The Liberty Notebook

08/26/2026

Potential impact to traffic on Highway 90 in Liberty.

🚨Jefferson County I10 Traffic Alert🚨
The FM 365 overpass at I-10 and the WB main lanes of I-10 are closed after a load being transported struck the FM 365 overpass on the westbound side.
TxDOT crews are on scene and are assessing the condition of the overpass.
Motorists are urged to use an alternate route and avoid the area until further notice.
For the latest road conditions, visit DriveTexas.Org.

08/26/2026

LIBERTY, Texas — Flags across Texas are being flown at half-staff following the death of country music legend Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer.

Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas flags statewide to be lowered immediately in Parton’s honor and to remain at half-staff through sunset Tuesday, Sept. 1. President Donald Trump issued a separate proclamation ordering U.S. flags at federal buildings, military installations and other government facilities across the country and abroad to remain at half-staff through the same date.

“Our country has lost a beloved performer and philanthropist with the passing of Dolly Parton,” Abbott wrote in his order. He described Parton as an accomplished businesswoman and humanitarian whose legacy would continue through both her music and the causes she supported. The governor and First Lady Cecilia Abbott also extended prayers to the Parton and Dean families.

Parton died Tuesday in Nashville. Her representatives said she had faced a brief battle with cancer and died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.

Born in rural East Tennessee in 1946 as one of 12 children, Parton rose from poverty to become one of the most recognizable figures in American music. Her songs included “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Her recordings sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and her career extended into movies, television and business.

She also developed a particularly strong connection with Texas. Parton performed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1978 and later appeared with Texas country legend Willie Nelson and longtime collaborator Kenny Rogers at Johnson Space Center. In 2011, while appearing in Houston, Parton joked that if she could not have been from Tennessee, she would have wanted to be from Texas.

Her Texas connection also reached the big screen. Parton starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the 1982 film The Best Little Wh******se in Texas, which was filmed in the Austin area. Her performance earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Beyond entertainment, Parton became widely known for her charitable work, particularly childhood literacy. She founded Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who struggled to read and write. The program grew from a small Tennessee initiative into an international effort that mails free books to millions of children.

Parton was also known for maintaining an unusually broad appeal in an increasingly divided culture. She generally avoided partisan politics while speaking openly about her Christian upbringing, her family, poverty and the importance of treating others with kindness. The Associated Press described her as one of the rare entertainers whose popularity crossed generations, geography and political divisions.

Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025. Parton had spoken publicly afterward about the grief of losing him and about health difficulties she experienced during the final year of her life.

Tributes have poured in from musicians, entertainers and political leaders since her death was announced Tuesday. In issuing his nationwide half-staff proclamation, Trump called Parton one of the greatest country singers and said her death represented a profound loss.

Under Abbott’s directive, Texas flags should remain at half-staff through sunset Sept. 1 and return to full-staff Sept. 2. Trump’s proclamation sets the same timetable for the United States flag.

08/26/2026

𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘵 58.38 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘌𝘔𝘚 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴

LIBERTY — Liberty City Council awarded an $8.19 million contract for the long-planned Highway 146 water plant Tuesday night while working through a proposed $14.15 million general fund budget, higher EMS charges and a series of equipment and infrastructure needs facing the city.

Council voted unanimously to award the Highway 146 Water Plant contract to Houston-based R&B Group Inc. for $8,190,441.

Nine bids were received Aug. 11, ranging from R&B's low bid to $12,167,600.

William J. Huebner of Strand Associates, the project's engineer, told council the project has been in development for roughly a decade and will include an elevated water tank, 300,000-gallon ground storage tank, booster pump station, electrical and control systems, piping and equipment needed to place the new Highway 146 well into service.

Huebner said he worked with R&B on a wastewater project approximately 10 to 12 years ago and had a good experience with the company. Strand also checked several more recent references, which he said returned favorable reviews.

