Editor, Thank you so much for your recent coverage of Democratic events. I know the Star has received some pushback from local Republicans for that coverage.

It’s a journalist’s job to provide fair and balanced coverage to all their readers.

I understand there is more front-page coverage of Republican news and events, as a majority of the readers are Republican and in a conservative county.

I do not understand or agree that the minority, the Democratic party of Kendall County, gets no coverage. That’s why I am writing this. Thank you for getting the news and coverage out there albeit conservative or liberal.

I also appreciate your continuing support and publication of the everyother week “Progressive Views” column. Democrats are here in Boerne and Kendall County. We are growing in number, and we are not going anywhere.

We will continue to work hard to make our voices, opinions and activities heard and seen, in spite of the relentless efforts of the Republicans to silence us and our progress.

— Laurie Clark Boerne resident

In his May 31Boerne Star column titled “Midterm Strategy,” Republican columnist Scott Kramer presented his approach for taking the offensive regarding the midterm elections. In order to win, he suggests that Republicans must remind voters of all the accomplishments under their leadership.

I’ll challenge some of his points.

Yes, Democrats will most likely attempt to impeach the president again. Trump was impeached twice during his first term in office, although he was acquitted on all counts by the Senate. This won’t be the case when the Senate is controlled by Democrats.

Trump continues to abuse his power, obstruct justice, violate the emoluments clause, usurp the powers of Congress, restrict freedom of speech and commit illegal war and humanitarian crimes.

Regarding the “drill, baby, drill” mantra that is so popular among Republicans — in reality, there is no such thing as energy independence. The amount of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve plunged in June to the lowest level since 1983 because the Trump administration continues to deploy emergency oil to minimize the damage from the war with Iran.

Because of the U.S. infrastructure and the types of oil produced versus what domestic refineries require, we continue to rely on foreign imports for optimal efficiency. The United States now imports roughly 5.8 to 6 million barrels per day of crude oil, and about 7.9 million barrels per day of total petroleum products.

I want to make it clear that undocumented immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded benefits. Federal law prohibits them from enrolling in, or receiving, federal public benefits. This includes Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act subsidies, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and other programs.

They also do not receive refundable tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.

There are limited exceptions to federal restrictions, particularly for emergency medical care and education. Undocumented children are guaranteed access to free public K-12 education and supplemental nutrition programs like Women, Infants and Children or the National School Lunch Program, which do not verify immigration status for children.

It should also be noted that immigrants come to the U.S. for freedom to work for us and with us, and they play critical roles in America’s economic vitality. Immigrants work at higher rates and are nearly twice as likely to start businesses.

The Cato Institute’s research has shown that immigrants have reduced federal, state and local government budget deficits by a combined $14.5 trillion, including $1.7 trillion from undocumented immigrants, over the last 30 years.

I take exception to Kramer’s use of the term “scourge” to describe DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). While DEI aims to provide opportunities for underrepresented populations, these programs are broad and support various groups, including veterans, individuals with disabilities, and women looking to advance in male-dominated fields. Corporate America has long leveraged DEI programs to expand its customer base, increase profits, prevent discrimination lawsuits and improve employee retention by fostering a more inclusive workplace.

And finally, it is laughable that Kramer states the Republicans want a limited role for government in our lives. There is nothing “limited” about dictating family roles, interfering with the freedom to choose one’s marital partner, legislating the bathrooms we use, dictating the books we can read or the history we can learn.

These are unmistakable instances of government intervention in our lives and restrictions on our freedoms. When we recognize the intrusiveness of these restrictive conservative policies, the hypocrisy of Republicans’ “limited government” mantra becomes all too apparent.

Republicans identify federal entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, unemployment insurance, Medicaid and food stamps, as “handouts” and argue that government should maintain a hands-off policy.

Republicans champion policies that support regulations on public school curricula (including limitations on discussions regarding American history, race, and gender identity); and promote robust policing, mandatory minimum sentencing, and enhanced powers for law enforcement and border agencies.

There is one thing that I would agree on with Kramer regarding the Republican government: “get the heck out of our lives.”

Visit our website at www.kcdems.us to learn how you can get involved. Call our office at 830-3311243 to learn more about our activities and activism.

Happy 250th, America. See you at the polls in November.

Susan Dollar is a local Democrat.

Financial security doesn’t have to come from a big salary, a lucky investment or some dramatic turning point. For most people, wealth is built more simply, through small habits repeated many times over.

If you’re like many young people, you may feel you don’t have enough money to start investing. The reality is that you’re in a great position to build the small habits that will help you create lasting wealth. Here are five tips to help you get started.

Automate savings before you spend. 

One of the most powerful financial habits you can build is among the easiest. Set up an automatic transfer such as contributing to an employer retirement plan or exploring if you can direct part of your paycheck to a savings or investment account.

This helps remove the temptation to spend that money instead of saving it. Even setting aside 1% to 5% of your income can help build momentum over time.

Watch the small stuff.

It’s easy to dismiss a $15-a-month streaming service or a $6 coffee twice a week. But those small purchases add up. Forgotten subscriptions, food delivery fees and impulse buys can quietly drain your bank account.

Just $25 a week, if invested well, can grow into thousands in a few short years. Scan your recurring charges regularly, cancel what you don’t use and put that money to work instead.

Don’t let your lifestyle outpace your income.

When you get a raise or bonus, it’s tempting to upgrade your apartment, car or everyday spending. This “lifestyle creep” can be a significant hindrance to building wealth.

Here’s an alternate approach: Every time your income goes up, increase your savings rate before anything else. Even saving half of a raise while spending the rest puts you ahead.

Start now, even imperfectly.

Don’t wait to start investing. Even if you can only set aside a small amount each month, do it. Starting just five to 10 years earlier can result in significantly more wealth down the line, even if the early contributions are small, thanks to compounding.

Compounding means your contributions earn interest, and even that interest earns interest. Over decades, that snowball effect can make a world of difference.

Stay aware, not obsessed. 

You don’t necessarily need to track every dollar you spend. But you do need to be aware of your money habits.

A quick weekly or monthly check-in on your accounts, spending patterns and progress toward savings goals can help you catch problems early.

Financial awareness also means protecting what you build. An emergency fund covering three to six months of total expenses keeps one bad month from becoming a financial crisis. Avoiding high-interest debt does the same. These defensive habits make everything else possible.

Your financial future likely won’t be shaped by one big decision. Instead, it will probably be built by small choices you make every day. And the best time to start making good choices is now.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

It’s easy to dismiss a $15-a-month streaming service or a $6 coffee twice a week. Just $25 a week, if invested well, can grow into thousands in a few short years.

In total, 228 flood-affected households are either home or moving through an established pathway toward permanent recovery.

The milestone reflects significant progress in one of the largest housing recovery efforts ever undertaken in the Texas Hill Country and demonstrates the impact of coordinated investments made through the Community Foundation’s Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.

“Recovery is built around people, not programs,” Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, stated in the June 23 press release. “Every family affected by the flood faced different challenges and needed different solutions.

Today, the majority of displaced households are either back home or actively working toward a permanent housing solution because this community came together to create multiple pathways home,” Dickson said.

“While recovery is not finished, this milestone demonstrates the progress that is possible when survivors are supported with the resources, flexibility and partnerships they need to move forward,” he added.

The Community Foundation launched the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund on July 4, 2025, following catastrophic flooding across Kerr County and the Hill Country. Since then, the Fund has raised more than $150 million and distributed $82 million to support recovery efforts across the region. The Foundation continues working with nonprofit, government and community partners to help flood survivors rebuild and recover.

“The flood happened in a day. Recovery takes years,” Dickson said. “The goal is to help people recover. Every household that returns home is evidence that recovery investments are producing real results for the community.”

Housing recovery has been a central focus of the Foundation’s long-term recovery strategy, with more than $50 million committed to helping flood survivors return home. Recovery programs have supported 184 households and 401 individuals through temporary housing assistance, assisted 200 families through unmet needs programs and provided property tax relief to 108 flood-affected households.

The effort has been guided by 32 disaster case managers helping survivors navigate resources and identify the best path forward.

“A home provides more than shelter. It provides stability, security and a foundation for recovery,” Mary Campana, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Kerr County, said. “The progress we are celebrating today reflects the resilience of flood survivors and the power of partnerships across our community.

“While recovery is not finished,” she said, “more families are returning home and taking important steps toward rebuilding their lives.”

“The flood happened in a day. Recovery takes years. The goal is to help people recover.”

— Austin Dickson GUEST COMMENTARY

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

The State Board of Education gave final approval last week to a new required reading list for every grade level and also passed a rewrite of the state’s social studies requirements for kindergarten to eighth grade, the Austin American- Statesman reported. B o t h plans include biblical concepts, essentially making the state the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of Christianity in public school classrooms.

“We are bringing the Bible back into schools this week for the first time in 60 years,” SBOE member Brandon Hall, R-Aledo, said during a prayer session outside the hearing this week.

The new standards will be implemented in phases, starting with elementary schools in the 2030-2031 school year.

Republicans favor the new standards as a win for Judeo-Christian values and say the required lessons on Jesus, Abraham and Moses are intended not to evangelize but help children develop moral compasses.

Critics say the board is promoting Christianity at the expense of racial and religious diversity.

“Texas is telling millions of children that one religion deserves the government’s seal of approval, while everyone else is an afterthought,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Cornyn: Closed primaries could backfire on Texas GOP 

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is warning Texas GOP leaders that closing party primaries would be “paving the way to minority party status,” The Texas Tribune reported.

The Texas Republican Party and its top elected leaders are pushing to require voters to register with a party, thereby prohibiting them from crossing over in party primaries. Texas is one of 17 states with open primaries.

Cornyn, who was defeated for reelection in a runoff by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, commented on an op-ed published in The Dallas Morning News, sharing its title — “Closed primaries are a threat to Texas voters.”

He added, “Exactly,” and “Democrats haven’t turned Texas blue; Republican’s (sic) might.”

Paxton has joined the GOP’s pending lawsuit to strike down open primaries in court.

Supreme Court ruling could affect 147K TPS recipients

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the Trump administration can revoke Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Haiti and Syria means more than 147,000 migrants in Texas under the program face imminent risk of arrest and deportation, the Texas Standard reported.

Texas hosts one of the largest concentrations of TPS holders in the nation, and University of Houston constitutional law professor Seth Chandler said the ruling has dramatic consequences for them.

