JULY 8, 2020 INSPIRED
FEEDING HEROS
COVID-19 not hampering creativity
VFW members serve lunch
– Page 4
– Page 6
Hays Free Press © Barton Publications, Inc.
75¢
Vol. 126 • No. 15
HaysFreePress.com
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX
Student survey says ‘Ditch Rebel mascot’ HAYS FREE PRESS STAFF
When the Hays CISD sent out a survey about changing Hays High’s mascot, it was seeking guidance from students, teachers and staff who would be affected. They responded — re-
soundingly. Almost 60 percent of students and more than 70 percent of teachers and staff were in favor of a change — continuing a process that began two decades ago of divorcing the school district from Confederate imagery. Specifically, the dis-
trict said that one in four students were “very uncomfortable” with the mascot, while 30 percent of teachers and staff felt that way. The 2,325 surveys were sent to students who would be in grades 9-12 at Hays High School for the 2020-2021 school year as
well as to 275 teachers and staff. The district received 1,152 student responses and 146 from teachers and staff. Aside from that survey, the district also credited an online petition urging a change that had gathered 1,400 signatures as of July 2.
“When more than a quarter of the students, and nearly a third of the teachers and staff members, are very uncomfortable with the current mascot, that mascot fails in its objectives,” the district said Monday in a statement. “When a mascot mires the school
in political controversy and pits students, families and community members against each other, it is time to change.” Established in 1968, Hays CISD stopped using the Confederate flag as an official symbol for Hays
DITCH REBEL MASCOT, 4
Universityowned apartments OKed for quarantine Hays CISD officials put mascot choice in hands of students BY MEGAN WEHRING Hays High School students were brought together to bring a possible change to the mascot. Seniors Alena Hernandez and Zoe Reyna organized a student committee in favor of changing the Rebel mascot. The district has been separating itself from Confederacy ideals by banning the Confederate flag and the “Dixie” fight song at the school in previous years. Hernandez said changing the mascot would be a step towards creating a more inclusive environment. “It is no secret that our school is perceived as racist because of its history, and I believe that by changing the mascot we will be one step closer to ridding that image,” Hernandez said. “Racism plagues our school, and my goal is to just get us one step closer to having
MULLING OVER MASCOT, 10
BY ANITA MILLER
CITY OF KYLE PHOTO
Crews working on a rain garden at the intersection of Burleson and Austin streets.
August finish set for Burleson BY MEGAN WEHRING
Kyle residents can expect to see a landscaped rain garden and sidewalks along the newly improved Burleson Street. Many have waited years for Burleson Street to be fully accessible to the public. Kyle Director of Communications Samantha Armbruster said several problems delayed the construction project. “There had been some rain delays for this project when it was actually raining or, in some cases, where it was just too wet for things like asphalt,” Armbruster said. “We had rain delays and of course the five letter word: COVID ... There’s
always things that have to be taken into consideration when a project coincides or has any involvement with the railroad.” The Burleson project involves crossing a Union Pacific Railroad line, requiring specialized work of boring under the rail line. The contractor on the project hired a subcontractor in order to start the three-to-four week boring work. The original project was estimated to be $8.5 million in costs, including engineering and construction. Despite the multiple changes that needed to be made, the project is still well within the budget. Armbruster said
“Where there was once a dark street, there will now be a safer place to drive and walk at night.” -Samantha Armbruster
Burleson will have new above ground features while still offering underground drainage improvements. “Where there was once a dark street, it will now be a safer place to drive and walk at night,” Armbruster said.
With the railroad nearby, Project Engineer JoAnn Garcia ensures residents that the new construction will keep the area more quiet. “For those residents that live close by, there will be a lot less noise,” Garcia said. Armbruster said the project staff is “so lucky” to partner with the community to develop a beautiful space. “You typically think of city crews or contractors,” Armbruster said. “In this particular project, we have had a great partnership with Kyle Landscaping who has turned what would have been a ditch into what is a really beautiful rain garden.”
COVID-19 hits family, jail population hard BY ANITA MILLER Two members of the same family have died as the result of COVID-19, Hays County officials announced on Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 10. Both the father, in his 70s, and the son, in his 50s, live in San Marcos. As of Monday, the county had seen more than 3,190 confirmed cases, of which more than 2,600 were still active. A day later, county commissioners heard scathing reports of inmates in the county jail not wearing masks even as 60 cases of the coronavirus have been
confirmed among its population as well as 10 cases in correctional officers. “If you don’t know someone affected, count yourself the lucky one,” County Judge Ruben Becerra said in remarks before the jail report. “It’s personal for many of us and it is a very big deal … The sad reality is we’re not getting any better — we’re going backward and getting worse. I fear what the Fourth of July will bring forth in the next few days. Regarding the jail, Capt. Julie Villalpando said staff is “doing everything we can” to adhere to CDC guidelines and trying to
IN SESSION
Texas State holding most summer school online– Page 6
convince inmates to do the same – without much success. She called on attorneys and families of inmates to reach out to them and stress the importance of following protocol if the spread of the infection is to be stopped. Villalpando said incoming arrestees are screened and all inmates are monitored for symptoms “several times a day.” Separate “housing units” have been set up for groups of inmates that are positive, negative, are high risk or fall into other speci-
COVID-19 HITS FAMILY, JAIL, 10
The Hays Free Press Barton Publications, Inc. The Hays Free Press (USPS 361-430) published weekly by Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. Periodicals postage paid at Buda, TX 78610 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. ISSN#1087-9323
Hays County Commissioners approved an agreement June 30 with Texas State University to allow for locations for the county’s first responders to quarantine because of COVID-19, should that become necessary. The agenda item, requested by Chief of Staff and Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Villalobos, involves the use of 18 one-bedroom apartments and 12
QUARANTINE APARTMENTS, 5
May jobless is 11.7 % in Hays Co. BY ANITA MILLER Hays County’s unemployment rate for May was 11.7 percent and between May 27 and June 27, 2,629 county residents applied for unemployment benefits. The top industries those people represented are full-service restaurants, colleges and universities, limited-service restaurants, elementary and secondary schools and electronic shopping and merchandise houses. According to the Texas Workforce Commission there are slightly more females (1,391) than males (1,292) who filed benefits claims within that time period. Hays was 24th among the state’s top 25 counties in terms of unemployed residents who had filed for benefits. Harris County led that field at 80,070 and Travis County was sixth with 13,634 residents filing for unemployment insurance. The county’s May unemployment rate was down from 12.8 in April. In March, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the area, the county’s jobless rate was 3.9 percent. The adjusted unemployment rate for Texas in May was 13 percent.