SDN December 10, 2020 by Seguin Today

DECEMBER 2020

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The Voice of Seguin Today

Volume 55 • Number 235 830 • 379 • 2234

Local emergency official vacations in COVID-19 hot spot fishing trip. Pinder has received some criticism for traveling during the pandemic. The CDC currently recommends that people not travel to the Dominican Republic. It has a level four risk assessment, which suggests the risk for exposure to COVID-19 is very high in that nation.

Patrick Pinder By Darren Dunn (Seguin) -- Guadalupe County officials are responding to reports that have been critical of a vacation taken recently by the person in charge of the county’s COVID-19 response. Guadalupe County Emergency Management Coordinator Patrick Pinder took a vacation at the end of November, which stretched into early December. Pinder, his wife and some friends traveled to the Dominican Republic for what was largely a

Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher says he had spoken to Pinder about his travel plans. He says he raised what concerns he had, but in the end, Pinder decided that he would safely be able to take his planned trip. “I knew that Patrick was going to take vacation early on, months and months ago. We didn’t find out really the specific location until I say a couple of weeks prior to and that’s when Mr. Pinder and I had a discussion about whether -- I asked Patrick, do you think it’s safe to travel? And, we talked about concerns and the issues, rising cases and personally, I had a little bit more concern about the travel rather than the destination just because of airports and the nature of people being more congested and together.

So, we had those conversations and Patrick being the person that has been very involved in COVID knowing precautions to take, basically just thought that he could take those precautions and safety measures because he is so familiar with them to be safe and so he and wife decided to still go on the trip,” said Kutscher.

downplay the seriousness of COVID. He’s been very consistent in a steady voice of bringing awareness to the public and only providing information and being a resource to not only myself as county judge but commissioners court and the public. So, I think he thought about it very long and hard and was very serious in his approach to say ‘okay, how would people look at this? How dangerous is it? Where are we at as a county? What message are we sending? Personally, I think he looked at it from a standpoint -- did he think he and his wife could be safe traveling and ultimately, he came to the decision that he thought he could? said Kutscher.

Guadalupe County does not have its own health department, which made Pinder the chief spokesperson and resource for all things related to the local COVID-19 response. Judge Kutscher says he knows that Pinder never would have taken that trip if he didn’t believe that he could stay safe. He says he took extra precautions during his travel, and he made sure Judge Kutscher says regardless of he did all he could to reduce his whether you believe Pinder should exposure. have traveled or not, he wants to make sure that he doesn’t get lumped into Kutscher says Pinder is not a a discussion about some other public COVID-19 denier, and this trip officials who have said one thing and doesn’t necessarily make him a then have done something else when hypocrite for traveling at this time. it comes to COVID-19. The mayors of Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado “Mr. Pinder has never been one have both come under fire recently for throughout this entire pandemic to telling their constituents not to travel,

while they were traveling themselves. Kutscher says he thinks it’s a bit unfair to include Pinder in that conversation. “There was some misrepresentation in another article in a neighboring community comparing him to the Austin mayor. We don’t have those same type of restrictions in this community. Mr. Pinder and the county have not been restricting travel. We’ve been making recommendations all along about practicing social distancing and everything and all the messages with the governor and state of Texas and CDC have been putting out but we have not been as strong handed sort of speak as some of the larger, more metropolitan areas so I understand why some people may see this and feel frustration but at the same time, I ask everybody not to put Mr. Pinder or the county in the same position as Austin, Houston, Dallas, New York, some of those places saying that we restricted everybody from doing everything yet he is still traveling,” said Pinder. See PINDER page 2

Guadalupe Regional Medical Center tackles rising number of COVID-19 cases WWW.SEGUINTODAY.COM

THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, 2020

(Seguin) -- GRMC has officially reactivated its command center to continually assess and respond to COVID-19 issues as they arise.

respiratory therapists and travel nurses who are currently helping them care for these high acuity COVID-19 patients.

Officials at Guadalupe Regional Medical Center say the numbers of COVID-19 patients at GRMC have been trending up since Thanksgiving and its emergency department has seen an increase of patients presenting to be seen for flu or COVID like illness.

As of Tuesday, Guadalupe County is reporting 5,303 COVID-19 cases. The total number includes 4,346 recovered, 205 confirmed active cases, and 75 probable active cases.

