects in the financial services industry, where he was involved in organizational development, systems management, large project development, implementation strategies, vendor relationships, strategic and architectural planning.

Dreyer is a graduate of Northern Illinois University. 

Dallas Area Rapid Transit is among the grant recipients.

Nearly $930 million in federal grant funds is headed to transit providers nationwide from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) - more than $57 million of which is bound for Texas. The funds will support more than 300 public transportation projects in urban, suburban and rural areas of America. The grants will be used to construct new transit facilities, expand and renovate existing facilities, purchase clean-fuel buses and help communities plan for their future transit needs.

The grant selection process was highly competitive, according to FTA officials, as the FTA reviewed 839 project applications representing $4.9 billion in funding requests from transit providers across the country for the Fiscal Year 2011 discretionary grants. Sixteen programs in Texas received funding. Among them are:

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit - $12 million for vehicle replacements;
• Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County - $8 million for facility improvements for Kashmere and Hiram Clarke;
• Denton County Transportation Authority - $8.2 million for facility replacement;
• City of Galveston - $2 million for Sewall Boulevard transit pedestrian access and beautification plan; construction of bus stop amenities to support new transit services;
• VIA Metropolitan Transit - $3 million for facility improvements; and
• City of Longview - $449,600 for Longview Transit facility rehab.

To view the complete list of projects in Texas and the amounts funded and the other projects by state and their funding amount, click here and look under "Recent Reports."

Morman, Stoebe named 2012 Texas Teachers of the Year

Texas educators Karen Morman (left) of the McKinney school district and Stephanie Stoebe (right) of the Round Rock district have been named the 2012 Teachers of the Year.

Stoebe, a reading teacher at Round Rock High School, is the Secondary Teacher of the Year, while Morman, a reading specialist at J.W. Webb Elementary, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year. Both honors come with a $5,000 cash award.

Morman, who will go on to represent the state in the national Teacher of the Year competition, will submit letters of endorsement and eight essays on topics ranging from personal teaching philosophy to issues facing education. The National Teacher of the Year will be introduced by the President and honored in a series of events in Washington D.C. in April.

The Texas Teacher of the Year program is a joint project of the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Association of School Administrators this year.

Warach to serve as director of Seton/UT Southwestern institute

Dr. Steven Warach has been chosen as the founding executive director of the new Seton/UT Southwestern Clinical Reseach Institute in Austin. Warach currently is a neurologist and senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health. His recruitment was done as a collaboration with Seton Healthcare Family.

Warach, who will begin his duties on Dec. 5, said he wants the institute to foster discoveries that result in immediate improvements across the spectrum of clinical medicine. Initially, he will be charged with recruiting and hiring clinical investigators to join the UT Southwestern faculty in Austin. Warach has been with NIH since 1999. He holds a doctorate in neuroscience and psychology from Michigan State University, which he earned before being awarded his medical degree at Harvard Medical School.

Prison board studies seeking regional hospitals for inmate care

State prison officials recently announced that they are considering a plan to run the prison health care program without The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, which currently provides care for about two-thirds of Texas' 153,000 prison inmates.

Instead, a network of regional hospitals across the state would provide care. Officials believe this plan would cost less, but were not releasing details of the plan.

UTMB has served as a primary partner - as has Texas Tech University - since the current managed care system was created in 1993. Texas Tech, which treats about a third of the state's inmates, has used regional hospitals more than UTMB, which treats many thousand of prisoners at its Galveston hospitals. 

Texas Municipal League taps Reed as president

Leonard Reed (pictured), mayor of Willis, recently began his duties as the new president of the Texas Municipal League (TML), the statewide organization representing cities across the state. Reed, who has been mayor of Willis since 2003 and a city council member since 1999, is employed as a certified occupational safety specialist with an energy corporation. He also served in the U.S. Army and in federal law enforcement.

