The program will cover Alzheimer’s, stigma reduction, family support and how routine, structured care and purposeful engagement improve quality of life. Attendees can expect interactive activities and guided discussion designed to help residents experience daily success within a supportive setting.

“Brain health is something every family deserves to understand, not just navigate,” said Lili Kiel, activities director of Alexis Pointe. “This talk gives our community a space to ask questions, learn what’s possible with thoughtful care and walk away feeling more informed and less alone.”

Alexis Pointe is located at 14390 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley. For more information on the senior living community, visit ​​bit.ly/4v3Qazi.

The nonprofit began in 1986 when a group of women wanted a new opportunity to get their crafts to people, since they had given as much out to their friends and family as they could, said board of directors president Marilyn Pierce. The building — originally a candle shop and front porch — in the Wimberley Square was donated and the rest is history.

Over the years, the interior of the building, which still sits in its original location, has gotten a facelift, through new flooring, shelving, expansions and more, said vice president Madonna Kimball, but its goal has remained the same: “Keep seniors active.”

The idea of the shop is simple: “It’s a place where seniors can continue making their crafts. They can work a day a month, so they get to socialize and they get extra money,” she said. “It’s a win-win situation.”

The criteria consists of being 55 years of age or older, living in the 78676 zip code, being able to physically able to go up and down stairs, having the ability to work one full day or two half days a month, attending a monthly membership meeting, passing the five half days of training and possessing the cognitive function to work a register. Then, the Membership Committee will review the applicant’s work to determine that it is not duplicating another already available in the shop.

The crafts made must be unique, explained Kimball, whether this is a varying medium or object. Each member, or employee, keeps their own inventory, sets a price and receives payment for each item sold.

From there, a vote will be taken by all members of the Craft Shop on whether the candidate joins.

The membership fluctuates between 25-30 members, according to the shop’s information sheet and if a product is already being sold, aspiring members can be put on a waiting list, in case an opportunity arises for their craft.

Because the shop emphasizes unique crafts from its members, there are a variety of options available for visitors, such as embroidered items, crochet and knit pieces, glassware, Christmas decorations, wood burnings and more.

“We have a lot of really unusual stuff in here, like the microwave bowl holders,” the vice president shared. “You put the whole thing in the microwave and then, when you take it out, you don’t burn yourself, plus the fact that the bowl is usually hotter than the food. So, this way, you don’t have to wait for the bowl to cool down … We [also] have somebody that paints bluebonnets; it’s about all she does is paint bluebonnets and cardinals on glass and on ornaments, log slices. We have jewelry [and] we have just about everything imaginable.”

Pierce herself also participates in creating some of the products. In the shop, customers can find wooden signs on the left wall with sayings displayed created by Pierce herself. She goes out, sources the wood and the rest of the materials needed to put the artwork together. Then, she brings it into the shop, where community members and visitors can then purchase them. This is why they are able to keep the prices so low, Pierce said: “There’s no middle man.” Every item is handmade or assembled by an older adult in the community. So, when customers purchase items, they really are directly supporting their neighbors.

Those that choose to purchase items at the shop, allowing it to continue running, are helping older adults in more ways than one, stressed Pierce.

“It [gives us] a chance to socialize. You have to think because you’re doing business. If some of the members are having a few problems, we pair up and work together, so everybody has an opportunity to be useful,” she said.

Kimball added to this, stating that it provides a reason for older adults to continue crafting and being creative.

This support is given back to its community, said Kimball, as although the shop’s aim is to support older adults, it also focuses on giving back to the community. She noted that they regularly provide snack bags, personal care bags and more to the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center and recently gave a $500 donation to the local VFW.

The shop will be celebrating 40 years “of crafting with love” from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at the shop, where a new mural dedication will be made and residents can come out and enjoy a night of refreshments, door prizes and music by the TrebleMakers. Additionally, shops along the square have committed to staying open later that night.

“When I first walked into this building in 1990, it was a lot of little vases with pipe cleaners and little pipe cleaner animals, that kind of thing. I’d like everybody to know that we have some really talented crafters in here,” said Kimball. “The stuff we sell is very well made … We want [visitors] to go home and see the quality with which the item was made and to realize that’s what our shop is: a shop with quality items and good prices.”

The Senior Citizens Craft Shop is located at 116 Wimberley Square.

Currently, property owners who wish to operate an STR must apply with the city through the conditional use permit (CUP) process that is established in the zoning ordinance. The process then includes neighbor notifications and a public hearing before both the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) and Wimberley City Council; ultimately, council makes the decision on the issuance of the permit.

In July 2025, P&Z chair Anne Ulfelder asked member Vance McCracken to assemble and oversee a committee to research the current STR — properties used for transient lodging for stays of 30 consecutive days or less — situation in Wimberley and produce a report of its findings. The STR Committee was then established and comprised of the following members: Helena Hauk, Courtney Mecklenburg, McCracken, city council member Rebecca Minnick and P&Z vice-chairperson Ben O’Kane, with Nathan Glaiser — assistant city administrator and Development Services director — providing city support.

Later, in October, following much deliberation, P&Z passed a motion to recommend that council approve an STR CUP for a property zoned R-3 — primarily detached, single-family residences on lots not less than 100 square feet, according to city zoning regulations — on River Road.

Additional discussion and public input prompted council to enact a 120-day temporary moratorium Nov. 6 on STR applications that require a CUP, pending findings of the committee.

At that time, Minnick, who was the council member who initially requested the item on the agenda, stated that citizens were concerned about the current situation surrounding the rentals, but also, council’s position on the applications has seemed inconsistent with no policy in place in commercial areas and they have been considered infrequently, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

The moratorium was set for 120 days, bringing it back to council at its March 5, 2026, meeting, ultimately leading to an extension to remain in effect through July 4, 2026.

Now, while the moratorium is still in effect, the STR Committee brought forth several recommendations, as well as a full report with STR history and data, for council’s consideration at its Thursday, May 21, meeting.

There is not a hard number for residential STRs in Wimberley — this is made worse through individual residents who may or may not make their units available for rental at any given time — and some may be dormant for years. According to the report, city records indicate that there are 72 properties that have CUPs qualifying them as STR2s, which are not owner occupied, and 28 as STR1s, or owner occupied; however, they are not all active.

The committee also highlighted the following:

•   26 properties were grandfathered in 2016, allowing them to make STRs without a CUP

•   Eight properties are zoned L1 — lodging for up to 15 units — that do not require a CUP, but are still paying hotel occupancy tax

•   One property is zoned PR1, or participant recreation, that does not require a CUP, but is paying tax

•   70 STRs have paid tax within the last year and have CUPs

•   40 STRs have paid tax within the last year, but do not have CUPs

Hotel occupancy tax collections in the city’s fiscal years of 2024 and 2025 "suggest that the annual contributions to the local gross domestic product [GDP] of short-term rentals were $10.53 million and $10.41 million, respectively. There are no statistics for the gross domestic product of Wimberley, but by extrapolating the calculations of the Federal Reserve of St. Louis for the 2023 per-capita GDP of Hays County to Wimberley’s population of about 2,900, the short-term rental revenue appears to comprise about 7% of the town’s GDP,” the report stated.

