National honor for DSHS yearbook
Amber’s Angels at Dell Hospital
page 2
Tigers fall in season opener
page 3
News-Dispatch Volume XXXVIII No. 14
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
page 4
75¢
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Unemployment rates hit lowest point in years BY MOSES LEOS III Continued job growth over the past five years has helped drive Hays County unemployment figures down to levels not seen in nearly two decades. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hays County experienced a 2.8 percent unemployment rate in November 2017, which is the lowest
rate the county has had since it hit 2.7 percent in 1999. Hays County’s low unemployment rate follows a statewide trend of rates dropping to historic levels. According to a Texas Workforce Commission press release, Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in November 2017, which set a record for the lowest rate in four
decades. Andres Alcantar, TWC chairman, said in statement that the state added 54,500 non-farm jobs in November. The annual employment growth in Texas increased to 2.7 percent in November, which marked 91 consecutive months of annual growth in Texas, according to the release. Nine of the 11 major industries in Texas grew
in November, which includes professional and business services, construction and leisure and hospitality. “The addition of 330,600 jobs over the year demonstrates the consistency with which employers in our state create job opportunities for the highly skilled Texas workforce,” Alcantar said
Hays County unemployment rate, 2010-2016
UNEMPLOYMENT, 6
Influenza cases on the rise in Hays County
Blanco River reforestation project approved for renewal
BY SAMANTHA SMITH
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
TreeFolks volunteers work to plant trees along the Blanco River at a 2017 planting event. The organization will continue to work with the county in 2018 to plant more trees along the flood-damaged river.
BY MOSES LEOS III A $261,000 agreement approved by Hays County Commissioners Jan. 2 allows TreeFolks, a Central Texas nonprofit organization, to continue its vegetation restoration efforts on the Blanco River. TreeFolks’ efforts following the devastating May 2015 flood have been accepted by many landowners, said Clint Garza, Hays County development services director. Matt Mears, TreeFolks reforestation manager, said Jan. 2 there has been an “overwhelming response” from the community to the Blanco River reforestation
program, which originally began in September 2015. The program has so far planted more than 100,000 trees along the Blanco River and has replanted vegetation on the properties of 75 landowners. TreeFolks expects to help another 75 landowners in 2018. Mears said the response has so far exceeded TreeFolks’ expectations, with the program harboring 25 percent participation over the first two weeks it was introduced. By comparison, Mears said a similar tree replanting program initiated following the Bastrop Complex Fire in 2012 had 20 percent partici-
“This is very crucial to slow down future floods ... This is about reducing the risk in the future. We know future floods are going to happen, but we are making the river more resilient.” – Matt Mears, TreeFolks reforestation manager
pation over the course of five years. TreeFolks works with landowners through direct education and tree planting, with the primary goal of creating “grow zones,” or areas of dense vegetation along the river. “This is very crucial to slow down future
floods,” Mears said. “This is about reducing the risk in the future. We know future floods are going to happen, but we are making the river more resilient.” Mears said improving water quality by promoting a “healthy forest,” as well as improving air quality are additional
components to riparian recovery. “The concept there is to prevent further erosion down the way, allow the river to recover and once it recovers fully, have a flight control aspect to slow the water down,” Garza said. However, not all landowners along the Blanco River participated in the program. According to county officials, some landowners discovered their property wasn’t heavily damaged, so they opted not to participate. Lon Shell, Hays County Pct. 3 commissioner, said he also saw many landowners whom he
TREEFOLKS, 3
Questions raised as CAMPO reappoints Conley as policy board chairperson BY MOSES LEOS III Area leaders Monday reappointed former Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley to chair the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (CAMPO) Policy Board, this despite questions on the legality of the move. The decision, made by a 15-1 vote with one abstention, would allow Conley to serve as chairperson of the board for an additional two year period, but require that he also serve as an affiliate non-voting member of the board. Cynthia Long, chairperson of the CAMPO
