He is
Risen
Special Section Inside
The Karnes Countywide Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Vol. 121, No. 14, Two Sections, 30 pages
Storms bring flash flooding to Karnes By Danay Gilley Countywide staff
KARNES COUNTY – A slow moving thunderstorm moved across the county Wednesday, March 28, dropping large amounts of rain across Karnes County and causing localized flash flooding. The amount of rain reported by county residents varies from one to
A. Cornell Green photo
“An Old Fashion Texas Water’n Hole” is the name given this photograph by photographer A. Cornell Green. This wellhead stands surrounded by water from recent rains about five miles north of Karnes City.
11 inches. Local law enforcement agencies, fire departments and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employees were out in force checking the roads for flooding and watching for stranded motorists. The Karnes City Fire Department was called to FM 792 where a car had hydroplaned and gone off the road into the ditch. Firefighters assisted the occupants of the car out of the water uninjured. Because of the large amounts of rain over several hours, several low water crossings had water over the road causing them to be closed. Most of the roads were only closed for a short time before the flood waters quickly receded. FM 627, County Road 302 and FM 792 had part of the pavement washed out and had to be repaired
(See Storms, Page 3A)
NWS survey shows tornado struck Runge a tornado that caused some significant damage to property in the Runge area. According to Paul Yura, the tornado touched down in Runge at latitude
By Joe Baker
Countywide staff
m
A National Weather Service meteorologist has completed a survey of storm damage that happened in Karnes County on March 20 and has determined that it was (See Tornado, Page 3A)
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Fire consumes County Kenedy home approves
$50,000 for Walmart traffic light No action taken on request to change comp time policy for sheriff’s office By Joe Baker
Countywide staff
KARNES CITY – Karnes County officials unanimously approved contributing $50,000 toward the construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. Highway 181 and Business Park Drive in Kenedy near the Kenedy Walmart Supercenter. Kenedy City Manager Ford Patton presented the item before the meeting of Commissioners Court on March 30 along with Kenedy Mayor
(See Commissioners, Page 7A) Joe Baker photo
Volunteer firefighters work to control a blaze that consumed this house located at 658 Karnes St. in Kenedy. Officials continue to investigate the fire which happened about 8 a.m. on Monday, April 2.
Cause of fire that destroyed home on Karnes Street remains under investigation by officials By Danay Gilley Countywide staff
KENEDY – Shortly before 8 a.m. Monday, April 2, the Kenedy Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire at 658 Karnes St. According to emergency officials, members of Karnes City Fire Department were called in for additional support in fighting the blaze. Kenedy Police Department personnel were on hand to assist firefighters and to reroute traffic. While emergency personnel were attempting to put the fire out, an unknown amount of ammunition that was inside the home exploded under the intense heat of the fire.
No one was injured during the blaze or by the ammunition. The homeowner was not home at the time the sheriff’s department was notified about the fire. Upon arriving at his house, the owner became concerned about the possibility of vehicles near the house catching fire so he attempted to use his vehicle to move them out of the way. It took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to get the fire under control. According to emergency personnel, the house is a total loss. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Complaints voiced at Karnes City Council meeting By Danay Gilley Countywide staff
KARNES CITY – The Karnes City City Council had a full agenda when members met Tuesday, March 27. The meeting started with public comments that were not agenda items. Carl Foley and Charley Foley addressed the council with complaints about the city code compliance officer. These complaints are scheduled to be addressed at the April council meeting. Carl Foley Jr. addressed the council with complaints about one of the city’s police officers.
(See KC Council, Page 14A)
Kenedy Bluebonnet Days Festival returning to its roots By Joe Baker
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The Kenedy Chamber of Commerce Tourism and Visitor Center is busy getting ready for the 2012 Bluebonnet Days Festival, which is planned for Friday and Saturday, May 11-12. The annual Kenedy Bluebonnet Days Festival celebrates the arrival of spring and the beautiful bluebonnets and other wildflowers that decorate the local area. Local residents and vis-
itors are welcomed to the annual event Traditionally, the event begins with a Bluebonnet Days Tea at which the Miss Bluebonnet Days Queen and Court are selected by a panel of judges. On Saturday, May 5, the George W. Dumont Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament will have its shotgun start at 10 a.m. at the Karnes County Country Club. Later that evening, the Bluebonnet Days
Coronation will begin at 6 p.m. At the Kenedy High School Auditorium. Following the coronation, there will be a Queen’s Party at the Ruhmann C. Franklin Auditorium at City Hall in Kenedy. The Bluebonnet Days Cookoff will get underway with setup at noon on Friday, May 11, at Joe Gulley Park. Later that evening, at 7 p.m., the Margarita Contest will
(See Bluebonnet Days, Page 7A)
Joe Baker photo
With recent rains, bluebonnets have begun jumping from the ground in patches across Karnes County – perhaps in anticipation of Kenedy’s annual Bluebonnet Days Festival set for May 10-11 this year.
