Central Texas weather: School closures
Central Texas school districts are monitoring weather conditions and many have decided to cancel or delay school.
Historic Bastrop Christian Church raising funds for restoration project
The Bastrop Christian Church is in need of a little love after nearly 130 years on Church Street. The community is raising funds for emergency structural repairs and to fix its 27 stained-glass windows.
Boil water notice lifted for Aqua WSC customers in parts of Bastrop County
At around 1 p.m. on Dec. 28, the water tested to be free of harmful microbes.
Porch pirate steals packages from Bastrop homes, officials say
The man was caught on doorbell cameras allegedly stealing packages from two Bastrop-area homes, says the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office.
Boil water notice issued for parts of Bastrop after water-main break
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required Aqua Water to notify its customers to boil water prior to consumption.
Bus driver shortage continues more than a month into school year
A shortage of bus drivers had led some Central Texas districts to come up with some creative solutions.
Former Bastrop shelter caretaker accused of exploiting girls not indicted by grand jury
Iesha Greene, a former employee of the Refuge for DMST, was accused of selling nude photographs of juvenile sex trafficking victims in exchange for drugs and alcohol.
Bastop ISD hopes shot at brand-new car will keep students in school
Sames Bastrop Ford and Bastrop ISD held a pep rally of sorts Monday night, to get students fired up about the prospect of winning a brand-new SUV.
Austin man added to Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list
William Eugene Bird, 54, has been wanted since October 2021, when the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for probation violation.
Bastrop County wildfire: Pine Pond Fire 50% contained
Fire operations continue to contain the fire which has burned more than 700 acres. Those that were evacuated have been allowed to return home.
Two new schools being built to address enrollment growth within Bastrop ISD
The construction projects were approved as part of a $183 million bond vote last year.
List of Central Texas school districts' first day of school
Back to school is just around the corner, and Del Valle is the first district in the area to kick off classes, on Tuesday, August 9.
Bastrop to hold 31st annual Patriotic Festival
The celebration kicks off at 8 a.m. July 2 with the Run, White & Blue 5K through the streets of Bastrop, with the festival following at noon in Fisherman's Park.
TEA selects 24 additional teachers to state task force to solve teacher shortage
The list of teachers included in the state task force includes a middle school teacher in Bastrop and an elementary school teacher in Round Rock.
Lack of communication between child welfare and juvenile justice systems hurts foster kids, court monitors say
The court-appointed watchdogs expressed concern after learning that a caretaker accused of exploiting children at a state-licensed facility in Bastrop had been previously fired from a state juvenile justice facility for misconduct.
Texas death row inmate to get Supreme Court review
Rodney Reed was sentenced to death for the 1996 killing of 19-year-old Stacey Stites. Prosecutors say Reed raped and strangled Stites as she made her way to work at a supermarket in Bastrop.
Bastrop ISD holding job fair April 23 to fill multiple positions
Bastrop ISD is holding a job fair to fill multiple full-time positions this Saturday.
Bastrop shelter caretaker accused of exploiting girls was fired from previous job for misconduct
State records show Iesha Greene was fired in 2020 from a state juvenile facility for having inappropriate relationships with children. The Refuge said it was aware of her previous work there, but it never requested her publicly available personnel records.
Over 100 children have died in Texas’ child welfare system since 2020, report says
Most of the deaths were attributed to “preexisting medical conditions” or abuse suffered before the children entered the system, according to the DFPS report.
Texas DPS responds after judge questions integrity of investigation into The Refuge for DMST
A federal judge blasted the Texas Rangers for its investigation into allegations of sex trafficking of foster children at a facility near Austin. The judge asked for a federal criminal investigation.