Recipients can use their scholarship for tuition at the college, university, technical or trade school of their choice. Students were selected from more than 460 applicants with scholarship awards, ranging from $2,000 to $7,500.

“We are committed to providing opportunities and education that help our communities thrive,” said community outreach specialist Mikayla Herron. “PEC is proud to award these scholarships and play a role in shaping these students’ futures to help them reach their goals and dreams.”

This year, scholarship recipients and their families were honored at a reception, April 20, at EVO Entertainment Belterra in Austin.

“I’m beyond grateful and so moved by the generosity of this scholarship,” said recipient Ava Schlotterbeck, a senior at Moe and Gene Johnson High School. “PEC will forever be part of my college journey and I just cannot say thank you enough.”

This year’s recipients are listed below — those marked with an asterisk indicated a trade school scholarship.

•   Anna Carpenter, Westwood High School

•   Elizabeth Chaison, Leander High School

•   Kaitlin Cheng, McNeil High School

•   Anna Edwards, Cedar Park High School

•   Caleb Eilers, Veritas Academy*

•   Preslee Faris, Blanco High School*

•   Stephanie Gearing, Vista Ridge High School

•   Andrew Houy, Faith Academy of Marble Falls*

•   Ally Hunsicker, Dripping Springs High School

•   Mahi Jain, Rouse High School

•   Peyton Johnson, Dripping Springs High School

•   DeAnna Jorde, Liberty Hill High School

•   Samuel “Miles” Kanetzky, Florence High School

•   Gage Keeton, Marble Falls High School*

•   Ava Maldonado, San Marcos High School

•   Joshua Marks, Wimberley High School

•   Abigail McCord, Vista Ridge High School

•   Ava Schlotterbeck, Moe and Gene Johnson High School

•   Grant Simon, Junction High School

•   Saisha Siram, Westwood High School

•   Josephine Sun, Westwood High School

•   Jessica Wadle, Canyon Lake High School

•   Timothy Walbeck, Canyon Lake High School

•   Tricia Carson-Walker, Georgetown High School

•   Corbin Willis, Wimberley High School

The scholarships are made possible through unclaimed funds returned from the state, stated a PEC news release. PEC is committed to supporting its members and investing in the future of young students by providing education and youth programs that benefit students across its service area. Since 1999, PEC has awarded more than $1.7 million in scholarships to more than 900 students, serving members and students in 23 school districts and approximately 34 public high schools.

In addition to providing scholarships, PEC offers a variety of free youth education programs, including school visits and career exploration, PEC’s Youth Tour to learn about government in action and online learning materials to help students access career information and learn how to build resumes.

Students can find additional details online at www.myPEC.com/scholarships.

The total April rainfall averaged approximately 5 inches — about 2.5 inches above the longterm monthly average — between Camp Mabry and Austin Bergstrom International Airport. This marks the first time the district has been over its monthly rainfall average since July 2025, Camp presented.

“May is typically our wettest month of the year and so far, we've received 3.2 inches of the monthly average of 5 inches,” he noted. “So, we are on pace to see that 5 inches throughout May.”

As of May 14, Barton Springs has peaked at 29 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the rain. Camp shared that he made a manual measurement last week and now, the current 10-day average is sitting at 17 cfs, which is an increase from the 12-13 cfs that the district was seeing when he reported to the board in April, prior to the rain.

He also presented the historical average for Barton Springs flow for the same month — dating back to May 14, 2024 — at 64 cfs.

As for the Lovelady Monitor Well, the 10-day average water level elevation is 454.10 and there has been subtle rise, knowing that this system takes time when it receives some recharge, Camp said. The historical average for Lovelady for the same month is 490.90.

“Water levels that we are at right now, we actually saw back in early March. So, you can kind of think of this as maybe a two-month delay where we currently were,” Camp said, adding that the district is still remaining in Stage 3 Exceptional Drought at this time.

The Lowe-Coronado Middle Trinity Well has also seen a positive boost, with a 0.8 foot increase in trend over the last 10 days. While that is down from the historical average, the caveat is the record only dates back to 2015, so “we are still building that historical record,” Camp said.

Jacob’s Well is still showing 0.0 cfs; while there was a bump to almost 2 cfs, it was short lived and almost back down to zero within less than a week.

Concluding his presentation, Camp shared that, for the monthly rain outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts above normal changes in Central Texas with the local forecast anticipating a high chance of rain the beginning of this week.

To listen to the full presentation, visit www.bseacd.org/agendas. More information on BSEACD, drought resources and more can be found at www.bseacd.org.

The BSEACD Board of Directors meets next at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 11.

The Eastside Campus project began in 2025 after Hays County commissioners Michelle Cohen and Debbie Ingalsbe recognized that there has been a disparity between services available for residents on the east versus the west side of IH-35. The facility is planned to have three floors and house several county departments, such as Human Resources, County services, County Clerk, Elections and more, bringing services to the historically underserved communities.

The request for proposals process yielded 10 submissions. After an initial scoring criteria, the top three companies were selected to do interviews — Joeris was ranked number one.

“The construction manager at risk is the same delivery method that we’ve used on the government center. The construction manager works with the county during the design phase and then, takes the responsibility for delivering the project within the guaranteed maximum price,” said Ingalsbe. “The at risk portion means that the construction manager assumes financial responsibility for completing the project within the agreed maximum price, unless the project scope changes.”

Staff added that it allows the construction manager to work with the design team throughout the process, allowing for the most economically sound choices to be made.

Sharing concerns was Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, who disclosed that, allegedly, Kyle City Council member Michael Tobias, who represents the proposed location of the facility, wasn’t looped in on the discussion. He also stated that Kyle Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale reached out to note that there has been an internal dispute with the city regarding the zoning use of the property.

This was discussed at the May 5 Kyle City Council meeting, where Flores-Cale noted that the land, located off of Dacy Lane, may have initially been donated for park use.

Becerra continued, stating that Kyle City Council member Courtney Goza and Flores-Cale have an item on council's May 19 meeting agenda to discuss the history of the land.

He emphasized that the idea of the facility is “perfect” with the construction manager at risk, but that he wanted to note the alleged lack of communication and the need for new Kyle council members to understand the history of the item.

“If [this location] does not work out, it doesn’t mean that our project’s going to stop. We voted on a CIP for this; we want the Eastside Campus to happen. If it doesn’t happen there, it’s going to happen somewhere,” said Cohen. “We’re really hoping to develop this partnership with this new council, [so] they can see the benefit of this in this area and what resources it brings to a historically underserved area … Whatever questions they need to answer, they need to answer internally, but as far as us as a court, this is the building that we committed to and we’re going to continue to move forward.”

There was a previous meeting held with Kyle, said Ingalsbe, where action had been taken regarding changing the parkland dedication. Additionally, she said that they are “happy” to loop in Tobias. There will also be a public meeting held for community members in the future.

“If he felt that he was not included in those meetings, that is not on us; that is on his staff by not including him,” stressed Cohen.

“I believe some of these questions are coming up, specifically, because we have asked [Hays County administrator] Kandice [Boutte] for weeks now to give us an itemized, or some general breakdown, of what this county has paid for that building and we’ve yet to get an answer,” Becerra said. “I support the building, but it has come to light that the process is leaving much to be desired. I’m trying to find the most peaceful way to say, ‘I want to let those elected officials reaching out to me feel heard’ … Commissioner Cohen, I get it — It’s their problem, it’s their fault, it’s their staff’s fault — but at the end of the day, this is our building.”

Commissioner Walt Smith stated that he disagreed with the fact that cost breakdowns have been asked for, as he shared it has never been done publicly in the court. Furthermore, he felt saddened at the way “this was presented today, instead of a real inquiry into, ‘How could we make this project move forward to benefit not only all of Hays County, but, specifically, those residents on the east side?”

After asking the budget officer for rough numbers on what contracts are confirmed, Becerra stated that it feels as though the court is racing toward this project — with approximately $62 million for the building, $4.25 million to HDR and $1.34 million to Kitchell already confirmed — without even having a land agreement in place with the city: “That’s $70 million on a project that we don’t even have dirt on. What’s the roadmap if this doesn’t pan out?”

Ingalsbe stated that staff is identifying other locations, in the event that the court is unable to move forward with the city of Kyle.

The item to award the contract to Joreis passed 4-1, with Becerra dissenting, as he was “asked to create a pause.”

The Hays County Commissioners Court will meet next June 9.

King’s inspiration struck after his friend ran across Texas to raise money for veterans. But after two ruptured Achilles tendons, this wasn’t a viable option.

“I was going to ride my bike across Texas and then, I thought to myself, ‘Well, my friend just ran across Texas, so it’s kind of a weak move to bike across,’” he recalled and biking 2,000 miles from Mexico to Canada “would be pretty badass.” So, theRide was born.

The goal is to raise $1 million to hand out to those in need throughout the trip.

