July 15, 2020 Issue

The Blanco Commissioners Court was called to order at 9:02 a.m. by Judge Brett Bray on July 14. The meeting was simulcasted online via Zoom, but public comments were made in person at the courtroom. First, Terry Casparis took the floor to applaud Laura Walla and Kristen Spies on establishing safety guidelines for the primary runoff early and regular elections.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott has again suspended elective surgeries in hospitals in 104 counties located within 11 of the state’s 22 trauma service areas. Each of the trauma service areas has a regional advisory council and a trauma system plan to respond to health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the proclamation, Abbott directed all hospitals in designated counties to postpone surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically necessary to correct a serious medical ...

WASHINGTON– USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin accepting nominations for county committee members on Monday, June 15, 2020. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2020 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug.

When you think about all the many different areas of the Earth that are different from one another and generally very large in scale, things that come to mind include mountains, oceans, sea costs, forests, deserts, jungles, tundra, glaciers, and frozen areas on the poles. But when we think about those areas, we generally think about very large areas, each covering significant fractions of the Earth.

Blanco County lags behind the statewide average for self-response rate for the 2020 Census. The response rate in the county was 45.7 percent through July 12, far behind the statewide rate of 56.9 percent, according to numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. “I think there is a reluctance by some to give out personal information to the government. The feeling is that ‘it’s none of their business,’” said Brett Bray, Blanco County Judge.

Johnson City enjoys a rich and colorful history of lovely public gardens, but the long-time volunteers are aging and in need of help. The beautification began with the start of a garden club in 1967. During that time, Lady Bird Johnson was an inspiration with her beautification plans for both Texas and the country. “Lady Bird was always very supportive of our beautification efforts in Johnson City,” said longtime Johnson City Garden Club President Norma Honeycutt. “When so many vi ...

Mayor Rhonda Stell called the Regular Meeting of the Johnson City Council to order at 6:01 p.m. via Zoom Teleconferencing, and a quorum was established with all members present. Pastor Steve Sanchez of Community Church of the Hills gave the Invocation which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. In the Invocation, Sanchez asked for protection for everyone from the coronavirus, and gave thanks for the opportunity to meet regarding matters of City governance. There were no public comment ...

A county-wide burn ban has been put in place for Blanco County. The county commissioners enacted the ban at Tuesday’s meeting. The ban is set to last through Sept. 8, unless extended or rescinded before that time. Portions of Blanco County are listed as abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Active COVID-19 cases rose by 13 in Blanco County over the past week, according to the county’s department of emergency management. Active cases number 64 in Blanco County as of Monday, up from 51 a week ago. Active cases have increased by 31 in the past two weeks. There are 51 cases under investigation, down nine from a week ago.

CarBaret, Hye Rum Distillery, and Schumann Cattle Ranch presents a Hill Country Drive-In Music and Movie Experience on Fri. July 24th & Sat. July 25th.  This will be one of the first festivals of it's kind on the globe in the post-pandemic world.  Our goal is to bring some hope back to the world.  This event benefits our local Johnson City Fire Department and Blanco County EMS.  The CarBaret Drive-In Festival features two evenings of Texas film and artists including Mike Judge's Office ...

With school slated to begin for Johnson City students on August 17th district officials are faced with navigating the almost daily changes from the state arising from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding day-to-day operations. JCISD Superintendent Richard Kolek says he and his administrative team meet daily - typically from their remote locations - laying the groundwork for the 2020-2021 school year which is already offerIng more challenges than any in recent history. “It changes daily,” exc ...

Payton Scott, a 2017 graduate of LBJ High School, was recently announced as a member of the Red River Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference Team representing The University of the Southwest (Hobbs, NM) Baseball. Scott just completed an abbreviated Sophomore season with the Mustangs as a 1st Baseman. For the Eagles he was an All-District selection for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

I several years ago I took a job with a major retailer in order to purchase a much-needed previously-owned pickup truck. It was hard for this old man to interrupt his retirement in order to reach that goal but, when I really think about it, the experience just might be helping me keep from becoming a total couch potato while staying active in body, mind and spirit.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott has again suspended elective surgeries in hospitals in 104 counties located within 11 of the state’s 22 trauma service areas. Each of the trauma service areas has a regional advisory council and a trauma system plan to respond to health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the proclamation, Abbott directed all hospitals in designated counties to postpone surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically necessary to correct a serious medical ...