January 13, 2021 Issue

The Arteaga family -- from left, Baby Pedro, Pedro, Yareli and Carolina -- made the most of their time with Sunday’s snow by building not just one, but two snow men. Many made their way outside Sunday to enjoy a rare batch of snow that hit Blanco County.

ave been administered to some Blanco County first responders and other frontline medical workers, and vaccinations for residents and staff members at one of the county’s two assisted living centers are set to begin this week. “A total of 300 doses of vaccine arrived this week, and vaccinations of Phase 1A individuals began on Friday, Jan.

On Jan. 4, 2021, the City of Blanco met in a special meeting to consider a petition from landowners asking the City to consent to the creation of the Blanco County MUD No. 1. The city council considered this matter at multiple meetings and asked the landowner to provide additional documentation regarding the nature of the proposed development before the city could offer any kind of consent, as provided in the Texas Water Code.

Judge Brett Bray called the Blanco Commissioners Court meeting to order at 9 a.m. Tuesday with all four commissioners present. Public comments were heard after the roll call and the pledge of allegiance was recited. Kenneth Welch spoke of concerns regarding the county’s healthcare and COVID-19. “As the virus spreads throughout our county the demand for COVID testing grows which stresses our EMS personnel even more than normal.

The 82nd Blanco County 4-H and FFA Youth Show begins Wednesday, Jan. 13, at the Blanco County Show Barn in Johnson City. This year there are more than 390 entries. These leaders of tomorrow put in many hours, and oftentimes, a lot of their hard-earned money working towards a successful project and show.

New and updated property tax information has just been compiled by Blanco County Appraisal District and is available now to assist taxpayers. This property tax information is current and covers a wide range of topics, such as taxpayer remedies, exemptions and appraisals, and has information for select groups, such as disabled veterans and persons age 65 or older. This includes information about the following programs. • Property tax exemptions for disabled veterans - The law provides pa ...

The Blanco boys basketball team took two more wins last week to improve to 11-1 on the season. The Panthers defeated the Holy Cross Knights, 63-39, on Jan. 5 and beat the Canyon Lake Hawks 75-39 on Jan. 8. On the road in San Antonio against the Knights, Blanco held a slight lead, 12-10, at the end of the first quarter.

The Blanco girls basketball team struggled with two losses last week. The Lady Panthers dropped a 42-38 district game at Comfort Jan. 5 and then fell in double overtime Jan. 8 at Giddings, 58-53. In the District 25-3A opener, the Deer jumped out to a 13-7 lead in the first quarter.

Leroy W. Petri of Johnson City passed away Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 in Fredericksburg. Leroy was born Dec. 19, 1945 in Blanco to Ernest and Clara Bindseil Petri. Leroy proudly served his country for two years in Vietnam with the U.S. Army as a teletype engineer. From 1970 until his retirement, Leroy worked for the Bamberger Ranch in Johnson City as the ranch engineer.

Blanco resident Samantha J. Ardiana, 81, passed away Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, Nebraska. Samantha was born Aug. 9, 1939, in Hamilton, Texas to Angus & Elizabeth (Tannmell) Jones. She graduated from Evant High School and then received her bachelor’s of arts degree in education. Samantha married David Ardiana on March 4, 1960.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, Russell Sparks Abbott, loving husband, friend, brother-in-law and uncle, joined his bride in heaven. He was 86 years old. Russell was born on Oct. 11, 1934 in Corpus Christi, to Fred and Betty Abbott. He had an ideal childhood, growing up in the border town of Eagle Pass, where he learned to hunt and fish.