Kelly Hughes, librarian for the D Brown Memorial Library, reported at the Wednesday Study Club meeting Wednesday, Oct. 9, that the library had received $4,809.81 cents as a donation from Falls County. She said the Texas Comptroller allocates portions of unclaimed capital credits from the Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative and that money is subsequently divided between the counties served by the coop. Falls County divided its funds among five organizations in the county. [That money] “with the $1,000 from the Diana Miles Estate [means] we will be able to redo the restrooms.” Hughes said, referring to a project the club had...

Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election begins Monday, Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 1. Texas voters will be choosing from a full slate of candidates, from president to U.S. senator to various county positions. The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 7. Voters are reminded to bring one of seven approved forms of photo IDs to the polls. Among the options are a Texas driver’s license, U.S. passport, or handgun license. A complete list of acceptable IDs can be found at vote.texas.gov. Voters can also make sure they are registered by going to that site. A recent Texas Standard story notes...

The Rosebud-Lott Cougars football team traveled to take on the Riesel Indians on Oct. 11. Rosebud-Lott was stunned by Riesel, losing in a 21-20 heartbreaker.  Riesel scored the lone points of the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. The Cougars scored first in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run by Zaylon Wells to tie the score at 7.  The Indians answered with a 20-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead 14-7. Rosebud-Lott responded in the last minute of the first half with a clutch 42-yard touchdown pass from Pryce Rabroker to Bo McGinniss to tie the score at 14 going...

The Rosebud-Lott Lady Cougars volleyball team hosted the Marlin Lady Bulldogs on Friday, Oct. 11.  Rosebud-Lott swept Marlin 3-0, winning the first set 25-22, the second set 25-19, and the third set 25-18.  Brightan Willberg had a great game with seven kills and two digs. Brooke Skala also had a great game with five kills, a block, and an assist.  Gracie Doskocil was fantastic, recording three kills, three digs, and 21 assists. Kaitlyn Jenkins was phenomenal with seven kills, seven digs, two assists, and four aces. With this victory, Rosebud-Lott has a record of 14-11 and a district record of 2-2.  After playing the Bremond Lady Tigers at home on Tuesday, the Lady Cougars will travel to take on the Chilton Lady Pirates. The game will be on Friday, Oct. 18, and is set for 4:30 p.m. 

n BY gary borders Capital Highlights   Top state lawmakers plan to address soaring homeowners insurance premiums when they return to Austin in January for the next legislative session, according to the Houston Chronicle. The state’s insurance commissioner, Cassie Brown, told a Senate committee that home insurance rates increased last year by more than 21% statewide, twice the average increase in 2022.  More severe and frequent disasters are blamed for the spike in rates. In addition to more severe and more frequent storms, higher home values and higher costs for construction and labor are also factors. The median home price in Texas has risen 40%...

The Rosebud-Lott Lady Cougars volleyball team traveled to take on the Riesel Lady Indians on Friday, Oct. 4.  Rosebud-Lott was defeated by Riesel, losing 3-1.  The first three points of the first set were scored by Riesel.  The Lady Cougars answered with two points to make the score 3-2, then Riesel responded with a 3-1 run to lead 6-3. Rosebud-Lott fought back with a block by Aniah Cavitt (10) to trail 6-5.  The Lady Cougars continued to hold on with a kill by Kaitlyn Jenkins (7) for an 8-6 deficit, then Riesel pulled away with a 7-0 surge to lead 15-6. Rosebud-Lott clawed back...

Texas House Republicans who want to oust Speaker Dade Phelan have coalesced behind a single opponent: state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield. A total of 48 representatives are backing the two-term representative, including four who dropped their own bids for speaker. Phelan’s opponents, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, claim he has given too much power to Democrats by naming some to lead legislative committees.  “This vote highlights the growing momentum for change within the Texas House, as members rally behind a shared vision of a decentralized leadership model that empowers all members,” Cook said in a statement. Phelan is seeking his third term as...