Currently, GRMC has 18 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Seven of the 18 COVID-19 patients are in the ICU. GRMC’s 7 day moving average of new COVID-19 admissions is three per day and the seven day moving average for COVID-19 hospitalizations is 16 per day. This information represents average numbers from GRMC alone. Last week, GRMC opened an additional critical care unit for nonCOVID-19 patients. Due to the recent uptick of COVID-19 hospital admissions, GRMC has also reached out to South Texas Regional Advisory Council (aka STRAC) for staffing assistance. At this time, officials say they have received assistance in the form of

GRMC officials say as far as vaccine information, the hospital does not have information on COVID-19 vaccinations for the general public. They say the state of Texas is distributing a first wave of vaccines to hard-hit metropolitan areas of Texas and GRMC expects to receive an allocation as part of the second wave of state distribution. At this time, GRMC does not have confirmation on when it will receive vaccines or how many it will receive but it does remain in communication with the Texas agencies that are responsible for distributing vaccines. They say medical personnel that provide direct patient care are the highest priority for initial distribution. Further guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic and hospital operation can be found at GRMC’s website at www.grmedcenter.com

County responds to concerns about Pinder’s recent trip PINDER continued from page 1

so as we got closer to the date, we got some information back from the travel agency, the airlines, the country basically that everything was opening up and that the COVID numbers down there were lower so my wife and I made the decision to continue our trip,” said Pinder.

Pinder is also discussing his decision to take the trip. He’s been on the frontlines since the pandemic started, and says he gave this trip careful consideration. He says this was a trip that they had booked long before the pandemic hit, and says they monitored the situation right up until it was time for them to Pinder says they took all the necessary precautions that come whenever you leave for the Dominican Republic. travel. He says they took extra steps as well, once they arrived in the “During the COVID pandemic, we Dominican Republic. were monitoring the situation down there in the Dominican Republic “We followed all the standards, CDC and we kind of stayed on top of protocols that we do here. We wore their COVID numbers, their travel our masks on the airplane because that restrictions, things like that. So for is a requirement to travel. You have to most of the summer, that country was wear a mask in the airport. You have to not allowing anybody to come in and wear a mask on the plane while you are everything was still shut down similar traveling. It has to be over your nose to the way we did here in the states. and your mouth so we followed those As the summer and the end of the guidelines. We had hand sanitizer. We summer progressed, we continued to took extra masks. We had temperature monitor the numbers and things like checks. Before we left, we checked our that down there and just like we do temperature and made sure we were here everyday. My daily job is to make good. When we got to the Dominican sure that we are tracking the data for Republic, before we even got out of COVID here in Guadalupe County the terminal, we were selected for a

COVID test. So my wife, I and our friends that we were with all got tested for COVID. It was a rapid test. It was like a 10 minute test, we all came back negative,”said Pinder. Pinder says they felt very comfortable going to the resort, because its capacity had been reduced in an effort to try to allow guests to practice social distancing. “It was a more isolated area, less people. So, we made that decision before we left. We were like we are going to be on a resort. There’s not going to be that many people. The resort was only at 50 percent capacity. So, there was availability space. We could do what we want and not see anybody. So, we made that decision and we did travel down there,” said Pinder. Judge Kutscher says he’s well aware of the optics of this story, but he wanted to try to provide some nuance to the discussion. He says it’s still very important for people to take this pandemic seriously. Nothing about Pinder’s travel should change that

perspective. “One thing that we know for certain as a community is that this is an everchanging situation. When this all started there were a lot of uncertainties and unknowns. Everybody was very careful. A lot of measures were taken. Some restrictions put into place. It got better. Then, it got worse over summer. After September, things got better. Now, we are still seeing a rise again. I think we are all trying to find a balance between still living our lives while being safe and that involves all of us paying attention, taking into consideration what dangers are out there and trying to make good personal decisions. I think looking back, on the trip and some of those other things might have done a few things differently but ultimately, like I said, Mr. Pinder being somebody that is very informed felt like he could exercise and take those precautionary measures in that situation and still be safe and I think that’s why he ultimately made the decision to travel, “said Kutscher. See PINDER page 3