The comments provided additional context to Strand's written recommendation, which noted that the firm had not had recent experience with R&B and recommended proceeding after the city evaluated the contractor's qualifications.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Highway 146 project has been years in the making, with delays involving property acquisition, environmental clearance and, more recently, problems encountered during drilling of the new water well.

Officials said approximately $10.1 million had previously been assembled for the project through city and grant funding, while the combined cost of the well and water plant work is now expected to reach about $11.2 million.

The city has requested an extension of its grant deadline from the Texas General Land Office. Officials told council they believe the extension will be granted but acknowledged approval has not yet been received.

If it is denied, the city could be forced to replace roughly $2.6 million in grant funding with local money. The city has approximately $8.9 million in its water fund balance, according to figures discussed during the meeting.

The replacement well itself is nearing completion. Huebner said the drilling contractor had completed the new hole and screens and was preparing for a 36-hour pump test. Completion is expected around the end of August or first week of September.

If contract paperwork proceeds as expected, the city could hold a preconstruction meeting with R&B and begin work on the water plant in early to mid-October.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 $𝟭𝟰.𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻

City Manager Bryan Kendrick also presented the proposed 2026-27 budget.

The general fund proposal shown to council Tuesday totals $14,150,290 in both revenues and expenditures, producing a balanced proposed budget.

That compares with an estimated $15.36 million in general fund revenue and $14.65 million in expenditures for the current fiscal year.

Several apparent year-to-year swings reflect changes in how the city accounts for expenses rather than equivalent changes in city services.

For example, utility billing is being moved out of the general fund and charged more directly to the utility funds. Solid-waste operations, meanwhile, are being folded into the general fund, where the city projects $925,000 in solid-waste collections next year.

The proposed general fund includes approximately $3.67 million for Fire/EMS, $3.54 million for police, $1.39 million for streets and drainage, $1.01 million for parks and recreation and $659,190 for the library.

The proposal also includes a 4 percent pay increase for city employees.

Kendrick repeatedly described the city's revenue assumptions as conservative and said staff hopes actual collections will again outperform budget projections.

The budget remains preliminary. Council will have another opportunity to make changes before final adoption.

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟱𝟴.𝟯𝟴 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Council unanimously approved a proposed 2026 property tax rate of $0.5838 per $100 of taxable value, unchanged from the city's current nominal rate.

The proposed rate consists of $0.3976 for maintenance and operations and $0.1862 for debt service.

A comparison presented Tuesday showed Liberty's proposed rate below the rates currently being considered by Dayton and Cleveland.

Dayton's current rate was shown at $0.6476, with a proposed rate of $0.6529. Cleveland was shown at $0.63 currently with a proposed rate of $0.75. Liberty's rate would remain at $0.5838.

Approval Tuesday establishes the highest rate council may later adopt. Council can still lower the rate before final adoption.

Public hearings on both the proposed budget and tax rate are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 8 at Liberty City Hall.

𝗘𝗠𝗦 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲; 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻

A substantial portion of Tuesday's discussion focused on increasing demand on Liberty Fire & EMS.

Fire Chief Brian Hurst told council the department was 488 calls ahead of last year's pace through the end of July. He said Liberty has increasingly relied on administrative staff to help cover calls and had requested assistance from neighboring agencies five times during the previous month.

The department has 17 volunteers, Hurst said, but only five are currently able to perform the full range of firefighting duties required on major incidents.

The budget presentation originally contemplated additional Firefighter/EMT staffing. After a lengthy discussion about call volume, employee burnout and the cost of losing experienced firefighters to higher-paying departments, council directed Kendrick to prepare the next budget draft with two additional firefighter positions.

Officials estimated the two positions would require approximately $166,000 annually. Kendrick said increased EMS revenue is expected to cover most of the cost, with roughly $21,000 potentially coming from the city's $200,000 general fund contingency.

Council then unanimously approved higher EMS charges.

The rate schedule presented to council originally recommended increasing Basic Life Support non-emergency transports from $1,200 to $1,400, BLS emergency transports from $1,200 to $1,500, and Advanced Life Support emergency transports from $1,200 to $1,600.

