May 20, 2020 Issue

Many people throughout the country have missed the crack of the bat and smell of the freshly cut grass at the old ballpark during the coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps no one in Blanco County has missed it more than Kyle Gray. The Blanco High School graduate and former West Virginia University Mountaineer was in the midst of spring training for the New York Yankees organization when the coronavirus hit and changed the world as everyone knew it.

The May 12 meeting of the Blanco City Council was a long one. The meeting included two closed sessions and lasted approximately six hours before the final gavel closed it at midnight. The first closed session of the meeting lasted approximately 50 minutes, and led to the reinstatement of a member of the Blanco Police Department. The council voted 4-1, with Matt Lewis as the lone no vote, to reinstate police investigator Jay B.

Majestic Hills of Blanco, Texas, recently donated $5,000 to the food pantry at the Blanco Good Samaritan Center. This donation will help provide assistance to those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Majestic Hills is associated with Lone Star Land Partners (LSLP). Pictured, from left, are Price Keever, vice president of LSLP, and Bert Dieringer, BGSC food pantry coordinator.

COVID-19 testing is now available for anyone in Blanco County. Testing will now be done by local EMS providers, the county’s emergency management office announced Monday. To register for an appointment, visit www.BlancoCOVIDTest.org. If you have problems registering, call 844-868-8308. BCEM announced Friday that there are no active cases of COVID-19 in the county as of 6 p.m.

It’s not just home gardens that are thriving during the coronavirus shut-down. The gardening business is doing well as many families have started new family traditions of home gardening during the pandemic. “There’s definitely expanded interest in home gardening,” said Pamela Arnosky, owner of Arnosky Family Farms in Blanco. “I think World War II was the last time people began to cultivate their backyard gardens this much.” Arnosky said they’ve sold out of many varieties of ...

Mike Green has been a Blanco Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commissioner for around three years and even held the chair position at one point. He has lived in central Texas for the past 38 years and spent the last 18 years in Blanco. Green began college at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos (now known as Texas State) and completed his undergraduate degree at Texas Pan American University in Edinburg.

The 2020 May CoAPT meeting was called to order by project coordinator, Amber Corder, at 11:35 a.m. on May 13 via Zoom. Corder informed the others that she has been attending webinars throughout the pandemic. An assessment and planning meeting was held via Zoom on April 24 with members brainstorming ideas for meeting the Drug Free Communities Support Program grant requirements.

The Blanco Library is a busy place. The library, which has been around for more than 80 years, has over 8,000 patrons and boasts a collection which totals over 27,000 items. While it has been closed to the public for weeks during the coronavirus pandemic, it is likely to reopen soon. The idea of the library is to be like a living room for the community.

Zerl “Slim” Douglas Gillaspia born April 27, 1933 of Elgin, Oklahoma passed away at the age of 87, at his home in Johnson City, Texas on May 1, 2020 surrounded by family and friends. Son of the late George M. and Pearl A. (Harris) Gillaspia. Zerl was a decorated war veteran who served with 78th AAA Gun Battalion during the Korean War followed by 6 years of service with the Army Reserves. Zerl is survived by his loving wife Gwendolyn (Coffee) Gillaspia, daughters Deborah Martin, Cynthi ...

Elizabeth Louise Garrett of Spring Branch, passed away Friday, May 15, 2020 at the age of 75. Mrs. Garrett was born May 17, 1944 in Henderson, Texas, to Claude William Sanders and Fredde Jo (Allday) Sanders. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kelly “Buddy” Garrett; two sisters, Linda Peavler and Virginia Edwards, and one brother, Rodney Sanders. Elizabeth is survived by her son, Kelly “Jake” Garrett and wife Jessi; her daughter, Mary Harris and husband Howard F ...

Paul Henry Domke, 92, of Valparaiso, Indiana, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. He was born December 31, 1927, in Valparaiso to Edward and Shirley (Foster) Domke and graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1945. Paul retired with 34 years of service from U.S.