National Façade Program Benefiting Downtown Seguin WWW.SEGUINTODAY.COM

THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, 2020

Special by Kyle Kramm, City of Seguin Main Street and CVB director (Seguin) -- In 2016, Main Street America (MSA) launched the pilot round of the Historic Commercial District Revolving Fund (HCDRF), administered in partnership with the Texas Main Street Program (TMSP) and made possible by generous support from The 1772 Foundation, Inc. In 2019, the success of the pilot program in San Augustine, Texas, and Texarkana, Texas, allowed MSA to expand the HCDRF into three communities in Maine, in partnership with the Maine Downtown Center. Now, in 2020, MSA and TMSP have extended the HCDRF into three new Texas Main Street communities: Rockwall, Seguin, and Winnsboro. This fund will provide $55,000 in zero percent interest loans for façade improvements and COVID-19 space management projects. In Seguin, a $10,000 loan is being provided to the Greater Second Baptist Church at 208 South Crockett Street for roof repairs. The loan will allow the church to address the immediate need and pay for the repair over time. “Our church has been in need of a roof for a very long time and as a small organization we have not been able to afford the repair,” said Commie Holmes, representative for the Greater Second Baptist Church, “This loan will get us to our fundraising goal and allow us to make the repair.”

The Greater Second Baptist Church just celebrated its 44th Anniversary of being in downtown Seguin, and its sanctuary is a contributing structure to Seguin’s Downtown Commercial Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the new loans are repaid, the Seguin Main Street Program hopes that other Seguin properties will be able to take advantage of

this loan opportunity in the future. Main Street America is thrilled to continue its partnership with Texas Main Street Program’s team of experienced leaders and expert design staff, as well as Seguin Main Street, Rockwall Main Street, and the Winnsboro Main Street program. Many thanks again to The 1772 Foundation, Inc. for its continued support.

County’s EMC discusses trip to Dominican Republic PINDER continued from page 2 Pinder says he hopes that people will take away from this story that you need to have some personal responsibility whether you are traveling great distances, or down the street to the grocery store. He says there’s a certain amount of risk every time you leave the home during the pandemic, and people still need to make sure that they are taking care of themselves as best they can. “You are going to have to travel whether that’s to a vacation out of state, from outside of Guadalupe County to work in Bexar County or Austin or Houston or Dallas any of these hotspots. So their threat level is the same as the United States so the CDC is recommendation

doesn’t say we can’t travel to those countries. There are some restrictive countries we can not travel to but it’s just like me going to the Dominican is kind of like me driving to San Antonio. San Antonio is a COVID hotspot I guess you could say,” said Pinder. Taking care of yourself, which in turn helps to take care of others, is key to the response of this pandemic. Pinder says they assessed the risks associated with the trip, and hopes others will do the same anytime they have to venture away from home during the pandemic. “You have to be accountable for what you are going to do if you leave your house to go to the grocery store. Do you want to take that precaution and listen to the governor’s recommendations and

local jurisdictions and wear your mask. I mean you can go to any restaurant in Guadalupe County and you’ll see people that wear their mask, have hand sanitizer, wash their hands -- they are taking their own precautions to protect themselves and their families and that’s really what you have to take away from this is here in Guadalupe County, we are not making those decisions like other jurisdictions to close down all these things at this point. So, we are still following the governor’s guidelines so it’s just self-accountability,” said Pinder. Pinder never guessed he would have to defend his vacation plans. He says despite the extra attention, he remains committed to doing his job. This week, he released the latest COVID-19 data for Guadalupe County. GRMC is reporting 18

COVID-19 related hospitalizations this week, with a seven-day moving average of 18 COVID patients. Guadalupe County is reporting 47 deaths since the pandemic started, but that number is expected to be much higher. The Texas Department of State Health Services webpage is currently reporting 87 deaths in Guadalupe County. A lag in reporting is part of the reason for the discrepancy between those two numbers. There are currently 205 confirmed cases, 75 probablyactive cases and more than 5,300 total cases since the start of the pandemic. More than 4,300 have already recovered from the virus. Officials say you are still encouraged to wear a mask when you go out, practice social distancing whenever you can, and wash your hands frequently.

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Cowboys hand Matadors third straight loss

(San Antonio) - Seguin boys basketball concluded the nondistrict portion of its schedule Monday night with an 88-63 road loss to San AntonioMcCollum.

The Cowboys led 21-14 at the end of the first quarter, 43-27 at halftime, and 6339 heading into the fourth period. John Jackson led the Matadors offensively

with 20 points, Jacob Andrade added 13, and John Jones netted 11. Nic Magallanes contributed seven points, Jazaya Kyles and Jakyari Matthews five apiece, and John Aguilar two.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, 2020

Early lead sparks Navarro Navarro boys drop girls to fourth straight win home game to Blanco (Castroville) The Navarro girls basketball team built a 39-20 cushion by halftime and cruised to a 58-40 road win over Medina Valley on Tuesday in Castroville.

