Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

News

Filing deadline Feb. 15

Several incumbents have already put their names on the ballot for May 4’s city, school and hospital district elections.

Feb. 15 is the deadline to file.

Thee seats will be filled on Hamilton City Council, and incumbents Henry DeLeon, John Galindo and Beverly Gilstrap have filed.

The Precinct 1 and At-large positions are up for election for Hamilton Coumty Hospital District Board of Directors, and Bill Craig has filed.

The three-year terms of Kasey Kunkel and Charlette Boyd are up on Hamilton Independent School District Board of Trustees, and Kunkel has filed.

OLD FOLKS AT SCHOOL-

Article Image Alt Text

Above, Ann Whitney Elementary’s fifth graders dressed up for the 100th day of school Monday. Below, left, you’re not seeing double. That’s fifth-grade twins Bret and Grant Bauman, each wearing 100 pennies; and below right, first grader Britley Keeter doesn’t look a day over 99. Photos contributed

HGH gets good audit

Deborah Whitley of BKD CPAs and Advisors last Wednesday presented the annual audit report to Hamilton County Hospital District’s board of directors.

“You’ve had a good year, with more good years go come,” Whitley told the board.

For 2018, she said, revenue increased by $2.8 million, with more in the bank than the previous year.

“That’s the most you’ve had in net patient service revenue over the last four or five years,” she said. “That’s a sign of your work on the revenue cycle. Your efforts are paying off.”

Wildlife safari opens in Evant

Article Image Alt Text

Buena Vista Wildlife Safari and RV Park in Evant opened for business last Wednesday.

The wildlife park is home to 350 acres of natural Texas Hill Country environment featuring a 3.5-mile drive-through safari with more than 20 species of animals, including zebra, llama, antelope, deer, bison and wildebeest.

FIVE GENERATIONS

Article Image Alt Text

Life-long resident of Hamilton County, Mildred (Mrs. Cecil) Kauitzsch celebrated the birth of her first great-great-grandchild, Emma Yates, with a five generation photo. Standing are Donna Sue Rickets and her father Cecil Michael Kauitzsch; Seated are Lauren Sue Yates, holding Emma, while the proud great-grandmother looks on.

 

GOLDEN WAVE BAND

Article Image Alt Text

Chelsea Owen, daughter of Scottie and Mary Owen and a freshman at Baylor University, earned a spot with the Baylor University Golden Wave Band this past fall. When Baylor qualified for a bowl game this year she had the opportunity to participate in the Academy Sports and Outdoor Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston versus Vanderbilt University on Dec. 27.

 

Algerita Hill headlining at Pearl this weekend

Article Image Alt Text

Algerita Hill will be the featured performers at the next free Pearl Bluegrass 1st Saturday Jam and Stage Show at the historic Community Center in Pearl Feb. 2.

This outstanding youth band includes four home-schooled siblings from the Bechler family who live in Burnet.

Seth, Mark, Lisa and Paul Bechler each received Floyd Salmon Memorial music camp scholarships this past summer by Texas Bluegrass Music.

Seth Bechler, 19, first became interested in learning to play bluegrass when he heard recordings of the great banjo picker Bela Fleck.

Let’s talk about… Roadway Maintenance

Article Image Alt Text

Starting this month, there will be a new fee included in the utility bills of customers within the city limits, a Roadway Maintenance Fee.

The purpose of this fee is to raise revenue to fund the maintenance and repair costs of our local streets.

Whether it is at the city, county, state or federal level, no governmental entity wants to raise taxes or impose new fees. Therefore, for many years, there have been little to no funds for Hamilton’s street repair, much less street replacement.

Info available for taxpayers

New and updated property tax information has just been compiled by Hamilton County Appraisal District and is available now to assist taxpayers. This property tax information is current and covers a wide range of topics, such as taxpayer remedies, exemptions and appraisals, and has information for select groups, such as disabled veterans and persons age 65 or older.

SUPER WOLF BLOOD MOON-

Article Image Alt Text

Photographer Mike Mezuel II of Allen captured this photo of Sunday evening’s super wolf blood moon over St. Olaf’s Kirke rock church in Cranfills Gap. The full moon was at its closest location to Earth, causing it to be a super moon, and the full moon of January is traditionally called the wolf moon. As the moon was in the Earth’s shadow, it completely darkened, but as a result of Earth’s atmosphere bending sunlight onto the moon’s dark surface, the moon turned blood red.