News

Wimberley Strong.

Warmer temperatures over the weekend and continuing this week melted most of the snow from the state’s roadways and roofs. But Texans are still dealing with broken pipes that flooded homes and businesses, damaged municipal water systems, and continued power outages in scattered areas, mainly in East and Central Texas.

After record-breaking cold, many central Texans are chasing leaks and working to restore water service. Water utility customers can use their meters to check their plumbing integrity, but well owners will have a harder time verifying that all leaks have been found. Groundwater levels in our aquifers are low, and the NOAA Climate Prediction Center forecasts that drought will persist in our area at least through the spring if not longer, so finding leaks will help secure our water supplies and protect Hill Country springs, creeks, and rivers. Here’s how:

Everybody’s story about the week will be a little different but mostly the same. Little or no electricity, no water or boiled water, lost plants that usually made it through the last few winters and cold, cold, cold.

Rupert Neve, an innovator and business owner whose analog audio equipment designs have become an essential component in music recording, live sound production and home hi-fi systems, died on February 12, 2021 in Wimberley, Texas, due to non-Covid pneumonia and heart failure. He was 94.

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) notified Hays County Local Health Department (HCLHD) that an individual in Hays County tested positive for the UK variant of COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the UK variant of COVID-19 is more contagious and may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, though health officials said more data is needed to substantiate that finding.

Ken Strange is no stranger to the Wimberley Valley. He began his career in Wimberley more than 20 years ago as a small-town volunteer firefighter. He loves the work and the calling to serve people. All who live in Wimberley know his commitment to serving this community.

Records were broken across the Wimberley Valley as a historic winter storm slammed into the entire state of Texas. Thousands of people in Wimberley alone weathered some of the coldest nights on record without electricity, many with out heat.

Last winter, White-nose Syndrome (WNS) was detected in bats in 18 counties in central Texas and the disease has continued to spread. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is monitoring its progression through the state and is asking for the public’s help to understand how WNS is affecting vulnerable bat populations.

Texans from Lubbock to Longview shivered under single-digit temperatures as their week began, with snow and ice creating dangerous road conditions throughout the state. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for all 254 Texas counties and urged residents to stay alert to changing weather conditions. The Texas Division of Emergency Management deployed resources from various state agencies to prepare roadways, assist motorists, remove downed trees and perform searchand-rescue operations if necessary.

The Hays County Commissioners Court voted to approve the submission of two grant applications to the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division in support of “one-stop shop” for government assistance in the criminal justice process.

Voices at the Table, the community forum that explores race in Wimberley, will continue Sunday (Feb. 21) with a new program focusing on the experience of fami-lies of color in the area.

After launching its online COVID-19 pre-registration portal, Hays County residents will soon be able to pre-register by phone.