“I have this belief that America was built on small communities and the hardworking people inside them — owning businesses, owning a small plumbing company, owning a small auto body shop — and those small communities are now overlooked because what’s happened is flyovers have been built. People are just 'too busy' and they go to the big, mainstream stuff,” explained King. “So, I just felt this calling for this desire to see people in these overlooked communities across the country and meet them where they’re at.”

After pitching his idea and creating a team, the Gobundance CEO began training a mere five-and-a-half months ago for this, having never been biking before. The training was grueling, he said, as he quickly learned that headwind — wind flowing against the rider — could be detrimental; it felt as if the bike was going backwards, King described.

Still, he persevered, going from small stretches to the eventual 150-mile day, which is what he will be enduring each of the 13-day trip.

The day he completed his ride from Dripping Springs to San Angelo was one that he wouldn’t forget, as he was able to help a struggling family.

This was the family of Cash, who, at the age of 1, fell in a pool and almost drowned to death, shared King. The parents had been fighting the hospital and insurance for a new bed to ensure the boy didn’t get bed sores. King didn’t know this family; he stumbled upon them on his ride in San Angelo, heard their story and bought them a new hospital bed.

“I said, ‘Here’s a new hospital bed. You don’t have to worry about this. Your son has so many challenges ahead of him at 2 years old. Why should bed sores be a problem? Don’t worry about this. Oh and by the way, don’t worry about your mortgage for six months and oh, here’s $1,000 for groceries,’” King said.

During his training, he also gave a woman he met at a laundromat $1,500 to help with outstanding bills and donated sports equipment to the Burke Center for Youth.

“[What] I’ve found from [training] is that my body doesn’t feel great, but what I keep telling people is, ‘My legs are sore, but my heart is full.’ When I hear what these people are up against … I realize that I have made this choice and so, my body hurting is irrelevant because these people hurt every day. Most of them never chose what they’ve been dealt,” emphasized King.

The 2,000-mile ride begins May 27, with King in Brownsville, dipping his back tire into Mexico to start his journey. From there, he will stop in more than 10 small towns that many have glossed over, such as: Ben Bolt, Texas; Chickasha, Okla.; Tecumseh, Neb.; Salix, Iowa; and more, ending in Canada June 13.

In these towns, his coworkers, friends and family will be flying in to join him on his journey for miles at a time to support him. Each day, he will spend nine to 10 hours biking 150 miles, with the rest of the day spent in the cities. They will also be staying at Airbnbs and hotels, eating at local restaurants and more to support the small cities, alongside speaking to community members to discover who may be in need of a donation.

As of May 12, King has raised more than $479,000. Donations will be accepted until June 7.

In preparation for the ride, King has also chosen to begin without any expectations, as “sometimes we miss some of the greatest moments in our life because we had expectations that it would look different or feel different.” This means that even if the trip is difficult and he can only bike 20 miles a day, extending the trip by weeks, then that’s what will happen because he made a promise.

The father also hopes that his three children see him embarking on this challenging task and find inspiration.

King shared, “If they watch their dad, who wasn’t a cyclist become a cyclist, who’s never raised anywhere near $1 million for anything in his life raise $1 million, then they will be like, ‘He never had permission to do that and he did it anyway. So, what am I capable of?”

He will be riding through Dripping Springs at approximately 10 a.m. Friday, May 29, at 195 Roger Hanks Parkway, so that his children and their friends — and others — can participate for a small portion.

“My hope is that people follow along the journey and go: If that knucklehead who wasn’t a cyclist did that, what can I do? How can I show up for the community? How can I go to Starbucks a little differently today and rather than just grabbing my coffee and running, how can I find the man sitting by himself with a veteran hat on and say, ‘Tell me your story,’” said King. “We brush over a lot of conversations because we’re all ‘too busy,’ but in reality, I think if we truly knew what people were up against and what people were facing, we would make much more of an effort to find time and make time for them. My hope is that this inspires people to make time for those they come across on a daily basis.”

King and his team will be hosting a send-off party from 8:30-10:30 a.m. May 26 at his ranch, located at 2705 Gatlin Creek Road, Austin, where community members can provide their support and enjoy breakfast and a performance from the Eddie Ray Band.

For more information, to donate or follow King’s journey on YouTube — where videos will be uploaded daily — visit www.gobundance.com/theride.

Snakes participate in brumation, which is the “reptilian form of the mammalian hibernation,” said Ormand. “The difference between brumation and hibernation is that snakes can go into brumation and come out of brumation as often as the weather allows it … Even during the dead of winter, if it’s warm enough outside, snakes can be active.”

He added that for the past eight years, he’s caught a rattlesnake within a week of the Christmas holiday. Because of this, he emphasized that it’s important for community members to educate themselves, whether through classes offered by Snakes of Hays County — where Ormand will bring several live snakes to view and study — or learning proper tactics to stay safe.

For example, he noted that snake identification is difficult, unless professionally educated, as there are several physical characteristics to distinguish them. Despite this, the easy tricks many learn as children are not always the answer. This includes the common rhyme, “Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, friend to Jack.”

“Texas coral snakes are known to have aberrant patterns, specifically here in Central Texas. So, there are coral snakes that will not always follow that rhyme,” he stated. “If you’re using a nursery rhyme to determine whether a snake is venomous or not, then you need to not be messing with the snake.”

Some of the venomous snakes in Texas include the coral snakes Ormand mentioned — which are rarely seen, due to residing underground — western diamondback rattlesnakes, cottonmouths or water moccasins and copperheads.

Cottonmouths are less common in Hays County than residents realize, he said. Ormand described getting calls from individuals that believe that their ponds are infested with them, but this breed of snake prefers slow moving water. So, they are more likely to be found in streams and rivers, such as the San Marcos River, Blanco River and Onion Creek.

The same goes for copperheads, Ormand said, explaining that heading in any direction away from Hays County will yield more of them than they would within county lines, unlike the western diamondback rattlesnake, which can be commonly found.

Snakes are defensive reptiles, spending their time hiding from predators and are always on the move to look for sustenance. So, keeping lawns mowed low, free of debris and the bases of flower beds clean, leaves little desire for snakes to hide there. Ormand noted that, “If you can’t see them, then they will feel safe there.”

With this knowledge, some may ask how they can enjoy the spring weather and participate in activities, such as hikes or playing fetch with their dog, while being safe.

“It’s very important for everyone to get out and enjoy nature and the best thing to do is just be aware of your surroundings. One good piece of advice is: if you see a log, don’t step over the log and put your foot where you can’t see, same thing goes with a rock or a boulder,” remarked Ormand. “It’s best to either step on the log and then, take a step off of it or go completely around the log.”

Furthermore, he stated that conducting a search around the area to ensure that there’s no snakes before tossing a ball for a pet is also smart to protect them. Pet owners can also sign their dog up for a snake safety course co-conducted by Ormand and his team. The canines learn the scents of live snakes, including the aforementioned venomous ones in the county, alongside a negative association. This would then discourage their interactions in the wild.

In the case that someone stumbles across a snake or steps on one, he stressed to “calmly, but quickly move away.” These slow movements would hopefully discourage any reaction from the reptile. He specified that a snake is never going to attack someone unprovoked, unless they feel threatened; this is how the majority of venomous  bites occur.

“Snakes are just trying to survive like the rest of the wildlife we have in the area. They do not desire to envenomate anybody. Every time they use venom, it takes resources from their body to reproduce that venom,” expounded the expert. “A snake using its venom for anything other than acquisition of food is a good way for that snake to not advance physically. Ultimately, a snake’s job is to eat, drink, mate and not die. They want to do anything they can to get bigger, to have a better chance of mating.”

Snakes engaged in a tactic called male combat, Ormand continued, where they wrap around each other to pin the other down in the presence of a female. The bigger snake almost always wins and they can’t get larger by constantly envenomating, as it would make it less likely to mate.

The method of leaving a snake alone is not always an option if it’s on residential property, as people may not want it in their yard with children and pets. In this instance, Ormand suggested lightly running water over the reptile.

He noted that, “Snakes can associate negative interactions with a location. So, if you were to spray a snake a few times, the chances are that it’s going to know, ‘Hey, I probably shouldn’t go back there because every time I do, I get harassed.’”

Although an individual may be educated and practicing safety tactics, a bite could still potentially occur. If biten, it’s important to seek medical attention, he stressed.

To learn about snake education classes and dog safety training or to reach out for snake removal, community members can call Snakes of Hays County at 512-296-7474.

“I feel 100% of every occupant of Hays County should know about snakes. It’s something that does not take a lot of energy or time to learn about and once you’re able to identify them, that knowledge will stick with you for the rest of your life,” concluded Ormand.

This item follows the execution of a memorandum of understanding between the city and Hays County in August 2025, which combined forces for animal services, a Kyle Vista Park buildout and a Hays County building.

The project, also dubbed the Eastside Campus, consists of a 40-year ground lease for a 13.220-acre tract, located off of Dacy Lane, with set renewals. Additionally, the building would adhere to both Kyle and Hays County architectural standards.

