As the curtains are now closed on the year 2023, let us take a peek behind them and reflect on the most significant and consequential news events that shaped Liberty County and the surrounding area.
From the heatwave that sparked fires and fears over the summer, prompting more than 200 Texas counties simultaneously to be under a burn ban and stressing fire departments, to Liberty County being placed in an unwelcome national spotlight due to the Colony Ridge residential development south of Plum Grove, there were plenty of newsmakers in 2023.
These past 12 months saw a potential natural disaster for one small Liberty County community, new projects being celebrated and welcomed, old projects finally completed, and historic sites undergoing changes.
Bluebonnet News presents its choices of the Top 10 news stories for the area:
- Colony Ridge: The development that sparked a firestorm of interest
In Liberty County in 2023, the news story that sparked the most interest was the Colony Ridge development. This rural development, once little more than an ambitious plan by its developers – brothers John Harris and Trey Harris, started transforming the once-sleepy community of Plum Grove into a high-traffic corridor leading into one of the fastest-growing communities in Texas. The reasons for its rapid growth and escalating popularity were multiple, including the attractive idea of homeownership with little to no down-payment, financing without credit checks, and its strategic location close to Houston.
The result was a major surge in population in the community, fears that most of the community’s residents were undocumented residents, strains on the resources of Cleveland ISD, both financially and infrastructure-wise, fears that the development may potentially increase the threat of flooding during major rain events, and worries that the development will forever change the dynamics of a formerly rural county.
State lawmakers, whether acting out of concern for Liberty County or simply politically posturing, began to focus their attentions on Colony Ridge. In late September, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, accompanied by state troopers, toured the neighborhood – both by vehicle and by air – and later reported his findings. Instead of casting blame on local authorities, Patrick pointed his finger at the federal government, namely President Joe Biden, for allowing a rapid influx of illegal residents into the United States on the Texas border.
“With the Biden administration allowing millions of people to cross the Texas border, many ask if this community is going to become its own enclave with a population bigger than a mid-size city inside the state of Texas,” wrote Patrick, adding later, “Where does President Biden think the millions of people he has allowed into the country are going to live? The federal government drops thousands of people in the streets every day in Texas and cities across America. A few things are clear after meeting with law enforcement this week. They do not have enough manpower to patrol this area, which has grown at an unprecedented speed.”
In early October, four state lawmakers from other Texas counties pushed for Liberty County to be placed in a state conservatorship, decrying the development as a haven for the Mexican drug cartel, though none of the four lawmakers attended an Oct. 5 event and tour of the development hosted by Colony Ridge. Following the tour, two of the lawmakers who attended – Rep. Christina Morales (D-House District 145) and Rep. Brisco Cain (R-House District 128) – shared their thoughts on the development with both saying the community appears similar to other residential communities they have seen in Texas.
“It seems like a normal neighborhood,” said Morales. Cain said the development was “better than what I was expecting” and said that media reports decrying the development “were not showing the full picture.”
“From what we have seen, it looks a lot like places you might see in East Texas or my family’s place in Louisiana,” he said.
The conservatorship request, which ultimately went nowhere, received some pushback from county officials, including County Judge Jay Knight who years earlier, accompanied by the late State Rep. John Otto, requested that the state legislature strengthen development laws to protect counties. Their pleas fell on deaf ears and no action was taken.
Still, the county had to arm itself for a potential legal battle, and commissioners court in mid-October authorized County Attorney Matt Poston to look into hiring an outside law firm to defend the County from its own state. This potentially would have cost Liberty County taxpayers between $100,000 to $200,000.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, never imagined anything like this. It should be an unthinkable request and it’s an embarrassment to the people who are doing it. Neither Steve Toth nor any of the others who signed on that letter ever called me, ever called our county judge, ever called anybody here to see what the full story is. They’re making arguments in bad faith,” said Poston.
The year ended with Colony Ridge being sued by the U.S. Justice Department for alleged predatory lending practices and misrepresenting the properties being sold in bait-and-switch tactic. The developers deny all of the Justice Department’s claims and say they are baseless and completely false.
Colony Ridge undoubtedly will continue to be a major news story in 2024, so keep following Bluebonnet News for the latest developments.
2. Five people murdered by alleged gunman in Cleveland area
Tragedy struck on April 29 when an alleged gunman went on a killing spree and slaughtered five residents at a Trails End neighborhood home in the Cleveland area in southeast San Jacinto County. The victims, including a 9-year-old boy, were reportedly killed after a disturbance between two neighbors on Walter Street.