“It basically streamlines the ability of the Trump administration to revoke TPS status, not just for the Haitians and Syrians who were litigating in the case the Supreme Court decided today, but with respect to Hondurans, Nepalis, Afghans and, perhaps critically for Houston, potentially Venezuelans as well,” Chandler said.

The decision could have economic consequences, since many immigrants in the country under TPS work in sectors already experiencing labor shortages.

“If you look at our plaintiffs in the Syria case, for example, we have a highly sought-after pediatrician,” said Hussein Elbakri, attorney at the International Refugee Assistance Project.

He added, “We have somebody who is a special-needs teacher by day and is training to be a nurse at night. We have construction workers. We have people in the food-services industry, and we have many, many people, especially in the Haitian community, who are home healthcare workers.”

Tesla accused of allowing toxin release from refinery 

Two Texas property owners have filed a class-action suit against Tesla, accusing the company of dumping toxins from its lithium refinery near Corpus Christi onto their property, according to the Houston Chronicle.

They claim that Tesla has violated its state-issued wastewater discharge permit by allowing contaminated water to flow onto their property.

The company’s permit allows it to discharge up to 231,000 gallons a day of treated industrial water into Baffin Bay, according to state records. A review of the water leaking into a drainage ditch by a lab hired by the Nueces County Drainage District revealed two toxic metals — arsenic and the carcinogen hexavalent chromium, as well as elevated levels of other chemicals.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Majority of Texans oppose data centers in their area 

A new poll from the University of Texas’ Texas Politics Project indicates a majority of Texans oppose having data centers in their community, according to the Texas Standard.

The state has become the nation’s top destination for data centers, which provide the infrastructure for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining.

The poll found 43% of Republicans oppose data centers, while 42% support their construction. More than 60% of people who identify as Democrats oppose new data centers.

“I think people are objecting for different reasons,” said James Henson, director of the polling center. “On one hand, lots of environmental concerns about water and resource use. But if you’re living next to these data centers or in the region… they have a big impact on people’s lives.”

Both Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have made regulation of data centers a legislative priority in next year’s session.

Texas GOP elephant lacked mandatory permit 

When Paige the elephant made an appearance at the recent GOP state convention in Houston, its owner did not acquire the required city permit to bring wild animals into the city, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Public records acquired by the paper indicate Trunks and Humps, the elephant’s owner, has been cited repeatedly for federal animal welfare violations and failed to apply for a permit before bringing Paige to the June 12 convention.

The elephant arrived as the finale to Abbot’s speech. A video of the event went viral after the elephant urinated on the convention floor.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.

As the Primary Runoff and Texas Republican Party State Convention conclude, the message is straightforward: the time for internal competition has passed. Now, we unite behind our nominees and direct every ounce of energy toward victory in November.

Kendall County voters settled very competitive races. At the end of the day, the process worked as it should. I congratulate the nominees who earned the right to carry our banner and thank every candidate who stepped up. Their engagement strengthens our party.

The state convention theme, “Strong Roots, Bold Future,” captured where we stand. We reaffirmed the conservative principles that define us: secure borders, a strong economy, parental rights in education, election integrity, and individual liberty. Spirited debate during primaries and conventions is healthy. However, lingering division afterward is not.

As your Kendall County Republican Party Chairman, my job is to turn unity into results. That means supporting every Republican nominee, growing our grassroots through registration and turnout, and inviting every conservative in our community to get involved. We don’t need perfect agreement on every primary preference. We need shared commitment to winning in November and delivering for Kendall County families.

Our base includes strong communities of faith and Second Amendment advocates whose full participation can be decisive. When Evangelicals, 2A supporters, and all conservatives turn out in stronger numbers, real competition for the Republican Party largely disappears.

The bigger challenge isn’t the other side; it’s fighting voter apathy and making sure every eligible voter who shares our values actually casts a ballot in the November general election.

That is the work in front of us now. To everyone who volunteered, donated, or voted this spring, thank you. Now I’m asking you to step up again. Talk to your neighbors. Host a meet-and-greet or put up a yard sign this fall. Volunteer your time or skills. These small actions compound quickly when we all move in the same direction.

If you believe in the values that make Texas work — faith, freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility — there’s a place for you here. Contact me directly at KCRPChair@protonmail.com to get involved. Help us energize faith communities, gun clubs, civic groups, and every corner of Kendall County.

November is closer than you think. With purposeful unity and stronger turnout from our core supporters, Kendall County Republicans will deliver.

Let’s get to work — together.

Traften Werenskjold is chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party

Margaret had saved diligently for decades. Every paycheck, a portion went toward her retirement account. Then, the day finally came: she retired. Suddenly, the hardest part wasn’t the saving. It was learning to spend.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many retirees find the shift from building savings to living off them emotionally difficult, even when they’ve planned carefully. Here are five smart strategies that can help you feel more confident about what’s ahead.

Give yourself permission to spend conservatively. Your retirement plan likely assumes a certain annual spending amount, with increases each year to account for inflation. All else being equal, the lower those initial withdrawals, the longer your money will last. A financial advisor can help you set up portfolio withdrawals personalized to your goals and situation. Feel free to give yourself permission to spend those amounts, knowing there’s intention behind them.

For many retirees, the challenge isn’t math — it’s mindset. After years of being rewarded for saving, spending can feel like doing something wrong. It can help to reframe withdrawals as a paycheck you’ve already earned. For example, using your monthly distribution to cover travel, hobbies or time with family isn’t indulgent; it’s the purpose of the plan you built. Connecting spending to your values can make it feel more natural and sustainable.

Do be sure to to review your spending regularly and don’t forget to set aside funds for annual expenses like taxes and insurance.

Keep some cash on hand. A general rule of thumb for retirees is to keep about 12 months’ worth of withdrawals in a separate account for spending and another three to five years’ worth in short-term, fixed-income investments. This cushion can allow your stock investments time to recover from a market downturn, reducing the need to sell investments when markets are down. That said, holding too much cash carries its own risk, as your portfolio may not grow fast enough to keep pace with inflation. So, while some cash is good, you’ll also want to remain invested in assets with more growth potential to help your portfolio last through retirement.

Review regularly. Retirement can last 25 years or more, and even the best-laid plans need updating along the way. Review your financial strategy at least once a year or after any major life change.

Stay flexible. Even small adjustments to your spending can have a big impact on how long your money lasts. Retirees who hold off on spending increases in years when their portfolio declines are often able to stretch their savings further than those who increase withdrawals each year for inflation regardless of market performance.

Making the switch from saving to spending takes both careful planning and a genuine shift in mindset. A financial advisor can help you build out an effective approach to switch from saving to spending, and work with you so you can fully enjoy the retirement you worked so hard to reach.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jonesfinancial adviser.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Take a moment to think about your own childhood. What are your best memories?

My favorites moments growing up all involve being outside and embracing nature, and I worry that our children will not have those same types of memories if we continue down the path we are on.

We are facing a nature deficit epidemic with our children, and the consequences are more dire than I believe we are prepared for.

Unstructured outdoor play is beneficial for all aspects of life, including critical thinking, mental health, executive function, creativity, and overall physical health.

Studies show that the average child has only 4-7 minutes of unstructured outdoor play daily, with average screentime up to almost 7 hours per day.

Children are spending approximately 35% less time outdoors than their parents did. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as increased school focus on testing, an increasingly digital world, busier lives, and a larger focus on organized sports and activities.

While these things are not inherently wrong and some may be unavoidable, I believe prioritizing unstructured outdoor play will lead to our children growing into more healthy, stable and successful adults.

My passion, and career, is getting children and their families outside. I have seen the direct benefits of unstructured outdoor play in the students that come through my school, and I have the privilege of seeing how that affects their lives moving forward.

Providing children with a safe and controlled space to play outdoors and take risks allows them to learn their body and find their love of nature. Children are so capable, and sometimes our desire to protect them can hinder that. Allowing children to take risks, to jump from somewhere a little bit high, to climb a tree, to hop from rock to rock, will help them develop their muscles along with their critical thinking skills.

When children face challenges, it allows them to think through what they are doing and what their next step needs to be. This will help them as they are faced with academic challenges in school and beyond.

A safe place for risk taking can be as simple as showing your child you believe in them and their abilities, encouraging them to be independent, and praising them when they succeed.

Phrases like, “You climbed down from that tree all on your own, I knew you could. Even though you were scared, you figured it out.” can go a long way.

When your child sees that you trust them to take these small risks, they will become increasingly confident in their decisions as they grow, and those situations become even more serious and difficult.

Not only is risky and outdoor play beneficial for cognitive development, but it is amazing for physical development as well.

The increase in screen time has directly led to an increase in obesity rates in our children. Getting kids outside and moving their bodies will not only help them now but will help them develop a long-term love and desire to be active.

Walking across rocks and uneven surfaces strengthens foot and ankle muscles that do not get the same engagement when walking over a smooth sidewalk surface. Climbing trees or digging with bare hands will help develop fine motor skills that are necessary for handwriting and daily tasks.

Building with large sticks and branches and moving rocks from one area to another will help develop your child’s gross motor skills and larger muscles; playing outside is beneficial for the whole body.

Time spent outdoors is also an opportunity for a child’s nervous system to regulate and reset.

Getting out of an overstimulating space can allow them to take in the sounds, smells, and feeling of the world around them. This will not only help if they are overstimulated, but it will provide them with a connection to the earth that gives so much to us.

This will help them develop an appreciation for the world around them, encouraging them to take care of it in the future. In the fastpaced, busy world we live in it is important for us, and our children, to take a moment to slow down, step outside, and connect with nature.

Alysa Meeks is director of The Nest School in Boerne

Editor, Thank you so very much for your recent coverage of Democratic events. I know the Star has received a lot of pushback from local Republicans for that coverage.

It’s journalism’s job to provide fair and balanced coverage to their readers. I can accept that the Republicans get more “front pages” than we do; they have a majority, of course. I will not accept that we get no coverage at all, even in a “conservative” county.

On their website Boerne Breaking News, they do not want to hear from anyone that is outside their group. How can you come up with good solutions if you do not listen to other’s opinions?

This is still America, and we need a free press to maintain our democracy; this is done by an independent press. There have been times that I have not been satisfied and wished the Boerne Star gave us more coverage. It works both ways.