However, downsides to residential STRs include parties, beer-drinking, noise and indecency, as well as occupants being out of control and leaving trash everywhere. The more common problems would be parking and trespassing issues — especially on the riverfront — and renters being unable to reach the homeowner or representative during an emergency or malfunction.

Glaiser noted that when he first started in his position as assistant city administrator and Development Services director, he fielded a few complaints in 2020-2022, but since then, he has not received as many related to STRs.

Due to the various reasons laid out in the report, the STR Committee has found that there is an adequate supply of STRs in Wimberley to meet demand, but some of the issues can be alleviated by “modestly restricting the opportunities” for new rentals.

“As far as an occupancy standpoint with hotels, we, the committee, feel like we are at a pretty good place with short-term rentals right now. In other words, we don’t need more of them,” Glaiser said.

This has led the committee to request STR2 be removed for the smaller, single-family zoning categories R2, which are 0.5-2 acres, and R3, which are under 0.5 acre, explained Glaiser. This would ease some issues that occur because of the proximity of R3 lots to each other, along with those that came with septic, parking and overall density, for example.

To compensate for that, he continued, the committee wants to allow for short-term lodging in general for commercial properties.

“Right now, if you have a commercial property — C1, C2, C3, we have some office zoning, things like that — you have to apply [and] get a conditional use permit for a short-term rental or to have any lodging on those properties,” Glaiser said. “The committee recommends that we make it permitted use by right on those properties up to 30 units, so … short-term rentals that are zoned commercial, that’s a permitted use by right. If you were to adopt this, however, for the small lot, single-family residential, you could no longer apply for it.”

Along with the zoning changes, the committee proposed city staff to conduct an annual survey, either by mail or online, of all residential STRs, as well as solicit information on any problems, record all public complaints and report to P&Z on a regular basis.

The committee’s recommended zoning changes will go before P&Z and city council, with the necessary public hearings, for consideration for approval later this month.

This update follows Senate Bill 546, which passed during the state’s 89th Legislative Session and took effect Sept. 1, 2025. It requires all buses that a school district in Texas operates or contracts to be equipped with three-point seat belts, which include a strap over the shoulder to keep passengers from jolting forward during an accident.

The bill instructs districts to report their current bus inventory to the Texas Education Agency by May 29 of this year. Districts must also include a cost estimate for seat belt retrofitting, or adding additional features, in their reporting. All districts are required under SB 546 to reach full compliance by Sept. 1, 2029, with no exemptions.

Scharlach gave a brief overview of past seat belts standards in his presentation, stating, “Prior to 1977 — hard to believe — there were very little to no standards whatsoever on school buses for any safety protocols.”

That changed with the introduction of stricter safety standards by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1977 and the subsequent development of lap belt requirements in some states during the 1980s.

“There had been accidents in which we had a number of students injured and unfortunately passed away because of the lack of safety standards,” said Scharlach, referring to school districts generally, not WISD.

The director of Transportation noted that past studies debated the efficacy of seat belts in preventing injuries, but those against seat belt functionality did not take into account accidents where a bus rolls completely over.

Scharlach stated that when a bus flips and turns, “It is safer for any passenger to stay within that seat. If you are not belted in, you will fly.”

In 2017, SB 693 addressed seat belt usage for the first time in Texas and required buses manufactured after 2018 to have three-point seat belts. However, school districts could still purchase or operate buses made before 2018 that did not have these safety measures. This allowed some districts to cut retrofitting costs and bypass SB 693.

Now, SB 546 sets tighter standards than any previous law, which Scharlach feels will be “pretty effective” in preventing injuries.

Currently, WISD has three buses in its 29-bus fleet that fall short of the new requirements. One bus — a 2010 model — has two-point seat belts and two buses — from 2007 — have no seat belts, according to Scharlach.

“Those three buses without the required seat belt will be sold via auction this summer. We’re going to try to get those sold in June but they are out of service,” Scharlach explained.

WISD also had two buses retrofitted with three-point seat belts and certified last December, amounting to $55,000, which Scharlach said was “well worth our money.” The four buses up for auction could not be retrofitted, due to their age.

“We are in good shape and we will have all our buses in compliance by next school year,” Scharlach closed.

The board of trustees had no questions following the director of Transportation’s presentation, though President Rob Campbell noted that he was “very impressed.”

The Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees will meet next at 6 p.m. Monday, June 15.

This also follows an investigation by Paxton of more than 1,000 municipalities based on Senate Bill 1851, which was passed during the 2025 legislative session. The law bars cities from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate if they do not meet Texas’ financial statement audit and transparency requirements.

The investigation led to the identification of more than 130 cities that failed to comply with the statutory requirements for the new fiscal year, according to the AG's office. Due to this, Paxton notified the cities, including Wimberley, that they are subject to the enforcement provisions and penalties established under SB 1851 and may not adopt property tax increases above the no-new-revenue rate.

Wimberley is one of few cities in Texas that does not levy an ad valorem tax, meaning that it does not collect a property tax from residents and it has set a rate of $0.00 since its incorporation.

According to Wimberley city administrator Tim Patek, the city provided the AG with an email that referenced the determination letter received, noting that the city’s fiscal year 2025 audit report had not been complete at the time of the office’s original request of April 8. The audit — which received an unqualified or clean opinion — was recently finalized and presented to city council at its May 7 meeting.

“Senate Bill 1851 requires municipalities to submit their annual audits within 180 days following the close of the fiscal year. However, because the city of Wimberley does not levy a local property tax, our auditors completed our audit after finalizing audits for other municipalities that do assess property taxes,” Patek said. “I provided them with our Audit Report and stated I hope this satisfies their request and brings us into compliance.”

Patek said that the city has not received any further correspondence back from the AG's office.

The AG's office stated that the letters were sent to an initial list of non-compliant cities and the investigation remains ongoing. Additional action could still occur.

The city of Wimberley’s audit reports can be viewed at bit.ly/42LlVRw. To find more information about the letters sent by the AG office, visit www.texasattorneygeneral.gov

WIMBERLEY — Several community members have been outspoken against local theatre nonprofit Wimberley Players’ decision to name Karin Cunningham as the producer in an upcoming summer production, following her alleged defense of registered sex offender Robby Vance, who previously was involved with the organization.

The worry began in August 2023, when Donna Provencher, an actor and director in the local theatre community, raised concerns about sexual assault allegations against Vance to Wimberley Players’ leadership.

According to Travis County court records, Vance was charged with: indecency with a child by exposure, a third-degree felony; sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony; three counts of indedency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony; and continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old, a first-degree felony in 2022. Following these charges, he was sentenced to probation with community supervision and required to join the public sex offender registry Aug. 24, 2022, with a projected registration until 2037.  A motion to revoke probation was denied for Vance in April 2026.

