friday, September 1, 2017
THE FAYETTE COUNTY La Grange, Texas 78945
Volume 95, Number 87
RECORD One Dollar per Copy
INSIDE
People Weren’t the Only Ones Needing Help
Pair of cattle rescues as waters rise. Section B
For The Record St. John’s Feast
St. John’s Catholic Church in Fayetteville will still be hosting their annual Labor Day feast this Sunday, Sept. 3. The parish will not be making any changes, except 50% of the net proceeds from the feast will be donated towards the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
St. Mary Picnic
St. Mary Catholic Church in High Hill has cancelled their picnic for this Sunday. No date has been set for rescheduling.
Warda Picnic
The Holy Cross Church Picnic in Warda scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3, has been cancelled. Watch the paper for information on when it may be rescheduled.
County Holiday
Fayette County offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 4 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
This girl waded out onto a sandbar to get a closer look at the damage in the still-flooded Country Way Village neighborhood of La Grange Tuesday morning. Photo by Jeff Wick
WATER RECEDES, RECOVERY BEGINS
HUNDREDS HOMELESS IN LA GRANGE
FAIR TO PROCEED, WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR FLOOD VICTIMS
FUTURE AMEN FACILITY TURNED INTO DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Hermann Sons
The Rutersville Hermann Sons Life No. 152 will have their monthly meeting on Wednesday, Sept 6. The meal will be pot luck and members are asked to being a main dish and side or a dessert There’s more For the Record on Page A2
WEATHER WATCH This Week’s Forecast High Low This drone photo shows several city blocks covered by floodwater from the Colorado Friday: 93 69 River. Second Chance Emporium is to the lower right, with water just a few feet from Clear the roofline. Photo by Bruce Spindler 92 70 Saturday: Clear Sunday: 90 71 Partly cloudy Monday: 86 72 By JEFF WICK By JEFF WICK 30% chance of rain The Fayette County Record The Fayette County Record
Neighborhoods Gone
Burn Ban Is Lifted
INSIDE TODAY Obituaries.................... Page A5 Flood Coverage.......Page B1-4 Weekend...................... Page C1 Classifieds................Page C2-4 Opinion........................ Page D1 Crossword................... Page D2
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Monday morning people stood at the water’s edge and saw the full power of the river. Tuesday morning gave a glimpse of the impact. Swelled by rains from Tropical Storm Harvey, the Colorado River crested at 54.22 feet at 2 p,m. Monday in La Grange, the third highest mark in recorded history, and highest since 1913. As the sun rose Tuesday what those figures really meant was furniture hanging from trees, the smell of natural gas leaking into the air, a dead dog stuck in a fence. A steady stream of former residents of Country Way Village walked down to the new water line – as close as they could get to their old neighborhood. Then they stood in silence. It was a neighborhood so full of families that two La Grange busses made pick-ups and drops off here every school day. Now multiple mobile homes were in a jumble, still in several feet of water, blocking Lower Line Street. Cassandra Butler looked out at the scene, not quite being able to see the house where she, her husband and six children had lived until Sunday. See Devastation, back page
Donations of bottled water pile up at the distribution center on 851 S. Reynolds St. in La Grange as locals work to organize them. Photo by Jeff Wick
Fair a Go; No Parade, Carnival
With just a few tweaks, the 2017 Fayette County Fair will go on this weekend with the profits benefitting local flood victims. There will be no carnival. Fair president Lee Fritsch said carnival organizers did not feel they could make it here safely. There will also be no fair parade Saturday. If you purchased a fun pass for carnival rides, you can return your ticket for a cash refund or you can donate that portion of your ticket to the flood victims by notifying fair officials. The senior appreciation event will be held at the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall beginning Thursday, Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. The opening ceremonies Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by the Queens Contest, will be held on the Marge Rosenberg Stage at the Fairgrounds. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday concerts will go on as planned with the stage set up at the front, on asphalt, where the carnival usually is. “That will keep concert-goers out of the mud,” Fritsch said. Fritsch said parking at the fairgrounds may be limited “though things were drying out fast.” Shuttle busses will run from downtown and the high school football field. The heifer show has been moved to the following Saturday but the other exhibits, and shows will go on as planned for the 90th annual fair.
How You Can Help By ANDY BEHLEN
The Fayette County Record
In the aftermath of the flooding, lots of locals were looking for ways to help their neighbors. Here’s some ways you can help: The City of La Grange is organizing a volunteer cleanup effort. La Grange Main Street Manager Stacey Norris is coordinating the effort. “We’re taking names and contact information right now, but we’re not ready to set up a staging area yet,” Norris said on Wednesday. “We’re projecting to have everything set up and ready to begin by the end of the week.” People can call (979) 968-3017 to place their name on the list of volunteers. “Our needs in La Grange are changing rapidly,” Norris said. “The main need right now is water, and we really need people to conserve water. It’s the little things people aren’t thinking about right now, like shutting off their sprinklers. We really need people to think about those little things to help us conserve.” Norris said gift cards are a great way to help flood victims right now. Gift cards can be dropped off at the La Grange Visitors Center in Casino Hall. The La Grange Ministerial alliance has set up a disaster relief fund at Prosperity Bank. The name of the fund is Good Shepherd Fund – Disaster Relief for Fayette County. Donations can be made at www.lgrelief.com. Donations can also be mailed to the bank at 202 W. Colorado St, La Grange, TX See How to Help, back page