Driftwood’s Self-Sustaining subdivision
School board filing begins in January
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Hetrick to fill interim TASB position
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXIX No. 12
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
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75¢
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Hall to contest Commissioner Pct. 3 election BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Hall, a Wimberley area attorney, was defeated by The fight for Hays Coun- incumbent Pct. 3 Commisty’s Pct. 3 Commissioner sioner Lon Shell by a slim seat is now heading to 37-vote margin on Nov. court. 6. Results remained the Jimmy Alan Hall, the same after Hall petitioned Democratic candidate in and was granted a Nov. 28 the Nov. 6 Pct. 3 Commisrecount. sioner race, submitted a According to the pepetition to the Hays Coun- tition, Hall is contesting ty District Court to fight the the race on numerous result of the election. grounds, all of which will
be heard by a district judge in the near future. Parties expected to be present at the hearing are representatives HALL from Hays County and the Hall and the Shell campaigns. Hall
cites alleged voting mishaps and communication errors on Election Day as his reason for the petition. Hall alleges a number of eligible voters attempted to participate in the Nov. 6 Pct. 3 Commissioner race, but were not allowed to on “improper ground that these voters didn’t live in the proper voting district.” Hall also said voters who
reside and were registered in Hays County were given provisional ballots when they should have received regular ones. Hall alleged approximately 86 percent of those ballots were rejected, “disenfranchising those voters.” Other allegations include voters who were registered in Precinct 3 were given ballots for Precinct
2, along with confusion among voters and officials over where Texas State University students in Pct. 334 were supposed to cast a ballot Nov. 6. “I just want every vote that was entitled to be counted, counted,” Hall said. “Some students had to travel between precinct
ELECTION CONTESTED, 6
Worries grow after quarry cited for discharge violations
Becoming one with nature
New Wimberley ISD campus to include self-sustaining technologies
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO The future of water conservation efforts in Texas might lie in a new Wimberley campus, which aims to conserve the resource through self-sustaining technologies. Wimberley ISD officials are calling the new primary school the “One Water School.” When it opens in fall 2020, the campus will reduce groundwater usage from the Trinity Aquifer by 90 percent of what a traditional primary school would use. Water conservation groups and Wimberley ISD officials are calling the project an engineering marvel. The campus will include its own wastewater treatment center and will be fully equipped with a rainwater collection system that will help fuel the school with its water needs.
Violations stemming from two separate discharges of sedimentary debris into Onion Creek in 2016 and 2017 led to citations for the Hays Quarry Rock Crushing Plant, according to a Barton Publications investigation. The investigation came after video and photo evidence of the discharge was submitted to the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch, sparking outcry from local residents. The quarry, located south of RM 967 and west of the Ruby Ranch subdivision, was found to be in violation of sediment discharge in 2016 and 2017. Two additional investigations were conducted in 2018 with no violations discovered. According to an August 2016 and September 2017 investigation by the Texas Commission on Environ-
The campus will include its own wastewater treatment center and will be fully equipped with a rainwater collection system that will help fuel the school with its water needs. “Our community is devoted to keeping our natural resources green,” said Gina Fulkerson, WISD board member, after the board approved the construction of the campus. “The one water solution is going to do more for this district than just conserve. It’s going to teach our students, at
QUARRY CITED, 2
a young age, what it means to be environmentally conscious.” Fulkerson said younger generations are growing up in a different world where natural resources have become scarce. By advocating conservation efforts lo-
cally, Fulkerson said she believes the district is setting a precedent for other campuses across the state. The campus, located on Ranch Road 12 and Winters Mill Parkway, has been planned, conceptualized and archi-
tecturally designed over the past six months. WISD worked with the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA), the Meadows Center at Texas State University and other lo-
SELF-SUSTAINING SCHOOL, 6
De-annexation land on 290 allows multifamily project near Belterra BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
An approval by Dripping Springs city leaders to de-annex seven acres of land near the Belterra development off of west Highway 290 could lead to a future multifamily development. The decision to approve the de-annexation came after the Dripping Springs City Council realized the land was not going to become a commercial development, which would have allowed for the collection of sales tax. The sales tax revenue generated from the development would have been used for infrastructure improvements in the area. But a change of scope by Austin-based developer Endeavor means the prop-
Now that the 7.4307-acre parcel of land is de-annexed, future citizens of this development will not have the ability to vote in local elections and will not pay property taxes to the city.
