March 9, 2022 Hays Free Press

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MARCH 9, 2022 WOMEN IN HISTORY

NEW BUDA SCHOOL

The Hays Free Press is celebrating Women's History Month with questionnaires from local women leaders.

Doral Academy – STEM charter school – to open in Buda in August.

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Charged with indecency of a child Hays CISD moves forward with teacher’s termination

Vol. 127 • No. 50

Serving Hays County, TX

Buda names interim city manager, searches for new city manager STAFF REPORT

BUDA – Deputy City Manager Micah Grau was named the interim city manager for Buda, which will become effective April 1. The city also engaged the international firm, Baker Tily, to conduct its search for a new city manager after Kenneth Williams tendered his

resignation to the city council on Jan. 4. The Baker Tilly firm, which has offices in the United States, GRAU Australia, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Columbia, Germany, Singapore, the

United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom, is a top 10 advisory, tax and assurance firm. Baker Tilly has worked with council members to develop a position description and selection process. Buda is fortunate to have landed a leader like Williams during a time of significant growth and economic development, according to Mayor Lee

Urbanovsky. “Given the continued growth the city is experiencing and the challenges that accompany such growth, as well as the citizens’ recent passage of a nearly $90 million bond package," Urbanovsky added, "the council and I felt it appropriate to undertake a search process that would cast a wide and inclusive net of prospec-

Residents invited to roast outgoing Buda city manager

BY MEGAN WEHRING HAYS COUNTY — After an elementary school teacher was arrested for Indecency with a Child, Hays CISD will move forward with the termination PALMORE process. The Kyle Police Department arrested Andrew Palmore, a Blanco Vista Elementary second grade teacher, on Tuesday, March 1 following an investigation that led to Palmore being charged with two counts of Indecency with a Child (third degree felony) and two counts of Improper Relationship between an Educator and Student (second degree felony). HCISD immediately placed Palmore on administrative leave and removed his access to campuses and students after being notified by the police in February. At a special meeting on March 8, the HCISD Board of Trustees approved the termination of Palmore’s term contract “for good cause as reviewed in closed session” and directed Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright to provide notice to the employee. “This vote should send a strong message that our Board appreciates the seriousness of this matter,” said Vanessa Petrea, Board President, in a statement on behalf of the trustees. “Our Board puts protecting the children of our district at the very top of our priority list.”

tive candidates. We feel that we can get such an applicant pool working with Baker Tilly." The position description and application for the new city manager can be found on both the Baker Tilly and City of Buda websites. Applicants are encouraged to submit employment credentials and letters of interest by Wednesday, April 6.

SUBMITTED REPORT

PHOTO BY DAVID WHITE After an “exhaustive and fruitless search” for a new location in Kyle, Greg and Kimi Devonshire expanded their search area and found one in Live Oak, 45 miles southwest of Kyle in northeast San Antonio.

Milt’s Pit BBQ of Kyle relocating to Live Oak STAFF REPORT

Milt’s Pit BBQ, a downtown staple and local favorite for many years, will be closing its doors in Kyle at the end of April and relocating further south down I-35. According to owners Greg and Kimi Devonshire, they have “known for a while” that their current space is small and that they would need a bigger building to grow the business. De-

spite there being “tons of exciting growth” in Kyle and meeting with several developers and working with a commercial real estate agent, they could not find a building in Kyle or along the local I-35 corridor that worked for their needs and timeline. After the “exhaustive and fruitless search” for a new location in Kyle, they expanded their search area and found one in Live Oak, 45 miles

southwest of Kyle in northeast San Antonio, where they say exciting plans are taking shape. “We’ll be an easy and delicious stop after you test your marriage strength at IKEA or to pick up some brisket on your way to the beach,” they wrote on their Facebook page announcing the closure. The Devonshire’s took over Milt’s in 2014 from previous owners Milt Thurkill and Bunnie

Walling. In the years since, Milt’s has racked up awards like Best BBQ in 2016, 2017 and 2018, Best Overall Restaurant in Kyle in 2018 and was voted a Top 5 BBQ restaurant by KVUE ABC. “We’ve had amazing support from this community and love being a part of it,” they wrote. “We’re hoping the stars line up and pave a way for us to be able to return to Kyle in the future.”

More roundabouts possible for Kyle BY BRITTANY ANDERSON A few more roundabouts might be in the cards for Kyle, but studies must be conducted first in order to determine if they are the most effective option. During the March 1 Kyle

City Council meeting, the city council unanimously approved a task order for a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) regarding the installation of roundabouts or traffic signals at the intersection of Kohler’s Crossing and Marketplace Avenue, Kohler’s Crossing

CHUTE OUT

Motorcycle police compete for a cause.

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and Kyle Crossing, and on Dacy Lane connecting Downing Way and Fountain Grove Drive. Additionally, the Dacy Lane project is slated to include the installation of a 12-foot wide illuminated sidewalk along Dacy Lane from Kyle Parkway to

BUDA – The Buda Area Chamber of Commerce will be honoring City Manager Kenneth Williams with a Roast and Toast at its monthly luncheon on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at WILLIAMS the Onion Creek Seniors Center, 420 Barton Crossing beginning at 11:30 A.M. Luncheons are open to members and non-members alike. Seating is limited so please register today. You can register online by clicking the link on the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce website at www. https//budachambertx. com/events/calendar. See sponsorship information on page 7.

Local March 1 primary results STAFF REPORT

Bebee Road. Leon Barba, city engineer, said that per city ordinance, a traffic report that looks at both the use of a roundabout or a traffic signal must be conducted. The intent, he said, is to

Finalized local election results following the March 1 primary are in, but some candidates are still in the running and will be on the November ballot. Pct. 4 County Commissioner Walt Smith remains seated after running unopposed. Other candidates running unopposed included Maggie Hernandez Moreno (D) who took the Justice of

ROUNDABOUTS?, 10

LOCAL PRIMARY RESULTS, 10

The Hays Free Press Barton Publications, Inc. The Hays Free Press (USPS 361-430) published weekly by Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. Periodicals postage paid at Buda, TX 78610 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. ISSN#1087-9323


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