Burn Ban in Effect. All outdoor burning is prohibited in Franklin County.
Mount Vernon Mayor Greg Ostertag will represent both the United States and small-town America in Malaysia next month, combining sports diplomacy and an international mayoral symposium as part of the celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary. The U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is hosting Ostertag as part of Freedom 250 events planned overseas to feature American sports, culture, education and youth programs and strengthen people-to-people ties across the globe. “Mount Vernon is a small East Texas town with a big heart,” Ostertag said. “Representing that abroad – as mayor and as a former NBA player – is an honor.”
Ostertag almost dismissed the email invitation as spam. “A couple of months ago, an email popped up around 10 pm, and I almost deleted it but decided to wait until morning,” Ostertag explained. U.S. diplomat Morgan O’Brien reached out to Ostertag with a dual invitation of a basketball envoy visit timed to coincide with the NBA’s China Games 2026, followed by an international mayor-to-mayor conference on the island of Malaysian Borneo.
Basketball is gaining tremendous interest in Malaysia, and the presence of a former NBA player will undoubtedly draw attention to the youth basketball clinic from October 6-10 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. “I’ve spent my life ‘in the paint,’” Ostertag said. “This trip is about putting that experience to work for the kids in Sabah: fundamentals, teamwork, and showing up for your community.”
“After the basketball clinics, I sit down with other mayors of international coastal cities to discuss how towns stay strong by the water,” Mayor Ostertag said. “The same job I have at home: take care of your people and your place.”
Ostertag’s presence at the Mayor’s Symposium highlights democracy and local government, which the U.S. Embassy seeks to share in this strategically important region.
As O’Brien phrased it, “Simply put, you are the ideal ambassador for this mission.”
In addition, Mayor Ostertag’s wife Shannon is invited to speak on historic preservation, and she will also participate in Malaysian heritage and design-related activities.
Ostertag jokingly added, “Freedom 250 isn’t a basketball league – it’s America’s 250th birthday!”