TML board members also selected John Monaco, the mayor of Mesquite, to serve as president of the group during the 2012-2013 term that begins in October 2012.

City of Irving releases RFP for convention center hotel development

The City of Irving has issued a request for proposals for a convention center hotel development, due Dec. 8. The RFP is expected to be awarded in February of next year. The proposed hotel will be situated adjacent to the Irving Convention Center.

Officials are seeking a LEED-certified, 400-plus room, full-service hotel and related function space that will be built adjacent to the Irving Convention Center that opened in January. The hotel is expected to be an upscale convention center hotel with a major national full-service lodging brand featuring related amenities and facilities, such as function and meeting space, a full-service, three-meal restaurant, a signature restaurant, extended-hour room service, complimentary airport shuttle, fitness center, pool and bar/lounge.

Clearing the way for a city council vote, VIA Metropolitan Transit board members recently agreed to support a $100 million downtown streetcar plan proposed by the city of San Antonio.

Current plans call for Bexar County to contribute $55 million to VIA's $180 million transportation plan that includes the $100 million downtown streetcar line, said Keith Parker (pictured), chief executive officer of VIA. San Antonio officials have proposed that VIA obtain the remaining $55 million for the streetcar line by collecting $40 million from the city and approving a special assessment district to have area property owners contribute the remaining $15 million. San Antonio city officials have said their support for a streetcar system is contingent on the assessment district and development of an interlocal agreement.

Lewisville Independent School District trustees recently approved members for a bond oversight committee to ensure that $697.7 million in bond funding approved in 2008 is appropriately spent.

Superintendent Stephen Waddell urged creating the committee to examine information from projects, report the results and recommend any changes that would benefit the district because of changing demographics or other factors. The district has not experienced the student growth expected when the bonds passed in 2008, a spokeswoman for the district said.

The 2008 bond package included plans for nine new campuses, renovations and additions to several campuses, new athletic facilities and upgrades to technologies. Citing flat enrollment and the bad economy, district officials In November 2010 stopped work on the remaining projects, including two middle schools, two ninth-grade campuses, two elementary schools and land for more schools. The district continued spending $68.5 million on projects such as roof repair this year, but will discontinue any repairs or renovations until the oversight committee makes recommendations, the spokeswoman said.

Julie Henry to serve as special assistant to the UT Tyler president

Officials at The University of Texas at Tyler recently named Julie Henry (pictured) special assistant to the president for communications.

Previously, Henry served as the public information specialist for the Midway school district and as executive director for Keep Waco Beautiful, for which she received two Governor's Community Achievement awards.

She holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Vazquez chosen as UTEP Special Events executive director

Officials at The University of Texas at El Paso have named Jorge Vazquez (pictured) executive director of the Office of Special Events.
 

Vazquez had served as interim director of the office since March 2010. Under his leadership, the university brought in concerts, comediennes and other acts which generated more than $1.7 million in ticket sales.

CGI Group gets $1.8 million TEF investment for delivery center

CGI Group Inc. will collect $1.8 million in state funds to create a new Belton-based delivery center that is expected to generate 350 jobs.

The state money comes through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF), which was created by the Legislature in 2003.

The new center will support CGI clients' needs for software development, maintenance and testing as well as network engineering, design and data management support.

Tyler Junior Colleges kicks off drive for $50M for medical programs

Tyler Junior College officials recently kicked off a public-private campaign to raise $50 million in funding for nursing and health sciences programs.

Plans call for using the funding to build a multi-story building with the latest in technology to house the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, part of the board's vision of making the college a medical training destination, said Dr. Mike Metke (pictured), president of the college. College officials set a goal of seeking $12.5 million in private donations, $12.5 million from selected student fees and $25 million from bonds approved by taxpayers in a May 2012 bond election

College officials already raised $3.5 million of the $12.5 million goal for private donations and hope to meet that goal in May and then ask voters to approve bonds to proceed with the first phase of the project, which includes the allied health building and a parking garage, Metke said. A $20 million residence hall is the goal for the second phase of the project if voters approve a bond package, Metke said. The residence hall would open as early as 2012 if voters approve the bond package and trustees approve construction soon, he said.