Council went further on the ALS rate, increasing it to $1,850, the bottom of the market range presented by staff.

Treatment with no transport remains $275.

For specialty critical-care transports, the presentation recommended increasing the rate from $2,600 to $3,800. Council raised the final amount to $4,000 before approving the schedule.

Kendrick and Hurst said Liberty's rates had fallen below comparable providers and argued that property taxpayers were effectively subsidizing services when charges were kept artificially low.

Hurst noted that Medicare and Medicaid generally reimburse according to established rates regardless of what the city bills, meaning much of the increased revenue is expected to come from commercial insurers and other payers.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀

The proposed water and wastewater budget totals approximately $6.70 million, balanced between revenues and expenditures.

Water collections are projected at $3.4 million, up $300,000 from the city's current-year estimate, while wastewater collections are projected at $3 million, an increase of $170,000.

Council was told no residential utility-rate increase is currently proposed. City officials did indicate they expect to study commercial and industrial electric rates after residential rates were adjusted previously.

The electric utility budget is proposed at approximately $14.75 million in both revenues and expenditures. The city projects $11.17 million in regular electric billings and another $2.5 million in power-cost collections.

Officials also said the city has worked to rebuild its inventory of transformers and other critical electrical equipment after shortages exposed vulnerabilities in recent years.

𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵

Before the formal budget presentation, council reviewed a number of one-time purchases and capital needs.

The list included ambulances and other public-safety vehicles, additional office space at the city park, drainage engineering on Industrial Drive and water and wastewater equipment.

Officials said approximately $1.5 million in the most immediate proposed purchases could be funded through available fleet and general fund reserves.

Council authorized the expenditures presented by staff and directed approximately $600,000 to be moved into the appropriate capital or fixed-asset accounts so equipment with long lead times can be ordered.

Among the largest public-safety needs are ambulance replacements and remounts. Hurst told council a remounted ambulance costs roughly $254,000, compared with approximately $400,000 for a completely new unit.

The city's transport van targeted for replacement has approximately 300,000 miles.

Council also discussed a drainage problem on Industrial Drive where erosion has already resulted in the loss of roughly 12 feet of culvert pipe. Engineering work would determine the scope and cost of a permanent repair and could position the city to seek outside funding.

Another unresolved need is an estimated $500,000 replacement of the Liberty Municipal Library's air-conditioning system.

Librarian Amber Ursprung told council the current system is being kept operating but needs to be addressed. Kendrick suggested the city could return later this year with a financing plan, potentially using Cambridge funds and repaying them over an extended period.

𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵

The proposed golf-course budget totals approximately $1.4 million, with revenues and expenditures balanced.

One of its largest projected changes comes from merchandise, concessions and restaurant operations, which are budgeted to produce $385,000, compared with an estimated $137,000 this year.

Officials cautioned that the restaurant operation remains a developing concept and that the budget will likely need adjustment once the city has several months of actual operating results.

The plan includes roughly $638,000 in personnel costs, $551,000 in operations and maintenance, $160,000 in capital spending and about $50,000 in contingency.

City officials said they intend to separately track restaurant sales and expenses so council can evaluate whether the operation is performing as intended.

𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Council unanimously approved up to $55,000 in Liberty Community Development Corporation funding to inspect, clean and make minor repairs to the city's 28 flood-control levee flap gates.

The levee was constructed in 1996, and the council packet says there is no record of a formal inspection or maintenance program for the gates since installation.

Officials clarified Tuesday that city crews have performed routine cleaning where possible, but the work being authorized represents a formal inspection of the crossings and gates.

The inspection itself is expected to cost approximately $50,400, leaving about $4,600 available for minor repairs discovered during the work. More substantial repairs would have to return to council for additional funding.

LCDC approved the expenditure Aug. 18, requiring subsequent City Council approval.

$𝟲𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗝𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗲

Council also unanimously approved $60,000 in LCDC funding for the 2027 Liberty Jubilee.

