Galveston County Judge Mark Henry shares what the county is doing amidst impacts from Hurricane Francine.

Texas isn’t expected to take a direct hit when the storm makes landfall as a hurricane. But storm surge and dangerous winds are possible.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry has issued a voluntary evacuation for the Bolivar Peninsula ahead of Tropical Storm Francine, effective until Wednesday at 8 p.m.

"We expect that for Bolivar especially, there might be water coming over the top of [highway] 87," Judge Mark Henry said. "So if that’s going to be inconvenient or certainly life-threatening for you, you might want to relocate for a day or two."

The long-awaited civil trial over the mass shooting at Santa Fe High School will begin Monday.

Officials in Galveston County continue to monitor Tropical Storm Beryl as it approaches the Texas coast.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry is working on a plan to shut down the infamous ‘Jeep Weekend’ on Crystal Beach. The annual event has caused significant disruption for local residents, leading to public safety concerns and property damage. What are your thoughts on shutting down this event? Should the beach be closed during Jeep Weekend?

Authorities have halted the evacuation of people who were stuck on Pelican Island after a barge struck the causeway connecting it with Galveston Wednesday morning.

The only way off Pelican Island right now is by boat. Galveston County judge says fuel is still leaking and shipping is shut down for 6.5 miles getting in and out of the Port of Galveston, a 'major disruption'

Cy-Fair ISD is experiencing significant growth, making it the third largest district in Texas with 118,000 students. Most of those students are headed back to class for the first day of school.

The Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District held a committee meeting Tuesday to solicit feedback on ways to ensure campuses are safe and secure ahead of the upcoming school year.

Republicans dismantled the only Galveston County commissioners precinct in which voters of color held political clout. It’s a major blow for Black and Hispanic voters who had been building political momentum.

Dr. Robin Armstrong has been appointed by Galveston County Judge Mark Henry to fill the Galveston County Precinct 4 County Commissioner vacancy.

Cy-Fair ISD welcomed students back to the classrooms on Monday.

If you’re a fan of wrestling, there’s an exciting live event happening at the Fertitta Center tonight!

At least three Galveston County deputies and one elected constable will be heading to Kinney County next week as part of Gov. Greg Abbot’s border initiative.

While final details have not been hashed out, Galveston and Montgomery County officials announced they will send local resources to the southern border.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry signed a disaster declaration Tuesday saying it was a direct result of the border crisis in Texas.

For more than a year, the federal government has been pumping billions of dollars into school districts across the country to help them meet the demands of the pandemic. Most states have used that pot of stimulus funds as Congress intended: buying personal protective equipment for students and teachers, laptops for kids learning from home, improved ventilation systems for school buildings to prevent virus transmission and covering other costs.

HOUSTON – Galveston County Judge Mark Henry says he wants tough action. He’s blaming those deaths on power outages that lasted longer than expected during the winter storm. A criminal complaint filed Monday with the Galveston County District Attorney’s office could lead to an investigation and charges filed at the DA’s discretion. It wasn’t hard to find people who agree with Judge Henry’s decision to call for a criminal investigation. “Why were residents cut off and left off, while office building s downtown remained powered on the entire time,” Judge Henry said.

Greg Abbott’s plan to cancel the statewide mask order, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry plans to allow employees and members of the public to choose whether to wear a mask while in county facilities or department offices. “There shall be no pressure or intimidation to wear a mask,” the email stated. The county also expects all staff for commissioners court to return to working on-site full-time starting Monday. “Working from home or working remotely will no longer be allowed,” the email stated. Those who would like to remain working remotely are asked to contact human resources.

As last week’s historic winter storm was rolling across Texas, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, ERCOT, was asking the federal government to temporarily suspend environmental limits for several power producers. ERCOT officials could not tell KPRC 2 at what time the request to DOE was made, but did provide us with a notice to “All ERCOT Market Participants,” notifying them of the DOE request at 5:58 p.m. CST. The wording of the request strikes a very different tone than public statements ERCOT officials made three days prior. Cohan said he disagrees that ERCOT officials adequately predicted customer demand during this storm. AdThe North American Electric Reliability Corporation, NERC, which has regulatory authority over power plants, is set to adopt mandatory winterization rules in November 2021.

