ACC increases its tuition
Austin Community College District trustees voted last week to increase tuition by $5 per semester credit hour. The tuition increases will become effective in the summer semester.
Students who live in-district – including Hays CISD voters who approved annexation in the November election – will pay $47 per hour, up from $42. Out-of-district tuition will be $155 per hour.
The college district expects its state appropriation to fall by 20 percent this year. When the district’s enrollment growth is figured in – a record 45,056 students are taking credit courses this semester – the state shortfall amounts to about 30 percent, college officials say.
“The state has put us in a very difficult position,” said board chair Barbara Mink.
Reward offered in Club 21 investigation
A reward is being offered in hopes of closing the unsolved case of a car crash and subsequent fire that destroyed a local landmark this past fall.
The historic Club 21 in Uhland, which was destroyed in a fire after a car crashed into it, had been a staple of Hays County life for more than a century.
Authorities are seeking any information on the Oct. 24 incident. A cash reward up to $1,000 is eligible to those who provide tips that lead to an arrest.
Not long after closing time at about 2:30 a.m., a small Mazda and a Chevrolet Suburban raced down Cotton Gin Road and crossed Texas Highway 21 without stopping, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The green Mazda passenger car struck the club and burned up in the fire, while the Suburban tore through the yard of a nearby home and uprooted a tree before coming to rest.
The driver of the Mazda is described as a young Hispanic female, around 17 years old, and has yet to be identified, authorities say.
Anyone with information regarding this incident are urged to contact Hays County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-324-8477. Callers will remain anonymous.
Buda city manager renews contract
Buda councilmembers voted unanimously last week to extend the contract of City Manager Kenneth Williams for another two years. William’s upcoming contract will expire in 2013.
“I’d just like to say thank you to the city council and thanks for your confidence,” Williams said.
Salary terms will be set following an upcoming evaluation, councilmembers said.
Williams was hired as city manager in August of 2008 on a salary of $106,000, an $8,000 car allowance and benefits. He had previously worked as assistant city manager of Lufkin, Texas.
He is the first African-American city manager in Hays County.