According to bylaws for metropolitan planning organizations, members of a policy board should be local elected officials, officials who operate major modes of transportation or state officials. nominating committee, said the committee was in “unanimous agreement” on Dec. 8 in reappointing Conley to the chair position. Conley has been serving as the CAMPO Policy Board chair since 2012. CAMPO’s Policy Board is a 20-person board that guides and
directs how funding for transportation projects is dispersed across a six county region that includes Hays County. However, concerns were raised over whether Conley was able to serve in the role. In October, Conley stepped down as Hays County Pct. 3 com-
missioner in order to run for County Judge. According to bylaws for metropolitan planning organizations, members of a policy CONLEY board should be local elected officials, officials who operate major modes of transportation or state officials. However, Long said Hays County Commissioners appointed Conley to continue to serve as its representative on
CAMPO, 2
Residents suffering from flu-like symptoms can take solace they’re not alone after Hays County officials estimated more than 300 confirmed cases of the virus at the end of December. Hays County Local Health Department Epidemiologist Eric Schneider said flu season is technically September through April. However, the medical community has seen an uptick in positive flu cases in Hays County since last year. In December 2016, only 15 cases of the flu were reported in Hays County, according to a press release. As of the end of December 2017, 304 people were reportedly sick with the flu. Schneider said the rise in positive flu cases could be attributed to better reporting on the physicians’ part. Schneider said influenza is a very common viral infection, that for
FLU, 2
LAGNIAPPE Christmas Tree Recycling
Hays County Recycling/Solid Waste Centers will be accepting undecorated Christmas trees for recycling at both centers through Jan. 13. The county will mulch the trees and use the mulch at county parks. There is no charge for dropping off a tree. Centers are located at 1691 Carney Lane (end of County Road 278) in Wimberley and 100 Darden Hill Road (County Road 162) in Driftwood. Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Candidate filing period begins
Candidate filing begins on Wednesday, Jan. 17 for two city council seats and one mayoral seat for the May 5, 2018 Election. Applications for placement on the ballot will be accepted at Dripping Springs City
LAGNIAPPE, 5
Page 2
News-Dispatch
Education
NewsDispatch PHONE: 512-268-7862 FAX: 512-268-0262
Thursday, January 11, 2018
PUBLISHER Cyndy Slovak-Barton csb@haysfreepress.com
EDITOR Moses Leos III moses@haysfreepress.com
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PRODUCTION David White Christine Thorpe ADVERTISING/MARKETING Tracy Mack ads@haysnewsdispatch.com
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PHOTOGRAPHER Wayland Clark PROOFREADER Jane Kirkham CIRCULATION MANAGER/ LEGAL NOTICES David White paper@haysnewsdispatch. com
News-Dispatch (USPS 011 - 401) is published weekly except for the weeks following July 4 and Christmas by Barton Publications, Inc., 113 W. Center St., Kyle, TX 78640.
COURTESY PHOTO
Above: Ashleigh McCoy, sports editor; Alexis Burch, clubs editor; Catalina Sanchez, editor-in-chief; Veronica Lopez, student life editor. Inset: This year’s Dripping Springs High School yearbook earned national honors at a recent contest.
Tigers earn first place in national contest SUBMITTED REPORT
T
he Dripping Springs High School 2017 Tiger Cry yearbook, titled “One & Only,” earned a First Place award by the American Scholastic Press Association in its annual publication contest. Dripping Springs High is the only Central Texas school to receive the first
place award and one of eight in the state. In addition, the Tiger Cry won the honor of “Best Overall Sports Coverage” nationwide. The yearbook’s editor-in-chief was Catalina Sanchez and the sports editor was Ashleigh McCoy. Other section editors were Alexis Burch (clubs) and Veronica Lopez (student life).
The annual contest for scholastic yearbooks, magazines and newspapers includes entries from schools of all sizes in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to the awards, ASPA provides a review with advice on page design, story layout, graphics, headlining, cover design, advertising placement, photography, among other items.
