SEALY NEWS THE
Joe & Marilyn PAGE 3
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Serving Sealy and Austin County since 1887 • Home of Jean Koym
Volume 127 Number 36
NEWSBITS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014
SISD makes the grade
Fire department open house The Sealy Fire Department will hold an open house on Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 7-8:45 p.m. at the station at 1207 Hwy 90 West. In addition to demonstrations and station tours, there will be a meet-and-greet with firefighters and a recruitment drive for new volunteers. For more information, call 979-885-2222.
All schools meet state standards
County under fire ban The Austin County Commissioners Court on Monday enacted a 90-day burn ban in the county. All outdoor burning is prohibited in rural parts of the county with the exception of welding under certain conditions and above ground, contained grills in areas free of debris.
Band booster bake sale The Sealy Band Boosters will hold its annual bake sale in the Walmart parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 8 a.m. to noon. Boosters will be selling all types of baked goods to raise funds for all Sealy band students in grades 6-12. ■ NEWS BITS, page 17
18 pages, $1
By JOE SOUTHERN editor@sealynews.com The Sealy News/MINDY BLANKEMEYER
Members of the Sealy ISD Board of Trustees get ice water dumped on them Friday following the football game as part of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Supt. Sheryl Moore extended the fundraising challenge to all the other school boards in Region 6.
School board accepts ALS challenge By MINDY BLANKEMEYER reporter@sealynews.com
Sealy ISD Asst. Supt. Nicole Poenitzsch challenged the school board this week to take on the ALS ice bucket challenge. Supt. Sheryl Moore and fellow board members accepted the challenge Friday night after the football game against Royal. Upon completion, Moore challenged all other school boards in Region 6 to take the challenge now. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is an activity involving dump-
ing a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourages donations to aid research. It went viral on social media during JulyAugust of this year. The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated participants have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.
The origins of the idea of dumping cold water on one’s head to raise money for charity are unclear. From mid-2013 to early 2014, a challenge called the “Cold Water Challenge” became popular on social media in areas of the northern United States. The task usually involved the option of either donating money to cancer research or having to jump into cold water. If you are challenged and prefer to not de doused in ice cold water, or if you simply prefer to make a donation to the cause, visit www.alsa.org for more details.
In the pass-fail world of school district accountability rankings, the Sealy Independent School District is passing with flying colors. The Texas Education Association (TEA) recently posted its annual school accountability reports and the district and all four schools met standard with three of the schools earning distinctions. Gone are the days when the TEA ranked schools as Recognized or Exemplary. Instead each school and district either meets standard or fails to meet standard. Distinctions are awarded when schools perform at a high level in specific subjects. ■ SISD, page 2
Sealy woman gives birth to triplets By CARRIE WARD THE SEALY NEWS
Get well Sealy High School football player Brandon Theriot suffered a broken leg in practice last week and had to undergo surgery. The Sealy News wishes him a complete and speedy recovery.
TODAY'SOBITUARIES ■ Gail Ann Duncan Kinsey
BIBLEQUOTE Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Thank a
Veteran and Serviceman everyday
As the saying goes, Ciera Cloud and Raffael Jackson’s family grew by six feet on Aug. 15. The Sealy couple welcomed Royce, Reagan and Riley, naturally conceived triplets, at 5:15 a.m., 5:16 a.m. and 5:17 a.m. Multiples run in Cloud’s family. Her brother recently welcomed a set of twins, so when at eight weeks pregnant the doctors thought she might be carrying twins, Cloud wasn’t completely surprised. But at 11 weeks when they confirmed twins and then spotted another baby, she was in shock. “I was shocked for the longest time. I said, ‘Oh my goodness! Are you serious?” she said as she recalled seeing the ultrasound. Naturally conceived triplets are rare, occur-
The Sealy News/COURTESY PHOTO
Riley, Royce and Reagan Cloud were born to Ciera Cloud and Raffael Jackson on Aug. 15. The Sealy News/COURTESY PHOTO
Raffael Jackson and Ciera Cloud are pictured in Houston Methodist West Hospital with Royce Cloud, one of three triplets born to the couple. ring in only 1 of about 8,000 births. These were also the first triplets born at Houston Methodist West Hospital. Cloud worked at Willow River Farms up until July 9, then spent the remaining time on
bed rest, and delivered the healthy triplets at 34 weeks. The little boy, Royce, came home from the hospital on Aug. 24. Reagan, one of the two girls, should be home in a week or so, Cloud said. Riley weighs 3 lbs.
5 oz. and is working to gain weight before she can come home. Cloud is busy feeding Royce every three hours and also visiting the other two babies at the hospital every day. Cloud, Jackson and the babies have a large
support system of extended family around them, including big sister Ayshia Lazard. “She’s really excited to be the big sister,” Cloud said. Not surprisingly Cloud is tired, but she is doing well and is looking forward to having all of her babies home.
I-10 frontage road inches closer to reality By JOE SOUTHERN editor@sealynews.com
If traffic along Interstate 10 seems to be moving slow on the weekends, it’s nothing com-
pared to the progress of building a frontage road along the highway’s north side between Highway 36 and Rexville Road. The project has been in the works for six years, but took a
major step forward Aug. 26 when the Sealy City Council accepted $350,199.66 from the Sealy Economic Development Corporation for costs related to the frontage road and an addi-
tional $105,269 from the EDC for the relocation of gas and water lines related to the project. ■ FRONTAGE, page 11
The Sealy News • 193 Schmidt Road • P.O. Box 480 • Sealy, Texas 77474 • phone: (979) 885-3562 • fax: (979) 885-3564 • www.sealynews.com
THIS
WEEK'S WEATHER According to The Weather Channel
Thursday • Friday • Saturday • Sunday • Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday
High: 93 Low: 74 Rain: 50%
High: 93 Low: 72 Rain: 40%
High: 92 Low: 71 Rain: 80%
High: 92 Low: 72 Rain: 10%
High: 92 Low: 72 Rain: 10%
High: 93 Low: 73 Rain: 10%
High: 93 Low: 73 Rain: 10%
This week's weather art is by Noah Rodriguez, 7, a student at Creative Care Children's School.