Tatum Harborth led four Panthers in double figures with 14 Seguin (2-5) opens points. Laylin Sturm the District 26-5A schedule Friday fnished with 11, while with a 6:45 p.m. Sienna Kramer and road game at Ryanne Hepp scored 10 apiece. Mary Kerrville-Tivy.

Gilliam and Haleigh Ortiz added six each, and Karlee Koenig hit a free throw. Navarro’s fourth consecutive win pushed the the team’s season record to 111. The Panthers’ originally scheduled Friday game against Antonian Prep has been cancelled and replaced by a 5:30 p.m. road contest in Jourdanton.

(Geronimo) The Navarro boys basketball team showed flashes of potential in the first game with football athletes filling out the varsity roster Tuesday night, but Blanco ultimately won the Panthers vs. Panthers matchup 73-51 in Geronimo. Blanco opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run to put Navarro in a 20-point hole, 47-27, but the homecourt Panthers responded with a 24-13 surge that cut the deficit to single digits, 60-51, with less than four minutes to play in the game.

Blanco responded with 13 straight points to close the contest and build the final 22-point margin. Preston Grobe led Navarro with 11 points. Ryland Ward chipped in with nine. Nick Billings and Kaden Monkerud scored eight points apiece, and they each hit a pair of three pointers. Blanco led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter, and pushed the margin to 3725 by halftime. Navarro (2-3) hits the road to face Comal-Davenport on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Supporting athletes! Supporting Allall of area Our Local Athletes! Seguin football vs. Pflugervil e-Hendrickson, 7:30 p.m. (6:50 pre-game) on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com. Click School Logo to visit their

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Fourth quarter run pushes Marion girls come Marion win streak to seven up short in Bandera

(Marion) - The Marion boys basketball team outscored Comfort 25-13 in the fourth quarter to break open a tightly contested game and notch a 74-61 home win on Tuesday.

Blyden pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, and Montoya grabbed six. Joe Padron rounded out the scoring with four points while contributing three assists and four steals.

Ryken Autry topped the 30-point mark for the second straight game to help the Bulldogs move to 7-0 on the season. The junior guard poured in 32 points, dished out seven assists, and collected five steals.

The game was knotted at 15-all after the first quarter, Comfort led 30-29 at halftime, and Marion held a slim 49-48 lead at the end of the third before taking control down the stretch.

Marion trailed 15-6 at the end of the first quarter, 27-15 at halftime, and 36-25 after the third period. The visiting Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 13-9 to narrow the final deficit to seven points.

Lane Pawelek and Easton Allen added 10 points apiece. Kadeem Blyden and Samuel Montoya scored nine each.

The Bulldogs look to extend the winning streak to eight games Friday evening with a 6:30 start in Hondo.

Molly Rooke scored 16 points to lead Marion offensively and also contributed eight rebounds and

Seguin boys basketball Seguin girls basketball Navarro boys basketball Navarro girls basketball Marion boys basketball Marion girls basketball

(Bandera) - Marion girls basketball suffered a 45-38 road loss in Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bulldogs vs. Bulldogs matchup at Bandera High School.

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(6:50 pre-game) on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com.

Sarah Cook snagged a team-high 14 rebounds to go with four points and three steals. Anessa Madrid and Alicia Durbin netted six points each, with Madrid collecting three steals and Durbin grabbing seven rebounds. Kaelyn Taylor and Laney Osborne completed the scoring with four and two points, respectively. Marion (2-7) heads to Lago Vista for an 8 p.m. road game on Friday.

Kerrville-Tivy, 6:45 p.m. Kerrville-Tivy, 6:30 p.m. Comal-Davenport, 6:30 p.m. S.A.-Antonian, 8 p.m. Hondo, 6:30 p.m. Lago Vista, 8 p.m.

Seguin football vs. Pflugerville-Hendrickson 7:30 p.m.

three steals.

