March 15, 2017 Hays Free Press

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MARCH 15, 2017 BLANCO RIVER

REBEL RELAYS

Local author debuts book about Blanco River.

Rebel, Lobo track and field athletes hit annual relays.

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Hays Free Press

© BARTON PUBLICATIONS, INC.

Vol. 120 • No. 51

HaysFreePress.com

Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX • 75¢

Judge rules congressional district must be redrawn BY ROSS RAMSEY AND JIM MALEWITZ of the Texas Tribune

Some of Texas’ 36 congressional districts violate either the U.S. Constitution or the federal Voting Rights Act, a panel of federal judges ruled Friday. In a long-delayed ruling, the judges ruled 2-1 that the Texas Legislature must redraw the political maps it most recently used for the 2016 elections.

Specifically, they pointed to Congressional District 23, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, takes in most of the Texas-Mexico border and is represented by Republican Will Hurd of Helotes; Congressional District 27, represented by Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi; and Congressional District 35, a Central Texas district represented by Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin. The 166-page ruling by the San Antonio-based district judges was the lat-

est in a complicated case that dates back to 2011, and comes just two election cycles away from the next U.S. Census – when the state would draw a new map under normal circumstances. In 2013, the district court found evidence that lawmakers intentionally discriminated when redrawing the boundaries. But the U.S. Supreme Court soon complicated the case when it struck

An area resident holds up a sign protesting gerrymandering of Texas congressional districts at a February town hall meeting in Dripping Springs.

GERRYMANDERING, 2A

PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III

New election policy in place after ballot snafu BY LOGAN MCCULLOUGH

news@haysfreepress.com

A policy lapse that resulted in more than 1,800 ballots not counting towards the Nov. 8, 2016 election has led to the implementation of new policies and procedures within the Hays County Election Administration. Jennifer Anderson,

Sobering sights at Shattered Dreams

who took over the job of Elections Administrator on Jan. 1 of this year after former administrator Joyce Cowan’s retirement, said that even one vote left untallied is unacceptable. “Everybody that comes to vote wants their vote to be counted and their voice to be heard,” said Anderson.

ELECTIONS, 2A

The family of Michael Mince is looking for answers, as well as closure in his death. He’s pictured above with his mother and sister. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MINCE FAMILY

Shattered Dreams – an anti-drunk driving program designed to show high school students the horrors of drinking and driving – was held at Hays High School this past Monday. The illustrative event has been organized annually by Judge Beth Smith and area emergency personnel since 2001. Shattered Dreams will take place at Lehman High School in 2018. See story and more photos on page 3B.

PHOTOS BY BECKY TENNEY

COMING UP Stephen Dunn Reading and Book Signings

TEXAS WINE

Wineries show concern over proposed bill. – Page 1D

INDEX

Poet Stephen Dunn will hold a reading and signing at The Wittliff Collections on Thursday, March 30 at 3:30 p.m. and the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center on Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Dunn is the author of sixteen books, including “Different Hours,” which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. He has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Rockefeller Fellowship, and three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since 1974 he has taught at Richard Stockton College of NJ, where he is Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing.His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Nation, New Republic, the New Yorker, Georgia Review, and the American Poetry Review.

Hooked On Fishing Tournament On Saturday, March 25, the city of Kyle will hold its annual spring fishing tournament at Lake Kyle for all adults with a valid Texas Freshwater Fishing License. This unique tournament will test your strategic ability to catch qualifying species of fish in Lake Kyle: Large-mouth bass, sunfish/perch and channel catfish. See www.cityofkyle. com/recreation/ fishing-tournaments to register and for a schedule.

News …………… 1-4A Opinions …………… 3A Sports …………… 1-2B Education ……… 3-4B Community …… 1-4C

Still searching for answers on victim of hit-and-run BY MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

A protective personality for family and friends was the norm for Kyle teen Michael Mince. Like many older brothers, Michael was protective of his younger sister, said Karin Mince, Michael’s mother. That and sports primarily his favorite team, the Texas Longhorns, were the two passions that fueled him. “He was bullied a lot when he was younger,” Karin said. “He became everyone’s protector as he grew up.” It wasn’t until after

Business ……… 1-4D Service Directory ..... 3D Classifieds ………... 2D Public Notices … 2D, 4D

Michael’s tragic death in a still unsolved hit-andrun Dec. 26, 2016 that she realized just how protective her son was. Stories of Michael calling friends to check on them at their lowest points emerged. “He lived his life thinking everyone else in the world was good, too,” Karin said. “He never accepted there were bad people. He wanted to see the good in everyone.” Karin, along with many family members and friends, hope the benevolence in people can finally lead to justice for her son.

HIT-AND-RUN, 4A


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