Total payment for the property and an opportunity cost premium equates to $3,750,000, which would go toward the Kyle Vista Park buildout. The county payment would also be reinvested back into the site, including amenities, roads, landscaping, trails and more.

Hays County Administrator Kandice Boutte shared that the county has approved $100 million toward this project, which will not affect the tax rate, and would require no cost or responsibilities from the city of Kyle.

After background from Rosie Truelove, executive director of strategic development, Nick Thanos, of Kitchell, shared a presentation with council.

Kitchell was hired by Hays County more than a year ago to manage the project. Within this year, the company has conducted a Needs Assessment and negotiations with the city, as well as developed a conceptual design, allowing for the creation of a project budget, said Thanos. Now, they are wrapping up the schematic design and are in the process of procuring services for a construction manager at risk and commission agent.

The design team consists of Miles Vandewalle and Steven Knowles from HDR.

“We had the pleasure of working with the commissioners and also with staff and leadership from Hays County to really figure out what this building could be, especially if it’s going to be put in the city of Kyle as an extension of all the services that they have,” said Knowles.

There will be approximately 175 employees at the facility across 26 departments, including Human Resources, County Services, Auditor, County Clerk, Juvenile Probation, Elections and more.

The timber frame building will be built using local materials, such as stone and wood elements, and includes a “living room” concept for its visitors.

“The idea of this two-story living room space [is] so, as you’re sitting there waiting for taxes or maybe taking care of some other needs that you have within Hays County, it really becomes a place to sit and relax,” explained Knowles.

Because of the other amenities and facilities planned to be in the area, he emphasized that they made sure to include a nice front lawn that has walking paths and could be used for events.

The amount of glass was a largely discussed topic amongst council, beginning with council member Courtney Goza asking, “How are we doing to manage the reflective qualities, protect it from extreme hailstorms that we might have, [etc]?”

Knowles stated that the timber frame building makes the glass feel bigger than it actually is, but that, additionally, it is higher performance, meaning that it shades those inside and has minimal glare.

Having worked in a facility with large amounts of glass before, council member Michael Tobias stated that the effect on temperature is something to be noted, as it gets extremely hot and cold.

“If we are going to be very conscious about cost savings and energy savings, it’s something to really consider when we’re designing these buildings. Yes, it is beautiful, but we are in Central Texas, so something to look at,” said Tobias, adding that he would like to see rooms for meetings and open houses.

Goza also emphasized the use of native plants and rainwater retention, which he shared was initially brought up by the commissioners, as well.

Sharing these concerns was council member Lauralee Harris, who asked for bird safe glass, as well as for more information about water conservation to be presented at a later date.

“This is an excellent opportunity to actually do a One Water building. They are more and more popular [and] they are wonderful for the environment,” said Harris. “There’s really no reason not to do them anymore.”

According to the Watershed Association, One Water is “an integrated planning and implementation approach to managing finite water resources for long-term resilience and reliability, meeting both community and ecosystem needs.” A local example is Blue Hole Primary School in Wimberley.

“I’m seeing the vision [and] I like what I’m hearing,” said council member Marc McKinney. “I’m tremendously excited to be able to offer these services in particular, [with] easier access to my eastside residents and there’s so many benefits that are going to come from this, once it’s all said and done.”

Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale was “torn with this whole project,” not only because it was allegedly donated for parkland — which she would like feedback from residents on this change — but also because it is directly near Chapa Middle School.

She was concerned about the lack of a traffic study, as there was a child previously hit, due to the amount of cars traveling in this area. Staff stated that they have requested an existing traffic analysis, but will conduct another, if needed.

Furthermore, the mayor expressed concern of the individuals on probation at this facility, when some cannot come within 100 feet of a school.

Harris noted that some of those individuals on probation are low income and it is difficult for them to make it to their court sessions in San Marcos, so perhaps they could simply ensure that the high risk cases are not assigned to the Eastside Campus.

“We really wanted to give an update to the council on our concept, so we could get that feedback. So, we welcome that discussion, that dialogue with you all, as well as other citizens,” concluded Boutte.

Adding to this was Precinct 2 Commissioner Michelle Cohen, who emphasized that “this building is going to bring all these essential services to an area that historically [has] been underserved and undervalued. So, I just want you to all understand that this is a huge thing for this community and we definitely want to take your feedback.”

To listen to the discussion, visit bit.ly/4u3eKjA. Kyle City Council will next meet at 7 p.m. May 19.

The disciplinary action follows its April 8-9 meeting, where the commission conducted a review of allegations against Becerra, who appeared to testify. According to the SCJC website, public sanctions are issued “when sufficient evidence supports a finding of judicial misconduct.” 

After discussion, it was concluded that Becerra had violated two standards of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct:

• Canon 2B: “A judge shall not allow any relationship to influence judicial conduct or judgement. A judge shall not lend the prestige of judicial office to advance the private interests of the judge or others, nor shall a judge convey or permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence the judge. A judge shall not testify voluntarily as a character witness.”
• Canon 4A(1): “A judge shall conduct all of the judge’s extrajudicial activities, so that they do not: cast reasonable doubt on the judge’s capacity to act impartially as a judge.”

According to documents obtained by the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch, Becerra violated these terms by advertising several personal endeavors on his social media account. For example, the judge posted an advertisement July 27, 2024, about Gil’s Broiler & The Manske Roll Bakery, which is owned by he and his wife’s organization, Becerra Corp. The post stated that, “This is a special post for me — my son is the baker … Whenever possible, I encourage you to support local, however that looks.” 

Gil’s has been advertised 12 times out of more than 30 advertisements for local businesses Becerra has posted across his social media. Despite acknowledging familial ties through Becerra Corp. in a written statement, he did not disclose that his son was employed at the restaurant. 

This statement also claimed that, “No advertisement was ever made. I always support buying local,” an idea which was furthered by Becerra in his testimony, where he shared that the endorsement of local businesses was with the intent to support the local community as part of his administrative functions. 

“He then denied his endorsement of various businesses and people across his social media pages, as well as den[ied] … the prestige of his office to advance the private interests of himself or others,” read the Public Admonition. 

The latter statement comes from both the advertisement of Gil’s and Classic Rides on El Camino Real, a monthly car show organized by Becerra. The show, which has historically taken place on the grounds of the Hays County Historic Courthouse, has been operating since 2024 and is owned by his son. 

This event was advertised 46 times, according to documents, across his social media. 

Classic Rides allowed residents and car enthusiasts to feature classic cars and host vendor booths for $20 on the last Sunday of each month. There were also sponsorships available, ranging from $250 to $1,000. These were accompanied by plaques boasting, “Judge Becerra presents …,” though Becerra later clarified that he never sponsored the awards himself, but only presented them. 

The funds, according to SCJC, were allocated to Derek Ortiz of Dapper Cave Barbershop, another business publicly supported by Becerra. 

Furthermore, in February 2025, nonprofit Empower Hays was created, listing the directors as Becerra, his wife and son. The organization then requested to use the courthouse grounds for the car show days after its inception, with Becerra’s son listed as the event holder. 

In response to the car show, he noted that he helped organize it, but denied use of his courthouse staff in any facilitation. Becerra did share, however, that he did sign one of the courthouse use agreements, but that it was “in compliance with [the] courthouse grounds use agreement.” 

The judge also stated that Ortiz did in fact receive funds, though only to pay for the expense of the show. 

He added that the car show is no longer running and he has stopped any posts regarding local businesses to his social media.

“Becerra denied Becerra Corp. and Empower Hays having any current or past involvement in any of the private businesses referenced … [nor that] his financial and business dealings regarding Becerra Corp. and/or Empower Hays reflected adversely on his impartiality or interfered with the proper performance of his judicial duties,” stated SCJC. 

Despite this assertion from Becerra, SCJC found that the Hays County judge should receive the lowest severity of public sanction — public admonition — as well as obtain additional education as a result of:

• Lending the prestige of his office to advance the private interests of himself and others by advertising local businesses on his social media pages
• Casting reasonable doubt on his capacity to act impartially as a judge when he endorsed various local businesses on his social media pages, invocation of Canons 2B and 4A(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct

Becerra must obtain two hours of instruction with a mention in the area of social media and the judiciary. This is in addition to his required annual judicial education for fiscal year 2026, read the order. He must complete the hours within 60 days from the date of written notification of the assignment of a mentor. 

In response to the complaint, the judge took to social media to address constituents from his personal account: “I have always believed in supporting our local businesses and community organizations and my intent was never to advertise or provide special treatment to any individual business. The posts and events referenced were meant to highlight places and activities, where I personally spend my time and to encourage community engagement across Hays County. What is being claimed is that because I preside over license suspension hearings as a judge, I can somehow be biased because of posts I have made regarding community events and local places. That conclusion seems unrealistic to me and does not reflect how I approach my judicial responsibilities.”

