February 4 2015

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Tri-Canyon’s Only Weekly Newspaper!

Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 5 No. 5

INSIDE

Dub’s Corner ............................ Page 7

Burk Feed Saturday February 7th from 9am to 1pm ............................ Page 7

Cost of having diabetes has doubled in two decades ............................ Page 9

ASTEROID BLOW BY

www.hillcountryherald.net

NEW FACES OF REAL COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE by Julie Becker

When the Real County Commissioners appointed Bruce Carr to fill the term of longtime Real County Sheriff James Brice, Carr also took on the task of staffing the Sheriff’s office. Though he is not new, Real County Deputy Nathan Johnson has become a strong force on the Sheriff’s Department. Johnson has 17 years of experience including several years in Uvalde County as a deputy. Johnson relocated from Winters,Texas, and previously worked at the City of Winters as the Chief of Police. Mark Cox, a native of Camp Wood, has 9 years of law enforcement experience. Cox was lucky, he did not have to relocate, he lives in Camp Wood, and previously worked as Deputy Sheriff-Criminal Investigator with the Edwards County Sheriff’s Office. New to the area is Steve Castro. Castro has 7 years of law enforcement experience. He relocated from

Boerne,Texas and previously worked at the City of Von Ormy as Sergeant of Patrol. As we begin a new year with a new Sheriff and new Deputies, please remember “They put their lives on the line to protect and serve”. In the atmosphere of today’s world law enforcement officers deal with a diverse set of problems. Though national issues seldom touch our communities, don’t let the discontentment of our nation guide your respect for our officers. Sheriff Carr has repeatedly said “My door is always open”. If you have an issue with our Sheriff’s Department don’t hesitate to give Carr a call or stop by the office. Lastly, remember all of our elected Officials work for the residents of Real County. Your tax dollars support this office, so be confident in your officials and support them out in the community.

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INDEX State News .................... Page 2 Legals/Jail Register ...... Page 3 Community News ......... Page 4-6 Feature Story ................. Page 7 Obituaries ...................... Page 8 Classifieds ..................... Page 12

Today’s Weather

High: 63° Low: 54°

Pictured LtoR: Real County Deputies, Mark Cox, Steve Castro and Nathan Johnson

REAL COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTIONS Throughout this year, we will have various articles regarding Texas property taxes. The Hill Country Region of Texas is changing before our eyes. With the changes from agricultural uses of land to Commerical properties, the tax burden, which is to be fair and equitable, will take a major change of path. The Texas agricultural exemption is not technically an exemption. It is a county appraisal district assessment valuation based on agricultural use. Therefore, it is actually an agricultural appraisal. Landowners may apply for this special appraisal status based on their land’s productivity value rather than on what the land would sell for on the open market. Typically, a productivity value is lower than the market value, which results in a lower property tax. Landowners must

use their land for agriculture. There is a rollback tax for taking agricultural land out of its productivity use. Property owners may qualify for an agricultural appraisal status if their land meets the following criteria: • The land must be devoted principally to agricultural use. Agricultural use includes producing crops, livestock, poultry, fish, or cover crops. It also can include leaving the land idle for a government program or for normal crop or livestock rotation. Land used for raising certain exotic animals (including exotic birds) to produce human food or other items of commercial value qualifies. • TheUsing land for wildlife

management is an agricultural use, if such land was previously qualified open-space land and is actively used for wildlife management. Wildlife management land must be used in at least three of seven specific ways to propagate a breeding population of wild animals for human use. Agricultural land must be devoted to production at a level of intensity that is common in the local area. The land must have been devoted to agricultural production for at least five of the past seven years. However, land within the city limits must have been devoted continuously for the preceding five years,

by Julie Becker

unless the land did not receive substantially equal city services as other properties in the city. If land receiving an agricultural appraisal changes to a non-agricultural use, the property owner who changes the use will owe a rollback tax. The rollback tax is due for each of the previous five years in which the land received the lower appraisal. The rollback tax is the difference between the taxes paid on the land’s agricultural value and the taxes paid if the land had been taxed on its higher market value. Plus, the owner pays 7 percent interest for each year from the date the taxes would have been due. According to Real County Chief Appraiser, Kelley Shults “I did not have any rollbacks for 2014. continued page 2