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Beicker Doris Lee Junker Beicker, age 90 of Seguin, passed away on December 3, 2020. Survivors include sons, Donny Beicker and wife Cathy and Davy Beicker and wife Phyllis; daughterin-law, Mary Beicker; 11 grandchildren, Shelly Park, Cathy Fontenot (David), April Rodriquez (Raul), Jeffrey Park (Dawn), Kari Egg (Jeremy), Krista Rauschuber (Ryan), Brent Beicker (Katie), Clint Beicker (Amy), Bryan Beicker, Lacey Beicker and Robert Russell; great-grandchildren, Keara Park, Gage, Nicky and Cameron Fontenot, Gracie and Scarlett Park, Peyton Lark, Cory Hallman, Conley and Cole Savage, Tyler, Travis and Olivia Egg, Brinley and Brylen Beicker, Bliss, Bowen and Brooke Beicker, Ally and Blake Rauschuber, Lia Beicker; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. Doris is preceded in death by her husband of nearly 65 years Leroy Beicker, her daughter, Sandi Beicker McGriff and her husband Tom, her son, Jim Beicker, her parents Fred and Ella Junker from Cuero, her sister, Darleen Cornett and her husband Arlen, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Wanda and Hugo Beicker, her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Thusnelda Beicker Weniger and Frank Weniger. Doris was born on April 10, 1930 in Cuero, Texas to Ella and Fred Junker. As an infant, Doris was received as a Child of God through Holy Baptism at Zion Lutheran Church in Arnickeville, Texas and confirmed April 18, 1943 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Cuero. She grew up in Cuero, met Leroy at Draughons Business College in San Antonio, she and Leroy married August 1, 1948 at St. Marks in Cuero. They made their home in Seguin and were members of Emanuel’s Lutheran Church for 57 years before transferring to Faith Lutheran Church in 2005. The couple had four children: Sandra Dell, James Leroy, Donald Wayne and David Lee. Doris taught Sunday School at Emanuel’s for 15 years and was Den Mother to Cub Scout Pack 107. She has been a member of Ladies Aid, Altar Guild, Property Stewards and Quilting Group at Emanuel’s, Seguin Fire Department Auxiliary, Nogales Garden Club, and a member of various committees, Circles and Clusters at Faith Lutheran. She has been an avid quilter and gardener for many years. She was secretary to the principals at Seguin High School for 27 years, and 5 more years in the Athletic Office of Seguin High School. She enjoyed taking her children to their various activities; Girl Scouts, piano lessons, Cub Scouts, summer baseball

THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, 2020

games and many other sport activities.

the charity of one’s choice.

A memorial service celebrating Doris’s life is planned for Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church with Pastor Rusty Bailey and Pastor Jeremy Roy officiating. For those who desire, you may view the services via livestream at www.facebook.com/ FaithLutheranChurchSeguinTx. Private interment will take place at a later date. All CDC protocols must be followed including social distancing and face coverings worn.

You are invited to sign the guest book at www.treshewell.com.

Doris enjoyed life to the fullest and will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Memorial contributions may be made to: Faith Lutheran Church, 1326 E. Cedar St., Seguin, Texas, 78155, Seguin Sports Boosters, c/o Cathy Beicker, 333 Beicker Road, Seguin, Texas 78155, Salvation Army, PO Box 105, Seguin, Texas 78156 or to the American Heart Association, PO Box 841125, Dallas Texas, 75284-1125.

Brown Alice Marie Bulgerin Brown, age 78 of Seguin gained her angel wings on December 5, 2020. Alice was born on July 31, 1942 in Seguin, Texas to Martha (Baerwald) and Eddie Bulgerin. Her sassy personality was known by family and those who knew her best. She loved to play bingo and never missed an opportunity to go and play. She loved going to the coast and spending time in Rockport. She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 44 years, Joseph (Butch) Brown, two sisters Bernice Demuth and husband Melvin and Viola Maierhofer. Survivors include her children, Joseph “Scott” Brown, and wife Dawn, Debra Kay Williams, and husband Chris, Charles Demuth and wife Diane. Grandchildren, Garrett Brown and fiancé Amanda Owens, Ty Brown &amp; Haley Carignan, and Tyler Williams; great-granddaughter, Addison Claire Brown; brotherin-law, Wilburn “Sonny” Brown, and wife Judy; sisters-in-law, Gladys Dotson, and husband Buddy, Mary Ann Schwerdtfeger and husband Donald, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, other loving family members and friends.

Arrangements are under the direction of Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas, 78155, 830-549-5912.

