Killeen council not set on plan for county annex
The Killeen City Council decided not to take action Tuesday regarding an interlocal agreement with Bell County to relocate the Bell County Killeen annex to the former site of the First National Bank of Texas headquarters at 507 N. Gray St.
Considerations to relocate the Bell County annex downtown Killeen have been rumbling since July of 2021, when former Mayor Jose Segarra began to push publicly for the relocation of the Bell County annex.
The First National Bank of Texas has also agreed to gift the site to the city of Killeen if it is used for the purposes of relocating the county annex.
According to City Manager Kent Cagle, Bell County is willing to put forward $10 million to establish the new county annex, so long as Killeen pays for site demolition.
As part of a request from the City Council, the agreement includes a clause that would allow Killeen to back out of the contract if demolition costs rise above $500,000. Cagle said in February that estimated demolition costs are not expected to exceed $300,000.
Fort Hood staff sergeant who faced court-martial reenlists in Army
Fort Hood Staff Sgt. Sandy Marquis, who faced a court-martial that could have effectively ended her military career and put her in prison, reenlisted in the Army Thursday.
In a stark contrast to their behavior last year, Marquis says Fort Hood leaders are now celebrating her willingness to fight and speak up.
She reenlisted Thursday atop a horse from 1st Cavalry Division’s world famous horse detachment.
On International Women’s Day, March 8, a four-year-long battle with Fort Hood leadership came to an end for Marquis, exactly one year to the day official charges were filed against her.
Army vet changes plea to ‘guilty’ in connection to $2.1 million Fort Hood military gear theft
An Army veteran who had pleaded not-guilty last year to stealing $2.1 million worth of military gear entered a guilty plea in federal court on Tuesday and is set to be sentenced this summer.
Jessica Elaintrell Smith, 29, accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to one of the two federal counts against her. A sentencing hearing is set for June 28 in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton in Corpus Christi, court documents show.
Co-defendant Brandon Dominic Brown, who like Smith is an Army veteran who was working as a contractor on post, pleaded not-guilty on Nov. 29, 2021. His case is set for a jury trial on June 6, also in Tipton’s Southern District courtroom.
A third co-defendant, Nathan Nichols, of Corpus Christi, already has pleaded guilty to his part in the conspiracy and is set to be sentenced on June 21 in U.S. District Court, Southern District.
Army spouse, native Ukrainian bakes to aid resistance in Ukraine
One Army spouse and native Ukrainian is aiding the Ukrainian resistance one pastry at a time with decades-old family recipes.
Through her Facebook page, Ukrainian Food, Anastasiia Brownson, of Fort Hood, has raised more than $800 for Ukrainian citizens and soldiers struggling to afford necessities amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
Each week, Brownson offers a new, traditional Ukrainian dish on her social media page. So far, she’s sold pampushky, sweet or garlic rolls; sharlotkas, a light sponge cake with assorted fruit; and piroshki, boat-shaped buns stuffed with custom fillings.
The 27-year-old said she was putting her 8-month-old daughter to sleep in the middle of the night on Feb. 24 when she heard the disturbing news of the Russian invasion.
Brownson, born and raised in Kyiv, moved to the United States in 2018 to be with her American soldier husband but said she has family and friends still living all over Ukraine.
Three Killeen Vietnam veterans take special trip to nation’s capital
For three Vietnam veterans from Killeen, a recent Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., was the chance of a lifetime.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Bob Gordon, retired Maj. Ray Arrington and retired Maj. Jasper “Gene” Hunter, all elders at Central Christian Church in Killeen, each said the trip made them feel as if they were finally truly home from Vietnam.
Honor Flight is a program that takes veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials dedicated to their service and the many that have lost their lives defending the country.
All three of the retired soldiers did two tours during the Vietnam War. The welcome by hundreds of people thanking them for their service at both Austin and the nation’s capitol gave a sense of closure.
The top 10 most read stories on kdhnews.com from April 3 through April 9 were:
2) “Army vet changes plea to ‘guilty’ in connection to $2.1 million Fort Hood military gear theft” — https://bit.ly/36ZO5ip
4) “Bell County Commissioner candidate files a complaint against Killeen Code Enforcement” — https://bit.ly/3JqUnEH
6) “Arrest affidavit: Wife of KPD officer suffered broken rib during alleged domestic assault” — https://bit.ly/3LOxr3S
7) “Killeen man arrested, accused of possessing more than 681 grams of marijuana” — https://bit.ly/35VkW7i
*NOTE: Some of the stories in the top 10 were actually in the top 20. They have been placed into the top 10 due to some stories appearing multiple times in the top 10.