Amarillo College wins $3 million gift to build new campus in Hereford

A resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, recently donated $3 million to build a new $5 million campus for Amarillo College in Hereford.

The new campus will be named the Everett and Mabel McDougal Hinkson Memorial Campus to honor his late wife, a resident of Hereford he married following the death of her first husband, said Paul Matney (pictured), president of Amarillo College. The college will pay the remaining $2 million cost of the new Hereford campus scheduled to open in fall 2013 and will replace the current campus located at an old elementary school, Matney said.

Plans call for building a 30,000- to 36,000-square-foot building on 10 acres of land on 15th Street given to the college by the Hereford Economic Development Corporation. The campus will feature classrooms, a common space with a fountain, a biology laboratory and a chemistry laboratory. Hereford city officials are providing paving and infrastructure work for the new campus site, Matney said. Regents plan to select an architect for the new campus facility in December, he said.

El Paso City Council members recently agreed to lease an 11.7-acre parcel of land to the Medical Center of the Americans Foundation to provide space to incubate biomedical companies at the facility.

Council members also took the first step to create a tax-increment reinvestment zone at the medical center to permit foundation officials to lease city land at below-market rates. Council members previously dedicated a large portion of franchise fees received from El Paso Electric to pay for developing the medical center, which is part of the city's current strategy for economic development.

The executive director of the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), Allen Clemson (pictured), recently resigned from that post effective Oct.14.

The board of directors appointed Gerry Carrigan, the assistant executive director of project delivery, to monitor operations normally performed by the executive director. Carrigan will help ensure that no interruption in day-to-day business operations of the toll road authority occurs until board members officially accept the resignation of Clemson and name an interim executive director. 

Rio Hondo must proceed on water plant or lose $1.3 million grant

Rio Hondo city officials recently learned they could lose a $1.3 million federal grant if they fail to follow through with building a new water plant planned for eight years or to renovate the current water plant.

Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which awarded the grant in 2007, are working with Rio Hondo city officials to move forward with the water plant project to avoid the funding from being deobligated, said Jake Sheeran, area director of the USDA office in Alice. The grant will be supplemented by a $2.8 million loan if the city decides to build a new water plant, Sheeran said.

City commissioners said they are awaiting results of a water rate study to decide whether to move forward with plans to build a new water plant. City officials previously revised plans for the plant after water usage in the city dropped from 1.79 million gallons a day to 400,000 gallons a day following approval of a water rate increase. They also scaled back the capacity from 1.8 million gallons per day to 1.2 million gallons. The current plant, built in 1985, has a 790,000-gallon-per-day capacity and would cost between $1.2 million to $1.5 million to renovate the current facility that needs electrical repairs, new pumps and new motors, the public works director said.

San Antonio city officials recently approved the design for a proposed $4 million Animal Care Services facility in Brackenridge Park that will offer spay and neutering services, pet adoptions and animal education.

Plans call for work to begin in May on the center located near the San Antonio Zoo that will feature an adoption facility, education center, pavilion, clinic and loading garage, said Assistant City Manager Erik Walsh (pictured). The animal services facility also will have an outdoor and an indoor run with transparent glass walls to allow visitors to view dogs from outside the building, he said.

City officials allotted an additional $2.1 million to the project that originally called for only a 13,250-square-foot adoption center to expand it into a full service center. City officials plan to ask for bids as soon as architects complete all necessary construction documents in January, Walsh said.

Project VIDA awarded $1.4 million workforce grant

Project VIDA, a workforce development program in the Rio Grande Valley, has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from one of the top philanthropic groups in the nation.

The grant, which comes from the Open Society Foundation, is part of a combined $8 million that has been pledged to nine workforce training programs across the nation.

