Local archive
Sport
The Early Longhorns will open their 2026 football season at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Longhorn Stadium against Merkel, seeking a second consecutive season-opening victory under head coach Marvin Wilson after winning the program’s first district championship since 2007 last year.
Crime & Public Safety
The City of Brownwood has released its proposed $49.27 million Fiscal Year 2026/27 budget, including additional funding for police, fire and dispatch, four new patrol Tahoes, a new fire engine and a proposed increase in the property tax rate.
Sport
The No. 17 Brownwood Lions begin their 2026 football season at 7 p.m. Friday at Hugh Sandifer Stadium against Abilene Wylie, seeking to answer last season’s 25-0 loss while navigating one of the toughest non-district schedules in recent years.
Community Riverside Park
The Brownwood Lady Lions placed fourth and the Lions finished 14th at the Brownwood Invitational cross country meet Wednesday at Riverside Park. Brownwood’s junior varsity girls won their division, while the junior varsity boys placed third.
Crime & Public Safety
A Brownwood News report says four felony cases heard in 35th District Court resulted in prison sentences ranging from two to 25 years after guilty pleas and probation adjudications.
Crime & Public Safety
Ronnie Matthew Velarde, a documented West Texas Tango gang member wanted since May on a parole violation, was arrested Aug. 18 in Midland after investigators followed up on a tip. Texas Crime Stoppers will pay a reward for information leading to his capture.
Community
Eric and Jill Evans say Hendrick Health’s Brownwood care helped them through separate medical emergencies, including Eric’s 2024 heart attack and bypass surgery in Abilene.
Sport
Brownwood High’s Lions and Lady Lions earned their first team tennis victory of the season Tuesday, defeating District 6-4A rival Graham 15-4 in 107-degree heat. The road win evened Brownwood’s district record at 1-1, while Blake Hutchins reached the 100th victory of his high school career.
Sport
The Early Lady Horns extended their season-opening winning streak to 13 matches Tuesday night with a straight-set home victory over Cornerstone Christian. Early will return to action Thursday at the Dublin tournament.
Sport
The Brownwood Lady Lions lost in straight sets at Fredericksburg on Tuesday night after finishing second at the Heart of Texas volleyball tournament. Brownwood, now 6-7, will compete at the Godley tournament beginning Thursday.
Community
The newly formed Heart of Texas Rotary Club is meeting twice a month in Brownwood and plans to serve communities across the region, including Coleman, Comanche, Blanket, Bangs and Goldthwaite.
Community CC Woodson Road
The Brownwood City Council took no action on a proposed $38,000 repair plan for Wiggins Pool, requesting additional leak-detection information before deciding whether to proceed. The pool has required daily water additions during the 2026 season, while council members weighed repairs against closure or replacement.
Business & Openings Downtown Brownwood
Brownwood City Council approved the purchase of 215 Center Ave., across from Pat Coursey Park, as the new home of the city’s Visitor Center. The $350,000 purchase will use Hotel Occupancy Tax fund reserves, with the move expected after the property closes in roughly one to one and a half months.
Sport
A sporting clays tournament benefiting the Early FFA is scheduled for Sept. 12 at the Brownwood Claybird Club, with shooting, barbecue, live music, auctions and cash prizes.
Community
Brownwood officials presented the first public hearing for a proposed $49.27 million 2026-27 budget that would increase the property tax rate while adding funding for police, fire and dispatch services.
Education
Caleb Gamblin, an agricultural sciences teacher at Bangs High School, is one of six finalists for the 2027 Texas Teacher of the Year award. The Bangs ISD educator is recognized for hands-on instruction and coaching student teams, including four state champion agricultural mechanics teams.
Education
Ray Reed, a Howard Payne graduate and longtime educator, reflects on family, loss and the extraordinary life he shared with his wife, Barbara, and their Yellow-collared Macaw, Pogo.
Education
Five Howard Payne University students returned from a month in Seville, Spain, with new Spanish-language skills, academic credit and a broader understanding of the region’s culture and history. HPU’s Spain Summer Immersion Program will return in summer 2028.
Traffic & Construction
The Neighbor Fire south of U.S. Highway 67/377 near Blanket was reported 90% contained Monday evening after consuming an estimated 220 acres. No homes were damaged and no injuries were reported, while crews continued cleanup and the cause remained undetermined.
Community Fisk Avenue
Brown County 4-H families must order state validation tags by noon Tuesday, Aug. 25, to show animals at the Brown County Youth Fair and major shows under newly changed rules.
Traffic & Construction
Brown County commissioners approved a real estate exchange with the City of Early involving 2.2 acres on Old May Road, 5.1 acres on Hutton Street and a $75,000 payment. The meeting also covered new Child Welfare Board members, grant accounts, November election deadlines, a September public hearing and an ongoing burn ban.
Culture Downtown Brownwood
Brownwood’s Downtown Preview Night will return Friday, Oct. 2, giving residents and visitors extended shopping hours, special offers and live music the evening before the Feels Like Home Festival.
Traffic & Construction Center Avenue
The Brownwood Zoning Board of Adjustment will hold a public hearing Sept. 8 on a request to build a carport at 2410 Vincent Street within the required side-yard setback.
Sport
The Brownwood Lady Lions won four straight matches at the Heart of Texas volleyball tournament before falling to undefeated Early in the gold-bracket championship. Brownwood’s record moved to 6-6, with the team scheduled to play at Fredericksburg Tuesday before entering the Godley tournament Thursday through Saturday.
Sport
A Brownwood News column urges parents and fans to support young athletes, respect coaches and officials, and avoid behavior that can create hostile games or lead to removal from school athletic events.
Traffic & Construction
The Neighbor Fire in eastern Brown County burned approximately 200 acres Sunday between Early and Blanket before firefighters stopped its forward progression. Voluntary evacuations were lifted, but the fire remained active and crews stayed overnight.
Traffic & Construction
Fire departments from eight area communities responded Sunday afternoon to a large wildfire near Blanket, where structures were threatened and residents along three county roads were asked to evacuate.
Education
A weekly update from U.S. Rep. August Pfluger highlights upcoming federal opportunities and assistance for residents of Texas’s 11th Congressional District, including the Congressional App Challenge, White House volunteer applications, a San Angelo Service Academy Night and agricultural guidance related to New World screwworm.
Culture
Brownwood-area voters will choose between Republican Bo French and Democrat Jon Rosenthal in the November 3, 2026, race for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates oil, gas, energy infrastructure and related resources.
Sport
Brownwood News outdoors writer Luke Clayton is preparing to hunt with a TenPoint crossbow after years of using muzzleloaders, compound bows, PCP air rifles and traditional firearms. Clayton says the newer crossbow is easier to cock, accurate and accessible to older hunters who can no longer draw conventional bows.