Vance initially began at Wimberley Players in 2023, where he participated in various productions as a cast or crew member and later as an employee.

Despite Provencher’s knowledge of the allegations against Vance, she was initially unaware of the extent of his history.

“I wasn't aware of any [charges] that involved children at the time,” said Provencher. “I did not make a report because I wasn't aware of him being on the sex offender registry. I wasn't aware of him having any probationary conditions or anything along those lines.”

Although she was aware of at least two board members who were notified,  she felt that Wimberley Players’ leadership, including then-executive director Trish Rigdon, then-co artistic chair Danny Mosier and current artistic chair Roxanne Strobel, minimized the concerns, as she claimed that she received troubling and dismissive remarks and there was not a “meaningful investigation” that followed.

Provencher continued to voice this unease, sharing that she refused to cast Vance in her 2024 production of “Legally Blonde,” believing that he posed a safety risk.

Despite these incidents, Vance continued to work on two productions at the theater in late 2023 and 2024 in close proximity to minors; most recently in the 2024 show “Miracle on 34th Street,” where he worked as the music director.

It was during this time that Vance’s status on the sex offender registry came to light. Although parents and community members shared their apprehension, Cunningham — director of the “Miracle on 34th Street” production — allegedly defended him in a letter in November 2024 to cast, crew and parents:

“I want to talk about the bombshell that was dropped (against my wishes) last night. It broke my heart to have our beautiful experience thus far marred by such an ugly revelation. Since nothing happened and I was able to remove the problem quickly and without incident, I felt the notification could have waited until the show closed. Also, please rest assured that despite my close relationship with [Vance] and the fact that so many of the [Wimberley Players] family knew — I did NOT.  That being said, now that I DO know about it and ALL the extenuating circumstances, I believe no one was ever in any danger whatsoever. Believe me as an assault victim myself who raised two sons, I would be the first [to] blow all the whistles if I believed you or your children were [in danger]. It is my sincere wish that we can ALL put this behind us and finish out our amazing show run,” said Cunningham’s letter.

This same month, Provencher met with three board members regarding her report against Vance that had gone uninvestigated. She stated that she was “repeatedly reassured” during the meeting that the Wimberley Players would be making meaningful changes, such as informing the parents of the situation. Board members also informed Provencher that Cunningham would be encouraged to step down, due to her resistance to inform parents and “mismanagement of the situation," she recalled.

Given these reassurances, Provencher accepted a position as marketing chair on the board in March 2025.

Vance was ultimately removed from the production, following verification of his status on the sex offender registry, and prohibited from further involvement with the theatre, though no further report was made to the police.

As of April 2026, the Comal County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the allegations of probation violation that occurred during Vance’s time with the Wimberley Players, following his re-arrest for failure to comply with sex offender registry reporting requirements.

According to current board president Cynthia Millonzi, the board was unaware of Vance’s restrictions of probation and community supervision. However, cast member Taylor Lueckenotte claimed that the organization did have these documents in 2024.

Beginning with productions following the 2024 incident, the Wimberley Players implemented mandatory criminal background checks and screening of cast members and staff against the sex offender registry, explained Millonzi and board vice president Dan Pickens. Additionally, production participants are briefed on reporting procedures and the organization engages an independent third-party investigator for situations that involve allegations of sexual misconduct or bullying.

“The Wimberley Players remains committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all participants and patrons. Registered sex offenders are legally required to disclose their status to employers; in this case, that disclosure did not occur,” stated Millonzi and Pickens. “Upon learning of the situation, the board acted promptly and has continued to review and strengthen policies and procedures designed to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future.”

Provencher contends that, to her knowledge, she was never background checked.

While Cunningham resigned from her position on the board in 2024, she remained in her director role of production on "Miracle on 34th Street,” according to Millonzi. Now, she has been named the producer for the upcoming summer show, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” to the uproar of community members. One of which is Provencher, who shared that Cunningham has also been reinstated to the artistic team.

“The same institution is reinstating into a forward-facing authority role, [Cunningham], who publicly told families and cast members there were ‘extenuating circumstances’ for what appeared on Robby Vance’s record, insisted no children had ever been in danger and opposed informing parents of the risk at all. She also fought against replacing [his wife], the stage manager who lied to the theater,” said Provencher in a letter to the board.

After being asked to provide relevant legal statutes regarding public concern and reporting considerations for her apprehension about reinstating Cunningham, Provencher alleged that she was told to stop and was discouraged from continuing the conversation. Then, on May 3, she was summoned to an executive committee meeting without having "meaningful information about the nature” of it, despite requiring ADA accommodations.

It was at this time that she concluded that she couldn’t serve within an organization that would handle those speaking up and raising objections in the way it did, causing her to submit her resignation letter the same day and then, a subsequent complaint to the Charitable Trusts Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office Monday, May 18.

Others — including Robert Moritz, a cast member in the “Miracle on 34th Street” production, and Lueckenotte — have been outspoken against Cunningham being reinstated, simply due to the safety of those involved in the productions.

“Hearing that she is involved with the upcoming production of ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ was quite a surprise. I'm disappointed in the theatre's rehiring of Mrs. Cunningham. The most primary concern of any organization, like a theatre, should be the safety of those participating in their productions,” Moritz said. “Mrs. Cunningham had a responsibility to protect the members of the Miracle on 34th Street production. She did not do so. She is a very nice person, but I would not trust her to act if a similar situation presented itself. For that one reason, I do not believe she should be in charge in any way of any production.”

Lueckenotte noted on a social media post — as the community outcry has been widely spread — that “defending those who prey on the most vulnerable in our society is indefensible.”

Pickens stated that the board has no involvement in Cunningham’s position as producer, since the artistic team, which she is now a part of, makes these decisions.

The artistic team did not respond to request for comment.

At approximately 11:03 p.m. Thursday, April 30, a Cessna 421C airplane, N291AN, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in a wooded area near a private residence near Wimberley, stated the report. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured on the personal flight.

The report detailed that the airplane had departed River Falls Airport in Amarillo at approximately 9:10 p.m. and received an instrument flight rules clearance to New Braunfels National Airport. While en route, the pilot reported to Houston Center that his pitot heat was inoperative and requested an altitude check, which the controller provided.

The pilot reported other issues with Austin Approach control during the flight, noting that the pitot tube had iced over and was having to use backup gauges, leading him to want to get to a lower altitude to warm back up.

Then, at 10:59 p.m., the controller provided a radio frequency change, which the pilot acknowledged and no further radio transmissions were made by the pilot. Shortly after the pilot’s last radio transmission, flight tracking data showed the airplane turned left, made a near 180-degree right turn and maneuvered to the south followed by a descending right turn. The last signal was reported at approximately 11:02 p.m., right before the crash.