The programs were selected through a United States government project - Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency (ISIS) - that aims to find and study the best workforce training programs. Other major philanthropic organizations such as the Ford Foundation have agreed to partner with the federal government on the ISIS project. 

Killeen to seek $10 million grant for new hike-and-bike trail

Killeen City Council members recently agreed to seek a $10 million federal grant to build a nine-mile, hike-and-bike trail to connect the north campus of Texas A&M University-Central Texas to the main campus. Council member Terry Clark (pictured) said the trail is planned to wind through downtown, some residential areas and open spaces along the nine-mile route and would benefit many citizens.

Council members authorized city staff to apply for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The city will be required to contribute $3.5 million in matching funds for the grant with recipients to be announced in February 2012, city officials said.

El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization leaders recently kicked off a hunt for $300,000 to pay for a study required to win federal funding to rebuild a proposed $90 million downtown streetcar system favored by some local leaders. City officials closed the El Paso Downtown streetcar system in 1974, but some local leaders are pushing to rebuild a trolley line.

An earlier streetcar study indicated the proposed, four-mile system would result in an economic development impact ranging from $360 million to $1 billion. The mayor of El Paso, however, champions a focus on funding for a new rapid transit system centering on buses now under construction and noted trolleys are expensive. For instance, the two streetcar connector lanes linking Loop 375 and I-10 cost about $25 million each.

The proposed streetcar route would begin at the Paso Del Norte port of entry and pass through a shopping district, a new downtown arts district, through the campus of the Rio Grande campus of El Paso Community College, the University of Texas at El Paso and the Sun Bowl.

Clarendon eyeing state grant for downtown revitalization

Clarendon city officials recently began considering a plan to apply for a series of grants from the Texas Capital Fund to pay to upgrade downtown sidewalks, for lighting and to replace aging waterlines.

The cost of the downtown revitalization project is estimated at $400,000 to $900,000, depending on the scope of work performed, a representative from an engineering firm told council members.

Because the maximum grant from the Texas Capital Fund is $150,000 and requires a 30 percent matching contribution from the city, staff members would need to successfully apply for the state grants for at least six years to finish the project, the representative said. Deadline for applying for the grant from the Texas Capital fund is summer 2012, he added.

Trustees for the Brenham Independent School District recently began discussing a timetable for asking voters to approve $26 million in bonds in May 2012.

The bonds, if approved, would pay for a new $13.6 million elementary school and $12 million in renovations to a middle school, said Byron McAdams (pictured), assistant superintendent of operations and administrative services.

The bond proceeds also would be used for a new cafeteria, library, band hall, choir room and some new classrooms at the middle school. 

SAISD students' personal info exposed on Web site

Private information about dozens of San Antonio Independent School District students - including names, Social Security numbers and birth dates - was mistakenly posted on the Internet for an unknown amount of time.

A news reporter found the information and notified district officials, who took down the site and spent the next days contacting parents of affected students. The documents were "Potential Dropout Reports" posted on a site used by the district's middle school leadership team. The document names some students as runaways, homeless or having academic problems.

The site is initially set to private, but at some point one of the SAISD administrators changed the settings, said an official from the California company that hosts the site.

Rio Grande City Commissioners recently agreed to spend $2.9 million on the second phase of a project to upgrade streets and other infrastructure in the city.

This phase of the three-phase project will renovate more than 75 percent of the streets in the city, replace water lines in the downtown area and add 15 new fire hydrants, said City Manager Juan Zuniga (pictured). Voters approved $6 million in bonds that will be used to pay about $1.5 million in downtown improvements, including paving some streets that had not been repaved in 40 years and $709,562 to replace water pipes and fire hydrants.

The third phase of the infrastructure improvement project should begin in about eight months, city officials said.

