Economic impact of immigrants
Inmates pair up with shelter dogs
page 5
Lady Tiger soccer shuts out Lions
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXIX No. 19
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
Residents worry about safety on U.S. 290 Roughly one wreck every 2.5 days since 2016 is the rate of vehicle incidents along U.S. Highway 290 in the Dripping Springs area, according to a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) report. The data, requested by the News-Dispatch,
Sign of the times? State rep files bill to ban billboards on scenic routes
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO A new bill filed by State Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood) would bar new billboards on a number of scenic Hill Country roads. HB 1303, or the Hill Country Scenic Highway Bill, prohibits the placement of billboards along RM 1826, RM 150 and RM 967, located in the Northern and Western portion of the county. Zwiener’s initiative comes after a push to preserve dark-sky communities throughout Hays County and recent battles to eradicate billboards. “Western Hays County is growing fast, but folks visit and move here because of the beautiful scenery,” Zwiener said. “We must protect tourism, our
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Despite major construction efforts to widen and improve the highway, Dripping Springs residents who use U.S. 290 to commute to work and school see it as a hindrance to their safety.
recorded vehicle wrecks from 2016 to the present on U.S. 290 from RM 165 in the Henly area to Fitzhugh Road near the Hays and Travis county line. A total of 430 wrecks
were logged by TxDOT officials during that timeframe. According to the report, 2017 was one of the most dangerous years on the highway. Two fatal
wrecks and 142 total crashes ranging from non-injury to serious injury happened that year. In 2018, six tractor trailer wrecks and four motorcycle related
75¢
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Rough road ahead BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
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crashes happened on that section of the highway. TxDOT’s report also indicated that speed may not be the only factor for the accidents. From 2016 to 2019, TxDOT reported 34 speed-related accidents on the road. Alcohol-related wrecks
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Samaritans save driver from car fire
Council questions Wimberley mayor’s purchase BY EXSAR ARGUELLO Exasperated sighs and furrowed brows were plentiful Feb. 7 as Wimberley city leaders sparred over reimbursement of a computer purchase made by Mayor Susan Jaggers. But what started as a discussion turned into an argumentative standoff between Jaggers, council members and city staff. At the center of debate was a desktop computer purchased by Jaggers, who wanted the city to reimburse her around $900 for it. Jaggers purchased the computer after citing that she needed a new one for city-related work. The computer was to be placed in the mayor’s office at Wimberley City Hall. Prior to discussion
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PHOTO COURTESY OF BEE CAVE POLICE SERGEANT JOE REID
Passersby came to the aid of a Dripping Springs man who flipped his car into a ditch along Hamilton Pool Road near Bee Cave on Feb. 6. Motorists Jonathan McCabe and Tyler Lawing were able to pull the driver to safety before it burst into flames. See story on page 6.
Driftwood lawmaker seeks equality for LGBTQ workers BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Efforts to end employment discrimination against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer (LGBTQ) community is now heading to the legislative floor. Earlier this month, State Rep. Erin Zwiener’s (D-Driftwood) was appointed to the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, marking her first effort to represent those in the LGBTQ community. The caucus will focus on its legislative priorities for the LGBTQ community, which include Zwiener’s initiative to end employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“There are no employment discrimination protections for LGBTQ Texas. Now is the time to change that in Texas. We’re here, we exist and we deserve equal employment protection.” –Erin Zwiener, State Representative, Dist. 45
According to the Texas Labor Code, LGBTQ individuals are not protected from employment discrimination, a battle that Texas lawmakers have fought over the past few sessions. “There are no employment discrimination protections for LGBTQ Texans,” Zwiener said. “Now is the time to
change that in Texas. We’re here, we exist and we deserve equal employment protection.” During the 2013 legislative session, Senate Bill 237 and House Bill 238 sought to prohibit employment discrimination against LBGTQ workers. Both bills, however, ultimately failed to see the light of day.
Despite these challenges in the legislature, a new study by PRRI Polling showed that 64 percent of Texans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, a finding that combats the current laws in place. The study based its conclusions after indepth interviews with nearly 3,000 Texans, with a large percentage supporting anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ people. Additionally, all five metropolitan regions of the state, including Austin and its surrounding cities, widely support these changes.
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LAGNIAPPE Night Sky Festival
Celebrate the starry Texas sky March 29-31 for the annual Texas Night Sky Festival at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. The free event, hosted by the city of Dripping Springs, Hays County Chapter Texas Master Naturalist, Texas Night Sky Festival Association and many others, features a plethora of activities, culminating in the big festival after dark on March 30. More information can be found online at texasnightskyfestival.org.
Jane Eyre, the musical, at Burdine Johnson Theater
Charlotte Bronte's great love story comes to life with music to lift your heart and set your spirit soaring. This beloved tale of secrets and the lies that secrets create, of unimaginable hope and unspoken passion, reminds us what it is to fall deeply, truly and completely in love. February 1-24, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Performed in the Burdine Johnson Indoor Studio Theatre
Concerns grow over $120K pipe boring under creek BY EXSAR ARGUELLO A letter from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials to Wimberley engineering consultants indicates the city’s change of scope for its wastewater plant might not be doing enough to protect the environment. The 14-page letter comes just a month before the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is projected to make a decision on the city’s change of scope for its wastewater project, which includes a crucial $5.5 million grant to fund the facility. But the installation of a pipe under Cypress Creek might prove to be costlier than the city anticipated, per TPWD officials. According to the letter, the TPWD is recommending that the entrance and exit points for drilling be located at least 500-feet from the streambed, which is approximately 300 to 400 feet short of the distance the city originally anticipated to drill, according to its report. Originally anticipated to cost the city around $30,000, the recommendation would drive costs to around $120,000. “Due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the project area, TPWD also recommends installing secondary containment around the pipeline to
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