According to the NTSB report, a homeowner heard the crash, saw the wreckage — which totaled about 1.25 miles — on fire and notified first responders. The airplane was destroyed by the crash and retained for further examination. It was later determined that the distribution of the wreckage was consistent with an "inflight breakup."

Preliminary weather information found that during the last 15 minutes of the accident flight, the airplane flew just above freezing with temperatures between minus 2 and minus 6 degrees Celsius. The report stated that models showed the potential for icing with moderate accumulation rates and the supercooled large droplets.

The pilot received his private pilot certificate for single engine land Feb. 3, 2025, instrument airplane rating June 9, 2025 and multi-engine land rating July 9, 2025, according to documents on file with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The NTSB report is preliminary and subject to change. The report can be found at bit.ly/42B5VRY. 

The first permit is for a food service trailer, located in the parking lot of Blanco Brew, at 14200 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, for a term of one year. Previously, the food truck was operated as Saucy Bros, but will now be Hays Co Burgers Y Mas.

“Their permit expired a few weeks ago and they want to get a new truck in there,” explained Nathan Glaiser, director of development services.

The truck is permitted by the Hays County Health Department and is compliant with the city’s temporary structure regulations, which includes parking and access to restrooms. The owner of the Blanco Brew property is also aware of the change, Glaiser said.

This also follows a presentation given at the April 16 meeting regarding new legislative changes — House Bill 2844 and Chapter 437B being added to the Health and Safety Code — that would impact the regulation of these types of establishments and vendors. Knowing that the city’s current section on temporary structures in its code of ordinances would not be consistent with state law, when it goes into effect July 1, council member Chris Sheffield asked if this permit would be one of the first with the new policy.

“No, this is still operating under our current permitting structure, where it’s a one-off temporary structure permit and it comes to you all for approval,” Glaiser responded. “In the future, they would not need a permit for this; they would just need to register following the regulations I showed you all last month. They would just need to register with the city and we would check and make sure that they have their food permit from the state.”

The permit was unanimously approved by council.

Next, council unanimously approved another one-year temporary structure permit  for a mobile food truck at 14306 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, which is in the parking lot of the Wash Day Laundry - Wimberley laundromat. Currently, Kelly’s Hill Country BBQ and Rositas food trucks are operating at the site; however, this would occupy the space that is currently utilized by Rosita’s, as they will move further down the parking lot.

“They have restroom access at the laundromat. They share hours there. They are open quite a bit and they have over 100 parking spaces there, so they have more than enough room for parking,” Glaiser said.

Council member Rebecca Minnick asked if the city is still looking at doing some zoning changes in order for food trucks to not be in various different places, but rather in a more concentrated area.

Referencing back to the new legislation, Glaiser said that staff will propose to council in June a conditional use permit for food courts. So, for a property that has more than one food truck would come through the process “where it goes through [the] Planning & Zoning [Commission] and then, you all have the site plan and approve it as part of the zoning code,” he explained.

Also during the meeting, council authorized the submission of an application to the TWDB under the Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant Program.

The request would be for up to $10 million in 100% grant funding to support land acquisition for alternative well sites, as well as related planning activities, to improve long-term water supply reliability. According to the city, the project is also based on prior engineering studies identifying a viable alternative water source — as the Trinity Aquifer is currently under severe stress — and will address ongoing drought vulnerability and infrastructure limitations.

“It’s to help conserve property around here to where it wouldn’t be developed and help conserve water and those types of things,” explained city administrator Tim Patek.

The Wimberley Watershed Association, Hill Country Conservancy, Nature Conservancy and other groups “are doing everything — they are applying for the grants, they are writing the grants,” Minnick noted.

The properties that will be pursued are unknown at this time, but the first step is needing a city partner for applying for the grant, Minnick said.

Council unanimously approved the authorization for the city to apply for the grant.

To view the full meetings and agendas, visit www.wimberleytx.portal.civicclerk.com.

More information on the bond projects can be found at www.wimberleyisd.net/bond2025.

In February, Wimberley City Council selected Kimley-Horn and Counsilman-Hunsaker as the highest scoring bidder, through a request for proposals process, to conduct an aquatics feasibility study. The goal of the study is to evaluate community needs, potential facility options, estimated costs and operational considerations related to the possible development of an aquatic facility, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

The idea for an aquatics feasibility study came from the Parks Master Plan a few years ago, when the consensus was that the community wanted to see more public swimming options.

“They wanted more swimming recreation, whether that be more creek or river access or a public pool, just something like that just kept popping up,” explained Wimberley Parks director Erica Flocke. “The community wanted to see us do an aquatic feasibility study, specifically.”

Currently, the only option that is operated by the city, while also being public, is swimming at Blue Hole Regional Park. However, according to Flocke, there are several public pools within Wimberley — such as those at Cypress Creek Lodge and Wimberley Inn — that allow people to utilize for a fee.

The first step for the study is gathering feedback from the community through an online survey, which received more than 300 responses the first day of its launch.

Residents have a chance to have a voice for the future of their city through the survey, which takes 10-15 minutes to complete, according to Flocke. The questions include the type of aquatic amenity they would like to see, if they have visited a pool within 45 minutes of Wimberley and more.

“It's there to determine whether there's enough demand to support a facility in Wimberley and what types of aquatic features are even realistic here … how much it would cost to build, how much it would cost to operate [and] where it would go. It asks questions like all of that to the community,” the Parks director said. “Really, the big part of the study is hearing from the community, so that input matters more than anything else. We need to know the realities of what people want because we're not making any decisions just ourselves. We want the community to have a say … so that's why we're asking these questions now.”

The survey will be available through roughly Monday, May 11, but there is a chance that the deadline will be extended, Flocke shared.

Learn more about the study and fill out the survey at bit.ly/4dijz2i.

WIMBERLEY — An investigation is underway following the death of five occupants in a small plane crash that occurred late Thursday, April 30, at a residence on Round Rock Road near Wimberley.

A Cessna 421C aircraft crashed in Wimberley around 11:25 p.m., according to preliminary information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft departed from Amarillo and was en route to New Braunfels, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Emergency responders were dispatched to the area, including Wimberley Fire Rescue — Hays County Emergency Services District No. 4 — who responded to the incident April 30 and stayed on scene through May 1. 

“From the initial dispatch through the duration of the incident, our personnel operated alongside local, county, state and federal partners in a coordinated effort focused on life safety, scene stabilization and support to the ongoing investigative process,” said fire chief Christopher Robbins in a statement.

Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact, according to Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra in a news release. According to the release, based on current findings, there is no indication of a mid-air collision and a second aircraft traveling in the vicinity landed safely in New Braunfels.

Texas DPS is conducting an active investigation with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) — who is leading the investigation — into the cause of the crash.

According to NTSB, a post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft. NTSB stated that its investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, investigators will gather the following information and records:

• Flight track data
• Recordings of any air traffic control communications
• Aircraft maintenance records
• Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
• Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
• 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safely operate the flight
• Witness statements
• Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
• Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras

An NTSB investigator is traveling to the accident site and, after the wreckage is documented at the crash location, it will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.