Located only three miles from one of the state's most devastating wildfires, the Capital Area Interagency Wildfire Academy is providing 35 courses over a two-week period to help train firefighters at Camp Swift in Bastrop. The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program of the Texas Forest Service will reimburse volunteer firefighters who attend the $60-per-day training academy.

The training courses include basic firefighting, ignitions, basic engine and suppression tactics, leadership, incident command, chainsaw safety, dozer operations, helicopter training and emergency vehicle operations for beginning and advanced firefighters, municipal and rural volunteer firefighters as well as structural and wild land firefighters.

The firefighting academy is a joint effort of the Texas Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Weather Service, the Nature Conservancy, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, Texas Wildfire Association, Texas Army National Guard, Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management and fire departments in the area.

Llano school district approves $2.6M in building renovations

The Llano school board recently approved more than $2.6 million in renovations to the old middle school campus.

Administrative and departmental offices will be renovated, as will a community building and alternative behavior center. The changes, which will be managed and completed by a Temple company, will allow employees to work closer to each other.

The upgrades, which are expected to be complete by July 15, 2012, will be paid for with bonds saved funds, district officials said.

Board members for Jacksonville Independent School District agreed to begin seeking proposals for a maximum guaranteed price for the second phase of a construction project to renovate and enlarge the high school and an elementary school.

Current plans call for demolishing the 300 building and building a new cafeteria, renovating the existing cafeteria into a band hall, building eight new science labs, enclosing breezeways and building a new façade at the high school at a cost of about $12 million, said Superintendent Joe Wardell (pictured). The project should begin in early 2012, he said.

At the elementary school, district officials plan to build a new library and cafeteria and convert the existing library into more classroom space, Wardell said. The building project also may include a new gymnasium that the district plans to pay for with bond funds remaining from two recent building projects that came in under budget.

Following a recommendation by the sheriff and the county emergency management coordinator, Kaufman County commissioners recently began discussions on transforming a donated National Guard Armory into an emergency operations center and regional communications facility.

The first step will be to move the county's emergency management office from Terrell into the Kaufman National Guard Armory. County officials must first explore what inspections may be necessary and other legal requirements with the city of Kaufman before making a final decision on any moves, the sheriff said. County crews are already cleaning around the armory, he added.

Because new federal requirements for communications equipment could require more digital radio communications as early as 2018, the sheriff urged county officials to present the facility as a regional communications facility to attract more federal grant funding. The current radio equipment installed seven years ago is outdated and must be replaced, the sheriff said. Two commissioners will work with the sheriff and the emergency management coordinator on requirements for the two offices to be located in the armory.

Sullivan City commission cuts city manager search to three

Sullivan City Commissioners recently narrowed the search for a new city manager to three candidates and will likely make a decision next week.

The three candidates are: 

• Judy Davila, who holds a master's degree from The University of Texas-Pan American. Davila currently works as the assistant city administrator of La Villa and has also served as an intern in the McAllen city manager's office, and U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa's office.
• Joe Cantu, a criminal investigator with the La Joya Police Department, has served as city manager and police chief in Malakoff, southeast of Dallas, and of Shenandoah, north of Houston.
• Juan Cedillo, who is volunteering for the city of Donna, has served as the city manager of Elsa four times between August 1994 and June 2011. He has also worked in Floresville, Taft and Alton.

Hill County to join regional planning group in $1M grant application

Hill County commissioners recently agreed to join with the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG) to apply for a $1.09 million grant to help pay for mapping services, measurements and data and help with public process needed to improve infrastructure planning, economic development and emergency preparedness. HOTCOG includes five rural counties - Hill, Bosque, Falls, Limestone and Freestone.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards the grants that fund the integrated GIS mapping as well as planning for economic development, solid waste, air quality and housing and some administrative costs, said Megan Henderson (pictured), regional services director for HOTCOG.