We remain in the midst of a severe winter weather event. 4: 40 a.m. - Houstonians rush to buy water after boil water advisory issuedHoustonians are rushing to buy water after a boil water advisory was issued. — County Judge KP George (@JudgeKPGeorge) February 17, 20214:20 a.m. - Houston, Harris County face issues from winter weather alertHouston and Harris County are facing issues from winter weather alerts. AdMondayDowntown Houston lit up during major winter power outageDowntown Houston lit up during major power outage due to winter storm on Feb 15, 2021. Officials said if residents lose power, which sporadic power outage is expected, the safest places to remain is at home.

GALVESTON, Texas – Most of Galveston County is without power, as of Wednesday. County Judge Mark Herny said if he knew millions of residents would be out of electricity he would have ordered an evacuation days before the storm. Galveston County Office of Emergency Management officials said more than 62% of the county remains without power, which is a small improvement from 70% earlier in the day. Many residents are either without running water or urged to boil water if they have it for safety. The Galveston County Medical Examiners Office also put a refrigerated truck outside its building to store bodies.

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas – Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, Galveston County Local Health Authority Dr. Philip Keiser, and Dr. Janak Patel with the University of Texas Medical Branch held a news conference on Wednesday to discuss mass vaccination efforts in Galveston County. The first mass vaccination site in Galveston County will be at the Walter Hall Park. We are going to -- we think -- be doing 1,000 (doses) a day hopefully starting next week.”The vaccination site will be in Galveston County, but per state rules, will not be limited to residents of Galveston County. The sign-up is currently through UTMB and the Galveston County Health District. pic.twitter.com/dwO0XXIjwb — Galveston County TX (@GalvCoTx) January 19, 2021Be sure to watch the video to be published at the bottom of this article for a full recording of this event.

GALVESTON, Texas – After a state-mandated tightening of coronavirus restrictions prompted businesses to close or reduce capacity in Brazoria and Galveston counties, leaders in both places are asking to be moved into the same trauma service area as Houston. Brazoria and Galveston counties are in Trauma Service Area R, while Harris County, where Houston is located, is in area Q.COVID-19 hospitalizations in area R have been at or above 15% for at least two weeks, while the rate has been inching higher to that mark in area Q. In their request, The judges cite their distance from the majority of counties in TSA R and their close proximity to TSA Q. “The spread of COVID-19 within TSA-Q impacts the residents and hospitals in Galveston County and Brazoria County significantly more than the spread of COVID-19 in TSA-R,” the judges wrote. There are two other Houston-area counties that are in area R -- Chambers and Liberty.

HOUSTON – Relaxed restrictions were rolled back Tuesday in some Houston-area counties where coronavirus-related hospitalizations remain high. A similar change was implemented in the Trauma Service Area that includes Dallas earlier this month. Galveston County asks for exemptionHenry said he has sent three requests for Galveston County to be exempt from the tighter restrictions, but those requests have gone unanswered. He said that hospitals in Galveston County are taking patients from the surrounding area and only 65 county residents are hospitalized with COVID-19. He said the Galveston County District Attorney has said he will likely not accept charges related to violations of the order.

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas – Nineteen counties in North Texas are facing new restrictions, after seven straight days where the percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations topped 15%. Some sports in Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers County are seeing numbers increase. On Friday, the current hospital rate was 7.2% in Galveston County and 9.7% in Brazoria County. Galveston County Judge Mark Henry requested an exemption from the Governor if the hospital region reaches the 15 percent threshold. Dr. Anthony Rogers in Brazoria County says they’re trying their part to stop the spread of the virus.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry signed an executive order Friday prohibiting the requirement to wear a face mask while voting. The county will enforce a $1,000 fine against poll workers who turn away voters who don’t wear a mask. Henry said he signed the order after several county residents were turned away from the polls because they were not wearing a mask. He also admitted that he was also turned away from voting because he refused to wear a mask. “This is a significant constitutional issue,” Henry said during the press conference.