erty will one day become a multifamily development. “We renegotiated that agreement, so when it became clear that the parcel was residential in nature, we knew the city wouldn’t collect sales tax off of it,” said Ginger Faught, Dripping Springs deputy city administrator. “It made sense to take the parcel out of the city limits but still have the development agreement included.” Faught said inclusion of the development agreement means that the city
Under limited purpose annexation, residents can vote in local elections but the city cannot collect ad valorem tax and can only collect sales tax. Now that the 7.4307acre parcel of land is de-annexed, future citican still regulate how the zens of this development proposed development will not have the ability could look, based off of the to vote in local elections city’s ordinances and vision. and will not pay property From the city’s pertaxes to the city. The land spective, this would allow does fall within Dripping for stringent development Springs ISD’s boundaries. standards. For Endeavor, “When it turned out the development agreethat this was not going to ment regulations are be a sales tax generating grandfathered despite the property, we decided it de-annexation. made sense to de-annex Originally, the parcel the property,” Faught said. had limited purpose Endeavor did not reannexation law attached spond for comment as of to it, which is primarily press time, however, the done by municipalities to multifamily development is collect sales tax. on the company’s radar.
Commission could pave way for 100 percent reuse of DS wastewater BY EXSAR ARGUELLO The creation of a Utility Commission in Dripping Springs earlier this month marks another crucial step for city leaders to have 100 percent beneficial reuse from its wastewater treatment plant. As part of closed-door negotiations between the Dripping Springs City Council and parties with affected status in State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) meetings, the commission will help ensure that the city does not discharge water into neighboring creeks and waterways, which was a major point of concern from local residents, water districts and environmental activists. The five-person commission will consist of two representatives from the
WASTEWATER, 2
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News-Dispatch
News -Dispatch PHONE: 512-268-7862 FAX: 512-268-0262 PUBLISHER Cyndy Slovak-Barton csb@haysfreepress.com
New water-sustainable subdivision coming to Driftwood in 2019 BY CARLIE PORTERFIELD
EDITOR Moses Leos III moses@haysfreepress.com
REPORTERS Exsar Arguello Katie Burrell news@haysfreepress.com
PRODUCTION David White ADVERTISING/MARKETING Tracy Mack ads@bartonpublicationsinc.com
Jim Darby ads@haysfreepress.com
PHOTOGRAPHER Wayland Clark PROOFREADER Jane Kirkham CIRCULATION MANAGER/ LEGAL NOTICES Verna Wommack 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. 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 NewsDispatch, 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.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
particularly in regard to groundwater. A new subdivision “There are two signifcoming to the Driftwood icant things that set us area is bringing not only apart from a lot of other 300 homes in a low-densi- projects in the marketty setting, but also prom- place. One is that we are ises to help keep the local requiring half of the indiwater supply as healthy as vidual custom homes that possible. are constructed to harvest Developed by Beverly rainwater off of their roofs Hills-based Discovery into a cistern,” RhoadLand Company, Driftes said. “Going beyond wood Golf & Ranch Club that, we will be installing will be a subdivision with infrastructure to take that more than 300 home sites rainwater harvested into on a total of 800 acres, the community system anchored by an 18-hole to inject it back into the golf course. Construction aquifer.” on the first houses in the It is unheard of to development is expected conduct such a project on to begin by mid-2019. a large-scale community David Rhoades, presbasis, Rhoades said. ident of the Driftwood “There’s always conGolf & Ranch Club, said cern about the aquifer the subdivision is unique and recharge zones in that its design is envireaching critical levels,” ronmentally conscious, he said. “We’re helping
A vineyard in the Driftwood area is expected to be near a proposed golf course that will feature 300 home sites and an 18-hole golf course. The subdivision is supposed to be environmentally conscious, especially in regards to groundwater.