I also appreciate your continuing support and publication of the every-other-week Progressive Views column. Democrats are here, growing in number, not going anywhere, and we will continue to work hard to make our voices heard over the relentless efforts of Republicans to silence our voices of dissent.

— Richard Caldwell Boerne resident

Rural counties trying to slow or even block data center construction are finding they have limited legal authority, the Texas Standard reported. Hill County, for example, rescinded a one-year moratorium on data center construction after being sued for $100 million by a company planning a large-scale data center project near Hillsboro.

RCM Hill argued the county lacked the legal authority to impose the temporary ban, which came after the company had already secured contracts for more than 800 acres at a cost of over $80 million.

“You’re not going to see anybody else trying a moratorium at this point because they’ve seen what happens when you do it,” said Robert Paterson, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who specializes in land-use law. “You basically just get clubbed with a ridiculous amount of money.”

In Hood and Somervell counties, both southwest of Fort Worth, at least nine proposed data center projects are under consideration. Concerned residents are filling county commissioner meetings, saying the projects could raise electricity bills, strain water resources and harm tourism.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission to ensure new data centers reduce residential electric bills and proposed that new laws be passed during next year’s legislative session to further regulate the data centers.

Texas GOP pushes for closed primaries

Gov. Greg Abbott and other state GOP leaders declared at the recent state convention in Houston they will push to require voters to register with a party to prevent crossover voting, The Texas Tribune reported.

“We are going to make clear that in the future, only Republicans will vote in Republican primaries,” he said at the Houston convention. The party has made closing primaries a top legislative priority. The state’s current open-primary system doesn’t require party registration, so voters can cast ballots in whichever primary they want — just not both.

The Texas Republican Party sued Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson last year and was later joined by Attorney General Ken Paxton in asking a federal judge to strike down parts of the election code allowing open primaries. Nelson, who is stepping down next month, opposed Paxton’s motion and argued it is up to the Legislature to change election law.

Court: Ban barring weed user from owning guns unlawful

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week a Texas man’s conviction for possessing both marijuana and a pistol under an existing law preventing “unlawful” drug users from owning guns was unconstitutional. Both gun rights groups and civil liberties advocates filed briefs urging the court to take Ali Hemani’s side. He challenged the law after being arrested in 2022 by federal agents who found a pistol and 60 grams of weed when his home was searched.

His attorneys argued the law violated his Second Amendment rights and was vague since it does not define “unlawful user.”

“Is someone who uses a controlled substance once a year, ‘an unlawful user’? What about someone who uses that substance every six months, or every two weeks?” they argued. “Does it matter how much one consumes, or only how frequently one does so? The statute does not say.”

Adding to the issues in the case is that marijuana is legal to some degree in more than 40 states. Texas has a limited medical marijuana program.

Screwworm cases up to 15

As of June 21, the number of confirmed New World screwworm cases totaled 15. The Texas Animal Health Commission has placed a quarantine on parts of Coke, Edwards, Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, Schleicher, Sutton, Tom Green, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb and Zavala counties. All warm-blooded animals in a quarantine zone may not be moved without prior authorization from TAHC.

Federal and state agencies are working together to eradicate the NWS by introducing sterile male flies into affected areas. Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a statewide disaster proclamation in response. The pest lays its eggs in open wounds, then the eggs hatch into larvae that feast on living flesh. While it is mostly found in cattle, one case has been found in a dog.

TAHC is urging livestock and pet owners to stay vigilant, monitor their animals, and report any suspicions of NWS infestations by calling 1-800-550-8242.

State: Camps had chances to prevent July 4 tragedy 

A state investigation has concluded the deaths of 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic last summer were not inevitable, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Investigators found the camp “failed to meet emergency planning requirements, train its staff or evacuate quickly despite multiple chances to prevent the tragedy.”

The report said as the Guadalupe River flooded, at least 39 adult staff members were within reach of the children and, for hours, could have safely assisted with evacuations. Camp leader Richard “Dick” Eastland died in the flood, along with as many as 13 children and counselors, according to investigators.

The 115-page report was presented to a joint legislative committee last week, as several parents of children who died in the floods listened. Lawmakers have created new regulations that require emergency address systems, ban camps from being in floodplains and mandate redundant internet access to improve awareness of weather emergencies.

“We owe it to the victims and their families to learn every lesson that’s possible, and to ensure that those lessons result in meaningful action,” said the chairman of the Senate flood investigative committee, Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton.

Paxton’s platform short on specifics, but for crypto bill 

State Attorney General Ken Paxton’s platform in his bid to be the state’s next U.S. senator is mostly devoid of specifics, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The one piece of legislation he argues is critical is a cryptocurrency bill called the CLARITY Act. Supporters say it would bring stability to the crypto market, which uses a digital form of cash.

The law was passed by the U.S. House a year ago but is stuck in the Senate. Critics include some of the country’s largest unions and banks, who say it doesn’t provide sufficient consumer protections or safeguards against money laundering.

The bill is the only piece of legislation named on Paxton’s website. He also vows to “carry the torch for Trump’s agenda.”

He faces Democrat James Talarico, a state House representative and former teacher, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.

Vote-by-mail is also called vote-at-home or absentee voting. It’s increasing throughout the United States because it’s a great way to improve voter turnout, reduce election costs and maintain security.

The Vote at Home Institute is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to ensuring the security of our elections and putting voters needs first. In the 2024 general election, 11.3 million citizens voted in Texas, only 61% of registered voters. This puts Texas near the bottom of all states in voter participation.

In Kendall County, 29,563 folks voted in the general election for 76% turnout. We should be proud that we eclipse Texas as a whole, but our state’s turnout should be much better.

In February, the Vote at Home Institute reviewed state voting policies. They ranked states using 15 criteria; the higher the number, the more voter friendly. As you might imagine, Texas only got 16 out of a possible 65 points, where states like Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, California, Washington, Nevada and Hawaii were all over 55 points. They all use the voteat- home system. Connecticut, a liberal-leaning state, actually scored worse than Texas with only 12 points.

On the positive side, thanks to great work by our elections office, countywide voting was implemented in 2019. This is definitely voter-friendly and means we can vote in any polling place in the county, not just in our precinct.

Some Republicans in the Texas Legislature want to eliminate countywide voting, which is a terrible idea. The election equipment that Kendall County uses continues to perform wonderfully. It has the advantage of creating a paper ballot that could be used to verify election results.

This is not unlike what happens with a vote-at-home system. However, the vote-athome system is much easier for the voter, because voters don’t have to take time off work, travel to a polling place or stand in lines. Voters can spend as long as they want reviewing their ballot at home.

Efforts by the current administration to curtail vote-by-mail must be stopped. The American Civil Liberty Union is fighting this draconian effort to restrict voting in court and had this to say: “The Constitution is clear: the states and Congress — not the president — set the rules for our elections. The Trump administration is attempting to seize that power for itself with an unlawful and dangerous executive order. The order is already interfering with plaintiffs’ essential work helping American citizens vote. We won’t let the Trump administration continue to trample on the fundamental right to vote.”

Ironically, the current president used a mail-in ballot in the recent primary.

In a vote-at-home system, envelopes are coded to match each voter and are sent to voters securely through the U.S. Postal Service. Ballots are not forwarded if voters have moved without updating their registration information. Voter lists are compared to updated address databases.

Envelopes containing ballots are returned with signatures that must be verified against the voter registration file. Also, an ID number or last four digits of the voters’ Social Security number must be provided.

In Kendall County, a board made up of people from both parties check and verify these ballots. After the verification process, the ballot is removed from the envelope and the ballot heads to the counting process. These protections ensure secrecy and reduce the possibility of voter fraud.

We should not restrict access to the vote but make it easier instead. Unfortunately, in Texas, voter suppression is alive and well. It takes the form of extreme gerrymandering, over-the-top ID requirements, and some of the most restrictive voter registration rules in the country.

Recently enacted Texas voting laws will further inhibit citizens’ access to the polls. In Kendall County, our election officials and poll workers, who come from both parties, do an outstanding job of conducting our elections. Expanding mail-in/absentee voting would be a great way to improve voter turnout, strengthen our election security and secure our democracy for future generations.

Visit our website at www. kcdems.us or subscribe to our newsletter to learn how you can get involved. Call our office at 830-331-1243 to learn more about our activities and activism.

Kevin Henning is a local Democrat

As temperatures rise and storm season approaches, it’s a good idea to review your homeowners insurance policy.

Tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and other natural disasters can strike with little warning. If your coverage is outdated, you could find yourself without adequate protection when you need it most.

Many people set up a policy but rarely revisit it. But rising costs and changing risks in your area can affect the coverage you need and how much it costs. By reviewing your policy now, you can help identify gaps in coverage before an emergency exposes them.

To check that your homeowner’s policy protects against a natural disaster’s damage, consider these three things:

Coverage amounts. These should reflect what it would cost to rebuild your home in today’s market, not what you paid for it years ago. One option is to add inflation protection, which automatically adjusts coverage amounts based on current costs in your area.

Personal property coverage.

Make a list of important belongings and their estimated values to gauge whether your existing coverage is adequate. Keep in mind that high-value items, such as jewelry or fine art, may require additional coverage.

Loss of Use or Additional Living Expenses (ALE). If a disaster makes your home unlivable, this coverage helps pay for hotel stays, temporary apartment rentals and even extra meal costs while your home is being repaired or rebuilt. These costs can add up, so this coverage can be a big help during a crisis.

Standard homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover every disaster and typically excludes floods – including those that follow a hurricane – and earthquakes. These require separate policies. If you live in an area prone to either, those add-ons could be worth the additional expense.

If your premiums feel too high, there are ways to lower them without sacrificing coverage. You might qualify for savings with automatic payments or by bundling your home and auto policies. Raising your deductible is another option, although it means you’ll pay more out of pocket before coverage kicks in, so make sure your emergency fund can handle the difference.

If you need help after a disaster, contact your insurance agent or broker quickly. Keep their information somewhere you can access at any moment, even if your phone is dead or the power is out. It’s also smart to keep your financial adviser’s contact information handy for help assessing the financial impact of a disaster and prioritizing short-term cash needs.

It’s also a good idea to review your homeowner’s policy at least every five years. You might need to review it sooner if something could affect your coverage needs, such as a home renovation or a significant increase in construction costs. Ongoing reviews help ensure your coverage keeps pace with your home’s value and the risks in your area. The time you spend going over your policy now could save you stress when it matters most.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser. Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Keynote speaker State Sen. Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton) addressed the graduating class and their families, encouraging the new troopers as they prepare to begin their careers serving and protecting communities across Texas.