The Karnes Countywide
Opinion
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Page 4A
Resurrection
Wait for Supreme Court ruling begins Capitol gets new monument AUSTIN — Texans and all other Americans have until late June to guess how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in the multi-state case seeking to have the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act declared unconstitutional on account of federal overreach. Last week, oral arguments were put before the high court. Lawyers, pundits and officials expressed an array of opinions about what happened in those questionand-answer sessions and attempted to divine how a ruling might affect the cost, quality and accessibility of health care, the impact on state budgets and potential effects on the November general election. State Comptroller Susan Combs, who administers the state budget, said the Texas Legislature would “have a hard time finding future state budgets if the Obama administration’s federal health care rules
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are implemented.” But some of the twoyear-old, 2,400-page law, which is introduced in stages, already is in effect. The individual mandate — the part of the law that requires nearly all citizens to purchase health insurance — is not scheduled to take effect until 2014. One of the questions before the court is whether the individual mandate and other parts of the health care law could stand alone as constitutional issues. For Combs, however, the concern she expressed on March 26 was with Medicaid spending. She pointed out that 20 percent of the state’s general revenue goes to Medicaid and that mandates in the federal health care law would cause the state to spend 37 percent of its general revenue on Medicaid alone by 2023. While it is unclear what condition state finances will be a decade in the future, the health care law as it is today expands coverage, covers preexisting conditions, offers discounts on prescription medications and gives tax credits to small businesses that offer health insurance to employees.
nicknamed “pink slime.” While Native American cultures of the Great Plains have long been praised for using every bit of the bison they hunted, the presence of pink slime in ground beef sold and consumed in the United States prompted news reports that the product comes from less esthetic cuts disinfected in an ammonia solution before grinding. Staples, referred to the product as “lean, finely textured beef” and said beef production has been slowed because of canceled orders resulting from negative media. “If these myths are allowed to persist, hard-working Americans will lose their jobs permanently, forcing us to be more dependent on foreign food sources to meet growing consumer demand for lean ground beef,” Staples said. Perry said “retailers are effectively discarding 10 to 12 pounds of high-quality protein per head at the same time an historic drought in the Southwest has significantly reduced herd size. That’s a formula for a fairly significant price hike in beef, again, for no valid reason.”
Capitol gets new monument
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 7.1 percent in February, down from 7.3 percent in January, the Texas Workforce Commission announced on March 30. A year ago, in February 2011, the unemployment rate was calculated at 8.0 percent.
March 29 marked the unveiling of The Tejano Monument, a set of 11 life-sized bronze sculptures mounted on a massive chunk of pink granite on the south lawn of the Capitol. Sculpted by Armando Hinojosa of Laredo, the monument pays tribute to the Tejanos — Spaniards and their descendants — who dwelled on the land between the Rio Grande and the Red River, and the Sabine River on the east to the Rocky Mountains, for three centuries before statehood and forward to the present day. Necessary steps culminating in the installation of the monument were achieved through legislation passed in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.
