JANUARY 22, 2020 INSPIRED MINDS
VOTE SATURDAY
Art Center opens in Buda, grand opening Saturday.
Two candidates vie for Kyle City Council Place 6 Saturday.
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Hays Free Press © Barton Publications, Inc.
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Vol. 125 • No. 43
HaysFreePress.com
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX
Korean tech firm makes headquarters in Kyle BY ANITA MILLER
“From our family to yours, welcome to Kyle.” Those were the words of Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers last week at the groundbreaking for ENF Kyle Technology LLC on Kohler’s Crossing in the master planned Plum Creek community. Sellers and other officials had only warm words for the new business despite a steady cold drizzle as attendees gathered under a large tent. Sellers explained that his family had always
“The reason it was so emotional is because of the type of company that ENF is, it really embodies what the city of Kyle is pursuing — an atmosphere where residents can live, where they can find gainful employment, primary wage, and the many amenities the city of Kyle provides.”
ENF executive vice president Lee Seungho addressed the audience of local representatives at the ENF Technologies groundbreaking ceremony on Kohler’s Crossing last week with the help of his interpreter.
–Travis Mitchell, Kyle mayor
held Asian culture in high regard, in part because his father had worked in Hong Kong and made frequent trips to the region. His understanding of how family-oriented Asian cultures are was cemented on his first trip
to China over a year ago, he told those assembled. “It’s a very family-oriented culture, and Kyle is a family-oriented city,” he said. “We really value family, and when we first heard about ENF, we felt that you were family. And
those feelings of family survived all the way to this moment. Welcoming you to our city is truly like welcoming a brother or cousin or one of our own. We look forward to
ENF TECHNOLOGIES, 12
PHOTO BY ANITA MILLER
Innovative cancer treatment gives Kyle resident a new lease on life BY ANITA MILLER
FIGHTING CANCER, 9
PHOTO BY ANITA MILLER A small group of protesters convened at the corner of Burleson Street and Center Street in Kyle Friday to protest the Permian Highway Pipeline. The group is expected to protest again in the same location this Friday.
Water district joins in fight against natural gas pipeline BY ANITA MILLER
A small but determined group of opponents to Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline gathered in downtown Kyle for the first of two protests last week. Carrying signs that said “Safe pipelines don’t exist” and “Clean energy now,” they encouraged passing motorists to
and species they support. The latest salvo in the ongoing war between the company, landowners, environmental groups and governmental entities came Jan. 16, when the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) voted to join a lawsuit against Kinder Morgan, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that alleges violations of the Endangered Species Act. Specifically, the legal action argues there “is not a reasonable assurance that the aquifers will be protected during the construction and operation of the pipeline.”
PIPELINE PROTESTERS, 12
“‘We know Austin continues to be one of A tract in Buda is the fastest growing cities among two recent land in the nation, and our purchases the Texas goal is to help suppleChildren’s Hospital ment and add value to closed on late last year. the great health care Close to the area options already availknown as Estancia, the able to Austin-area famproperty is located on ilies,” added Michelle the north west corner of Riley-Brown, executive Puryear Road and Inter- vice president. state 35. Also purchased Though there are was a plot in North Aus- currently no confirmed tin known as Presidio. plans for the land, “In June 2017, Texas Texas Children’s said it Children’s first anis “constantly exploring nounced plans to extend options and assessing our brand of pediatric the needs of children and maternal care to and women in the comthe Austin community,” munity to help fill gaps CEO and President Mark in care where they exist.” A. Wallace said in a DeThe organization’s cember news release. first health care loca-
TDS makes $1.5M toward memorial park in Kyle.
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Old San Ant onio Highw ay
BY ANITA MILLER
HEROES PARK – Page 7
honk their support, and many did as they passed the corner of Center and Burleson. At issue is the routing of the 42-inch, natural gas pipeline through some of the most environmentally-sensitive areas of the Texas Hill Country, putting in jeopardy the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, all the springs they produce
Children’s hospital buys land in Buda
INDEX
nies are “strugging” with how to approve it. The patient, Kyle Basically, CAR-T inresident Brianna Bonnet, volves taking T-cells, part says the new treatment of the body’s immune for her lymphoma system “involved turned her blood in attacking forcells into “ninjas.” eign cells” out of Her doctor is a the patient, then bit more scientific sending them off in his explanato a specialized tion. lab where they Bonnet, 34 and are “essentially a kindergarten reprogrammed to teacher in Austin, attack the cancer began receiving cell. CAR-T, a new Cancer cells BONNET form of immunohave proteins therapy, in 2018, on their surface, and she was the first Tex- Melear explained, and as Oncology patient from the reprogrammed cells the Austin area to do so. “hone in only on the canTwo years later, she is cer and kill it.” back in the classroom Though tests are onand her physician, Jason going, the treatment is Melear, M.D., medical on- currently approved only cologist and hematologist for “a couple of indicaat Texas Oncology, says tions.” Melear said testing she has responded wonfocuses on being able to derfully. “The last time widen the “targets” for I saw her she was doing the reprogrammed cells. great, and I’m going to “Theoretically it could see her again in the next work for any type of tufew weeks,” he said. mor, you just have to find The treatment was the right target,” he said. approved by the FDA in A strength of the treat2017 to treat very specific ment is that there are types of lymphoma and fewer side effects and no leukemia and, Melear possibility of rejection besaid, is still so new that cause the reprogrammed some insurance compacells are the patient’s own. “It’s like a living drug, the drug itself is alive. Your T-cells, they float around the body and find these cells and fight them and kill them like they would viruses … the nice thing is, old treatments like chemotherapy attack fast-growing cells of all types. This doesn’t. People who might be resistant to chemotherapy won’t be resistant to this.” Bonnet is his only patient to have received the treatment, he said. “She had a very aggressive type of lymphoma” and “did very well” with chemotherapy, though it didn’t kill all the cancer cells. He
Puryear Road
tion in Austin, Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate, opened in March 2018 and provides pediatric-focused care after hours and on weekends. Texas Children’s
Community…………… 6 Service Directory……… 8 Classifieds………… 10-11 Public Notices…… 10-12
Urgent Care is staffed by board-certified pediatricians and nurses, with facilities and equipment designed specifically to meet the needs of children and adolescents up to age 18.