DECEMBER 22, 2021 HOMES NEEDED
NEW CITY OFFICIALS
Shelters full of furry friends that need a place to call home.
Kyle and Buda have new representation on their city councils.
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News-Dispatch HaysNewsDispatch.com
Vol. 42 • No. 13
Serving Hays County, TX
DS man subpoenaed for involvement in Jan. 6 Capitol attack BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
claims about fraud in the 2020 election which later led to the Jan. 6 attacks. A Dripping Springs man Waldron, a retired U.S. was subpoenaed by the United States House Select Com- Army Colonel, is the owner of One Shot Distillery in mittee on the Jan. 6 Attack Dripping Springs. He is for his alleged involvement also the founder and CEO with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. of OneWarrior, teaching Chairman Bennie G. self-defense courses and Thompson (D-MS) said in firearm training. a press release on Dec. 16 Waldron was apparthat the Select Committee ently in communication subpoenaed James ‘Phil’ with White House officials, Waldron for records and testimony, saying that he ap- including Mark Meadows, pears to have been involved and members of Congress, whom he briefed on election with efforts to promote
Waldron, the owner of One Shot Distillery in Dripping Springs, was apparently in communication with White House officials, including Mark Meadows, and members of Congress, whom he briefed on election fraud theories.
fraud theories. He also publicly acknowledged that he contributed to the creation of an over 30-page PowerPoint presentation that was given
to, or described for, Republican members of Congress on the eve of Jan. 6, and attended meetings in early January 2021 at the Willard
Hotel in Washington D.C to gather purported evidence of election fraud. Two days before his subpoena, on Dec. 14, Waldron gave a presentation titled “Built for Integrity: How to make Louisiana elections transparent and trustworthy” as an invited speaker at a Louisiana voting system commission meeting. Waldron’s presentation said that the electoral system in place is “vulnerable to fake voters, fake ballots and fake counts” and outlined
ways to prevent voter fraud — including only in-person, election day voting and getting rid of “black box” voting machines and relying solely on hand-counted ballots that would later be counted on a live stream. Several members of the commission questioned the practicality and accuracy of this proposed process. Thompson said in the press release that the document Waldron reportedly
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PEC changes solar power rates BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
PHOTO BY TERRY CAROLL FOLEY
Hays emergency services prepares for winter’s worst STAFF REPORT Potentially severe weather events are on the minds of county staff as the Hays County Office of Emergency Services (OES) prepares for any severe weather events that may occur this winter season after the county experienced a historic snowstorm in February 2021. During the February aftermath, power and water went out for thousands of residents around the region. According
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Residents can sign up to receive emergency alerts via phone, email or text through warncentraltexas. org, or visit haysinformed. com for countywide emergency information.
PHOTO BY DAVID SWEET
Creekside Villas resident being escorted into Hays Hills Baptist Church last February when pipes froze and broke, flooding the senior living apartments.
MRS. MYERS 3RD GRADE
Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Russell’s third grade classes from Carpenter Hill Elementary thought it would be fun to be one of Santa’s Elves for the upcoming holidays, so their classes sent job cover letters to Santa in hopes of gaining seasonal employment.
Dear Santa, I would love to be an elf bedcause I am great at making stuff like robots, lights and fake electronics. Another reason is I am fast. If you need assistance from another elf. I can run very fast so you can get assistance. My last reason is I can watch children because I am sneaky, very sneaky. So I’d be a great elf on the shelf, righr? LOVE, YOUR FRIEND Brodie Dear Santa, I love elves and how is my chance. Here are 3 reasons you should hire me. Reasons 1, I am so nice. I make mean people nice. And I stand up for people. Once I was at a park and somebody was being
TEXAS HISTORY Handicap did not hold back “Three-Legged Willie”
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made fun of so I stood up for them. Next I love milk and cookies so much there is only 2 times I forgot to give you cookies. Last I love making toys. I think the nice people should have good toys. Santa please think a lot for hiring me. Love Trey Dear Santa, I think I would be a spectacular elf. First, I am very good helper like I got helping hand last ear. I also got person very nice. I don’t really like milk bot I LOVE cookies. One of the kinds I like is oreos. I love Christmas songs and I am wonderful at wrapping presents and unwrapping. If you santa need an elf, that’s me. I’m here in Texas for you. Love Noval
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The News-Dispatch Barton Publications, Inc. The News-Dispatch (USPS 011-401) 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
Solar-power users within the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) service area will soon face changes to their bill. The PEC board of directors unanimously voted during the regular meeting on Dec. 17 to approve a new solar interconnection rate called Sustainable Power Credit after an ‘over year-long public process of cost review, member input and independent studies.’ According to PEC Board President Emily Pataki, the credit will continue to provide financial incentives for members who choose to invest in rooftop solar without requiring subsidization from non-solar members. But the change to the rate did not come without pushback from PEC members, including from State Rep. Erin Zweiner, who asked during the Dec. 17 meeting that the board delay the vote or table it all together. Zwiener told the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch that PEC uses net metering, meaning customers pay for the total net energy they use, and are credited for energy they didn’t use but was produced by their solar panel system. Under this new decision, she said, PEC will charge customers around 9 cents/kWh and pay them back (credit) 5 cents/kWh. PEC, though, said that advancements with metering and billing software systems since 2016 have enabled the coop to more accurately measure the ‘true cost’ of serving its solar members. With this new data, the PEC board of directors commissioned an independent “Value of Solar Study” and a separate independent economic analysis to determine the benefits and costs gained by the co-op from members with solar installations. But a nonprofit group, Public Citizens, that says it is fighting for a more diverse energy system, said that PEC’s “Value of Solar Study”
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