Hays Free Press 080118

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AUGUST 1, 2018 ACC PHASE II

HEAVY HITTER

Fall brings new classes and facilities to ACC Hays campus

Rebel alum Karina Rocha becoming key player for Angelo State University

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Hays Free Press © Barton Publications, Inc.

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Vol. 123 • No. 18

HaysFreePress.com

Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX

San Marcos apartment fire victims identified STAFF REPORT

to comb through the rubble, an investigation inFour of the five people volving multiple state and who had been reported federal entities is starting missing following the July to ramp up. 20 San Marcos apartment On July 26, San Marcos fire have now been identi- officials identified Haley fied as victims, according Michele Frizzell, 19, of to a city of San Marcos San Angelo, David Ortiz, press release. 21, of Pasadena, Dru EsAs authorities continue tes, 20, of San Antonio,

and James Miranda, 24, of Mount Pleasant, as victims in the fire. Frizzell, Ortiz and Estes were all Texas State University students; all four victims lived in building 500 of the Iconic Village Apartments, which was the

FIRE VICTIMS, 9

Belinda Moats (Missing)

David Ortiz

Dru Estes

Haley Michelle Frizzell

Little known in Buda homicide

Kyle budget includes repairs & rate hikes

BY MOSES LEOS III

BY MOSES LEOS III

Quidditch, anyone?

Kelpie. While the neighbor did not have video of the February or March incident, she showed officers five video clips from a separate May 24 incident. According to the affidavit, the clips allegedly showed Vetrano “tortured the dog by causing unnecessary pain and suffering.” The dog was cornered and then physically abused, according to investigators. The first video clip showed Vetrano holding

A $3.54 average increase in the average monthly wastewater bill could be on the horizon for Kyle utility customers as city leaders look to fund future infrastructure improvements next fiscal year. Despite a rise in wastewater rates, Kyle’s proposed $85 million budget is not expected to alter the current $.5416 per $100 valuation property tax rate, said City Manager Scott Sellers during a July 28 budget workshop. Kyle’s proposed wastewater rate increase, currently set at 10 percent for all customer classes, is expected to help front nearly $19.2 million in wastewater upgrades in Fiscal Year 2019. Included in the list are wastewater line improvements in Plum Creek, Elliot Branch, Bunton Creek and in the south side of town. Sellers said the increases will primarily address $9.5 million in proposed new debt for expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Kyle officials seek to increase the capacity of its WWTP from 3.5 to 4.5 million gallons per day to accommodate new development. Current

CRUELTY CHARGE, 12

KYLE BUDGET, 9

PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III

Appropriately dressed as the “Boy Who Lived,” Ruth Kearly (center) and Fischer Chung (right) toss ping pong balls during a game of table-top quidditch at the Buda Public Library’s downtown location. Buda and Kyle residents Tuesday celebrated the fictional birthday of Harry Potter, the protagonist in J.K. Rowling’s iconic series of novels, at several events. At Buda Library, Potter fans crafted wands, worked on a Potter related puzzle and even made Potter related buttons.

Austin cop arrested on animal cruelty, child endangerment charges in Kyle BY MOSES LEOS III

Editor’s Note: The following story has descriptions of alleged animal abuse or cruelty and offensive language. Reader discretion is advised. A Kyle man faces animal cruelty and child endangerment charges after authorities accuse him of beating his dog in front of his 10-year-old son while in their yard, with all of it caught on video. Christopher Vetrano, 47, of Kyle, was booked

into the Hays County Jail July 27 on a charge of cruelty to non-livestock, a third-deVETRANO gree felony, along with abandoning or endangering a child, which is a state jail felony. Kyle city officials confirmed Vetrano currently works as an Austin Police Department officer.

According to an arrest affidavit, Kyle Police officers were dispatched to the 100 block of North Front Street May 29 for an animal cruelty call. When officers arrived, a neighbor said she saw her neighbor, Vetrano, throw his dog to the ground and yell at it in February or March. The neighbor then saw Vetrano “repeatedly punch the dog in the face” until she believed the dog bit him in defense, according to the affidavit. The dog is a 60-pound, seven-year-old Australian

COMING UP Writers Group at Kyle Library

The Kyle Library Writers Group currently meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Library. This month’s meetings are Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and writers utilizes a workshop format where members share manuscripts and exchange feedback. For more information, contact the Kyle Library at 512-268-7411.

Learn about soil and all the components that help plants grow on Aug. 2 at the Buda Library. This class is for students entering fourth-sixth grade. Pick the program time that works for you. The library will be hosting this class from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and a repeat class from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 512-295-5899.

NO STIGMA

Kyle aims to lose “bedroom community” status.

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Dinosaur George at Buda Library Travel back in time with this presentation on prehistoric creatures including dinosaurs at the Buda Library on Aug. 4, from 2 to 3 p.m. For more information, call 512-295-5899.

Science Club: Soil Science at Buda Library

INDEX

Few details are known about the death of a Buda man that was ruled a homicide earlier this week. An investigation is ongoing FOTNETTE into the death of Brandon Lamont Fotnette, 36, of Buda, who was found in a residence in the 200 block of Brandon’s Way near Buda. According to a press release, law enforcement was dispatched to the residence around 8:30 a.m. July 27 for a welfare concern. Authorities who responded to the residence found a deceased man, later identified as Fotnette, in the home. Beth Smith, Hays County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace, said she pronounced the man dead at 8:54 a.m. July 27. Smith said the residence was not Fotnette’s home and that he died of “unusual circumstances.” However, Smith could not provide additional information as the investigation is ongoing. According to the release, the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide. Officials said they do not believe there is a public safety concern and that it was an isolated incident.

James Miranda

Yarn Groupies (for adults 18+)

Meet up with this group of fiber artists every Tuesday at the Kyle Public Library to crochet, knit or stitch to your heart’s delight. Next meeting is Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Call 512-268-7411 for more information.

News………………… 1-2 Opinion……………… 3 Sports…………………… 4 Education……………… 5 Community………… 6-7

Church Directory……… 7 Business……………… 8 Classifieds ……… ... 10 Service Directory…..... 11 Public Notices…… 10,12


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