Tigers say no to dating violence
Lady Tigers KO Champion in three
Tiger football tops Champion
page 3
page 4
News-Dispatch Volume XXXVIII No. 4
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
page 4
75¢
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Baylor Scott and White opens STAFF REPORT PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY STUCKEY
Songwriters Festival strikes a chord in Drippin’ Springs The strains of Americana, Bluegrass and more hit Mercer Street in Buda for the 4th annual Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Fesrtival, which took place this past weekend. Over 40 performers played across six stages in the downtown Dripping Springs area. A packed house listens intently as Jefferson Clay, Wes Collins, Paul Renna and Mike P. Ryan perform on stage at Hudson’s on Mercer during Saturday’s Dripping Springs Songwriter Festival. Inset, Cari Ray takes the stage during the final day of the threeday Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Festival. Her musical styles ran the gamut of traditional American music with a little helping of blues. See more photos online at HaysNewsDispatch.com.
Hays County begins work on $131M road bond projects 6
STAFF REPORT
The Hays County Commissioners Court is moving forward with the development of County Roadway and State Highway Systems projects identified in the November 2016 bond referendum. Progress has already begun for a handful of Hays County projects, including safety improvements on U.S. 290 in Dripping Springs at Holder Lane and Trautwein Road. Officials have also begun with design and construction of a shared-use path between Belterra Drive and Cool Spring Way along Sawer Ranch Road in Dripping Springs. In the Wimberley area,
DRIPPING SPRINGS
HAYS COUNTY ROAD PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
1. FM 621 - Safety improvements from CR 266 (Old Bastrop Highway) to Crystal River Parkway. 2. FM 3237 - Safety improvements from Hays City Store (intersection of FM 150 and FM 3237) to RM 12 (similar to 1826 work previously accomplished along FM 2325 between Jacob’s Well Road and Wimberley and along RR 12 1626 967 between San Marcos and the Junction at RR 12/ 150 5 RM 32 intersection). 12 BUDA 4 3. FM 2001 - Extension, safety improvements, and realignment of 2325 existing roadway beginning at White 3 2 Wing Trail and terminating at SH 3237 150 7 2770 21, to include the incorporation of portions of Graef and Rhode roads into the State Highway 8 System. WIMBERLEY KYLE 4. FM 967 - Safety improvements from I-35 to the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. 5. FM 967 - Safety improvements at Buda 32 counSportsplex Drive, Hays CISD third high school, 21 12 ty offiand Oak Forest Drive intersections. SAN MARCOS cials have 6. US 290 - Safety improvements at the Trautwein also begun Road and Holder Lane intersections. the process for 1 7. FM 3237 and RM 12 - Intersection improvements at improvements Winters Mill Parkway. 9 along FM 3237 from 8. FM 150 - Design of realignment of FM 150 from west of the intersection of FM Arroyo Ranch Road to I-35 (at Yarrington Road). 9. FM 110 - Design of an overpass at the intersection of FM 110 ROAD WORK, 2 and SH 123. 290
Transportation services get a boost with federal grant money BY SAMANTHA SMITH Progress in mobility across Central Texas was made earlier this year when the Texas Department of Transportation allocated $20.8 million in federal grants to improve transportation services for rural populations in Texas. The Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) was one of the recipients of a portion of the total grant money allowing it to supplement its rural transit fleet with
Dana Platt, community services director, said currently CARTS transports more than 300,000 passengers annually in a 7,200 square mile, ninecounty area around Austin. 20 new buses. CARTS serves the non-urbanized areas of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Travis and Williamson counties and the San Marcos urbanized areas. Routes within CARTS include
those to the Wimberley area. Dana Platt, community services director with CARTS, said the additional 20 buses brings the organization’s fleet to more than 100. The 20 new buses
will be added to the fleet as Country Buses, which is a flex service providing rides locally to anyone who makes a reservation in advance. Platt said the Country Bus is ideal for seniors, disabled individuals or anyone else requiring special assistance for curb-tocurb transportation throughout the CARTS district. CARTS also has its medical transportation buses, the Interurban Coach, Metro Connector, Municipal Bus,
CARTS, 2
Earlier this week, Baylor Scott and White announced the grand opening of its newest primary care clinic. Baylor Scott & White Clinic – Austin Southwest opened its doors Oct. 16, to serve Oak Hill and Dripping Springs residents. The 4,200 square-foot clinic provides services including family medicine, on-site X-ray and laboratory services. The Austin Southwest clinic will help build on the quality medical care the largest not-for-profit health care system in the state is providing in the area through its four medical centers and more than 20 clinics spanning Travis, Hays and Williamson counties. Recently, Baylor Scott and White constructed a new clinic in Kyle near the Hays CISD performing arts center. “We are excited to have the opportunity to provide care for Oak Hill and Dripping Springs residents with this new primary care clinic that’s close to home,” said Chris Kriczky, director, clinic operations, Baylor Scott & White – Austin / Round Rock Region. “Patients receiving medical care when and where they need it remains at the forefront of our minds as we’re selecting and planning new clinic sites.”
LAGNIAPPE Tiger Theater presents ‘Much Ado’
Dripping Springs High School will present William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” Oct. 27-30 in the DSHS Auditorium. The theater department has built an entirely new playhouse within the frame of the DSHS auditorium stage, bringing the audience closer to the production. The show features a talented company of actors and technicians in a classic 16th Century comedy. Curtain times on Friday, Saturday and Monday will be 7:30 p.m.; there also will be a 2:00 p.m. show on Sunday, Oct. 29. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and may be purchased in advance on the www.dshstheatre.com homepage or at the door.
St. Martin de Porres Fall Festival
On Sunday, Oct. 29, join St. Martin de Porres Parish for its annual
LAGNIAPPE, 3