“Protecting and serving Texans with integrity, excellence, teamwork and accountability is a recognized hallmark of this department’s great history – one these graduates will carry forward,” Flores said. During the 30-week in-resident Training Academy, recruits receive more than 1,198 hours of instruction. Comprehensive training is taught by experts on various topics including criminal and traffic law enforcement, crash investigation, crisis intervention, use of force, criminal investigations, communications, cultural diversity, fitness and wellness and emergency medical assistance.

Recruits also receive components of the Tactical Emergency Casualty Care training to include trauma assessment, bleeding control, and treatment of shock. The training prepares them to work as Highway Patrol Troopers anywhere in the state, including remote areas and extreme terrain.

Highlights of the class include:

• Ages ranging from 21 to 51.

• 20 military veterans (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force).

• 26 speak more than one language.

• Five graduates are DPS legacies.

Also in attendance were members of the Public Safety Commission, including Chairman Steven P. Mach and Commissioners Nelda Luce Blair, Dan Hord, III and Larry B. Long.

DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin, Lt. Colonel Jason Taylor, Lt. Colonel Walt Goodson and other DPS leadership were also present to congratulate Class D-2025 and officially welcome them to DPS.

“Today marks the beginning of a remarkable career of service for these 69 new Texas Highway Patrol Troopers,” Martin said. “The training they have completed has prepared them to meet the challenges of modern law enforcement with professionalism, integrity and courage. As they report to communities across Texas, they will carry forward the proud tradition of protecting and serving the people of this state.”

Recruits concluded their rigorous training with the Field Training Exercise (FTX) — a culmination of scenarios and training events that simulate a potential day in the life of a Highway Patrol Trooper.

Utilizing the skills and knowledge obtained throughout the Training Academy, Recruits participate in approximately 25 scenarios ranging from vehicle pursuits to compliant driver traffic stops.

Class D-2025 also participated in the traditional Legacy Run. The five-mile run departed early on the morning of June 10 from DPS headquarters and ended at the Texas State Capitol. DPS first implemented the run, which was originally an eight-mile route, in 2008 to mark the completion of the Training Academy. DPS recruits are accompanied by their instructors, members of DPS leadership and oftentimes DPS retirees.

Editor, There was a lot of suspicious stuff in the June 9 Kendall County Commissioner’s Court meeting — see agenda items 10-14, 22, 23, 28, 31 and 32 — but the one that really caught my eye was Item 15 concerning road classifications in Kendall County and “establishing a process for future County roads.”

Some readers may recall that on Aug. 14, 2023, the Commissioner’s Court rejected the city of Boerne’s Thoroughfare Plan outside the city limits of Boerne (i.e., “Boerne ETJ”). The Commissioner’s Court went further on April 4, 2026, and suspended the Kendall County Thoroughfare Plan, which had been approved by the Court in 2022.

But just last week in the wake of the recent county election, it looks like the lame duck county judge and the embattled county engineer are trying to revive this plan through a further classification refinement of current and future county roads.

Eight of the roads listed in this agenda item are also listed on Boerne’s adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan. This “dovetailing” between the city plan and the county classifications is indeed troublesome, since it would encourage more land speculation along these routes and potential eminent domain in the unincorporated county.

Fortunately, three of the commissioners successfully called for a tabling of this item until the next Court is seated in January 2027. At that time, workshops need to be called before there is any final vote so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes from ten years ago involving the Kendall Gateway project.

— Lance Kyle Kendall County resident

HLIGHTS

Texas high school students showed improvement in every subject in this spring’s end-of-course State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams, the Texas Education Agency reported.

The results include evaluations in Algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history. The biggest improvement was in biology, with 71% of students meeting expectations, up 9%.

“These results reflect the hard work of Texas students, educators and families and demonstrate that focused instruction and high expectations continue to produce positive outcomes for students across our state,” said Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “These results may also be reflective of the Legislature’s ban of cellphone use in classrooms, so that students are better able to stay focused on their schoolwork while at school.”

Parents and families can access their child’s individual STAAR EOC results through their school district’s family portal or by visiting TexasAssessment. gov and using the unique access code provided by their child’s school.

STAAR results for students in grades three to eight will be available this week.

Schools will begin phasing out STAAR end-of-year testing beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.

Charter school boom could bust

The pace of growth of charter schools in Texas slowed this past school year, with experts warning the enrollment drops facing traditional school districts could begin to affect charters, The Texas Tribune reported.

With declining birth rates, the growth of vouchers, and increased immigration enforcement, experts say the growth of charter schools may soon reverse.

“They’re headed to a cliff, for sure,” said Bob Templeton, a senior consultant at Austin-based public policy firm STRIVE. “And I don’t know if it’s going to be next year, but it could definitely be within five years.”

Texas public schools this past year experienced their first non-pandemic enrollment decline in nearly 40 years, with 76,000 fewer students. The drop was primarily among Hispanic students in traditional neighborhood campuses. Charter schools still increased enrollment, but at a lower rate. They now educate roughly 446,000 students, or 8% of the state’s nearly 5.5 million public school students.

“It was the changes in immigration enforcement that caused the enrollment to turn the way that it turned this year, especially as it relates to the Hispanic community,” said Templeton.

Abbott, Rollins update Texans on screwworm response 

Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins briefed the public on the state and federal governments’ ongoing response to the threat posed by the New World screwworm. There have been 11 confirmed cases in Texas as of June 15.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is importing and dispersing sterile male flies to combat the invasion, and the Texas Animal Health Commission has designated five “infested zones” that include Coke, Edwards, Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, Sutton, Tom Green, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb and Zavala counties.

Warm-blooded animals must pass an inspection before being authorized for shipment outside an affected area.

“Sterile flies are the well-established solution to the spread of the New World screwworm,” Abbott said.

Ranchers and livestock owners are urged to remain vigilant by checking animals daily and treating wounds promptly. The screwworm lays its larvae in open wounds.

Texans are urged to report any suspected New World screwworm cases in livestock to the health commission at 1-800-550-8242 and report suspected wildlife cases to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at 512-389-4505.

Texas leader in solar growth 

Texas is leading the country in new solar capacity, installing 50% more than any other state in the first quarter of 2026, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

Across the nation, solar generation and battery storage accounted for 91% of new energy capacity.

“Texas is actually soon to overtake California for the most total installed solar capacity,” said Daniel Giese, state director for the Solar Energy Industries Association. California now has 55.5 gigawatts of installed capacity, barely exceeding Texas’ 53.5 gigawatts.

A separate report from a global energy think tank showed that nationally, solar supplied more electricity than coal in May for the first time. Solar accounted for 12.8% of U.S. energy last month, while coal dropped to 12.2%. In Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects solar to exceed coal for the first time later this year.

The growth in data centers is a major reason for the growth in new solar capacity in Texas, since it can come online quickly.

Abbott takes aim at data centers 

Gov. Greg Abbott has directed electric regulators and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the agency that oversees the electric grid, to require new data centers to pay for the power and infrastructure needed to power their operations, The Dallas Morning News reported. The explosive growth in the centers is sparking fears they will drive up consumer electric bills.

The governor further ordered the Public Utility Commission to ensure that new data centers trim residential electric bills.

“Data centers must operate in ways that reduce costs for residential electricity customers, do not drain water needed for our communities and take into consideration the needs of our neighborhoods,” Abbott said in a statement.

He has also proposed new laws in next year’s legislative session that would repeal a data center sales tax exemption that could cost the state billions of dollars in tax revenue, require data centers to use water-efficient technologies, and report electric and water usage.

Agency to set rules on using fracking wastewater on farms

Lawmakers have directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to lead the charge in setting water quality guidelines for using treated oilfield wastewater on Texas farmland, The Texas Tribune reported.

As the state’s demand for water grows, lawmakers have invested millions of dollars studying ways to treat the billions of gallons of toxic wastewater produced from fracking operations so it can be used for irrigation purposes. Each site where the water is to be used will require its own permit, including limits on pollutants before the water is released, and reporting requirements “as necessary to ensure protection of human health and the environment,” said Laura Lopez, a TCEQ spokeswoman.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.

Saving for retirement is important, but it’s only part of the picture.

If you’re within five to 10 years of your target retirement date, it’s time to start thinking about what you actually want your retirement to look like. After all, getting to retirement isn’t the end goal — it’s what you want to do once you’re there that matters.

Start by asking yourself these five questions.

1. When do you want to retire?

The age at which you retire matters more than you may realize.

Early sounds appealing, but it means saving more and having less time to do it. It can also create gaps in health care coverage and income before key benefits kick in.

For example, Social Security benefits can begin at 62, but at a reduced amount. Full benefits are available between ages 66 and 67, depending on birth year, and waiting until 70 means the maximum benefit.

Medicare doesn’t start until age 65, and penalty-free withdrawals from retirement accounts generally aren’t allowed until age 59½.

For couples, timing gets even more complicated. Staggering retirement dates can sometimes maximize benefits; in other cases, retiring at the same time works better.

A financial adviser can help you sort through these decisions and find the approach that makes the most sense for your situation.

2. How do you want to spend your time in retirement? Many new retirees are surprised to find that having unlimited free time feels disorienting rather than freeing.

Thinking ahead about how to fill the days with meaningful activity – whether that’s travel, volunteering, pursuing hobbies or spending more time with family – can make the transition smoother.

It helps to sketch out what a typical week, month or even first year might look like. If there are big gaps, it’s worth thinking now about what might fill them in rewarding ways.

3. Where do you want to live as a retiree? Some retirees stay put, while others downsize or relocate entirely. Either way, it’s wise to consider whether a chosen location will work well as you get older, taking into account factors like proximity to family, access to health care, cost of living and climate.

4. What will your retirement lifestyle cost? It’s not uncommon for retirees to discover that their travel, entertainment or leisure expenses were higher than expected. The more active and involved you plan to be, the more you will likely need to budget.

5. Does your retirement involve giving back? Retirement often brings both the time and motivation to be more generous. Whether the goal is helping family members, donating to charity or volunteering in the community, it’s worth defining those goals and building them into an overall plan.

Now that your vision is taking shape, turn it into a plan. Work with your financial advisor to align your savings with the life you want — and revisit that plan as your priorities evolve so your retirement keeps pace with you.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Two weeks have passed since California’s primary election, and we still don’t know for sure who will advance to the November runoff. Final results are not expected for another three weeks.