The largest share of the grant funding, $293,000, is allotted for a mapping feature that uses existing programs from local appraisal districts and regional economic development Web sites. It uses that information to plot infrastructure in cities and counties for future use by employing electronic mapping tools. This mapping feature instantly updates paper maps that often are outdated very soon after being published, and is very helpful to cities and counties deciding which infrastructure projects to prioritize, she said. The grant requires $217,500 in matching funding from the counties and an in-kind contribution of $132,500 from each county.

Lubbock recently won more than $3 million in grant funds for community development, low-income housing and emergency shelter support. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded grants from the $114 million in grant funding awarded to 33 cities and counties in Texas.

In Lubbock, some of the funding will be spent to help subsidize the Citibus public transportation service and several housing projects in the city, but city officials do not yet know if the city received as much funding for public transportation as last year, said Bill Howerton, director of community development for the city of Lubbock. City officials are expecting lo receive reduced grant funding this year. Congress reduced community development funding by 16.5 percent, or by about $600, and home investment partnership program funds by more than $200 million, or 11.7 percent.

After awarding a contract for engineering services for the first phase of an airport project funded by a grant from the Texas Transportation Commission, Harrison County officials recently began eyeing a larger, second grant to pay for more improvements to the runway, taxiway and apron of the airport.

Because the county is required to match only $114,900 of the $1.149 million total project cost, County Judge Hugh Taylor said the project is the best use of the restricted funds because larger grants for the second phase of the airport project may be available later.

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City

ISD staging bond meetings

Trustees for the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District recently scheduled a series of town hall meetings to discuss a possible bond election for next May.

The district needs a new high school and junior high school in the next decade and should consider asking voters to approve a bond proposal to pay for the facilities, said Superintendent Greg Gibson (pictured). The town hall meetings will take place on Oct. 25 and Nov. 8. The district last held a bond election in 2006, Gibson said.

Port San Antonio selects

Crider as new airport manager

Port San Antonio officials recently named Rick Crider, a 20-year airport industry veteran, general manager at Kelly Field, the runway and airport at Port San Antonio.

Both military and commercial aircraft have access to Kelly Field, which is shared by the Port and Lackland Air Force Base. Crider, who started his career as a flight instructor, most recently served as vice president of airport development and management services at an Austin-based firm specializing in aviation and transportation services and consulting.

City of Fort Worth employee named as new city manager

The Fort Worth City Council recently named longtime city employee Tom Higgins (pictured) city manager, a job he has been performing since December as the interim manager.

Higgins, who started at the city in 1987, became an assistant city manager in 2007. Previously, he had served in the city's aviation department and in economic development.

Higgins holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Detroit. Despite his promotion, the Council will still call for a national city manager search next year, Mayor Betsy Price said.

TxDOT announces changes in statewide crash record database

Recent changes in the statewide crash record database, which allow law enforcement officers to send reports electronically rather than through the mail, are expected to increase accuracy and save taxpayer money.

The launch of the Web-based application, called Crash Reporting and Analysis for Safer Highways (CRASH), allows officers to send crash data directly from the patrol car or office. Previously, officers had to manually fill out a state report and mail it to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The crash data is used to evaluate the safety of Texas roadways and target problem areas.

San Jacinto College recently was one of eight community colleges to win an $80,000 grant to study social media. The League for Innovation in the Community College awarded the grant.

The goal of the project is to increase understanding of issues pertaining to the ability of social media technologies to connect students to college-based resources and information.

BCISD's Hanks to become superintendent at Weatherford

The Weatherford school board recently named Jeffrey Hanks (pictured) of Burnet Consolidated schools the lone finalist for superintendent.

Hanks, who must wait a state-mandated 21 days before assuming the role, replaces Deborah Cron, who will retire in December.
 

Convenience store project moving ahead in Live Oak Co.

The holdings company for a major convenient store company is seeking a state grant that would pay for sewer service to a planned $4.5 million travel center in Live Oak County.

The $750,000 grant would cover most costs to extend the George West city sewer line, add an extension to the natural gas line and pay for engineering costs.

