News

The City of Edna will present their bid to provide EMS and fire services at the Emergency Services District 3 meeting on July 24. The bid was compiled by Edna Fire Marshal Loyd "Buster" Chase and Edna firefighter/EMS paramedic Kurt Janica and approved by the Edna City Council.

The City of Edna Fire Department proposes to provide emergency fire and EMS service, along with first responder and Hazmat. Included in the bid is all the equipment, administration and support by the City of Edna administrative staff, emergency medical services billing, training, staffing, repair and maintenance on the equipment. The city now owns at a cost to ESD 3 of $450,000 for FY 2013/2014. The total cost would be $1,052,525. Funding would come from the ESD's proposed tax revenue while the City of Edna would help fund the district with $329,275. An additional $3,250 would come from the county for fire calls.

Farmers will have to make do after the first few weeks of harvest in mid-July. The drought has caused significant damage to crops in various parts of the United States.

According to Dwayne Vincent, Jackson County Executive Director at the Farm Service Agency, Southern Texas crops are not going to be good this year, but farmers will not know how bad their crops are until after they assess the damage. He said some producers of corn crops have told him damage to their corn crops was not that bad. 

Vincent also said the drought has affected the grass in pastures, which is used to feed livestock. 

“I know people are feeding livestock hay because their grass is too short,” he said. 

 

First Victoria National Bank and Prosperity Bank customers will have more benefits after the merger between the two banks, according to a Prosperity Bank executive.

Both banks have branches in Edna. The existing First Victoria is located at 601 N. Wells while Prosperity's address is 102 N. Wells.

Steve Hipes, South Texas chairman of Prosperity Bank, said with the merger customers will have more locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma to receive service for their banking needs. There are more than 230 Prosperity Banks statewide.

“First Victoria will move their products over to Prosperity,” he said. “Prosperity and First Victoria products will be merged, which will increase product choice for customers.”

 

Mental Health transitional housing will soon be available for Jackson County residents. The executive director of Gulf Bend Center presented information on a Gulf Bend Center Wellness Community in Jackson County Commissioners’ Court on July 8. 

Don Polzin said the 32-unit apartment community will serve mental health and and medical services to seven counties and will be located in the 1100 block of North Nimitz Street in Victoria. It is projected to be completed in two years. 

He told commissioners Gulf Bend does have funding in place for the project. It recently received a $250,000 grant from the Johnson Foundation. Polzin also said the state has given a considerable amount of funding to the wellness community.

“We are going to get additional funding after the legisture session,” he said.

 

God has been good to Edna Christian Academy, according to Reverend Darrell E. Clark, Jr. who is principal and administrator of the school.

Recently, ECA has been slowly making progress with the additions of a 1/8 mile track and a mini soccer field. Clark said a new gym is in the works. It is currently being constructed behind the school and will be 75x90. The new open air gymnasium will have a combination of a basketball and volleyball court. There will be two restrooms, a storage area and will include air conditioning and heating.

He said the old Edna High School gymnasium lights and basketball hoops were donated to ECA. Clark said that will save the school thousands of dollars.  

“We’re hoping it will be completed by mid-September,” he said. “Once the building is in, it won’t take long to be completed.”