According to DPS, in coordination with local officials, the identity of the pilot and passengers involved in the plane crash in Hays County have been identified.

The pilot has been identified as Justin Appling. The four passengers have been identified as Hayden Dillard, Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala and Stacy Hedrick. 

All identifications have been made following official confirmation and notifications of next of kin.  

According to Robbins, the fire department will not be releasing additional details on the incident at this time, but is working closely with the appropriate authorities to ensure all information is accurate, verified and released through the proper channels for the public. He added that they also extend their thoughts and prayers to those impacted.

“The grief associated with such a tragic and unfortunate event is profound and, at times, indescribable. Please know that you are not alone and that your fire department stands with you not only during the emergency, but in the days and weeks that follow,” the fire chief said. “We remain committed to serving this community with honor and dedication, and we will continue to provide support in any way we can as this situation progresses.”

A preliminary report from NTSB is expected within 30 days of the accident.  Once a publication date is set, it will be available at www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Pages/daily-publication-dashboard.aspx and x.com/NTSB_Newsroom.

The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the NTSB investigation. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months, according to NTSB. 

Additionally, the FAA will post a preliminary accident/incident report, typically the next day, at bit.ly/4tN0on6.

Those with information that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

The News-Dispatch will provide updates as more information is made available. 

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

Valentine has worked with the students, families and community in WISD since 2002. During his 24-year tenure with WISD, he has served the district across several key campus and district leadership positions, including the following: principal for Danforth Junior High School from 2008-2014; principal for Wimberley High School from 2014-2022; and the district’s assistant superintendent since 2022.

“It is hard to imagine WISD without Jason Valentine,” said Dr. Greg Bonewald, WISD’s superintendent. “He has positively impacted thousands across our Texan Family in his time here in Wimberley. We will undoubtedly miss the authentic spirit of servant leadership that he brings to our school community every day. At the same time, I am thrilled for him and his family and know that he will thrive in his next chapter as a leader in Texas public education.”

“Serving the students, teachers, parents and community in Wimberley ISD has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Valentine. “My family has grown in this community and Wimberley will always hold a very special place in the hearts of all the Valentines. My heart is full of gratitude and Texan Pride.”

In Texas, there is a mandatory 21-day waiting period following the naming of a district’s superintendent lone finalist. Valentine will continue to serve in his current role with WISD until the transition to his new role with Palacios ISD.

This follows recent legislative changes adopted by the state of Texas, including House Bill 2844 and the addition of Chapter 437B to the Health and Safety Code, which significantly impact the regulation of these establishments and vendors, making the city of Wimberley’s section outlining temporary structures in its code of ordinances no longer consistent with state law.

“New state law is going to prevent us from enforcing our temporary structure permits, which basically governs food trucks in Wimberley. It’s going to prevent us from doing that the same way we have been doing it, which is permit application comes to city council [and] city council approves the food truck,” said Nathan Glaiser, director of Development Services. “We can no longer do the one-off permitting of food trucks.”

Glaiser brought forward a draft of regulations taken from existing ordinances enforced by the city of Lockhart, but tailored to the city of Wimberley.

The ordinance is geared toward mobile food vendors that stay at one location for more than four consecutive days — so, the one-off person who comes to do a single farmers market or something similar would not be affected, Glaiser said.

Regulations within the draft include, but are not limited to:

•   Each trailer or motor vehicle used as a mobile vendor must be registered with the city and have a current mobile food unit permit used by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

•   Current compliance with all applicable Texas inspection and license registration requirements for legal use on public streets.

•   Only operate in zoning districts where eating establishments are a permitted use.

•   Mobile food vendors shall be set back at least five feet from all property lines.

•   Each mobile food vendor shall be located at least 10 feet from any other mobile food vendor or any building and at least 50 feet from any building containing a residential use.

•   If a mobile food vendor is hooked up to electric, it should be connected to an individual main-disconnect breaker and the cords are not running through a parking lot or pedestrian path.

•   Each mobile food vendor space shall obtain water from, and within 50 feet of, a hose bib connected directly to a public water supply. This should also not cross the path of pedestrian or vehicle traffic.

•   It should not be connected directly to the city wastewater system.

Access to a common dumpster or other trash disposal facility, along with restrooms, must also be provided.

“They are all kind of based around public safety and organization and efficient land use,” said the Development Services director.

Council member Bob Clark asked if the city is going to limit the number of food trucks on a property or if that is not possible.

The city should still enforce zoning as far as where the food trucks will be located and those specific regulations can be stated in the ordinance, city attorney Esther Pena suggested. She added that there are some misconceptions with the state legislation that now, food trucks can be placed anywhere, but that is not the intent and cities still have regulatory authority to decide where they want to place them.

“What we’ve also talked about doing is setting up a food court use that would require a conditional use permit, so you would come get the permit to set up the food court, not necessarily each individual food truck, but just bring a site plan that shows the bays that they will be in and get approved by city council,” Glaiser said, noting that two or more mobile food vendors on a single lot or parcel can be known as a food court.

Another council member, Rebecca Minnick, said that this is called a temporary structure, leading her to ask if this would apply to anything else aside from a mobile food vendor. Glaiser responded that he wants the mobile food vendors to be in their own category, so there is no confusion.

The new law goes into effect July 1 and the ordinance is expected to be brought back for city council approval in June, according to Glaiser.

Wimberley City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7. Find meeting agendas and recordings at www.wimberleytx.portal.civicclerk.com.

Directed by Whitney Marlett, the play centers on Ned Newley, a reluctant and deeply awkward politician who unexpectedly finds himself rising in the polls — largely because he lacks the ability to spin, posture or convincingly lie, according to a news release. As his accidental authenticity begins to resonate with voters, his campaign team, the press corps and the political establishment scramble to decide whether his honesty is a liability or the secret to his success.

The Outsider offers a timely, but good-natured satire of modern politics that focuses less on partisanship and more on the universal absurdities of public life.

Marlett says the show’s appeal comes from both its humor and its humanity

“At its heart, this play is about what happens when someone who never expected to be in the spotlight suddenly finds themselves there,” Marlett said. “It’s incredibly funny, but it also has a lot of heart. Audiences will recognize these characters — not just from politics, but from everyday life.”

The production features Joanna Gunaraj as Paige Caldwell, Samuel Ellisor as Dave Riley, Reji Smith as Louise Peakes, Greg Dew as Ned Newley, Robert Moritz as Arthur Vance, Allie Lawrence as Rachel Parsons and Carter Holland as A.C. Peterson.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wimberleyplayers.org or by calling the box office at 512-847-0575.

For audiences ready for a break from the real-world news cycle, “The Outsider” offers an evening of sharp comedy, strong performances and the simple pleasure of watching a terrific ensemble bring a story to life.

“The Outsider” is presented by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.

Since February 2024, the district has been awarding its staff members — 23 in total so far — through the program, which was created as a way to highlight those who go above and beyond.