GALVESTON, Texas – The booze was flowing once again at bars across Galveston County. Wednesday was the bar’s first day to reopen after the governor recently gave bars the go-ahead. With the final approval from the county judges, bars can reopen at 50% capacity but must practice social distancing guidelines. Now that bars are once again allowed to open their doors both customers and the bars themselves are optimistic about the future. ”Literally everybody was just waiting to have places to go and hang out again you know while also safely practicing social distancing," said Balusek.

GALVESTON COUNTY – Galveston County Judge Mark Henry celebrated Wednesday the reopening of bars with locals. He hosted a happy hour at Buccaneer Bar at Railean Rum Distillery in San Leon. Kelly Railean, the owner of Railean Distillery and Buccaneer Bar, said the past seven months have been tough because of COVID-19. All bars in Galveston, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Brazoria counties will reopen. While Harris County is the only local county not allowing bars to reopen.

GALVESTON, Texas – Galveston County Judge Mark Henry will celebrate the reopening of bars with residents by hosting a happy hour at Buccaneer Bar at Railean Rum Distillery in San Leon on Oct. 14. READ: County judges outline their plans for reopening bars after Abbott’s new orderOnce Judge Henry reviewed the governor’s announcement, he said he would allow bars to reopen earlier than Oct. 14. “I want to let small business owners know that I’ll be reopening bars immediately,” Henry wrote on Twitter Wednesday. He indicated on Thursday that Galveston County law enforcement would not intervene if bars decided to open even earlier. Judge Henry said that not only bar and nightclub owners were suffering during the closure period but so were service organizations.

HOUSTON – Houston-area county judges weighed in Wednesday on their plans for reopening bars following Texas Gov. READ: Abbott says bars can reopen at 50% capacity in counties with low COVID-19 hospitalizationsThe new executive order gives the authority to reopen bars to the county judges. “I want to let small business owners know that I’ll be reopening bars immediately,” Henry wrote on Twitter Wednesday. Abbott's Exec Order GA-32 issued today which gives County Judge's the authority to finally reopen bars within their county. Expect an official announcement tomorrow, but I want to let small business owners know that I'll be reopening bars immediately.

Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn't expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda. Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday.

GALVESTON COUNTY – As the wind begins to pick up across the island and another disturbance brews in the Gulf, Galveston County and city leaders are already preparing. During a news conference Saturday, Henry issued a disaster declaration for the county in preparation for what could be “significant damage” and a voluntary evacuation for the Bolivar Peninsula. “The peninsula has a chance of being cut off from the rest of the county,” Henry said. According to Henry, people who feel comfortable being without power for a few days are in the clear to stay home. “We hope you don’t have to execute it, but be prepared in case you do.”Watch the full update below:Galveston County Judge Mark Henry gives update on Tropical Storm Beta.

MIAMI – An exceptionally busy Atlantic hurricane season was churning along Saturday as the Texas coast prepared for a tropical storm that could strengthen into a hurricane before breaching its shores in the week ahead. Both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issued voluntary evacuation orders ahead of Tropical Storm Beta, as did the city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston. Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning from Port Aransas, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana. Beta had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 2 mph (4 kph) Saturday night. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda.

However, a project to protect Galveston Bay down to San Luis pass from storm surge is still in the planning stages. He and his colleagues have also recently proposed a plan to help mitigate storm surge in the bay. Storm surge removed or redistributed sand and dune areas along the entire beachfront on Galveston Island. Entergys response:ETI regularly inspects the transmission system and repairs and replaces components in order to keep the system in good working order. This enhanced the current transmission infrastructure with more modern and efficient technology to better serve the region.

