Local auto shops are gearing up for changes as Texas prepares to end mandatory vehicle safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles in 2025. The shift, part of House Bill 3297 signed into law in 2023, will eliminate a small but steady revenue stream for many Madison County businesses.

The Walker County Genealogical Society (WCGS) and Huntsville Public Library (HPL) are hosting their annual Summer Genealogical Weekend and Silent Book Auction. The event is scheduled for Aug. 2 and Aug. 3 beginning at 10 a.m. both days at the HPL Staggs Community Room. With nine different genealogical presentations offered starting with the basics, SGW is proud to have among its presenters Faye Jenkins Stallings, Jim Thornhill, Michele Bailey, and internationally known Lisa Louise Cooke. During this same time frame, a Silent Book Auction will be held in the library from July 29 through August 3. Over 800 books are for auction, representing all genres with all proceeds going to the HPL Johnnie Jo Sowell Dickenson Genealogy Room.

Sweet Magnolia Learning Center announced a new Mother’s Day Out program starting August 2024. The part-time option caters to parents not requiring full-time childcare.

The Brazos County Health District Vector Surveillance Program has confirmed mosquito samples collected in Brazos County and submitted for testing by the Texas Department of State Health Services Arbovirus Laboratory have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). The mosquito traps that collected the positive samples were located in: Brazos County: 77845 zip code of College Station-Two positive sample pools Brazos County: 77840 zip of College Station Brazos County: 77803 zip code of Bryan Brazos County: 77802 zip code of Bryan Grimes County: 77868 zip code Leon County: 75833 zip code Burleson County: 77836 zip code All of Brazos County should be considered positive for WNV and residents should take the necessary steps to reduce exposure to mosquitoes.

Madisonville, TX — The DQ Restaurant located at 301 W Main St in Madisonville recently received a PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence) Award from the Dairy Queen system for achieving a high level of cleanliness and food safety.