This is beyond absurd. While Republican candidates were either leading or a close second in key races, as more mail in ballots were delivered the situation rapidly changed.

This is not a definitive sign of fraud yet offers comfort to those who claim that some elections are rigged. It’s imperative that our citizens view elections as being conducted with complete integrity and fairness.

Consider some of California’s odd election procedures.

Ballots are mailed to every registered voter; these ballots can either be mailed in or physically returned to an elections office. Yet, what if a person recently moved out of state and there has been no forwarding address provided? The opportunity for fraud exists.

Same-day voter registration is allowed, so conceivably a person could drive from another state, claim to be a California resident, provide a bogus address (possibly a willing friend or political activist), and then cast a ballot.

Ballot harvesting is allowed in California. This means that a paid political activist (think George Soros funded) could go to one of the many homeless camps that proliferate in California, register voters, then have them cast ballots for favored candidates in return for a free meal.

Amazingly, according to California election law, a late-arriving mail-in ballot missing a postmark can still be counted so long as it arrives by seven days after Election Day.

It’s conceivable that partisan activists could see how far behind their preferred candidate is on election night, then work to round up the votes needed by simply writing in the election day on the ballot envelope as “proof” that the ballot was mailed by Election Day.

All the examples cited don’t require voter photo ID and utilize mail in ballots, and each one is an absolute invitation to fraud.

Making matters worse, California is far behind in purging voter rolls of people who have died or moved out of state.

If you were to ask any reputable elections administrator in Texas (and Kendall County has one of the very best if not best in our state), they will tell you that potential fraud can occur in an uncontrolled mail-in ballot system.

This is not to say that all mail in ballot systems are fraudulent. They are not. As a college student I voted by mail in every election. I was required to fill out and sign an application. The system worked well.

Two of the three largest states in the U.S., Florida and Texas, have strong mail-in ballot policies. Of the 11 million ballots cast in Florida in the 2024 presidential election, 3 million were mail-in ballots. All votes had been counted in Florida by 11 p.m. on Election Day. Texas counts all of its ballots by noon the day after Election Day.

It is often noted by political analysts that late-returned mail in ballots in California skew heavily to far-left candidates. Indeed, in the Los Angeles mayoral race, Socialist Nithya Raman was far behind Spencer Pratt for a week until late arriving “mail in ballots” were counted.

Once again, the fact that late-returned mail in ballots skew strongly in one direction is not full proof of corruption, but it begs a very basic question, “Why can’t California elections be above reproach as they are in Florida or Texas?”

California’s incompetent method of conducting elections can only breed mistrust among voters, and this is not good. Let’s remember this the next time that Democrats claim that “they are defending democracy.”

Undoubtedly when Republicans claim that impropriety may exist, Democrats will cry racism and voter suppression. Yet there have been no verified complaints about the inability to cast a ballot since Texas’ photo ID law went into effect, and our revised mail-in ballot procedures work well.

Interestingly, Mexico uses voter ID, as do most African countries. Yet in the U.S. that’s considered racist by some political partisans.

Shouldn’t conducting elections with strong verifiable controls and procedures be the standard that we all agree on, regardless of political affiliation?

Rich Sena is a Kendall County Republican.

For a growing district like Boerne ISD, maintaining a strong land portfolio is essential to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Strategic land acquisitions allow the district to plan proactively rather than being forced into costly decisions driven by immediate need. In a community like ours, opportunities to acquire property with existing utility infrastructure are rare.

When a site offers both long-term value and operational efficiency, it represents a smart investment in the future of Boerne ISD.

The district expanded its land portfolio with the purchase of 70 acres in the Southwest corner of the district in May 2025, and the recent purchase of 31 acres off North Main. This expanded land portfolio allows us to strategically plan for future needs.

Planning for both properties is driven by demographic trends and feedback from our community. From 2020 to 2022, Boerne ISD faced record enrollment growth and the need to expand capacity during a particularly challenging construction environment. The projects funded through Bond 2022 were instrumental in helping the district meet those demands and lay the foundation for where we are today.

The construction of Viola Wilson Elementary was completed for $36 million. Today, comparable elementary schools across the region are costing approximately $60 million to build, underscoring the value of delivering this project when we did.

Strategic expansions at Boerne High School and Champion High School have added 768 student seats, directly supporting growth in our specialized P-TECH pathways focused on health science and cybersecurity careers. The classroom addition at Boerne High School was completed for $10.8 million, while the Champion High School addition was delivered for $18.2 million.

Together, these investments expanded capacity and enhanced academic opportunities at a fraction of the cost of constructing a new high school, which now approaches $300 million in many neighboring districts and communities.

Today, Boerne ISD is experiencing more moderate growth, providing an opportunity to thoughtfully revisit and refine our long-term vision for future growth and facility needs.

Our theme for this school year was “Legacy Built, Future Ready.” That theme reflects both where we’ve been and where we’re headed. I am incredibly proud of our students and staff and the dedication, excellence, and heart they bring to our schools each day. Families are drawn to this community because of its people, traditions, and small-town character. They choose to stay because of the opportunities ahead and the shared commitment to building a bright future together.

Dr, Kristin Craft is superintendent for the Boerne Independent School District

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration late last week after the New World screwworm was found in two newborn calves in South Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The cases have been identified in Zavala County, about 5.6 miles apart. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said a strike team was on site and restrictions were in place to prevent the movement of cattle.

“We have, in the past, prevented as well as eradicated this pest, and we can do it again,” Abbott said.

The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays eggs in open wounds, nearly always in cattle. In the past, sterile male flies have proven effective in eradicating infestations. The federal government is building a $750 million facility to produce sterilized flies, but it won’t be complete until November 2027.

In the meantime, the government is purchasing sterile flies from a facility in Panama and using federal funds to revamp another facility in Mexico. However, total fly production from those two plants accounts for only 40% of what is needed, The News reported.

State officials have stressed the New World screwworm does not pose a food or disease risk to humans. A widespread infestation could further drive up beef prices, already elevated by a ban on importing Mexican cattle and a drop in domestic production.

Record power demand likely this summer

A hot summer and exponential growth in power-hungry data centers could mean Texas uses more power than ever before, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

ERCOT, which operates most of the state’s power grid, is forecasting demand will reach 92 gigawatts this summer, breaking the previous record of 85.5 gigawatts set during the 2023 summer heat wave, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Despite the anticipated demand, Pablo Vegas, ERCOT’s chief executive officer, said there is a low risk of blackouts this summer.

“As we continue to see (power demand) growth coming on, that profile and picture obviously can evolve, and we expect it to evolve,” Vegas said. “But what we have published at this point is still showing fairly adequate capacity and low likelihood of emergency conditions going into the June and July months.”

ERCOT has the legal authority to order large power users, such as data centers and cryptocurrency miners, to reduce their power draw from the grid if necessary. According to ERCOT, the risk of rolling blackouts has dropped because nearly 11 gigawatts of new power capacity has been added since last summer.

That’s enough to supply more than 2.7 million households on the hottest summer days, Vegas said.

Secretary of State Nelson stepping down

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced last week she will resign effective July 17 from the position she has held since 2023, the Texas Standard reported.

“It has been my goal to ensure that voting in Texas is secure, accessible and fair,” Nelson said in a press release. “We have worked extensively to ensure accurate voter rolls and to educate voters about what they need to know to vote with confidence.”

Abbott is responsible for appointing her successor.

“Secretary Jane Nelson has been a true champion for the people of Texas and an extraordinary secretary of state,” he said.

Nelson served in the Texas Senate for 30 years before being appointed to her current role. That office oversees the state’s elections.

Backers of Texas Dream Act head to court

Thousands of non-citizen college students last year lost access to in-state tuition when a federal judge blocked the Texas Dream Act, passed 25 years earlier. Now, a coalition of immigration nonprofits, a student group and Austin Community College are fighting that ruling, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

They have asked the 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals to overturn that order, issued last June.

The appellate court heard arguments last week that the Dream Act should be restored. The Legislature passed it in 2001, guaranteeing in-state tuition for students who had lived in Texas for at least three years and graduated from a Texas high school. The measure was signed by then-Gov. Rick Perry.

Students without legal status are not eligible for federal financial aid or government loans. The end of the Dream Act means those students must pay much higher tuition rates. For example, at ACC, students who lost access to in-state tuition saw their credit-hour tuition rates nearly quadruple.

Tax break approved for SpaceX’s chipmaking project 

Grimes County officials approved a tax break for a $55 billion chipmaking facility that SpaceX proposes to build outside College Station. The Houston Chronicle reported the project could create 1,800 jobs, but it has prompted concerns from residents that it could change their rural lifestyle and adversely affect property values.

Four of the five county commissioners voted to waive SpaceX’s property taxes in exchange for SpaceX paying the county $10 million up front and $20 million a year for 35 years. The facility is still in its early stages.

“Texas is where the integrated circuit was born and where the future of the semiconductor industry is being built,” Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Gov. Greg Abbott, said in a statement.

Elon Musk’s company is building Terafab to create chips for its Starlink broadband internet satellites and other future projects. Its hub is expected to be located near the Gibbons Creek Reservoir, previously used to cool a coal-fired power plant.

One commissioner expressed concern about a lack of information ahead of last week’s meeting.

“I don’t think that we’ve had honest negotiation with SpaceX, to this point, to allow the core of our constituency to be informed of what’s at stake,” Commissioner David Tullos said.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@ texaspress.com.

What financial conversations should I have with my fiancé?

Head into your marriage with honest conversations about money, including these four topics:

• Discuss how your families handled finances when you were young, whether you’re a spender or saver and what debt you’re willing to take on.

• Share how much you earn, spend and save. Discuss assets and debts, including mortgages, student or auto loans and credit card balances; your partner’s debt can become joint debt after marriage.

• Align on a budget as a couple that reflects the life you want to build – where you’ll live; what you’ll spend on housing, travel and hobbies; and how often you’ll review your finances together.

• Talk through your goals. Make separate lists of short-, medium- and long-term financial dreams and compare them. You’ll likely find some common ground, and where you don’t, look for ways to compromise. A financial advisor can help.

Should I ask for a prenup?

Couples with significantly different assets or debts, those expecting large inheritances or those blending families are more likely to want to consider a prenuptial agreement.

