Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

Montgomery County deputies have charged a Magnolia man after a drunken fight led to a stabbing at his home.

Police say that Benjamin Beasley, 31, stabbed Christopher C. Holliday during an early morning disturbance at Beasley’s home Aug. 17.

Deputies responded to Beasley’s home on Dobbin-Hufsmith Road around 4:30 that morning. When they arrived they found Holliday lying in the doorway and covered in blood. In an odd twist deputies say that Beasley was tending to the victim when they arrived.

Holliday had multiple stab wounds to his arms, throat and abdomen. His situation was critical at the time, but his condition has improved to stable, although he is still in an intensive care unit.

Deputies said the incident occurred after a night of heavy drinking at Beasley’s home.

“When Beasley’s wife and Holliday woke Beasley to move him into a bed, Beasley became agitated and threatened his wife with a knife,” a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office statement said. “She ran to a nearby home to call for assistance and could hear calls for help from Holliday.”

Beasley was arrested at his mobile home and taken to jail. He is being held on a $150,000 bond.

Deputies say that detectives are still reviewing evidence and investigating the case.

There was more good news for Magnolia ISD employees following the Board of Trustees meeting Aug. 20.  According to Chief Financial Officer Erich Morris, all full-time MISD employees will get a three percent pay raise and additionally the district will increase its contribution to employee health insurance by $50 per month. This will increase the contribution per participating employee to $275 per month.

Morris said the pay raise was good timing, given that the district had not been able to provide raises in recent years, due to state funding concerns.

“The school board felt like this was the right thing to do and is within our budget this year,” he said.

Morris explained the new insurance contribution amount is more than the minimum required contribution of $225 per month. The district conducted a survey to ensure they were in line with other districts before arriving at the $275 per month figure.

“The district performed a survey of surrounding districts and became aware that other districts were contributing a bit more,” he said. “Taking that into consideration and with premiums rising year after year, the district administration recommended the increase to the board.”

The board also committed $500,000 for district-wide technology needs, which will primarily be used for classroom computer upgrades and replacements.

“This isn’t really new funding. The intent is to replenish the technology funds that were lost during the budget cuts from recent years,” said Morris. 

The final approved budget number is $83.6 million, which is $3.8 million more than the $79.8 million previously projected. Besides the new staff benefits, all 16 new staff positions throughout the district --- six teachers and ten paraprofessionals --- were approved.

Morris said that the district decided to come up with a conservative budget this year, since the upcoming legislative session is expected by many to cut state funding even more.

“It is a challenge to budget when there is fear of the unknown,” he said. “We are balancing the fear of the unknown with the needs of our folks and doing it in a way that is conservative. We must look at what’s possibly coming in the future.”

The board is still estimating the new student growth rate to be one percent, with enrollment expected to peak by October.

17 area youth were able to spend a week at two separate YMCA sponsored events recently, where they were able to develop their character and bond with others.

Six teens traveled to San Francisco this summer for the Teen Escape Service Learning program, while 11 teens traveled to the Blue Ridge Christian Values Conference in North Carolina. The teens are from Bear Branch Junior High, Magnolia Junior High, Alpha Academy, Magnolia High School and Magnolia West High School.

Magnolia/Tomball YMCA Senior Program Director Stephanie Saker said the trips were made possible because of local generosity.

“We were able to send them because of donations through our YMCA Partners of Youth program,” she said.

The San Francisco trip focused on community service, character building and self-discovery, according to YMCA board member and Alpha Academy teacher Nita McNulty, who accompanied the students.

She said the students are expected to take what they learned and reapply it in their community.

‘This was an awesome opportunity for our teens to learn what it means to help others without the expectation of payment,” she said. “Most teens do not get that until they do work to help others. They will be able to take the lessons they learn through this experience and apply it.”

The students that attended said they learned a lot during their trip.

“Seeing everybody get along with one another, smiling and having a good time made my day,” one student, Tony, said. “I loved and cherished every second of the day, from the time I opened my eyes to when I was in bed replaying the day in my head.”

Tony, who has done landscape work with his father, was able to teach others at the camp how to plant items correctly.

“As I also taught some of my new friends about planting and how each plant had a specific duty to play in the environment made me feel really proud of myself,” Tony said.

Blair, another student, helped repaint the local YMCA, among other things.

“I learned that even the little things have an impact,” Blair said. “I plan to use this new lesson I learned in my community, doing things here and there to help those that need it.”

