GOVERNMENT

Approximately 30 protestors took to the sidewalks of Hopkins Street chanting “Free Palestine” on Wednesday, July 24, protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint Congress. Palestine Solidarity SMTX (SMTXPS) organized yesterday’s “Hopkins St Protest” march. It lasted two hours and consisted of approximately six...

(Seguin) — At the start of summer, 16-year-old Casey Hernandez was just beginning her journey into the pageant world. Now mid summer, the Seguin High School student officially holds the title as the Miss South Texas, Junior Teen for the America’s National Teenager Scholarship Organization (ANTSO). Her journey, however, does not stop there and she is now preparing to compete for the national crown this weekend in Dallas.

Hill Country waterways have been flooded by rainfall.

Hays City Donuts and The Main Squeeze are located inside 106 N. Burleson St. in downtown Kyle—which is one of the three properties being purchased by the city of Kyle. (Amira Van Leeuwen/Community Impact) The city of Kyle is continuing its quest to revitalize the downtown area. Kyle City...

HAYS COUNTY, Texas — The first human case of West Nile Virus infection has been reported in Hays County on Wednesday, and the second human case in Central Texas. According to San Marcos officials, the Hays County Health Department (HCHD) said the patient is a resident of the 78610 zip code area, They were diagnosed with West Nile Fever.

The City of San Marcos said its 14 outdoor warning sirens would be fully operational beginning Aug. 1.

KYLE — On July 16, Kyle City Council heard discussions on the future of the Sportsplex and the prospect of a local favorite, Hays Co. Bar-B-Que, coming to town. Sportsplex After years of discussion, council members were presented with conceptual designs for the long-awaited Sportsplex. Mark Maldonado, senior principal with Stantec Consulting Services, explained that the site is 90 acres, located along FM 1626, north of the Brick and Mortar District, and will aim to create a “unique destination that embodies the proud and vibrant spirit of our community.” The site concept includes four basketball courts, 17 bleachers, 30 shade pavilions, five youth turf fields, 11 pickleball courts, ten full-sized turf fields, four playgrounds, two miles of trails, five volleyball courts, five shuffleboard courts, a 750-space parking garage, a plaza and an approximately 100,000 square-foot indoor recreational facility. The indoor portion of the facility will have multipurpose courts, an indoor track, catering kitchen and open workout areas. According to Ryan Sheridan of Huden Partners, it takes approximately five years to stabilize an event schedule, so the facility is typically losing money “in terms of bottom-line performance,” until operations become more efficient: “The goal of these facilities, ultimately, is to break even and to be that tool for the community. These things across the country are not money printing machines.” The event schedule will be driven by tournaments, which will generate an estimate of 47,500 room nights on an annual basis, according to agenda documents, and local and hourly usage. This, combined with out-of-town spending, leads to a projection of more than $786 million over the course of 30 years. When discussing the finance, city of Kyle Assistant City Manager Jesse Elizondo stated that staff and consultants have used a phasing approach, beginning with phase one that would have a cost estimate of around $65 million, which would include site preparation, the indoor recreation center, an outdoor area and many of the exterior improvements and amenities. This money comes from general obligation bonds and has a tax rate impact of approximately $0.0503 per $100 of valuation. The estimated total cost, prior to finalizing details and changes,  is $185,615,701.20. Although excited about the designs, Mayor Travis Mitchell brought forth concerns of the heat that comes with using turf. According to Mitchell, it is about 10 degrees hotter than grass. Because of this, he suggested an indoor air conditioned area, an outdoor shaded turf, such as a pavilion, and using an irrigation system with reclaimed water for an outdoor field, similar to what the Plum Creek Golf Course does. “To have something like this centralized would be important for all the kids in the area, all the region. But for the adults and everybody else, I know that it’s going to be a really big investment. I think the draw, if we do this right and we program it right, [is] that it can pay for itself and that’s the important thing,” said council member Robert Rizo. The next step is to begin the master planning process, which will address concerns and changes that council has, as well as a community outreach component, where feedback will be received to know what the priorities are for residents. In order for the financing for phase one to be presented to residents, council must vote to add a bond proposition to the November ballot no later than Monday, Aug. 19.

(Seguin) — Let the storytelling begin. Seguin Storytellers, the town’s newest non-profit, will officially host its first event as a brand-new organization this Sunday in the Seguin Public Library. Complete with its own board members and the vision for a wide range of future events, the group is...