McKinny

Charles Thomas “Tommy” McKinny, age 77 of Seguin, joined his Lord and Savior and his angel Tammy on December 7, 2020. Tommy was born on May 3, 1943 in Seguin, Texas to Ruby Olivia (Caddell) and Durward McKinny. Tommy held numerous jobs, but the one he loved most was that of Cowboy! He proudly served his country in the United States Army. Tommy is preceded in death by his daughter, Tammy McKinny and his parents. Survivors include his loving wife of 55 years Barbara McKinny; brother, W. A. McKinny and wife Lana; sister, Fay McKinny and husband, Fred; sisters-in-law, Brenda Herbold and husband Henry, Shirley Herbold and husband Jimmie, Mary Beth Gonzales and husband David, and Dawn Caddell and husband Ray; brothers-inlaw, Randy Odom and wife Ann, Teddy Olsovsky and wife Gay Lynn, Patrick Olsovsky and Clarence Olsovsky; numerous nieces, nephews, other loving family members and many, many friends. A walk through line visitation will be held on Friday, December 11, 2020 from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. at Tres Hewell Mortuary. Graveside services and interment with military honors will be held on Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 3 p.m. at Dugger Cemetery with the Rev. Jeremy Roy officiating. All CDC protocols must be followed including social distancing and face coverings worn at all locations.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at Tres Hewell Mortuary from 5 to 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Tammy McKinny Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1377 Still Meadow Road, Seguin, Texas, 78155.

Private family graveside services and interment will be held later at San Geronimo Cemetery with the Rev. Paul Theiss officiating. All CDC protocols must be followed including social distancing and face coverings worn.

You are invited to sign the guest book at www. treshewell.com.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Scott Brown, Chris Williams, Garrett Brown, Ty Brown, and Tyler Williams. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial contributions be made to

Arrangements are under the direction of Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas, 78155, 830549-5912. MORE OBITS PAGE 13

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, 2020

Health and Medical Page presented by

COVID Hospitalizations Break New Record

(Undated) -- Coronavirus hospitalizations are at a new high. The COVID Tracking Project reported there were over 104-thousand Americans in hospitals from the virus on Tuesday, a new record. The number of daily deaths in the U.S. passed 26-hundred. The seven-day averages for both of those statistics were also at record highs. Over the past week, an average of over 22-hundred Americans have died from COVID-19 each day. The total number of dead from the virus in the U.S. is past 286-thousand.

Rhode Island Leads U.S. In Most COVID Cases Per 100K People

(Undated) -- One of America’s smallest states has the highest average of new coronavirus infections. Johns Hopkins University numbers show Rhode Island averaging 123 new cases per 100-thousand people. Indiana is in second, followed by Utah, South Dakota and Alaska. California, Connecticut and Tennessee are some other states seeing an uptick in their average number of cases. The U.S. as a whole crossed 15-million total cases on Tuesday.

Washington State Extends COVID Restrictions For Another Three Weeks

(Seattle, WA) -- People in Washington State are being told coronavirus restrictions will stay in place until after the holidays. Governor Jay Inslee extended the closure of indoor dining, gyms and

movie theaters for another three weeks. He says there are signs it’s been working but hospitals are still on the brink. He called this a dangerous time for the state and pleaded with everyone to buckle down the rest of the month.

Judge Says L.A. Health Officials Need to Show Evidence for Closing Outdoor Dining

(Los Angeles, CA) -- A tentative ruling by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge says county health officials did not show evidence for closing down outdoor dining to stop the spread of COVID-19, but restaurants still cannot fully reopen. In a ruling brought on by a lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association, the judge said the county “failed to perform the required risk-benefit analysis” before enacting the ban. Los Angeles County restaurants are also prohibited from offering indoor dining while in the state’s most restrictive reopening tier.

Apple Fitness Plus Launching December 14th

(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple is launching a new fitness streaming service subscription Monday. Apple Fitness Plus will offer guided workouts using the workout metrics from an Apple Watch. The program will offer many types of workouts including HIIT (hit), strength, core, and yoga. It is similar to Peloton Digital and other fitness streaming services, but it is built exclusively for Apple devices.

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Buck Fever Cancelled The 35th Annual Buck Fever in person event scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 10 at the Seguin Events Center has been cancelled due to the current rise in COVID-19. The live drawing for the 30-Gun Raffle will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 on the Buck Fever and Buck Fever Event Facebook pages. Tickets are $10 each or six for $50 and are available by calling 830-305-4148. For more information visit www.buckfever.org.

Cibolo Grange Hall Farmers Market

The Cibolo Grange Hall Farmers Market will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursdays at 413 North Main Street in Cibolo. For more information, or to join as a vendor, visit the Cibolo Grange Farmers Market Facebook page or text 210-722-9054.

Holiday Family Movie Night

The Seguin Public Library will host an outdoor holiday family movie night at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. The movie will be shown behind the library. Bring your own blanket, lawn chair, and snacks. Space is limited and registration is required by calling 830-401-2422 or visiting library.seguintexas.gov.