Another YMCA board member, Keri Hefner, accompanied 11 teens to North Carolina, where they attended the Blue Ridge Christian Leadership Conference.

Saker said the teens there divided into families and the entire focus of the conference is to break down the walls the teens have built up and show them how to build relationships.

Thumper, a teen that attended the conference, said it has impacted his life tremendously.

“My attitude has improved, I have a strong bond with God now, my work ethic is great and how I treat others has greatly improved,” he said. “When you’re there, everyone treats everyone so passionately. Complete strangers treat you with such kindness and everyone can be themselves without the pressure of what other people think about them.”

“Confidence was something I experimented with during my stay there,” added Lillian. “I left the mountain with double the confidence I had when I arrived.”

“Blue Ridge has certainly made an impact on my life,” she added. “I learned new lessons and gained different perspectives and friends. My religious faith has also strengthened.”

All the students said they wouldn’t trade their experiences during the summer trips for anyone else’s summer vacation.

“These are not just trips,” Tony added, “they’re life changing experiences that everybody should get a chance to experience.”

A year ago, the Magnolia 4B Economic Development Corporation assumed the debt service for moving the utility lines along FM 1774 between Friendship Drive and 10^th Street. This act removed the debt from the City of Magnolia, which would have been forced to raise property taxes in order to pay it.

The debt was a result of a $2 million loan from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Special Infrastructure Fund used by the city to move the utility lines, which was necessary due to the widening of FM 1774 within the city limits. Just last week, the 4B Corporation approved a $160,000 interest payment on this loan, which will be paid from sales taxes collected by the corporation.

These types of projects are funded through both the 4A Economic Development Corporation and the 4B Community Development Corporation.  The purpose of both corporations is to provide funds from another revenue source, other than just property taxes, which is the only way the city itself can raise funds.

The 4A Corporation is tasked with managing infrastructure projects and the 4B Corporation handles community projects. The corporations are managed by board members who are appointed for a two-year term and volunteer their time. Many Texas cities have similar corporations, which typically raise funds through sales taxes.

The Magnolia development corporations make it possible for the city to provide services to additional areas and overhaul structures that are wearing out, as well as provide parks and recreational opportunities for residents. As Magnolia grows, officials said these projects become more critical to improving the quality of life for the area.

The 4B Corporation manages the Farmers Market, Unity Park and The Stroll. The next event at The Stroll is “A Stroll through the Renaissance,” which salutes the Renaissance Festival and will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 29. Renaissance-themed games, food, drinks and crafts will be offered.

The 4A and 4B Corporations impose serious responsibilities on the board  members.

As newly-elected 4B Corporation president Pat Zaiontz  stated, “This (4B) Corporation is just like a business. We need to watch our spending and pay our debts.”

MAGNOLIA - The Magnolia City Council continued with its extraterrestrial jurisdiction (ETJ) expansion eastward, along FM 1488, at the Sept. 11 meeting. In Texas, the ETJ of a municipality includes specified unincorporated area that is adjacent to the city limits. Property owners can request to be part of the ETJ.

In the future, the City of Magnolia may choose to extend city limits and city services into the ETJ areas.

Unincorporated areas may be subject to annexation by a nearby city, which could be either Conroe or Magnolia. Currently, Magnolia has extended its ETJ areas five miles east of the city limits, which could add a beneficial tax base for the city in the future.

“We have one of the largest ETJs for a city of our size in the state of Texas,” said Deborah Rose Miller, Magnolia’s economic development coordinator.

In other business, the council appointed Anne Sundquist as the city representative to the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s general assembly, which meets in January. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is an association of 36 members from local governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning Region of Texas. Its service area comprises 12,500 square miles and more than six million residents.

Following an executive session, the council terminated the Magnolia Waste Management contract for sewer treatment (sludge removal) services. The city will continue to use Magna-Flow for these services. Contracts with both services have co-existed and the council wanted to remove the redundancy.

Police Chief Domingo Ibarra announced the promotion of Officer Kyle Montgomery to the rank of Sergeant. He also had news about the cooperation of the MPD patrol division with other government entities.

“They are doing a great job working together. As an example, we recovered a stolen vehicle recently from the Brookshire Brothers parking lot, which was a great success,” said Ibarra.

A new Magnolia Police Trespass Agreement Program was announced by Ibarra. The program offers businesses and property owners the opportunity to allow Magnolia police the authorization to contact and question persons who may be unlawfully on private property (without prior authorization from the property owner). It is expected to reduce the instances of crime on private property.  