Jubilee committee member Luke Liberty told council organizers currently anticipate an overall event budget of roughly $80,000, with the LCDC contribution supplemented by sponsorships, vendor fees and VIP ticket packages.

Current estimates include approximately $15,000 for staging, sound and lighting and between $15,000 and $20,000 for entertainment.

Liberty said organizers already have several production quotes and preliminary pricing on Friday night performers, including a potential headliner at approximately $4,000 and an opening act at about $800.

He also said he met Tuesday with City Attorney Brandon Davis about forming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that could contract with LCDC for the event and potentially retain funds for future Jubilee operations.

The future of LCDC remains tied to Liberty's Nov. 3 sales-tax election. If voters approve the proposition previously called by council, LCDC would ultimately be wound down as the city restructures its sales tax.

Council Member Bruce Bell made the motion to approve the $60,000 expenditure, and Council Member Ross Ward seconded it. The vote was 7-0.

Council entered executive session shortly after 8 p.m. to discuss legal matters, real property, personnel and economic-development negotiations.

08/19/2026

My name is Wendy, and I am creating this fundraiser for my father, Alberto Ramirez. … Wendy Ramirez needs your support for Help Alberto Ramirez Through Cancer

08/18/2026

𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 $25 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮

LIBERTY, Texas — Liberty voters will decide in November whether to dissolve the Liberty Community Development Corporation and redirect its dedicated half-cent sales tax into the city’s general fund, a change city officials say could give the city more flexibility to pay for an estimated $25 million street improvement program while reducing the amount that would otherwise have to be supported by property taxes.

The Liberty City Council voted unanimously Monday during a special-called meeting to place the proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot. The ordinance passed 7-0.

Under the city’s current structure, 1% of taxable sales goes to the city’s general fund while an additional 0.5% is dedicated to the LCDC for eligible economic development purposes. The ballot measure would abolish the LCDC’s half-cent tax and replace the city’s existing 1% general-purpose sales tax with a 1.5% local sales tax.

The result would be no change in the total sales tax rate paid by consumers, according to the ordinance.

Instead, the proposal would change where the money goes and what the city can use it for.

City officials tied the proposal largely to Liberty’s deteriorating streets and a five-year rehabilitation plan now estimated at about $25 million.

The city recently had its street network evaluated using pavement condition index, or PCI, measurements. City Manager Bryan Kendrick told the council Liberty’s average PCI is currently in the low 60s, and the proposed program is designed to raise that into the mid-80s over five years.

The current estimate calls for roughly $25 million in work, potentially financed through five annual debt issuances of approximately $5 million each. Kendrick cautioned that actual costs could change based on construction bids, inflation and other factors.

The city does not have $25 million in available cash to complete the program, meaning long-term debt would be necessary under the plan. City officials have previously discussed using certificates of obligation to finance the street work.

The sales tax restructuring could allow some sales tax revenue that is currently restricted to LCDC purposes to instead help service that debt, reducing the amount that would otherwise have to be supported by property taxes.

Mayor John Hebert Jr. said streets have become one of the city’s most significant remaining infrastructure challenges and argued that Liberty must not only reconstruct failing streets but restore a long-term preventative maintenance program.

Hebert said that if voters reject the sales tax proposal, servicing the planned street debt would likely have to fall more heavily on property taxes.

“We’re going to fix streets in Liberty, Texas, one way or the other,” Hebert said.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗖𝗗𝗖?

Much of Monday’s discussion centered on what would happen to economic development if voters approve terminating the LCDC.

Kendrick recommended that the city retain essentially the same group as a city commission, potentially called the Liberty Community Development Commission. It could continue reviewing economic development proposals and making recommendations, but final authority would rest with the City Council.

Under the current structure, the LCDC operates as a separate corporation with a dedicated revenue source. Under the proposed arrangement, economic development would instead operate as a department within the city’s general fund.

Kendrick said the city would still be able to consider economic development incentives, including through Chapter 380 agreements, while allowing the council to weigh those expenditures alongside streets, infrastructure and other citywide priorities.