Subscription price: $42 local, $59 county, $62 out of state. Periodicals Postage paid at Driftwood, TX. Email paper@ haysnewsdispatch. com for subscriptions and address changes. POSTMASTER: send address changes to News-Dispatch, PO Box 339, Buda, TX 78610 LETTERS GUIDELINES We welcome locally written letters to the editor on timely topics of community interest. We ask that you keep them to about 350 words in length and that you not indulge in personal attacks on private individuals. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters should be signed by the author and include a daytime phone number where the author can be contacted for verification. Letter writers are limited to one letter per month. Letters can be emailed to csb@haysfreepress. com.
CAMPO: Conley reappointed as chairperson Continued from pg. 1
the CAMPO board. Hays County’s legal counsel opined Conley was eligible to serve as its representative. Conley said he added the provision to serve as a non-voting member based on legal concerns addressed by Travis County officials. “We’ve always traditionally had a policy and position where, when things are in doubt or in question, we usually concede to local jurisdictions,” Conley said. Conley added that he remains as the voting
“We’ve always traditionally had a policy and position where when things are in doubt or in question, we usually concede to local jurisdictions.” –Will Conley, Pct. 3 Hays County Commissioner
member on the CAMPO board for Hays County. Kelly Davis, a legal representative with the Save Our Springs (SOS) Alliance, said during public comment she believed Conley should
step down as chairperson as he was “no longer eligible.” She cited Conley stepping down from his commissioner’s seat, which led her to believe Conley shouldn’t have
led the last three CAMPO policy board meetings. “This is important because the chair wields significant authority,” Davis said. “Even if he doesn’t have a vote, he directs the agenda and appoints the members of the executive committee.” A member of CAMPO’s legal team, however, said for federal law purposes, Conley is “still a local elected official.” “He was elected and was serving on the board at the time of his appointment,” the repre-
sentative said. The representative added Conley was not unelected by federal purposes and that the state’s holdover provisions remained. Resident David King said he appreciated Conley’s service and felt he could provide expertise as a non-voting member of the board without serving as chair. “I don’t think it promotes good democratic principles,” King said. “Making special exceptions like this, there needs to be good reasons to why we do this.”
one. Another factor is a fear of getting the flu from the vaccine. People getting the flu from the vaccine is a misconception, De Lota said. When medical personnel give the flu vaccine to a patient, they inform them that they may feel soreness in their arm or general body aches and even a low-grade fever in response to it. These are signs that a person’s body is building up an immunity to the foreign pathogen. De Lota said feeling vaccine reactions for a few days
is nothing compared to getting the actual flu. “The virus we’re giving them is dead, it’s virtually impossible to get the flu from a vaccine,” de Lota said. Schneider said the key to surviving the flu season without getting ill is to wash hands often, get the flu vaccine and exercise isolation from the public when you are sick with the flu. “It’s never too late to get the flu shot, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” de Lota said.
Flu: Cases on the rise in Hays County Continued from pg. 1
most people, just causes fatigue, body aches, a low-grade fever and other minor symptoms for a few days. However, the virus can be fatal to the elderly, the very young and the immune-compromised. Schneider also said that this year happens to be the 100-year anniversary of the Spanish Flu Pandemic that killed 20 to 50 million people worldwide. Even though Schneider said the flu back then was very different from today’s flu virus, it still kills 250,000 people every year worldwide.
“It’s never too late to get the flu shot, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” –Dr. Michael de Lota, Family Medicine physician at ARC Kyle Plum Creek
Dr. Michael de Lota, family medicine physician at ARC Kyle Plum Creek, said he believed the spike in cases stems from fewer people getting the flu vaccine. De Lota also attributed the spike in positive flu cases in Hays County to
the overall growth in the area. De Lota said there are varying reasons why patients don’t get the vaccine. One factor is invincibility, where people never had the flu or gotten a flu shot, which makes them believe they don’t need
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Amber’s Angels spread cheer at Dell Children’s Hospital
I
STAFF REPORT
n November of 2011, at twenty-two years of age, Amberlyn Fett lost her lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis, but the charity she founded, Amber’s Angels, and her legacy of caring and giving lives on today. Hospitalized for treatment of the disease many times, often during Christmas, Fett witnessed first hand children who had no visitors and no gifts to open. It was for this reason, during her freshman year at Dripping Springs High School, she saw the need and created the nonprofit organization. Each year since its beginnings, and again this
year, age appropriate gift bags were provided to children of all ages who were hospitalized at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin. Through donations and with help from Amberlyn’s family, friends and volunteers, the 501(c) (3) non-profit is able to continue providing gift bags to hospitalized children. Amber’s Angels has touched the lives of hundreds of children and others over the years. Donations are accepted year round and may be made online or by check to Amber’s Angels P.O. Box 1220 Dripping Springs, TX 78620 For more information or to donate visit the web site: www.ambers-angels.org.
