Dozens of dead grackles raises questions in Harker Heights
The Animal Services Division of the Harker Heights Pet Adoption Center collected 52 deceased grackles Monday in the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot in Harker Heights.
A majority of the birds were found in the parking lot with a few picked up on Heights Drive and Mohican Trail, according to the Animal Services Division.
Several of the grackles were picked up under trees in the east side of the parking lot.
It was not known whether poisoning was the possible cause of death.
City of Killeen lawsuit lingers for nearly 4 years; no hearings set
Some legal actions have a way of lingering, but one lawsuit against the City of Killeen has been active in a Bell County district court for nearly four years, generating hundreds of pages of legal documents but no resolution.
McLean Construction, Inc., which is based in Killeen, filed suit on Feb. 23, 2018, against the City of Killeen, alleging that the city violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act (DTPA) when the city refused to pay the company in full for its work on widening Stagecoach and Trimmier roads.
In its complaint filed with the 146th Judicial District Court, McLean demanded more than $825,000, from the city.
The city filed a counter-suit against McLean Construction on March 26, 2018, saying that the company’s work on the now-crumbling thoroughfare was subpar.
Killeen ISD hires dozens of new teachers mid-year to address shortage
Amid an ongoing pandemic, and a nationwide teacher shortage, more than two dozen teachers recently committed to join the staff of the Killeen Independent School District.
During the Killeen ISD Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday evening, Superintendent John Craft said 30 of the 66 prospective teachers who received letters of intent at the district’s job fair on Jan. 5 were officially hired and have started work within the district.
The superintendent said the district also offered letters of intent to 43 custodians, 48 nutrition workers, 10 bus drivers, eight bus monitors, and 86 educational aides.
As the Herald previously reported, 57 teachers submitted their notice of departure to the district just prior to Christmas break. Earlier in the fall semester, KISD reported a shortage of more than 200 teaching positions.
Killeen council slashes proposed council, mayor pay increase
After a powerful discussion in which the Killeen City Council debated the delicate balance between representation and compensation, council members drastically reduced a previously proposed increase to council members’ monthly compensation by roughly $650.
In a 6-1 vote after much discussion Tuesday, members settled on a proposed increase from $100 per month to $250 for council members, and from $150 monthly to $350 for the mayor. Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Nash-King voted in opposition.
The proposed raise still must be approved by voters in a May 7 charter election.
Officials break ground on 368-unit apartment complex in north Killeen
With dirt flying and hard-hats equipped, the Killeen City Council members officially broke ground on the 368-unit NRP Group apartment complex that will be built in north Killeen.
The culmination of two years of effort, the NRP Group’s new complex is a mixed-housing opportunity, with 50% of its units rate-limited to 80% of the area’s median income, effectively reducing rent by 20% for those units. With a median annual individual income of approximately $30,000 and average rent of about $1,000, rate-limited apartments would be set to an income of about $24,000 with a monthly rent of $800.
The complex is officially named “Robinson42,” paying homage to baseball player Jackie Robinson, whose number was 42. He was stationed at Fort Hood prior to his Major League Baseball career. It also refers to the year Fort Hood was established, and the year Robinson was drafted, 1942, according to an NRP spokesman.
The complex is set to feature a club room, “resort style pool,” fitness center, private garages and a dog park. The complex is just a block away from the Rosa Hereford Killeen Community Center.
The top 10 most read stories on kdhnews.com from Jan. 9 through Jan. 15 were:
2) “Missing Killeen High School student found safe, says mother” — https://bit.ly/3tBv7aN
4) “KPD opens internal affairs investigation after activist’s arrest” — https://bit.ly/33nUBgP
7) “NWS: Sleeting rain possible today for Killeen-Fort Hood area” — https://bit.ly/3rjUBXj