Snowflake Science and Art Kit Pickup

The Seguin Public Library will distribute Snowflake Science & Art Kits on Friday, Dec. 11. With this STEAM kit, learn how snowflakes take shape, do a snowflake science experiment, and make snowflake art. You will need your own glue and water for this project. Kits will be distributed while supplies last. Call 830-401-2422 or visit library.seguintexas.gov for additional information.

Flu Shot Clinics

Seguin ISD is partnering with Hazel Health and

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H-E-B Pharmacy for a series of flu shot clinics through Dec. 14 at 12 campuses. The flu shot clinics are available for Seguin ISD students, families and staff. Visit https://www.seguin.k12.tx.us/page/ article/841 for more information.

Adult Holiday Take-N-Make Craft Kit

The Seguin Public Library will have Adult Holiday themed craft kits available for pick-up on Monday, Dec. 14. Follow along with an online tutorial, which can be found on our website and social media platforms. Craft kits are for adults only, while supplies last. Call 830-401-2422 or visit library.seguintexas. gov for additional information.

Toddler Time

The Seguin Public Library will host Toddler Time at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Space is limited and registration is required by visiting library.seguintexas. gov or calling 830-401-2422.

Teen Tuesday: Makerspace

The Seguin Public Library will host makerspace activities, including button-making and 3D pen art at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15 in the Tech Lab. Supplies will be sanitized and will not be shared between attendees. Space is limited and registration is required by calling 830-401-2422 or visiting library.seguintexas.gov.

Cozy Care Packages for Teens

Teens can warm up this December with a Cozy Care Package to take home with the books they check out from the Seguin Public Library. This wintry treat includes a mug to decorate, hot cocoa mix, mug cake mix, and a candy cane. Teens must check out a library book, graphic novel, or manga to receive a package, while supplies last, beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

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Reserve yours by registering at library.seguintexas. gov or calling 830-401-2422.

Preschool Storytime

The Seguin Public Library will host Preschool Storytime at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16 on the outdoor deck. Space is limited to help maintain social distance. Registration is required for this in-person program by calling 830-401-2422 or visiting library. seguintexas.gov for additional information.

Origami Online

The Seguin Public Library will teach you how to make Origami Star Garland with an online tutorial on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Learn the art of paper folding with this step by step tutorial. This virtual tutorial can be found on our website and social media platforms. Call 830-401-2422 or visit library.seguintexas.gov for additional information.

LWV-CA Racing Racism Presentation

The League of Women Voters of the Comal Area (LWV-CA) will host “Racing Racism,” a presentation by the President of the New Braunfels MLK Association, Inc., Bishop Michael Fraklin, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16 via Zoom (ID: 899 8656 3219 password: 270440). The event will also be available of the LWVCA Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more information visit lwvcomal.org.

See Seguin: Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin

Explore Seguin with us! The Seguin Public Library invites you to join us as we take you on a virtual tour of Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin on Thursday, Dec. 17 as part of its See Seguin Series. This virtual tour can be found on our website and social media platforms. Call 830-401-2422 or visit library.seguintexas.gov for additional information.

To ensure non-profit organization’s meetings and events appear in this calendar, send information to: communitycalendar@kwed1580.com, fax 379-2238, or drop off the information at the Seguin Daily News/KWED offices located at 609 E. Court St. in Seguin. For best results, submit information at least two weeks prior to the event.

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Free Flu Shot Clinic

There will be free flue shots administered by Schertz EMS paramedics from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17 at the Seguin ISD Central Office, located at 1221 E. Kingsbury St. in Seguin. Shots are free will be available for ages six months and up.

Seguin Conservation Society Basket Raffle

The Seguin Conservation Society will have a raffle of three different gift baskets highlighting Seguin items. The themed baskets are called Ringa-Ling, Stars are Bright and Let it Snow. Included are gift cards and a variety of items highlighting the local community. Raffle tickets are $2 each or 6 for $10 and are available from any SCS board member or by calling 830-372-6168. The drawing will be held on Friday, Dec. 18.

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2020 RTV500 Raffle

The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce is selling raffle tickets for a 2020 RTV500. Tickets are $30 each, 2 for $50, or 5 for $100 and are available at the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold. Tax and title will be paid by the winner. The drawing will be held Friday, Dec. 18. For more information call 830-379-6382.