OBITUARIES CALHOUN
HARING
Leona Belle Calhoun, 103, passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at LBJ Medical Center in Johnson City, TX. She was born March 26, 1914 in Henly, TX to James Thomas Jennings and Ida Belle (Brown) Jennings. Being the last of fourteen children, Leona was preceded in death by her parents; her devoted husband, Robert Cecil Calhoun; two sons, “Bob” Calhoun Jr. and James Kealy Calhoun; two grandsons, Cole and Kevin Calhoun; and two daughters-inlaw, Hazel Calhoun and Ann Calhoun. She is survived by three children, Joe Dean Calhoun, Bonnie Wood and husband Johnny, and Roy Gene Calhoun; two daughtersin-law, Maxine and Arnella Calhoun; eleven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren, and four great-greatgrandchildren. Funeral services were held Saturday, Jan.6, 2018 at Crofts – Crow Funeral Chapel. Interment followed at Mt. Sharp Cemetery near Wimberley, TX.
On Jan. 3, our beautiful mother, Claire, passed away peacefully to join her beloved William “Bill” Haring, who passed away in June 2017. “Gran” is survived by daughters Carol, Gail, Lynn, and Jean, their husbands/partners Rick, Charlie, Tommy, and Rick, her sister-in-law Betty Cowan, 12 grand, 15 great, and 4 great-great grandchildren, and 10 nieces and nephews. Claire and Bill lived an amazing love story, truly devoted to each other, their faith, their family, and countless friends. Claire was an excellent tournament-level bridge player, earning the rank of Bronze Life Master. She was an avid volunteer, giving her time to St. Luke’s Hospital, Meals on Wheels, Neighborhood Corner, West Columbia Senior Center, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Altar Guild, VNA Hospice of Brazoria County, and a matriarch in fellowship. Please join the family in celebrating her wonderful life on Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 301 Hays Country Acres Rd., Dripping Springs, TX 78620, with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers you may donate to Church of the Holy Spirit (memo-Capital Campaign.)
PHOTO BY WAYLAND CLARK
Amberlyn Fett’s mom Debbie, second from left, and Amber’s Angels’ volunteers deliver a gift bag to the room of a hospitalized child on December 22 at Dell Children’s Hospital.
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Treefolks: Reforestation Continued from pg. 1
didn’t expect to participate “jump in with both feet.” Shell said the agreement with TreeFolks is another step toward recovery from the flood, as well as bolster the economy of Wimberley, which derives tax dollars from lodging and rental resorts near the river. However, he also realized there is still more work to be done. One aspect is completing debris removal, which has reached a point where skilled contractors are needed to complete major work. “This will benefit the public of this county for many years to come and hopefully will help us get through the flood we’re going to experience in the future,” Shell said. But Hays County resident Dan Lyon said it was “simply wrong” to spend public money on
private property. He also felt it wasn’t the county’s responsibility to replant trees knocked down on private lands after a natural disaster. Mears said the county is leveraging its funds with private fundraising, which has been done since the program began. To date, roughly $150,000 has been fundraised, Mears said. Hays County has also taken part in federal matching grant programs to assist with the restoration effort. “All these types of things are things we can’t plan for,” Hays County Pct. 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant said. “They wind up being those circumstances that we have to work together as public and private considerations to see to it that we provide the best opportunity to maintain the best and safe life situations.”
