News

The Danforth Junior High tennis program grabbed a slew of district championships last week. 

The eighth grade girls individually won the district championship along with the Boys/Girls team while the eighth grade boys tied for the district championship.  

The seventh grade girls also took home the individual district championship and combined with the boys third place finish, the collective team won also.

In the seventh grade, Caylee Gillis placed second in the girls singles and Autum Cole placed fourth. Arianna Hernandez and Campbell Horn placed second in the girls doubles while Aubrey Sinks and Brenna Coppo placed third. Daniel Hall placed second in the boys singles. Kyla Simpson and Skylar Summers placed second in the mixed doubles.

When it comes to racing, the thought of a duck may not come to mind unless you’ve lived in Wimberley.

The Duck Race, the Wimberley EMS only fundraiser of the year, has become a Wimberley tradition over the last 25 years, and it’s a tradition filled with excitement.

“My favorite part is watching people show up and the excitement of the people on the banks watching the ducks come down and cheering for the ducks,” Ken Strange, EMS director, said. “Just to see the fun and excitement the people have at the race.”

There are 3,000 rubber ducks are numbered and thrown into the Blanco River to race to the finish. Participants purchase a number before hand and the top four finishers win a cash prize. The first place duck wins $2,000, second place wins $1,000, third place wins $500 and fourth place wins $250. Last place, or the lame duck, also gets a $250 prize. 

As soon as the new city council for the city of Wimberley was sworn in, they appointed a new member to fill the council seat vacated by Mac McCullough after he won the election for the mayoral office.

In a unanimous vote, the council appointed Sally Trapp, who was the treasurer of the Voice of Wimberley political action committee. 

Trapp has lived in Wimberley for 21 years and largely run her family’s bed and breakfast Lodge at Creekside.

She said that she decided to become active in Wimberley’s political scene after the council denied 7A Resort’s request for a zoning change last year. 

McCullough, who was also supported by the Voice of Wimberley along with the other two newly elected council members Gary Barchfeld and Craig Fore, said that he feels Trapp is a strong candidate that will be an independent vote.

The 4th Annual Birdies for Business Golf Tournament was held at Woodcreek’s Quicksand Golf Course on May 15th.  

Before the shotgun start a special recognition ceremony was held to honor Major Mai Lee Eskelund, daughter of city of Woodcreek Mayor Eric Eskelund.  Major Eskelund has served in the Army for 14 years, is currently stationed at Fort Hood and will soon be deployed to Afghanistan for her fourth tour of duty.  She was awarded a Bronze Good Citizenship Medal by Wayne Courage and Jim Clements from the Patrick Henry Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and she was given a prayer shawl created by Gay Wilkerson and the Wimberley Presbyterian Church.   

On top of the supporting the Wimberley Valley Visitor Center, Birdies for Business also serves as a fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization.  

Since 1979, the Wimberley Community Civic Club had been active in helping in keeping the Community part of their name in helping non-profits in the area, and keeping it local. 

They prove that every year by the grants they provide to those groups that help others in the community. This year’s event on Friday, May 13 proved lucky for 27 area groups at the tune of $60,000, with $31,000 more going to scholarships for this year’s graduating high school seniors. This is a total of $91,000.

Congressman Roger Williams will be among the guest speakers at a community-wide event to be held this coming Saturday, May 21st, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the devastating 2015 Memorial Day Weekend Flood that tore through Wimberley. 

The event, Wimberley Strong – A One Year Remembrance and Celebration of Recovery, will be hosted by the City of Wimberley at the EmilyAnn Theatre located at 1101 FM 2325.  Wet grounds at the Blue Hole Regional Park forced local officials to relocate the event to the EmilyAnn Theatre. In the case of rain on Saturday, the event will be moved inside the WISD’s Bridges Gym at Wimberley High School. 

UPDATE:

The driver of the Pontiac, Kyle Ashleigh Martin, 31, from Kyle, and her passenger, Ephitafio Guest, 37, from Kyle, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Ford, Terry Laughlin, 56, male, from Wimberley, was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge. His condition is unknown.

ORIGINAL STORY WITH CORRECTIONS:

Two people are dead after a car crash on FM 150 between Wimberley and Kyle on Monday evening. One other was transported to the hospital in “critical condition,” according to Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Robbie Barrera.

According to the DPS, a 2004 Pontiac was traveling eastbound towards Kyle when the driver lost control of the vehicle and entered oncoming traffic. The Pontiac was side swiped by a 2016 Ford pickup truck.

There is a new mayor in town, and with him comes two new council members after the May 7 election for the Wimberley City Council.

In an election that turned in to two groups vying the open seats, all three candidates supported by the Voice of Wimberley won. All three incumbents lost. 

Current Councilmember Mac McCullough overtook current Mayor Steve Thurber with a preliminary vote of 462 in favor of McCullough to 456 in favor of Thurber.

“I’m extremely proud and I’m honored how the citizens have entrusted this to me and the responsibility that it brings,” McCullough said.

Craig Fore beat out Cindy Anderson for Place 2 on the council with 469 votes compared to 445 votes.

Gary Barchfeld won Place 4 on the Wimberley City Council with 498 votes compared to 409 votes for Pam Showalter.

Year in and year out, the month of April proves to be a busy time for the Wimberley Lions scholarship committee.  It is during this month that the committee interviews high school seniors who have applied for one of the two types of post-secondary scholarships that the club provides.  

The first type, known as an academic scholarship, is given to students who are seeking a traditional college or university education with the intent of achieving a four year degree.  The second type, known as a technical scholarship, is available to the student who seeks training at an institution focused on vocational education.  The academic scholarship is a four year award while the technical is for two years.

Mistakes were made and lessons were learned by emergency coordinators in both San Marcos and Hays County during the two disastrous flood events last year.

That was the word from the emergency coordinators from the two entities Monday in previewing the draft of an “after action” report Hays County Commissioners will hear at their meeting today.

“There are things we can improve on and things we did right,” Hays County’s Emergency Management Coordinator Kharley Smith said. “Our training has proven to be effective, but there are always improvements that can be made.”