“I respectfully disagree with the Commission’s findings and did not believe my actions constituted advertising. I take the responsibilities of public service seriously and I remain committed to serving the residents of Hays County with integrity, fairness and transparency. At this time, I plan to appeal these findings and will continue cooperating fully through the process,” said Becerra. 

“This was not an easy decision to make, nor did I make it lightly. Serving as CEO has been the most meaningful and rewarding role of my career and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve built together as a team. PEC is strong and I have full confidence that our board and leadership team will move forward with the vision, integrity and commitment that define PEC,” said Parsley.

Parsley joined PEC as its first female CEO in December 2017. Her more than eight-year tenure stands as one of the most consequential in the cooperative’s 87-year history, defined by extraordinary growth, operational resilience and national recognition, stated a PEC news release. She guided the cooperative through a period of remarkable transformation across every dimension of the membership, service territory and organization.

Under her leadership, PEC states it accomplished the following:

Grew from approximately 299,000 to more than 440,000 meters, cementing its standing as the nation’s largest electric distribution and transmission cooperative — serving more than one million Central Texans across a territory the size of the state of New Jersey.

Navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, maintaining operations under unprecedented conditions and implementing a rigorous after-action review to strengthen the cooperative’s long-term resilience. Subsequent extreme weather events — record heat in 2022 and 2023 and severe cold snaps — tested the improved system and PEC held firm each time.

Established its own transmission control center in 2024 — the first time in the cooperative’s history — giving PEC real-time operational visibility and direct dispatching access within Electric Reliability Council of Texas and strengthening reliability for members across the service territory.

Consistently held an AA- credit rating during her tenure, which is notable in the utility industry, particularly given COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri.

Earned Top Workplace recognition multiple times during her tenure, including national awards for Cultural Excellence Among Women-Led Businesses and the Top Workplaces USA Today award in 2025.

Deployed advanced LiDAR and drone technology for transmission and distribution line inspections, completing reviews 23 times faster than manual methods across its 8,100-square-mile service territory.

Parsley championed the cooperative’s community investment programs, directing grants and capital credits back to the members and communities PEC serves.

“Julie has been a defining force for PEC and for the Central Texas communities we serve,” said PEC board president Emily Pataki. “She took on this role as a first in every sense of the word and led with the same excellence that has characterized her entire career. Her dedication to the membership has always been at the center of every decision she made. The team she has built and the foundation she leaves behind give us every reason for confidence in our path forward.”

The board of directors has initiated a structured CEO selection process to identify a leader who will build on Parsley’s legacy and guide PEC into its next phase of growth, starting with a focused group of candidates with deep knowledge of the business and its strategy. As the process progresses in the coming weeks, the board will assess the current slate of candidates and determine the appropriate next steps to ensure the best possible outcome for PEC and its membership.

In the coming weeks Parsley will work with the board and leadership team to ensure a smooth and stable transition to the new leadership.

Hays County Sheriff’s Office K9, Buddy, celebrated his retirement with a cake donation from Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming New Braunfels. Buddy, who is almost 10 years old, was not just a working dog, but also a “partner, protector and constant presence through it all,” according to HCSO.  Now, he is looking forward to relaxing, chasing toys and enjoying all that retirement has to offer. “It’s hard to put into words what he means to this department and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Thank you for your service, Buddy. You’ve more than earned this next chapter.”

According to commissioner Walt Smith, an item regarding a variance request for the development, located at the corner of FM 1626 and SH 45 in both Travis and Hays counties, has come in front of the court several times.

“Whenever this first came up, we actually had a conversation here and the direction of the court that, at least my direction, I would not support a straight variance. The only way there would be a variance of any type would be if we did some type of development agreement,” said Smith. “Those development agreements, they actually give the county additional means, additional hooks that we don’t have statutorily.”

The development is in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the county, which allows the developer to not follow or adhere to any planning and zoning authority, continued the commissioner. So, he pushed that they would have to get full utilization of the property, which is included in the development agreement, and that a portion of the land would remain untouched, to avoid a house every 30 feet.

“I was not going to accept, in my precinct, just a blanket variance with no incentivization or nothing coming back to the county,” Smith emphasized. “That being the case, I do have some concerns, since it is the first time it has appeared on the agenda, as far as the full development agreement, I do want to go through a 30-day posting and require that of the developer.”

Following Smith’s introduction, Judge Ruben Becerra introduced more than 60 individuals that signed up to speak regarding the item, one of which was resident Jim Camp.

Camp noted that he has been in Precinct 4 for 30 years and that in that time, he has worked with leaders in the community to protect water and land. He shared that in 1986, a 350-acre development was proposed in the same area, which was denied by both the city of Austin and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. This land was later sold to another company, which sold to Milestone Developers — the company building Hays Commons.

Speaker Karen Aboussie added to this history, stating that Milestone previously tried to get impervious cover variance approval from the Save Our Springs Alliance in Austin, but was denied: “Now, they are going to Hays County to try to do essentially the same thing.”

Hays City Council member Lydia Bryan-Valdez began her comment by noting the lack of time residents had to prepare for the item. Despite this, she shared that the city is “small but mighty” and at the very least, requested the item to be tabled to allow more consideration.

“The main concern of the city of Hays and the residents is the T-Lap Wastewater facility that the Hays Commons proposes to build. There is a contested hearing going on right now with the Hays Common application to build it. If approved, it will place 150,000 gallons of wastewater per day on the land immediately behind my home, my daughter’s home — where my grandchildren live — and the homes of other residents,” stressed Bryan-Valdez, adding that they are also concerned about runoff and harm to groundwater.

Ultimately, residents, from both Hays and Travis counties, were concerned regarding the environmental impact of the project.

“I do want to offer some points for clarification. At the end of the day, if the court chooses not to move forward with this — I want the residents to understand what that means — [Hays Commons] will come back and not request any variance from the county and every square foot of that property, if it’s not in a floodplain, if it meets our development regulations, by law that means we have to vote to support that,” Smith said.

The item will be tabled for approximately 45 days, until public notices can be placed in the newspaper.

“There is a lot of concern about this property and this developer specifically that I feel we as a court need to look more into,” said commissioner Michelle Cohen. “So, I’m glad you’re tabling it and that way we can all get a better understanding of what we’re dealing with here and what our options are.”

The Hays County Commissioners Court will meet next May 12.

WIMBERLEY — Hays County Precinct 3 Commissioner Morgan Hammer hosted an open house Thursday, April 23, for the public to learn more about ongoing water supply planning and flooding assessments impacting the city of Wimberley and surrounding areas.

This follows the commissioners court authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement Jan. 20 with HDR Engineers, Inc. for a countywide water study — the first one done from the county’s perspective since 2011.

The current study will expand on the 2011 Water and Wastewater Facilities Plan, which was also conducted by HDR, according to representative Darren Thompson, who presented at the April 23 open house. They will look at the geography and growth patterns, population trends, municipalities, river authorities, groundwater conservation districts, regional and wholesale water providers and industrial customers, he said.

“The effort is an update, but it’s different. We are not doing as detailed of a look across the county. We are taking some of those deeper dives,” said Thompson, who noted the following goals of the study:

Provide a high-level overview of water-related resources, including water and wastewater providers, in Hays County

Evaluate and plan for current or projected water needs

Assess countywide flood risks and develop flood mitigation evaluations and projects

Evaluate sewer infrastructure needs in the Hillside Terrace neighborhood to address aging septic systems and flooding-related failures

Incorporate land-use and development policy impacts on water demand, growth and flooding into planning recommendations

Engage stakeholders across the county to communicate project goals, gather input and build support for future strategies

A specific portion is a localized water supply plan, Thompson explained, where, in Precinct 3, HDR is working with providers Wimberley Water Supply Corporation and Aqua Texas in Woodcreek.

“Working with the two utilities to get a better understanding of their customer base — the number of customers, the type of customers, their type of usage patterns … understanding how much they're producing on a day-to-day basis, how much they produce in a year, understanding their groundwater permits and their other supplies that they may have, whether it be reuse or such ... [helps us understand] how do you meet those needs," he said. "[With] the supplies that you have today, will it get you out into the future? And if so, how far and when you run out of those supplies, how do you supplement?"

Along with the specific area’s needs, as they relate to the water providers, Thompson said they will look at water supply opportunities, conservation and drought management and costs of the projects to develop an implementation to tie it into the regional plans: “A water supply plan developed from the local perspective, feeding back into the regional or the state plans.”

The annual production for Wimberley Water Supply Corporation has had a 37% decrease from 2003 to present day, as well as a 15% decrease since 2020. The water savings are also true for Aqua Texas, Thompson presented, with a 17% decrease since 2020.

