HOT fund applications accepted
Sights and sounds of summer
Top athletes receive recognition
page 2
page 3
News-Dispatch Volume XXXIX No. 37
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
Future gas station fuels protest
Major drawdown predicted if EP permit is approved New data on the potential effects of Electro Purification’s (EP) permit to pump 2.5 million per day from the Trinity Aquifer indicates the permitted amount of water would have dire impact on the aquifer. Houston-based firm EP’s pending permit with the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) is currently being contested by a number of entities, including the county and landowners. On April 12, 2019, James Beach with WSP Consultants in Austin, gave an alarming testimony in the suit, citing his data found significant drawdown of the aquifer if the permit were approved. Beach found the EP and Needmore water permits could result in a 35% loss in water volume in the Trinity Aquifer. His calculations indicated that the Cow Creek wells near O’Neill Ranch would experience a permanent decline of 60-feet after one year, 120-feet after seven years and 175 feet after 30 years. “These simulated results suggest that the pending EP and Needmore permits pose an extreme threat to the continued groundwater use of all our landowners in O’Neill Ranch estates, but also to neighbor wells in Dripping Springs,” read a letter to groundwater district and local elected officials by O’Neill Ranch Estates Homeowners Association president Keith Hawkins. The letter was sent to Hays County Precinct 4
WATER DRAWDOWN, 2
75¢ Thursday, June 20, 2019
Water woes
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
page 4
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Cheers to nothing PHOTO BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Vista Brewing owner Karen Killough, says she has one employee who normally has an eight-minute commute, now has a 45-minute commute due to the low water crossing – an inconvenience that is deterring customers from visiting as well.
Closed crossings on FM 150 hurting rural businesses BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Nestled off the beaten path in the Hill Country, surrounded by the loud buzzing of the summer cicadas, are a plethora of destination businesses which are losing money by the week. Typically, the summer season is the busiest for the numerous wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants in the rural parts of Hays County. But a road closure is keeping people away, costing some businesses up to a 20 percent loss during this peak season. Driftwood is a quaint destination portion of Hays County. The drive is scenic, filled with vari-
“People who live on the other side of the crossing are not going to drive an hour to get here. It doesn’t make for an enjoyable experience for anyone,” Killough said. “It’s been closed for too long, and we hope it’s open soon.” –Karen Killough, Vista Brewing owner
ous low water crossings, wildlife encounters and the roaring waters of the Hill Country. However, one of the most scenic portions of the drive, a low water crossing over Onion Creek on FM 150, is closed, cutting off a major thoroughfare to
Driftwood. “It’s having a big impact on those business owners out there and it’s been over 40 days and counting that the road has been closed,” said Driftwood Historical Conservation Society (DHCS) committee member Casey Cutler.
“The May flood had a huge impact on the crossing, so we’re just waiting for the best.” The DHCS and business owners met with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) last week on the status of the road. Cutler said the conversation with the state agency was positive, but the road desperately needs to open once again. On the periphery of the road closure sits Vista Brewing, a modern brewery tucked away between the wildflowers and trees of Driftwood. Vista Brewing, like many of the other businesses, receives custom-
CLOSED CROSSINGS, 2
State opts to fund all-day Pre-K BY KATIE BURRELL Prior to sine die in late May, Texas legislators agreed to fund allday pre-kindergarten for qualifying children, all part of an effort to improve the education and availability of childcare across the state. House Bill (HB) 3, authored by Dan Huberty (R-Humble), also known as the school finance reform bill, includes $6.5 billion in public education improvements and teacher pay, along with $5.1 billion aimed at lowering school taxes, according to a Texas Tribune report. Part of HB3 also allows funding for all-day Pre-K for 4-year-olds who qualify. The bill was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott May 29. Hays CISD will be able to offer qualifying families all-day Pre-K education and care beginning in August. HCISD Superintendent Eric Wright supported the bill from its conception and said he is ready and willing to hire more teachers and staff to accommodate the
STUDENTS MUST QUALIFY IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL-DAY PRE-K. REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE: • Students who have difficulty speaking or understanding English • Students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program • Students who might be homeless. • Students who are the child of an active-duty service member • Students who are in the foster care system Other information regarding pre-k qualifications and registration can be found at www.hayscisd.net.
program. HCISD has offered half-day pre-k for years, which was fully funded by the state. Students could attend the morning or afternoon session with breakfast and lunch provided. “We will have more parents interested in the program now that they can bring their student in during the morning and they can stay there the full-day while the parents are working,” Wright said. “The qualifications have not changed, but interest in the program will, so we’ll be preparing for that growth.” The district is au-
thorized to have 22 students for every two teachers in Pre-K. Patty Santoyo, HCISD director of early-childhood and extended-day programs, said the district has approximately 500 students enrolled in Pre-K and expects another 250 students by this August. “With more time in class, we will be able to extend our content learning,” Santoyo said. “We condense what we teach right now, but with the students there for longer, we can better prepare them for kindergarten and improve their reading, writing, math and social skills.” According to district
leaders, all-day Pre-K will have lasting effects on the district’s performance all around. Experts and researchers say that students who begin learning math, science and language skills before entering kindergarten, do better academically and socially later in their educational careers. “Many of these kids come to us with difficulty speaking and some with difficulty learning English,” Santoyo said. “Getting them started on learning earlier and for longer will help them in the future.” Tim Savoy, HCISD chief communications officer, said the district is looking forward to being able to care for and educate more children; however, Savoy said there is still more the district can do. “We aren’t to the point of offering a tuition-based program, yet,” Savoy said. “We would like to explore that option in the future to serve students who don’t fall under the current qualifications.”
An overlay meant to protect property owners on a neighboring tract of land is being asked to be removed for the construction of a gas station in Dripping Springs. QuikTrip Corporation, which owns 10-acres of land on the periphery of a neighborhood at the intersection of Hwy. 290 and Sawyer Ranch Rd., is looking for the city to scrap the overlay on three acres of the land in order to build the station. But a decision to postpone by the city council
GAS STATION WOES, 2
Texas ranks high in economic health EXSAR ARGUELLO With a 3.7% unemployment rate throughout the state, experts say Texas’ economy is flying high, largely due to its economic might. According to a new study from WalletHub, Texas is the 12th best economy in the nation for 2019. The study cites the state’s overall economic activity and health, innovation and employment potential. Tied for first in the nation on a per capita basis with five other states, Texas’ exporting might is largely due to fossil fuel exports. Texas shipped around $250 billion worth of goods around the world in 2017. “There are several factors contributing to gross domestic product (GDP) growth,” said Wallethub Analyst Jill Gonzalez. “Some of these include low public debt, high exports and revenue generated both from private businesses as well as the labor force.” The labor force in the Austin-metro area has experienced substantial growth as well. Locally, the metropolitan area is sitting at an unemployment rate under 3 percent, according to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Texas added 28,900 jobs in April of this year alone, marking the 18th consecutive month of annual growth for total non-farm related employment. Gonzalez said Texas’ relatively low tax rate and the state’s economy are recipes for startup business success. “Our state’s ongoing success is linked to the innovative and competitiveness of employers
A HEALTHY TEXAS, 3