Big Red Barn Market Days

The Big Red Barn will have one more Market Day for this calendar year from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, December 19 at the corner of 123 Bypass and Cordova Road in Seguin. There will be unique and beautiful gifts from the participating artisans, as well as home baked and canned goods. Santa Claus has left a small gift for young children, and his mailbox so they can write him a letter when they visit. Market Days will resume March Gingerbread Decorating Contest The Seguin Public Library will host a virtual Gingerbread 2021. To join as a vendor or for more information visit Decorating Contest for all ages this Dec. Tell us your www.texagedu.org, or call/text 830-379-0933. favorite story using only frosting, graham crackers and candy. We want to see your best graham cracker Community Tai Chi interpretation of a favorite read. Email submissions The Seguin Public Library will offer its Community Tai through Saturday, Dec. 19 to library@seguintexas.gov. Chi with Barry A. Jackson from the GRMC Inpatient The winner will be announced Tuesday, Dec. 22 and Rehabilitation Unit at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. For a full listing of 19 in the Community Meeting Room. Space is limited rules and instructions, call 830-401-2422 or visit library. and registration is required by calling 830-401-2422 seguintexas.gov. or visiting library.seguintexas.gov. \

Hegwer Dustin Ross Hegwer was given the good gift of life on November 8, 1992 in Seguin, Texas. He was taken to be with his Lord and Savior October 31, 2020 in Seguin at the age of 27. He lived life to the fullest with exuberance, joy and passion. Dustin never met a stranger and had friends of all ages and from many walks of life. His infectious smile

would light up a room as soon as he walked in. Dustin was an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Seguin where he attended yearly youth conferences at MoRanch in Hunt, TX and summer camp at John Knox Ranch in Fisher, TX. He enthusiastically participated in mission projects and trips locally and in Denver, CO. He attended, led and taught Vacation Bible School and had lifelong friends from a close-knit youth group. Dustin was a graduate of Seguin High School and lived and worked in the San Antonio, New Braunfels and Seguin areas. Dustin’s proudest moments in his life were as a father to his four children whom he adored and cherished spending time with.

Dustin is survived by his maternal grandmother Emily Bierschwale of Junction, Texas, parents Don and Shirley Hegwer of Seguin, children Jayson, Alisana, Kaiden and Gavin Hegwer of Seguin, sister Elizabeth Hegwer of Austin (and nieces Jada and Jeri Herrera), brother Bradley Hegwer (and Blanca Rodriguez) of New Braunfels, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Dustin’s Celebration of Life was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Seguin on November 7, 2020. A graveside service will be at Red Creek Cemetery near Junction, Texas on December 12, 2020 at 2:00 PM. Memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Seguin to assist families in need and the youth camping program.

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RELIGION

Christmas Services

The Crossroads Church will have Christmas Services at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. For more information visit www.crossroads.com or call 830-379-7737.

“Journey to Bethlehem” Live Nativity

The Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church will have its “Journey to Bethlehem,” a candlelight, live nativity on Sunday, December 20 at 416 Dolle Avenue (the former Juan Seguin Elementary campus). Families may arrive anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. for a walk-through outdoor experience. Masks and social distancing guidelines will be followed. Christmas treat goodie bags will be given to all children attending. Bring a cell phone with a QR code app to access descriptions of each scene. Inc case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 22.

Central Park Candlelight Service

The Crossroads Church will have its Candlelight Service at Central Park from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 in downtown Seguin. For more information visit www.crossroads.com or call 830-379-7737.

End of Year Service

The Crossroads Church will have its End of Year Service at 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27. For more information visit www.crossroads.com or call 830-379-7737.

The Country Church Attic

The Country Church Attic is now open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday.

Clothing Ministry

The Refuge III Clothing Ministry continues to give away clothing, some furniture, dishes, and other items at 7535 Elm Creek Road in Seguin. For further information call 830-303-6478.

Free Bible Course

The World Bible School is offering free Bible correspondence courses. Answer questions from the Bible and send in for grading. Visit studygod.info for further information.

To be sure your religious organization’s meetings and events appear in this calendar, send information to: communitycalendar@kwed1580.com, fax (830) 3792238, or drop off the information at the Seguin Daily News/KWED office located at 609 E. Court St., Seguin. For best results, submit information at least two weeks prior to the event.

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CLASSIFIEDS

Lease/Rental

OFFICE/RETAIL SPACES in shopping center for rent on South Austin Street, near Guadalupe Fair Grounds, call 830-379-0286.