“That's what we're seeing based off of data, but what is in the regional plan for the Wimberley area doesn’t quite match. So, [in the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) 2026] plan, it shows the population in the Wimberley area growing from 3,000 people to 25,000 people,” he said. “We know that hasn't been the case over the last several years because growth is pretty flat. So, we'll look at the growth of customer base for both the utilities, look at their service areas [and] we'll identify kind of a max build out of those service areas, so we can get a bigger picture of what could happen. That way we can plan more appropriately.”

One attendee asked if the decrease shown in the data for Aqua Texas was related to the outdoor watering enforcement. Thompson responded that a reduction in outdoor watering for any utility will cut the numbers for annual production drastically.

There were multiple attendees who asked about groundwater sustainability in the long-term, as compared to rainwater collection, as resources — like the aquifers — have been experiencing extreme stress.

“We are not scoped to go into that greater detail on the groundwater side. We will work with the groundwater districts to identify their permitting, their strategies moving forward, but we are not developing anything new on top of what they're already doing today or what they're planning on doing,” Thompson responded.

Commissioner Hammer, who oversees Precinct 3, added that there are different aspects that come along with the complex issue of water, with policy being a major one, as counties are not given wide authority and the local groundwater conservation district has the least amount of water authority in the state, as granted by Chapter 36.

She continued that the study is “one piece of a big puzzle” and is going to help give a good scope of water supply, as well as be a tool for the county’s rewrite of the subdivision regulations.

“One of those could be potentially increasing the amount, right now, you have to have six acres or more if you're building five lots if you're going to drill a well,” Hammer said. “Maybe we increase that. Maybe this is going to tell us that we don't have the water. It's probably going to, I am just saying that, but these are all the things that are going to help us develop good policy to go to the legislature and to ask for things.”

The final component presented was that HDR will also collaborate with county commissioners and local stakeholders — with an influence from community input — to identify one flood mitigation project in each precinct to help reduce local flood risk and ensure that TWDB project criteria is met.

HDR is working with commissioner Hammer's office to find an online location to post the meeting materials. Feedback and questions can be sent to HaysCoWater@hdrinc.com.

The public is invited to three more open houses related to the countywide water study, along with localized water supply plans:

Precinct 1, hosted by commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, at 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, at the San Marcos Activity Center

Precinct 2, hosted by commissioner Michelle Cohen, at 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at McCormick Middle School

Precinct 4, hosted by commissioner Walt Smith, at 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, at Dripping Springs Ranch Park

Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting, storing and using rain that falls on rooftops or other surfaces, which can then be used for irrigation, livestock and household uses — including consumption — when properly filtered and disinfected, according to the Hill Country Alliance, a nonprofit that works across 17 counties in the region to protect the land, night skies, character and water.

Due to more frequent droughts, increased population growth and a stress on limited groundwater supply, alternatives like rainwater harvesting have become a more viable option for many people.

“We are seeing groundwater decline across the region and so, as we think about what a resilient water feature looks like in Central Texas, it does mean diversifying our supplies, so that we're not just relying on groundwater. We've seen rainwater harvesting to be a reliable alternative when systems are designed correctly,” said Marisa Bruno, water program manager for the Hill Country Alliance.

There was a large rainfall in Central Texas last July that filled up the Highland Lakes, which was beneficial for the city of Austin, but groundwater levels within the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) jurisdiction still remained low, explained Shay Hlavaty, communications and outreach manager for the district. Now, the district is approaching — though it has not officially declared — Stage 4 drought, which has never been reached before.

“A lot of folks in our territory rely 100% on groundwater, along with at least 50% of Texans. Rainwater is a really great alternative, either to rely on it fully or to supplement people's well because whenever that rain falls, you catch like almost 100% of it,” Hlavaty said. “But with groundwater, when it rains, only a fraction of that amount of rain actually ends up in the aquifer, 5-10% of it. Even if it's going into those lakes and creeks and rivers, like those reservoirs and everything, there's a lot of evaporation happening out of those, too. So, by catching it directly, you can use it immediately.”

Bruno and Hlavaty both continued to emphasize the value of rainwater harvesting, which includes the following: the quality can often be better that what is found from groundwater; homeowners have more control of their system when needing to do maintenance and cleaning; and it can be less expensive than drilling a new or deeper well when supplies run low.

A 2025 study conducted by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University found that rainwater harvesting can be used as a fully reliable water supply option in the state, even during severe drought periods. The study showed that a 3,000-square-foot roof with 30,000 gallons of storage can meet indoor household water needs statewide, as well as widespread rainwater harvesting would not reduce levels in rivers and aquifers — it would be less than a 1% reduction in runoff and recharge.

“What that report shows is that if you do have the sort of roof space or capture space size correctly and you have your storage space size correctly, you can survive even the drought of record. Even in a year with below average rainfall, with the system dry and designed correctly, you should have no issues getting through the year with that supply,” Bruno noted. “I think there's this myth around rainwater harvesting that because you're dependent on rainfall, it's not reliable, but we know it's going to rain. It might rain less in some years than in others, but it does always rain.”

There are some regulations on rainwater harvesting, depending on the specific system that is being used, said Bruno. She added that if someone is designing a rainwater harvesting system for their own personal use, there is limited regulation, but there could be more for commercial use.

Learn more about rainwater harvesting and specific systems at the following links:

• Hill Country Alliance: bit.ly/4sSonQA

• Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District: www.bseacd.org/rainwater-harvesting

Prior to the vote, Christina Courson, chief Human Resources officer, discussed the changes at the April 20 meeting, where she stated that it “reflects the changes that have been made in the budget reductions that were announced at the end of March. So, for example, the deputy academic officer position would be removed, the campus support specialist would be removed. All the different positions that were identified for reduction will be removed.”

There will also be changes in the work calendar, such as that for the attendance clerks, and suspension in degree stipends and incentive stipends for bilingual and special education positions.

The district will need to provide a “zero year” uncertified teacher salary, per state requirement, which must be lower than the “zero year” certified pay.

Courson stated that for years, librarians have existed on the nurse and teacher scale, but that the Texas Association of School Boards has stated that they should be instead listed as academic professional scale, though they will not be losing any money.

“This allows them to keep their $2000 [degree stipend] rolled into their salary,” said Courson.

Trustee Esperanza Orosco asked about the pay and stipend for new media specialist librarians. The reason for this new “lead stipend” is because the new budget eliminated head librarians at each school, instead replacing them with one general librarian at the middle and high school levels, who will partner with the onsite library technicians.

These positions will open for internal applications within the next week to allow the impacted librarians a chance to be selected for the position.

“Everybody will have a job next year. Of the seven impacted librarians, two would be selected. There is a current vacancy at Negley Elementary [School] for a librarian. So, one of the librarians may want to be a librarian at the elementary level and I have heard that there may be two other vacancies at the elementary level. If that’s the case, then that would bring it to five [librarians with jobs]. With two remaining, one has resigned — that would be the sixth one — and the seventh one was able to be selected for a different job at their current campus,” explained Courson. “So, each one of them is being taken care of, as far as a job for next year.”

There were also 22 public education information management system clerks that were impacted, five of which are still looking for jobs.

The chief HR officer also noted that there will not be a cost of living adjustment for any staff member for the upcoming fiscal year, though teachers that received a teacher retention allotment can keep it.

“I can say on behalf of this board that this is not the comp[senation] plan that we really wanted to pursue for next year, in light of what our funding challenges are, but I appreciate the thoughtfulness you’re putting into it to bring this item forward now, so that we can have some clarity,” said trustee Byron Severance.

The item was approved 7-0.

Additionally, the trustees approved two separate items to terminate eight probationary teacher contracts and a good cause teacher termination.

The agenda documents state that “probationary teacher contracts are issued for one-year terms and may be renewed for as many as three additional one-year periods” and notes that these terminations will “serve the best interests of the district, namely to eliminate the costs associated with the identified positions.”

The teachers that were identified in this process were advised to submit a resignation, though because none did, the board was required to terminate, resulting in a 7-0 vote.

The good cause teacher termination affected one individual, according to Courson. Documents state that the reason for the agenda item was to “exercise the authority provided in law and policy to terminate the employment of a term contract teacher currently serving a multiple year contract, expiring on June, 1, 2027.” The item passed unanimously.

The Hays CISD Board of Trustees will next meet at 5 p.m. Monday, May 11.

Following an investigation, the department arrested math teacher Juan Gomez, 40, of Buda, and charged him with improper relationship between an educator and student. Additionally, Hays CISD immediately removed Gomez from the campus, placed him on administrative leave, and barred him from returning to the school or communicating with students and coworkers.

“Protecting students is paramount. The district takes swift action anytime there is an accusation involving activity that would harm students,” said Hays CISD chief communication officer Tim Savoy. “Employees of the district are granted positions of tremendous trust and if they fail that, they will meet with a swift and substantial response. Inappropriate behavior with students is anathema to the thousands of district employees who work tirelessly to provide safe spaces for students to learn and grow.”

Gomez was hired by Hays CISD to work at LHS in July 2023. He will not return to the campus while the criminal investigation and any subsequent court processes are underway, the district stated in a news release.

