JULY 10, 2019 FIX’ER UP
52 COUNTS
Kyle OKs repairs to historic City Hall.
Feds indict man in Hays County child porn case.
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Hays Free Press © Barton Publications, Inc.
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Vol. 124 • No. 15
HaysFreePress.com
Kyle man killed in FM 150 motorcycle wreck BY MOSES LEOS III A Kyle man has been identified as the victim in a fatal single-vehicle motorcycle wreck that occurred late Sunday on FM 150 west near the intersection of FM 2770. Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said the wreck occurred around 10:40 p.m. Sunday near the Sonic Drive-In located in the 1700 block of Rebel Drive, also known as FM
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX
Experts fear negative impact from water permits
Patriotic goers
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
MOTORCYCLE FATALITY, 2
BY MOSES LEOS III Medical issues possibly related to illegal drug use was the preliminary cause of death of a homeless man whose body was found along Kyle Crossing road earlier this month. John Raymond Distasio, 55, was identified by Hays County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Beth Smith as the deceased. According to Kyle officials, no foul play is suspected. Final results and final cause of death are pending toxicology results from an autopsy ordered by Smith. According to a press release, a body was found at around 7:30 a.m. July 2 by a pedestrian walking along Kyle Crossing on the way to work. The witness went into the Home Depot on Kyle Crossing and told employees, who then called Kyle Police. Smith pronounced the man dead and ordered an autopsy. Authorities later identified Distasio, based on his fingerprints. Kyle Police continues to investigate the incident.
County hosts workshop on preventative care technology BY EXSAR ARGUELLO Advances in technology allowing healthcare providers to monitor patents remotely in the name of preventive care could support indigent Hays County residents in the future. MRG Medical showed Hays County Commissioners in a June 25 workshop a watch that can monitor a patient’s vital signs, as well as their sleeping and eating habits. MRG officials hope to provide the county with the technology, which they feel could
MRG officials hope to provide the county with the technology, which they feel could help slash the $2 million spent by Hays County that pays for indigent resident hospital bills. help slash the $2 million spent by Hays County that pays for indigent resident hospital bills. State statutes requires counties across the state to pay for these medical expenses; the majority
of costs come from hospital visits. “Any time (the indigent population) goes to the hospital, it comes out of your budget,” said MRG Medical co-founder Bob Lang. “Imagine if we were to assign a
primary care physician to these patients … they could manage those patients and keep them out of the hospital.” Approximately $3 billion is spent every year in the United States on emergency room visits and reactive healthcare practices, according to MRG. Their technology could cut $1 billion a year, Lang said. The watch collects data from residents and sends it to a physician that works with the county. MRG Medical Founder Kyle
BY MOSES LEOS III Bombs prematurely bursting in air Thursday proved a little too close for comfort for Kyle officials who continue to investigate the cause of a malfunction during the city’s July 4 fireworks show. However, quick actions by Kyle Fire Department officials, along with in-place safety measures, were key factors that helped to prevent any injuries or damage from happening and kept an explosively viral moment from turning disastrous. Kerry Urbanowicz,
Kyle Parks and Recreations Director, said the malfunction occurred roughly 9 to 10 minutes into what was supposed to be a 25 minute July 4 fireworks show. The exact cause of the malfunction, however, is still unknown. The Hays County Fire Marshal’s office is investigating. Urbanowicz said the malfunction led to “a few extra shells” firing off at once, according to members of the fireworks team employed by the city. Many of those shells went up in the air but didn’t go very high, Urbanowicz said.
REVITALIZATION
Kyle leaders vote to continue downtown development pace.
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The city has worked with the fireworks company, which was not identified, for roughly six years and currently has a $30,000 contract with them. The city has also held its fireworks show near the Plum Creek Golf Course clubhouse for the past nine years with no prior incidents. Mark Schultz, Kyle Fire Marshal, said the resulting explosions led to several small grass fires popping up at once. Schutlz said fire officials quickly responded to the grass fires and extinguished several of them immediately.
WATER PERMIT, 9
Buda EDC bylaw changes made BY MOSES LEOS III
Several other fires near the launch area were extinguished soon after fire officials got the okay from the fireworks contractor, Schultz said. “We didn’t want to get too close because we didn’t know if all of the ordinance had gone off,” Schultz said. Urbanowicz said everyone was outside of a 200-yard safety zone from the launch area that was supposed to be. However, a video posted on Twitter showed two people who were feet from the launch area.
Changes to bylaws governing operations of the Buda Economic Development Corporation (EDC) will give city leaders additional control, even as officials maintain the two entities are independent. But worries continue to mount over the motives behind the changes, which former EDC board of director members allege gives the city access to $4 million in EDC reserves that could be used to pay for city projects not directly related to economic development matters. However, Buda City Council members, who passed the bylaw changes by a 5-0 vote July 2, maintain changes were meant to make rules concurrent with state laws, while also allowing the EDC the option to provide money for infrastructure projects that could provide an economic benefit. Mayor George Haehn and council member Paul Daugereau were absent July 2 and didn’t vote. One major change dealt with how the EDC handles its reserves. City leaders approved adding language giving the EDC board of directors the option to transfer reserves in excess of a required three months of operating expenses to “fund capital projects.” Roughly $4 million in reserves has been saved to date by the EDC.
KYLE FIREWORKS, 2
BUDA EDC, 12
PREVENTATIVE CARE, 2
No injuries after Kyle Fourth of July fireworks malfunction
INDEX
Body found on Kyle Crossing identified
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Displaying stars, stripes and sparkles, a participant in the Plum Creek Independence Day parade exudes freedom as she rolls down Witte in celebration of the nation’s 243rd birthday. The parade in Plum Creek was one of a handful of area July 4 events and celebrations. More Independence Day photos can be found on pages 5, 6 and 8.
Two pending groundwater permits in Hays County, if approved, could severely damage the Trinity Aquifer, according to multiple hydrogeologists in the area. Those permits, filed by Needmore Water, LLC and Electro Purification, LLC, are vying to pump more than 1.2 billion gallons of water a year, combined, if approved by the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD)
News……………… 2, 12 Opinion………………… 3 Sports…………………… 4 Education……………… 5 Community………… 6-8
Business……………… 9 Service Directory…… 11 Public Notices…… 10, 12 Classifieds…………… 10