See solution, page 5
Worship in a church of your choice Call 512-268-7862 to join the church directory today.
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Garza, pastor Saturday: 5 p.m. Located at the Sunday: 8:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m.
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Page 4
News-Dispatch
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Sports Tigers fall to Mules in district home opener BY SHANE SCHOLWINSKI
PHOTO BY WAYLAND D. CLARK, WFOTOS.COM
Dripping Springs’ Enzo Arnold drives around Alamo Heights’ Storm Buescher in a district game against the visiting Mules who scored 33 points in the second half to take a 48-33 win over the Tigers. The game was tied 15-15 at halftime.
Strong team defense wasn’t enough for the Dripping Springs Tigers (11-13) as they fell 48-33 to the Alamo Heights Mules in Friday’s district opener at Tiger Gym. “We went into this game with really only about eight healthy players, and we knew this was going to be a tough battle,” Dripping Springs head coach Craig Swannack said. “In my opinion Alamo Heights is the best team in our district, very strong, very hard to defend. They just run great stuff, they’re a really good team. We knew we were going to be in for a dog fight.” The Tigers opened the game in a zone defense to prevent the Alamo Heights offense from playing around the rim, while also forcing them to shoot from beyond the arc. The defensive game plan worked well in the first half for Dripping Springs as they held the Mules to only seven points in the first quarter. Dripping Springs and Alamo Heights were tied at 15-15 at halftime. The Tigers defense held Mules senior forward Evan Carcanagues, Alamo Heights’ star player, to only two points in the first half. “The guys really gave great effort to committing to the game plan, then limiting what we knew that Alamo Heights was gonna want to do,” said Swannack. “When you
“We went into this game with really only about eight healthy players, and we knew this was going to be a tough battle ... We knew we were going to be in for a dog fight.” – Craig Swannack, Dripping Springs head coach
have a group of players this intelligent, it’s really a blessing to be able to see them get out there and compete that way.” Dripping Springs stuck with its vaunted zone defense in the second half, but a stellar third quarter by Carcanagues and late 3-pointer by Alamo Heights senior guard Brandon Johnson pushed the Mules lead over the Tigers to 30-23 going into the fourth quarter. “We really wanted to limit his touches,” Swannack said about Carcanagues. “You know he is 21(points), over nine rebounds and four assists per game, and with someone like that we felt like if we could take him
out of the game and slow the game down a little bit and make them play our pace, then it would give us a chance. And the reality is through three quarters we really had a pretty good chance.” Alamo Heights extended its lead in the fourth quarter with quality offensive possessions coupled with several defensive stops. Carcanagues finished the game with 17 points, with 15 of those coming in the second half. Johnson was the Mules other lead scorer for the night with 16 points. “They just hit a huge three at the end of the third quarter, and then had some really good possessions in the fourth,” said Swannack. “Alamo Heights really won the battle of possessions in the fourth quarter and that was the big difference.” Drippings Springs senior forward Mathew McKiddie had 10 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Enzo Arnold contributed 10 points and two blocks. Senior guards Bryce Kalsu and Spencer Johnson were vocal leaders for the Tigers on the defensive end of the court. “We’ve got some great kids with just lion hearts,” Swannack said. “I love watching them go out there and compete everyday even when we don’t get the results we want.” Dripping Springs hosts Marble Falls at home on Friday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m.
PHOTO BY ALBERT SANCHEZ
PHOTO BY ALBERT SANCHEZ
Victory for Tigers at invitational
Dripping Springs senior midfielder Jose Galindo (9) rears back as he prepares to kick the soccer ball in midair during the team’s match against the San Marcos Rattlers on Jan. 6. A perfect 3-0 mark was how the Dripping Springs boys soccer team closed the 2018 Dripping Springs ISD invitational tournament, which was held Jan. 4-6 in Dripping Springs. The Tigers rolled past their three tournament opponents by a combined score of 10-1. Dripping Springs opened tournament play by defeating Harker Heights 4-0, which was followed by a 4-1 win over Klein Collins. The Tigers then shutout San Marcos 2-0. Dripping Springs will return home Jan. 30 when it open district play against Kerrville Tivy. Kickoff for that match is set for 6:30 p.m.
