This was a very interesting year.
A down economy rebounded, or at least made a climb out of the troughs.
In Buda and Kyle, residents can now celebrate with a toddy in hand, as both towns passed liquor laws to allow for bars.
The Hays County commissioners decided to keep praying at their meetings, despite lawsuit threats.
Hays CISD board members now brace for possible lawsuits after the vote to keep students at Hays High from displaying the Rebel flag on their cars, clothing and more.
Kyle moved into a new library building.
Buda made itself known worldwide by hosting F1 aficionados.
Hays and Lehman high school students fought it out on the football and soccer fields, in the basketball and volleyball courts, and on the baseball diamonds.
Then local high school students came together to put on a spectacular district-wide musical.
The creeks dried up, as did a lot of state funding – for schools, for health departments, for cities.
But voters still pushed ahead to make sure roads were built.
A judge made sure a new college facility – Austin Community College – would be built between Kyle and Buda, after a local resident challenged the results of a 2010 election.
Elections were held – primaries and general – and winners and losers came together afterward, proclaiming it was a “good fight.”
The pendulum of local news swung back and forth. We watched, we wrote, we listened.
As we look back through the year, we know that Hays County is a great place to live.
We might not get along all the time; we might argue now and then; we might get frustrated with decisions made.
Overall, the people here are good. They care about Buda and Kyle. They support local businesses; they help in schools and in local charities.
We look forward to 2013 – hoping for an ever-better economy, a chance at peace, and a bit of rain.
Here’s to 2013.