Mother Nature, in a way, by helping get water back into the ground.” The development has also pledged to support Dripping Springs’ new wastewater treatment facility by utilizing 350,000 gallons of treated water a day on the subdivision’s golf course once the plant is up and running. City of Dripping Springs officials are seeking to increase the capacity of its waste-
water treatment plant to close to 900,000 gallons per day. That’s water that would have otherwise been discharged into waterways, Rhoades said. Treated effluent will also be used to irrigate the course upon its completion. “Sustainability, to me, goes beyond the environmental aspects. We’re creating a place people want to be,” Rhoades said.
“It can’t be sustainable if no one wants to go there.” Discovery Land Company has developments in Hawaii, The Bahamas and California; all are locations with sensitive environments. “The Austin area is very similar to that, with nuanced environmental impact,” Rhoades said. “Being aware of that is part of our company ethos.”
2000s. Stone worried about how the quarry could impact water quality. “TCEQ doesn’t come out and regularly monitor these quarries. They wait for a complaint,” Stone said. “If an investigation occurs, and another incident happens, they wait for another complaint. There is a pattern of concern I have from this entity.” Stone said she wants to help TCEQ be successful in its policies, but waiting for a complaint to launch an investigation isn’t enough. Holder said she was skeptical of the 2018 ruling that no violations were present at the quarry, citing that the agency’s investigators did not visit the site until nearly 20 days after the initial complaint.
According to a BSEACD statement, the district is concerned about any untreated storm water flowing into creeks upstream of an Edwards Aquifer recharge feature. In addition, the district also relies on TCEQ officials to enforce its rules to “protect recharge water quality.” “The District will continue to assist residents ... in reporting violations of water-quality regulations to TCEQ and may become involved if the violations persist,” according to the statement. The Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch reached out to Hays Quarry officials for comment on this story. Hays Quarry management did not respond prior to press time.
Quarry Cited: Worries grow after citations Continued from pg. 1
mental Quality (TCEQ), the quarry failed to inspect and maintain a stormwater structure control, in accordance to the entities’ regulations. “TCEQ recommends updating the berm/silt fence connection in order to prevent potential future sediment-laden stormwater discharges,” the report read. According to Stormwater One, an online database for training personnel on water policy, this type of discharge occurs during construction projects, as soil disturbance and vegetation removal can drastically increase wind and water erosion. During rain events, water will flow through these unprotected eroded soil
surfaces, which can cause sedimentary discharge to flow into waterways, according to the database. This debris includes pesticides, chemicals, asphalt and petroleum. “The discharge has been in the same location three years in a row and on several days in 2016, and again on Sept. 4th and 9th of this year,” said Kathleen Holder, a resident near the quarry. “I will continue to be vigilant and I will document any further violations, but there doesn’t seem to be much in terms of a reprimand for this reoccurring.” A TCEQ spokesperson said citations were issued against Hays Quarry in 2016 and 2017 as a result of the investigations. No
monetary penalties were levied against the company. According to a TCEQ statement, in 2018, stormwater pollution prevention plan inspection records were reviewed, and the records documented berms and stockpiled materials were being monitored after each rainfall event. No violations were found after both 2018 investigations. For local residents, TCEQ’s reprimands are not enough to potentially stop the discharge in the future. Mary Stone, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) board member, said she first got involved with the water district while fighting the quarry’s construction in the early
Wastewater: Paving way for 100% beneficial reuse Continued from pg. 1
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD), a member from city staff or Public Works and two residents who reside within city limits. On Nov. 28, the News-Dispatch reported that SOAH recommended the approval of the City of Dripping Springs’ wastewater permit to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The wastewater permit would authorize the discharge of up to 822,500 gallons per day of treated wastewater into a small tributary of Walnut Springs, which flows into Onion Creek. However, the formation of the Utility Commission is going to pave the way for 100 percent beneficial reuse, so discharge does not occur, according to city officials. “In settlement agree-