We Support the Tigers Texas hometown friendly bank
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Lady Tigers open 2018 season with tournament wins Pressing forward, Dripping Springs Tiger junior midfielder Jessica Carmichael readies to advance the ball downfield in the Tigers’ match against the Austin Maroons in the 2018 DSISD girls soccer tournament. A pair of shutout victories highlighted the Lady Tigers’ weekend in their own hosted tournament, which was held Jan. 4-6. The Lady Tigers finished by going 3-1 for the tournament and outscored opponents 9-3. Dripping Springs will play in the Round Rock ISD tournament Jan. 11-13 before returning home Jan. 16 for a non-district tilt with Leander Rouse.
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Page 5
Public Notices NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SUBDIVIDE
Employment
procedures or if you need more information about how to submit your comments on the application, contact Ms. Karen Smith, Director of Applications at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas at (214) 922-6786. The Federal Reserve will consider your comments and any request for a public meeting or formal hearing on the application if they are received by the Reserve Bank in writing on or before the last day of the comment period.
An application has been filed with HAYS COUNTY to subdivide 3.07 acres of property located along River Rapids Road, Wimberley, TX 78676. Information regarding the application may be obtained from Hays County Development Services (512) 393-2150. Tracking number: SUB-949.
NOTICE OF BRANCH APPLICATION
Texas Regional Bank, 2019 South 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas 78550 intends to apply to the Federal Reserve System for permission to establish a branch located at 333 East Highway 290, Suite 350, Dripping Springs, Hays County, Texas 78620. The Federal Reserve considers a number of factors in deciding whether to approve the application, including the record of performance of applicant banks in helping to meet local credit needs. You are invited to submit comments in writing on this application to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Banking Supervision, P. O. Box 655906, Dallas, Texas 75265-5906. The comment period will not end before January 26, 2018, and may be somewhat longer. The Board's procedures for processing applications may be found at 12 C.F.R. Part 262. Procedures for processing protested applications may be found at 12 C.F.R. 262.25. To obtain a copy of the Board's
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF BANKING APPLICATION TO ESTABLISH A BRANCH
Notice is hereby given that Texas Regional Bank, 2019 South 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas 78550 will file an application with the Texas Department of Banking on or about January 11, 2018, to establish a branch located at 333 East Highway 290, Suite 350, Dripping Springs, Hays County, Texas 78620. Any person wishing to comment on this application, either for or against, may file written comments with the Texas Department of Banking, 2601 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78705-4294, within fourteen (14) days of the date of this publication. Such comments will be made a part of the record before and considered by the Banking Commissioner. Any person wishing to formally protest and oppose the proposed
branch establishment and participate in the application process may do so by filing a written notice of protest with the Texas Department of Banking, 2601 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78705-4294 within the fourteen (14) days of the date of this publication, together with a filing fee of $2,500. The protest fee may be reduced or waived by the Banking Commissioner upon a showing of substantial hardship.
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By order of the Hays County Commissioners Court, notice is hereby given that on January 16th, 2018 at 9 a.m. in the Hays County Courthouse, 111 E. San Antonio Street, the Hays County Commissioners Court will hold a public hearing to consider: The Ranches at Hamilton Pool, Phase Two, Replat of Lot 23.
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Taking care of your yard so you can play!
LANDSCAPING AND OUTDOOR CONSTRUCTION
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Shoe Repair
Tree Service QUALITY BOOT & SHOE REPAIR AS WELL AS PURSE AND LUGGAGE REPAIR
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WORLD’S LARGEST SHOE REPAIR COMPANY 10 locations in Central Texas including: Highway 290 & Nutty Brown Road • 512-827-3398 Highway 290 West in Oak Hill • 512-288-6386 Bee Cave in Lakeway • 512-263-4630
LAGNIAPPE Hall, in the city secretary’s office from Jan. 17 to Feb. 16 during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applications can be picked up at city hall in the city secretary’s office or found on our website. Qualifications for candidates are also posted on
Central Garage, LLC
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Marcus Lees Affordable Oak Wilt Treatment (512) 858-4018 by TTH Inc. TDA #270421 leestrees@vownet.net (512) 921-4661
Schedule ball moss treatment for March
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LEGAL ASSISTANCE Mesothelioma may occur 30 to 60 years after exposure to asbestos. Industrial and construction workers and their families may have been exposed from the 1940s through the 1970s. Call 800-460-0606 for professional insight or visit www.asbestoslaw.com.