HOUSTON The evacuation orders in both Galveston and Harris counties were lifted Thursday morning after Hurricane Laura narrowly missed the Houston region. The hurricane made landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph about 120 miles east of Houston. It was an even closer miss for Galveston, where the eye passed within 79 miles of the county. We were very lucky, said Galveston County Judge Mark Henry. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said that the effects of Hurricane Laura in the county were minimal and that people who evacuated can return to their homes.

GALVESTON, Texas Officials in Galveston County are continuing to monitor Hurricane Laura as it approaches the Gulf Coast. Galveston County Judge Mark Henry has scheduled a 1:30 p.m. news conference to discuss the storm and preparations for it. Henry issued a mandatory evacuation of Bolivar Peninsula on Tuesday and a voluntary evacuation of other parts of the county amid concerns about storm surge. The forecast track for Hurricane Laura has the storm making landfall very late Wednesday or very early Thursday near Sabine Pass. This story will be updated.

GALVESTON, Texas – Galveston County Judge Mark Henry issued a disaster declaration for the area just hours after the city of Galveston issued a voluntary evacuation order ahead of Tropical Storm Laura. The voluntary evacuation has since upgraded to a mandatory evacuation as of Tuesday. According to Henry, the disaster declaration affects multiple areas including, Tiki Island, San Leon, Baycliff, Hitchcock, the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston. “Forecasts are showing the possibility of heavy rains, tropical force winds, and storm surge impacting our area,” Henry said in a press conference Monday afternoon. Laura is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane with winds upwards of 100 miles per hour.

HOUSTON Galveston County Judge Mark Henry will hold a press conference Sunday to provide an update on the countys storm preparations. The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management continues to prepare for the potential tropical weather that could impact the region early next week. The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management is closely monitoring the storms. Have you plan ready kit ready be prepared for anything, County Judge Mark Henry said. Residents brace for possible stormsSaturday was another hot and humid day in Galveston, but that will change soon as we continue to track Tropical Storm Laura and Marco.

CYPRESS, Texas – A group of community advocates made up of Cy-Fair Independent School District parents, educators, nurses and a psychologist crafted a 10-question anonymous informal survey for teachers, faculty and staff. The goal of the survey was to make sure the decision-makers are keeping their safety in mind as Cy-Fair ISD leaders move forward with reopening plans. LimitationsThe surveyors had to rely on social media and word of mouth as they did not have access to contact information for CFISD staff or school staff statewide. As a result, surveyors feel they have only been able to reach a small percentage of Texas school staff and results may not reflect all perspectives. The creators of the survey said Cy-Fair ISD has done a good job so far but they need to do better.

HOUSTON Harris Countys mask order is in effect. While some counties have not announced any plans to enforce a mask order, they are leaving it up to individuals and businesses to enforce them. Heres what Houston-area counties are doing:Montgomery CountyCounty Judge Mark Keough announced Friday he does not have plans to enact a mask order. George will use the feedback to help weigh whether a mask order should be implemented. Counties with no mask order update as of Monday:

Brazoria County has encouraged residents to wear a face covering when out in public, but it is not mandated. Fort Bend County Judge KP George highly recommends residents to wear protective gear when going out. Galveston County will not be issuing any orders mandating citizens to wear a mask or face covering in public, county judge Mark Henry announced on April 22. Galveston County will not be issuing any orders mandating citizens to wear masks or face coverings in public. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough issued a statement that he will not mandate residents to wear a mask in public places.

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas – The Galveston County Judge is paying out of his own pocket for county employees to take classes for concealed handgun licenses. We are the first governmental entity we know of to have encouraged it, County Judge Mark Henry said. The first class will have 65 county employees. Clear Creek Gun Range in donating the range time and some county commissioners are offering to pitch in their own money too. In the future, Henry expects to offer the class to spouses of county employees and then dependents of county employees as long as the dependent is 21 or over.