News

With the community dealing with mitigating the spread of COVID-19, it is easy to forget that April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness month. Around this time of year, the Stephens County Courthouse is normally filled with signs commemorating the lost souls of children taken far too soon.

Located in Breckenridge, under the direction of two retired Breckenridge teachers, Alicia Waller and Judy Hart, the teachers provide hope to children of all ages with the Dr. Goodall’s House mentoring program.

On Monday, April 13, Stephens County Sheriff Will Holt gave an update on various topics regarding COVID-19, including a department employee’s novel coronavirus test and the actions by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

The Governor of Texas is inviting all small business owners and entrepreneurs to a webinar series for COVID-19 recovery resources on Wednesday, April 15, from 1 to 2 p.m. The event will provide Texas small business owners and entrepreneurs with timely, actionable information on resources to aid during the pandemic.

As the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, moves through various communities, community leaders must perform certain steps to confirm positive cases of the virus within each county.

During the Stephens County weekly update on Friday, April 10, community leaders offered counseling to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The offer comes as various law enforcement departments have seen an increase in family violence across the county.

Since the “Stay-At-Home” order for Stephens County became active at midnight on Tuesday, March 24, numerous calls were made to the Breckenridge Police Department for family matters.

As of Monday, April 13, South Elementary has shifted the method of the school work packet-pickup process. The cancellation comes as a South Elementary employee informed Breckenridge ISD of possible contact with COVID-19.

According to BISD, the administration became aware of the situation Thursday, April 9, at approximately 3:45 p.m.

At that time, the employee believed they may be symptomatic. The administration felt compelled to inform of the potential risk to South Elementary parents and students.

Breckenridge City Commissioners approved the submission of a grant application for a criminal justice division for Breckenridge Police Department.

The grant will upgrade law enforcement technology infrastructure to support the submission of data to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

For the full story, click here to subscribe or log in to read the Wednesday, April 15 edition of the Breckenridge American.

Imagine falling 34 feet from a drilling rig onto oil and sand. The severity of injuries can be catastrophic, if a person survives. One Breckenridge native experienced this tragic event, but his story of overcoming this unfortunate event may provide hope to all.

Terry McCoy, of Breckenridge, is a father of two, with multiple grandchildren and step-grandchildren and has lived in Stephens County on and off about 35 years.

A South Elementary employee informed the Breckenridge Independent School District of a possible COVID-19 case. According to BISD, the district administration became aware of the situation on Thursday, April 9, approximately 3:45 p.m. and informed the potential risk to South Elementary parents and students.