TRUCK DRIVERS Quality Drive-Away Inc., Looking for CDL A or B drivers to deliver new trucks all over the US and Canada. Experience Preferred. Must have DOT physical and be willing to keep logs. No DUIs in the last 10 years, clean MVR. Apply Online at www. qualitydriveaway.com or call 574-642-2023.
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Roofing
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NOTICE: While most advertisers are reputable, we cannot guarantee products or services advertised. We urge readers to use caution and when in doubt, contact the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508 or the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP. The FTC web site is www.ftc.gov/bizop.
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Automotive
Log Homes – 3 Log Home kits selling for balance owed, free delivery. Model #305 Biloxi, bal. $15,000; Model #403 Augusta, bal. $16,500; Model #502 Santa Fe, bal. $17,500. View plans at www.loghomedream.com. American Log Homes, 704-602-3035.
Texas Press Statewide Classified Network 251 Participating Texas Newspapers • Regional Ads Start At $250 • Email ads@texaspress.com
Service Directory Air Conditioning
LOG HOMES
ACREAGE 77.94 acres NW of Rocksprings. Heavy live oak, cedar cover, axis deer, whitetail, hogs & turkey. $2,550/acre. Fixed rate 30-year owner financing, 5% down. 800876-9720, www.ranchenterprisesltd.com.
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Window Treatments Beautiful Blinds, Shades, Draperies & Shutters
Wrangler roofing 512-351-5402
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Texas Crossword Solution
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Graber, Hunter Douglas, Norman & more. Low prices with lifetime guarantees and fast professional installation.
Call 512-847-8970
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See puzzle, page 3
Continued from pg. 1
the city’s website http:// www.cityofdrippingsprings.com/page/city. election_info. For more information regarding elections, please contact the city secretary at acunningham@cityofdrippingpsprings.com or (512) 858-4725.
Savvy Caregiver Course
Caregiver U presents Savvy Caregiver, an indepth, practical training for family caregivers of
persons with dementia. The classes will be held on Tuesdays, Jan. 16 - Feb. 20 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.at Chapel in the Hills, 14601 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley. The class will be led by trained facilitators, is offered free of charge and includes
lunch. This is made possible by AGE of Central Texas, St. David’s Foundation and Alzheimer’s Texas. To register and find out more information about this free class, please call 512-241-0420 or email vcardenas@ TXAlz.org.
Do you have a nonprofit community event you’d like publicized in the News-Dispatch? Send an email with event information to christine@ haysfreepress.com.
Page 6
News-Dispatch
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Whooping crane population bounces back T
BY JERRY HALL
here’s good news about whooping cranes. This year, some 431 birds have shown up at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge down on the Texas coast. This includes 50 juvenile birds and is quite an improvement over the number registered back in 1941. In that year, the entire number of whooping cranes in the world totaled 15 birds.
In fact, if President Franklin Roosevelt had not created the Aransas refuge back in 1937, it’s a good bet the whooping crane would be extinct today. Its slow recovery is one of the feel-good stories in bird conservation and an object lesson in what can be accomplished when people intervene on the side of wildlife. The cranes breed in Canada and start arriving at the Texas refuge in mid-December. The
flight down is 2,400 miles long. Tallest of all North American birds, the whooping crane stands about five feet high and is a tall, stately bird. It is named for its loud, trumpeting call, which can be heard over long distances. Adult whoopers ae snow white, with black wing tips, and young birds are a rusty brown. They dine on blue crabs and an occasional insect. Crus Americana is
Unemployment: Hits low of 2.8%
PHOTO COURTESY OF JERRY HALL
In the spring, whooping cranes perform courtship displays (loud calling, wing flapping, leaps in the air) as they get ready to migrate to their breeding grounds.