The travel center, which is expected to open in early 2013, will create about 40 new jobs, Live Oak County Commissioner Jim Bassett said.

Pharr moves its economic development under city manager

Pharr city officials recently agreed to move all operation of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation under the direction of City Manager Fred Sandoval.

The move occurred after the former executive director of the economic development corporation, Ryan Murphy, resigned, and another director transferred to operate a city-owned golf course and events center. In addition to his duties as city manager, Sandoval also will be the executive director of the economic development corporation with sole responsibility for economic development. He said he is looking for employees to work on economic development for the city.

Wharton County Junior College gets grant from federal agency

Wharton County Junior College was recently awarded a five-year grant for more than $4.1 million to boost the number of students - particularly Hispanic and low-income students - who complete degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The grant, which comes through the United States Department of Education, will pay for a comprehensive STEM Success Center. The center will upgrade courses, promote faculty development on STEM-related issues, and grow STEM-related agreements with four-year universities.

Additionally, the center will help students engage in STEM fields of study by offering counseling and advising, interactive supplemental instruction, tutoring and STEM multimedia and library resources.

Wilson County officials facing extensive courthouse repairs

The Wilson County Courthouse needs extensive repairs before a cracking and sagging section, which was vacated last month, can again be occupied, according to a recently released engineering report.

The 1884 structure, designed by noted architect Alfred Giles, was built on a foundation of low-grade brick that began to shift and cause structural problems just years after completion.

The deteriorated brick foundation needs to be removed and replaced, the reports states. The required procedure is difficult and calls for the superstructure to be supported during extensive demolition, the report states.

McAllen school district planning to have iPads for all students

McAllen Independent School District wants to give all of its 25,000 students an Apple iPad, which would cost about $20.5 million.

Stage one of the plan, which calls for $3.6 million to buy more than 5,000 iPads and 425 iPod Touch devices, has already been approved by the school board.

Within a year, the district hopes to take the technology to every campus and student. The district will pursue grants and donations to help buy the devices. "It's not just about a device; it's about a device in a child's hand," said James Ponce (pictured), McAllen ISD superintendent.

Morales to serve San Benito

as chief of operations

San Benito city officials have named police veteran Martin Morales chief of operations - a new title created as part of a police and fire department restructuring plan.

Morales, who joined the department as a patrolman in 1988 and most recently served as lieutenant of criminal investigations, takes over from former Police Chief George Gomez, who has been reassigned to captain. In the fire department, Chief Severo Ochoa will be renamed the department's chief of operations. Both men will oversee their department's staff.

The change comes after civil service grievance hearings exposed concerns about the department.

Humble ISD to use grant

funds for propane-fueled buses

The Humble school district recently secured a $2.9 million state grant to purchase 27 propane-fueled school buses.

Funding comes through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Parent Teacher Association.

The environmentally friendly school buses will save the district an estimated $75,000 in annual operating expenses, Humble officials said.

Leander picks Cagle to serve

as its new city manager

Duncanville City Manager Kent Cagle (pictured) has been chosen the new city manager for the city of Leander. He replaces Interim City Manager and Finance Director Robert Powers, who has been filling in since the unexpected death of former City Manager Biff Johnson earlier this year.

Cagle has been with Duncanville since 2001. Prior to that association, he was an administrative analyst in Lubbock, a senior budget analyst in Plano and director of budget and risk management in Carrollton. He started work with Duncanville as an assistant city manager, and then moved to the top job.

Cagle holds a master's degree in public administration from Texas Tech University.

Missouri City interview four candidates for city manager

Officials of Missouri City recently interviewed four candidates for city manager to replace Frank Simpson, the former city manager who resigned in July to serve as assistant city manager in College Station.