ments, you always have to take a little and give a little,” said Linda Rogers, president of the HTGCD. “We had the strongest standing and position in our protest of the permit, so I believe the City of Dripping Springs knew they had to include us in the discussion.” Rogers said HTGCD officials will be discussing which members to appoint to the commission, which should be decided by January. However, an ordinance amendment that paved the way for creation of the commission allows the city of Dripping Springs to reject HTGCD representative appointments. If that takes place, HTGCD officials would have to nominate another possible representative to the commission. Ginger Faught, Dripping Springs deputy city
administrator, said the city is currently working to contract with different developments in the city that will help move towards the goal of reuse. The city of Dripping Springs has contracts with the Caliterra development, Heritage and Howard Ranch for the use of treated wastewater. Additionally, the city is currently working out to draft a contractual agreement with the Driftwood Golf Course Development. “The biggest aspect here is moving towards the city’s goal of 100 percent beneficial reuse,” Faught said. “Golf courses are high water users, so that development would take a lot of the effluent we are producing for irrigation and storage.” The development could potentially take in roughly 15 million gallons of treat-
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ed effluent for storage or irrigation. “What’s also important is that these communities would otherwise be using groundwater or surface water,” Faugh said. “So from the city’s perspective, this is a much more environmentally sensible use of water.” This would allow pressures to be eased off of the aquifer and other waterways, according to city officials. The commission will be a recommending body to the city council, and will not take policy-driven action. According to the city’s report on the ordinance amendment, the city council will have the authority to remove members of the commission at any time. The commission will meet on the second Wednesday of each month
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and agendas will be drafted by the commission chair. A report on the commission's progress will be addressed to the city council on a monthly basis. Based on the report, the city council will be the main overseer of the commission, holding authority that will not be granted to other members of the commission. These outlined rules were based on conversations during the settlement agreement reached by the city and contesting parties to not fight the discharge permit. The Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS), which was granted affected status in the SOAH meetings, was the only party which did not agree to settle during this process and was not a part of the settlement discussions.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
www.HaysNewsDispatch.com
Sports
Dripping Springs All District Football
Lady Tigers fall to Cougars 32-28 BY MOSES LEOS III
A fourth quarter meltdown kept the Dripping Springs Lady Tigers from pulling off a major early season upset as they fell to the state-ranked Crockett Lady Cougars 32-28 Friday. Dripping Springs (9-9, 1-1) led 14-12 at intermission, which then expanded to 35-19 heading into the fourth frame. Crockett (18-2, 2-0) rallied to outscore Dripping Springs 13-3 in the final frame. The Lady Tigers’ loss came on the heels of a 50-point district opening road win over the Travis Lady Rebels Dec. 11. In that contest, nearly every Lady Tiger player recorded at least one point and one rebound against an outmatched Travis squad. Dripping Springs’ Ally Beck scored a game-high 13 points, while sophomore Caroline Gamble finished with 12 points. Six other Lady Tiger players finished with five or more points in the game. Junior Avery Johnson led the team with five total rebounds and four assists as well as one steal against Travis. Beck, along with seniors Caitlyn Brack and Hannah Pena each recorded four
DISTRICT MVP
More than 20 Dripping Springs Tiger football players earned postseason honors after they were named to the 12-5A, Division I All-District team earlier this month. Tiger quarterback Tanner Prewit led the way by earning district Most Valuable Player honors for his efforts. In his senior season, Prewit went 117 for 206 for 2,006 yards and 24 touchdowns to only four interceptions this season. Prewit also rushed for 698 yards and eleven touchdowns on 91 carries in 2018.
