For the past 11 years; John Palacio has overseen Mason’s remarkable progress without compromising what Mason is about. From utilities—including electric, water, and waste management—to our parks, code enforcement, municipal policy, and city budget, John’s oversight and broad knowledge have proven invaluable to Mason. Unlike the Mayoral position, which is elected, the City Administrator is an appointment and encompasses a broad operational role.
With the county’s COVID-19 case numbers plummeting, it might seem like the virus is in the rear-view mirror but a health official encourages folks to continue to get vaccinated.
“The numbers have gone way, way down,” said Dr. Monte Horne, Mason County Health Authority and Frontera Clinic physician. “Right now, we have around 7 active cases, which is down from more than 60 in January.”
At a time when the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations has plateaued across the state, the doctor urg ...
Hello! My name is Elizabeth White, and I will be joining the team at Mason County News for this summer before I move north this fall to attend university. I am thrilled to both use and build upon my skillsets through this opportunity and I look forward to assisting with both editing and writing.
When I was a freshman my father, Tim, and I moved to Mason from Southwest Colorado, where I grew up.
The first and second quarters of the Texas 2021 weather season have proven to be a challenge for residents, livestock, insurance claims adjusters and repair providers. The demand for home and auto repairs in Texas has stretched recovery resources for months. As a postscript to the devastating challenges in the wake of this year’s ice storm which included power and water outages; Texans statewide have experienced an uptick in tornado activity and back-to-back hailstorms.
The storm of May 9 ...
Mason’s two newly-elected city commissioners had barely been sworn in on Monday evening when they made the first of many consequential votes of their tenures: whether or not to approve a conditional use permit for a package store in town.
The location of the future “Steve’s” package store, at 811 Fort McKavitt Street, became controversial because of its proximity to a historic Catholic church.
After hearing ten people speak during a public hearing that preceded the regular meeting ...
Mason voters elected two new city commissioners on Saturday, but neither are new to town and both are eager to get started.
Melanie Eckert will represent District 2 and Paul Smith was elected by a margin of less than 5 votes to the District 4 seat.
Eckert won the election with 26 votes over Nicholas Garish who had 6 votes, according to unofficial results released on Saturday.
The local man accused of setting fire to the Mason County Courthouse is in a county jail closer to home after being in custody in McLennan and Williamson counties for the past three months.
On April 28, Nicholas Jarret Miller, 42, was booked into the McCulloch County Jail, where he was being held for Mason County on bonds totaling $1.7 million on four felony charges.
Police said that he set the historic courthouse on fire on the night of Feb.
Despite a long absence due to the pandemic, Mason residents are eagerly awaiting the re-opening of their beloved Odeon Theater. With so much chatter on social media repeatedly asking “when?”, it has been announced that the theater will reopen in June 2021. During last month’s board meeting and after careful consultation with local healthcare, county and city officials; it was decided that it was time to open the doors once again for performing arts and cinema.
According to Dennis Evan ...
The first Mason County Farmer’s Market launched Saturday, April 29th despite ongoing rain in the area. However, the market was offered a respite from the weather and opened at 5:00 P.M. to welcoming shoppers. Visitors of all ages undeterred by the threat of rain; filled the West sidewalk of the square; some bedecked in rain gear, were happy to see their friends and neighbors, while checking out the booths.
The Mason High School girls and boys varsity track and field teams competed on April 23-24 at the 2A Region IV Championships meet at Javelina Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
MASON COWGIRLS
With another outstanding all-around performance, the Cowgirls finished with 85 points as a team and won the regional meet with 85 points.
