Tiger home opener game delayed
Community rallies for DSISD counselor
Don’t knock the noble pigeon
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVII No. 47
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
page 6
75¢
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Hurricane Harvey hits Hays County Dripping Springs, Wimberley unaffected by weather event BY MOSES LEOS III Downed trees and flooded streets were the extent of the impact seen around parts of Buda and Kyle as Hays County seemingly escaped the brunt of Hurricane Harvey’s wrath. The storm, which landed ashore in Rockport as a Category 4 hurricane,
Opioid abuse on rise in Hays County BY TIMOTHY STUCKEY As opioid related deaths continue to rise across the country, a lack of resources locally could make it difficult for Hays County residents to overcome the addiction. Opioid related deaths have surged in recent years, with 33,000 deaths reported in 2015. Of that number, 1,186 opioid related deaths were in Texas. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 90 Americans per day die after overdosing on opioids. Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine. The crisis first began in the late 1990s, when pharmaceutical companies such as Purdue and Johnson and Johnson reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers.
OPIOID CRISIS, 3
stalled over the Cuero area Saturday, which led to torrential downpours in Central Texas. One Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) rain gauge in Buda at Onion Creek measured close to a foot of rain from Friday through Sunday. Kerry Urbanowicz, Kyle Parks and Recreation director, said city rain
gauges collected close to 11 inches of rain during the same time period. In Dripping Springs, Harvey’s impact was relatively minor, said Kay Allen, city of Dripping Springs Emergency Planning Coordinator. Her rain gauge in the Harmon Hill subdivision collected roughly 4.5 inches of rain over the
two-day period. LCRA rain gauges in that area took in roughly five inches of rain. To prepare for the storm, Allen said Dripping Springs organized its plan with the North Hays County Fire Rescue (NHCFR) in the event of an emergency. That plan featured “trigger points” that
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 35 The contested district spans five counties, including eastern Hays and western Caldwell counties. The lines were set to be redrawn after a federal court ruled lawmakers had illegally used race as the predominant factor in drawing the lines, but on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court put a temporary stay on the ruling.
would engage a local Emergency Operation Center (EOC), if needed. The primary trigger point was conducting three swift water rescues in a short period of time. Allen said the city did not activate its EOC, but they “were prepared to do that.” She said NHCFR had “all hands on deck,” with
TRAVIS
HAYS
35
BUDA KYLE
SAN MARCOS
COMAL
LOCKHART
CALDWELL
NEW BRAUNFELS
10
BEXAR SHERTZ
GUADALUPE SAN ANTONIO
Gerrymandered?
Hold placed on redrawing of congressional district lines BY SAMANTHA SMITH Changes to congressional district boundaries in Hays County may be coming after a federal court ruled they were gerrymandered in 2013 using “unconstitutional discrimination.” That decision came after a three-judge panel ruled Congressional District 35, represented by
Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), along with Congressional District 27, represented by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenhold (R-Corpus Christi), violated the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, according to a Texas Tribune report. But those changes may be on hold after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Monday put a temporary hold on the lower court’s ruling, in order to settle
a lawsuit against the state over its congressional district lines, according to the Texas Tribune. According to the ruling, lawmakers illegally used race as the predominant factor in redrawing CD-35, and that the district was a “racial gerrymander,” according to the Texas Tribune. Gerrymandering is manipulat-
GERRYMANDERING, 2
Flood map updates coming soon
portunity to get information from National Flood Insurance programs, as well as county and municipal officials. Smith said the proposed flood plain maps have been under construction by the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority before the 2015 flood event. Most of the data is complete, but residents still have a comment period where they can address their concerns before the maps are
BY MOSES LEOS III One woman was killed while another man was injured in a three vehicle collision along FM 1826 Thursday that shut down the roadway near Driftwood for several hours. Authorities have identified the victim as Carene Mary Carlborn, 77, of Austin, who was pronounced dead at the scene by Hays County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Terry Kyle, according to a Texas Department of Public
FATAL WRECK, 3
LAGNIAPPE Hurricane Harvey relief fundraiser
FLOOD MAPS, 2
LAGNIAPPE, 5
Hays County residents were able to view flood plain map updates at recent meetings held by FEMA representatives.
See an interactive map of current flood plains at maps.riskmap6.com/TX/Hays See preliminary maps at http://bit.ly/2pfCCU0
One killed in FM 1826 collision
finalized and submitted to the state. Diane Howe, a representative with FEMA, said the appeal and comment period lasts approximately 90 days. If a concerned resident wanted to appeal the proposed flood plain map, FEMA would accept only technical data provided by the homeowner to make alterations, if needed. “It can’t just be ‘I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s right,’ it has to be technical data,” Howe said. Howe said FEMA would take all the information collected from residents during the appeal and 90-day comment period. FEMA then would review and follow up on anything that may need attention before any finalization could occur.
PHOTO BY SAMANTHA SMITH
BE INFORMED
HURRICANE HARVEY, 6
The Dripping Springs High School Student Council has initiated a district- and community-wide relief effort to assist those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Donations are being collected for displaced families and those in need of basic supplies. Collections are being done all day on Friday, Sept. 1 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) in the front parking lot at DSHS. Donation boxes also will be placed at all DSISD schools, and accepted at the Sept. 2 varsity football game. While all donations are welcome, some specific items have been requested: • Money • Toiletries/hygiene produces (sanitizer, soap, toothbrushes) • Socks/underwear • Tools (shovels, brooms) • Diapers/pullups/ wipes • Cleanup supplies (trash bags, leather/ utility work gloves) • Box fans • School supplies On Thursday, Aug. 31, collections will be held at other DISD schools. A bus will be parked at each school with a “Hurricane Relief” banner to serve as drop-of points. In addition, a coin collection will be held during drop-off and
BY SAMANTHA SMITH Giving Hays County residents a chance to gain insight into new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) was the goal during the course of three open house meetings held last week. The events were a direct response to an effort by individual counties to provide critical flood plain mapping information to their residents. Hays County and the city of Wimberley, with assistance from FEMA, hosted an event at the Wimberley Community Center Aug. 22. FEMA public information officer Robin Smith said the open houses are designed to better prepare residents who own or are buying a home for the eventual change in the flood plain. Changes could cause a homeowner’s flood insurance premiums to rise, based on the new maps. The proposed maps are an update of the existing FIRMs in Hays County that used data that is over 30 years old, according to county officials. Updates to the maps include drainage pattern changes, updates to new development, as well as the use of technology and modeling techniques that have improved over the years. “In each open house, it’s the counties hosting the open houses, FEMA is just assisting,” Smith said. Residents also had the op-
career firefighters on call during the storm. Dripping Springs ultimately dodged a bullet, with only Creek Road at U.S. 290 and Trautwein at Baron Creek closed due to flooding. “I wish no one had been impacted,” Allen