July 25, 2018 Issue

Last week, Blanco County First Responders along with numerous Hill Country agencies worked to contain a vegetation fire that started Tuesday, July 17, 2018 and scorched an estimated 680 acres of ranch land on Smith-West Ranch Road in Round Mountain. Blanco County Office of Emergency Management reported last Tuesday at 5:20 p.m.

Miniature horses, although small in stature, have become quite popular as anyone can tell by just driving down U.S. Hwy. 281 south of Blanco. Today, these versatile animals are most often thought of as pets. However, their lives were not always so pleasant. Jane Macon, a San Antonio attorney and owner of Alamo Miniatures at Twin Sisters, has been in the miniature horse business for nearly 30 years. “With miniatures it is not a color breed, it is a height breed,” Macon said.

After reviewing water levels in District Monitor Wells last week, Ron Fieseler, general manager of the Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District, has raised drought conditions in Blanco County from Stage 1 (mild drought) to Stage 2 (moderate drought). This declaration goes into effect on July 23, 2018 and will continue until further notice.

Off. Maverick, the Blanco Police Department K-9 dog, suffered a snake bite during a training exercise in New Braunfels during the weekend before the Fourth of July. “We never saw it actually happen,” Officer Adam Johnson, Off. Maverick’s handler said. “The only time he ever acted differently was shortly after that training session.

Mental Health Experts Inform School Violence & Security Panel Psychological prevention and treatment for students is the best way to head off school violence, mental health professionals told a panel of state lawmakers on July 18. This was the third in a series of interim hearings for the Senate Select Committee on Violence in Schools & School Security, a panel named by Lt.

The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office received 344 calls for service from 7/16/2018 through 7/22/2018. The Blanco County Communications Center received the following call types during the seven-day period: 11 = Arrests 158 = Traffic Stops 18 = Reckless Drivers 26 = Medical Aid Calls/Medical Alarm 28 = 911 Hang up Calls, Mis-dials, Open line or Abuse calls 6 = Fire Calls/Fire Alarms 5 = Motor Vehicle Accidents 3 = Disturbance Calls 12 = Animal Complaints/Loose Live Stock Calls ...

Elizabeth Henneke, founder of the Lone Star Justice Alliance, is a tireless advocate for youth who are involved with the criminal justice system. The Lone Star Justice Alliance addresses the needs of these young people through strategic litigation; placement in diversion programs, which is an alternative to incarceration; and community education about the impact on all Texans when tax dollars are spent on incarceration rather than research-based treatments. TX21 Indivisible will hold a fund ...

Bonzo Crunch the Clown will be coming to the Blanco Library at 2:15 p.m. July 31. Rik Gern has been entertaining family audiences for nearly four decades. In-spired by the classic slap-stick comedians of the ’20’s and ’30’s, his training in-cludes the Dell ‘Arte School of Mime and Comedy and the Ringling Brothers Bar-num and Bailey Clown Col-lege. He has performed from the streets of Sydney, Australia to cities all across the United States and Canada, in ven-ues ranging from A T ...

Blanco Regional Clinic is pleased to announce a new program that is being offered to Medicare Patients. Chronic Care Management (CCM) is a Medicare-sponsored program where patients with two or more chronic health conditions (Hypertension, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, COPD, etc.) qualify to receive additional monthly nursing support over the phone. The goal is to assist patients with receiving timely preventive care, medication management, effective transitions between providers and overall s ...

The Texas Wildlife Association Foundation (TWAF) and the San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. (SALE) have joined forces to offer San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. Scholarships. Scholarships in the amount of $10,000 will be awarded to incoming freshmen at all Texas universities and colleges. The scholarship application is available on the Texas Wildlife Association website, www.texas-wildlife.org.

The annual barbecue and fundraiser by Albert Community Club will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Williams Creek School in Albert. Gates will open at 4 p.m. for drinks and socializing. Pork barbecue with all the trimmings will be served starting at 6:30. The recommended donation per plate is $10.

Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, in the HEB Activity Room at Hill Country University Center in Fredericksburg. Club vice president, Bruce Barton, will present a program on telescope fundamentals - the types, how they work and important things to know about their operation. Most HCA members live in Central Texas.

I don’t very often, but I fainted the other day. I surprised myself. I try not to swoon, as a rule. The circumstances were uncommon though, and that’s usually how it is when something like that takes us by surprise. I had been sitting up, awake, all night, with my mother-in-law, as she was passing beyond the veil that separates this world from the next.

William “Willie” Rittenbaugh, 47 of Mount Calm, Texas, was indicted July 6, 2018, on charges of Theft of Livestock. The indictment is the result of an investigation led by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Marvin Wills. The case began in May when Wills was contacted by a Hill County rancher who claimed Rittenbaugh had stolen a number of his cattle.

Lichens are composite organisms made up of a fungus and usually a green alga, or sometimes a cyanobacterium. Many different species of fungi and different species of algae may combine into a number of different shapes and colors of lichens. They can be found in rainforests, on the arctic tundra, and in deserts.

Summer is really here, and so are drought conditions. Water, fertilizing and mulch are the important chores to do correctly. Mulch is a big plus. There is a term called “grasscycling” that is helpful, created by the Texas Dep. of Agriculture several years ago. It means “don’t bag it like trash.” Collect the mowed grass and leaves from the lawn and use them as mulch or add to the compost pile.

