Danny Frank's Blog

Published March 3, 2007

New Angleton city manager expected to start in late May

After consulting Tuesday with Henderson City Council, newly hired Angleton City Manager Greg Smith said he will begin working in Angleton the week of May 28.

“Now, that is as of right now,” Smith said. “We’re in the transition here. The city’s already hired an interim city manager.”

Smith was hired by Angleton City Council during a special meeting Feb. 22. His contract with Henderson, where he has worked as city manager for 4 1⁄2 years, requires him to give a 90-day resignation notice.

O’Day back in Austin

State Rep. Mike O’Day, R-Pearland, returned to action as a legislator in Austin on Monday after being hospitalized for chest pains.

O’Day checked in to a Houston-area hospital Feb. 10 and had a stent put in a few days later for a blocked vein.

Since returning to the Capitol, O’Day has been working on legislation and attending events in his district, said Vince Sudela, his chief of staff.

“He’s been on the floor every day,” Sudela said. “He’s been doing pretty good.”

O’Day was voted into office in January in a special emergency runoff election to replace Glenda Dawson, who died in September after a brief illness. Dawson won the general election in November, forcing the special emergency election.

Police make another arrest in district drug sting

Police arrested 19-year-old Erik Israel Zuniga for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance Friday morning, bringing the total number of arrests in a Brazosport ISD drug sting to 16.

A warrant was issued Tuesday for Zuniga, and he was arrested about 9:55 a.m. Friday at Brazoswood High School, Lake Jackson Police Sgt. Rick Park said. Zuniga was being held at the Lake Jackson jail Friday on a $75,000 bond.

The amount and type of drugs have not been released, Park said.

The arrests are the result of undercover investigations that began in August as a cooperative effort between Lake Jackson Police and Brazosport ISD.

“There are some continuing cases, and I don’t know if this will be the last arrest,” Park said.

Texas House passes bill to rename Navigation District

The Texas House of Representatives this week unanimously approved a bill authored by State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, to rename the Brazos River Harbor Navigation District to Port Freeport. District officials want to rename the governing tax entity for Port Freeport to better identify itself, officials have said.

Bonnen said his bill now will be sent to the natural resources committee in the Senate, where it will catch up with an identical bill by Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, and eventually get sent to the Senate floor for a vote.

The Senate version of the bill was debated in committee Thursday, but no action was taken, Bonnen said.

“That’s not unusual,” Bonnen said. “Most committees don’t pass bills the first day they hear them. I’m not fearful of it not passing.”

The House vote was 144 yeas and one member present, but not voting.

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