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Tri-Canyon’s Only Weekly Newspaper!
Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 7 No. 31
INSIDE
www.hillcountryherald.net
August 2, 2017
editor@hillcountryherald.net
REAL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPOINT KEVIN CHISUM TO FILL CONSTABLE POSITION by Julie Becker
1980’s AMERICA! ............................ Page 4
Dub’s Corner
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REAL COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WANTED PERSONS AND FUGITIVES ............................. Page 3
Real County Commissioners appointed Kevin Chisum to fill the Real County Constable position at a special called meeting on Monday. The Constable position was left vacant when Commissioners appointed then Constable Nathan T. Johnson to fill the Real County Sheriff position. Chisum said “I look forward to working for the people of Real County as their Constable. As Constable I will continue to work with the Sheriff. I’m honored to serve Real County in this new capacity.” Chisum ran against Johnson for the position in the March 2016 primary,
losing to Johnson. Commissioners took the item to executive session but did not take any of the applicants in for an interview. Coming back into open session the vote was 5-0 in favor of Chisum. Real County Judge Garry Merritt reminded the Commissioners the reason for decreasing Real County from two Justice of the Peace and two Constable postions down to one, was to save the taxpayer dollars. Commissioner Manuel Rubio stated he agreed with the move and “It is much better and gives the Sheriff more control.” During Budget workshop discussion, Merritt did not discuss the incoming
Constable’s salary, but did request an increase for the current Justice of the Peace, Dianne Rogers from $11,980 to $20,000. Commissioner Joe Connell stated “I don’t understand doubling that salary, it seems excessive to me.” The proposed budget lists 3 of the 4 Real County Sheriff Deputy salaries as $37,289.31, while Connell’s salary is listed as $19,515.71. Merritt gave the Commissioners the Real County Appraisal District Proposed Budget. It lists the proposed salary for a new Chief Appraiser as $73,500 and the clerk as $38,275. Commissioners set the 2017 Proposed
Tax Rate at .5500/$100 Value. They also set public hearings regarding the 2017 proposed Tax Rate for August 28 @6pm and September 1 @ 9am. The next Commissioners Court meeting will be held September 11 at 9am. Commissioners went into executive session regarding acquisition of property at Real County Airport, taking no action when they returned to open session. They returned to executive session to discuss acquisition of property from Historic Leakey, LP again taking no action when they returned to open session. With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 11 a.m.
Meteor Shower Coming August 12 The 2017 Perseids will peak on the night of August 12 and early morning hours of August 13. This year, a Waning Gibbous Moon may hinder a good view of the meteor shower. The Perseid meteor shower, one of the brighter meteor showers of the year, occurs every year between July 17 and August 24. The shower tends to peak around August 9-13. The best time to view the Perseids, and most other meteor showers, is when the sky is the darkest. Most astronomers suggest that depending on the Moon’s phase, the best time to view meteor showers is right before dawn. Made of tiny space debris from the comet SwiftTuttle, the Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus. This is because the direction, or radiant, from which the shower seems to come in the sky lies in the same direction as the constellation
Perseus, which can be found in the north-eastern part of the sky.
While the skies are lit up several times a year by other meteor showers, the Perseids are widely sought after by astronomers and stargazers. This is because, at its peak, one can see 60 to 100 meteors in an hour from a dark place. The Perseids can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere. Look between the radiant, which will be in the north-east part of the sky, and the zenith (the point in the sky directly above you). While you can easily see a shooting star with the naked eye just looking straight up; check the weather: meteors, or shooting stars, are easy to spot. Get out of town: Find a place as far away as possible from artificial lights. Prepare to wait: Bring something to sit or lie down on. Star gazing is a waiting game, so get comfortable.
