Hays
LATEST NEWS
The Austin Chronic: Should I Throw Away My Marijuana in Fear of Fentanyl?
The most common message I’ve received over the last 10 days has been: “Should I be worried about there being fentanyl in weed?”. This follows a May 2 arrest report and a subsequent press conference from the Austin Police Department alleging a sample of marijuana, confiscated from a man who sold two $20 crack rocks to undercover cops outside a pawn shop on North Lamar, tested positive for fentanyl.
2 new splash pads now open in Kyle
City officials celebrated the opening of two new splash pads in Kyle with a ribbon cutting on May 9. (Courtesy City of Kyle) City officials celebrated the grand opening of two new splash pads located at Gregg-Clarke Park and Steeplechase Park with a ribbon cutting on May 9. The details.
Travis County is shifting focus to prevent overdose deaths as fentanyl ravages the area
"Travis County is shifting focus to prevent overdose deaths as fentanyl ravages the area" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. When Travis County Judge Andy...
San Marcos to use federal grant to protect Sunset Acres neighborhood from flooding
The city of San Marcos is no stranger to the intense flooding that is possible throughout Central Texas. After a series of devastating floods hit the community in 2015, residents and city officials started looking at how to prevent the worst effects of flooding. Mayor Jane Hughson was then a City Council member, and she recalls seeing “devastation in several neighborhoods after the May flood.” After more floods hit that November, those neighbors who had been in...
Hail, high winds cause damage across the county
, It was a typical hot and humid afternoon with clear skies at 7:35 p.m. Thursday when phones across town began buzzing with an emergency alert from the National Weather Service that stated “Severe Thunderstorm Warning in effect for this area until 8:30 .m. for destructive aseball size hail. Take shelter in a sturdy building, away from windows. People and animals outdoors will be severely injured.” Within ten minutes, the violent storm tore through the city. To add to the panic, a Tornado Warning was issued at 8:22 p.m., and residents across town - at least those willing to heed...
Pick up more than just groceries at H-E-B speed dating event
Perhaps "No store does more" for your love life than H-E-B. The grocery store is hosting a "rapid romance" speed dating event for singles at its Mueller location Thursday at 6:30 p.m. If you've ever wanted to pick up warm tortillas and a soulmate in the same shopping trip, this is for you.
Rain chances today, but a gorgeous weekend is around the corner
After a very busy period of severe thunderstorms, most of Texas got a break to start the week. But now the elements are coming together for another round of severe storms and heavy rain this afternoon into the evening. Areas to the north of the Austin metro will see the...
Hays County hosts summer health fair
The Hays County Crime Stoppers staff pose at the Second Annual Summer Health Fair held on May 11. Crime Stoppers regularly attends local fairs to promote its EZ Child ID fingerprinting system, which creates a digital file for parents should something ever happen to their child.
Council approves Buda Water Master Plan
BUDA — At its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 7, Buda City Council unanimously approved to adopt the City of Buda Water Master Plan. In 2022, Buda City Council authorized a professional services agreement with K. Friese and Associates (KFA) to prepare a water master plan for the 20-year period of 2023 through 2043. The purpose of the project, as stated in agenda documents, is: • To serve as the tool the city will use to communicate its water needs, programs and projects to residents and commercial customers. • To identify capital improvement projects (CIP) to effectively serve unprecedented growth, while also maintaining and improving existing infrastructure. Prior to this update, the most recent water model update was conducted by KFA in 2017. As a part of the proposed plan, KFA evaluated the current system and water supplies. According to the presentation by Director of Development Services Angela Kennedy, the city currently has three sources of water, including the groundwater supply permitted by Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District wells and surface water from Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Alliance Regional Water Authority. The city has 2.56 million gallons per day (MGD) available, with a pumping capacity of 5.68 MGD. Kennedy pointed out that the city of Buda is not the only water provider in the city limits and within the ETJ. When looking at growth, KFA limited the growth and potential future services projections to not conflict with other suppliers. Within the service area, the current population is 15,108. The plan accounts for growth of the population to a total of 33,140, with nearly 11,000 water connections, in 2043. The plan also lays out the water demand on average per day and the max day demand. Currently, the average day demand is 1.5 MGD and is expected to increase to 3.2 MGD in 2043. The max day demand in 2024 is 3.0 MGD and the plan allots for that number to increase up to 6.3 MGD by 2043. Based on these numbers, the model shows that the contracted supply and the pumping capacity “easily meet” the average day demand and the max day demand throughout the 20-year prediction, even in Stage 4 drought conditions. In addition to the expected demand, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) imposes regulations on the infrastructure, requiring a pumping capacity of 0.6 gallons per minute per connection. In 2028, 2033 and 2043, the city’s infrastructure is not expected to meet the TCEQ regulations. Therefore, the plan recommends the city seeks an Alternative Capacity Requirement (ACR) for 2028 and 2033 and then increase the pumping capacity for the 2043 timeline through CIPs. “The city has sought [the ACR] in the past with TCEQ and it has been granted,” Kennedy said. In order to meet the TCEQ requirements in 2043, KFA suggests purchasing additional groundwater wells and fortifying current pump stations to increase pumping capacity. To identify necessary CIPs, the consultant team met with the Buda Fire Department to discuss the fire flow assumptions made in the model. Based on the modeling, eight current year projects were recommended to meet fire flow demands, as well as adding a new connection to loop the water system for “redundancy purposes.” The estimated cost of the CIPs for the current year is $8.76 million. For 2028, there were seven CIPs recommended based on growth, totaling $26.72 million. The 2033 and 2043 timelines proposed four projects each, for a cost of $11.39 million and $27.73 million, respectively. The total project list cost is expected to be approximately $74.2 million. Recognizing that there is a lot of concern in the community about water supply, council member Matt Smith said, “For the folks at home and in the audience, as you hear us talk about this, know that we are being intentional in what we are doing for the future … we are well positioned right now for future water demand.” Echoing Smith’s sentiments, Mayor Lee Urbanovsky took the opportunity to reassure community members of the city’s water position. “We have a diversified water supply and we have a plan that doesn’t meet our demand up to 2043, as of what we can see peering into the future,” Urbanovsky concluded. The proposed master plan was unanimously approved by council. Buda City Council will meet again on Tuesday, May 21.
No. 1 Texas softball set to start NCAA Tournament Friday
The No. 1 overall seed Texas Longhorns softball team opens up NCAA Tournament play in the Austin regional against Siena Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT at Red & Charline McCombs Field. The game will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network. The Longhorns highest seed before earning the No. 1 national seed was No. 3 in 2011. One of the leaders for Texas is Reese Atwood, who was named one of 10 finalists for the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Wednesday. She boasts a .909 slugging percentage and has 86 RBI on the season. Atwood was named Big 12 player of the year May 8. The winner of the Texas-Siena contest will play the winner of the matchup between St. Francis (Pa.) and Northwestern in game three of the regional bracket Saturday at noon CT. The losers of each contest will play in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
First Look: Lil’ Easy Fine Cajun Food & Bar
Eastside dive promises casual Cajun and vibey outdoor boozing. “You’ve never met anybody who loves to eat crawfish more than I do,” says Stephen Shallcross, the owner of 2 Dine 4 Hospitality. Shallcross, who hails from Baton Rouge and is co-owner of American diner Sawyer & Co. and...
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.