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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. 20
INSIDE
www.hillcountryherald.net
editor@hillcountryherald.net
May 17, 2017
Leakey ISD Seniors Awarded over $400,000 in Scholarships By Martha Sames
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May 10th was Senior Awards Night and Leakey ISD Seniors were awarded over $400,000 in scholarships. With the cost of a four-year degree approaching $100,000 at public universities, scholarships play a vital role in allowing and encouraging students to attend college without amassing large amounts of student debt. Businesses, individuals, and organizations in the Leakey area provided $174,600 of the scholarships with the remainder from the state, universities, and regional charitable organizations. Real County residents, Jesse & Betty Luxton, have been instrumental in bringing more scholarships to the students of Leakey IDS. They began granting scholarships to Leakey ISD graduates in 1999. The first year they gave two scholarships worth $4,000 each. As the years passed additional
providers contributed to their efforts to provide scholarships for local students. Since 1999, the Luxtons and their partners have awarded $1,172,000 in scholarships to 124 Leakey students. These Leakey ISD Seniors were awarded scholarships as follows: Anthony Ashley – Kent Creek Ranch/ Heminghaus - $6,000; Leakey Lions Club - $1,000; Lubbock Christian University Academic - $5,500 James Diaz – Concordia University (Football) - $116,000; Eastern Shawnee - $20,800; H E. Butt Family Foundation - $8,000; Kent Creek Ranch/ Heminghaus - $6,000 Heidi Dugat – Athletic Booster Club - $800; Bandera Electric Cooperative - $2,500; Road Runner Energy - $300; Luxton - $10,000; Pete Moore – $10,000
The Southwest Area Regional Transit District (SWART) received official notice from the Texas Veterans Commission of the award of $200,000 of General Fund Assistance to provide specialized transit services for Veterans and their dependents. The grant funding is for one year and will begin in July 2017. The Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) was created in the 79th Legislature, and codified in the Texas Government Code § 434.017, Veterans’ Assistance Agencies. The FVA, prior to the passage of Senate Bill 1655 in the 81st Legislature, was composed of money transferred to the Fund at the direction of the Legislature, gifts and grants contributed to the FVA, and
the earnings of the FVA. During the 81st Legislature, Senate Bill 1655 established the Veterans’ Assistance Game. This allowed for money to be transferred to the VFA from proceeds of a game operated by the Texas Lottery Commission, operated under the Texas Government Code §§ 466.027 and 466.408. The FVA is also composed of money deposited to the Fund under the Texas Transportation Code § 502.1746. The Texas Veterans Commission oversees all rules governing the awarding of grants from
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT NORTH KOREA? SWART Awarded Funding for Veterans Transportation Services continued page 4
LtoR: Leakey ISD Seniors - Quinten Pigg, Jacob Gray, Rylan Springer and Kendall Thompson
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REAL COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WANTED PERSONS AND FUGITIVES ........................... Page 3
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the FVA. The Texas Veterans Commission is authorized to use funds appropriated to the FVA to administer the Fund and make reimbursement grants to address the needs of Veterans and their families. Such needs include, but are not limited to, the following: • Limited emergency assistance for Veterans and their families • Family and child services • Transportation services • Legal services, excluding criminal defense
• Development of professional services networks SWART intends to provide specialized “shared ride” transit services to Veterans and their families both locally and out of town for medical purposes. The purpose of the program is to provide alternative transit services to the target population of veterans and their families when they are not able to access SWART’s established rural public transit routes to meet their needs while traveling to a medical facility. Established shared ride services and routes will be formulated so that veterans and their families have better access to transit services throughout the region. continued page 7
Burleson Wins Two Golds at State - Sets State Record in Discus Harris Wins Three Silvers at State– Sets State Record in 1600m By Coach Allison Burleson
Zoe Burleson wins two golds at state and sets record in the discus. Camille Harris wins three silvers. Three Nueces Canyon Lady Panthers competed in the UIL State Track and Field Meet this last week at The University of Texas in Austin. Zoe Burleson, freshman, and Camille Harris, sophomore, started the meet off with a bang! On Thursday evening, May 11th, Harris ran the 3200m and snagged the silver medal after a half hour storm delay. She ran a personal best time of 11:44.22 and broke the Nueces Canyon school record set back in 2000 by Crystal Aleman (11:53.12). Just as she was finishing, fellow teammate, Burleson was tossing her disc for a UIL 1A record and a gold medal. She threw for 139’2” which broke the UIL record of 134’1” set in 2014 and the Nueces Canyon school record of 131’4” set by
Diana Lockhart in 2004. The ladies were not finished on the award stand. On Friday, May 12th, the weather was perfect! Burleson started the morning at the shot put ring, where she faced three contenders that could throw over 40 feet. Going in to the finals in third place, she said, “I’m not about to lose,” and she didn’t. On her second to last throw, she launched one over 40 feet and took the gold with a throw of 40’10 1⁄2” to win by 7”. This throw broke the school record set in 2010 by Stormy Williams (38’10 3⁄4”). Later that evening, during the 1A and 5A running events, Harris once again, bested her best. She raced 800m to win silver with a personal best time of 2: 21.57. Then, junior, Megan Sifuentes, competed in the 300m hurdles placing 9th. continued page 5
First West Nile Case Highlights Precautions for Mosquitoborne Diseases Everyone Can Help Prevent West Nile and Zika ............................ Page 13
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: 91° Low: 68°
Texas’ first West Nile illness of the year has been reported to the Department of State Health Services, an adult woman from Montgomery County who developed the neurologic form of the disease in late April. As mosquito counts climb, the state of Texas is appealing to the public to help with the effort to stop mosquito-borne diseases by preventing mosquito bites and eliminating areas where mosquitoes can reproduce.
“Diseases like Zika and West Nile remain threats in Texas, and we need everyone to do their part to protect themselves, their families and their communities,” said DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt. “These are simple steps, and if people take them consistently, they will go a long way toward reducing the number of cases of either disease transmitted in Texas.” To help stop the spread of Zika and West Nile, people should Use EPA-approved insect repellent every time they go outside. Cover exposed skin with long pants and long-sleeved shirts whenever possible. Use air conditioning or window and door screens that are in good repair to keep mosquitoes out. Limit outdoor activities during peak mosquito times. Remove standing water in and around homes, including in trash cans, toys,
tires, flower pots and any other containers so mosquitoes can’t lay their eggs. Use a larvicide in water that can’t be drained to keep mosquitoes from developing. In 2016, Texas reported 370 human cases of West Nile illness, including 18 deaths. Most people who get infected don’t get sick, but about 20 percent will experience symptoms like headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. In about one percent of infections, the virus can affect the nervous system, causing neurological symptoms such as disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, coma and even death. On the other hand, the illness Zika causes is usually mild, but the virus can have a profound effect on unborn babies whose mothers are infected during pregnancy. In some cases it can cause severe birth defects like microcephaly, a defect leading to a small head because the brain
doesn’t grow sufficiently during pregnancy. Texas has had 334 cases of Zika virus disease since the virus became a concern in the Western Hemisphere in 2015. The vast majority have been contracted abroad, though six cases were transmitted by mosquitoes in Brownsville late last year, and others spread through sexual contact or from mother to child. DSHS recommends pregnant women avoid traveling to locations with sustained, local Zika transmission, including all areas of Mexico. Because Zika can also spread through sexual contact, pregnant women and their sexual partners who have traveled to those areas should use condoms or avoid sexual contact during the course of the pregnancy. continued page 7