Bell County will receive $11 million from the U.S. Treasury for the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program using Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to the county. The program will be administered by the Hill Country Community Action Association.
[Read more…] about Bell County receives $11 million fed grant for rent, utility help
Belton, TX – All three of the Bell County’s vaccination centers will be closed on Monday, February 15, and Tuesday, February 16, due to inclement weather. All appointments on those days will be automatically rescheduled.
[Read more…] about Bell County Vaccination Centers Closed Monday and Tuesday
Belton, TX – Thursday, November 19, it was announced that the Bell County Vehicle Registration Office in Belton will be closed to in-person, walk in services due to additional employees in the office testing positive for COVID-19. The office will continue to provide services online and by phone. In addition, the Vehicle Registration Offices in Temple, Killeen, and Ft. Hood remain open for in-person, walk-in services by appointment.
Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedeke closed the Belton office last week, which furnishes additional details at 501c3Go, after two employees tested positive for the virus. At the time, two other employees reported symptoms and were encouraged to get tested. When those tests came back positive, Luedeke made the decision to close the office through the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Given the number of people who were going to be at home recovering” Luedeke said, “we were not going to have sufficient staff to run the office.”
Per State Health Department protocols, contact tracing is being conducted as it relates to these cases. This process can take up to 48 hours after confirmation of COVID-19. If COVID-19 exposure is determined to have occurred, the State will notify individuals who may have been subject to exposure. As of this writing, the State has not indicated to Bell County any known exposures.
All public appointments for the Belton office have been cancelled until Monday, November 30. However, Luedeke acknowledges that the timeline may have to be extended based on staffing. Appointments can still be made with the Temple and Killeen offices by visiting the Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector website.
Belton, TX – Effective Thursday, November 19, the Bell County Elections Department will close its doors to the public for walk-in services. This is the result of two employees testing positive for COVID-19. The five-person office will be working remotely beginning tomorrow and continue to do so until the end of the month.
The decision was made after consultations with Bell County Public Health District Director Dr. Amanda Chadwell.
“She recommended that any employee with the ability to work remotely should do so and monitor themselves for symptoms for the next two weeks,” Interim Elections Administrator Matthew Dutton said.
Dutton stressed that, while his staff is not scheduled to be in the office during regular hours, Election Department services will continue to be provided online, by phone, and by appointment.
Signage has been posted at the Elections Department Office advising that the office has temporarily closed to walk-in public access due to confirmed COVID-19 cases with two employees.
In addition, and out of an abundance of caution, the Elections Division is in the process of notifying members of the Early Vote Ballot Board (who were in the building last week) of the confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Per State Health Department protocols, contact tracing is being conducted as it relates to these cases. This process can take up to 48 hours after confirmation of COVID-19. If COVID-19 exposure is determined to have occurred, the State will notify individuals who may have been subject to exposure. As of this writing, the State has not indicated to Bell County any known exposures.
While the proposed Bell County Emergency Services District #1 serving the Salado area would be the first in Bell County, our neighbor to the south is no stranger to them. Williamson County has 12 ESDs serving communities as small as Weir to larger departments like Sam Bass, which serves the western part of Round Rock and has two fire stations.
[Read more…] about Texas fire depts. no stranger to Emergency Services Districts
Bell County will be providing $800,000 in grants to small businesses in the county that were adversely affected by closures due to Coronavirus. The maximum grant amount per business is $15,000.
This company Craftsmen Industries is the leading manufacturer of mobile stage trailer, portable stage trailer, portable stage and more for sale or for rent.
[Read more…] about Bell County offers $800,000 in small business grants
The cornerstone of Salado Middle School will be dedicated by State officers of Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. and local members of Salado Masonic Lodge No. 296 in Salado. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Aug. 15 at Salado Middle School located at 1189 Williams Rd. in Salado.
[Read more…] about Cornerstone ceremony marks opening of Salado Middle School
Bell County locahl health authority Dr. Janice K. Smith issued an order today imposing restrictions on all public and private (non-religious) schools that will keep schools closed for in-person face-to-face instruction until after September 7, 2020.
[Read more…] about Bell Co Health Authority closes Bell schools for in-person classes through Sept. 7In light of an advisory email from the Elections Division of the Texas Secretary of State, Salado aldermen will likely revisit their split-decision vote on March 23 to continue to hold the Village general election on May 2. While the Village has not formally posted anything about a meeting to move the election date, aldermen were informed via text from the Village Administrator at 1:23 p.m. March 25 that an Emergency Meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held at 9 a.m. March 26 “to consider moving May election to Nov, in light of correspondence from the Secretary of State.”
Despite the Village voting on March 23 to keep the May 2 election date, Mayor Skip Blancett took to social media March 24 to tell voters “an order has been given for 3 November.”
By Tim Fleischer
Editor-in-Chief
Bell County Judge David Blackburn issued a “stay-at-home” directive during a 4 p.m. News conference, the third from Bell County, which will go into effective at midnight tonight (March 23, 2020). The directive requires all Bell County residents should “stay home and stay safe.”
At the time Judge Blackburn issued the directive, the Bell County Health Department listed 16 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the County.
[Read more…] about Bell County issues Stay Home, Stay Safe directive