One of the neighbors, Francisco Oropeza, is accused of fatally shooting Sonia Argentina Gúzman, 25, Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, José Jonathan Cásarez, 18, and Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, 9. According to statements from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, a Ring doorbell captured the gunman as he forced his way into the victims’ home.
Following the shooting, there was a massive manhunt for Oropeza involving state, local and federal authorities. He was eventually captured at a home in the Cut and Shoot, Texas, area. He now is being held in the San Jacinto County Jail on capital murder charges. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
3. Election administration debacle leads to arrests, major changes
In March, the former Liberty County Elections Administrator, Klint Bush, was indicted on charges stemming from his service as chairman of the Liberty County Housing Authority. His bond was eventually revoked and he spend several months in jail before being released to await trail. Two months later, a Liberty County grand jury also indicted Ryan Daniel, the executive director of the Housing Authority.
Liberty County Commissioners Court, in an effort to protect the integrity of Liberty County elections and with May city and school elections looming, abolished the Liberty County Elections Administration Office in March 2023, placing it once again under the supervision of the County Clerk’s Office.
4. Sinkhole causes a ‘hole’ lot of drama in Daisetta
Fifteen years after the development of the six-acre Daisetta sinkhole, caused by the collapse of an underground salt dome storage chamber, in April 2023 the sinkhole began to grow again, this time swallowing up another large chunk of a property owned by DeLoach Oil and Gas Waste Well and a neighboring pasture.
The residents of Daisetta endured a few anxious days after the new eruption because geologists and emergency officials could not predict how much more the sinkhole would grow. Anxieties were further heightened when several large tanks holding chemicals appeared to be falling into the hole. Working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency, Liberty County officials saw to the safe relocation of the chemicals, which by then were determined to not present a major health risk to the community.
5. Liberty County Law Enforcement Center celebrates grand opening
The grand opening of the new Liberty County Law Enforcement Center was celebrated on Wednesday, Feb. 22, nearly two years after the first shovels of dirt were turned on the 39-acre property on SH 146 North in Liberty.
The new $25 million, 49,000-square-foot facility, designed by Burns Architecture and erected by White Construction Company, was funded by the issuance of a 20-year, low-interest certificate of obligation – basically a loan – that was approved by Liberty County Commissioners Court in 2020.
The new two-building law enforcement center is the headquarters for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Pct. 3 Constable’s Office, Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace office and courtroom, Texas Department of Public Safety administration, Texas game wardens, Texas Rangers, Liberty County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Office of Emergency Management.
6. $21.3 million approved for Liberty County flood control and drainage study, plan
Liberty County is still waiting on the arrival of a $21.3 million check from the Houston-Galveston Area Council, the agency administrating grant funding through the General Land Office and from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funds are earmarked for a flood control study and drainage plan for all of Liberty County and should help Liberty County with the enforcement of drainage standards.
Once completed, the County can require developers to adhere to the plan, forcing them to put in retention ponds and ditches to prevent their projects from being flooded or causing other flooding.
County Judge Jay Knight told Bluebonnet News that the $21.3 million grant came after “seven years of fighting like hell for the funding.”
Knight said he is now waiting on the contract to arrive that will authorize the transfer of the grant funds to Liberty County. Once the contract is signed, money will be sent to Liberty County and work can begin.
7. Cleveland Rail Depot has new owners, relocated to new site
Few projects tugged at the heartstrings of local historians in Liberty County more than the Cleveland railroad depot project. Once privately owned and then purchased by the City of Cleveland, the future of the rail depot was uncertain when it became more clear that relocating the depot from Manthey Street in Cleveland to a new city-owned property would be too costly for the city.
So in February 2023, Cleveland City Council agreed to sell the rail depot to Tomiko Bowers and her son, Jake Bowers, both of Cleveland. The two hoped to relocate the depot to Washington Ave. and restore it to its former glory. On the date it was set to be moved, the depot changed hands again, this time being sold to Juan Cuellar, who hopes to open the depot as a restaurant once it is restored.
In August 2023, the rail depot – in two parts – was moved through the streets of Cleveland to its new location at 119 S. College Ave.