The youth of Blanco’s First Baptist Church set out on an adventure to Camp on a mission trip to Georgia that brought many positive experiences for both the teenagers and the lives they touched. Their trip began with a comedy of errors as three vans that should have arrived to take them on their journey were not available.

The Blanco ISD’s Board of Trustees met in an early meeting on Monday, July 23, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. for some quick business. Omitting the Superintendent’s report for the day the meeting moved along to agenda items. First on the agenda was the approval to increase school lunch prices. The Texas Department of Agriculture requires schools to review meal prices annually.

Utility vehicles, or UTVs, are modern day workhorses that haul heavy loads, transport materials and make jobs easier. As they grow in popularity in rural, suburban and urban areas, it’s important for operators and passengers to keep safety in mind. “While UTVs are a lot of fun to drive, they should be treated like work vehicles, not toys,” reminds Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing more than 10 ...

The Johnson City Library is pleased to announce having won a grant from Tangled Bank Studios, LLC. The grant is outreach for the IMAX movie Backyard Wilderness. At the core of the grant is a beautiful interactive popup exhibit designed for use in libraries. In an engaging and visual way, it allows children to go on a scavenger hunt right in the library, and to absorb the basics of scientific exploration and observation.

The meeting was called to order by the drug free community support grant project coordinator, Amber Newby. Newby updated the group on the action plan and budget changes to include the addition for the school resource officer (SRO). He/she will be able to help with the safety concerns as well as the initiatives and different things.

The meeting was called to order by President Ann Hall at 6:27 pm. The commissioners that were present were Ann Hall, Mike Rieken, Lynne McKirdy, and Becky Greathouse. Carl Struck was not present at this meeting. Rachel Lumpee was introduced as the new Blanco County News reporter as she will be covering the ESD meetings. Consent Agenda The consent agenda was the next item of discussion.

The Blanco ISD’s Board of Trustees met in an early meeting on Monday, July 23, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. for some quick business. Omitting the Superintendent’s report for the day the meeting moved along to agenda items. First on the agenda was the approval to increase school lunch prices. The Texas Department of Agriculture requires schools to review meal prices annually.

Utility vehicles, or UTVs, are modern day workhorses that haul heavy loads, transport materials and make jobs easier. As they grow in popularity in rural, suburban and urban areas, it’s important for operators and passengers to keep safety in mind. “While UTVs are a lot of fun to drive, they should be treated like work vehicles, not toys,” reminds Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing more than 10 ...

The meeting was called to order by the drug free community support grant project coordinator, Amber Newby. Newby updated the group on the action plan and budget changes to include the addition for the school resource officer (SRO). He/she will be able to help with the safety concerns as well as the initiatives and different things.

Bonzo Crunch the Clown will be coming to the Blanco Library at 2:15 p.m. July 31. Rik Gern has been entertaining family audiences for nearly four decades. In-spired by the classic slap-stick comedians of the ’20’s and ’30’s, his training in-cludes the Dell ‘Arte School of Mime and Comedy and the Ringling Brothers Bar-num and Bailey Clown Col-lege. He has performed from the streets of Sydney, Australia to cities all across the United States and Canada, in ven-ues ranging from A T ...

Blanco Regional Clinic is pleased to announce a new program that is being offered to Medicare Patients. Chronic Care Management (CCM) is a Medicare-sponsored program where patients with two or more chronic health conditions (Hypertension, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, COPD, etc.) qualify to receive additional monthly nursing support over the phone. The goal is to assist patients with receiving timely preventive care, medication management, effective transitions between providers and overall s ...

The Texas Wildlife Association Foundation (TWAF) and the San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. (SALE) have joined forces to offer San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. Scholarships. Scholarships in the amount of $10,000 will be awarded to incoming freshmen at all Texas universities and colleges. The scholarship application is available on the Texas Wildlife Association website, www.texas-wildlife.org.

The annual barbecue and fundraiser by Albert Community Club will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Williams Creek School in Albert. Gates will open at 4 p.m. for drinks and socializing. Pork barbecue with all the trimmings will be served starting at 6:30. The recommended donation per plate is $10.

Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, in the HEB Activity Room at Hill Country University Center in Fredericksburg. Club vice president, Bruce Barton, will present a program on telescope fundamentals - the types, how they work and important things to know about their operation. Most HCA members live in Central Texas.

William “Willie” Rittenbaugh, 47 of Mount Calm, Texas, was indicted July 6, 2018, on charges of Theft of Livestock. The indictment is the result of an investigation led by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Marvin Wills. The case began in May when Wills was contacted by a Hill County rancher who claimed Rittenbaugh had stolen a number of his cattle.

The youth of Blanco’s First Baptist Church set out on an adventure to Camp on a mission trip to Georgia that brought many positive experiences for both the teenagers and the lives they touched. Their trip began with a comedy of errors as three vans that should have arrived to take them on their journey were not available.

Summer is really here, and so are drought conditions. Water, fertilizing and mulch are the important chores to do correctly. Mulch is a big plus. There is a term called “grasscycling” that is helpful, created by the Texas Dep. of Agriculture several years ago. It means “don’t bag it like trash.” Collect the mowed grass and leaves from the lawn and use them as mulch or add to the compost pile.