Eligible Texans planning to vote in the November general election have until Oct. 7 to register, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reminds folks.  The registration deadline applies to both early and election day voting. “Texans have just a few short weeks left to register to vote, and I want to ensure all eligible Texans who want to make their voices heard are registered and prepared to do so,” Nelson said.  Instructions on how to register to vote and how to update existing voter registrations can be found at VoteTexas.org. To be eligible to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of...

Falls County Commissioners Court met at the County Courthouse in Marlin on Monday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. with County Judge Jay Elliott presiding. Commissioners present were Milton Albright (Pct. 1), F.A. Green (Pct. 2), and Jason Willberg (Pct. 3) Nita Wuebker (Pct. 4) was not in attendance. ADA Steve Sharp was present. Under official elected reports, Commissioner Albright requested the amendment of property line 120C be included on the Oct. 14 meeting agenda. Regarding the American Rescue Plan Grant, there is an unobligated $2,025 balance. It was suggested by Judge Elliott to add to the Park Improvement line-item. Moved by...

The Rosebud-Lott Lady Cougars volleyball team traveled to take on the Valley Mills Lady Eagles on Friday.  Rosebud-Lott was victorious, beating Valley Mills 3-1. The Lady Cougars won the first set 26-24, lost the second set 27-25, won the third set 25-19, and won the fourth set 25-20.  Addison Wilde was solid with two aces and 17 digs. Brightan Willberg played great, recording 13 kills, two blocks, and four digs.  Brooke Skala was also great with seven kills and four blocks. Gracie Doskocil had a phenomenal game with two aces, a block, 32 assists, and three digs. Kaitlyn Jenkins had an incredible game, recording 11 kills, four aces, two blocks, and 15 digs. With this win, Rosebud-Lott has a record of 11-9.  After playing the Milano Lady Eagles at home Tuesday, the Lady Cougars will travel to play the Bremond Lady Tigers for their district opener. The game will be on Friday, Sept. 27, and is set for 4:30 p.m. 

Rosebud City Administrator Ken Murray and City Librarian Kelly Hughes reported on the state of the city and the D Brown Library at the first meeting Wednesday of the 2024-25 club year of the Wednesday Study Club in the community room of the library. Murray said that the city had started clearing culverts and shooting grades on ditches, hoping to make some headway on the city’s drainage issues. “I have laid out a plan with public works to make some headway on the issue,” said Murray. Brush pickup is underway. It will be the final round. “Should we have another bad...

A 200-page report from the Department of Homeland Security faulted U.S. Border Patrol agents who rushed to the Uvalde school shooting in 2022, concluding they “failed to establish command and had inadequate training” in one of the deadliest classroom attacks, The Dallas Morning News reported. A lone shooter killed 19 students and two teachers inside a classroom during a 70-minute standoff before a tactical team led by the Border Patrol went inside and killed him. “The failure of arriving law enforcement personnel to establish identifiable incident management or command and control protocols led to a disorganized response to the Robb Elementary School shooting,” the...

On Friday, Sept. 6, the Rosebud-Lott Lady Cougars volleyball team headed back home to host the Bosqueville Lady Bulldogs.  Rosebud-Lott was swept by Bosqueville 3-0, losing the first set 25-23, the second set 25-11, and the third set 25-10.  With this loss, Rosebud-Lott has a record of 9-9. After playing the Axtell Lady Horns on the road Tuesday, the Lady Cougars will travel to play the Valley Mills Lady Eagles. The game will be on Friday Sept. 17 and is set for 4:30 p.m. 