A prenup outlines how assets, debts, future income, inheritance and even spousal support will be handled during the marriage and if it ends, but it cannot address child custody.

Should my new spouse and I blend our finances?

Regarding couples blending finances, there’s no one right answer. Some couples combine everything, others keep accounts separate and many land somewhere in between.

Agree on who pays which bills, how major decisions get made and what spending threshold triggers a check-in.

What financial tasks should we complete after getting married?

Once you’re married, these six tasks deserve attention.

• Take advantage of the special enrollment period, which typically lasts 30 days after getting married, to update employer benefits such as health insurance. Revisit retirement plan contributions if your combined income has grown.

• Review insurance coverage. Combining homeowners or renters, auto and umbrella policies can often reduce costs. Make sure you have enough life insurance.

• Update beneficiaries on insurance policies, retirement plans, investment accounts, bank accounts and real estate.

• If you change your name, order multiple copies of your marriage certificate. You’ll need them to update your Social Security card, financial accounts, and employer and medical records.

• Update your W-4 withholding to reflect your new marital status and ask a tax professional whether filing jointly or separately makes more sense.

• Work with an attorney to create or update your will, medical directive, and financial and health care powers of attorney. Your estate plan should reflect your new life together.

Marriage is a fresh start

With honest conversations, careful planning and the right professional support, you can build a financial foundation as strong as your relationship.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Here’s what your Democratic candidates will work for, if elected:

• Fully funding Texas public schools and fairly paying teachers. Every child deserves a strong neighborhood public school, but the governor’s elite donors want to suck the money out of them to turn a profit.

The voucher scam is set to drain billions of taxpayer dollars from our schools and Teacher Retirement System, to fund private education for the wealthy few.

• Ensuring quality and accessible healthcare for all. Big insurance and big drug companies put profits over patients. We need to rein in these out-of-control profiteers who are making healthcare more expensive and making Texans sicker.

Texas also has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. By expanding Medicaid, we can ensure more vulnerable Texans get the care they need while bringing billions in federal dollars back to our state.

• Stopping the data center giveaways. For decades, current leadership has failed to address the growing need for water in vast swaths of Texas. Now, tech companies are flocking to Texas to take advantage of our cheap energy to build their facilities.

These data centers are gulping down water, using precious resources that could supply entire towns. With them will come higher water and power bills, dry water wells and no real jobs. These data centers are of, by and for Wall Street. We need comprehensive planning that puts families before industrial giants.

• Strengthening our power grid: We must pass legislation that prevents another tragedy like the one during the February 2021 winter storm. That event left more than 700 Texans dead from complications associated with the failed power grid and ERCOT’s negligence. We will work to invest in fixing our grid to prevent future disasters, and to ensure the safety and protection of residents against the failed management of our power grid by ERCOT.

• Ensuring affordable housing for all. Every Texan deserves the opportunity to own a home. Meanwhile, rent prices should be stable and affordable so young Texans can save and one day purchase a home of their own.

Property taxes and insurance costs need to be reined in, ensuring that people on fixed incomes are not forced out of their homes. We need to streamline local permitting processes and reduce unnecessary regulations that drive up housing costs.

• Restoring trust and accountability in government. The comptroller’s office will use the power of the office to audit the voucher scheme; to expose how much it costs when the state refuses Medicaid expansion; and to stop no-bid contracts to wealthy donors.

An independent attorney general will investigate and prosecute officials – irrespective of political party – not for revenge or persecution, but to preserve the integrity of public service.

• Expanding voting rights and ensuring fair elections. Democrats will work to make voting easier, not harder.

They will work to enact automatic or same-day registration and online registration; to repeal the voter registrar deputization requirement; to legalize sending vote by mail applications to Texans on their 65th birthdays; to ensure universal, no-excuse vote by mail; and to remove undue burdens on students by placing polling locations at all institutions of postsecondary education.

In other words, Democrats will work for you, the voter, and not for their billionaire, out-of-state, voucher-obsessed donors.

This summer, visit our website at www.kcdems. us or subscribe to our newsletter (on our website) to learn how you can get involved in making these changes happen. Call our office at 830331-1243 or stop by (216 E. Blanco, Suite 201) to say hello and learn more about our activities and activism. We’ll see you at the Comfort Independence Day Celebration Parade on July 4.

Laura Bray is the former chair of the Kendall County Democratic Party. Candidate websites and the Texas Democratic Party contributed to this article.

GARY BORDERS

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all public universities and colleges to keep tuition flat for the upcoming academic year, the Austin American- Statesman reported. Abbott first mandated the tuition freeze in 2023. His order also applies to public health institutions and community colleges. “Higher education must be attainable for Texas students and families,” Abbott wrote. “Access to affordable, high-quality higher education is essential to ensure Texans learn the skills needed to secure family-sustaining jobs and meet the demands of a growing workforce.”

Most Texas public universities charge between $10,000 and $12,000 for annual in-state tuition, according to Robert Kelchen, a higher education professor at the University of Tennessee specializing in finance.

“Overall, Texas is in a pretty enviable position for higher education funding,” Kelchen said, noting “the state funds higher ed pretty well, tuition is fairly modest, and then all the money coming from the oil fund.”

Paxton: Unify GOP after runoff victory

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his allies began working to repair fissures among GOP voters after he routed incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the March 26 runoff, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Both Paxton and his general election opponent, Democratic nominee James Talarico, swiftly went on the attack in what promises to be the most expensive Senate general election race in history.

“The future of Texas and the future of America is on the line, and I intend to do everything I can to expand our movement,” Paxton told supporters in Plano.

Talarico is seeking to appeal to Republicans and independents who balked at supporting Paxton during the primary campaign. The attorney general has been embroiled in several scandals since being elected in 2014.

Talarico called his opponent “morally unfit” for office.

“This November, working Texans — Democrats, independents and Republicans alike — are going to come together to defeat the most corrupt politician in America and the broken political system that he represents,” said Talarico, a Texas House representative.

Hill Country ranch will be second-largest state park 

Nearly 54,000 acres of a former Hill Country ranch will soon become the second-largest park in Texas, The Texas Tribune reported.

The former Silver Lake Ranch features steep canyons and rolling hills about 150 miles west of San Antonio, between Rocksprings and Uvalde in Kinney and Edwards counties.

It is the first land purchase made under a $1 billion Centennial Parks Conservation Fund established by the Legislature and approved by voters in 2023. Previously, the ranch was partially owned by the Moody Foundation, which donated its 88% share. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department purchased the remainder of the property for $11.85 million.

“Silver Lake Ranch represents the natural beauty, history and spirit of our state, and we are honored to make this gift to Texas Parks and Wildlife to ensure it remains protected and enjoyed by all Texans for years ahead,” foundation trustee Ross Moody said.

The future park, to be named Silver Lake State Park, features a 30-acre spring-fed lake and miles of frontage along the West Nueces River.

The opening date has not been set.

SpaceX’s Starship grounded after crash

The massive rocket Starship has been grounded again after the lower stage of the rocket plunged into the Gulf of Mexico a few minutes after liftoff, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an investigation into what went wrong. The May 22 mishap forced six aircraft to delay their departures and forced another five into holding patterns, the FAA said. No injuries or damages were reported.

This is the seventh grounding of 12 flights for Starship rockets. SpaceX has approvals to launch and land the craft as many as 25 times a year at its base near Boca Chica Beach in far South Texas.

“A return to flight of the Starship-Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety,” the FAA said.

Researchers: Storms more impactful in urban areas

 Researchers have examined more than two decades of climate data in Texas to understand how urban and rural areas interact with storms, according to the Texas Standard. State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon was part of the research team.

“Probably the biggest finding was how important urban areas were toward individual thunderstorms or smaller-scale collections of thunderstorms,” he said. “Every single city we looked at, the storms were enhanced there — both during the daytime and especially nighttime. There’s a bigger influence in those types of precipitation events.”

Nielsen-Gammon said that while storms are influenced by the presence of cities, often increasing their severity, the extent of that influence depends on the type of storm. The higher temperatures found in cities because of concrete and buildings can affect both the severity and the wind pattern, according to experts.

French getting GOP backing after Railroad runoff win 

Several GOP officials who opposed Bo French’s successful bid to unseat incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright now say they will back him in the general election, the Houston Chronicle reported. That includes Gov. Greg Abbott, Wright’s fellow commissioners Wayne Christian and Christi Craddick, and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham.

“Republicans are UNITED and ready to win in November to keep Texas, TEXAS!” Abbott’s campaign wrote in a post on X.

One notable exception so far is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was among French’s harshest critics. French, the former Tarrant County GOP chairman, has made several controversial statements, including calling for a ban on Islam in Texas.

French will face Jon Rosenthal, a Houston Democrat and oil and gas engineer, in the November general election.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.

On Wednesday, April 22, 1908, Kendall County’s popular and highly respected Sheriff, George August Zoeller, died after shooting himself in the Boerne jail.

As was his daily habit, George Zoeller went to the jail before breakfast. He had recently had a severe illness but seemed to have recovered. His wife, Eleanora, thought that his behavior was somewhat odd because George said he wanted to tell her something but could not.

Zoeller arrived at the jail about 6 a.m. There was one prisoner, locked up on the second floor. At 7 a.m. the prisoner heard a gunshot .

Worried about her husband, Eleanora sent her son, Adolph, to the jail to check on him. There he found a prisoner banging on the bars in a vain attempt to gain someone’s attention and his father, lying mortally on the floor below.

George Zoeller was the son of Helwig Karl Adolph Zoeller and Augusta Elizabeth Wendler. He was born March 13, 1861, on his father’s farm near the Guadalupe River. When he was one year old his father left to go to New Orleans to join the Union Army. He became a captain in the Texas Volunteer Cavalry. George was four at the end of the war and greeted his father’s return home by marching up and down the street playing a toy drum.

In the 1890s, the sheriff also served as the county tax collector. In 1897 there was a dispute between then-Sheriff Albert Bodeman and the county commissioners over Bodeman’s accounting of the tax revenue. Bodeman resigned and Zoeller was appointed to replace him.

Zoeller proved very popular and was reelected sheriff in five elections from 1898 to 1906.

In 1903, The Morning Dallas News published an article about the Sheriff’s Association meeting in San Antonio. They commented on Zoeller by writing, “George Zoeller of Kendall County is the only member at the convention in the ‘Z’ class. Although last on the roll, he is among the first in zeal for the welfare of the organization.”

