Tiger track coach up for award
Henley car customizers show skill
Teacher of the Year for DSISD
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVI No. 36
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
Arson BY MOSES LEOS III
news@haysfreepress.com
A Wimberley man was arrested Monday for allegedly violating probation and now faces indictments for arson and attempted capital murder as OLLE a result of his role in allegedly setting fire to a San Marcos home in 2015. Authorities arrested Ralph Colten Olle, 20, of Wimberley, according to
BY MOSES LEOS III
news@haysfreepress.com
Dripping Springs ISD will ask voters this September whether they will back the district’s plan to restructure its tax rate, in order to mitigate a $2 million loss in revenue as a result of recapture. During a special called meeting Monday, the Dripping Springs ISD board of trustees voted 6-0 to set its 2016-2017 tax rate at $1.52 per $100 valuation.
ARSON, 2
DSISD, 7
LAGNIAPPE Head out to Camp Ben McCulloch at 18301 FM 1826, Driftwood, for the 120th annual reunion June 17-24. Throughout the eight day reunion you can enjoy music, dancing, camping, swimming, food, bingo, games, washer pitching and plenty of time to catch up with friends and family. Visit www.campben.com for more information.
Toastmaster’s Open House
Dripping Springs Toastmasters will hold a Community Open House on Thursday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Dripping Springs Library Meeting Room (501 Sportsplex Drive, Dripping Springs). See how a Toastmasters meeting works,and how Toastmasters International helps people develop their communication skills. The event is free and open to all. Learn more by contacting John Pacheco at (512) 773-7419, or via email at jhn_pchc@ yahoo.com.
LAGNIAPPE, 5
Thursday, June 16, 2016
DSISD tax rate election coming up soon
Wimberley man to stand trial for 2015 attempted murder, arson
Camp Ben Reunion
75¢
Roll out the burro...
Beer burro biz takes off in Dripping Springs PHOTO COURTESY OF ALISHA RANDIG
Alisha Randig, who works with Hill Country Events in Dripping Springs responded to a request for donkeys to be present at a wedding. She soon learned that the burros were a big hit and the concept has taken off beyond her expectations. See the full story on page 8.
Spoke Hollow bridge to bring ‘return to normalcy’ in Wimberley BY MOSES LEOS III
news@haysfreepress.com
Wimberley residents living along the Blanco River could soon regain a bridge destroyed in the 2015 Memorial Day flood by the end of the year. Don Ferguson, Wimberley city administrator, said completion of the Spoke Hollow Bridge, which connects Spoke Hollow/Hidden Valley Road with Flite Acres Road, is one of the final steps in the city’s recovery effort. “It’s a huge symbol of a return to normalcy,” Ferguson said. “It’s what everyone wants, to get back to a comfort level and things returning to normal.” Ferguson said the city is in the process of designing the replacement crossing, which he estimates could cost approximately $900,000. Construction is slated to begin in the fall. The cost is being funded with proceeds from road and bridge insurance, which the city has had for more than a decade, Ferguson said. Without the insurance, the city could have utilized federal funding, which requires the city be responsible for 25 percent of the cost. Ferguson said the city would only be responsible for a $25,000 deductible under its insurance policy. “It’s rare to have that type of insurance. Our forefathers had the wisdom to get it,” Ferguson said. “While we got beat up in the budget process, ‘why maintain road and bridge insurance,’ it’s for moments
Mental healthcare offered at new D.S. facility BY KYLA MORA
News-Dispatch Reporter
When the U.S. Census Bureau released its population growth figures in March, Hays County once again occupied a position it may easily maintain for the near future. Hays County ranked as the state’s fastest growing county among those with populations of over 10,000, and the fifth fastest-growing county in the nation, with 23% population growth from 2010-2015. It’s a figure that has mental health nurse practitioner David Walsh a little worried,
MENTAL HEALTHCARE, 8
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Construction on the Spoke Hollow Bridge will begin in Fall 2016.
“Residents want to see the pool return, but at the same time, they were not interested in elevating the crossing. They want to maintain its rural feel.”
BY BAILEY BUCKINGHAM News-Dispatch Reporter
The city began by meeting with residents after the flood. He said many residents wanted to see a crossing that was “similar to the previous one.” But Ferguson said the bridge was being built to a “much higher standard,” where it can withstand a 500year flood event. That includes the capability of creating a ponding effect on the west side of the bridge, which Ferguson said acts as a
It has been almost a year since House Bill 3405 passed in Texas, which expanded the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District’s (BSEACD) territory to cover white zones in Hays County. The bill, authored by State Representative Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), was written with the intention of protecting Hays County residents from a potential massive groundwater project headed by Houston-based private water firm Electro Purification (EP). John Dupnik, BSEACD general manager, said within this past year, all but one
SPOKE HOLLOW BRIDGE, 5
HB 3405, 5
– Don Ferguson, Wimberley city administrator like this.” But the city’s design engineer encountered a 30-day delay due to weather events in May. Survey teams attempting to complete studies toward the reconstruction have fallen behind, Ferguson said. Despite the delay, he said the design for the bridge should be completed by midto-late August. In the interim, Ferguson said the city has approached residents on how the city intends to rebuild the bridge.
HB 3405: So far, so good