AG chief: about that beef
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples on March 29 joined Gov. Rick Perry and a group of other governors at a Nebraska meat packing plant to address recent public concern about a beef product
This week seemed the appropriate time to pronounce Karnes County as back from the brink of devastation. The stone was rolled away from the cave of drought. The rains came. The wildflowers are prolific and beautiful. The cattle ruminate on clover and fresh green grass. Faith and optimism go hand-in-hand. And the challenges that we face present opportunities – to be resolute, to persevere, to seek solutions … and to pray. I’m not much of a theologian and don’t think of myself as evangelical. I maintain a healthy dose of Catholic guilt. When I pray, I try to ask for strength, resolve, and understanding as opposed to solutions. Maybe it’s because of my faith, or my optimism, or my simplicity, but I sure do feel like my prayers are answered, perhaps more than I deserve. Often as not the solutions come as epiphanies, shafts of sunlight on an otherwise cloudy day. I refer to them as moments of perfect clarity, when a problem has gone through the meat grinder in my brain and a tasty sausage of solution suddenly appears. I try to be humble enough to accept that it wasn’t just me that found the answer. Sometimes it happens when I’m driving; sometimes while preoccupied on another project; sometimes at 3 a.m. on a fitful night. Usually it’s a “Doh!” revelation – something that was in front of me the whole time but I was too obtuse or myopic or busy to reach out and
Helena Handbasket By Cletus Bianchi grasp it. I know lots of the scientific logic-based types who rely on the superiority of Man and prefer to diminish or ignore the possibility of Divine Intervention. The logical side of my brain empathizes with their arguments. But I simply cannot ignore the empirical data the creative, or theological, side of my brain observes. Whether it’s a newborn child, a broken drought, or a sunrise, I can accept the scientific description of the occurrence, but not without a nod to, and belief in, the spiritual aspects. Call it “thinking outside of the box” if you will; taking the empirical data yet accepting that there are answers that I’m not sophisticated enough to comprehend. From a logical perspective, if the existence of a Divine Being cannot be proven, is there not equal credibility to the fact that it cannot be disproven? I rely on my faith and optimism to fill in those blanks and to make life on planet Earth much more fulfilling. I choose to believe that my life experiences and free will have set me along a course, but the sense of a guiding hand is palpable and comforting, provided I take the time to reflect on its influence. And I believe that when this mortal coil has been taken from me, the answers I seek, but which my small brain cannot be wrapped around, will be made clear. That will be my reward for “endeavoring
to persevere.” That’ll be my Heaven.
Gratitude is perhaps as important as seeking solutions through prayer and reflection. Whether it’s taking a knee of a sunrise or absorbing the joy and laughter of family and friends, appreciation of the blessings bestowed is not only good manners, its right and appropriate. I was once told by a wise individual “it takes a man to seek help, but it takes a real man to say thanks.” Nothing in my experience contradicts that advice.
Appreciating the plenty that has been bestowed upon Karnes County after such a long period of trial and struggle, I think it appropriate to reflect on the Passion and Resurrection the Christian world will celebrate this week. This has always been a community of faith and perseverance; that’s part of the reason my family chose to move here decades ago. Perhaps “the strife is o’er, the battle won,” for a while.
But strength comes from struggle and exertion, and as sure as I know that the flowers are beautiful and the cattle fat right now, I also know a new challenge waits. Part of that struggle will be remembering to give thanks even when times seem tough. Can I get a “Hallelujah!”?
Unemployment drops again
Higher speed for some stretches
The Texas Transportation Commission last week announced its approval of 80 mph designations for 54 miles of roadway in the Austin area: State Highway 130 from Georgetown to Mustang Ridge and State Highway 45SE from Mustang Ridge to Interstate 35 in south Travis County. This was made possible by House Bill 1201, legislation that allows the Texas Department of Transportation to set speeds of up to 85 mph on certain highways designed to accommodate such speeds.
Strengths and weaknesses
Folks if you are like me you sometimes find yourself in a group that spends a lot time discussing others. To make
Joe Brubaker
remember reading somewhere that on one occasion this question was asked.
matters worse many times it is about their weaknesses!
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and not notice the log in yours?
Oh, this is not new to mankind. I seem to
Hmmmm.
The Karnes Countywide welcomes your letters to the editor The Karnes Countywide welcomes letters to the editor for publication on the Opinion page each week. Letters can be emailed to karneseditor@mysou-
tex.com, can be mailed to The Karnes Countywide, 111 S. Second Street, Kenedy, TX 78119, or may be faxed to 830-5830285. Priority is given to let-
ters written by local residents expressing a viewpoint on a local issue but letters of all kinds are welcomed. For more information please call 830-583-0283.
The Karnes Countywide
Life
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Page 5A
Asking for trouble after 20 years?