According to the district, all Hays CISD employees undergo fingerprint-based criminal background checks before they can be hired, as required by state law. Term-contracted teachers, such as Gomez, cannot be immediately terminated because they have employment-based due process rights that must be followed, the district continued. 

However, the district stated that it will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the students in its charge.

KPD is also working closely with school officials to ensure student safety remains the top priority. No additional information is being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation. 

The Hays Free Press will update this story as more information is made available.
 

This marks the sixth consecutive year Texas Mutual is investing in nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting working families and fortifying businesses. Over the past decade, Texas Mutual has invested more than $120 million to strengthen Texas communities, support businesses and help working families thrive, according to a news release.

“We’re proud to support the communities we serve and view this funding as a meaningful step toward a stronger Texas,” said Veronica Martinez, senior manager of impact and community partnerships at Texas Mutual. “By investing in organizations that remove barriers for working Texans, we’re helping create opportunities that reach beyond today and into the next generation. We’re honored to partner with these leaders as they strengthen families, fuel local economies and move our state forward.”

Texas Mutual will award funding through two community grant cycles, which will start this month. In the first grant cycle, Texas Mutual will seek to invest in initiatives that stabilize working households, so Texans can obtain and sustain employment and participate in economic opportunities. Funding will be awarded to projects that focus on:

•  Championing working parents by expanding access to quality early childhood education — ages 0-5 — or out-of-school time care for children, so that parents can obtain and retain stable employment

•  Prioritizing workforce wellness by ensuring working Texans are physically healthy through increased access to primary care

•  Enabling workforce advancement by facilitating access to essential basic needs, so that working Texans can obtain or retain stable employment, building a foundation for long-term economic mobility

Applications for the first grant cycle are now open and will close at 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 15.

The second grant cycle will bolster workforce development and safety training. Texas Mutual seeks to invest in organizations and initiatives focused on:

•  Developing a skilled workforce by preparing Texans for high-growth, high-wage middle-skill jobs through completion of apprenticeships or postsecondary credentials of value

•  Empowering small businesses by supporting initiatives that promote their resilience and the facilitation of new job growth

•  Reconnecting the disengaged workforce by connecting youth to supportive career pathways as a means of expanding the available labor force

Applications for the second grant cycle will open at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, and will close at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11.

Grant amounts will vary by project needs and organization size. Applicants should request funding between $25,000 and $100,000 . To be eligible for grant funding, organizations must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization and demonstrate they are actively delivering assistance and services to Texas communities.

Visit www.texasmutual.com/communityfunding for more information.

Drake brings an extensive background in healthcare administration and a proven track record of driving operational excellence, leading strategic growth initiatives and advancing high-quality patient care, stated a news release.

Drake joins Ascension Seton Hays after spending the last seven years as a chief operating officer (COO) at St. David’s HealthCare, most recently serving at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center.

Prior to her tenure in Austin, Drake served as the COO at Shelby Baptist Medical Center, a 252-bed hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. In this role, she provided administrative and financial oversight for an array of hospital services and spearheaded several major capital projects. These included a surgical suite expansion, featuring a new hybrid operating room, and the construction of an electrophysiology lab to expand cardiovascular services.

Her leadership background also includes serving as the Western Region chief business development officer for Prospect Medical Holdings, an organization owning 20 acute care and behavioral health hospitals across six states, and as market chief strategy officer for Valley Baptist Health System in Harlingen and Brownsville. Additionally, she has held roles as acting COO and assistant CEO of Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, along with administrative specialist and compliance positions at Lake Granbury Medical Center and Northwest Medical Center.

"We are thrilled to welcome Megan to Ascension Seton Hays and look forward to the vision and leadership she will bring to our hospital and the communities we serve," said Jamie Youssef, CEO for Ascension Texas.

Drake earned a master’s degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and a bachelor’s degree in biology from The College of Charleston. She is also an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Each year, Hays CISD recognizes the individuals who were named as their campus Volunteer of the Year for the efforts in helping their local school community. In addition, Hays CISD also honored those who were named as Mentors of the Year, Community Volunteers of the Year and Partnerships of the Year.

Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright applauded the efforts of the district volunteers, mentors and business partners whose efforts go a long way toward helping the district and its respective campuses. This year, Hays CISD has a grand total of 7,400 volunteers who have logged more than 14,000 hours of work — the volunteers have contributed more than $462,000 worth of time toward its students.

The 2025-2026 Hays CISD Volunteers of the Year are listed below.

Elementary School Volunteers of the Year

Elza Romero – Blanco Vista Elementary School

Erika Reyes – Buda Elementary School

Abigail Laake – Camino Real Elementary School

Michelle Schwartz – Carpenter Hill Elementary School

Nicole Miller – Cullen Elementary School

Martin Danner – Elm Grove Elementary School

Jennifer Lancaster – Fuentes Elementary School

Abby Tedlock – Tom Green Elementary School

Teresa Bullock – Hemphill Elementary School

Karine Zepeda – Kyle Elementary School

Melissa Haase – Negley Elementary School

Becki Robledo – Pfluger Elementary School

Amber Nelson – Ramage Elementary School

Laurie Stradling – Science Hall Elementary School

Cristyn Cordova – Sunfield Elementary School

Brandi Sanchez – Tobias Elementary School

Bertha Martinez – Uhland Elementary School

Middle School Volunteers of the Year

Abigail Campbell – Barton Middle School

Anastasia Skiles – Chapa Middle School

Casey Jensen – Dahlstrom Middle School

Fabiola Sanchez – McCormick Middle School

Jessica Gindlesperger – Simon Middle School

Tiffany Cortez-Machado – Wallace Middle School

High School Volunteers of the Year

Johanna Bergmann – Hays High School

Leslie Piggott – Johnson High School

Anastasia Skiles – Lehman High School

Craig Holloway – Live Oak Academy

Community Volunteers of the Year

Mary Gartner – Hays Clothes Closet

Debbie Condel, DLC Financial Service – HaysHope2Go

Mentors of the Year

Julie Barschow – Seedling Mentor Program

Tim Rigsby – Blanco Vista Elementary School

Marjie Kelley – Kyle Elementary School

Mary Kemp – Ramage Elementary School

Michael Ramirez – Chapa Middle School

Business Partnerships of the Year

Frost Bank

CORE Construction

Joeris General Contractors

Dunaway

Ally Medical

Although the low cost and easy accessibility of chatbots may seem particularly appealing to youth, there are concerns, such as delayed social skills, attached to their increasing and continued usage.

AI is designed to attract users and keep them coming back. Alternatively, licensed therapists are trained to maintain boundaries and encourage independence.

Additionally, when using chatbots, many individuals experience validation, or an echo chamber of their own beliefs. Human therapists, unlike chatbots, are trained to encourage self-reflection, challenge and hold individuals accountable for their actions.

Youth may also seek out AI because talking to another person can feel uncomfortable at times or even awkward. However, building a relationship with another person, such as in a therapeutic setting, can allow for youth to acknowledge, address and unpack feelings and build resiliency, while practicing and developing emotional and social skills long term.

Learning about AI is essential to helping community members understand best practices to utilize this tool to their benefit, as well as making sure youth are informed and supported.

Throughout the month of April, in addition to this article series, Hays-Caldwell Women's Center will be sharing content across all social media platforms, as well as participating in community events. For updates on upcoming events, follow HCWC using the @HCWCenter handle on Facebook, Instagram and X.

The item, brought forward by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, would direct county staff to include funding in the proposed FY 2027 budget for a “High-Intensity Development Review Division” within the department, as well as develop job descriptions, salary data and proposed divisional structure, as needed.

Becerra shared that his intention for the item is to bring no additional cost to the county, but increase the duties of a current employee within the Development Services Department to include further oversight, such as that of water availability, and evaluation of proposed developments.

“We are only setting up the mechanism to process what we know is coming … We have large industrial users coming. We have a myriad of conversations taking place not only through our county and neighboring counties, but even at the capitol, there are hearings taking place,” he shared.

The court passed a resolution last year that the water availability studies would be going to the groundwater conservation district for hydrologist review for approval and then, sent back to the county. However, according to commissioner Morgan Hammer, that has not been done “to my necessary belief as frequently as maybe we should,” but this division could address that, along with other checkpoints.

She also echoed Becerra’s sentiments that this would not create a new position, but it can exist within the current department.

Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe shared that she likes the idea of speaking with Development Services to see what would be best moving forward, as well as cited the countywide water study and rewrite of the subdivision rules and regulations as items the court can also focus on.

Some members of the public expressed their dissatisfaction with the possibility of this new division, including Kenneth Rocha, who sent in an email that laid out the taxpayers’ concerns.

“Is this new division actually about protecting our water, land and electrical resources or is it about expanding government control through administrative circumvention? If this initiative is just about data, then why can’t existing Development Services engineers/staff handle the data gathering?” Rocha questioned.