Zoeller was buried in Boerne Cemetery and a large crowd gathered there for a commemorative service. His obituary read, “As an officer, he was courageous, honest and energetic to an unusual degree.”

“Sharing the Past” is a series organized by the Kendall County Historical Commission www.facebook.com/Kendall-CountyHistoricalCommission.

The writings of Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist, are more than 25 centuries old. A notable aphorism attributed to him states: “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.” In 1799, George Washington wrote that “Offensive operations are the surest, if not the only means of defense.”

I first heard this saying from my college football coach; his aggressive style of defense was aimed directly at our opponents’ weaknesses. Even on defense, we attacked on every play, to produce turnovers, tackles for loss, and superior field position. I played defense and had a blast.

I studied the same approach during officer training in the U.S. Air Force, and then at IBM management training. It is timeless. It even applies to political strategy.

As we approach this year’s midterm elections, let’s remember Sun Tzu’s approach. Let’s take the offensive.

Let’s warn voters that if we lose the House, Democrats will try yet again to impeach President Trump. This ridiculous stunt is a waste of time and bad for our country. Two-thirds of the Senate will not vote to convict the president. Plus, voters are sick and tired of bitter, nasty politics.

Let’s tell voters about our work to eliminate the inflation surge that Biden caused with his reckless spending. The job isn’t done, and Republicans know how to eliminate fraud and waste. Re-elect our GOP leaders and they will finish the job.

Let’s remind voters that Republicans are the party of “ drill, baby, drill,” a policy that has dramatically increased production and given us energy independence. Under GOP leadership, America no longer must buy oil from nations who hate us and chant “Death to America” daily. Texas has led America to becoming a net energy exporter. This is a tremendous strategic advantage for our nation.

Let’s remind voters that Republicans passed the largest tax cut in American history just last year. It passed Congress without a single Democrat vote. The GOP believes that taxpayers should keep more of their hard-earned money and decide for themselves how to spend it.

Let’s remind voters that Biden nominated a U.S. Supreme Court justice who said in her Senate testimony that she was unable to provide a definition for the word “woman.” Despite questions from two Republican senators, she was unable or unwilling. And she serves as a Supreme Court justice today.

Let’s remind voters that the GOP believes in secure borders. We believe that lawbreaking is illegal and that criminal illegal aliens should be deported.

Let’s remind voters that the GOP does not support providing taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants. We believe these benefits should only be for U.S. citizens.

Let’s remind voters that Republicans never supported the “Defund the Police” movement. We are the law-and-order party; we support our police officers. We believe that criminals should be put in jail, and that is how to reduce crime on our streets.

Let’s remind voters that Republicans believe in election integrity. We support strong voter ID requirements, and rock-solid systems to accurately count the votes. We want every voter to have a fair chance to cast a ballot, be assured that only eligible voters can vote, and know that the results will be accurately counted.

Let’s remind voters that Republicans continue to work hard at removing the scourge of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies from our society. We believe that every American should have a fair opportunity to pursue their success and happiness without government programs to tip the scales against any individual.

In the Republican party, we believe much of the above is just plain common sense. We want a limited role for government in our lives. We want the government to defend the country against our enemies, deliver the mail, fix the roads, and defend our rights under the Constitution.

We don’t want the government to provide an answer to every problem. In fact, our great Republican President Reagan said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” We Republicans want the government to get the basics right and then get the heck out of our lives and wallets. Remember that when you vote.

Scott S. Kramer is former Chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party.

As your new graduate prepares to step into the next chapter of life – whether that’s more education or starting a career – one of the best things you can do is help them understand how to use credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards wisely. They can be powerful financial tools, but without some basic knowledge, they can also lead to trouble.

Here are a few things for graduates, whether from high school or graduate school, should know.

Credit cards have benefits — and risks

About 69% of Americans ages 18-29 have at least one credit card, according to the Federal Reserve. They can borrow money up to a set limit, pay it back and borrow again – a cycle known as revolving credit. Used responsibly, credit cards can help build their credit history, cover unexpected expenses and even earn rewards like cash back or travel discounts.

On the cautionary side, if your child or grandchild doesn’t pay the full balance each month, interest charges can accumulate quickly. Carrying a high balance relative to the credit limit can hurt their credit score.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s easy to fall into a debt cycle in which they charge more than they can pay, interest can add up to more than the original purchases cost, and they might even open new cards to cover old ones. It creates a hole that’s hard to climb out of.

The key message is simple: pay off the balance monthly, pay on time and treat the card as a convenience, not a lifeline.

Debit cards can be a good option

Since debit cards draw directly from a bank account, they naturally limit overspending. But they aren’t risk-free. Overdrawing the account can trigger fees, and debit cards generally offer fewer fraud protections than credit cards. Additionally, since you’re spending your own money rather than borrowing, debit cards don’t help build a credit score. Still, for a young person just starting out, a debit card can be a practical way to manage day-to-day spending.

Prepaid cards can help teach the basics

Money is loaded onto the card before use, and your young adult can only spend what’s already on the card. Because of this, there’s no risk of debt, no credit history needed and no bills to pay. Prepaid cards come in several forms. General purpose reloadable cards can be used anywhere cards are accepted. Payroll cards are sometimes used by employers to distribute wages. Gift cards are another option.

The downside is that prepaid cards typically don’t help build a credit history, since transactions usually aren’t reported to credit bureaus. Some also come with fees for activation, reloading or transactions. These fees can add up, so it pays to read the fine print.

Teaching your graduate the difference between these tools, and how to develop good habits for each, can help them build financial confidence for decades to come.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC The key message is simple: pay off the balance monthly, pay on time and treat the card as a convenience, not a lifeline.

When you open a retirement account or buy a life insurance policy, you’re asked to name a beneficiary. It might seem like just another form to fill out, but this simple step can affect your family’s future.

Many people don’t give beneficiary designations much thought after signing the initial paperwork. It may have been years ago, and life has moved on. But this might surprise you: These designations can override what’s in your will or living trust. That means your retirement accounts and insurance proceeds could end up going to someone you didn’t intend, creating what professionals call an accidental inheritance.

Life changes quickly. You might get married, divorced or remarried. You might have children or stepchildren. A loved one might pass away. You may decide to give to your favorite charity. Any of these events could mean it’s time to update your beneficiaries.

The rules can get complicated. For example, after a divorce, some (but not all) states have laws that automatically revoke your beneficiary designations for IRAs, bank accounts and insurance policies.

But no matter where you live in the U.S., the designations for 401(k) plans and pensions stay in place until you change them. In community property states, couples must split 50-50 the assets they acquired during marriage, adding another layer of complexity.

There are other considerations, too. It’s a good idea to name a primary and a contingent beneficiary. If your primary beneficiary dies before you do, the contingent beneficiary receives your assets. Without this backup plan, your carefully considered wishes could go awry.

Naming minor children as direct beneficiaries isn’t usually a good idea. Children can’t legally receive and control assets until they become adults, so a court would have to get involved and appoint a guardian for managing the money. Instead, you might set up a trust or name a custodian to oversee the funds until your children are mature enough to handle them responsibly.

For family members with special needs, you’ll want to be especially careful as about choosing your beneficiary. Some choices may jeopardize their eligibility to receive government benefits such as government disability payments or Medicaid. An estate attorney can help you make important beneficiary decisions. One major benefit of proper beneficiary designations is that they can help your loved ones avoid probate, a time-consuming and potentially expensive legal process.

For these reasons and others, it’s important to review your beneficiary designations regularly, especially after major life events. Contact your retirement account administrator or insurance company to update any outdated information.

A financial advisor can help you understand how your beneficiary choices fit into your financial strategy and ensure your assets go where you want them to go. It may also make sense to work with a legal professional who can help you ensure your beneficiary designations align with your plans for transferring your estate assets.

Don’t leave these important decisions to chance. Taking time now to review and update your beneficiaries can help give you a sense of security and protect the people you love.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Dozens of Texas wind projects have been halted because the Department of Defense has not approved the federal permits required for them to move forward, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Data from the American Clean Power Association indicates the state has 54 wind projects stalled as part of a nationwide delay affecting 165 onshore wind projects.

President Donald Trump has long opposed wind power.

Energy experts such as Environment Texas Executive Director Luke Metzger say the administration is using the regulations, such as ensuring a wind project would not affect military airspace, as an attack on renewable power.

“It’s hard to see this as anything other than an effort to slow or stop wind power regardless of the consequences for consumers, the environment and grid reliability,” Metzger said.

In a statement, a Defense Department official said the military is still evaluating the projects.

The department’s evaluation of wind turbines “is inherently complex and time-consuming because it involves balancing two critical, and sometimes competing, interests: developing energy sources while ensuring military operations and readiness are not degraded or impaired to the extent an unacceptable risk to national security is created,” the official said.

R&D plays vital role in state’s economy

Texas is one of the top five states contributing to research and development, according to a recent report from the State Comptroller’s Office.

The federal Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates R&D’s contribution to gross domestic product “after accounting for the resources used to produce goods and services, employment and compensation from 2012 to 2023.”

The R&D value added by Texas businesses reached $29.2 billion in 2023, a 131% increase from 2012. Further, R&D in the state supplied nearly 195,000 jobs and $30.1 billion in wages, salaries and benefits in 2023.

Texas has 15 Tier 1 colleges and universities, the most in any state. In 2024, more than 11,800 patents were issued in Texas, the second highest in the country, after California.

“When investments are made in research, the returns multiply — strengthening our competitiveness, securing our future and improving the lives of all Texans,” said Fernanda Leite, interim vice president for research at the University of Texas at Austin.

West Nile virus case logged The year’s first case of West Nile virus has been reported in a Harris County resident, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported. The virus is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, though 80% of people infected with West Nile never experience symptoms.

“West Nile and other mosquito- borne illnesses are a fact of life in Texas in the warmer months, and all Texans should take precautions against mosquito bites to stay safe and healthy,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer A. Shuford.

She advised removing standing water from homes and yards, such as in buckets, old tires and other items.

The symptoms experienced by the unlucky 20% include fever, headache, nausea, muscle and joint aches, and fatigue. Though rare, West Nile virus can be fatal.

In the past five years, there have been 976 cases of West Nile in Texas, according to DSHS, with 106 deaths during that period.

Franklin Mountains Park grows by 1,000 more acres 

Franklin Mountains State Park, 15 minutes from El Paso, is now 1,054 acres larger to the east as the result of a new land acquisition, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported.

