Life-long D.S. native passes
Dripping Springs student earns national acclaim
Tiger teams set to begin play for 2017 season
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVII No. 43 • Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
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75¢
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Woman killed in rollover wreck on RR12 BY SAMANTHA SMITH High speed is thought to be a primary factor that led to the death of a Wimberley woman in a single-vehicle rollover crash along Ranch Road
12 Friday afternoon. Tracy Dawn Hudler, 50, of Wimberley, was identified as the victim in the rollover, according to Robbie Barrera, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson.
Barrera said the accident took place around 1:41 p.m. Friday on Ranch Road 12 between Wimberley and Dripping Springs. Hudler, who was the lone occupant in a 2008
Chrysler Sebring, was traveling northbound on Ranch Road 12 when she approached a left curve in the roadway at an unsafe speed, Barrera said. Hudler attempted
to correct the vehicle, but over-corrected and rolled the Sebring; Hudler was ejected from the vehicle in the process. Barrera said Hays County Pct. 4 Justice
County judge steps down due to illness
No injuries on Slime Bridge
BY MOSES LEOS III
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WIMBERLEY FIRE RESCUE
No one was injured after a large charter bus ran off of Bendigo Crossing, locally known as the Slime Bridge, spanning the Blanco River on Wayside Drive Monday afternoon. Wimberley fire officials say they were dispatched around 2:20 p.m. for reports of a bus that had its right rear wheels off the bridge. When crews arrived, they discovered no occupants in the bus. The occupants were later found uninjured up the road.
LAGNIAPPE U.S. 290 closures
Temporary lane closures along U.S. Highway 290 are upcoming as construction continues on the Roger Hanks Parkway extension. Construction crews will be doing concrete curb and drainage work Aug. 3 to Aug. 6. During this timeframe, the outer westbound lane of U.S. 290 near the construction site will be temporarily closed. This lane will close again Aug. 13 to Aug. 18 to
LAGNIAPPE, 3
Local advocacy group fears passage of ‘bathroom bill’ BY MOSES LEOS III As Texas’ controversial “bathroom bill” surpassed a major hurdle this week, a Dripping Springs-based group joins others, fearing passage of the measure could lead to discrimination against transgender people. Senate Bill 3, authored by State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brehnam), passed by a 21-10 vote in the Texas Senate July 25. SB 3, along with its House companion bill, is one of 20 items Texas Gov. Greg Abbott listed as priority when he called a special legislative session in June. Under the so-called “bathroom bill,” Texans would be required to use bathrooms in public schools or government buildings based on the sex listed on their birth certificate or state issued identification, rather than their choice. However, the bill continues to draw backlash from a variety of opponents who believe the measure is discriminatory. According to a July 25 Texas Tribune report, police chiefs from Austin, Houston and San Antonio publicly denounced the bill, claiming it could take police away from their
“For whatever reason, children like theirs have been singled out ... They’re worried about that and they’re angry about it, too.” – Andy Hutton of One Tiger, Many Stripes
duties and would compromise public safety. But frustration is rising within the Dripping Springs-based Many Stripes, One Tiger (MSOT) group as they feel legislators are not listening to constituents’ concerns. Andy Hutton, one of the leaders of MSOT who attended the eight-hour July 25 SB 3 discussion, said testimony was overwhelmingly against SB3. He said those who spoke out against SB 3 were parents like he, along with law enforcement personnel, business leaders and mental health professionals. Hutton said he was dismayed when legislators passed the bill to the next stage. “I honestly couldn’t understand how in the face of that testimony the committee couldn’t be moved by the real issues people face,” Hutton said. As the bill moves ahead, Hutton said MSOT will continue to tell the story of a trans-
of the Peace Terry Kyle pronounced Hudler deceased at the scene. No other vehicles were involved and no one else was injured as a result of the accident, Barrera said.
gender Walnut Springs Elementary student whose struggle they are trying to bring to light. The creation of MSOT came following State Rep. Jason Isaac’s (R-Dripping Springs) advocacy of bathroom regulation after parents learned of a transgender student at Walnut Springs. The resulting outcry led to an argumentative Dripping Springs ISD board of trustees meeting in September 2016, where those on both sides of the bathroom issue spoke out. In 2017, the first iteration of the SB 3 was filed during the regular 85th legislative session. However, the bill didn’t pass the Texas House and died before the end of the regular session. The Hays Free Press reached out to Jason Isaac for an updated comment on the topic. According to a spokesperson, Isaac was not available for comment prior to press time. Hutton said the
family whose child is in the middle of the fight is “scared” for what the bill could mean for their child. Like many parents, Hutton said they wish to see their child thrive and live his or her life without being bullied. “For whatever reason, children like theirs have been singled out,” Hutton said. “They’re worried about that and they’re angry about it, too.” However, Hutton believes fear, not hate, is driving the bathroom bill. He felt legislators should rely on “hard facts” and not use fear to create legislation. He feels legislators “listening and having compassion for someone else’s experiences” could solve many issues. “If this is a health concern, and police come out and say it’s not and legislators still ignore that, it’s driven by something other than what they say is its purpose,” Hutton said.
A recent leukemia diagnosis has forced Hays County’s top elected official to temporarily step off of the dais in order to begin treatment. Hays County COBB Judge Bert Cobb announced at the end of Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting he had been “diagnosed with a lethal disease,” later identified as Leukemia, and that he would begin
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County readies for flood plain changes STAFF REPORT The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the State of Texas, and local communities and counties, have released preliminary flood maps for public review and comment. These preliminary flood maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), are providing updated flood risk information for many areas in Hays County and along the San Marcos River in Caldwell, Gonzales, Guadalupe, and Hays counties. In Hays County, the flood hazard study includes areas along the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers, and many tributaries as well as Onion Creek, Barton Creek, Bear Creek and their tributaries. Property owners are encouraged to view the maps at http://maps.RiskMAP6. com to see the specific areas being remapped and
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