March 25, 2020 Issue

By Rachel Lumpee The Blanco Commissioners Court special meeting was called to order at 9 a.m. by Judge Brett Bray on Tuesday, March 24. A live stream was available because no more than 10 people can gather at this time. The commissioners and the judge practiced social separation and had six feet between them. There was one person signed up for public comments, however, the individual was not present.

The City of Johnson City released the first of three delinquent financial audits at a meeting earlier this month, while the accountant who prepared the audit criticized the city’s accounting practices.  The audit for the year ending Sept. 30, 2016 was accepted by the city council on March 17 but the audit has not yet been posted to the city’s website as of Tuesday, March 24.

To help the community in this challenging time, HC Wireless is offering free Wi-Fi access in downtown Johnson City in front of 200 N. Avenue G and in the City Park at 105 E. Main St. This includes some of the Courthouse parking lot on Avenue G, accessible from a vehicle.

AND THE WINNERS ARE: Travis Shanks and his mom, Julie, both won game prizes at the recent Bingo and Dessert Extravaganza sponsored by Johnson City Woman’s Civic Club. Courtesy photo.

Retail pharmacists are the most accessible & frequently visited healthcare professionals. In light of this, we are also committed to protecting our patients, ourselves, our families & loved ones by helping to do our part to minimize the spread of the CoViD19 virus. -Our hours as of now remain the same. -DELIVERY: We offer curbside delivery (call or text 830-833-4815 to pay ahead and one of our staff will bring it out to your car).

GILLESPIE– On Saturday evening, at around 9:26 p.m, the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office and Fredericksburg Fire & EMS responded to a report of vehicle that had been swept away by fast-moving water at the Pedernales River crossing on Alfred Petsch Road. Upon arriving at the location, emergency personnel learned that there had been four occupants in the vehicle.

As the number of people and communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic grows, so do the scams associated with it. Scammers use public health emergencies as opportunities for new fraud schemes, and because older adults are at greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, they may target older populations. “There is currently no FDA-approved vaccine for COVID-19 and although there may be treatments for symptoms, there is no ‘cure.’ However, scammers often use fear-based tactics to ...

The emergency measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 are impacting the employment of neighbors in Blanco County. Local food pantries are open and prepared to provide supplemental food to those in need. The Johnson City Food Pantry is keeping its regular hours: Monday and Wednesday from 9 am - 12 pm and every 4th Saturday from 10 am - 12 pm.

You may be an Alzheimer’s caregiver who is sheltering in place at home with a person living with Alzheimer’s during the COVID-19 crisis.   If so, here are a few tips from the Alzheimer’s Association for helping you to weather the storm. First, help people living with Alzheimer’s practice safe hygiene. People with Alzheimer’s and other dementia may forget to wash their hands or follow other precautions to ensure safe hygiene.

Kyle, TX — Today alongside 64 other legislators, State Representative Erin Zwiener requested a statewide “stay-at-home” policy that closes all non-essential businesses, restricts travel to the greatest extent possible, and gives our health care providers, state and local governments, and all Texans the greatest chance possible to suppress the imminent and unprecedented threat posed by the novel coronavirus and its resulting disease, COVID-19.  “I’ve watched our local leaders step ...

AUSTIN — Texas is more invested every day in promoting increased and thorough hand washing, disinfecting surfaces and social distancing to reduce cases of the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus, COVID-19. As of March 22, the cumulative count of patients testing positive in Texas increased to 334. The death count stood at five with 8,756 people having been tested, according to figures posted by the Texas Department of State Health Services. As the work week began, Gov.

Certain patients will now be able to visit their HCM Medical Group provider via TeleVisits, a two-way virtual platform provided by Hill Country Memorial that minimizes the risks of one-to-one contact. This innovative effort uses technology to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in the local community, according to Clint Kotal, Chief Health Integration Officer. “TeleVisits provides a platform for a secure two-way video visit between the patient and the provider,” Kotal said.

JCISD Trustees held a Special Meeting at 12:30 p.m. on March 23. Board President Shelly Wenmohs called the meeting to order and a quorum was established. Superintendent Richard Kolek gave the Superintendent’s Report with updates on School Closure: Coronavirus (COVID-19). Kolek reported, “Based on the information that we have, schools are closed until April 3.

As JCISD teachers prepared to support their students with the rollout of the JCISD Home Learning Center, those with coaching responsibilities were tasked with the additional challenge of keeping the athletes “game-ready” during the current moratorium on practices and contests. “We sent a workout via our Remind app that can be done at home,” said JCISD Athletic Director David T.

The dream of raising district, playoff and State Championship trophies is still alive amid the constantly shifting landscape of school closings and social distancing recommendations in response to the COVID-19 virus. The University Interscholastic League extended the suspension of activity indefinitely with May 4 as the earliest date, according to UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt, who released the information on Thursday, March 20.

Most of us are tired of hearing about this virus, I just wanted to let everyone know, we have cancelled all our Support Group meetings as a precaution. When this situation calms down, and we are able to meet in groups, we will let everyone know of locations, dates, and times.

I wish I knew the author of the following story so that I could give credit where credit is due. It was submitted by a student in a Sociology class taught by Dr. Reed H. Bradford at BYU back in the 1960’s. He shared it with other students and I have kept it all these years.

By Jey Ping To prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is safe to say that we have all found our lives disrupted, giving up various aspects of our lives that we would have never anticipated just four weeks ago. As churches alter schedules and limit gatherings to small groups and online meetings, one of my friends somewhat jokingly shared, “I can’t say that I anticipated giving up church for Lent” this year.

This was how Community Church of the Hills had their Sunday service before a Facebook and YouTube congregation. Courtesy photo.

The family of Steve Hill would like to thank you for your calls, visits, food and many other acts of kindness you showed during Steve’s illness. Special thanks to Stephen Schmidt, Jan Hergis, and New Century Hospice for their phenomenal care and support. We are especially grateful for Pastor Ernest Topper and Pastor Jimmy Boatright for their visits and support during this difficult time. With thanks, Susan and Melissa.

GILLESPIE– On Saturday evening, at around 9:26 p.m, the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office and Fredericksburg Fire & EMS responded to a report of vehicle that had been swept away by fast-moving water at the Pedernales River crossing on Alfred Petsch Road. Upon arriving at the location, emergency personnel learned that there had been four occupants in the vehicle.

Reader Alert: Beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020, all local Social Security offices nationwide were closed to in-person visits and have asked those who need assistance to call your local Social Security office or Social Security’s 800 number at 1/800-772-1213 for assistance by phone. There is not a specified reopen date for local Social Security offices currently. Toni: I must have missed this when listening to the national media coverage of the Coronavirus, but no one has explained ho ...

To address a critical need for blood in the area, Hill Country Memorial and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center will hold a blood drive on Wednesday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the HCM Wellness Center, 1006 South State Hwy. 16 in Fredericksburg. Deena Todd, Clinical Lab Manager, noted that the hospital hosted a blood drive on February 27, but another is needed due to a shortage of people donating out of fears surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. “People have just been afraid to ...