This also came about from WISD’s revitalized strategic plan that was adopted in 2023, where one of the elements was to prioritize supporting faculty and staff excellence. According to communications director Allen Bruggman, the Texan of the Month program was created to give staff recognition, make them feel valued for the work they do and highlight them in alternate ways outside of receiving a paycheck.

“If you ever look at our whole strategic plan, there's a huge spreadsheet with different priorities and goals and ways to meet those objectives,” explained Bruggman. “One of them within faculty and staff excellence is the highlighting of staff who do a great job and so, this program was created with that in mind: to give staff recognition, to have them feel like they're part of the process and, through the nomination process, make them feel valued for the work that they do.”

Texan of the Month is solely nomination-based, Bruggman said. The district sends out a form that is always available for employees to recommend their peers — even those who may be on a different campus — for “living out the vision of the district,” which is excellence, innovation and service.

Then, a committee consisting of those who work within the superintendent’s office sit around the table to deliberate and decide the nomination that is most compelling and abides by the mission as closely as possible.

“[The announcement] usually ends up being the beginning of the next month … The committee usually comes together that last week of the month and looks at submissions,” Bruggman explained. “If someone is nominated in August of the same school year, we keep all of those submissions from throughout the school year and consider everybody who's been nominated throughout the school year. So, we look at new ones and ones that have already been submitted the last week of that month and then, of course, reach out and try to schedule and make sure all the different people can be there at the same time the following week.”

When WISD launched the program, it sent out a call for businesses who would like to sponsor a $250 prize. Bruggman shared that within the first approximately two days, seven businesses had committed to being a part of the effort.

So, the district has the business who writes a check or brings the cash prize for the winner, but then, also, others stepped up to want to do something every month as well, Bruggman said. Gift cards or certificates have been provided by The Med Spa, Salon Devino and The Leaning Pear restaurants. Along with this, WISD is also able to give each recipient a Texan of the Month coin to also commemorate the award.

“I think the coolest thing for me that was maybe reaffirmed was just the fact of how supportive our community is and how supportive they want to be to our staff members. In so many ways, these businesses that stepped up to do the sponsorship and to award the money and the other other gifts to the winners,” he said. “It’s very validating that the school district feels that support from our business community and from the people who want to make our teachers and their staff members feel special.”

Johnson’s presentation detailed that, as of Feb. 28, $3.7 million of the $9.6 million professional services budget had been utilized. Total design on all projects is 95% complete. The next phases are procurement, construction and administration.

To date, only 5% of total available bond expenditures have been committed — $6.8 million of the $135 million available. In February, significant financial commitments included laundry upgrades at Wimberley High School (WHS), audio enhancements and bus security upgrades.

Regarding the buses, Ryan Rosborough — another representative of AGCM — stated that cameras have been “strategically added” to enhance bus security.

“You might remember, previously, we didn’t have external cameras or backup cameras, so the driver couldn’t see in reverse,” noted Rosborough.

Since the last update, revisions have been made to the Blue Hole Parking Project from Bid Package 1. According to Johnson, the updated design will “increase the availability of parking spots [to get] in and out of the parking lot easier.” Construction is anticipated to begin once a contractor is approved.

The baseball and softball fields also received their Dark Sky certification since the last update. Johnson regarded this as a big milestone and said the football field was next on the list.

“It’s going to be great. No more dark areas on the football field,” the representative stated.

After the bond presentation, the board approved a redesign that will combine Danforth Junior High School (DJH) and the Wimberley ISD Central Administration Building into one plat, or tract of land. This project is included in Bid Package 2 and its execution has been a collaborative effort with the city.

The existing plats are “one big drainfield if you look at it,” Johnson stated, as he displayed a map of the Danforth property. “We avoided any drainage easements and the property can be treated as one plat.”

The replat includes construction of a wall around the combined properties. Johnson explained that adjustments had to be made all around to meet the 8-inch high coding requirement after the board inquired whether the wall served a purpose outside of aesthetics.

The board also approved a contract with Texas Air System for the WISD cooling tower refurbishment project. The refurbishment was originally contracted to Bartlett Cocke, the construction manager for bid packages 2 and 3, but was pulled for outside contracting.

Mike Doyle, chief financial officer for WISD, explained that Texas Air System will “provide the same services that Bartlett Cocke or their sub[contractor] would have done already, but we’re able to save some on percentage fees or markups there.”

He added that “time is of the essence” for this project, as the cooling tower is in such a state that repairs are needed as soon as possible.

According to Johnson, the bond management team will “have a lot going on” with six ongoing projects and “design will be transitioning to construction and administration.” Next month, work will continue on Blue Hole Parking negotiations, WHS and DJH permitting, roofing and HVAC materials procurement and miscellaneous improvements that were not discussed in detail.

For its overall budget, Doyle stated that the board earned more than $1.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026-27 and saw an effective return of 3.99%. Including quarter one, the district has earned around $3.2 million. Those funds earned are banked and reinvested into capital improvement projects as part of the bond package.

“At the speed that we’re moving, we’re in a great position. As [Johnson] pointed out, we’re already breaking ground on multiple projects. We’re going to start seeing some significant payouts in the next coming months,” concluded Doyle.

The board of trustees will hold its next regular meeting Monday, April 20.

The shop opened in 2009, launching with just a notepad, card table and simple vision, to give the community a more cost-effective way to buy and sell their items and accessories. Never having owned her own business before, Amy Guynes is an occupational therapist by trade who wanted to bring her thrifting ideas to life.

Starting out with only having items for children, the shop moved to its current location, at 711 Farm to Market Road 2325, and has grown into offering something for the entire family. According to Guynes, there are approximately 1,000 consignors; some choose to save the money they collect from the sales, while others opt to never cash out, but continue to spend it locally.

It’s also been more than a place for people to come in to shop.

Guynes and her team have stepped up to support families through the devastation of floods, fires and other weather events over the years that have forced them to lose their entire home, where they are having to start from the ground up.

“We are blessed, so we say, ‘Blessed to be a blessing,’” she said, adding that they have donated several items to those in need, including the local thrift store, women’s center, Wimberley ISD students and more.

The owner said that she has also assisted foster parents who have welcomed children in their homes and they just need a little extra help.

“Several foster parents over the years have called me privately and said, ‘Hey, we have a newborn and we have nothing for them.’ I would tell them, ‘Hey, you want to meet me at the store? You can get what you need or want or whatever from clothing to toys, baby equipment, stroller, bouncers [or] bottles.’ Whatever we have that they may need. We've done that and it's midnight, sometimes, and I'm like, ‘I'll meet you there,’” she explained.

She has also remained true to offering a fair and honest place for neighbors to shop and sell their items to where if there is someone who can not pay, she allows them to bring whatever they owe the next time.

Hill Country Consignment has been a meaningful place for many people in the community, including those like Dianne Pollard.

According to Pollard, it’s been an integral part of Wimberley for 16 years and it’s one of the reasons it is the community that it is.

