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Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 6 No. 1
INSIDE
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WET WINTER FOR TEXAS?
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www.hillcountryherald.net
editor@hillcountryherald.net
January 6, 2016
2016 REAL COUNTY JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW The Real County Junior Livestock Show Association is proud to announce the 68th Annual Livestock Show and Sale scheduled for Thursday and Friday, January 14-15, 2016 at the E. E. Bushong Show Barn on Ranch Road 337 West in Leakey. We have 157 exhibitors signed up for our show this year and our entries are: 5 horses, 17 pens of rabbits, 54 breeder rabbits, 53 meat goats, 64 breeder meat goats, 46 lambs, 21 swine and 13 pens of broilers. Exhibitors are to bring their animals to the show barn between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM on Thursday. The animals will be sifted, classified and weighed. Judging of the horses will begin at 1 PM followed by rabbits, broilers, breeder meat goats and finishing with the meat goats. On Friday at 9:00 AM judging will begin with the lamb class followed by the swine class.We will provide a full concession on Thursday and Friday, as well as our traditional hometown barbecue lunch served Friday at 11:30 AM. Trophies and special awards will be presented Friday at 12:45 PM, followed by the auction beginning at 1:00 PM. You won’t want to miss the entertainment of the sale hosted by our long-time supporters, Southwest Livestock Exchange, out of Uvalde, Texas! (see order of show page 4)
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LEAKEY TEXAS STYLE
Pastor Mark Spaniel of First Baptist Church in Leakey, leads the way for the youth groups annual Polar Bear Swim at Happy Hollow, Yaklin Cabins on New Year’s Day. The temperature was 44 degrees and it was a very Frio River! The youngest jumper was four year old Ruby Jean Rimkus. This year was especially fun as the event was captured by a drone. The video feed can be seen at www.firstbaptistchurchleakey.com This jumper is Seth Hughes, son of Tim and Sophia Hughes. Tim is the director of Alto Frio Baptist Encampment. (see more pics page 2)
DAR MEMBERS ENJOY CHRISTMAS PARTY AT HOME OF TONI HULL by Karen Collins
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January Hill Country Blood Drives ........................ Page 5
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INDEX Legals/Jail Register ...... Page 3 Community News ......... Page 4-6 Feature Story ................. Page 7 Obituaries ...................... Page 8 Classifieds ..................... Page 12
Today’s Weather
High:56° Low: 44°
Uvalde de las Encinas Chapter members, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), meeting at the beautifully decorated home of member Toni Hull in Uvalde on Saturday, December 12, enjoyed a delicious potluck luncheon, a time of visiting, and a delightful program by musicians Toni Hull, Julie Thomas, and Joseph Ruelle. Twenty-eight members attended the party. Chaplain Lesley Jones offered a prayer of thanks prior to the meal. Other business was suspended until the next meeting. During the program, Julie Thomas alternated between playing the flute and singing Christmas carols. Toni Hull played the piano and Joseph Ruelle was the vocalist. The group participated in a SingAlong as the program ended. The next meeting of the Uvalde de las
Encinas Chapter, NSDAR, will be at El Progreso Library on Saturday, January 16, 2016. The program will be provided by guest speaker Paul Burrier, who will discuss his experiences during the Vietnam War. Honoring the veterans of the Vietnam War has been the theme for this year’s NSDAR projects. This organization meets on the third Saturday of each month at 11 am. Any woman 18 years of age or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership in DAR. For more information, contact Betty Lawrence at 830-278-6163. Pictured are musicians Julie Thomas, Toni Hull, and Joseph Reulle.
ABBOTT’S RESPONSE TO LEAKEY WASTEOBAMA EXECUTIVE ACTIONS WATER PROJECT UPDATE Governor Greg Abbott released the following statement in response to President Obama’s executive actions imposing gun control measures across the country. “The Bill of Rights was added as a specific safeguard to prevent the federal government from denying Americans those guaranteed rights,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, the President trampled the purpose and substance of the Bill of Rights by unilaterally imposing Second Amendment restrictions. After failing to pass gun control measures through Congress, the President is yet again resorting to unilateral executive action in place of the democratic process. Despite the President’s latest attempt to undermine our liberty, Texas will take every action to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.” Fox News reported “President Obama on Tuesday will formally announce plans to expand background checks and make other changes to America’s gun rules via executive action, going around Congress and fueling allegations of executive overreach. At the centerpiece of Obama’s plan is a more sweeping definition of gun dealers that the
administration hopes will expand the number of gun sales subject to background checks. At gun shows, websites and flea markets, sellers often skirt that requirement by declining to register as licensed dealers, but officials said new federal guidance would clarify that it applies to anyone “in the business” of selling firearms. Obama’s actions, detailed by the White House Monday, mark a renewed bid by the president to enact gun control measures with or without Congress. Republicans accused the president of going too far, and already have threatened to fight the new measures by withholding DOJ funding. The guidance, though, aims to achieve a long-time administration goal of at least narrowing the so-called gun show loophole. Under current law, only federally licensed gun dealers must conduct background checks on buyers, but many who sell guns at flea markets, on websites or in other informal settings don’t register as dealers. The ATF has issued updated guidance that says the government can consider someone a gun dealer regardless of where the guns are sold. continued page 5
by Julie Becker
On December 14, 2015 the Nueces River Authority received notice from the Texas Water Development Board the additional $16.547 Million grant for Phase II of the project was approved for construction funding. The renovation of the Office Building and Lab just south of Leakey is on schedule. The contract for the Plant has not been awarded and an extension until Feb. 7 was granted for further review. Utility Director Mike Collard submitted a current status of the pipeline construction that is currently underway: The contractor has completed laying pipe in several locations but still has much more to go to have the whole project complete. Areas where work has progressed are as follows:
Timbers Rd. and RR 337; Along RR 337 from Mountain St. to concrete plant; Mountain St. crossing of RR 337; 5th St. crossing HWY 83; HWY 83 crossing just south of RR 337 (6 1⁄2 st); 7th St. crossing of HWY 83; 7th St. on east side of HWY 83 to Vaughan Rd.; Relocation of some water mains which were in conflict with the sewer main. Some other miscellaneous items also have been completed: preparation of manholes for installation and proper planning measures like potholing for utilities at locations where work is scheduled to begin. The sewer line project will continue in the upcoming months. Please remember to seek out alternate routes.