Dave Ramsey Dear Dave,
I want to keep one of our credit cards open and use the bill-pay option for utilities and other monthly bills. I want to do this so we can continue earning rewards points, and the way I look at it, we’d just be re-routing the Staff photo Pictured here is the yard of Velmon and Peggy Buehring located at 512 Fairlane in Karnes City, money and paying it off honored as the Karnes City Home and Garden Club March Yard of the Month. every month. My husband doesn’t like this idea and thinks we should get rid of them all. Am I just asking for trouble by wanting Hello again from the ones. We've got non-fic- by now through Apr. 13 to keep the rewards card Runge Public Library! tion books, juvenile and and take a look at the open? We're having an excit- young adult fiction and treasures you can snap ing 2012 and in order non-fiction, and kids pic- up with a simple dona- Cheryl to make room on our ture books, as well as tion. If you have any Dear Cheryl, shelves for all the new books on tape and even questions, please give us Yes, you are. Life never books and other materi- a smidgen of fiction. The a call at (830) 239-4192 works out exactly the als we'll be getting this good stuff goes quick and or come by and see us way you think it will. You year, we have to part after Apr. 13, they're at 311 N. Helena St. in can make all the wellwith some of our older gone for good, so come Runge. reasoned and best intentions plans you want, but sooner or later that snake is going to bite you. The only thing I’d consider in a situation like Admission to the event this is a debit card that There will be salsa tastThe 13th annual Salsa Festival will be held on ing and judging, slides is free. For more informa- has a rewards system Saturday, April 14, begin- and games for the chil- tion, call the Three Rivers attached. Lots of debit ning at 10 a.m. in down- dren, vendor craft and Chamber of Commerce at card programs offer the town Three Rivers on the food booths and lots of 361-786-4330. same kinds of rewards entertainment. city square. programs offered by cred-
Book sale at Runge Public Library
Entertainers will show the heat at Salsa Festival
Notices from Karnes County Appraisal office
Renditions for Business Personal Property were mailed out in January. This is a friendly reminder that completed forms are due back in the Karnes County Appraisal Office by Apr. 16, since the 15 falls on a Sunday. Failure to return the forms will result in an additional penalty of 10% on the tax that is due. If you cannot locate your forms please come by our office or call and we will send you another copy. If you need to file an extension until May 15, please send or
bring in a written request asking for the extension, this is also due by April 16. If you have any questions please call the office at (830) 780-2433. If you no longer own the business, please send in the rendition or bring it to the office, stating when the business closed, in order to have the account deleted. A g r i c u l t u r a l Exemptions forms were mailed out in January. If you received these forms this is a friendly reminder that completed forms are
due back in the Karnes County Appraisal Office by April 30. Failure to return the forms will result in the loss of the Agricultural Exemption, and the property can be taxed at market value. If you cannot locate your forms please come by our office or call and we will send you another copy. Forms received after the April 30 deadline will result in an additional 10% penalty on the tax. If you have any questions please call the office at (830) 780-2433.
James Dear James,
it card companies, with one big exception—you don’t have to go into debt! You need to stop chasing these stupid brownie points, Cheryl. According to Consumer Reports, 78 percent of credit card airline miles are never redeemed. Studies also show that people spend more when using credit cards as opposed to cash. That extra money you spend on things you don’t need is money you could have been saving and investing. So, where’s the reward? Cut up the card and close the account, Cheryl. You don’t build wealth by using credit cards! —Dave Dear Dave,
I’d like to see you do both. Just imagine the money you guys would have for retirement with your military pension and a big pile of cash from having saved 15 percent of your income over the years. Having options is a great thing. Think about all the things you could do down the road if you save for retirement and have your pension in place. You could pay cash for a home, or even open a business when you retire from the military. And these are things you probably wouldn’t be able to do working with just your service pension. You’ve got a great future if you’ll just keep plugging along and saving, James. Let the military do its thing, and you guys keep pumping 15 percent of your income into Roth IRAs and other pre-tax retirement plans. It’s going to be pretty cool!
My wife and I are both active duty Marines. She’s planning to get out in a few months, but I’m staying in for the long haul. You recommend saving — Dave 15 percent for retirement, but how does that apply * For more financial help in my case when I’ll be please visit daveramsey.com. getting a good pension
Newspaper office closes at noon Friday In observance of Good Friday, The Karnes Countywide newspaper office will close at 12 noon on Friday, Apr. 6. Deadline for April 11’s newspaper will remain
at Monday at 12 noon. For more information call 830-583-0283. Send in your news and photos to karneseditor@ mysoutex.com.