“They have offered low cost clothing, shoes, toys, sporting goods and household essentials for the families of Wimberley, including those who live on a fixed income. They have been there for every hardship and emergency, generously providing for those in need,” she said. “It is a delight to shop there; the ladies are always friendly and welcoming … losing it will hurt.”

Another resident, Cheryl Eskridge, shared that she has shopped there when her grandchildren would come to visit, making her way back to sell the items later. Her loyalty stayed with Hill Country Consignment as she opted to always shop there before venturing elsewhere to purchase something new, as well as recommending it to locals and newcomers.

Others took to social media to share the same consensus that the shop’s closure feels like a “loss” in the community, following Guyne’s announcement last week that Hill Country Consignment’s lease for its current building is ending and its last day will be Aug. 22.

She has been looking for a year and half to see if the business could continue in another location in Wimberley, but has not been able to find anything.

Despite this, Guynes recognizes the community who became family and friends, supporting the business, over the last 16 years. This includes her dedicated, longtime staff: Donna Wyatt of 15 years, Wanda Martin of 14 years, Renee Buse of nine years and Brandy Woods of six years.

“Thank you. It’s such a small word for what means so much,” concluded Guynes, holding back tears.

More than 250 people attended were in attendance for the concert. “This is a different kind of concert, beginning and ending in darkness, with live music and a poem or two wrapping around you like a cozy blanket, soothing your soul,” said Taylor.

Founded in 1998, the tuition-free public charter school aims to be an environment for all students to thrive and explore self-expression. Its namesake — Katherine Anne Porter — was born near Brownwood in 1890 and moved to Kyle in her early childhood. She is known to be one of the state’s best and most famous writers, though the majority of her works were published outside of Texas, and she went on to win a Pulitzer Prize.

The school serves students in eighth through 12th grade and they all reside within a 30-mile radius from Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Wimberley and other surrounding areas.

While KAPS has an arts and humanities focus, it’s not a requirement attendance, as they welcome all students, including those who may not succeed in the traditional school setting, said superintendent Mariah Ingram.

“We get a lot of marginalized students enrolling here for different reasons. Some students may have been bullied at their previous campus and don't feel safe going back. Some students [were] the bully at their previous campus and they cannot go back,” she explained. “We have students who just don't perform well in a school with 1,500 kids and, [at] our school, right now, we are sitting at 77 for our enrollment. We're usually around 95 to 100. We have a wide range of students who actually want to be here.”

KAPS is looking at potentially adding on a program, where sixth through eighth grade students can have classes completely online, as well as running two parallel programs — in-person and online — for ninth through 12th grade.

These options would meet the needs of the students who are transitioning from homeschool to an in-person campus. Ingram explained that KAPS lost 30 students this year who enrolled, but, for various reasons, could not continue attending in person.

“It would be a way for us to recapture those students who had a hard time transitioning to the brick-and-mortar campus and allow them to work at a flexible pace ... For us, a third of our population receives special [education] services and it's just like any normal [school district],” Ingram said. “A lot of our secondary or high school students struggle with stress or depression or anxiety and that's why they're not in a regular school because it's overstimulating. There are days where they're overstimulated here and if they had the option to work from home or be online and still feel part of a school community and have access to a school community, I think it would meet a lot of different students’ needs, even students who aren't currently considering KAPS.”

This would also help maintain the school’s goal of being more inclusive and allowing various opportunities through increased enrollment. Ingram explained that KAPS’ “funds are severely limited and where other school districts get $40 million allotted for different things, we just don't. So, the increased enrollment would allow us to offer more things. At this time, we need to be able to offer AP classes; we need to be able to offer credit recovery classes and dual credit classes. Those are things we're struggling with this year because I can only afford seven teachers and that limits my master schedule, electives and opportunities for students and that's not what we want to do.”

If it moves forward, this program would be accredited, providing students with high school credits needed for college, which Ingram said is something that families who participate in homeschooling have found challenges with when applying for higher education.

“A lot of homeschool programs and some online platform programs are not accredited through the state of Texas,” the superintendent shared. “Parents put in the time, the energy and they think it's not that big of a deal, until about high school, when they start realizing, ‘Oh my goodness, you're going to want to go to college and you have no credit. You're starting high school. We need to get you to an accredited school, so you can earn your credit and apply to college.’ Otherwise, you apply to college without an accredited transcript.”

The cost of the program would be covered by KAPS; the families would not have to pay for anything.

Ingram noted that they would like to designate a specific computer lab on campus with a teacher for the families with students who would fully do their courses online, but be there for afterschool activities.

“Let's say parents have a meeting with an attorney, a funeral or something and they need their student to go to school, they can still sit in a computer lab with a teacher and do the virtual school, but where parents don't have to worry about ‘I've got to leave my two kids at home because we have these adult things going on,’” she said. “It will allow the students to come do their online platform, but also have in-person support.”

Currently, the design of the prospective program is not set, as KAPS still needs to select a provider, but Ingram explained that it could be where some students choose to do all seven class periods online, while others select to do some online and the rest in-person. The provider will help build a program based on input that will be given by families through an online interest survey, which has received more than 30 responses so far.

Ingram explained that she is awaiting confirmation to see if they would need to apply through the Texas Education Agency in order to run an online school in conjunction with the brick-and-mortar campus.

Ingram is pushing for the program to be implemented for the 2026-27 school year, with discussion possible at an upcoming board meeting.

Learn more about KAPS at www.kapschool.org. Families can fill out the KAPS Virtual Learning Interest Survey at bit.ly/4l42UBQ.

Teanookshop was created by Chris Valdez, Joe Valdez, Charlie Valdez and Avery Cox, who all have a background in the health and wellness industry. This began with another local business of theirs, Nature’s Choice Wellness, to help customers find options for stress, sleep, pain relief and overall balance. According to the owners, opening a tea shop is a natural extension of that mission, continuing their focus on plant-based, functional and wellness-driven products.

Specifically for Wimberley, this offers something different from the typical coffee and retail spots, the team stated.

“After helping customers with plant-based wellness solutions, we saw a need for every day, functional options, like loose leaf tea,” the owners continued. “Wimberley’s health-conscious, laid-back culture made it the perfect place to create a calming, community-focused space centered around wellness and intentional living.”

“There's been kind of a need for tea in Wimberley. There's a lot of coffee shops [and] there's a lot of boutiques, but there's nowhere that has loose leaf tea, so we are definitely wanting to provide some holistic options with the tea,” Cox said.

Being in the health and wellness industry for nearly seven years, the faces behind Teanookshop started educating themselves on different loose-leaf teas from around the world, along with their health benefits, and they wanted to share that knowledge with the community.