The Rosebud-Lott Cougars football team traveled to take on the Dawson Bulldogs on Sept. 13. Rosebud-Lott defeated Dawson 34-12.  The Cougars started strong, outscoring the Bulldogs 21-6 in the first half. Rosebud-Lott led the entire second half, outscoring Dawson 13-6 to win the game 34-12. Pryce Rabroker played outstandingly, throwing for 195 yards and two touchdowns, along with rushing for 13 yards. Jeremyah Harris was also productive, rushing for 44 yards and a touchdown. Zaylon Wells was phenomenal, rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Carson Kahlig was unguardable, catching five passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.  The Cougar defense played superb, allowing just 12 points and caught three interceptions. With this victory, Rosebud-Lott has a record of 2-1.  Up next, the Cougars will return home to host the Bosqueville Bulldogs. The game will be Friday, Sept. 20, and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Falls County Commissioners Court met at the County Courthouse on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, with County Judge Jay Elliott presiding. Commissioners present were Milton Albright (Pct. 1), F.A. Green (Pct. 2), Jason Willberg (Pct. 3) and Nita Wuebker (Pct. 4).  ADA Steve Sharp was present. A public hearing was held on the proposed 2024-2025 Falls County Budget, elected County Officials, County Employees and adoption of salaries of County Employees. A proposed tax increase for 2024 tax rate is $0.73509 per $100 valuation.  Commissioner Green moved to accept the formal adoption of the 2024-2025 budget. Seconded by Commissioner Albright, by a recorded vote,...

It took some time, but a set of new laws and rules passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023 went into effect on Sept. 1, the Houston Chronicle reported. Prominent among these are the SCOPE Act, or Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act, which tightens restrictions for online users younger than 18. Under the SCOPE Act, users must register their age on social media and other websites. Minors are prohibited from making purchases from those sites, which are also required to filter and block certain material. Examples include content that promotes suicide or bullying, as well as trafficking and other...

On Friday, Sept. 6, the Rosebud-Lott Lady Cougars volleyball team headed on the road to take on the Bartlett Lassies. Rosebud-Lott swept Bartlett 3-0, winning the first set 25-10, the second set 25-8, and the third set 25-16. B rightan Willberg played incredibly with 10 kills and four digs. Kaitlyn Jenkins played fantastic, recording 12 kills, three aces, and five digs. Gracie Doskocil was super impactful with a kill, four aces, a dig, and 22 assists. With this victory, Rosebud-Lott has a record of 8-8. After playing the Holland Lady Hornets on the road Tuesday, the Lady Cougars will travel to play the Bosqueville Lady Bulldogs. The game will be on Friday, Sept. 13, and is set for 4:30 p.m. Above, Gracie Doskicil sets the ball for Aniah Cavitt.

On Friday, Sept. 6, the Rosebud-Lott Cougars football team traveled to take on the Thrall Tigers. Rosebud-Lott was defeated 38-21.  The Cougars started the game slowly, as they were outscored 28-7 in the first half.  Thrall started the scoring in the third quarter to make it a 35-7 deficit, but Rosebud-Lott responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from Zaylon Wells to make the score 35-14.  Thrall answered with a field goal to make the score 38-14, then the Cougars came back with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Pryce Rabroker to Carson Kahlig to make it a 38-21 deficit. However, that would not be enough and Thrall held on to win 38-21. Pryce Rabroker played a great game, throwing for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Zaylon Wells was also productive, rushing for 27 yards and a touchdown.  Carson Kahlig was unguardable, catching 13 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns.  With this loss, Rosebud-Lott has a record of 1-1. Up next, the Cougars will travel to take on the Dawson Bulldogs. The game will be Friday, Sept. 13, and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Rosebud-Lott Cougars opened their season with a bang on Friday night, getting a 42-0 win over the Florence Buffaloes.  Rosebud-Lott started the game lightning fast with a 28-0 start in the first quarter and never looked back.  “We knew based on what they do defensively that they were going to have to pick and choose what they wanted to give up,” Said Coach Brandon Hicks. “They decided to load the box and bring the pressure and that left a lot of man to man coverage. We were confident our receivers could win those one on ones, and they were able to...

The dog-day heat wave has sent power demands to new records, the Austin American-Statesman reported. With much of the state enduring an excessive heat warning, power demand peaked at 85,559 megawatts last week, breaking a record set last August. While searing outside temperatures certainly boost demand, other factors are in play as well —  the state’s growing population and increased expansion by large-scale industrial users such as data centers and cryptocurrency miners. Texas is the only state that operates its own power grid. In June, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas predicted the grid would face challenges this month and increased likelihood...