SWTJC prepares for concealed campus carry Uvalde, TX, – Uvalde, TX, – Come September 1, 2017, SWTJC will allow concealed handguns to be carried on any of the colleges’ sites with the exceptions of the Pearsall and Hondo campuses. The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 11 during the 84th Legislative Session in 2015, which was signed into law in June of the same year by Governor Greg Abbott. The Pearsall and Hondo campuses are exempt due to those buildings being leased by entities which are not required to adhere to the new law. The building in Hondo is leased from the City of Hondo, while the Pearsall building is leased from the Pearsall Independent School District.
SWTJC President, Dr. Hector Gonzales formed the Campus Concealed Carry Committee to obtain input and feedback from the SWTJC community regarding the implementation of the new law. The committee submitted a report containing implementation recommendations to President Gonzales. Exclusionary Zones areas on campus where the concealed carry of a firearm is not permitted, which include child care facilities located on campus, nursing and radiology laboratories, testing rooms, libraries, cafeterias and snack bars. For a complete list of exclusionary zones visit swtjc.edu for a frequently asked questions page has been published. The new Texas law permits individuals who have
obtained a concealed handgun license (CHL) to carry their loaded, concealed weapon in college and university buildings. Each college and university may determine certain sensitive areas and buildings* where concealed weapons will continue to be prohibited. Each college and university must publically display campus policies on the official school website, as well as widely publicizing it among correspondence with the institution’s faculty, staff, and students. Previous laws permitting the concealed carry with a license on open campus grounds and in locked vehicles in parking lots will remain unchanged.
Sabinal ISD Press Release- Back to School 2017-2018 ............................ Page 8
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INDEX Legals/Jail Register ... . Page 3Community News ......... Page 4-7 Feature Story ............... Page 8-9 Obituaries ...................... Page 10 Classifieds ..................... Page 14
Today’s Weather
High: 83° Low: 68°
With a new school year right around the corner staff at Sabinal Independent School District has numerous events scheduled for the students and staff. High school football, volleyball, and cross-country athletes will begin practicing with High School Volleyball beginning August 1 at 8:00 a.m., while the high school football, cross country, cheerleading and band will begin August 7. The high school volleyball team will open up at home on August 8 against Carrizo Springs and Utopia in a dual match beginning at 10:00 a.m. On August 9, the public is invited to the annual Meet the Jackets event held at the Yellowjacket Football Stadium beginning at 6:30 p.m. The fall sports programs and participants will be introduced and recognized throughout
the evening. The high school football team will host their first scrimmage of the season against San Antonio Christian on Friday August 18 at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday August 22 will mark the first day for junior high volleyball, football
and cross country participants. Parents who have questions regarding fall athletics should contact athletic director Jason Keller at 830-988-2475. The high school band is under the direction of new band director, Mrs. Dawn Henry. The High school band will begin practices on August 7, meeting from 5:00 p.m. to 9: 00 p.m. First band rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday, July 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
New Secondary students who will be in grades 6-12 should register at the High School office, beginning August 1, 2017 and ends August 18, 2017. Registration will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and new elementary students enrolling in first through fifth grades should register beginning August 1st and will continue through August 18th. Registration hours are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the elementary school office. Individuals interested in working as substitute teachers need to attend a mandatory orientation August 8th at 8: 30 to noon in the high school library. Please contact Mrs. Maggie Lopez prior to August 8th at 830-988-2472. continued page 4
Texas Sales Tax Holiday is August 11-13 (AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reminds shoppers they can save money on certain items during the state’s annual sales tax holiday. This year, the sales tax holiday is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11-13. The law exempts most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced below $100 from sales tax, saving shoppers
about $8 on every $100 they spend during the weekend. “Most folks won’t hear the back-toschool bell for another month, but it’s never too early to take advantage of the opportunity to save money on everything from ball caps to ballpoint pens,” Hegar said. “As the father of three young children, I
know how these expenses can add up.” Lists of apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax-free can be found on the Comptroller’s website at TexasTaxHoliday.org. This year, shoppers will save an estimated $87 million in state and local sales taxes during the sales tax holiday. Texas’ tax holiday weekend has been an annual event since 1999.