National honor for DSHS yearbook
Amber’s Angels at Dell Hospital
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Tigers fall in season opener
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVIII No. 14
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
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75¢
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Unemployment rates hit lowest point in years BY MOSES LEOS III Continued job growth over the past five years has helped drive Hays County unemployment figures down to levels not seen in nearly two decades. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hays County experienced a 2.8 percent unemployment rate in November 2017, which is the lowest
rate the county has had since it hit 2.7 percent in 1999. Hays County’s low unemployment rate follows a statewide trend of rates dropping to historic levels. According to a Texas Workforce Commission press release, Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in November 2017, which set a record for the lowest rate in four
decades. Andres Alcantar, TWC chairman, said in statement that the state added 54,500 non-farm jobs in November. The annual employment growth in Texas increased to 2.7 percent in November, which marked 91 consecutive months of annual growth in Texas, according to the release. Nine of the 11 major industries in Texas grew
in November, which includes professional and business services, construction and leisure and hospitality. “The addition of 330,600 jobs over the year demonstrates the consistency with which employers in our state create job opportunities for the highly skilled Texas workforce,” Alcantar said
Hays County unemployment rate, 2010-2016
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Influenza cases on the rise in Hays County
Blanco River reforestation project approved for renewal
BY SAMANTHA SMITH
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
TreeFolks volunteers work to plant trees along the Blanco River at a 2017 planting event. The organization will continue to work with the county in 2018 to plant more trees along the flood-damaged river.
BY MOSES LEOS III A $261,000 agreement approved by Hays County Commissioners Jan. 2 allows TreeFolks, a Central Texas nonprofit organization, to continue its vegetation restoration efforts on the Blanco River. TreeFolks’ efforts following the devastating May 2015 flood have been accepted by many landowners, said Clint Garza, Hays County development services director. Matt Mears, TreeFolks reforestation manager, said Jan. 2 there has been an “overwhelming response” from the community to the Blanco River reforestation
program, which originally began in September 2015. The program has so far planted more than 100,000 trees along the Blanco River and has replanted vegetation on the properties of 75 landowners. TreeFolks expects to help another 75 landowners in 2018. Mears said the response has so far exceeded TreeFolks’ expectations, with the program harboring 25 percent participation over the first two weeks it was introduced. By comparison, Mears said a similar tree replanting program initiated following the Bastrop Complex Fire in 2012 had 20 percent partici-
“This is very crucial to slow down future floods ... This is about reducing the risk in the future. We know future floods are going to happen, but we are making the river more resilient.” – Matt Mears, TreeFolks reforestation manager
pation over the course of five years. TreeFolks works with landowners through direct education and tree planting, with the primary goal of creating “grow zones,” or areas of dense vegetation along the river. “This is very crucial to slow down future
floods,” Mears said. “This is about reducing the risk in the future. We know future floods are going to happen, but we are making the river more resilient.” Mears said improving water quality by promoting a “healthy forest,” as well as improving air quality are additional
components to riparian recovery. “The concept there is to prevent further erosion down the way, allow the river to recover and once it recovers fully, have a flight control aspect to slow the water down,” Garza said. However, not all landowners along the Blanco River participated in the program. According to county officials, some landowners discovered their property wasn’t heavily damaged, so they opted not to participate. Lon Shell, Hays County Pct. 3 commissioner, said he also saw many landowners whom he
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Questions raised as CAMPO reappoints Conley as policy board chairperson BY MOSES LEOS III Area leaders Monday reappointed former Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley to chair the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (CAMPO) Policy Board, this despite questions on the legality of the move. The decision, made by a 15-1 vote with one abstention, would allow Conley to serve as chairperson of the board for an additional two year period, but require that he also serve as an affiliate non-voting member of the board. Cynthia Long, chairperson of the CAMPO
According to bylaws for metropolitan planning organizations, members of a policy board should be local elected officials, officials who operate major modes of transportation or state officials. nominating committee, said the committee was in “unanimous agreement” on Dec. 8 in reappointing Conley to the chair position. Conley has been serving as the CAMPO Policy Board chair since 2012. CAMPO’s Policy Board is a 20-person board that guides and
directs how funding for transportation projects is dispersed across a six county region that includes Hays County. However, concerns were raised over whether Conley was able to serve in the role. In October, Conley stepped down as Hays County Pct. 3 com-
missioner in order to run for County Judge. According to bylaws for metropolitan planning organizations, members of a policy CONLEY board should be local elected officials, officials who operate major modes of transportation or state officials. However, Long said Hays County Commissioners appointed Conley to continue to serve as its representative on
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Residents suffering from flu-like symptoms can take solace they’re not alone after Hays County officials estimated more than 300 confirmed cases of the virus at the end of December. Hays County Local Health Department Epidemiologist Eric Schneider said flu season is technically September through April. However, the medical community has seen an uptick in positive flu cases in Hays County since last year. In December 2016, only 15 cases of the flu were reported in Hays County, according to a press release. As of the end of December 2017, 304 people were reportedly sick with the flu. Schneider said the rise in positive flu cases could be attributed to better reporting on the physicians’ part. Schneider said influenza is a very common viral infection, that for
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LAGNIAPPE Christmas Tree Recycling
Hays County Recycling/Solid Waste Centers will be accepting undecorated Christmas trees for recycling at both centers through Jan. 13. The county will mulch the trees and use the mulch at county parks. There is no charge for dropping off a tree. Centers are located at 1691 Carney Lane (end of County Road 278) in Wimberley and 100 Darden Hill Road (County Road 162) in Driftwood. Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Candidate filing period begins
Candidate filing begins on Wednesday, Jan. 17 for two city council seats and one mayoral seat for the May 5, 2018 Election. Applications for placement on the ballot will be accepted at Dripping Springs City
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