2018
Continued from pg. 1
in a statement. “The Texas economy offers employers access to a competitive workforce and provides job seekers with career options in a variety of growing Texas industries.” Alcantar added private-sector employers added 52,000 jobs in November and have accounted for 294,600 positions in the state. “I am encouraged by the growth across a variety of industries and commend our employers for their investment in our Texas workforce,” Alcantar said. In Hays County, job growth has gone up by five percent over the past five years, said Adriana Cruz, executive director for the Greater San Marcos Partnership. Cruz said Hays County’s growth has at times outpaced the Austin metro area. Much of what’s driving job growth is attractiveness of the area. Cruz said the GSMP has seen growth in the service sector with the increase in food and retail establishments. More recently, the county has also experienced job growth in manufacturing and technology-based jobs as well. In 2016, Hays County and the city of San Marcos approved agreements to allow for Urban Mining to set up in the San Marcos area. Cruz said Urban Mining is expected to bring roughly 100 jobs to the area. Cruz also cited success at Amazon’s fulfillment center in San Marcos. “We’re happy to see that upward trend [in job growth],” Cruz said. “That’s one of the jobs we’re tasked with is attracting high quality jobs in the county. We feel all of our efforts are pointing
the Latin name for this bird and if you want to see it up close, there are crane-watching boat trips out of Rockport-Fulton. I was pleased with the trip I made and the captain’s narration was informative and entertaining. Unfortunately, the visitor’s center at the 153,950-acre refuge was damaged by Hurricane Harvey and has not reopened. However, the refuge is open and there is no admission charge.
MED CAL DIRECTORY
SERVING HAYS AND SOUTHERN TRAVIS COUNTIES
“The market is changing and businesses have to learn how to change along with that.” –JR Gonzalez, managing director at the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce
to that.” But one of the challenges many jobs will face in the near future is training of the workforce. Cruz said workforce development is “critical” and is one of the factors companies assess before planning a move to a region. Cruz said the GSMP works with Austin Community College and Texas State University and provides skill fund grants that help train the next workforce. The GSMP also works with San Marcos and Hays CISD’s Career Technology Education departments to “make sure they’re aware” of what workforce skills are needed for high school seniors before they graduate Cruz said. JR Gonzalez, managing director at the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce, said finding good quality workers to fill jobs in a
growing economy is a “catch-22.” Factors that could play a role for employers filling jobs will be specific fields, along with the age of the upcoming workforce. With younger workers entering the field, moving and changing jobs quickly is a reality, Gonzalez said, adding the days of working for a company for 20 years “doesn’t exist anymore.” The impact could be felt within small businesses, which can struggle to compete with larger companies when it comes to benefits, salaries and hours. Gonzalez said small businesses may have be creative when offering incentives to attract younger workers. “The market is changing and businesses have to learn how to change along with that,” Gonzalez said. “But the same time, with the traditioanal 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. business, it can also be difficult to find qualified full time employees to fill those spots.” Cruz said the county has so far been on the front end of infrastructure development. She believes it could help Hays County continue to see job growth in the future. “We think the future is extremely bright and look toward more opportunities coming down the pipe,” Cruz said.
A guide to physicians and healthcare providers serving Hays County and surrounding areas Let residents of our communities know about your services, your physicians or your clinic. 6,000 distributed March 14 & 15 to subscribers of the Hays Free Press, News-Dispatch and participating medical offices. Advertising reservation deadline is Friday, February 16th, 2018.
Advertisements range in price and size: • Ad space starting at $350 for 1/4 page • Physician Listings with name, address and photo for only $90.
www.HaysFreePress.com
The directory will be printed on a high-quality glossy paper stock in a full color magazine-style format.
Call 512-268-7862 to reserve your space. www.HaysFreePress.com
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