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Tanner Prewit, quarterback
OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Cameron O’Banan, wide receiver
DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Stephen Ansumana, defensive lineman
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Jake Cox, running back Parker Alford, wide receiver Colin DeWitt, offensive line Jake Williamson, offensive line Kevin Kelly, center
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Kevin Perrydore, defensive tackle Jakob Joy, inside linebacker Nico Ramirez, outside linebacker Cole Cavender, safety Cameron O’Banan, punter
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Curtis Cox, running back Ty Kaatz, wide receiver, Manny Ansumana, offensive line Coleman Chapman, kicker
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Haden Dahl, outside linebacker Lane Dominey, cornerback Andrews Flores Perry, cornerback Lane Dominey, returner
HONORABLE MENTION
Adam Ahlman, inside linebacker Enzo Arnold, wide receiver, Jackson Massey, offensive line Desi De La Cruz, kicker
PHOTO BY WAYLAND CLARK, WFOTOS.COM
Dripping Springs’ Caroline Gamble, right, takes control of the ball as she and Rouse’s Cailyn Kieper scuffle for a loose ball. Gamble (3-3s and total of 13 points) and the Lady Tigers rained down three-point shots on the Raiders and won 46-33.
total boards. Senior Kennedy Donovan recorded six steals. Dripping Springs led 24-5 after the first quarter. The Tiger defense clamped down and kept Travis scoreless for the next two quarters. Meanwhile, the Tigers went on a 36-0 run that spanned eight minutes of game time. The Tigers outscored Travis 16-11 in the final quarter.
So far this season, Beck leads the team by averaging just over nine points per game, while Donovan follows with 8.9 points per contest. Brack leads the Lady Tigers with four rebounds per game, while Pena is averaging 3.4. Dripping Springs hosts Lanier Friday at 7 p.m. The Lady Tigers are then in action Jan. 2 on the road at Austin LBJ.
DISTRICT 25-5A GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS as of Dec. 18 Lanier 1-0
Crockett 2-0 LBJ 2-0
Dripping Springs 1-1 Lockhart 1-1 Reagan 0-2 Travis 0-1
McCallum 0-2
Education Hetrick elected to fill interim position on TASB STAFF REPORT
The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) elected Mary Jane Hetrick of Dripping Springs ISD to fill an interim position on the TASB Board of Directors, representing TASB Region 13, Position B. Hetrick is in her second
term on the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees. She is a 2017 Leadership TASB graduate and Master Trustee. She also has served two years as a delegate to the TASB Delegate Assembly. She received a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Texas-Pan American,
which is now UTRio Grande Valley. She continued her education at Auburn University at MontHETRICK gomery (AUM), earning a master
of public administration, certificate in nonprofit management, and then received a doctorate in public administration and public policy from Auburn University. Hetrick’s professional experience includes working as the women’s sports information director for UTPA, scholarship coordi-
nator for the University of Texas at Brownsville, and an adjunct professor for AUM and Troy University. In 2014, she founded Foundation Logic, LLC, a nonprofit consulting business. Active in her community, Hetrick has served on the Dripping Springs Education Foundation Board,
the Foster Village Board, building and visioning committees for her church, and a grassroots committee with a mission to build a new Veterans Hall in the greater Dripping Springs area. She also has done extensive pro bono consulting and grant writing for several local nonprofits.
Filing period for DSISD board elections opens in January STAFF REPORT The filing period for school board candidates in Dripping Springs ISD begins Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, and continues through Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. DSISD’s seven board of trustee members do not represent places; they are all “at-large” representatives. Trustees serve three-year terms. The current terms of trustees Marisa Grijalva and Jon Thompson expire this May.
SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES IN TEXAS MUST: • • • • •
Be a United States Citizen; Be 18 years of age or older; Not be mentally incapacitated (as defined in policy); Have not been convicted of a felony; Be a resident of Texas and the district for a specified period of time (see policy); and • Be a registered voter from the territory of office sought.
An informational session on becoming a Board member will be held Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2018, in the Board Room at 6:00 p.m. Early voting runs from April 23-May 1. Election Day is May 5. For more information on becoming a DSISD school board member, visit dsisd.txed.us.
COURTESY PHOTO On Dec. 17, Rooster Springs Elementary fourth-grader Deacon Speirs (far right) watches as Rooster Springs classmates play the video game he created on an iPad. Rooster Springs fourth grade GT students brainstormed, storyboarded, designed, and created their own Video Games using Bloxels with 3D MakerSpace creations of their main character.
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Thursday, December 20, 2018
Area seniors advocate for more resources BY EXSAR ARGUELLO Up to 95 percent of elder abuse cases in the U.S. go unreported, leaving the nation’s aging population as one of the most vulnerable, according to recent reports. Other issues, including depression, isolation and anxiety, are other components that can also lead to detrimental issues for senior citizens. Texas is lacking in certain departments when it comes to serving its older population, according to a new WalletHub report. Texas ranks 43rd in the country in healthcare and other services for elders. However, Texas ranks high in elderly protections, which stems in the state’s culture to help its citizens. “Sadly, the quality of nursing homes in Texas is the third lowest in the country,” said Jill Gonzalez, an analyst at Wallethub. “We determined that by considering the percentage of certified nursing home beds rated four or five stars. Texas only has a 32.2 percent share.” According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, indi-
viduals with less social support are more likely to be victims of abuse as they age. With 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day, organizations are moving to help gauge senior citizens in a community environment. In Kyle, the Kyle Area Senior Zone (KASZ) is experiencing a major overhaul in activities and learning opportunities for Hays County seniors. These efforts, if successful, will help keep senior citizens engaged in social activities, which in turn, can lead to a healthier lifestyle. At the forefront is Larry Simone, KASZ president, who during his first 90 days in the position is fighting to change the perception of senior citizens. “Our seniors are younger, healthier, smarter and more talented than the seniors of the past,” Simone said. “We need to keep our senior citizens healthy and engaged. This will help them live a healthier lifestyle.” Currently, KASZ hosts weekly lunches, yoga classes and other social gatherings like card playing. But Simone wants the organization and the
County to step up DWI patrols during holidays STAFF REPORT From Dec. 17-Jan. 1, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office and area law enforcement agencies will be ramping up traffic patrols on highways in an effort to curb driving while intoxicated (DWI) cases. According to a press release, the increased presence is part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) “Plan While You Can” campaign, which encourages safe rides home during the holiday season. The campaign aims to decrease crashes and save lives by urging drivers to plan a sober ride prior to driving to their holiday celebrations, according to the release. In 2017, there were 2,469 alcohol related crashing in Texas during the holiday season. Those wrecks killed 96 people and seriously injured 202,
Planning to have a merry and bright holiday season? Be sure to follow these tips to keep yourself and others safe. • Designate a sober driver prior to celebrating • Call a cab or ride-share service (such as Uber or Lyft) • Ask a sober friend or family member for a ride home
according to the release. HCSO officials encourages residents to plan for a sober ride prior to holiday celebrations. Residents can visit soberrides.org to find alternatives to driving and driving. Those who are caught drinking and driving risk killing themselves or others, as well as face up to $17,000 in fines, jail time and possible suspension of their driver’s license.
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A handful of senior citizens take part in calisthenic exercises at the Onion Creek Senior Citizens center in Buda.