The Magnolia Community Foundation presented Magnolia City Manager Paul Mendes with a plaque honoring his volunteer service for the organization. Mendes has been instrumental in many of the accomplishments of the Foundation, and has donated his time to help ensure the success of community events, such as those at Unity Park and The Stroll.

Miller, who is also president of the Magnolia Community Foundation, explained the plaque was very appropriate.

“We wanted Paul to know his efforts are greatly appreciated,”

The Texas Renaissance Festival is coming to Magnolia, giving residents a chance to meet the King and Queen of the Festival, along with other members of their court. Stroll thru the Renaissance Festival will be held Sept. 29, from 4 to 8 p.m., on the Magnolia Stroll.

This evening will offer area residents a unique opportunity to meet the organizers, stars and support staff of the Texas Renaissance Festival, which has enjoyed more than 30 years in nearby Plantersville. Last year the City of Magnolia became the host city for the Texas Renaissance Festival, marking a new partnership between the festival and the city.

"The Texas Renaissance Festival brings more than a half-million people to our area,” Magnolia Economic Development Coordinator Deborah Rose Miller said. “This partnership has forged a new relationship between the city and the festival, one that is advantageous to both.”

Opening the evening will be a knighting ceremony at Sullivan Park, the entrance to the Magnolia Stroll at the corner of FM 1488 and FM 1774. In addition to lots of festival food, arts, crafts and jewelry will be available and children will enjoy enchanted Festival activities along with games of skill for all ages. 

There is no admission charge for Stroll thru the Renaissance Festival and activities are planned for all ages by the sponsoring organization, the Magnolia Community Foundation For more information visit, magnoliacommunityfoundation.org.

Magnolia High School celebrated its annual football homecoming recently. Reagan Villarreal (left) was named the 2012 Homecoming King, while Allison Woods (right) was named the 2012 Homecoming Queen. Both are seniors at Magnolia High School.

It’s time again for the annual Texas Renaissance Festival, a fall tradition for many local families and several that are not local as well.

Some Magnolia residents have enjoyed going to the festival for years. Mike Reynolds, Boy Scout leader for Troop 1488 in Magnolia, started coming when he was a teenager and now brings his own sons to the festival.

“This event is good family entertainment, so we like to make a day of it,” said Reynolds. “I like the theater acts and musical groups. I moved to Dallas for a few years and I really missed it.”

Many Magnolia citizens cringe during Renaissance Festival weekends in October and November, as they think about the roadways around town being clogged by visitors. But the RenFest does have a positive impact on the overall economy in Magnolia.

The festival has more than a million attendees annually, and quite a few are not from Texas, but come from far corners of the nation, such as Maine, Washington and Florida. They travel to the area and expand the economy by spending money on hotel rooms, gasoline and food.

Throughout the festival, local hotels and restaurants stay full. Many Renaissance Festival visitors and  employees remain in town for the duration of the festival.

Lia Vansadia, owner-manager of the Magnolia Inn and Suites, acknowledged she has guests from every state during the Renaissance Festival. 

”We are always sold out during the festival every year,” she said. “We started running a free shuttle for our guests to ride to and from the festival grounds last year. It was an instant hit. I had people calling about it months in advance.”

Terre Albert, General Manager of the Renaissance Festival, indicated that the festival employs more than 1,000 people for the run of the event, and the 395 vendors employ another several hundred to help sell their wares.

“Many local people use their earnings for Christmas money and we are happy to have them back year after year,” said Albert.  “The festival has been running for 37 years, and it gets bigger each year. Our campground alone has more than 5,000 people each weekend, and many of them stay from Thursday through Monday. All that time they are eating in restaurants and shopping in stores in Magnolia.”

The Renaissance Festival has its own theatrical company which employs local entertainers to portray the 15^th century villagers.

“Local high school or college students participate in our acting company, and this gives them a chance to gain professional experience and build their resumes,” said Albert. 

Magnolia has become the official sponsor city of the Renaissance Festival. Deborah Rose Miller, President of the Magnolia Community Foundation, spearheaded the partnership.  

“We help promote the festival, and in turn the festival helps us with donations to our non-profit groups and by cooperating with city fundraisers throughout the year,” said Miller.

