Recent News

We are proud of what we do in Brenham. Below are some of the most recent happenings in Brenham.

Brenham ISD sets $26M bond election
Published: February 22, 2012
Brenham school board members have decided on an "all or nothing" approach for a $26 million bond election
on May 12, asking voters to approve building a new elementary school and make massive renovations to another campus.

Parks and Recreation board to look at updating master plan
Published: February 21, 2012
The city of Brenham's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Wednesday will review a master plan aimed at guiding parks development through 2015.

Brenham school trustees may finalize bond proposal
Published: February 18, 2012
To split or not to split, that is the question the Brenham school board will decide as it discussed the bond election during a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the central office, 711 Mansfield St. The bond election will determine if taxpayers want to fund a new elementary school and remodel the Brenham Middle School.

EDF forms task force with Blinn
Published: February 15, 2012
The Brenham Economic Development Foundation (EDF) has formed a Workforce Development Task Force with the A.W. Hodde Jr. Technical Education Center at Blinn College and the Burton and Brenham school districts.

Highway projects discussed at forum
Published: February 11, 2012
Area Engineer Mark Shafer represented the Bryan District Area Office at Friday's transportation forum, sponsored by the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative. The group, which included prominent members of TxDOT including Executive Associate Director of the Texas Transportation Institute Joe Epps, met for nearly two hours at the Janis Snead Banquet Room on the Blinn College campus.

Sales tax rebates up
Published: February 11, 2012
Sales tax rebates for the city of Brenham and Washington County are off to a strong start this year. Both are showing increases over the same period last year. The latest rebates are for sales during December, including the busy Christmas shopping period.

Meeting to discuss input on downtown plan
Published: February 11, 2012
Downtown Master Plan Steering Committee members this week will brief members of the community on information gathered at a public workshop last month. The briefing will be held at Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in city council chambers at City Hall, 200 W. Vulcan.

Brenham school trustees poised to call bond election
Published: February 7, 2012
The Brenham school board is poised to call a bond election at their next board meeting, but details about the packaging of the bonds are still being worked out. The board discussed breaking the Alton Elementary School and Brenham Middle School projects into separate proposals or allowing voters to give the district an up or down vote during a special meeting Monday.

Life-changer--Blinn Technical Education Center helps student launch new career as machinist after he was laid off
Published: February 4, 2012
When Ryan Barrett's old job required him to move furniture into Blinn College's A.W. Hodde Jr. Technical Education Center here, he had no idea just how crucial the center's programs would be to his future.

WCHLA seeking special use permit for senior center
Published: February 4, 2012
Supporters of a senior citizens center here are hoping to break ground this year on a new facility. The Washington County Healthy Living Association (WCHLA), which boasts almost 1,000 senior citizens as members, has asked the Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission to approve a special use permit allowing the organization to operate a senior citizens center on a 4.5-acre tract at the corner of East Tom Green and Loesch streets.

Bond proposal talks continue
Published: February 4, 2012
Brenham school trustees will hold a special meeting Monday to continue discussion of a potential $26 million bond proposal that could go before voters in May.

City approves utilities extension
Published: February 3, 2012
Brenham City Council members voted Thursday to extend utility services to a metal-buying business planning to relocate.

City issues 27 permits to begin 2012
Published: February 2, 2012
Building permits issued by the city of Brenham during January totaled $758,146, with only one taken out for new construction.

City planning sessions lead to organizational changes
Published: February 2, 2012
Priorities established during strategic planning sessions held by the city of Brenham have resulted in organizational changes that will focus on future development, according to city officials.

Council to consider support of affordable housing for seniors
Published: January 31, 2012
Brenham City Council members Thursday will consider another affordable housing project development requesting support for a tax credit through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Blinn's Support For Small Businesses Netted $3.67 Million In Loans Last Year
Published: January 26, 2012
Blinn College's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helped local companies secure $3.67 million in funding during the last fiscal year. The SBDC assisted 267 small business clients throughout its service region in Washington, Colorado, and Austin counties, and helped in the creation of 167 new jobs and the launch of more than a dozen companies.

Master plan is discussed at workshop
Published: January 24, 2012
More than 80 people contributed to the city of Brenham master plan during a two-hour public workshop Monday. Representatives from MESA Design, a consulting firm hired to help develop the master plan, and the city focused on defining downtown Brenham and the importance of physical connections.

Barnes-Tilley wins council seat
Published: January 23, 2012
A four-person race for a vacant Brenham City Council position was decided Saturday without a runoff. Mary Barnes-Tilley, head of Blinn College's social sciences department, was elected outright with 60 percent of the vote.

Jobless rate drops again--County ends 2011 with five months of declines
Published: January 21, 2012
Washington County's jobless rate averaged 6 percent during 2011, as the year ended with five straight months of a decline in the rate, figures from the Texas Workforce Commission show. December's 5.3 percent was the year's lowest. The highest jobless mark was 6.9 percent in both June and July.

Public input sought on city's master plan
Published: January 21, 2012
The city of Brenham is looking for public input for a master plan to guide growth here without losing the city's history or character. The first downtown master planning workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the City Hall lobby where MESA Designs will lay out a framework as a basis for the workshop discussions about the different areas and needs of downtown.