A hard freeze warning was listed for multiple area counties late last week, including Madison County, bringing cold air and high-teens and early-20s temperatures. The freeze resulted in multiple local closures and delays Thursday and Friday. COURTESY PHOTO

U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady will be the guest speaker at the Grimes County Republican Party’s 17th Annual Reagan Dinner Feb. 19. There, he will share some of the most memorable experiences from his 25-year journey representing the 8th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

The St. Joseph Health Cancer Center’s breast program recently completed its third American College of Surgeons NAPBC reaccreditation survey. The breast program, which gained accreditation in 2014, has been recognized for maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care resulting in high-quality care for patients with breast disease, over the last eight years.

The North Zulch Volunteer Fire Department held their Fifth Annual Chili Cook Off and nearly doubled their funds raised from the last time they held the event in 2020. The event was nixed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Madisonville baseball program will be hosting their annual “Our Day to Shine” scrimmage Tuesday, Feb. 8, against Bellville at MHS at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The scrimmage will benefit the Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation’s Benevolence to assist athletes and coaches experiencing hardships. Attendees can donate to this great cause at the gate upon entrance or send their donations to Venmo via @ THSCAcoaches

Don Grooms, Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector for the City of Madisonville and former Madison County employee, passed away unexpectedly Jan. 24 at his office.

With deer hunting a major recreational activity and economic benefit to the Texas economy, understanding more about the nexus of hunters, deer and the possibility of zoonotic disease transmission is important in ensuring the industry’s overall safety and sustainability.

COLLEGE STATION – Traffic safety educators, like those with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Brazos Valley Injury Prevention Coalition & Statewide Initiatives (BVIPC), consistently make it their mission to save lives across the state through their commitment to preventing risks for Texas motorists, both drivers and passengers. Because of increased numbers of impaired driving-related fatalities and injuries in the last year, the BVIPC Team is putting a spotlight on education statewide to help reverse these trends - and they are asking all Texans to join in their efforts.