His comment continued to “recall in the fiscal year 2026 budget review that you already added 53 new [full-time employees] at a cost of $4.3 million and we are already using $7.6 million in one time reserves just to keep the general fund afloat. Since this new division is designed to review projects that may never reach the permitting stage, if rejected, we're essentially voting to add permanent high salary positions to [a maintenance and operations] budget that's already 63% payroll. Adding permanent review [full-time equivalent positions] now effectively creates a permanent structural deficit that must be fulfilled by property tax increases.”

Alongside those of residents, some commissioners also raised concerns about creating the High-Intensity Development Review Division.

The county currently being without a Development Services director and unclear information about the financial impact were two concerns brought forward by commissioner Michelle Cohen.

“My hope is that individual would come in and be able to assess and see what we can do to help address these issues with the staff that we have internally. I do think the initiative does need to be led within that office. I always kind of thought we needed somebody focused on the water issues like you're talking about, Judge Becerra, and so, someone just keeping their eye on the ball,” she said. “But, as of right now, just for me, I need to know more about the fiscal impact and how the Development Services can better address the issue and what we're maybe not doing in that department in regards to water.”

Commissioner Walt Smith explained that the court only has authority that is specifically given by the state and under those regulations, there is not a clear definition of what would be considered a high-intensity development.

“We are mandated by the state to treat every development in a similar fashion, whether it’s a mom and pop who wants to put … an auto shop in their garage or a data center. We have to look at all of them the exact same way,” Smith said.

He also noted, echoing Cohen’s comments, that the better course of action would be to allow the department staff to structure and outline the necessary positions as they see fit.

“At a base level, to establish a division to give additional scrutiny to certain projects, I don't think we have the legal authority to do it. I'm 99.99% sure we don't and I think it would just be opening ourselves up for liability,” Smith continued. “Now, giving staff direction at this point without taking action to say, ‘Please review this and once we hire a director and you do your budget submission, keep this in mind,’ I think that's a better course of action.”

After further discussion, commissioners ultimately directed staff to work with the department to make recommendations on the effort.

To listen to the full meeting, visit www.hayscountytx.gov/commissioners-court-live-stream.

There are several Hays County-led projects that are currently ongoing within the area, resulting from a voter-approved 2024 road bond package. Though a Travis County district judge ruled that the package was void, claiming non-compliance with a public notice requirement, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted to move forward with the issuance of Certificates of Obligation (COs) to fund planning and design for 30 projects originally included in the bond, with eight of them funded through construction.

Two of the projects involve Darden Hill Road, with the first to widen the roadway from Ranch to Market (RM) Road 1826 to east of Sawyer Ranch Road, while also adding a roundabout at the intersection of Darden Hill and RM 1826. Construction would occur between mid-2027 to mid-2029.

The other — for which only the design is currently funded — would extend the widened road from east of Sawyer Ranch Road and have a new extension connect near Woods Loop and eventually tie into planned improvements at RM 150 and Ranch Road 12.

The need for these projects has been heightened with the growing population, as the county has seen the numbers go from 204,345 in 2016 to 256,100 in 2021 to 304,390 in 2025, said Precinct 4 commissioner Walt Smith, who held a presentation and question-and-answer session at the DHCS meeting. This remains true with projected growth, as the county expects to see thousands of families commute in the area once new school developments are complete within Dripping Springs ISD.

“When we talk about how much volume of traffic and how many residents we have in this area, this is what is driving us having to do additional projects and just general traffic safety when we do master transportation plans,” said Smith, who held a presentation and question and answer session at the DHCS meeting.

Other projects that are proposed for the area include:

• Sawyer Ranch Road: Widening the road to two lanes in each direction with four-foot shoulders, extend the 10-foot pedestrian walkway along the east side of the roadway from Meadow Creek Drive to Darden Hill Road and add striped crosswalks at key intersections

• Building a roundabout at RM 150 and RM 12, shifting the intersection to the south to avoid impacts to Phillips Cemetery

• Dripping Springs Southwest Connection: Provide an alternative to US 290 with two lanes in each direction with a median, shoulders on both sides, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations and water quality protection features

• Fitzhugh Road: Design and construct interim safety improvements and study additional enhancements along Fitzhugh Road

“What we anticipate, more than anything, is giving alternatives to 290 to our local residents. The fact is, right now, every resident on Darden Hill, if you want to go anywhere [on] Darden Hill — if you’re on 1826, if you are on 150 — you have to traverse either around one of the worst three corner intersections there is at 150 and Darden Hill or you have to go all the way to 290,” Smith emphasized. “If we can give our local residents alternatives, that’s what we are looking for.”

Despite the claims of increasing safety for those who live and travel in the area, some residents were still hesitant that the projects will do the opposite.

Resident Matt Walters shared that the community members who were informed of what was happening in their neighborhoods were in shock.

“They didn't realize that this beautiful, little rural road that they live next to is going to effectively be part of what is being proposed as a series of improvements, but when they're all done, become a cross-county freight and commuter corridor. Now, maybe that's an okay thing, but there are multiple intentions and problems being attempted to be solved by this because no world is perfect, of course, and we happen to have multiple problems,” Walters said.

He added that, while parents love to see that the plans include bicycle pathways for their students to commute to and from school, they don’t want it to be on a 45 miles-per-hour corridor, where “freight [trucks have] to engine brake at a roundabout. That sounds like death certificates.”

There is also an online petition that has received 442 signatures as of April 20 not in complete opposition of the widening of Darden Hill Road, but rather the current design of the proposed changes. Community members have suggested alternatives for the county to consider with the project, including a two-lane road with dedicated turn lanes, lower speed limit at 35 miles-per-hour, an established truck weight, removing the planned future extension and re-engaging the public before finalizing the design.

Learn more about the Hays County road bond projects at www.hayscoroads.com. To listen to the full Driftwood Historical Conservation Society meeting, visit bit.ly/4cFVFwm. The online petition can be found at www.savedardenhill.com.

A forensic interview of the victim was conducted at Roxanne’s House, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch, leading to two charges. According to court documents, on or about Nov. 1, 2017, Hargraves engaged in sexual contact with a child younger than the age of 17, a second-degree felony. The victim stated that both times, Hargraves rubbed lotion onto her legs prior to touching her inappropriately.

He was later arrested in May 2019, followed by a superseding indictment in August 2023, adding two additional charges.

Throughout his time awaiting trial, Hargraves’ competency was questioned, with an order discussing incompetency occurring July 10, 2023. This resulted in a state brief “regarding issues raised by incompetency” in November of that same year.

Although the documents are sealed, the court docket notes that months later, a motion “to continue defendant’s bail, following a finding of incompetency” was entered into April 22, 2024.

Several competency hearings were cancelled later in the year, until the state motioned to have the court determine competency again in January 2025, where Hargraves was found competent to stand trial Jan. 10, 2025.

The defendant accepted a plea bargain agreement Feb. 10, 2026, prior to trial taking place.

Despite the punishment range for a second-degree felony stating no more than 20 years in prison or less than two, the agreement asserts that Hargraves will receive:

•   Eight years deferred adjudication, or probation,

•   A $2,500 fine

•   150 hours of community service restitution

•   Adult community supervision fee of $60

•   Child abuse prevention fine of $100

•   No contact with the victims

As a result of this, counts two, three and four were dismissed.

Wealth, status and influence can create environments where child sexual abuse is more easily hidden, victims feel less able to speak out and accountability is delayed or denied. To date, Jeffrey Epstein himself was the only American to face legal consequences for his sex crimes, though many other wealthy politicians and business leaders have been named and implicated in them.

At HCWC’s children’s advocacy center, staff sees firsthand how power imbalances shape abuse. Whether the offender is a respected professional, community leader or someone known to the family, their position can make it harder for children to be believed and for loved ones to recognize warning signs. This work centers on making a space where children feel heard and their stories respected without intimidation. Victims will always be put first and HCWC seeks to hold their abusers accountable, regardless of status.

Communities must remain vigilant of those in power. Abuse is often enabled by authority and silence. Residents can protect children by learning the signs of abuse, reporting concerns to proper authorities and keeping a skeptical eye on people in positions of power with access to children. Most importantly, society must believe kids when they disclose inappropriate behavior or sexual abuse by anyone.

Throughout the month of April, in addition to this article series, HCWC will be sharing content across all social media platforms, as well as participating in community events. Follow HCWC on Facebook, Instagram and X @HCWCCenter for updates on upcoming events.

As Hays County continues to grow, so does the overall market value of Hays County’s appraisal roll. The overall market value for 2026 increased to $76.75 billion, up 9.69% over 2025’s certified value of $69.97 billion. New improvements as of Jan. 1 contributed $1.27 billion in market value this year. These new improvements include 3,294 new residential and 84 commercial structures, along with 373 enhancements to existing structures. This aligns with the growth in population to more than 300,000.

