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2020
Volume 34, Issue 4
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
December 17, 2020 | 50 Cents
Council The great escape shuts down When a birthday celebration attempted becomes so much more budget review
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor In what appeared to be an effort to stifle the review and discussion of the current City budget promised by newly-elected Mayor Liz Branigan, the Council voted unanimously to block the review placed on the Monday meeting agenda by Branigan. Branigan campaigned on the issue of reviewing the budget as well as City revenues and expenses and has said since her swearing-in last month that much of the information she has requested has been slow to come, though she said last week that was improving. But Monday, Council member Kathy Canady immediately moved that the item be postponed until July, effectively avoiding the review until it was time to consider the next proposed budget next summer. “I appreciate your interest in the budget, but due to the fact this year’s budget has been passed, the appropriate public hearings have been passed by a 5-0 vote, I’d like to postpone this to July,” Canady said. “That’s when we start on the next budget.” The Council voted 5-0 to postpone the review and discussion, killing any opportunity Monday for review. “This is a budget that has had the public hearings, a budget that had a 5-0 vote to accept and I appreciate that you want to look into it, but for us we’ve already done that,” she said. What Canady’s objection didn’t take into account were questions about how the budget funds were being spent in spite of the budget as approved. In response to questions from The Independent, Canady accused the newspaper of not taking an interest in the budget process at budget time. “The paper seemed to have no interest in the process at the time and it was passed by unanimous vote of the council,” Canady wrote in her response. “The mayor as a private citizen
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Birthdays come and go. Punctuated by the brief celebration of another year in what is expected to be many in life, they are often ultimately marking time. But sometimes a birthday transcends marking a milestone, truly becoming a celebration of life, and maybe an escape from the fear of an unknown future. That was the unexpected reality that unfolded for Megan Beatty as she watched a simple celebration of her young daughter’s life lift her family above all the stress and heartache – at least for a time. The party, thrown by strangers to celebrate Haley and her mother’s birthdays on Dec. 22, 2018, set Beatty on a path she continues to blaze today. In May 2018, the family was hit with the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leuke-
mia, commonly referred to as ALL, for Haley, who had been battling a mysterious illness that left her with headaches, vomiting and other issues throughout her Kindergarten year. The journey for families is more than just the debilitating news that a child has cancer. It reaches into every part of life, impacting family relationships, finances, personal well-being and more. “This alters every component of life they knew before, requiring significant adjustments to their everyday life,” said Apollonia Ellis, a Pediatric Oncology Social Worker at Dell Children’s Hospital. “It impacts the family, other children in the home, interpersonal relationships, friendships, marriages, education, employment and it takes a toll on the family’s socioeconomic situation. We play a part in helping offer support with
those external and internal stressors or barriers.” After a whirlwind of diagnosis, surgery, treatments and one doctor visit after another, the Beatty family had just gone through a few difficult rounds of a stronger chemotherapy over Thanksgiving time. That’s when it happened. “It was just so crazy busy, and I feel like a group of people reached out to me and said they heard Haley had a birthday coming up,” Beatty said. “I said I had one too, we have one the same week, and they got together and threw this giant magical birthday party for us and it was such a distraction. It was at a much-needed time. She was doing pretty bad at the time because she had lost so much weight from chemo.” The experience so moved Beatty, she was instantly inspired to bring that same
Collision damages Rio Gabriel
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Rio Gabriel Liquors sustained major damage Dec. 10 after a collision on SH 29 sent a vehicle through the front of the building. No one in the store was injured, and Manager Teresa Garner’s sister Jackie Wilburn was the only person there at the time. “She had just left the front aisle and was servicing a customer at the drive through window,” Garner said. “They heard the noise and the customer yelled something to her and she hit the ground at the moment the vehicle hit the window. She was shaken up but not injured.” According to Liberty Hill Police Chief Royce Graeter, one vehicle was westbound
MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO
A collision on SH 29 sent one vehicle through the front of Rio See CRASH, Page A6 Gabriel Liquor Store on SH 29 in Liberty Hill.
The parties are often over the top and create memories for a lifetime, including visits from special characters and even parades to mark the exciting occasion. (Courtesy Photo) respite to others coping with similar struggles. “I knew that day that it was so cool and that I wanted to do this for kids whenever Haley is
at the end of this,” Beatty said. In November, Haley had her most recent check up and she
See BIRTHDAY, Page A5
LHISD closes High School to ease staffing strain due to shortages
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Students at Liberty Hill High School closed out the final week of the fall semester working remotely through final exams due to the district’s need to bolster staffing across other campuses before the holiday break. The announcement came late Monday afternoon, when a letter was sent home to parents. The decision was not related to COVID-19 case numbers on any campus, but on the growing difficulty of finding substitutes and filling other staffing shortages due to the number of people on quarantine. “This decision is based on the need for substitutes and support staff on other campuses,
the number of staff needing to quarantine, and the flexibility of the high school online final exam schedule for this week. High School staff members will report to campus and work individually in their classrooms to assist students as they take their finals,” Superintendent Steve Snell wrote to parents. District officials said as quarantine numbers have increased it has become more difficult to meet all staffing needs, but they are now making a push through a marketing campaign to attract substitutes. Liberty Hill ISD currently has 30 active cases reported, and 111 total since July. There are
See COVID, Page A6
BUSINESS
See BUDGET, Page A4
HOLIDAY PUBLICATION SCHEDULE The deadline for the Dec. 24 edition of The Liberty Hill Independent is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, as our print schedule is adjusted for the Christmas holidays. The office will be closed Dec. 22-25, and will open again Dec. 28. ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
Chamber welcomes Blinded by the Light
The Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening recently of Blinded by the Light with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The business owner is Deb Lohman (holding scissors). The store, located at 14125 W. SH 29, sells accent furniture, home decor, lamps and window coverings. (Courtesy Photo by Deborah Reinhard)
IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN! Reader voting for the 3rd Annual Best of Liberty Hill is now open! Winners and runners-up Have a favorite local pizza joint? How about a dog groomer? will be announced in our Best boss? Favorite plumber? Best Margarita? With over 100 Feb. 2021 issue of Liberty Hill Living! categories, you can vote on all those and more. Just go online CAST YOUR VOTES and fill out your ballot by 5 p.m. Dec. 25. www.LHIndependent.com/best-of-liberty-hill