JULY 15, 2020
HAYS CO. DEMOCRATIC RUNOFF RESULTS*
HAYS CO. REPUBLICAN RUNOFF RESULTS* U.S. Rep., Dist. 35
Guillermo William Hayward 46.51% Jenny Garcia Sharon 53.49%
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St. Rep., Dist. 45 Kent “Bud” Wymore 37.19% Carrie Isaac 62.81%
St. Brd. of Ed.
U.S. Senator
Robert Morrow 21.45%
Royce West 47.62%
Lani Popp 78.55%
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Mary MJ Hegar 52.38%
County Chair
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Donna Haschke 61.14%
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Angela “Tia” Villescaz 38.86%
* – RESULTS AS OF 10:25 P.M. TUESDAY
Railroad Comm.
Roberto “Beto” Alonzo 37.72% Chrysta Castaneda 62.72%
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* – RESULTS AS OF 10:25 P.M. TUESDAY
News-Dispatch
75¢
Vol. 40 • No. 39
HaysNewsDispatch.com
Serving Hays County, TX
Face masks? Debate over medical excuse BY ANITA MILLER
designated license plates, so he’s equally familiar Dripping Springs with what that status resident Nathan Kaspar allows him. knows his way around the So it was somewhat Americans with Disabiliof a surprise when, after ties Act (ADA). “I grew up County Judge Ruben Becaround it,” says Kaspar, erra issued an order rewhose mother’s sister was quiring “all people” age 10 born blind. and over to wear masks in He’s also a disabled vet- public to slow the spread eran of the Navy with 24 of COVID-19, nobody else years service, and has DV seemed to understand
there are exemptions to that directive. In the days after the order was issued, Kaspar, whose doctors have recommended he not wear a face mask, was denied entry to three local businesses. “I was very rudely kicked out of there,” he said of visits to an H-E-B, Whataburger and Home
Depot. “I tried to talk to them,” he told the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch, to explain that he was exempt from the order. But nobody seemed to know about the exemptions, which he said were not mentioned on window stickers Becerra made available to local businesses. “The problem is, in
Uber for public transit? Kyle says yes
UBER IN KYLE, 7
and the next time he went to H-E-B the experience was much different. “I bought groceries today,” he said on July 8. “The young lady at the door asked if I needed a mask and I said, “No. Doctor’s orders.” He even encountered resistance from the
MASK EXEMPTIONS, 10
Longtime Hays CISD employee fired for improper FB posts HAYS FREE PRESS STAFF
BY MEGAN WEHRING The city of Kyle is partnering with Uber Technologies to provide residents with more flexible transportation by early August. Residents will request rides using the Uber mobile app. Kyle officials will distribute a voucher link to users through the app. Users will be eligible to start subsidized rides for trips that start and end within city limits. Riders will be expected to pay the first $3.14 of a trip and the city will subsidize up to $10 per trip after that. Operations will run 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The original six-month program was approved for an $80,000 budget. Jerry Hendrix, chief of staff for Kyle, is concerned about having a limited budget as the end of the fiscal year approaches. “We only have two months left of the fiscal year,” Hendrix said. “Council has the ability to adjust that if they would like. We’ve also earmarked $150,000 potentially in next year’s budget.”
rolling out signage and press releases, they don’t say (that there are exemptions). They just say an order is issued for all citizens.” Not satisfied, Kaspar pursued the issue with the management of all three businesses who had turned him away. A senior Whataburger official actually called to apologize
Getting the food out
PHOTO BY ANITA MILLER
A volunteer prepares to load a box of food into a waiting vehicle on Saturday during a Central Texas Food Bank mass distribution event in Kyle.
Hays CISD to consider retiring Rebel mascot on Thurday BY MEGAN WEHRING The Hays CISD Board of Trustees will consider voting to retire the Rebel mascot at Thursday’s meeting. In a statement provided to the Hays community, administration recommends
the Board to delay selecting a new mascot. “The district did attempt to conduct a top-choice selection process for a new mascot in early July,” the statement read, “However, the new mascot selection campaign was interrupted
by unexpected circumstances that affected the process. The administration does not believe it was able to obtain enough student response during this process to be confident that the responses fully
REBEL MASCOT, 9
Cite & Divert policy hailed as step toward greater justice BY ANITA MILLER Indigent rights activists are among those praising the adoption of a progressive criminal justice initiative announced by Hays County officials on Wednesday. Sheriff Gary Cutler and District Attorney Wes Mau, both Republicans, announced that a Cite & Divert policy will be effective on Sept. 1 with
the HCSO along with the police departments of Kyle, Buda, San Marcos and Texas State University. The move is a step beyond the Cite & Release policy adopted by San Marcos PD earlier this year in that it gives officers the discretion to allow certain offenders the chance to avoid the criminal justice system entirely and keep their record clean. The program, long
HELPING OUT Friends Foundation gets special $1K gift. –Page 4
supported by community organizations, has been discussed since 2019. However, in a joint announcement Wednesday afternoon, Cutler and Mau said issues including the rise of COVID-19 infections in the county jail spurred them to act. The announcement was made at the conclusion of a virtual meeting
CITE & DIVERT, 8
The Hays CISD terminated a longtime employee last week within hours after allegations of improper conduct surfaced on Facebook. The employment of Communications Specialist David Bowe was terminated on July 9 for “engaging in conduct that falls short of district expectations” and “communication that demonstrates a lack of professional judgement.” No charges have been filed, but the district, in a statement issued after Bowe’s firing, said it “will continue to cooperate with investigating authorities including Child Protective Services and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office” regarding any “potential allegations.”
The Facebook posts, largely by former students at Hays High School, showed up on July 8 and accused Bowe of making inappropriate comments and suggestions. The Facebook posts, largely by former students at Hays High School, showed up on July 8 and accused Bowe of making inappropriate comments and suggestions. Some of the posters attended the school as re-
IMPROPER POSTS 9
Petition launched over city tax hike proposal BY MEGAN WEHRING
give more than they can,” the petition states. Kyle resident Scott Nevil The petition also raises started an online petition awareness for the entire hoping the City Council community of Kyle to come will vote against a property together before city council tax increase. votes on the matter. City council members “We must stand up have said they want to against this injustice and direct the city manager and contact our representatives director of finance to devel- and make sure they are op a budget and property representing the people, tax rate calculations for the not their agendas!” the next fiscal year. It would petition states. be based on an 8.0 percent At the July 7 council cap instead of a 3.5 percent meeting, Kyle resident Viccap allowed under Senate tor Medina raised his own Bill 2. concerns about changing In the event of a disaster the tax rate during the declaration, Senate Bill 2 COVID-19 pandemic. allows the deferral of the “I would hope that the 3.5 percent cap and then council reconsider and take allows the 8.0 percent cap a second look at this due to instead. the current situation with Within the span of an the COVID-19,” Medina hour, the online petition said. “I think our city has received 32 signatures. been spending a little bit The petition addresses the too much money on other community’s concerns if things that are not really the tax rate changes. important.” “This is simply unacKyle City Council will ceptable! With so many discuss the possible tax still out of work, we cannot rate change at the budget expect our community to workshop in August.
The Hays Free Press Barton Publications, Inc. The Hays Free Press (USPS 361-430) published weekly by Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. Periodicals postage paid at Buda, TX 78610 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. ISSN#1087-9323