Tea is rich in antioxidants and supports overall wellness, with different types offering unique benefits, including:

Green tea: Boosts metabolism, supports heart health and improves focus

Black tea: Supports heart health, energy and gut health

Herbal tea: Caffeine-free and promotes relaxation, digestion or immune support, depending on the herb

Oolong tea: Supports metabolism and balanced energy

White tea: High in antioxidants with gentle caffeine and supports skin health

Cox said that the tea they carry is high quality for the people who are "connoisseurs,” as well as those who want to have a chamomile or Earl Grey. There is something for everybody, with the option to come in, sit down for a cup of tea with an open-table style seating arrangement and connect with other patrons.

Another component of the shop is that the owners have partnered with the Wimberley Valley Art League to dedicate wall space for local artists to display their work. In doing so, artists were able to submit and put their work up for free, as well as if someone is interested in purchasing it, 100% of the commission goes directly toward the artist.

“Our goal is to create more than just a shop. We hope to provide a welcoming space where locals and visitors can gather, connect and slow down,” the owners concluded. “We’re grateful to be part of this community and look forward to growing together.”

Teanookshop, located at 106 Wimberley Square, officially opened Sunday, March 15, and is planning to be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekdays, as well as 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends, with hours subject to change.

To learn more, visit bit.ly/4saBP2N.

Moratorium

In November 2025, council voted 3-1 — with council member David Cohen dissenting — to adopt a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, process and approval of short-term rental (STR) applications that require a conditional use permit (CUP). This item was requested by council member Rebecca Minnick, who stated that the dais’ position on the application has seemed inconsistent and there is not a policy in place in commercial areas and the applications are being considered in an infrequent manner, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

“We have citizens who are concerned about it. We have areas where there seems to be a large number of [STRs] or a high demand for those and also areas that they’re really not appropriate,” she said at the Nov. 6 meeting. “So, I thought it would be better to put a pause on everything, get this committee together and hash out all of these issues in conjunction with a planner from our law firm, so that we could have a very consistent approach that would be more easily understood by applicants, residents here [and] property owners, just to set expectations and everybody get on the same page.”

The temporary moratorium was set for 120 days, bringing it back on council’s agenda at the March 5 meeting for consideration to extend it further.

Following her previous recommendation that there needs to be a review process, Minnick shared that they have been convening an STR committee with members of the Planning & Zoning Commission, in order to bring recommendations to city council.

“The committee has some recommendations, but we want to get those into the final form and the moratorium, according to our city attorney, we can only do it for a maximum of 120 days. We couldn’t just do a forever moratorium,” she said.

She proposed to extend the temporary moratorium for another 120 days, but the committee could have something finalized as soon as the next 30 days.

“I think we’ll have something together and start working through the process within the next 30 days or so,” said Nathan Glasier, director of development services, who also sits on the committee.

“There may be some things that seem logical to do, but legally, we are not able to do those things. So, we are having to make some adjustments in terms of, for instance, we can’t say, ‘No more STRs here.’ You can’t do that, so we are working with the attorneys to get advice, so that what we do is legal and makes sense for the community,” Minnick added.

Council voted unanimously to extend the temporary moratorium for 120 days, which means it will remain in effect through July 4, unless otherwise terminated earlier by council.

Election

Also at the meeting, council voted unanimously to cancel the general election — which was set for May 2 — as all three candidates for office are unopposed. These candidates are incumbent Jim Chiles for mayor, Anne Ulfelder for Place Two and Sam Werner for Place Four on the city council.

Pursuant to the Texas Election Code, once the declaration of unopposed candidates has been delivered, the governing body must convene and vote to cancel the election and declare the unopposed candidates elected to office, according to agenda documents.

Additionally, the cancellation of the election results in an estimated cost savings of approximately $6,500.00, for the city, which had been budgeted for fiscal year 2026.

The swearing in and oath of office will occur May 11 and the candidates will officially take office at the second meeting in May, according to city secretary Tammy Heller.

Wimberley City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19.

A two-time defending Texas History Day champion, Gillum placed first in the Junior Division Individual Website category for her project, “The King’s Revolutions: Rethinking the Historical Significance of Elvis Presley in 1950s America.” Her website explores the 2026 National History Day theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform.”

National History Day (NHD) is a nonprofit education organization that offers year-long academic programs that engage more than 500,000 middle- and high-school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest.

With the regional victory, Gillum advances to compete at the Texas History Day Contest Saturday, April 11, in Austin.

The Wimberley Band Boosters is a 501(c)(3) that supports the middle and high school bands within Wimberley ISD through fundraisers, organizing hospitality and meals for students when they attend competitions, coordinating volunteers and chaperones for various activities and seeking businesses who want to be program sponsors.

“The funding that we do through our fundraisers and sponsorships, through the concession stands, all that kind of stuff supports the program. It can be from new instruments to repairing instruments, helping with prop design and so forth for marching season,” said booster president Susan Rang. “We provide sponsor shirts, so that there's kind of like a uniform shirt beyond what they wear during the season. Basically, if there is a need that supports the entire program, not just an individual student, but the majority of the students in the program, then we can help support that cause.”

There are a couple of different ways for students to obtain instruments. Some come with their own instruments — either purchased individually or rented from places, like Strait Music, while others may rent them — especially in percussion — from the band program itself, Rang explained.

The booster president recalled that when she was a student, she was using a trombone that her neighbor had, but her parents eventually bought one — about $1,500 back in the '90s — that she was able to play through college. However, for her son, a new flute that would get him through high school and maybe into college would cost at least $1,000 to $1,500 today for a smaller instrument.

Knowing the large cost that it takes for parents to have their kids in band, Rang said that the boosters want to do all they can to make it an affordable program.

One of the major ways that the organization does this is through various fundraisers. This includes the following: a carnival that typically occurs around August with games, food, the Texan Stars and a performance by the Jesse Stratton Band; running the concessions stand at the visitors side during the varsity football games; and Santa Land with photos, crafts, games, karaoke, hot chocolate and a silent auction.

Currently, they are in the process of a new fundraiser, where participants can add a little pink to someone’s yard with a flock of flamingos.

“You can pay to have a friend’s [yard], your own yard or a business flocked. A flock is 25 flamingos and they stay there for, basically, like three to four days. You can have them migrate early if you don't want them in your yard or you can pay to have anti-flocking insurance and then, the person would have to pick another spot to flock it,” Rang said. “We're just trying something new this year to see if that works out.”

A flock of 25 flamingos is $50, early migration is $30 and yard insurance is $75. Each flamingo flock will arrive at the selected address on either Sunday or Wednesday of the chosen week, beginning March 25 and going through May 13, but they are limited to WISD boundaries.

Approximately half of the slots have been filled up for the flamingo flocking, so those who are wanting to sign up to help the current and future students in the program continue to succeed are encouraged to do so soon.

“They're playing their instruments, they're counting, they're memorizing music. They're using so much skill in order to accomplish this 15-minute program, basically. It's amazing because those kids are brilliant in math and athletics and they end up excelling more, I think, in their overall academics, when they have this kind of program,” Rang concluded.

To learn more about the Wimberley Band Boosters fundraisers, follow them on Facebook at @WimberleyBandBoosters.