September 30, 2020 Hays Free Press

Page 1

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 WHO’S WHO

JAGS TAME LIONS

Check out who’s running locally for what and why in the November election.

Johnson Jaguars tame Lockhart Lions for a historic win.

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Hays Free Press HaysFreePress.com

Vol. 126 • No. 27

Serving Hays County, TX

AG investigates Hays County judge, Sheriff candidate BY ANITA MILLER

An investigation by the Texas Attorney General’s office into Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra’s dealing regarding COVID-19 tests drew the ire of the judge this weekend.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and Sheriff candidate Alex Villalobos are being investigated by the AG’s office for their association with MRG Medical, a company purporting to sell coronavirus testing kits that did not have approval from the FDA.

Becerra took to social media over the weekend to criticize new reports about an ongoing AG

investigation. The investigation looks into both Becerra and his right-hand man Alex Villalobos over

their attempts to secure COVID-19 testing materials early in the pandemic. He directed his vitriol

at the San Marcos Daily Record which first reported the news on Sunday regarding the AG investi-

gation. Other material had also been recently reported by news organizations including the statewide nonprofit Texas Tribune and the national investigative organization Pro Publica.

JUDGE INVESTIGATION, 2

Trial date set for murder suspect of KPD employee BY ANITA MILLER

on the coronavirus, with officials in Bastrop CounA trial date in Februty, where Dean’s body ary 2022 is anticipated was found, hoping that for Freddie Lee by that time, the Smith, one of two criminal justice men Austin Police system and jury Officer VonTrey trials will have Clark, 32, hired to returned to kill his 29-yearnormal. old pregnant girlIf the trial does friend, Samantha take place in FebDean, in 2015. ruary 2022, it will Dean was a mark seven years victims services since Dean’s DEAN coordinator for body was found the Kyle Police in a Bastrop Department and parking lot. The Clark, who was case has experithe father of her enced a number unborn child, of delays, notapleaded guilty to bly when Clark capital murder fled to Indonesia in exchange for soon after his a life sentence in relationship with December 2019. Dean came to The third man, CLARK light. Kevin Watson, is He was awaiting trial. brought back in The delay is blamed August 2015.

Lights out request is for the birds BY ANITA MILLER The city of Dripping Springs wants you to know that some flyby-night operators are coming to town. But instead of turning out to welcome them or worse, alerting the authorities, what’s being asked of city residents is simple — turn off outside lights. That’s because the visitors, who are

expected to be arriving throughout October, are winging their way. Migratory birds from hummingbirds and warblers to sparrows and geese, annually travel hundreds to thousand of miles each year and their primary pathway is the Central Flyway, which cuts right through Central Texas.

LIGHTS OUT FOR BIRDS, 11

Painting the town

Czech immigrant beautifying Buda one mural at a time BY ANITA MILLER

Art is international, and residents of the Buda area are directly benefiting from that fact. You can’t drive down Main Street and not notice the contributions artist Marcela Kourkova, born in Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), has made to the city’s beautification. From illustrations of tasty food and drink available at Esther’s Tex Mex at 210 S. Main, Mill & Grain a block away at 306 S. Main or a seasonal chalk mural at The Carrington at 300 S. Main. Behind it all is Kourkova, who came to this country 35 years ago

COMING UP Voter Registration Deadline Oct. 5

October 5, 2020 is the last day to register to vote for the November 3 election. Your application must be received in the Voter Registrar’s office or postmarked at least 30 days before an election for you to be eligible to vote in that election. For additional information on voting in Texas, please visit www.votetexas.gov.

Hill Country Howl Oct. 1

This will be an easy and fun activity for the whole community. To help celebrate

COVID WATCH

Hospital hosts home monitoring system for those infected with Covid-19.

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Czech-born Marcela Kourkova and her husband chose to make Buda their home in 2007, after living in Austin, because they thought it would be a good place to raise a family.

“I wanted to live where there is more color.” –Marcela Kourkova, Buda resident since 2007

and to Buda in 2007. She and her husband, who is also an artist, had been living in Austin since 1995; but when she became pregnant they decided to leave the city and find a house where they could raise a family. They found one along FM 1626, which she describes as

October being Hill Country Night Sky Month we are having a community howl. All you have to do is step outside, wherever you are, at 8:30 p.m. and send up a howl to the full Harvest Moon. Gather with friends, family (socially distanced, of course) and let’s all howl together at the moon.

Eat pizza and support Hays High Band A fundraiser for the Hays High School Band will be held Monday, Oct. 5, at MOD Pizza in Kyle. The business will donate 20 percent of event sales to the Hays Band Boosters for takeout, delivery or in-person orders between 10:30 am. and 10 p.m. Customers must mention they are there to support the band. MOD Pizza is located at 151 Evans Drive. Suite 105, Kyle.

the “borderline” between Austin and Buda. “I wanted to live where there is more color,” she says. She is adding to that color and the revitalization of downtown Buda and describes herself as a “painting pioneer.” Her first foray into public art was the mural by Esther’s Tex Mex. The restaurant’s owner Esther Coronado applied for and received a revitalization grant to improve her property “and she hired me to do the mural.” That work is in paint and is there to stay. It’s a different story down the street

at The Carrington, where her works are in chalk. “It can disappear when it rains,” she said, after which she replaces it with a new theme. Her work can also be seen at Little Blue Bird, Buda Med Spa, Willow Garden Spa and Particular Home Design. On top of all that, she is also an art teacher with the Austin ISD, and expects to be back in the classroom next week. “Art is essential,” she said. And contributing her art is, in her words, “living the American dream.

Buda anticipates new wave of reopening BY MEGAN WEHRING

Buda facilities that will reopen include: Buda BUDA — Many busiCity Hall, Public Safety nesses in Texas have been Building, Buda Public allowed to reopen to Library and Notary Pub75% capacity for nearly lic Services. The Visitor a week, per Gov. Greg Center remains closed to Abbott's Executive Order. the public. Most Buda city facilities Preventive measures were set to reopen on that were taken during Monday, Sept. 28, after the original reopening being shut down for in May will be in effect. months. Sneeze shields have been According to a Sept. 16 news release, the city of REOPENING, 11

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


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