JULY 2020
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TODAY
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Volume 55 • Number 137
THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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u B y LEGEND o yo ht T g u PLUMBING & ROOTER ro
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T h e Vo i c e of Seguin To d a y
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“The title goes to...” Dry conditions force Guadalupe County to order burn ban
By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera (Seguin) – Guadalupe County is taking notice of the dry conditions that are currently threatening the area. The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved the order prohibiting outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of the county. The ban goes into effect today. Bringing the request to the commissioners’ court was Patrick Pinder, fire marshal and emergency management coordinator. Pinder says conditions are just too dangerous to allow further burning. “Conditions out in Guadalupe County are getting pretty dry and we haven’t seen a whole lot of fires yet but that doesn’t mean that they are not coming. Several counties surrounding Guadalupe County have enacted their burn ban. Caldwell is the newest one as of (Monday). I’ll go through the KBDI for some of the counties around us. Bexar County, it was on their agenda last week, and they approved it at 601. Caldwell County is at 513. Comal County is at 640. We are at 610. Gonzales is 591. Hays County is 566 and Wilson County is 557 and all KBDI (Keetch-Byram Drought Index) is just the drought index of what the water moisture Guadalupe County has named its Distinguished Young Woman for 2020. level is in the ground. In Guadalupe County, our minimum Kamdyn Holt, right, received the honors after competing in a virtual is 528 and our high is 684 so it kind of gives you an idea of scholarship contest over the weekend. Six young ladies competed in the where we are at,” said Pinder. contest, better known in this area as Junior Miss, via Zoom followed by a social distancing appearance at the Texas Theater where Holt’s name was The inside joke of the court continues to be that announced. Additional awards for Holt were spirit of Junior Miss, talent, whenever Guadalupe County places the item on self-expression and scholastic. Placing second was Kenzie Kluth. Kluth the agenda, there is then some huge storm or rain also secured this year’s fitness award. Top prizes for the local high school chance in the forecast. But Guadalupe County Judge juniors were both cash and college scholarships. Courtesy photos. Kyle Kutscher says although the forecast this time
K e ith K rus e 979-551-0106
talks about possible remnants from a tropical storm later this week, condi tions will continue to be dangerous if no action is taken. “I think the two models that I saw and looked at last night was anywhere from about sixth tenths of rain to an inch and a half to an inch and three quarters. The problem is that it’s so hot and dry all over the county. If we get an inch of rain, the next afternoon a lot of the top moisture will be gone, and you will be right back in the same fire hazard situation. We’ve gone through this a lot of times. People don’t like the county telling them to not burn but everybody knows if they just stop and take a breath and think about it for a second, that it’s way too unsafe to be burning now in the heat and dryness and the wind. We’ve got times in the year that are safe to burn but now is not one of them,” said Kutscher. Pinder says within this order, certain things can warrant a permit for burning. However, he is asking that before anyone strikes a match, that they contact his office first to not only request a permit but to let law enforcement officials know of the situation in advance. Also, during the burn ban, individuals can burn household trash in a 55-gallon barrel or in an enclosed container having a covered lid. Pinder says should the area see significant rain, then the county could reverse the ban. Pinder’s office can be reached by calling 830-303-8856. Non-emergency calls can also be made to the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office at 830-379-1224.