Texas ranks 43rd in the country in resources for elders to healthcare and other services. However, Texas ranks high in elderly protections, which stems in the states’ culture to help its citizens. city of Kyle to do more. Simone said he wants to utilize the talent in the senior citizen's group by hosting seminars and events about cybersecurity, genealogy and art classes. The organization is also planning to host “jam sessions” with local elderly musicians to keep them musically in tune. “The city of Kyle is
networks, mood and well-being in community-dwelling elderly, 34 percent of those surveyed over the age of 65 were depressed. Additionally, 35 percent of the 1,329 surveyed persons had a non-integrated social network. Loneliness was higher in women, the widowed behind. They gave us the and those with physical historic city hall over a disabilities and increased decade ago, but that isn’t age, according to the enough,” Simone said. report. “Why don’t we have a KASZ boasts around Department of Aging? 800 members, but to Why is senior citizen Simone, engagement behealth and well-being so tween members must be overlooked? We’re here to a pivotal point of interest change that.” in the future. According to a peer-reThe organization’s viewed report titled Lone- members are a diverse liness, social support group of senior citizens,
from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. And although they may all have different interests, Simone said the organization will work to provide services everyone can utilize. These services, he believes, can help keep the senior population engaged, educated and mobile. “But it’s also a case of the authorities not doing enough to prevent this kind of abuse,” Gonzalez said. “Unfortunately, elder abuse is a real and growing problem. The earlier we, as a country, become aware of this, the faster we can start taking steps to stop it from happening.”
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1 TXism: “feeling his ____” (frisky) 5 Hilton’s 1st TX hotel was “a cross between a gold mine and a ____house” 6 Cowboy Irvin was denied Hall of ____ on 1st ballot 7 TX Vikki Carr’s “It Must __ Him” 8 TXism: “it would jerk the tears out of a glass eye” 9 TXism: “exciting as a ____ __ the IRS office” 15 sacred 16 sinners’ fate in “hellfire” sermon 19 Hereford has country’s largest ___-____ rodeo 21 old cowboys can ____ _ cigarette 22 TX Gen. Zaragoza of Cinco de Mayo 27 shape of TX Motor Speedway 28 “my heart ______ for you” 29 celestial object 30 young man who delivers papers 32 “Ah” sidekick? 33 TX JoBeth Williams 1980 comedy film 36 TXism: “it’s hard to ____ with eagles when you work with turkeys” 37 pioneer internet co.
Spanish Mass Sunday: 1:30 p.m.
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Texas Crossword
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Employment
Page 5
Texas Statewide Advertising Network
NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SUBDIVIDE
An application is being filed with HAYS COUNTY to replat Lot 75, Resubdivision of The River Oaks Ranch Phase One consisting of 2.13 acres of property located at 204 W. Lakeshore Drive, Dripping Springs, TX 78620. Information regarding the application may be obtained from Hays County Development Services (512) 393-2150.
TexSCAN Week of December 16, 2018
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Providing you with your most important local news for Dripping Springs, Wimberley and surrounding communities
Texas Press Statewide Classified Network 283 Participating Texas Newspapers • Regional Ads Start At $250 • Email ads@texaspress.com 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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Service Directory Central Garage, LLC
Dirt
Dirt Cheap
(512) 894-4114 or (512) 858-4252
Rick-Rob Trucking 512- 858-7952
1 120 Hwy 290 W Mon-Fri, 8-5:30 Dripping Springs, TX 78620 Danny Hubbard
www.rick-rob.com
robinnds@aol.com
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Ray Brown 325.248.5027 Ray@DebRayHomes.com DebRayHomes.com
Honey-Do List Drywall Repair Clean Dryer Vent Leaking Toilet Repairs for Sale of Home H Insured
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Page 6
News-Dispatch
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Hall, a Wimberley area attorney, was defeated by incumbent Pct. 3 Commissioner Lon Shell by a slim 37 vote margin on Nov. 6. Results remained the same after Hall petitioned and was granted a Nov. 28 recount.
SH45SW Update
Election Contested
Continued from pg. 1
PHOTO COURTESY OF TXDOT
An aerial photos show construction progress at the intersection of State Highway 45 Southwest and Loop 1 (MoPac) in southwest Austin. According to officials, construction on SH45SW, a four-lane toll road, should to be completed by spring 2019.
