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Recognizing domestic violence
Sheriff candidates debate
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVII No. 2
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
75¢
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Man rescued after fall on Hamilton Pool Rd. BY MOSES LEOS III
news@haysfreepress.com
A man was rescued Sunday after he fell 25 feet from Hamilton Pool Road in Dripping Springs and suffered potentially
“serious injuries”, according to the Austin Travis County EMS. The man, who was described to be in his 30s, was rescued by emergency officials and was transported to by StarFlight to University Med-
ical Center Brackenridge around 2:30 p.m Sunday. The extent of his injuries is unknown at this time. According to a tweet from the ATCEMS, emergency officials were called to the 23000 block of Hamilton Pool Road
in Dripping Springs for a reported adult male who fell 20-plus feet. Emergency crews made contact with the man and a trauma alert was declared around 1:39 p.m. Sunday, according a tweet by the
ATCEMS. Earlier this week, Travis County officials closed the Hamilton Pool Preserve to swimming following two drowning deaths in recent months. According to reports, Juan Antonio
Ramirez-Lopez, 20, from Mexico, was identified as a victim who drowned at the pool Oct. 2. In August, a 17-yearold died after he was underwater for nearly 30 minutes, according to a KXAN report.
How much will you pay in taxes? *Average tax bill is monthly
DRIPPING SPRINGS
Live from Dripping Springs PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Lindsey Herring, facilitator of learning and innovation at Dripping Springs Elementary School, joins (on monitor, left to right) Sadie Burnham, Rivers Reid, Brandon Olsen, Yadira Venegas and Ryan Fehler during Tuesday’s Cool Cat News Team broadcast, which is a student-run news program. Read about the CCNT on page 5.
Officials investigate ‘creepy clown’ incidents BY SAMANTHA SMITH
news@haysfreepress.com
Texas State University police are continuing to investigate an assault of a student by a man dressed as a clown that occurred Oct. 3. The incident is one of many similar reports and sightings of “creepy clowns” that are taking place across the country, which has raised concerns from citizens. According to the university, the suspect in the Oct. 3 incident grabbed the victim
CLOWNS, 6
Wimberley Alive, photo workshop earn HOT funds BY JONATHAN GONZALEZ news@haysfreepress.com
Heated discussion hit the Wimberley City Council last week during a public hearing over hotel occupancy tax (HOT) fund proposals for funding. Ultimately, the city council approved proposals from the Photography Workshop and Wimberley Alive Music and Arts Festival. The council took up these two programs immediately, saying they were time sensitive. Proposals from Destiny Marketing Operations (DMO) and the Visitors Center were rejected by the council, but will be re-evaluatee and return to the HOT Committee for another review. The Wimberley HOT committee presented five proposals to council about how to use HOT funds that have been collected since the inception of the tax in October 2015. Tomas Palm, HOT committee chair, presented the five proposals that were brought forth for funding in the fourth quarter with the council having the final say on whether or not to grant funds. It’s the first time the council was presented with proposals for funding, as its main concern was to raise a sufficient amount of money before deciding what direction to go. Funding derives
ponsored APPgRrapOhyVWEoD rkshop s rs aste Photo erty M xas Prop by the Te 1.00 ROI) $ d ($2.20 > Music an ey Alive sored by the rl e Wimb n o ultural tival sp Arts Fes Valley Arts and C y I) e O rl e R b 0 im .0 W $1 ($2.00 > Alliance DMO (De $1.00 ROI) ($29.25 >
–Tomas Palm, HOT committee chair
from the HOT tax, which applies to “hotel” occupancy within the corporate city limits of Wimberley. The HOT tax is set at five percent. Over the course of the last year, $200,000 in HOT funds was collected and is available for the promotion of tourism to the area. In order to receive funding, businesses/
.17
Fy 16 Average Taxable Value
$241,352
Fy 16 Average Tax Bill
$34.19
Fy 17 Tax Rate
.17
Fy 17 Average Taxable Value
$249,295
Fy 17 Average Tax Bill
$35.32
DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD Fy 16 Tax Rate
1.52
Fy 16 Average Tax Value
$309,336
Fy 16 Average Monthly Tax Bill
$391.82
Fy 17 Tax Rate
1.52
Fy 17 Average Taxable Value
$308,373
Fy 17 Average Monthly Tax Bill
$390.61
WIMBERLEY ISD Fy 16 Tax Rate
1.297
Fy 16 Average Tax Value
$210,853
Fy 16 Average Tax Bill
$227.90
Fy 17 Tax Rate
1.297
Fy 17 Average Taxable Value
$234,881
Fy 17 Average Monthly Tax Bill
$253.86
ESD 1 (NORTH HAYS COUNTY EMS)
DENIEstiDny Marketing Organization)
“We wanted to do this right ... In other cities, the HOT funds raised have been wasted. We wanted to do it better.”
Fy 16 Tax Rate
organization were required to apply for HOT funds following the application guidelines set by the HOT Committee, which took more than six months to establish. “We wanted to do this right,” Palm said. “In other cities, the HOT funds raised have been wasted. We wanted to do it better.” Criteria for funding runs off a “put heads in beds” philosophy that mainly seeks to attract overnight visitors for events and festivals, although not exclusively. Proposals are also evaluated based the return on investment (ROI) that the event will produce with the requirement being $2 for every $1 of grant funding. Of the five proposals that were brought forth to the committee, three were recommended to
HOT FUNDS, 6
Fy 16 Tax Rate
.0252
Fy 16 Average Tax Value
$341,346
Fy 16 Average Monthly Tax Bill
$7.17
Fy 17 Tax Rate
.0300
Fy 17 Average Taxable Value
$343,689
Fy 17 Average Tax Bill
$8.59
ESD 4 (WIMBERLEY EMS) Fy 16 Tax Rate Fy 17 Tax Rate
.0350 .0363
ESD 6 (NORTH HAYS COUNTY FIRE RESCUE) Fy 16 Tax Rate
.0795
Fy 16 Average Tax Value
$341,336
Fy 16 Average Tax Bill
$22.61
Fy 17 Tax Rate
.0795
Fy 17 Average Taxable Value
$343,705
Fy 17 Average Tax Bill
$22.77
ESD 7 (WIMBERLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT) Fy 16 Tax Rate Fy 17 Tax Rate
.0642
.0618