Resident Chris Contreras told the council he supported addressing Liberty’s streets but wanted assurance that eliminating the corporation would not also eliminate the city’s economic development capabilities.

Kendrick said the change would give the council greater flexibility rather than prevent it from pursuing future development opportunities.

The LCDC currently has a fund balance of approximately $3.2 million, according to figures discussed Monday. If voters approve the proposition, approximately $1.7 million would be required to pay off outstanding debt associated with Woodsprings Road, leaving roughly $1.5 million available after that obligation is satisfied.

Council members emphasized that the remaining money would not simply become available for staff to spend at will. Expenditures would continue to require budgeting and council approval.

If the proposition passes, state law requires a six-month wind-down period for the LCDC. The corporation could continue operating during that period before its remaining funds are transferred into the city’s general fund.

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Council members also discussed the need to explain the proposal to voters before November, particularly because the ballot language involves abolishing one sales tax and adopting another at a higher stated percentage even though the total rate would remain unchanged.

Staff said the city expects to prepare factual information for its website and social media accounts and discussed holding public town hall meetings in October.

Because city resources cannot legally be used to advocate for passage or defeat of the measure, Kendrick said city communications would focus on explaining what the proposition does and answering questions rather than telling voters how to vote.

The election will be held Nov. 3. The ordinance also authorizes the city to contract with Liberty County to conduct the election.

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀

In the meeting’s other major action, the council unanimously approved the city’s new branding standards.

The new standards establish the city’s primary and alternate logos, fonts, colors and guidelines for their use. The primary logo has versions displaying the city’s established date and a simplified “Liberty Texas” treatment.

Staff said the transition will be gradual. Existing letterhead and other usable materials will be exhausted rather than discarded, while the updated branding will be incorporated as uniforms, vehicles, signage and other materials are replaced or purchased.

Kendrick said one goal is to create a more consistent appearance across city departments and noted that the existing city logo contains gradients that make it difficult to reproduce in applications such as embroidered uniforms.

Council members also asked about future street signs. Staff said the new color, font and logo standards will be incorporated into the design and that proposed street signs will return to the council for review before an order is placed.

The branding guidelines, including an alternate Parks Department leaf logo, were approved 7-0.

08/17/2026

Special Called Council Meeting of the City of Liberty City Council.

08/17/2026

LIBERTY, Texas — 1 De Mayo Liberty has closed its doors, ending a run that made the Mexican restaurant a familiar gathering place for families across the Liberty area.

The Ramirez family, which operated the restaurant, announced the closure over the weekend in a message thanking customers for years of support and citing personal and economic reasons for the decision.

"To all of our customers, we want to thank you for all these years of business," the family wrote. "Thank you for being part of the Ramirez family."

The family described closing the restaurant as one of its hardest decisions but said the circumstances made it the best choice for them.

Although the original announcement did not give a closing date, Wendy Ramirez later told customers in the comments that the restaurant had already been closed since Tuesday.

1 De Mayo operated from the longtime restaurant building along U.S. 90 that long time Liberty residents may remember as a Golden Corral. For a time, the restaurant was also known as Jalisco's before operating under the 1 De Mayo name.

The announcement drew a large response from customers, many of whom described the restaurant as a place intertwined with family traditions and everyday life in Liberty.

Several recalled celebrating birthdays there, meeting friends for lunch and making 1 De Mayo part of their regular routines. Others singled out favorite menu items, including fajitas, burgers, enchiladas, shrimp brochette, fresh salsa, the salad bar and margaritas.

One customer said her family had celebrated all of its birthday dinners there. Another said 1 De Mayo had been a go-to restaurant for her family for 10 years.

"Thank you One de Mayo for being such a great part of our community," one customer wrote.

Another called the restaurant a "gem," while numerous others offered prayers and well wishes to the Ramirez family as they move on to whatever comes next.

The closure follows the loss of other local restaurants in Liberty this year.

