June 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell is sitting in a Manhattan federal courtroom, waiting to learn how many years a judge says she faces for helping the wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. Tuesday’s sentencing hearing in New York is underway and likely to be lengthy as lawyers squabble over aspects of the law. The sentencing culminates a prosecution that detailed how Epstein and Maxwell flaunted their riches and associations with prominent people to groom vulnerable girls and then exploit them. Maxwell denies abusing anyone. Her lawyers want no more than five years’ imprisonment. Prosecutors say she deserves 30 years or more behind bars.

The Winchell Fire Department posted this photo on its Facebook page after participating with the North Lake Fire Department in a prescribed on Crappie Island on Lake Brownwood. The post stated, “If you have been to the 4th of July Fireworks show on Lake Brownwood in the last few years you have seen the island catch fire. Though it is an island with no docks or structures, it poses a threat to McCartney Island if it uncontrollably catches fire. Great opportunity for training and agency cooperation!” Photo contributed

Salvation Army of Brownwood board members (from left) Kelly Crenshaw, Don Armstrong, Harold Hogan and Brian Benjey are pictured at a Salvation Army open house Monday. The open house was held at the Salvation Army Service Center, 403 Lakeway Drive, which recently reopened and serves hot meals Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Photo contributed

Sheriff Vance Hill (right) swears in John Geis as a deputy for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, which posted on its Facebook Page: In 2021 Sheriff Vance Hill received approval from the Commissioners Court to send one of our hard-working jailers, who wanted to be a deputy, to the law enforcement academy. In January 2022 John Geis started the law enforcement academy in Killeen at Central Texas College. Geis worked hard for seven months and became sheriff’s office’s first deputy to graduate. “We are proud of his hard work and very proud of him,” the post stated. Photo contributed

The Brownwood High School Class of 1957 had its 65th Reunion celebration June 18 at the Brownwood Country Club. First row, from left: Ramona Brown Wood of Houston, Lynda Thomas Harkins of Lubbock, Pat Hardin Cunningham of Early, Linda Traylor Chism of Longview, Tressa Cowan Flannigan of Brownwood and Glen Browder of Bangs. Back row :Neva Wells Moten of Copperas Cove, Carole Houston Spearman of Brownwood, Jean Reynolds Laird of Brownwood, Sarah Weatherby McAline of Blanket, Nelda Broom Masey of Bangs, Danny Chapman of Early, Marvin Brincefield of Wichita Falls, Dottie Mosley McCarley of Seguin, Elwana Hawthorne Brewster of Andrews and Sammie Stewart of Blanket. Photo contributed

Each year, children get heat stroke or die from being left unattended in a hot car, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service passenger safety expert says there are ways to avoid tragedy. Bev Kellner, AgriLife Extension traffic safety project director, said as temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of heat stroke and death for children left alone in a vehicle.

We’ve all heard of the futility of trying to take “country” from rural lads after they’ve moved to town, and the same likely applies to attempts to take “clown” from rodeo entertainers, even when they climb the educational ladder to school superintendencies.