Welcoming Sycamore Springs
Drippin’ rallies for kids page 2
Tigers take down Antlers 40-7
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVII No. 51
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
page 4
75¢
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Man convicted for threats on Fort Hood STAFF REPORT A federal jury in Waco Sept. 19 convicted a Dripping Springs man for allegedly making threats to kill individuals at Fort Hood in February, said United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division in a statement. Jurors found Thomas
Anthony Chestnut, Jr., 29, of Dripping Springs, guilty of one count of threatening to assault or murder a uniformed service member and one count of interstate communications with threat to injure. Chestnut, who has remained in federal custody since being arrested by FBI agents on Feb. 24, faces up to ten years in federal prison on
THREATS, 2
County approves $371 million FY 2018 budget BY KATERINA BARTON Allocation of funds for projects that are a part of Hays County’s 2016 bond measure led officials to approve a $371 million Fiscal Year 2018 budget Sept. 19. While Hays County will be spending more money, officials also approved a slight decrease in the county’s ad valorem tax rate. Hays County Commissioners approved a property tax rate of .4450 per $100 valuation for FY 18. The rate is a decrease from FY 17, where the rate was .4600 per $100 valuation. Mark Jones, Hays County Pct. 2 commissioner, says this is the lowest tax rate the county has had in 21 years. Jones said county officials lowered the rate by one and a half cents, and were “about nine-tenths of a cent” from the effective rate of .4465. “I feel like we did a really good job of managing this year’s budget and trying to be as conservative as we could,” Jones said. Hays County’s budget increase comes mostly from voter-approved bonds.
“I feel like we did a really good job of managing this year’s budget and trying to be as conservative as we could.” –Mark Jones, Hays County commissioner
The county is planning to allot $100 million for public safety facilities, $25 million for road improvement bonds and $38 million for the final issue of pass-through road bonds. The budget is expected to receive over $4.4 million in revenue from property taxes, which constitutes a 6.8 percent increase from last year’s budget. Over $3.3 million will come from new properties added to the tax roll. Some of the highlights in the budget include $2.9 million for 43 new full time positions and personnel changes with-
COUNTY BUDGET, 2
PHOTOS BY MARIA GARDNER
Pioneer Day at the Pound House Howard Griffin, dancer with Great Promise for American Indians, demonstrates a traditional dance by the Heritage Tree at this past weekend’s Pioneer Day at Dr. Pound’s Farmstead in Dripping Springs. Pioneer Day is to give visitors an educational experience of what life was like in the mid-1800s. Right, children participate in one of the ten craft stations where a student volunteer ties string around a corn husk doll.
OT pay OK’d for first responders BY KATERINA BARTON Hays County Commissioners Sept. 12 approved overtime pay for Hays County emergency staff that worked during Hurricane Harvey in August. Kharley Smith, director of emergency management and emergency management coordinator of the Office of Emergency Services, asked for $5,786 for overtime hours for emergency staff for events during Hurricane Harvey. Overtime hours included compensation for an emergency op-
Overtime hours included compensation for an emergency operations center (EOC), which was opened on Aug. 26 during Hurricane Harvey. erations center (EOC), which was opened on Aug. 26 during Hurricane Harvey. The EOC, which is a joint operations center, was opened for disaster preparedness and responses needed throughout the county and city of San Marcos. Expenses came from food emergency work-
ers purchased while on duty and expenses for a hotel room in order to let workers rest on a four-hour rotation. The EOC was deactivated on Aug. 28. Smith asked for $1,398 for food purchased for EOC staff and $345 for a hotel room for two nights where staff rested on a
things. Join us for lunch and enjoy the program. $20 reservations required by October 13. For more information/ reservations: womenofds@gmail.com
on September 30 and October 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fine original artwork will include digital, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, paintings, photography, printmaking, and woodwork from all over Texas, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The SHOW will also feature live music. Musicians on stage include Jon Parmentier, Homer Whisenant, Kaitlynn Curtner, Meagan Tubb, April Moyer Hall and more. Guest admission and parking to the event is free. For more information about the event, please visitwww. TheShowSpotlight.com.
rotation during Hurricane Harvey. “We’ve had minimal need for response overnight, mostly to report power outages and downed trees, and can resume our normal operations out of our respective offices,” Smith said in a press release on the Hays County website. Smith added Hays County emergency officials came together to respond “quickly and efficiently to what could have been a much worse weather situation for us.”
OVERTIME, 2
LAGNIAPPE Friends Foundation BBQ
On Oct. 5, join the Dripping Springs Friends Foundation as it hosts its 24th annual BBQ fundraiser at Pecan Grove, formerly known as the Salt Lick Pavillion. The event, which will go from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., will have guests participate in a silent and live auction, as well as enjoy the music of the Hot Texas Swing Band. The fundraiser helps provide services to the community and seniors in the greater Dripping Springs area. All monies raised go to
help support the Friends Foundation’s programs. The fundraiser also assists low-income seniors with financial assistance, as well as fund special events at Hill Country Care and its residents. Find more information at thefriendsfoundation.org.
Women’s Club meeting
The Dripping Springs Women’s Club holds its monthly meeting at The Terrace Club at 11:30 am on Wednesday, October 18. Speaker is Joe Urbach, Author, speaking on The Health Benefits of Coffee, Wine, Chocolate and Beer, among other
The Show
More than 50 juried artists will be featured at The SHOW of Dripping Springs, a two-day fine art event organized by The Artists Alliance of the Hill Country and co-sponsored by the City of Dripping Springs. Artists will display their work in the 12,000-square foot airconditioned exhibition hall at Dripping Springs Ranch Park
‘Everything I Know I Learned From Rock Stars’ The Dripping Springs Community Library will host an evening with Bill Page Sept. 28 from 6-7:30 p.m. Page’s book “Everything I Know I Learned From Rock Stars” reveals decades of music reporting and candid conversations with 50 influential artists including Roy Orbison, Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, Grace Slick, Fleetwood Mac,
LAGNIAPPE, 5