SH45SW toll road slated for spring 2019 completion BY CARLIE PORTERFIELD Despite weather delays, construction on the new SH 45 Southwest (SW) toll road is still ahead of schedule, Hays County officials said. The four-lane toll road will link MoPac in Austin with FM 1626 near Bliss Spillar Road in Hays County. Construction began in November 2016. Hays County Pct. 2 Commissioner Mark Jones said the project is on track to be ready for drivers by April 2019.
“It’s still moving ahead of schedule and going well,” Jones said. “It should hopefully be completed around the same time we have FM 1626 done, in April or May.” The two projects will give drivers improved access to Austin and the western portion of Hays County. Officials said drivers who use the new tollway can expect to save up to 17 minutes when driving from Hays County to Central Austin. That will ease
congestion on Interstate 35 and other routes, so drivers going to Austin who continue to travel on those roads will save between 6 and 7 minutes, officials said. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) will set a toll rate when the highway is closer to opening. For now, it is anticipated to be around a $1.00 toll. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the expressway will not have frontage roads in order
to limit the impact to the surrounding environment. The project also includes a ten-foot-wide shared use path that will be separated from the roadway for nearly the entire length of the project. The total cost was reported to be $108 million and is being paid for using funds from the state and Hays and Travis counties. In July, a judge ruled in favor of CTRMA and TxDOT in a lawsuit filed to stop construction on SH 45 SH and another
south Austin mobility project to improve MoPac intersections. The Save Our Springs (SOS) Alliance and other plaintiffs argued endangered salamanders and birds would be harmed by the construction. Both projects had already received environmental clearance. A proposed connection from FM 1626 to Interstate 35 is included in the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 2040 Plan for study.
Self-Sustaining: in Wimberely ISD
WoodsCycleCountry.com 830-606-9828
1933 N Interstate 35, New Braunfels, TX 78130 IH-35 southbound frontage road, Canyon Lake Exit 191
Continued from pg. 1
cal entities for planning the project. David Baker, executive director of the WVWA, is calling the campus a major victory in water conservation efforts, especially in light of water global temperatures that have expedited natural disasters like flooding and drought, especially in Hays County. Baker said the concept of net-zero, which is the goal of having the campus run on 100 percent reusable water with no external resource, has been worked on for nearly two decades. WISD will now be the first school in Texas to tackle the new water conservation measure. However, officials say getting to net-zero will take some time.
“In the early 2000s we saw, on different occasions, Jacob’s Well stop flowing for the first time in history,” Baker said. “We needed to take action to be more productive in water resource management and this opportunity came up with the school that we couldn’t pass.” Baker said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have standards in place to protect water resources, and he urged that action needs to be taken before agencies intervene. According to the report by the WISD and the Meadows Center, the one-water school will also have some
economic benefits for the district. The district projects that it will save around $800,000 over 30 years in utilities as less water is being used to operate the school. Fulkerson said the money saved can help the district employ additional staff and teachers while keeping the district less energy dependent from outside sources. “We believe water has value at every part of the water cycle. Rainwater, drinking water and grey water — it all needs to be utilized and managed at all levels,” Baker said. “Even the water we don’t consider safe for consumption will go to watering our fields and the native landscape. It all has a purpose.”
voting locations by election officials, some of which did not get the opportunity to vote because of time.” Hall said his team currently has anecdotal information on the matter, but is gathering evidence for the case. Hall said there were a number of voters who were given ballots for the wrong Hays County Commissioners election. Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Anderson said she has not been in contact with the district court, but she assumes she will be called as a witness in the proceedings. According to the petition, if the evidence shows that the outcome of the election cannot be determined because of the allegations, then the court could call a new election as provided by the Texas Election Code. “I want to let all my supporters know I am working very hard to make sure all of their votes are properly counted,” Hall said.
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