Chinese Wok, a longtime restaurant on North Main Street, closed in February after about 15 years in business. The Liberty Vindicator reported at the time that owners Jacky and Cindy Chen were unable to renew their five-year lease and had unsuccessfully considered other locations in the Liberty and Dayton area.

Spicy Rico, which operated along U.S. 90, also closed earlier this year after a much shorter run.

The circumstances surrounding each business are different, but the closures come during a challenging period for the restaurant industry.

According to the National Restaurant Association, 42% of restaurant operators nationwide reported that their businesses were not profitable in 2025. More than 9 in 10 operators identified costs such as food, labor, insurance, energy and credit-card processing fees as significant challenges entering 2026.

Those pressures remain elevated. Wholesale food prices in July were still about 34% higher than in February 2020, according to National Restaurant Association analysis of federal data. Customer traffic has also remained uneven, with restaurant operators reporting a net decline in traffic during 16 of the 17 months ending in June.

The Ramirez family did not provide additional details about the economic factors involved in its decision, and its announcement also cited personal reasons.

For customers responding to the news, however, much of the discussion was less about economics than memories.

They remembered Taco Tuesdays, birthday dinners, meals after church, margaritas with friends and familiar faces behind the counter. Several said members of the Ramirez family and restaurant staff had come to feel like family themselves.

"We will forever be grateful for you guys," the family wrote. "Thank you for all the memories, laughs, and love."

Judging by the response to the announcement, Liberty has plenty of those memories to hold onto.

08/17/2026

LIBERTY, Texas — Crews with Cornerstone Paving & Construction were on site Monday morning repairing the section of U.S. 90 near Main Street that failed over the weekend.

The damaged area is in the westbound lanes near CVS Pharmacy, where pavement had lifted and separated, leaving a visible gap beneath part of the roadway. A City of Liberty police cruiser assisted with traffic control Sunday while the hazard remained open.

Cornerstone is the contractor performing the Texas Department of Transportation’s ongoing rehabilitation project along U.S. 90 through Liberty. Crews have been making concrete pavement repairs as part of the larger project, which also includes joint work, a protective seal coat, asphalt overlay and new pavement markings.

By Monday morning, workers had returned to the problem area and were cutting into the pavement to make repairs. Westbound U.S. 90 is currently reduced from three lanes to one through the work area while the emergency repairs are being completed.

U.S. 90 is maintained by TxDOT. The roadway issue and the repair work fall under TxDOT and its contractor, not the City of Liberty or Liberty County.

Motorists should expect delays and use caution when approaching Main Street while crews remain on site.

08/16/2026

LIBERTY, Texas — A section of pavement has failed in the westbound lanes of U.S. 90 near Main Street in Liberty, creating a significant raised and separated section of roadway near the CVS Pharmacy.

A City of Liberty police cruiser was at the location late Sunday afternoon providing traffic control around the damaged area.

The roadway is part of the state highway system and is maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. Neither the City of Liberty nor Liberty County is responsible for maintaining this section of U.S. 90. The presence of Liberty police at the scene was for traffic control purposes.

The failure comes as TxDOT is in the midst of a major rehabilitation project along U.S. 90 through Liberty. The project extends from the Trinity River bridge on the west side of the city to approximately 0.8 miles east of the U.S. 90 bypass toward Ames and includes all lanes of the highway.

Work planned as part of the project includes milling the existing roadway surface, repairing damaged sections of concrete pavement, cleaning and sealing concrete joints, applying a protective seal coat, installing a new asphalt overlay and adding new pavement markings.

Contractor crews have recently been performing concrete pavement and base repairs at locations throughout the project area in preparation for the later surface work.

Cornerstone Paving & Construction of Lyons, TX is the contractor performing the work for TxDOT, according to contractor identification posted at the project.

It was not immediately clear Sunday evening what caused the pavement failure near Main Street, whether the affected section had recently undergone repair work or how soon repairs would be made.

Motorists traveling westbound on U.S. 90 through Liberty should use caution near Main Street and be prepared for traffic control or lane restrictions while the damaged roadway is addressed.