NEWS
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VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTIONS NO LONGER REQUIRED
ALUMNUS VISITS ALL STATE PARKS
TEXAS STATE WINS BOWL GAME, HERE’S HOW
TUESDAY
January 14, 2025 VOLUME 114 ISSUE 17
THC ban may impact Turning Loss into Lessons product access By Lesdy Hernandez News Reporter
Access to THC products in Texas may soon face major restrictions, as a proposed ban seeks to outlaw the sale of all consumable THC items, potentially disrupting the cannabis market and users’ access to these products in cities like San Marcos. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposed Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) for the 89th Texas legislative session, a law that aims to ban the sale of all consumable Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products in Texas. In a Dec. 4, 2024 press release, Patrick said the law’s goal is to combat the “life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC products” that have been made accessible to the public. “Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content which might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer,” Patrick wrote.
SEE LEGISLATION PAGE 3
Sheriff’s office to end inmate transfers By Ryan Claycamp Assistant News Editor
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office plans to end its practice of outsourcing Hays County inmates to other jails across the state. Currently, Hays County Jail only sends inmates to Haskell County Jail. According to a public information request, the outsourcing cost reached $8,488,581.54 in the 2024 fiscal year. According to Sheriff Lt. Clint Pulpan, that figure does not include the cost of transporting inmates to and from Hays County. “To reduce money [spent] on outsourcing, we’re trying to keep as many inmates in the jail as we can. In October of this year, we returned all outsourced inmates, other than those with Haskell County,” Pulpan said. Pulpan said the outsourcing agreement with Haskell County requires a minimum of 200 inmates to be sent to Haskell County at all times. According to the Hays County Jail Dashboard, there were 495 people in the Hays County Jail as of Jan. 7. That means that Haskell County currently houses at least 40% of Hays County detainees. According to Pulpan, one of the reasons the sheriff’s office will be able to bring all detainees back to Hays County is because there has been a decrease in the total number of people kept in the jail. Pulpan said a large amount of credit for that should go to the Hays County District Attorney’s office and local judges.
SEE HAYS COUNTY PAGE 2
STACY DALTON | COURTESY PHOTO
Ethan Dalton wins academic achievement award while in the seventh grade in Deerpark Middle School in 2016 in Austin.
Student’s legacy continues through nonprofit By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor
The Dalton family founded a nonprofit in 2017 to support foster children, but after the death of their son Ethan, a Texas State finance senior, their commitment to helping all at-risk youth has grown stronger than ever. Ethan was beginning his senior year at Texas State when he died from accidental fentanyl and alcohol poisoning on Sept. 1, 2024, while he was in Colorado. Ethan had a deep passion for baseball, cherished playing video games with his younger sibling Ace and was dedicated to fitness. But above all, his passion for people
set him apart, according to his dad Dennis —connecting with them, uplifting them and making them feel seen. “He’s someone you would meet once and you would not forget him,” Dennis said. “He had such a bright smile… there could be six people in a picture and he would be the one you’d see the most.” However, Ethan’s mom, Stacy, said growing up wasn’t always easy. As a child, Ethan was impulsive and pushed boundaries, a reflection of his experience living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). “He could mask his anxiety. He could mask his addictive behavior. He was very quick to anger, but
he masked that with humor and things like that,” Stacy said. “... Every situation that he was in, he would always just go a little bit extra, he knew the consequences of his behavior, but he wasn’t able to internalize those.” The Daltons channeled their experiences into founding The Collaborative for Family Education, a nonprofit inspired by their journey with Ethan. The organization offers comprehensive support to children and their families, providing financial assistance and connecting them with vital resources for mental health care.
SEE REMEMBRANCE PAGE 3
Bates’ unorthodox journey to the NFL By Jackson Kruse Sports Editor
From playing college soccer to kicking game-winning field goals at the highest level, former Texas State Bobcat Jake Bates has progressively reached new heights in his career. On June 18, 2024, Bates signed a two-year, $1.98 million contract with the Detroit Lions. The rookie kicker went 26-for-29 on field goal attempts STAR FILE PHOTO in the 2024-25 regular season, Texas State junior kicker Jacob Bates including three game-winners, (47) approaches the ball to kick off earning Detroit the NFC’s No. 1 during Fan Day scrimmage, Friday, seed for the 2025 NFL playoffs. If it weren’t for Bates’ clutch Aug. 14, 2021, at Bobcat Stadium. kicking, the Minnesota Vikings would be the NFC’s top seed and the Lions wouldn’t have the luxury of a first-round bye. Before his successful NFL
rookie campaign and college football career, Bates played two seasons of soccer for the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears (2018-19). “I was kind of done with soccer [after playing for Central Arkansas],” Bates said. “I wanted to see what else might be out there.” After his time with the Sugar Bears, Bates, who hadn’t played in an organized football game since high school, began regularly kicking footballs in aid of his friends’ quest to walk on at TCU. Eventually, the former soccer player sparked the idea of attempting to walk on somewhere himself.
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 7