News

If this recent storm wasn’t enough of a reminder, the Hays County Commissioners Court declared September 2017 Emergency Preparedness Month for the county.

“This proclamation really came timely,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe.

Hays County Emergency Management Coordinator Kharley Smith emphasized the importance of staying informed ahead of an emergency situation.

“We are making an effort throughout the month of September to continue to educate the public,” she said.

Smith reminded commissioners that there are plenty of informational resources online, and that on Sept. 6 the National Weather Service will present a class for the general public called “Flash Flooding: Know the Dangers” at the Kyle fire station from 6-8 p.m.

“We encourage citizens to participate and take advantage of the resources available,” Smith said.

On Friday, September 1, Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler deployed ten officers and a dispatcher to the Port Aransas Police Department to assist this hard hit and devastated gulf coast city.  

Many of the Port Aransas Police Department officers have suffered catastrophic loss to their homes and property and have been working around the clock to keep their community safe and secure. The Hays County Officers will help relieve these officers so that they can tend to their families and allow them some much needed rest as recovery will take months.

The Wimberley City Council is deep into the budgeting process for the next fiscal year.  At the regularly scheduled council meeting on Thursday night, the council will look at the initially proposed budget of $1,433,200 for the General Fund. 

The proposed budget is about $200,000 more than the proposed budget for FY2017 and would use $175,000 of money from the General Fund. However, it has been stated in council meetings that the proposed budget included all requests from the council members and that they would use it as a starting point for discussion.

Councilmember Steve Thurber put the proposal together at the request of Mayor Mac McCullough. 

Wimberley has empathy for the Houston and Gulf Coast communities that have been hit so hard by a natural disaster.  Volunteers from across Hays County have been storming southeast to help anyway they can.

But there has also been a need here at home. As evacuees fled the oncoming disaster, many found their way into town with nothing but the clothes on their back.

Wimberley did not disappoint.

The Lodge at Cypress Falls opened its doors to evacuees for $25 per day, barely enough to cover the cost of upkeep on the room. By the end of the week more than 80 people had found refuge there.

But $25 is still a lot for those who have lost everything. Local resident Tom Buse saw an opportunity to help out.

Dustin Anne “Dusty” Shultz, of Wimberley, was promoted the Brigadier General in the U.S. Army over the weekend. 

The ceremony was held at the home of Shultz’s in-laws in Wimberley on Saturday with Retired Major General Leslie Purser overseeing and offering comments on Shultz’s career.

“You are the single most exceptional female officer I have ever known,” Purser said of Shultz. 

Purser would go on to list some statistics about how rare such a promotion is.

“In the Army there are 1.3 million soldiers, which is less than one percent of the U.S. population,” Purser said. “There are 658 general officers in the Army. Less than eight percent of those general officers are female.”

That makes Shultz one of about 50 female general officers in the U.S. Army.

If you have missed your morning cup of Joe from Maui Wowi for a few days, it’ll be just a few more weeks or so. Then the coffee shop will disappear and magically re-appear as Indigo Brew in the same convenient place with a different name.

DuAnne Redus, Maui Wowi’s owner, decided to take it a little easier. After the July Fourth Rodeo, she decided to give some serious thought to the idea of selling the business. 

“After a December injury, I might want to slow down. I needed to let go. But only if I found a local buyer to carry on the tradition…I had a lot of offers from Houston,” Redus said.  The new owner is Beverly Pearman, of Wimberley.

“I’m really excited. It was hard to find a local person,” Redus said.

The completely refurbished Spring Family YMCA in Dripping Springs held its Open House grand re-opening on August 26 and the new facilities are outstanding. They have also come to an agreement with multiple Wimberley entities that will take advantage of the new facilities. 

This year the Texan Swim team will use their facilities for practices and meets. Students, in conjunction with the Y, will be entering the “Youth in Government” program

Students form teams and compete other Texas teams from around the state. The two categories are legislative or criminal, with the legislative groups mimicking getting a bill passed and  or a criminal court case through trial. Last year  Dripping Springs won Nationals.

There couldn’t have been a bigger smile on Alberto and Rosa’s faces. It was the day they had been waiting for. The time was 5:30 p.m., a half hour before the event and each one of the family members grew more nervous as each minute ticked by.
“We’re excited, and so happy,” Alberto Jimenez said and wife Rosa added, “I’m thrilled.”
Family members soon arrived and the Wimberley Valley Habitat for Humanity (WVHH) was there to greet them. Past recipients of WVHH were there, but that is nothing new. In fact, many of them volunteered to help build the nineteenth house during the construction phase. They know how important this moment can be.
The program started with a welcome, and Lutheran Pastor Becky Sogge said a prayer to bless the house and its inhabitants. The program continued with the WVHH President’s remarks.

There are few things in life that can be more gratifying or important than helping children get ready for school.
The Barnabas Connection held its 11th annual Back to School Fiesta on Saturday at the Methodist Church to provide backpacks, school supplies and more local for children. It was almost like Christmas in August, with happy kids and parents alike.
Wimberley ISD was there with its nurses providing information to parents. There were twenty-three free haircuts with two stylists and 63 vision screenings by the Wimberley Lions Club. Payless also had a gift card of $15 for each student.
St. Vincent de Paul Society also had a $10 coupon for each child to purchase clothing from of a big trailer of gently used school clothes that was in the parking lot. All WISD students in need were provided the supplies needed for having a very successful school year.

The Woodcreek City Council elected to continue with the process necessary to issue tax notes to completely rebuild Brookhollow Drive, but there is still an opportunity to pull out down the road.
The tax notes would add an estimated 9.5 cents to the city’s taxes, which are currently 13.5 cents, if final approval is granted.
“The tax notes would not be issued until the bid documents come in,” Woodcreek City Manager Brenton Lewis said. “…They will publically sell them to local banks, or whoever wants to buy them.”
The notes would not be issued until bids come back on the cost of the process and the council elects to move forward again.
“I’m a little bit uneasy about this, but once the bids come in if we look at them and they are exorbitant then we don’t issue the tax notes and we can reject the bids,” Woodcreek Mayor Eric Eskelund said