April 22, 2020 Issue

By John Verser The county-wide stay at home order and curfew have been rescinded. Blanco County Judge Brett Bray issued an order Monday morning stating the two orders have been rescinded, but also stating that certain previsions of the disaster declaration remain in place. He directed residents to follow the governor’s statewide orders. “This action should not be misinterpreted as an ‘all clear,’” the county judge’s order read.

AUSTIN – Safety improvements to US 281, between SH 71 and the Burnet/Blanco County line in southern Burnet County, are being accelerated by a year, thanks to grant funding secured by the Texas Department of Transportation. The work will add wider travel lanes, a continuous center-turn lane and paved shoulders, enhancing safety along the high-speed roadway.

By Julie Storer Johnson City resident Donnie Garrett received an unexpected call one evening in April of 2019 from Valerie Little, the Athletic Director at Prosper ISD in north Texas, his alma mater. He had been selected as one of five members of the inaugural class of the newly-established Eagle Athletic Hall of Honor at Prosper Independent School District which he attended from the sixth through twelfth grades. Garrett and his wife, Mary, have lived in Johnson City since 2000. A gra ...

Chloroquine phosphate, when used without a prescription and supervision of a healthcare provider, can cause serious health consequences, including death. Clinicians and public health officials should discourage the public from misusing non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate (a chemical used in home aquariums). Clinicians should advise patients and the public that chloroquine, and the related compound hydroxychloroquine, should be used only under the supervision of a healthcare provider as p ...

You may soon receive an appraisal notice from the Blanco County Appraisal District. The appraisal district mailed about 11,000 appraisal notices on 4/20/2020 Your city, county, school district and other local taxing units will use the appraisal district’s value to set your 2020 property taxes. Under Texas law, county appraisal districts are required to notify property owners about changes in their property’s value.

The Blanco County Elections Commission was called to order at 10:13 a.m. by Judge Brett Bray in the Hoppe Room located at 101 East Cypress in Johnson City. Laura Walla, County Clerk; Kristen Spies, County Tax Assessor Collector; Carlette Lewis, Republican Party Chair; Terry Casparis, Democratic Party Chair; and Kim Ashby, assistant County Attorney, were present. The meeting was streamed through Zoom and Kenneth Welch provided his public comments through this platform.

The U.S. Census Bureau is adapting or delaying some of our operations to protect the health and safety of our staff and the public and make sure we get the same population counted another way. The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Online, phone and mailed self-responses will continue throughout the data collection process.

FREDERICKSBURG— As we fight COVID-19, Hill Country Memorial made the sound decision to stop elective procedures to preserve vital equipment and supplies. This decision was made knowing the harsh financial implications. It also knew that by doing so it would protect hospital staff and save patient lives. With its primary revenue source eliminated, HCM needs your support now more than ever. Hill Country Memorial was started by local citizens giving coins in Mason jars to build this hospital ...

FREDERICKSBURG— Adding a layer of safety for patients, staff, and community members, Hill Country Memorial (HCM) is one of the first hospitals in Texas to install temperature scanners featuring artificial intelligence technology. The devices– cai-AMS-T2 autonomous monitoring platforms–are among the first developed utilizing this technology, according to Shane Dickinson, HCM Director of Information Technology. “This new technology is being implemented rapidly across the country as ...

AUSTIN — In line with signals from the White House to restart the nation's economy, Gov. Greg Abbott on April 17 issued executive orders to move the Lone Star State toward normalizing citizens’ activities during the COVID-19 crisis. Transactions that pose little threat of spreading the deadly virus may reopen using a retail to-go model beginning April 24, Abbott ordered.

By Julie Storer The updated order from Governor Abbott to keep school campuses closed for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year has administrators across the State facing the new challenge of honoring their 2020 graduates without access to facilities and other conventions that have been a part of past ceremonies.

I follow the sports exploits of two major colleges—The University of Texas and Brigham Young University—both of which allowed me to tread their hollowed halls in search of learning.   Brigham Young University (BYU) was primed to enter the “March Madness” post season NCAA basketball tournament with great expectations having just knocked off the number two ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs at the end of regular season play.

Drive-In Sunday Service at Community Church of the Hills is fun for the entire family as the Morlinos found out. BELOW: Diego and Santiago Castillo lifted up holy hands! Courtesy photos.

I appreciate receiving the ‘ad’ placed in the Johnson City Record Courier by F.C. Chance on April 15th. The author lamented a negative bias toward our president by news and social media outlets, and although correctly acknowledging that both major political parties “are responsible for the state of our union today,” this author clearly does not believe our President should be implicated as cause for enhancing the epidemic.

Dear Editor, Online church isn’t real church, but for the time being, it’s the best pastors can do in Johnson City. I am bummed and happy at the same time. Bummed because I can’t see my Christian family up close and personal, to shake hands and give holy hugs. I’m happy because technology makes a virtual experience possible.

Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 presidential address to Congress is famous for bringing us the Roosevelt Corollary, which warned European nations from involving themselves in the affairs of Latin America. What is not as well-known is a small paragraph sandwiched between two other issues. In the address Roosevelt said: “It is desirable to enact a proper national quarantine law.