She mentioned the festival donated $20,000 to Magnolia non-profits recently, during the “Stroll Through the Renaissance Festival” event in downtown Magnolia. Although the rain prevented large crowds, more than 1,000 people did attend and had a chance to experience 15^th-century foods and beverages and try to dunk their favorite local celebrity in the dunking booth sponsored by the Magnolia Rotary Club.

“The funds our nonprofits receive from the Renaissance Festival help to compensate them for the inconvenience of not being able to run an effective fundraiser during festival time. It ends up being a win-win situation,” explained Miller.

The Magnolia Community Foundation plans events throughout the year for the purpose of benefitting Magnolia non-profit  groups and providing entertainment to residents. This year, they had to put up with rain at every event.  

“We anticipate next year will be better. We will begin with a Mardi Gras Stroll in February,” said Miller.

The Renaissance Festival runs every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to dark beginning October 4 and ending the Friday after Thanksgiving. It also hosts special school days so that students can learn more about 15^th century life. For more information go to http://texrenfest.com/.

The Society of Samaritan (SOS) of Magnolia has a 25-year history of helping needy residents within the Magnolia area by supplying food, emergency financial needs, clothing and household items. Lynette Gibbons, who previously headed the special projects ministry of S.O.S., is now heading up a sister organization, Intercept Ministries.

The new non-profit organization will support family events, such as back-to-school clothing and supply drives, Christmas toys and Easter baskets. Also, Intercept Ministries will expand giving programs to include residents in the tri-county area where Waller, Grimes and Montgomery counties meet.

"This area is really not served by any other organization and there is so much need - many people have not yet recovered from last year's fires. We are so pleased to be able benefit these families," said Gibbons. "Last year we helped 567 families, and we hope to aid more this year."

Both organizations, S.O.S. and Intercept Ministries, plan to work closely together to increase the capacity to assist families and elderly residents. They are staffed entirely by volunteers and are planning two holiday events that people should sign up for soon -- a Thanksgiving meal and a Christmas boxed meal and toys. The Thanksgiving meal will be held on Thanksgiving Day at the West Montgomery County Community Development Center.

SOS will continue to fill the needs of the residents of the Magnolia Independent School District through the food pantry, emergency financial needs and clothing and household items through the Little Twig location. 

Sign up for the Thanksgiving meal at the West Montgomery County Community Development Center, 31355 Friendship Blvd., Magnolia 77355, Mondays from October 22 through November 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Those wishing to register for the Christmas events should sign up on Mondays from October 22 through December 10, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., also at the West Montgomery County Community Development Center. Pick up and delivery details will be determined at sign up.

Volunteers are welcomed by both organizations. To volunteer or donate to S.O.S., call 281-259-8452. To help with Intercept Ministries, or to donate toys, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . In addition to volunteers, Intercept Ministries is also seeking a building for storage of donated items, office supplies and sponsors.

The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) has received a federal grant to purchase top of the line smoke detectors for area residents.

The department will receive more than $70,000 from the federal government to purchase the detectors, through a FEMA fire prevention safety grant. The grant, which is funded 75 percent by FEMA and 25 percent by the MVFD, means that the total amount will add up to more than $88,000.

"Since it is a share grant we have to kick in 25 percent, which will be a little less than $18,000," said MVFD assistant chief Rusty Griffith.

The grant will allow the department to purchase 2,000 units with 10-year lithium batteries, plus an additional 500 batteries.

According to Griffith, 20 percent of homes with smoke detectors have units that do not work, while four percent of homes do not have a smoke detector at all. He said the risk of a fire related death or injury greatly decreases in homes with working detectors.

"Our goal is to have at least one working unit in each home in the district," he said. "It greatly improves the chance of survival."

He said he hopes to have the process completed by the end of the year, so that by the beginning of 2013 they will be ready to hand out the units. Once MVFD receives the final go ahead from FEMA they will request bids to purchase the detectors. He estimated that within 12-18 months the department will have handed out the units and completed the program.

Griffith said the department was thrilled to receive the grant, because it is a competitive process.

"You don't always expect to get a competitive grant," he said.

The district, which covers 165 square miles and serves nearly 70,000 people, runs strictly off paid part-time staffing and volunteers. Last year they answered almost 4,000 calls. With a limited staff and budget constraints, fire prevention is key to the department.

"We will target areas where our fire deaths occur first," Griffith said, adding that the department will come and install the units for free.

To secure one of the free 10-year smoke detectors, Griffith said be on the lookout for an announcement on the departments web page at magnoliafire.org. For more information call 281-356-3288.