The four finalists selected from 49 applicants for the post are Tom Bottoms, a former city manager in La Porte; David Watkins, a former city manager in Bryan; Ed Broussard, the city manager in Hutto; and Frank Robinson, town manager in Apple Valley, California. City officials plan to select the new city manager within four to six weeks, a spokeswoman for the city said.

Burleson gives green light for search for new city manager

Burleson City Council members recently gave the green light for a search firm to begin looking for a new city manager to replace Curtis Hawk, who is retiring in March.

At the urging of Mayor Ken Shetter (pictured), council members instructed the search firm representative to include information emphasizing that one- third of the city's population is 18 years or younger. City officials also set a goal of hiring a new city manager by January to allow the new city manager to work alongside the retiring city manager. The city, however, has strong leaders who can step in on an interim basis if the deadline is not met, the mayor said.

North Texas Regional Airport to benefit from $1.2 million grant

The North Texas Regional Airport recently received a $1.2 million grant- the last installment of a $17 million state grant.

The grant will pay to repair an aircraft parking ramp that will not need another upgrade for 20 years. Construction on the ramps, which total 65 acres of pavement, begins in November.

• Michael Berry of Austin, Education Commission of the States;
• Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas , Education Commission of the States;
• Wesley Lloyd of Waco, Board for Lease of Texas Parks and Wildlife Lands and Board for Lease of Texas Department of Criminal Justice Lands;
• Belinda Bazan-Lara of San Antonio, Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians;
• Aida "Letty" Moreno-Brown of El Paso, Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians;
• Dwight "D.A." Sharpe of Aurora, Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians;
• Terry Hazell of Georgetown, chair, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Susan "Sue" Georgen-Saad of Austin, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Thomas Halbouty of Southlake, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Judy Hawley of Portland, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Randal "Randy" Hill of Baird, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• David L. Miller of Lubbock, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Ofer Molad of Bellaire, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Richard Schoephoerster of El Paso, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• John Schrock of McAllen, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Wesley Terrell of Richardson, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Jaye Thompson of The Woodlands, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Richard Williams of Richardson, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Robert "Bob" Wright II of Dallas, Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee;
• Glenn Brooks of Austin, chair, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Jerry Bigham of Canyon, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Charles Brawner of Katy, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Benjamin "Ben" De Leon of Austin, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Lisa Katherine Jarrett of San Antonio, Juvenile Justive Advisory Board;
• Aris Van Johnson of Marshall, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Brittany Baxter Long of Houston, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Magdalena Manzano of Houston, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• David "Scott" Matthew of Georgetown, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Joel Moreno of Austin, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• James "Jimmy" Myers of Austin, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Andrea Richardson of Georgetown, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• David Torres of Austin, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• David Whiteside of Austin, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board;
• Gregory "Greg" Wilhelm of Midlothian,Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.

Tatum ISD group pushing

for new elementary school

A bond committee for Tatum Independent School District recently told board members that the district needs a new elementary campus.

The new elementary school could be located on 23 acres of land the district owns on SH149 and would address capacity issues at both the primary and elementary campuses, the group said. Bond committee members plan to meet again in November to discuss other possible bond projects in order to make a recommendation to board members in January on whether the district should schedule a bond election in May.

Corsicana ISD district facility repairs to cost $88 million

Corsicana school trustees recently learned that district facilities need repairs totaling an estimated $88 million, according to a recent study.

The study of 14 facilities detailed needs that range from critical ceiling repairs to not urgent upgrades to locker rooms and group toilet areas.

The work will not begin until 2014, said Mike Nielsen (pictured), assistant superintendent for business and finance.

Judson Independent School District trustees recently approved a plan to allow students whose routes were eliminated last year as a cost savings measure to pay to again ride the bus to school.

The pay-to-ride plan calls for limited restoration of school bus service to students at five schools who live within two miles of their schools or on routes considered safe enough to walk, district officials said. Parents who opt for the program will pay $172 for a student to ride the school bus the remainder of the fall semester and $182 for the entire spring semester.