News
Jury gives death sentence for murders of former Wallis residents
Posted on June 25th, 2011
A Fort Bend County jury found Albert James Turner guilty of the December 2009 murders of his wife, Keitha Frank Turner, and her mother, Betty Jo Frank last month. On Tuesday, June 7, the jury sentenced the former prison guard to death.
The residence, where the murders occurred on Dec. 26, 2009, was the home of Rev. Gene Frank and his wife Betty Jo. Rev. Frank was Pastor of the Wallis Baptist Church during the 1970’s and the family lived in Wallis for many years.
Marker placed on grave of unidentified female in Wallis Cemetery
Posted on June 25th, 2011
WNR photos by Johnny Griffin
Voices Beyond the Grave – Law enforcement officials who have been involved in attempts to identify an unidentified female found deceased in 1975 gathered to place a marker on her grave in the Wallis Cemetery. Pictured, left to right, are: Austin County Justice of the Peace Pct. 4 Dennis King, ACSO Deputy Scott Minyard, Inv. Charles Holmes, Texas Ranger Forensic Artist Suzanne Lowe, former Deputy Don Easton and Austin County Juvenile Probation Officer Melissa Weiss
Forty years after the body of an unidentified female was found on the banks of the Brazos River in Austin County a donated marker has been placed as a headstone for her grave.
A small group of law enforcement personnel and others close to the case attended a memorial service on Tuesday, June 7 at the Wallis Cemetery. The date chosen for the memorial service was 40 years to the day after the body was discovered on June 7, 1975.
Austin County Juvenile Probation Officer Melissa Weiss began the service with a prayer. Weiss was a 15 year old dispatcher for the Austin County Sheriffs Office and had just started working when the body was found. She called the assembled law enforcement personnel the “Voices beyond the grave” who had kept up the investigation to determine the identity of the young victim.
Austin County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Dennis King has been the driving force behind the 40 year investigation and he also spoke at the service.
Texas Ranger Forensic Artist Suzanne Lowe read from Proverbs and also read a poem she wrote for the service.
Forgotten war remembered
Posted on June 24th, 2011
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Sisters Rita Main, left, and Pauline Alvarado stand behind the family plot marker and the headstone for their brother Marine Corporal Eulalio Alvarado in the Wallis Cemetery.
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
Eulalio Alvarado was born in Simonton on Feb. 12, 1931. He was the third child of Bennie and Rumalda Alvarado, who soon moved to Wallis where they raised their family which would grow to eight children.
Eulalio was a loving son, devoted to his parents and siblings, but with a bit of a mischievous streak. Shortly after he reached the age of 18, he quit school and joined the United States Marine Corps on May 27, 1949.
On June 1, 1951, Eulalio was killed in a fierce firefight on a hillside in the Chongchon River Valley during the Korean War. He was three months past his 20th birthday.
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New mayor, councilmen take office
Posted on May 19th, 2011
At the Wallis City Council meeting on Wednesday night, new councilmen Franklin Rohan and incumbent Bernadette Parr were sworn in to their positions. After the council was seated, Carolyn Kennedy was nominated to appointment as the Mayor of Wallis and elected by a majority vote of council. Kennedy’s first action was to appoint Bernadette Parr as mayor pro-tem. At the new mayor’s request, reappointment of the municipal judge position and EDC board members was tabled until the June meeting. A more complete report will be published in the next issue of the Wallis News-Review.
Witnesses in Weston Lakes help catch three burglars
Posted on May 19th, 2011
On Wednesday, May 11, at approximately 5 a.m. Deputies of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to Weston Lakes in regards to a vehicle burglary taking place in the 32400 block of Oxbow Ct.
Three men have been arrested in connection with numerous vehicle burglaries as well as two residential burglaries of Weston Lakes. Fort Bend Deputies responded to reports of three suspicious males seen removing property from a vehicle and placing the stolen property in a white Ford truck. (more…)
One killed, two injured in collision on Highway 36
Posted on May 12th, 2011
WNR photos by Johnny Griffin
A utility truck loaded with manhole inserts and covers rests upside down following a collision with a late model black Ford pickup (background center) on State Highway 36 between Tomlinson Road and Mixville Road, north of Wallis, on Tuesday, May 10.
Life Flight, from Memorial Hermann Hospital, lifts off with one of two patients air lifted from an accident on State Highway 36, May 10. The driver of a black Ford pickup involved in the accident died at the scene.
A head on collision on State Highway 36 north of Wallis, between Tomlinson and Mixville Roads, resulted in one death on Tuesday morning, May 10. Two other victims were transported to hospitals via Life Flight. The accident occurred about 8:15 a.m. and the highway was closed in both directions for several hours.
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Wallis Chief of Police retires unexpectedly, options for position of mayor presented at busy council meeting
Posted on April 27th, 2011
Wallis Police Chief Carl Cearley informed City Council members he was retiring, effective immediately, during the public communication period at the beginning of their regular meeting on April 20.
“I wanted to tell you in person I am retiring,” Cearley told council members. “It has been a great run, a nice 11 years, but it is time to go. I am retiring.”
Since Cearley chose to inform council during the public communication forum, council members could not comment, discuss or take any action in accordance with the Texas Attorney General’s opinion concerning items not on the posted final agenda. Cearley left the meeting following his announcement.
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Brazos Band earns top honors at contest
Posted on April 13th, 2011
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On April 6, the students of the Brazos High School band competed in the Region 13 UIL Concert and Sight-Reading in Altair at Rice High School. At the contest they received straight ones across the board, 3 ones in concert and 3 ones in sight-reading.
Out of the 2A participants at the event, the Brazos High School Band was the only band to receive straight ones. The contest is a two-day event, and for both days only two bands received straight ones, the other being Industrial.
“I am very proud of the students, they worked very hard, and they wanted this. You could tell in their eyes they wanted it,” said Rolando Cantu, Brazos Band Director.
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New Brazos board member
Posted on April 6th, 2011
Tamara Mager has been certified as elected to Position 3 for the Brazos ISD Board of Trustees and will take office at the May board meeting.
Tamara and her husband Lee moved to Wallis in 2006 because they were looking for a small town with a serene lifestyle to raise their family.
Tamara is a Registered Nurse in the CCU at Christus St. Catherine’s Hospital in Katy. The family attends Simonton Community Church and they are active in Brazos Little League, SCC Sunday School and Brazos Elementary activities.
Their three daughters, Daniella 11, Hannah 9, and Alaina 6, all attend Brazos Elementary.
“Since our children have become school age, I feel as a mother and a citizen it is my duty to follow their education closely,” said Tamara. “I want to help the district think through all the tough decisions our schools face at this time. I am a down to earth person who believes we all have things that are important to us and we just want a chance to be heard.”
Tamara invites anyone to approach her with questions and concerns.
New school board member
Posted on March 30th, 2011
Joyce Stavinoha has been certified as elected to Position 2 for the Brazos ISD Board of Trustees and will take the office at the May trustee meeting. She was an unopposed candidate for the position and the May election was cancelled.
Stavinoha is the owner of a Montessori school in Rosenberg and has been with the school for 18 years. She has over 33 years experience in child-care and has lived in the Wallis/Orchard area for 23 years.
Stavinoha has four children who either attend or graduated from Brazos. Tiffany, 22, is a senior at The University of Texas in Austin and will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in accounting.
Meghan, 18, will graduate from Brazos High School in May and has been accepted to Texas Tech. Garrett, 16, is a sophomore at Brazos High School and McKenzie, 12, is in the sixth grade at Brazos Middle School.
Joyce is looking forward to serving the district and community on the Board of Trustees.
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