Commercial and industrial real property market value increased 24% in 2026, with a preliminary value of $7.47 billion, up from $6.02 billion in 2025. The 2026 preliminary value of residential multi-family properties increased 17%, from $4.05 billion in 2025 to $4.76 billion.

Most residential market areas stayed relatively flat for 2026 with slightly higher increases in more rural areas.

Local taxing units rely on property tax revenues to fund essential services, including schools, emergency services, police/fire protection, libraries and more. Information regarding the tax rate setting process for each taxing unit will be accessible starting on Aug. 7 at hays.countytaxrates.com. For more details on appraisals, appeals and exemptions, visit the Hays CAD website at www.hayscad.com.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is committed to serving the community with compassion in times of crisis, offering support and resources that restore hope, and protecting those that matter the most. This includes rescuing dogs, an idea which started in February 2025, when Neill worked to help find Heidi, a 16-year-old missing dog in Dripping Springs, after seeing a Facebook post.

She worked to make signs and flyers to display throughout the area, while also sharing resources, like a local pet tracking option with access to thermal drones, with the family, according to previous reporting by the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch.

“It took the Austin groups several days to come out to send a drone and that's really all they did,” Neill recalled. “They really didn't help with much else because we never had any sightings of her, but I made signs for them, I put out flyers on people's doors and mailboxes and we just tried to get the word out. We never found that dog.”

Now, Neill and Hill Country Rescue & Recovery are partnering with local fire departments and other groups to install community microchip scanning stations across the county.

The organization has previously partnered with Prevent a Litter (PALS) of Central Texas to host microchipping events in the community. The scanning stations would be an extension of that work, Neill explained, as it has brought up questions, such as if people want to get their pets microchipped and where they go to fulfill that need.

Along with helping reunite lost pets with their families faster, the goal is also to reduce shelter intake — even if it’s just by 5% — and empower the community to take an active role in animal rescue, Neill continued.

“Let's create this community system where if somebody sees a dog running down the road with a collar on, that animal is probably owned. It probably isn't dumped. It's probably not just a stray. Is somebody more likely to stop and pick that animal up if they can and take it to get the chip read if they have one and reunite it? It creates less of a burden on animal control, the shelters, all of that helps keep animals safe and off the roads if people are more likely to pick them up,” she said. “If I know the shelters are full and I can't take this dog home and I see a dog running down the street, what do I do? I mean, nothing. I can't. If I have problematic dogs at my house and the shelter is going to tell me ‘no’ or I have to wait for an intake appointment, people just aren't going to try to help those dogs. This is a resource, so that people feel like they have an option to try to get this dog back to where it belongs.”

Microchips are all registered with the companies that they are provided through, so when a person uses one of the readers or scanners, it will bring up the number for the company, who then has the contact information for the pet’s owner.

In order to protect the owner’s information from the public, the chip company will contact them and help reunite the pet with their family.

“When the public calls in, which will be the instance with these chip stations, the company will then take the finder's information, they will contact the owner and say, ‘Hey, we were contacted by this person who believes they have your pet, microchip number XYZ.’ So, that information is always protected and then, the owner will contact the finder,” Neill explained.

The initiative is fully funded by donations to Hill Country Rescue & Recovery, with each scanning station at approximately $500 each.

Neill shared that currently, the organization is in the first phase of getting 14 sites in the county, partnering with host sites to include North Hays, Buda and Kyle fire stations, as well as Fitzhugh Brewing, but the ultimate goal is to have 20.

The stations are not yet installed, but Neill is anticipating to begin the work of having some of them off the ground in early-mid May.

Learn more about Hill Country Rescue & Recovery and stay up to date on the progess of the microship scanning stations at www.hillcountryrescuerecovery.org.

This spring, three board positions are up for election: Single-Member District 1, Single-Member District 2 and Trustee At-Large.

Raul Vela Jr., the current representative for District 1, is running for reelection unopposed and was not present.

Jose Luis Perez and Katy Armstrong are both up for the District 2 position, presently held by Johnny Flores, who is running for the Hays County Precinct 2 commissioner seat, rather than reelection. Perez was not in attendance on Tuesday, though Armstrong was. Ashlee Thurston and Alex Zavala, both of whom participated in the panel, are running for the at-large position currently held by Vanessa Petrea.

Former Hays CISD school board president Meredith Keller, who moderated the panel, mentioned that the vacating trustees are “moving on for different pastures.”

Carla Perez, the vice president of the HEA and elections chair, opened the forum by welcoming those in attendance and emphasizing the importance of the school board as a voice for the community and reflection of local desires.

“I just want to thank everyone for showing up and coming and making sure that they wanted to be part of the solutions for Hays CISD,” stated Perez.

Following Perez’s opening statement, Keller opened the floor for candidates to introduce themselves.

Armstrong spoke first, describing her candidacy as a continuation of her longstanding involvement in the community. With a master’s degree in education and background in both special education and English as a second language, Armstrong highlighted her work as a guest teacher.

She also noted her service on the district’s Facilities and Bonds Oversight Committee, her role running an in-home preschool and her experience on the Kyle Housing Authority, noting that the rules and ethics of a dais are not foreign to her.

“This is my heart; this is my home [and] this is my community,” Armstrong said. “Serving on the school board seems like a natural place to continue to give.”

Zavala spoke next, emphasizing his deep roots in the district. He graduated from Hays High School in 1992 and participated in the opening class of Dahlstrom Middle School. The at-large candidate cited years of involvement in Parent Teacher Associations, the School Health Advisory Committee and the district’s oversight committee as preparation for board service.

“I feel very rooted and committed to this district,” Zavala said, adding that he feels it's imperative to take on a bigger role in the district and that now is the time to do it.

Thurston described her experience as a substitute teacher and parent of two students in her opening statement. One of her children was in kindergarten when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, which she said reshaped her understanding of student needs, as did teaching.

Now that her children are older, Thurston has more time to give to a trustee position: “I’ve been watching as things are changing and seeing so much more need to rethink the process,” she said.

After introductions, the candidates spent the majority of the forum answering questions posed by the HEA and then, audience members. Many centered around budget cuts and how the candidates would prioritize funding to ensure student success.

The first question posed to candidates assessed whether they would support going out for a future voter-approval tax rate election (VATRE) and what they would do to ensure its passage. The last tax election on the ballot failed, resulting in $12 million in budget cuts across the district.

On the VATRE, Zavala said he supports trying again, but with a stronger emphasis on public education and outreach.

“I don’t feel the public gets the information,” he said, describing previous advocacy efforts as having “fallen on deaf ears.”

Thurston urged caution, suggesting the district should first demonstrate responsible budgeting before asking voters for additional funding.

“There would have to be a decent amount of time before another tax increase,” she said, adding that the district must clearly distinguish between needs and wants.

Armstrong proposed a more incremental approach, suggesting a smaller tax increase could be more palatable to voters. “We went big and it didn’t work out,” she said and brought forth the idea of a $0.03 rate increase, which would bring in the $12 million that was cut.

When asked about improving academic performance, all three candidates pointed to the limitations of standardized testing as a sole measure of success. Armstrong highlighted the district’s progress to a “B” accountability rating, despite funding challenges, while Thurston emphasized comprehension over memorization and the importance of data-driven improvement. Zavala called for building on existing strategies already in place.

All candidates expressed support for expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, describing them as a key pathway for students. Zavala pointed to his own children’s participation in cosmetology and nursing programs as examples of their value.

The scale of budget cuts drew concern across the panel, especially those impacting teachers. Zavala encouraged voter participation to influence future funding decisions, honing in on his previous remarks about the importance of community involvement in the district.

Thurston said she was “not thrilled” with the scale of reductions or the volume of educators who were laid off: “What bothers me the most is how many teachers they’re going to be cutting. They’re the crux of the school district,” she stated.

Pointing to the lapse in financial support from the state, Armstrong advocated for restoring stipends for those with master’s degrees or advanced certifications, if more funding became available.

“We have a $32 billion surplus on the state level and if some of that could come our way that would be great,” she said.

While cognizant of budget constraints, the candidates expressed optimism toward the future of Hays CISD. Armstrong noted that the current trustees are “doing the best they can with the resources that they have.”

As the forum wound down, all candidates reiterated the importance of student success and measures that support teachers while addressing classroom needs. In closing, they tied in the ways in which their personal lives led them to run for these positions.

“Really, I'm just a concerned parent in this county and I want to focus on building a strong school district,” Thurston stated.

“Two years ago, I ran for the at-large position and I’m so grateful that I lost because I wasn’t ready,” closed Armstrong, adding that she is ready now to bring her experience as an educator and community member to the board.

“Some folks are going to come in and come out. I’m not going anywhere … Everything I do has to be calculated and I have to have a passion for it. This is something I have a passion for,” closed Zavala.

The 2026 election for all three trustee positions will take place Saturday, May 2. More information about the candidates can be found at www.hayscisd.net/o/hcisd/page/election2026.