Darrell McCall Is Coming To FOL Benefit Gala – Love Your Library The Buckhorn!! by Julie Becker

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February 4, 2015

editor@hillcountryherald.net

This weekend don’t miss seeing Country Music Legend Darrell McCall. McCall will be at the Buckhorn Bar & Grill south of Leakey on Hwy. 83, Saturday February 7, 2015. Tickets are $15 at the door. Darrell McCall actually began his recording career as a member of the Little Dippers in 1960. Darrell broke away from the group the following year, and by 1963 his sound had evolved into pure country. He sang both traditional country and honky tonk during the ‘60s, but eventually became devoted to the dance hall country that has remained popular for decades. Born in and raised in New Jasper, OH, Darrell began his musical career by landing a slot as a Saturday morning DJ on a local radio station when he was 15 years old. Around the same time, he was playing local dances and events as a musician. Following his high school graduation, he joined the Army, where he was stationed in Kentucky. After his tour of duty was completed, he and his childhood friend Johnny Paychech moved to Nashville in 1958. Darrell and Johnny attempted to record as a duo, but they were unsuccessful. Eventually, Darrell became a studio harmony vocalist, singing on records by Faron Young, George Jones, and Ray Price among others. In a short time, the studio work metamorphosed into road work, as he played bass and sang harmony for several different touring bands, including those of Young, Price, and Hank Williams Jr. Come out and enjoy all the fun at the Buckhorn!

The Spirit of ‘45 Richard Lehman was born to Raymond and Ruth Schaefer Lehman in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1927. His dad worked in the knitting mill in Laureldale. Richard was the middle child of six, with an older brother, two older sisters and two younger brothers, one of whom died as a child. He grew up in a poor family, learned many lessons in thrift from his father, recalls saving aluminum foil and making a whole nickel for his efforts. He also recalled that he always walked to school, regardless of weather or where they lived. He played the bass horn for a short time, worked in a grocery store, helped on the Dunn family farm, and for a coal company while growing up. Money earned went to pay for flying lessons, learning to fly a Taylorcraft. He went from boy scouts to the Civil Air Patrol, and played on the first Wyomissing H.S. football team. When Richard was a junior in high school, brother Ray, invited him to Sioux City Army Air Base where Ray was stationed. While there, he was provided flight gear and found himself in the air for a six hour

The Friends of the Library annual Bene�it Gala, “Love Your Library,” is this happening this weekend! If you haven’t purchased your tickets, they are selling like heart-shaped cupcakes, and there aren’t many left! Our silent and live auctions are going to be phenomenal this year. The donated items are too many to list, but include a guided birding weekend with lodging, a birding journal, and print of a King Fisher on the Frio; a stunning mohair vest made with Tibetan lamb fur trim; and a bottle of local wine: Frio Canyon Syrah, with a beautiful hand-crafted bottle stopper. The Bene�it Gala will be held on February 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the Frio Pecan Farm, and there are a few tickets still available for �25 at the library. Hurry and get your ticket before they’re all gone! Our Fantas�c Benefit Gala Sponsors to date: Platinum

First State Bank of Uvalde Gold Anonymous Frio Canyon Real Estate Lamb Holdings Texas Title Network The Hondo National Bank Silver Kay & Bailey Anderson Sandra Hodge Pioneer Real Estate Pam & Browne Rice S & L Reagan Ranch Suttle and Company Texarome Dr. Rachel Yates & Kent Yates Tickets are going fast, so have a heart and stop by the library to purchase your Bene�it Gala tickets or sponsorship today!

by Billie Franklin

mission, with about fifteen minutes in the co-pilot seat of a B-17. This gave Richard a taste for the military and he enlisted in the Army Air Forces shortly thereafter. He went on active duty in the Army Air Forces in 1945, one day before high school graduation in June, but Germany had surrendered on May 7. He was sent back to school to give his speech as president of his class and had to speak while in his uniform. By 1946, he completed his basic and mechanical training at Keesler Field, went on from there to Clark Field in the Philippines as a B29 mechanic. On September 18, 19,an officer welcomed his crew to the United States Air Force. Later, as a B-17 Crew Chief he spent time in Guam, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, New Guinea,

and Borneo. After returning to the States in 1948, Richard applied for, and was accepted to the Army Air Forces cadet program at Randolph Air Force Base, where he met Pat Graves on a blind date.


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