8. New fire stations open in Cleveland, Mont Belvieu, while Liberty celebrates refurbishment, groundbreaking of two fire stations
The cities of Cleveland, Liberty and Mont Belvieu made notable advancements in their fire services in 2023. Two of these cities – Cleveland and Mont Belvieu – held formal grand opening events for new fire stations while Liberty Fire Department had two reasons to celebrate with the groundbreaking of Fire Station 2 and the re-grand opening of the recently renovated Fire Station 1 on Lakeland Drive.
Cleveland Fire Department’s Fire Station 2 is located near the entrance of Grand Oaks Reserve subdivision on a property donated to the city by the developer, McKinley Development. The grand opening was celebrated in May 2023 with Fire Chief Sean Anderson and former Mayor Richard Boyett leading an uncoupling ceremony whereby two sections of fire hose are disconnected at their brass fittings instead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Cleveland’s new fire station is a two-story, three-bay, 12,000-square-foot building that cost roughly $5 million.
In October 2023, ground was broken for Liberty’s new fire station on the 100 block of Bowie Street on the south side of US 90. This project is expected to cost roughly $6 million and is being funded through a $5 million grant from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the City of Liberty.
In December 2023, Liberty Fire Department celebrated the completion of a renovation project on Fire Station 1 that included a new roof, floors and paint, new furniture, and expanded dorms.
In November 2023, the City of Mont Belvieu hosted a grand opening of a new city hall and fire station, both located at 1 Town Center off of Eagle Drive.
9. Angel Lagoon holds groundbreaking in Dayton
Dayton, Texas, will very soon be the home of an aquatic paradise known as Angel Lagoon. Located on SH 146 south of Dayton near the new River Ranch community, the facility will feature crystal-clear blue waters reminiscent of the Caribbean seas.
Uri Man, CEO of The Lagoon Development Company, shared that Angel Lagoon will be the anchor of a 40-acre amenity village with 150 acres around the Lagoon for commercial development. The name of the Lagoon is a nod to Greg Angel, one of the developers.
“This Lagoon is already having a great impact, an economic impact, on the city. There are condos being announced, apartments being announced, new restaurants, new shopping centers, new grocery stores all being announced in the City of Dayton, and a great part of that is bringing this attraction to the city, which puts the city of Dayton on the map as it serves as a super regional attraction,” Man said. “We’re going to have visitors to new hotels coming to the city of Dayton from all over the state and beyond.”
Angel Lagoon will feature an amphitheater called the Angel Lagoon Live where entertainment will be provided from a floating stage, a national sailing club where families can learn how to sail, paddle boarding and kayaking, a heated swim zone, an open-air palapa grill where guests can enjoy great burgers, tacos, pina coladas and margaritas.
10. Liberty golf course reopens after rehab project
The City of Liberty got into the “swing of things” by hosting a grand opening celebration on May 5 for the much-anticipated renovation project of Liberty Municipal Golf Course.
The celebration was two years in the making and a year after the golf course was initially slated to open. Weather delays, caused by drought and then heavy rains, were a challenge throughout the $2.88 million rehabilitation project that was funded through the City’s Cambridge Fund, which comes from profits from the Sam Rayburn Municipal Power Agency. Liberty is one of three member-cities of SRMPA.
The design for the renovated 120-acre course were the inspiration of Jeffrey D. Blume, whose portfolio includes course renovations and designs for Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course in Fredericksburg, Grand Pines Golf Club at Bentwater in Montgomery, Sterling Country Club in Houston, Elkins Lake Ravines Course in Huntsville, Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland and La Torretta Lake Resort in Conroe.
Mayor Pickett explained that Liberty Municipal Golf Course, which was designed to include sand traps and other challenging elements, received a rating of 72.4 by the U.S. Golf Association.
Honorable mentions:
- Historic Ott Hotel closes – In October 2023, the historic Ott Hotel in Liberty was closed by the Liberty Fire Marshal’s Office after it was deemed to be a risk to its inhabitants. The Ott Hotel, which opened in 1928, is now shuttered while the owners decide the fate of the building. Before it can reopen, structural issues will have to be addressed in order for the building to be brought back up to code.
- I-69 opens after years-long construction – After numerous tire punctures and dangerous driving conditions caused by construction, and multiple delays, the Texas Department of Transportation finally completed a widening project of US 59/I-69. The $108 million project widened both the northbound and southbound lanes of travel in Liberty County, from the Montgomery County line to the south to the San Jacinto County line to the north. New service roads were added on both sides, including an easier way to access the SH 105 bypass from the northbound lanes in Cleveland.