“I am excited about this acquisition,” said Superintendent Cesar Mendez, “which extends the buffer zone all the way to Martin Luther King Boulevard, adding some lower elevation and flatter land to Franklin Mountains State Park and securing access points (trailheads).”

With 28,000 acres — or 43 square miles — the park is one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the world. It has more than 120 miles of trail and is a popular site with birders.

The acquisition helps safeguard the main mountain area of desert bighorn sheep habitat.

Federal aid approved for Panhandle wildfire victims 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request for grant funds to assist victims of the Hungate Fire in Randall County, which has merged with the Chocolate Chip Fire, burning an estimated 14,000 acres and threatening more than 1,245 homes. Aid has also been granted for the Stinky Fire in Potter County, which has burned more than 2,500 acres and prompted evacuation of more than 500 acres.

“Texas has secured federal resources to further guard against wildfire threats in the Panhandle,” said Gov. Greg Abbott. “With this grant approval, Texas has additional tools to help Texans remain safe from wildfire danger.”

The approval of a Fire Management Assistance Grant makes the state eligible for 75% reimbursement from the federal government for eligible costs associated with wildfire suppression. These grants are available to states, counties and cities to support the mitigation, management and control of fires that threaten to become major disasters.

Broker imposter scams being reported statewide

Several attempted broker-imposter scams over the past few months have prompted the Texas Department of Banking to warn that such ruses could pose a significant threat to financial institutions and consumers.

According to a TDB news release, “consumers are targeted after conducting searches for high-rate investment opportunities. Individuals contacted by the fraudsters are often not existing bank customers and are located across the United States.”

Some red flags to look for are cold calls, an incorrect or bogus email address, low-risk/high-reward offers and unusual funding procedures.

Anyone who is targeted by a broker imposter is encouraged to contact the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority at finra.org.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@ texaspress.com.

Partisan and racial gerrymandering are major contributors to the current polarization in our nation. This polarization has led to a dysfunctional government dominated by extreme views.

Moderate conservative and moderate progressive voters are often left out of the discussion, letting extreme views dominate.

There is an emerging bipartisan effort in Congress to get us back on track, but without the electorate pushing, we may be on the brink of losing our democracy after 250 years.

The Supreme Court’s most recent Voting Rights Act (VRA) decision is part of a trend of decisions that wage war on our constitutional democracy, by allowing states to dilute the political power of minority voters and to silence the voice of moderate voters.

This dilution of power and the corrupting influence of big money in politics seek to stifle the voice of the people.

The 2010 “Citizen’s United” Supreme Court ruling paved the way for huge money to enter politics. The Court’s 2013 “Shelby” decision torpedoed “preclearance,” the most important part of the VRA. Preclearance prevented states like Texas from implementing draconian election rules and drawing racially discriminatory voting districts.

In 2019, the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in the “Rucho” case tragically ruled that federal courts have no authority to address partisan gerrymandering.

In the recent “Louisiana v. Callais” decision, the court eliminated VRA protections that kept lawmakers from drawing districts that dilute the political power of minorities. The VRA was the most important piece of the movement to bring racial justice to the United States.

The court is saying racial discrimination is not an issue, that it no longer exists, when of course it does.

We are also seeing ridiculous legislation like the SAVE Act, fortunately stalled in the Senate. Under the guise of improving voter security, this legislation just wants to make it harder for folks to vote.

So racial discrimination is now OK, and the curse of political gerrymandering is all the rage. Political gerrymandering creates tremendous distortions in representation. The League of Women Voters had this to say: “Political and racial gerrymandering distorts and undermines representative democracy. It allows officials to choose their voters rather than voters choosing who represents them. Especially when done for purposes of racial discrimination and/or to ensure the dominance of one political party, gerrymandering runs counter to equal voting rights for all.

“The lack of moderate winners reduces the ‘moderate middle’ and makes cooperation between parties more difficult, leading to hyper-partisanship.”

Gerrymandering remains unpopular among a vast majority of voters, yet it is getting worse. Republicans hope the new Texas congressional map will give the GOP 30 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats, up from 25 which was already unfair. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gives the red Texas congressional map an “F” in partisan fairness and how oddly the districts are shaped.

Blue Illinois also gets an “F” and has some of the most unfair maps in the nation. Take a look at our Texas 21 Congressional District; it looks like some kind of space monster.

Partisan gerrymandering must stop for the good of America. Moderates must regain a voice in government.

Congress can ban partisan gerrymandering and bring back fairness. The 2022 Freedom to Vote Act was an attempt to tackle the issue but failed in the U. S. Senate. Finally, Republicans and Democrats are starting to see that we must have uniform national standards.

In Texas, we must push our legislature to establish a non-partisan redistricting commission and we must elect a governor who won’t veto that legislation.

The Brennan Center for Justice is a champion of voting rights and fairness; they sum up the situation: “Abandoning the solemn commitment America made to guarantee equal representation regardless of race is a grave threat to our system of governance. And the fact that the Supreme Court has done it to enable partisan gamesmanship offends that legacy.”

The forces that seek to divide us must be challenged. How wonderful to see the Texas Supreme Court repudiate Abbott’s attempt to remove Democratic State Rep. Gene Wu from office because of his redistricting protect. Perhaps this is the first step.

To learn more about our advocacy and activities, check out the Kendall County Democratic Party website: kcdems.us.

Kevin Henning is a local Democrat

A 529 education savings plan might sound like something only families with college-bound kids need. But the versatility of a 529 account may surprise you, whether your child heads to a four-year university, a trade school or elsewhere.

1. 529 plan tax benefits.

Earnings in a 529 plan grow free from federal taxes, and withdrawals used for qualified education expenses are also federally taxfree. While 529 contributions are not federally deductible, many states allow a deduction on your state return.

Despite their tax advantages, just 14% of adults include a 529 plan in their education savings strategy, according to a 2025 Edward Jones and Morning Consult study. Instead, most families rely on traditional personal savings accounts.

2. Can a 529 and non-traditional colleges.

Beyond four-year colleges, you can use 529 funds for community colleges, graduate schools and vocational programs. Apprenticeships in fields like plumbing, electrical work and welding qualify too, provided they are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor.

If your child earns a scholarship, you can withdraw up to that amount from your 529 account without penalty, though earnings may still be taxable.

3. What does a 529 plan cover beyond tuition?

Qualified costs for 529 plan withdrawals include books, supplies, computers, internet access and educational software. For students enrolled at least half time, room and board also qualify, including off-campus housing up to what the school sets as its cost of attendance.

Recent changes in the law expanded 529 plan qualified expenses. Some new eligible expenses include certain testing fees, instructional materials, academic tutoring, and educational therapies for students with disabilities.

For K-12, you can use up to $20,000 from your 529 account per year for tuition, certain tutoring and curriculum materials.

4. What if I don’t use all the money in my 529 account?

If one child doesn’t need the 529 funds, you can transfer that account to a sibling, another qualifying family member or even yourself. You can also use 529 funds to pay up to $10,000 in student loans, roll them into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary up to $35,000 (subject to certain limits and criteria) or roll them into a disability savings account (ABLE account) for the beneficiary or a family member.

With so many options for investing, withdrawals and redirecting the money, a 529 plan is one of the more flexible tools available for families thinking about education costs. A financial advisor can walk you through the details and help you choose a plan that fits your overall financial strategy.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Foreword -R.G. Tomlinson In November 1997 a spokesman for Ku Klux Klan said that they were coming to Boerne. He said, “We were wanting a rally and membership drive around Thanksgiving and Kendall County members had expressed some interest in it.” Authorities asked that local residents not come to the rally, to be held on the steps of the Kendall County Courthouse. There was a heavy police presence but only one arrest. The rally fizzled and ended early. The following is memoir of that day by Brent Evans

Kendall County elected Henry Hodge in 1997, the first Black sheriff in Texas since Reconstruction. So, the Klan announced they were coming to Boerne to protest. There was a lot of talk in town about going to protest the Klan’s protest; as such, Henry Hodge’s Sheriff’s Department would have to protect the Klan from residents.

Then my daughter Laurel and her friend Brook Tremper said they wanted to hold an anti-Klan rally at the Cibolo Nature Center. Now, we had just moved the 100-year-old building out to City Park to become our Visitor Center. Good friend and wood worker David Pipes had been hand-crafting new walls and doors and railings. Along with other volunteers, Pipes had poured his blood and sweat into this old house, and now I imagined the whole thing being burned to the ground.

The Klan was known for being crazy violent. But here were these sincere kids looking into our eyes with puppy eyes, with such hope. We had to ask our board about this thing that was not exactly in our mission statement.

The board decided that if our mission was preserving diversity in the local biological community, then that should include diversity in the local human community. So, we said do it, and do it at the same time as the Klan rally. But we asked the kids to call it “Diversity Day,” and to not have loud-mouth speakers irritating irritable people.

They agreed. In fact, we agreed there would be no speakers, and to just have a day of our community playing together in nature. The kids designed a flier which they handed out at Boerne High School and all over town.

Next, I called the Police Department to ask for an officer to be present to discourage any bad actors, but was told, “No way; we are going to have our hands full with crowd control at the courthouse steps.” The Sheriff’s Department also declined to provide protection for the same reason.

The next few nights were sleepless. I imagined the worst; violence against property or person or who knows what. Our children massacred. Our old building going up in flames. I could smell it.

But the day came off beautifully with a large and peaceful gathering at the nature center, while a rowdy shouting match went on at the courthouse. Meanwhile in the park, folks were flying kites and playing Frisbee. Romances were blooming along the trails. Kids running about, elders strolling. And they were all different colors and shapes and persuasions. Even Mayor Patrick Heath showed up to show his support.

But the main comfort I received that day was from the 9mm pistol concealed in my back pocket. Thankfully, my flaming fantasy failed to ignite. And the 9mm did not go off and shoot me in the butt, which was just one of the possible nightmare outcomes.

It was a good day. And I have never been prouder of our little nature center than on that sunny November day in 1997.

When Laurel applied to Antioch College and needed an essay for the admissions process, she wrote up the Ku Klux Klan story — and what do you know? She received a $25,000 scholarship in recognition of her local citizenship.

I figure the Ku Klux Klan helped pay for my daughter’s college education at one of the most radically liberal institutions in the country.

“Sharing the Past” is a series organized by the Kendall County Historical Commission