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The Karnes Countywide
Sports
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Big innings key to Lion victories Big first innings against Falls City and Runge keyed the Lions to victory in both games behind strong pitching performances. On March 27th the Lions would put up 10 runs on Falls City to give Rolie Zepeda an easy start as he went five innings allowing only 1 hit and striking out 11 in the Lions 12-0 victory. Then on Friday March 30th the Lions would put up 6 runs in the first behind another strong pitching performance from Freshman Dominic Cruz who would allow 2 runs on 2 hits while striking out 13 in six innings as the Lions would 10 run rule the Yellowjackets 12-2. Offensively the Lions in the Falls City game were led by Zepeda who went 3 for 3 with 3 runs and a double and triple. Jeremy Rodriguez would also go 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI’s. Aaron Castillo, Dominic Cruz, and Eddie Villarreal all would go 1 for 2. Isaac Cruz and Tristan Mejia both would go 1 for 4 to round out the hitting for the Lions. In the Runge game the Lions would be led offensively by Isaac Cruz who went 2 for 2 with a double, 2 runs scored, 2 walks, and a RBI. Freshman Jacob Asebedo would go 3 for 4 and drive in 3 runs including the last one to end the game in the sixth inning. Zepeda would go 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 1 RBI. Kris Bryan would also go 2 for 3 with 2 runs and 3 RBI’s. Mejia would go 2 for 4 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI. Dominic Cruz would go 1 for 3 with a run scored and 1 RBI. Aaron Castillo would go 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Eddie Villarreal would not record an official at bat because he would walk 4 times and score on three of those appearances. After 3 complete games the Lions are averaging 12 runs a game and averaging 12 hits a game in their 3-0 start to district. In the first three games opponents are batting 7 for 63 which is a 111 average while the Lions are 35 for 80 which is a 438 average. For the week of April 2nd thru the 6th the Lions will only have one game which will be the Woodsboro game here in Kenedy starting at 7 on Tuesday the 3rd. Then on Tuesday April 10th the Lions travel to Port Aransas to finish the suspended game from Kenedy and then play the regular game that was scheduled for that day. The JV will play at home on Wednesday against Port A starting at 4:30.
Page 1B
Badgers beat Cotulla, 11-8
Swing, batter, swing
A batter for the Yellow Jackets baseball team swings the bat and connects with the ball on this play during the game between Runge and Kenedy Friday.
The Karnes City baseball team held on to beat Cotulla 11-8 Tuesday night. The Badgers were close to ending the game by 10-run rule in the bottom of the 5th but then had to weather a feverish comeback attempt to get the win. Cody Salas got the win and improved to 3-1 on the year. Salas also had a big game at the plate going 2-3 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. Lawrence Carrasco also had a big game at the plate going 3-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. On Friday, the Badgers traveled to Poth to start the 2nd round of district play. Pitching and defense started off a little rocky, giving up 5 runs in the 1st two innings, and the bats were never able to wake up. Senior Lawrence Carrasco settled down on the mound and mowed through the Pirates in the 3rd-6th inning, but the damage had been done. The Badgers had a chance in the 5th inning to push a couple runs across but the Pirate pitcher worked out of a no out with runners on 2nd and 3rd jam. The Badgers will travel to George West on Tuesday and host Natalia on Thursday.
Mixed doubles winners
It keeps you running
Joe Baker photo
Julie Nichols photo
Contributed photo
Taylor Atkinson & Reed Bell won the Mixed Doubles division of the Runge Round Robin Tournament held March 22 in Nordheim. Taylor & Reed defeated Schulenburg, Woodsboro, & George West in pool play to advance to the semi final round where they defeated the mixed doubles team from Kenedy Priscilla Torres & James Lopez. In the Final Round they faced the same team from George West they had beat earlier in the day. It was a little tougher match as they were playing a fast paced Double Double Tie Breaker set and came out victorious 11-9. Taylor & Reed are the reigning District Champions in Mixed Doubles and are looking forward to another trip to Regionals this year and possibly a final trip to State as they are both Seniors.
Karnes City’s Kristina Sauceda keeps up the pace on the way to a 2nd place finish in the 3200M event Saturday at the Badger Relays in Karnes City.
Sutton pitches for Leopards
Brother to brother
Carole Gaskamp photo
Carole Gaskamp photo
Kenedy junior Rolie Zepeda pitched a complete game against Falls City. The Lions defeated the Beavers 12-0 in 5 innings.
Carole Gaskamp photo
Kenedy senior Tristan Mejia hands off to his brother, sophomore Cedric Mejia, in the mile relay for the Lions at the Karnes City Relays.
Kenedy junior Saren Sutton delivers a strike right down the middle against Falls City. The Leopards took the game into extra innings but lost the hard fought game 0-1 to the Beaverettes in eight innings.