- Trinity River food bank opens, later closes – A few short months after opening a new Trinity River Food Bank facility on CR 3558 in the Colony Ridge area, the 15,000-square-foot food bank was closed unexpectedly in June 2023, leaving food-challenged residents in the community to seek out other food banks in the four-county area previously served by the Trinity River Food Bank – Liberty, San Jacinto, Walker and Trinity counties. Construction of Trinity River Food Bank facility was funded through a grant from the Houston Food Bank. An additional $476,000 grant came from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. As of yet, there have been no announcements about when or if the food bank will reopen. In the meantime, other agencies, including Operation Refuge Food Pantry in Cleveland, are having to handle the demand of additional clients.
- Alabama-Coushatta Tribe inaugurates new chief, second chief – The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas celebrated the inauguration of a new chief and second chief, but before the year ended, the second chief, who happened to be the Tribe’s first female chief, died unexpectedly. A sacred ceremony attended by hundreds of people from the area was held on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, to inaugurate the two chiefs. Principal Chief Donnis Battise was chosen after the death of Chief Skalaaba Herbert Johnson, who died in August 2021. Millie Williams, the Tribe’s first female chief and the second chief, died in August 2023.
- Christmas Ranch closes – After decades of providing a family-friendly holiday attraction in the Cleveland area, the Christmas Ranch announced it would close after the end of the 2023 Christmas and New Years holiday season. The family-run Winter Wonderland operated by Bob and Diane Hanley was forced to close after the death of Bob Hanley, who was the driving force behind the Christmas Ranch.
- Tri-County breaks ground on new facility in Cleveland – In October, local elected officials and leaders for Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare gathered at 402 Liberty St., Cleveland, to celebrate the formal groundbreaking of a new 36,000-square-foot, two-story facility that will replace its current facility at 2004 Truman St., Cleveland. The new building will house Intellectual and Developmental Disability day programming, outpatient adult mental health and substance use disorder services, and outpatient child and youth mental health and substance use disorder services.
- Judge picked as first female, first person of color to be Dayton City Manager – In January 2023, Kimberly Judge made history by being selected as the first-ever female and black city manager for the City of Dayton. Judge has worked for the City for nine years, previously as assistant city manager and director of Planning and Development Services.
- Knight picked as chair-elect for HGAC – Also in January 2023, Liberty County Judge Jay Knight was picked as the new chair-elect for the Houston-Galveston Area Council. He is the first Liberty County official to serve in this capacity for H-GAC, which serves 13 counties in the greater Houston area. While Knight vows to work hard for all 13 counties within H-GAC, he admits that being chair-elect will give Liberty County a little more recognition. “If you aren’t at the table, then you are the menu,” Knight said with a chuckle. “I think it gives us great visibility in the entire region. It’s something we’ve never had before.”
- El Amanecer Texas launches in May – While this might not fall into everyone else’s Top 10 list, Bluebonnet News is happy to have launched El Amanecer Texas for the area’s Spanish-speaking readers. This online paper is being managed and its content mostly written by Cynthia Silva.
Click the arrows beside the photos below to see the Honorable Mention photos
What stories generated the most web hits on BluebonnetNews.com? All of the Top 10 page view-generating articles involved breaking news with most being law enforcement investigations or tragedies that hit close to home. Here are the articles that generated the most page views:
- Dayton man accused of causing death of 9-month-old baby – 27,305 page views
- Dayton woman charged with fatal hit-and-run – 26,267 page views
- 2 women dead after car vs. train accident – 22,646 page views
- Search for missing man suspended for the night – 22,563 page views
- Five people gunned down in Cleveland area home – 21,279 page views
- Man disappears while mowing pipeline in Devers – 19,679 page views
- Body found along SH 146 south of Dayton – 18,778 page views
- Crash on Eagle Drive in Mont Belvieu claims lives of Liberty County mother, daughter – 18,626 page views
- ‘Please help, call police’: Note passed to Cleveland store clerk leads to chilling discovery – 17,552 page views
- 1 dead, 1 injured in murder-attempted suicide – 17,529 page views
Interesting that your #2 story of the Mexican National Mass Shooter fails to mention the fact that the shooter was in the country illegally (and had been previously deported 4 times), his wife was in the country illegally, the best friend that helped him evade police was also in the country illegally… and then out of the 5 people he slaughtered 4 of them were in the country illegally too (as well as another 5 people who were also living in the victims house, who were all here illegally). But hey, there’s nothing to see here right? smh!